THE ORIGINAL SPIDER-MAN

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is breaking box office records left, right and center. At this point, Tom Holland’s seventh outing as the webslinger is practically a license to print money. But before he began his spiderly journey, before Andrew Garfield, Toby Maguire, Nicholas Hammond, Nicholas Cage, or even Ralph Bakshi took their turns with the character, there was Spidey’s first public appearance.

It was me.

That’s right, a mere four years after the character’s first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962, and three years after the webslinger got his very own comic in 1963, it was I, Joshua Mertz, who was the original Spider-Man.

It happened like this.

In 1966 I was not quite 17, and my parents decided that I was trustworthy enough to attend the Westercon 19 Science Fiction Convention at the Stardust Motor Hotel and Country Club in San Diego, California, unchaperoned save for a pair of equally trustworthy pals. I was stoked, as were my friends.  Harlan Ellison was the guest of honor!  There were going to be books, and art, and actual science fiction authors! But most of all I had my heart set on entering and conquering the costume contest at the Masquerade Ball.

I enlisted the expertise of my friend’s mother, Diane “Granny D” Davidson, who had a lot of experience in theater. My outfit was simply a black leotard and black tights with a red fabric overlay sewn on. Granny D sewed the red parts onto the black garment while I was in it, standing in a variety of awkward poses while she tried not to poke me. I made constant jokes and we kept each other in stitches.  Another friend drew the web pattern on the red fabric with a Sharpie. Cheese cloth covered the eye holes, and bingo I was Spider-Man.  Getting into and out of the bedecked leotard and tights demanded a degree of suppleness that only a skinny almost-17-year-old could muster.

I go by the rule of never breaking character when sporting a costume.  So if you’re a pirate, you remain in the realm of “arrgh” and “shiver me timbers” and refer to all drinks as grog.  Spider-Man is a dynamic, gymnastic character, so I leaned into that.

The ballroom at the Stardust Motor Hotel featured a huge stone fireplace at the opposite end of the hall from the stage.  I arrived early and crawled up onto the wide mantel, settling into a classic Steve Ditko Spider-Man pose and remaining motionless.  As I watched the people, both costumed and in mufti, enter the ballroom, I realized that a lot of them thought I was a statue.  What a blast! I held my pose.

After a little bit I moved my head to look around and changed my position slightly.  I was pleased to hear a murmur from the crowd.  I had their attention.

Next came the really fun part.

The room was laid out with many big round tables reaching almost to the stage.  When my name was announced, instead of climbing down from the mantel and walking to the stage, I leaped to the nearest table and, much to the delight of those assembled, proceeded to bound from table to table and onto the stage! The crowd went nuts!

And in those precious energetic seconds as I made my way across the room, I left this mundane world and became Spider-Man.  My leaps were beyond the petty grasp of gravity, each footfall precise, my teenage muscles burning with arachnid glory.  I fairly flew onto the stage and turned to face the room.  As I recall, there was applause.

And that’s how I won Most Authentic Costume at the Westercon 19 Masquerade Ball. I don’t remember receiving the prize. I think I remember getting my picture taken (not the ones accompanying this article). Knowing me, I probably stayed in character for the rest of the evening.

To this day there is something inside of me that still leaps from the mantel and bounds from table to table.

Tom Holland, eat your heart out!

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Speaking of Science Fiction Conventions, I will be at the World Science Fiction Convention, August 27 - 31 in Anaheim, CA, with my very own table in the dealer’s room. Look for the Planet Mertz table. I will have all of my books for sale and signing, as well as posters of Cash Chapman’s glorious artwork.  Come by and say hi!