Posted By Dan Greenfield on Nov 4, 2023 | 6 comments

The ’80s cartoon gets the RetroFan treatment…

I was a Spider-Man ’67 kid through and through. When it was on Channel 5 in New York after school, I’d sit mesmerized in front of the TV. When it was off the schedule, I’d feverishly check every new TV Guide to see whether it had come back.

But that was a weekday phenomenon. Saturday mornings I’d make do with NBC’s Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, which, like DC’s Super Friends on ABC, skewed a bit younger. (I was already in my early teens so I had to grit my teeth whenever Ms. Lion came on screen.)

What the stories had going from them was the huge cast of guest stars from across the Marvel Universe. So while the tone was a little soft, there was a surprisingly rich storytelling experience. (There was also the Spider-Man solo cartoon of the same era and you can check out more about that here.)

Anyway, 1981-83’s Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends is finally getting its due — in TwoMorrows’ RetroFan #38. It’s scheduled for 2025, which is a long way off, but here’s the mag’s official description to whet your appetite (along with the prior issue’s blurb focusing on The Jetsons, The Archies and more).

Dig this:

RETROFAN #38. Tune into Saturday morning super-heroes Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends! Plus: The Mod Squad, Hanna-Barbera cartoonists, Jesus Christ Superstar, Mr. Potato Head, “Old Yeller” actress Beverly Washburn, Flying Nun collectibles, and more! Featuring columns by Andy Mangels, Will Murray, Scott Saavedra, Scott Shaw, and Mark Voger. Edited by Michael Eury.

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RETROFAN #37. Meet the modern space-age family: The Jetsons! Plus: Freaky Frankensteins, Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling’s Hollywood, the Archies and other Saturday morning rockers, Star Wars copycats, Build Your Own Adventure books, crazy kitchen gadgets, toymaker Marvin Glass, and more! Featuring columns by Andy Mangels, Will Murray, Scott Saavedra, Scott Shaw, and Mark Voger. Edited by Michael Eury.

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A few thoughts:

— RetroFan #37 is due Feb. 12, 2025. You can pre-order it here.

— RetroFan #38 is due April 9, 2025. You can pre-order it here. (Publication dates are subject to change.)

— Definitely check out 13 REASONS TO WATCH THE 1981 SPIDER-MAN CARTOON SERIES — Amazing Friends’ lesser-seen sister show.

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MORE

— JOHN ROMITA Tribute Issue Coming From ROY THOMAS’ ALTER EGO. Click here.

— DYNAMIC DUO: TwoMorrows to Salute Careers of DENNY O’NEIL and STEVE ENGLEHART. Click here.