Debatably the most celebrated and commercially hit comic-book characters and superheroes of all time, Spiderman is owned by Marvel Comics. As the character entered the archetypal superhero narratives, several fans have started to relate with their Spiderman’s story.
The emblem and costume of the character were so popular that they were identifiable even to those who didn’t know the genre. The role of the iconic Spiderman logo is important throughout the brand’s journey. Stanley Martin Lieber, scriptwriter and editor of the famous American publishing company, Marvel Comics, was the character’s original image creator. His idea was put to life by the artist Stephen J. (Steve) Ditko, who also created the Spiderman logo and costume. Let’s take a look at the story behind the fascinating Spiderman logo.
How did Spiderman come into existence?
The Spider-Man comic books that we know and read today were a joint venture by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Jack Kirby. Prior to this, all the traditional comic superheroes were grown-up men with demigod appearance. Hence, Stan Lee wanted something that’s more humanistic and relatable – one that would appeal to adults and teenagers alike.
This idea was initially opposed by the studio since they believed that such a human-like character would not suit their brand of demigods. What’s more, the studio regarded teenage superheroes as accomplices rather than main characters.
Ultimately, when Stan Lee launched Spiderman in the 15th publication of “Amazing Fantasy” comic series (1962), he was immensely liked by the audience. The dual life and personality of Peter Parker made his character more dynamic and interesting. While the first character was a humble college student and an orphan living with his uncle and aunt, the other had gained some superpowers that he was allowed to use responsibly.
Although he initially used the power for making money, like any other teenager would, his uncle’s death was a turning point in his life. Peter Parker finally realized his purpose of having superpowers, which is to oppose crime.
History and Meaning behind the Spiderman Logo
It is said that Jack Kirby had an archetype Spiderman logo designed way before the script work began for the series. Nevertheless, this prototype went missing and we will never know the similarities between Kirby’s and Steve Ditko’s logo. With changing times and trends, the logo has evolved so much over the years. Every new series saw a refreshed logo design, perhaps to depict Spiderman’s evolving character.
In August 1962, Spiderman first appeared in Amazing Fantasy (a comic book anthology). Since then, the character was seen across various publications by Marvel Comics and other forms of media. Both the character and the fictional story of Spiderman were so popular that they were translated and presented across different movies, television shows, and video game adaptations. It would be safe to say that Marvel Studios owes much of their success to Spiderman and its unprecedented logo.
Note: The media house Spiderman and superhero Spiderman logos are entirely different things. While the latter is a character hailing from a fictional genre whose costume features a spider’s image, the former is represented by comics, cartoons, feature films, video games, TV series, and theatrical performances.
The first Spiderman Logo (1962)
The very first Spiderman logo, as seen in cartoons and comic books, looked quite bulky and cluttered, featuring a round eight-legged spider that Parker drew in the plot. Considering the fact that logo design technicalities weren’t readily available then, he certainly did a good job! It became quite a big hit with children and youngsters who could relate the logo with the character.
Although Peter takes the entire credit for the logo design, it was in fact created by Steve Ditko. Jack Kirby and Steve were jointly given the responsibility to design Spiderman’s attire, though only the latter succeeded in giving life to Stan Lee’s idea of costume design. While Kirby’s version was considered too muscular, like Captain America, Steve Ditko’s design looked more realistic and was instantly approved.
Although the Spiderman emblem and costume underwent several changes down the years, the first Spiderman costume is still the most iconic. The red and blue color palette looked great on paper and made the character instantly recognizable amidst the grey concrete walls of New York. This is the same reason why Spidey’s early contenders wear vibrant costumes too.
John Romita Sr.’s Version 1966
After Steve Ditko’s The Amazing Spiderman, John Romita Sr. stepped in as his successor in 1966. As an equally creative artist as Ditko, he described the Silver Age and showed way for the Bronze era of comic books. His creations played a significant role in taking the series to unprecedented heights.
During his tenure as Marvel’s Art Director, Romita gifted the series some of its most important characters like Hobgoblin, The Kingpin, MJ, etc. As soon as he started working for Spiderman, he created a new version of the emblem, thus strengthening his role and position at Marvel Studios. However, the 1966 version of the Spiderman logo appeared much narrower and inappropriate for the front side of Spiderman’s costume.
