To the Editor (01-Jul-2004)

 In: Letters > Editor > 2004
 Posted: 2004
 Staff: The Editor (E-Mail)

Welcome to our letters page. These letters are answered by Jonathan Couper, who uses them as a chance to sharpen his otherwise dull wit. If you want a serious response, your chances will be increased by posing your question, respectfully, to our Spider-Oracle.

From Haro

What is the difference between the Spectacular, Amazing, and Peter Parker: Spider-Man comic series?

A very good question. You need to check out our Current Title Summary, which we have just updated to let you know what's happening across the entire Spider-Verse, including spin-offs, limited series, and tie-ins!

[Note: The "Current Title Summary" page is gone now that we're purely an archive site. - Editor]

From Gidzillatron

Hi. Just wondering, are theire any plans for the SPIDEY SUPER STORIES reviews to countinue?

YES! Eric's Super Stories reviews were always the highlight of PPP for me, and now he's back after a two year absence! Expect to see him start next month, and to honor us with one of his hilarious SSS reviews every couple of months. Welcome back Eric!

From Johan

I am a grade 4 student. I have to do a talk on my favourite author and have decided to tell others about Michael Teitelbaum. Except for many titles, I can't find any other information. Could you please help?

When and where was he born? When did he start writing? Anything else.

According to my sources, Michael Teitelbaum was born to a poor immigrant family in Southern Rhodesia in the late 1940's. Handicapped by his dwarfism, he struggled through school, achieving mediocre results. However, his burning ambition ensured that Michael, despite his small stature and unappealing looks would find a way to make his mark on the world. Disguising himself to hide his physical deformity and lack of height, Titelbaum emigrated to America without a dollar to his name.

In 1970, Michael emerged from prison having served two years of an eight year sentence for manslaughter. He was released on a technicality, but had always protested his innocence of the death of the car salesman, run over in his own showroom when Teitelbaum mistakenly pushed the automatic Dodge convertible into reverse gear.

After serving with John Kerry on a swift boat in Vietnam, the nascent writer documented his war stories in a short work entitled "The vital role of masochism in the modern military". Sadly, a vindictive American army was to ensure that this work would never be published.

Teitelbaum earned some brief notoriety playing guard with the Bulls, reaching the height of his fame with the unpleasant "knee-biting" incident during the Celtics play-off in '82. Abandoning his sporting career, he lived in a cardboard box on the streets of New York for several cold winters, before apparently Joey Quesada himself encountered the near-frozen Teitelbaum outside a cut-price strip-joint, and offered him a job writing Spider-Man fiction.

Then again, my sources aren't always 100% reliable, so I wouldn't want to say that any of this was necessarily true.

From Rudy

Spider-Man 2 Movie Poster Magazine

Been looking everywhere for it...keep your eyes open dude...you know anyplace that has it????????????

Nope, I've tried to track this down myself. I emailed the guys at Titan Magazines, but got no reply. I haven't seen it in any local magazine shops at all. It's just a mystery! Anybody out there know where it can be purchased online, please drop us a note here at SpiderFan!

From MakPanos

When Jason Macendale was merged with the demon that would become the Demogoblin, was his soul required of him? If so, would that not raise the possibility of his being ressurected (I mean Doctor Octopus was essentially dead until the whole Stunner sacrifice episode which brought him back) by N'astirh for his own purposes. After all the way he died was rather suspect and demeaning.

Oh, I don't know. Once a goblin dies, no matter how popular he was, I don't think Marvel would ever spit in the face of the fans by bringing him back just to resolve some dumb plot difficulty they might have gotten themselves into by their own stupidity.

From Irene

I have an idea for a children's book. Actually, I am working on it. It's a book about a five-year-old girl who likes to travel. In this particular book, she visits Moscow, Russia. Images, text, other graphics will be provided.

Thank you for your inquiry regarding publishing on our site. Please complete the enclosed application form, and send your check covering the $120 application fee to our post office box. Please allow 6-8 months for a reply.

