AmazingFantasy

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AmazingAdultFantasyanditsretitledfinal
issue,AmazingFantasy,isanAmericancomic
bookanthologyseriespublishedbyMarvel
Comicsfrom1961through1962,withthelatter
titlerevivedwithsuperherofeaturesin1995and
inthe2000s.Thefinal1960sissue,Amazing
Fantasy#15(coverdatedAug.1962),isthetitle
thatintroducedthepopularsuperherocharacter
SpiderMan.AmazingAdultFantasypremiered
withissue#7,takingoverthenumberingfrom
AmazingAdventures.

AmazingFantasy

Contents
1 Publicationhistory
1.1 Continuationin1995
1.2 Volume2
2 Reprintsandcollectededitions
3 References
4 Externallinks
5 Furtherreading

AmazingAdultFantasy#7(Dec.1961).Firstissuefollowingtitle
changefromAmazingAdventures.CoverartbySteveDitko

Publicationhistory
ThesciencefictionfantasyanthologyAmazing
AdultFantasybeganwithissue#7(coverdated
Dec.1961),havingtakenoverthenumberofthe
similaranthologyAmazingAdventures.The
earlierissuesbeforethetitlechangefeatured
storiesdrawnbyanumberofartistsincluding
JackKirby,DonHeckandSteveDitko.Amazing
AdultFantasyfeaturedexclusivelythequick,
quirky,twistendingtalesofartistDitkoand
writereditorStanLeethathadappearedin
AmazingAdventuresandsistertitlesprimarily
featuringrampagingmonsters.Thecoverofthe
comiccarriedthemotto"Themagazinethat
respectsyourintelligence."[1]
Leein2009describedthese"short,fivepage
fillerstripsthatSteveandIdidtogether",
originally"placedinanyofourcomicsthathada
fewextrapagestofill",as"oddfantasytalesthat
I'ddreamupwithO.Henrytype[twist]endings."

Publicationinformation
Publisher

MarvelComics

Schedule

Monthly

Format

Ongoing

Publicationdate

AmazingAdventures#16
(June1961Nov.1961)
AmazingAdultFantasy#714
(Dec.1961July1962)
AmazingFantasy#15(Aug.
1962)
AmazingFantasy#1618(Dec.
1995Mar.1996)
AmazingFantasy(vol2)(Aug.
2004Apr.2006)

Maincharacter(s)

SpiderMandebutedinAF#15
(Aug.1962)
Creativeteam

Writer(s)

(196162):StanLee,etal.
(1995):KurtBusiek

(2004):FionaAvery,FredVan
Givingan
early
Lente,SimonFurman,etal.
example
Artist(s)
(196162):SteveDitko,Jack
ofwhat
Kirby,DonHeck,PaulReinman,
would
etal.
laterbe
(1995):PaulLee
knownas
(2004):Various.
the
"Marvel
Inker(s)
(196162):DickAyers,etal.
Method"
ofwriter
artistcollaboration,Leesaid,"AllIhadtodowasgiveStevea
onelinedescriptionoftheplotandhe'dbeoffandrunning.He'd
takethoseskeletonoutlinesIhadgivenhimandturntheminto
classiclittleworksofartthatendedupbeingfarcoolerthanI
hadanyrighttoexpect."[2]