The font used for the first Spiderman logo was a soft-shape sans-serif style. Featuring yellow letters with red undersides, the wordmark was also somewhat curved.
1979 – 1985
In 1979, the Spider-man lettering had more linear, broader shapes. The letters were written in white and outlined by wide red-orange lines. The comic’s title also featured an arch and looked more symmetric. However, the light gradient wasn’t very impressive that gave it a childish look.
1985 saw another big change in the Spider-man logo. A new version with slanted SPIDER-MAN lettering was to be used for the next five years. The carefully chosen gaps and proportions gave a 3D falling impression to the letters. Simultaneously, the wordmark looked solid, heavy, and impressive from above. The lettering featured an orange color with wide yellow borders. The most interesting element about this logo is a hanging spider in the foreground, right over the letter “M”.
1994 – 2005
This revised wordmark was meant for the ‘Spider-Man: the Animated Series’. The font was flattened and upgraded to look more mystical and spider-like. The letters were further extended, jagged and smeared in red outlines.
2005 – Present
Designed in 2005, the present Spider-Man logo appears more professional and advanced than all the previous versions. Unlike before, the designers paid due attention to the clarity and symmetry of the letters.
One of the most famous Spiderman logo versions was an illustration on a black costume. Here, both the color of the costume and the depiction symbolize all dark sides of the protagonist’s personality. In the comic series, Peter had to struggle with his bad-tempered alter-ego. Regardless of its meaning, the logo looks quite impressive.
As a unique monochromic logo with long and defined spider legs, it hooked on to the customers’ attention and persuaded them to make a purchase. Another version of the Spiderman logo appeared in 2013. Designed by Humberto Ramos after being inspired by Alex Ross’s draft for the first episode of the series, the spider had an unusual shape and appeared bigger than in most other emblems. It looked quite stylish and attractive.
Another interesting design is a recent blend of Spiderman and Ironman logos. Here, the dominating colors are red and gold, and there’s a black spider on the hero’s chest.
Symbiote logo
Spiderman’s logo remained pretty much unchanged from the 70s on, until 1984 when a new storyline emerged for the superhero. This storyline involved the Symbiote and Spiderman’s dark alter ego. The change was stark and contrasting. First off, Spiderman’s costume was changed into an all-black suit.
The logo was then left white to contrast against the black costume. The spider was also drawn bigger on the chest to give it a more looming feel overall. This logo idea was actually contributed by a fan, Randy Schueller. Marvel loved the idea and ended up purchasing it before putting their artists to work.
Key Design Elements of the Spider-Man Logo
The Spider-Man logo covers features on the chest of the superhero and is visible every time he rips up his costume to save the universe. The iconic logo design is influential and demonstrates a sense of responsibility and dignity bestowed upon Spider-Man’s shoulders.
Shape of the Spiderman logo:
Featuring a spider against a strong web background, the symbol is synonymous with the character’s extraordinary speed, skills, and supernatural powers. The spider is a typical symbol of power, agility, wisdom, mystery, creativity and protection.
Color of the Spiderman’s logo:
The Spiderman logo featured a mysterious black shade in the comic series, and a brownish black tone in the first two motion-films – Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2. The conventional red background stands for the vigilant nature of the super hero. Likewise, the silverfish gray shade of the spider enhances the elegance of the hero’s personality.
However, there were some exceptions to this color scheme. For instance, the 1984 version comprised a white spider against a black background, while the 1994 version had a blue background. Both versions featured special costumes.
Fonts of the Spiderman logo:
Hardly seen, the fonts of the Spiderman wordmark are basic and italicized. The depiction of the superhero’s name is seen to vary from one episode of the series to the next.
Final thoughts,
The Spiderman logo has changed numerous times throughout the journey of the epic series. While some were made owing to a change of proprietary rights, others were done to match the theme of the movie. The logo evolution is in a way, a tribute to all the Marvel designers for all the efforts they’ve put in to keep the audience engaged and entertained with their creations. They have been constantly at work to match their designs with new storylines and changing characters.
Head of Design at DesignBro and is responsible for UI/UX Design, managing the global designer community, and ensuring quality levels of both designers and designs remain high.