Thank you.

From Mike

Hey, I was wondering if you could help me get in touch with Ron Zimmerman. I've had one of the titles he wrote for about 2 years and I'm kinda wanting now to tell him how I feel about it. The Title Is Spider-Man's Tangled Web #13 Double Shots. Its the best SM title in my opinion. So can ya help me out?

Zimmerman? Good story? Well, just walk around town until you see his ego poking up above the crowd. But first, when was the last time you had a CAT scan? I think I'm detecting some signs of potential cerebral damage...

From Rissa

With the success of Spiderman 2, the wall crawler has grown even more popular! Is there a chance that we might see the return of Spiderman the animated series, with all new episodes?

A reasonable question... however at this time I'm not aware of MTV having indicated any interest in a second series of their Spidey cartoon series, sorry.

From Maggie

I need clipart for a Thank you card. Where can I go. I need a good image.

You need an image consultant! Hah!

From ShadowMan

RE: Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #12

To begin with, it is a very well written book, that blends equal parts caustic & warm humour, both of which I can appreciate, scathing sarcasm, steel-willed determination, raw-edged reality of the evil & pain mankind is capable of & human sympathy. It is, quite frankly, one of the best books I have ever read. My congratulations to the author.

I noted that near the end of the book, the characteristics, or rather the power wielded, by the individual known only as Pity, began to resemble, at the opposite end of their seemingly preferred method of use, those of the X-Man known as Dazzler. Perhaps I am wrong is this conclusion & would like some clarification on that matter, if only to satiate my curiousity.

I also noted that, but for two missing details, quite essential to the bigger picture, the descriptions given to identify the characters mentioned at the end of the book were quite accurate. The details I mention as missing, or perhaps for the sake of maintaining some semblance of mystery, were details intentionally left out. were the fact that the van, for the sake of accuracy, was actually green & orange & that the dog could talk, although granted, to a limited degree. The descriptions of the other persons Pity's momentary glimpse described, were in the order mentioned Fred, who caught Pity before she hit the ground, Daphne who noticed Pity's frozen condition, Shaggy, who stated the obvious about her being wet, Scooby-Doo, the Great Dane aforementioned & Velma, who did not actually get a form of dialogue, which would probably have been composed of her famous statment of awe, that being one word "Jinkies", if memory serves corect. All these individuals being conveyed in the mystery Machine.

All I can say is... "Jinkies".

From Izik

Sometimes late at night when I can't sleep I like to read the reviews of different Spidey titles on your site.

One review that I'd like to see would be for an early Amazing story. The one where Spidey has to get medicine to Aunt May or she'll die. I know nothing about this story except that I've read flashbacks to when he lifts a very heavy piece of metal to get the medicine to his aunt.

Another review-based sugestion (I guess these are more requests than suggestions) would be "previous" and "next" hyperlinks at the bottom of the review page. This probably wouldn't work very well considering that not EVERY issue is reviewed.

That ASM story you're thinking of is #31-#33, the unforgettable "If this be my Destiny", featuring Doctor Octopus as the Master Planner. Al will certainly be getting to that issue any month now, in his "From the Beginning" review series.

Now, as for those Previous and Next hyperlinks, that's an excellent idea. In fact, the trickiest problem is the fact that the stories overlap between all the titles, so the numerically next issue isn't always the one that comes next in the overall story of Spider-Man!

And... Hey, what do you mean, "you read our reviews to get to sleep"!?!

From Mike

I've been wondering for quite a while if you'd like to create a spin-off site called BatFan. As a comic afficionado and webmaster, I would willingly volunteer to do a brunt of the work and effort in keeping the site going, while splitting the webmaster position and duties with you and whoever else you choose. I'm also assisted by a few members of a board I run. If you are too busy to do anything towards BatFan, I can do all of the work, since I strongly enjoy the franchise. I feel that we can really put together the essential source of all things Batman. It would definitely pull in millions due, not only to the upcoming movie, but the Teen Titans show and the upcoming Year One animated series. Feel free to IM me anytime.