Withissue#15(Aug.1962)AmazingAdultFantasywasretitled
AmazingFantasy.[3]Thisissue'sleadfeatureintroducedthe
SpiderMandebuts:AmazingFantasy
superheroSpiderMan,writtenbyLeeanddrawnbyDitko,
#15(Aug.1962).CoverartbyJack
althoughLeerejectedDitko'scoverartandcommissionedJack
Kirby(penciler)andSteveDitko
(inker).
KirbytopencilacoverthatDitkoinked.[3]AsLeeexplainedin
2010,"IthinkIhadJacksketchoutacoverforitbecauseI
alwayshadalotofconfidenceinJack'scovers."[4]Innumerous
interviewsLeehasrecalledhowthetitlehadbeenslatedforcancellation,andsowithnothingtolose,
publisherMartinGoodmanreluctantlyagreedtoallowhimtointroduceSpiderMan,anewkindof
superheroonewhowouldbeateenager,butnotasidekick,andonewhowouldhaveeverymandoubts,
neurosesandmoneyproblems.[5]However,whilethiswasindeedthefinalissue,itseditorialpage
anticipatedthecomiccontinuingandthat"TheSpiderman[sic]...willappeareverymonthin
Amazing."[3][6]
Regardless,salesforAmazingFantasy#15provedtobeoneofMarvel'shighestatthetime,[7]sothe
companylaunchedtheseriesTheAmazingSpiderMansevenmonthslater.[8]
TheDVDreleaseofthecollector'seditionoftheSpiderManmovieincludedanelectroniccopyof
AmazingFantasy#15.In2001,Marvelpublishedthe10issuehistoricaloverviewThe100Greatest
MarvelsofAllTime,withAmazingFantasy#15toppingthelist.
In2008,ananonymousdonorbequeathedtheLibraryofCongresstheoriginal24pagesofDitkoartfor
AmazingFantasy#15,includingSpiderMan'sdebutandthestories"TheBellRinger","Maninthe
MummyCase",and"ThereAreMartiansAmongUs".[9][10]
InSeptember2000,MetropolisComicsinNewYorkCitybroughttheonlyknownCGCgraded9.6
(nearmintplus)copytomarketandsolditfor$140,000.[11]InOctober2007,anearmintcopysoldfor
$210,000inanonlineauctiononComicLink.com.[12]AnearmintCGCgraded9.6copysoldfor$1.1
milliontoanunnamedcollectoronMarch7,2011,makingtheissueoneofonlythreecomicbooksto
havebrokenthemilliondollarmark(theothersbeingthedebutofSupermaninActionComics#1,of

whichthreecopieshavesoldformorethan$1millioneachandthefirstappearanceofBatmanin
DetectiveComics#27).[13]InJune2015,arecordpriceof$200,000waspaidforanexampleof
AmazingFantasy#15inCGC9.0conditiononComicLink.com.

Continuationin1995
Fordecades,noattemptsweremadetorelaunchthetitleortocontinueitwitha#16.However,in1995,
MarveleditorDannyFingerothdecidedastorygapexistedbetweenAmazingFantasy#15andThe
AmazingSpiderMan#1.Inanattempttofillthatgap,MarvelpublishedthreeflashbackSpiderMan
storiesinAmazingFantasy#1618(Dec.1995March1996),eachwrittenbyKurtBusiekandpainted
chieflybyPaulLee.[14]

Volume2
Thesecondvolumeoftheseriesran20issues(coverdatedAug.
2004June2006).[15]

AmazingFantasy#1(Aug.2004),
featuringAraa.CoverbyMark
BrooksandJamieMendoza

Thefirstarcranthroughvol.2,#16andfeaturedanewteenaged
heroine,Araa.Thesecondarc,invol.2,#712,publishedaftera
shorthiatus,featuredarevamped,femaleversionofthesupervillain
theScorpion.Abackupfeatureinvol.2,#1012(Sept.Nov.2005)
starredthecharacterNinaPrice,VampirebyNight.[15]Vol.2,#13
14(bothDec.2005)ledwiththemodernWestfeature"Vegas",
backedupby"CaptainUniverse".Inanattempttoreplicatehistory,
Marvelannouncedthatthenewissue#15wouldintroduceanew
generationofheroesina48pagestandaloneissue,inthehopesthat
theywouldbecomeaspopularasSpiderMan.Theseheroes
includedMastermindExcello,Blackjack,theGreatVideo,Monstro,
HeartbreakKid,andPositron.Thecoverto#15wasarevamped
versionoftheoriginalAmazingFantasy#15cover,completewith
SpiderManswingingthroughamoderndayNewYorkCity,while
thenewheroeswatchinaweinthebackground.[15]

Thefinalarc,invol.2,#1620(Feb.June2006),introducedDeath's
Head3.0,arevampoftheMarvelUKcharacter,writtenbythe
originalversion'screator,SimonFurman.Issues#1819containtwo"TalesoftheNewUniverse"stories
asbackupfeatures,while#20featuredaWesternbackup,"Steamrider".[15]

Reprintsandcollectededitions
AmazingFantasyOmnibus(September2007)ISBN0785124586
CollectsAmazingAdventures#16,AmazingAdultFantasy#714,AmazingFantasy#15(1961
1962)
AmazingFantasy#15hasbeenreprintedmanytimes,sometimesjustreprintingtheSpiderManstory.
Someofthereprintsinclude:
MarvelMilestoneEdition(March1992):Comicbooksizereprintoftheentirecomicwiththe
originalads.Frontandbackcoverareborderedbysilver.Featureddifferentcoloring.

