Spider-Man Art from Drug-Related Comic Goes to Auction
News related to:ComicConnect · 2 min read
Original art from the 1970s special editions of Amazing Spider-Man #96 and #97, the infamous drug issues, are available at auction until October 4th. The auction site ComicConnect, which specializes in comics and pop culture collectibles, has acquired nearly all of the interior art to these iconic issues. The legendary artists whose hands brought the story to life include John Romita Sr., Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia, and Mike Esposito. ComicConnect president Vincent Zurzolo described the art as “simply amazing” upon first seeing the pages.
The legendary artists whose hands brought the story to life included John Romita Sr., Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia, and Mike Esposito. The Comic Code Authority (CCA), which was established in 1954 in response to concerns about the content of comic books, imposed strict guidelines on what could and could not be depicted. Among the forbidden topics was drug use, even in a negative context.
However, the Nixon administration asked Marvel’s Stan Lee to create a story warning children of the dangers of drugs. Lee conceived a three-issue Spider-Man story in which his best friend, Harry Osborn, becomes addicted, and along the way, he changed comic book history. Lee felt confident that, since the government had made the original request, he could publish a drug-related story without the CCA seal of approval.
The books immediately became popular. After that, the CCA loosened its restrictions, opening the door to today’s more complex and darker stories. The code was discontinued in 2011 when major publishers stopped adhering to it.
Pages show Peter worrying about his employment, finances, love life, family, and his secret identity. Another set of pages introduces one of the storyline’s central conflicts, as Spider-Man stumbles across the police response to a teenager on drugs on the verge of falling from a tall building, demonstrating the scourge of drugs in Spider-Man’s fantastical world. Of course, Spidey swoops in to rescue the stoned teen.
Over 50 years later, ComicConnect is proud to once again offer collectors a chance to own an original piece of comics history.