Batman? I think I know that name. That's a comic, yeah?

But yeah, it would probably make millions. That would be great. Better than SpiderFan, where we actually have to pay money just to keep this site running!

From Rowan

I'm having an argument with one of my friends on the topic of Spiderman's web. In the film he doesn't use capsules, does he still use them in the comics or has that been changed, if so, when did that happen? If not has it ever changed?

Spidey has never, and never will use capsules! Hell, he doesn't even go to dance parties!

From Anonymous

I'm finding the newer issues of the "Spectacular SPider-Man" series really disturbing. I don't really like the plot with the half-naked queen kissing Spider-Man, controlling him, and making him grow 2 new eyes. Also, there are no real fight scenes, barely any clever comebacks from Pete, and the whole thing has a weird, mysterious spin that makes you want to drop the comic or flip to the last page to get it over with. There's no action, but instead there's mushy weird scenes and replays of kisses-Gross! As a solid Spider-Man fan, I'm ashamed.

Kisses? EWWWWW!!!

From Anonymous

When I first got into Spider-man, it was partly because my dad is a Spider-man fan, and has some older spider-man comics, and partly because I watched both movies. However, after reading some newer Spider-man issues at chapters, I was upset to find how much he has changed. The newer comics are a lot darker and more "mature" than before, and make me feel uncomfortable.

In the older issues, the plot gravitates around a flawed hero that manages to save the day from various thugs at the same time as struggling to keep a normal life. However, the newer issues focus on a flawed hero who is attacked by various spidey-terrorists and doesn't have a normal life at all...he doesn't even do as much "saving" at the end of the day, and leaves you on a negative note at the end of the comic. You can't really relate to Peter Parker anymore and he is a totally different person!

I was particularly disappointed in "Royal Flush" when Spider-man kisses a half- naked stripper when he is already married. Basically, I'm suggesting you tone it down on the "maturity" and keep Spiderman's reputation as the lovable little hero next door.

Hey, don't blame us! We just read the comics, we don't write 'em!

Anyhow, what page was that stripper on? I missed it.

From J.D.

i really like ur wedsite and i have a suggestion. I think that u should make an ultamate villian pgae with pictures and names of the villans and of which comic they come from. just an idea.

We get this question, and similar ones, quite a lot. Basically, there are literally hundreds of regular universe Spidey characters that we haven't covered yet... and we're really just wanting to do one thing well, rather than take on even more scope for the page. Sure, we're amazing SpiderFans, but even we have our limits!

From JaguarJ

Questions:

  1. Has Shockers face ever been seen?
  2. Does the Scorpion wear a costume or is his tail and everything an actualy part of him from the mutation experiment?
  3. Does the Scorpion perform his own enhancements to his tail, or does some other party do it?

Aha! For once, some questions I can answer, I don't need the Oracle for these!

  1. Certainly, the Shocker's face is no secret. Neither is it very pretty.
  2. The Scorpion's tail is 100% artificial, but is wired into his nervous system.
  3. The Scorpion certainly doesn't do his own electronics. He ain't that bright! The Tinkerer did some work for him, I believe. Other corporate and government agencies have also helped to enhance his costume and tail.
From Anonymous

i was wondering if you could make a character named trinity,he came up with him when i was rping spiderman with y friends,heres a quick bio:he is a villian,he can make up to 6 clones come from him,he can mimic moves,he has a blade on his left arm,he was once a secret service bodey gaurd for the president but got fired when he didnt take the bullet,he fell in radio active waste and decided to live a life of crime he moved to mahatten for the first time and robbed a bank thats when he first encountered black cat and hobgoblin,then the next day spider man,those three are his major enemies so far,he currently has no allie,but when i think of one i will mail you again

Jinkies!

 In: Letters > Editor > 2004
 Posted: 2004
 Staff: The Editor (E-Mail)