TheBirthOfSpiderMan(ApplewoodBooks,1997):Comicbooksizehardcoverreprintofthe
entirecomicwiththeoriginaladsandindicia.Printedon"aged"paper.Frontandbackcovers
appeartwice,ontheoutercoversandinside."Covers"ofinteriorreprintareprintedonthesame
"aged"paperstockastherestofthebook.
MarvelMasterworks:TheAmazingSpiderManVolume1(Barnes&Noble2003)ISBN07607
37932
Barnes&Nobleexclusiverestoredandrecoloredcollection.**CollectsAmazingFantasy
#15&AmazingSpiderMan#110(19621964)

References
1.AmazingAdultFantasy(http://comics.org/indexst
atus.lasso?SeriesID=1480)attheGrandComics
Database.AccessedSeptember2,2008
2.Lee,Stan,"Introduction",inYoeCraig,TheArt
ofDitko(Idea&DesignWorks,January2010),
ISBN1600105424,ISBN9781600105425,
p.9
3.AmazingFantasy(Marvel,1962series)(http://w
ww.comics.org/series/1514/)attheGrandComics
Database."[T]hedecisiontocanceltheserieshad
notbeenmadewhenitwenttoprint,sinceitis
announcedthatfutureissueswillincludeaSpider
Manfeature."
4."VideotapedDepositionofStanLee".United
StatesDistrictCourt,SouthernDistrictofNew
York:"MarvelWorldwide,Inc.,etal.,vs.LisaR.
Kirby,etal.".p.37.
5.Daniels,Les(1991).Marvel:FiveFabulous
DecadesoftheWorld'sGreatestComics.New
York:HarryN.Abrams.p.95.ISBN08109
38219.
6."ImportantAnnouncementfromtheEditor!",
AmazingFantasy#15(Aug.1962),reprintedat
Sedlmeier,Cory,ed.(2007).AmazingFantasy
Omnibus.MarvelPublishing.p.394.ISBN978
0785124580.
7.Daniels,p.97
8.TheAmazingSpiderMan(http://www.comics.or
g/series/1570/)attheGrandComicsDatabase
9."LibraryofCongressReceivesOriginalDrawings

9."LibraryofCongressReceivesOriginalDrawings
fortheFirstSpiderManStory,'AmazingFantasy'
#15".LibraryofCongresspressrelease.April30,
2008.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonMay31,
2010.
10.Raymond,Matt(April30,2008)."Libraryof
CongressAcquiresSpiderMan's'Birth
Certificate' ".LibraryofCongress.Archivedfrom
theoriginalonMay31,2010.
11."MetropolisSetsRecordforAmazingFantasy
#15!".Scoop.GemstonePublishing/Diamond
InternationalGalleries.May29,2004.Archived
fromtheoriginalonMarch8,2011.
12."Spidey'sHugeatComicLink".Scoop.Gemstone
Publishing/DiamondInternationalGalleries.June
23,2007.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonMarch8,
2011.
13.Moore,Matt(March8,2011)."SpiderMan
DebutSellsfor$1.1million".AssociatedPress
viaTheWashingtonPost.Archivedfromthe
originalonMarch8,2011.
14.AmazingFantasy(Marvel,1995series)(http://w
ww.comics.org/series/5271/)attheGrandComics
Database.
15.AmazingFantasy(Marvel,2004series)(http://w
ww.comics.org/series/16206/)attheGrand
ComicsDatabase

Externallinks
Comics:SpiderMan(http://www.marvel.com/comics/SpiderMan)atMarvel.com
ArchiveofMcQuarrie,Jim,"AmazingAdultFantasyNo.9"(http://web.archive.org/web/2007051
6175819/www.oddballcomics.com/article.php?story=20070409),"OddballComics"(column),
#1151,April9,2007

Furtherreading
Lee,Stan.OriginsofMarvelComics(MarvelEntertainmentGroupreissue,1997)ISBN07851
05514
Lee,Stan,andGeorgeMair.Excelsior!:TheAmazingLifeofStanLee(Fireside,2002)ISBN0

684873052
Raphael,JordanandTomSpurgeon.StanLeeandtheRiseandFalloftheAmericanComicBook
(ChicagoReviewPress,2003)ISBN1556525060
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amazing_Fantasy&oldid=684466811"
Categories: 1961comicsdebuts 2003comicsdebuts Fantasycomics AtlasComicstitles
MarvelComicstitles ComicsbySteveDitko
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