# The Spider-Man Origin Story in Art & Comic Books: National Book Festival 2021

Before Spider-Man leaped off the pages of comic books into the movies, Steve Ditko, a cartoonist, and Stan Lee, a scriptwriter, sat down at their desks and invented him. The Library of Congress possesses the original drawings for their collaboration, which appeared in the August 1962 issue of "Amazing Fantasy." Together we look at the moment the radioactive spider bit Peter Parker, turning him from a lonely teenager into a superhero. We discuss how Steve Ditko changed his art in reaction to Stan Lee's editorial notations in the margins of the drawing. Specialists present the art in an interactive format, highlighting the artistic creative process, including how Ditko drew the costume for the first time and how it differs from what Spider-Man wears today. We also discuss how Peter comes to learn "with great power there must also come great responsibility!" Conceived as an interactive event aimed at children and young adults who may be aware only of the Marvel movies, Library staff will highlight and discuss that the story came from a book - a comic book - and the imaginative possibilities of a talented writer and artist working as a team.

- Kind: Talk
- Year: 2021
- By: Library Of Congress
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/2024697696/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/2024697696?play=1)