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TheWebOfTheSpider
Spider-Man Electric Company Shorts
"Spidey Super Stories" was a live-action, recurring skit on the PBS children's television series The Electric Company. Episodes featured the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man, provided to the Children's Television Workshop free of charge, and was played (always in costume) by puppeteer Danny Seagren. It premiered during the season premiere of The Electric Company's fourth (1974--1975) season, show 391.
Stories involved the masked superhero foiling mischievous characters who were involved in petty criminal activities (such as burglary or assault). The cast of The Electric Company played the roles of the various characters in each story, with another serving as narrator. In many of these sketches, viewers were addressed as "true believers."
Unlike other live-action and cartoon productions of Spider-Man, this version of the web-slinging hero does not speak out loud, instead communicating only with word balloons (having a similar role to Clarabell the Clown of Howdy Doody), in order to encourage young viewers to practice their reading skills. This was done because Spider-Man was not drawn with a mouth. He also never appears out of his costume as Peter Parker and, given the series' budget limitations, uses his web-shooters sparingly. (Many times, the scene cut to a pre-drawn panel of Spidey using his web-shooters, with the caption, "Take that!")
The theme song that plays at the beginning and end of the shorts was written by Gary William Friedman.
The lyrics are:
Spider-Man, where are you coming from?
Spider-Man, nobody knows who you are!
Spider-Man, you've got that Spidey touch
Spider-Man, you are a web-slinging star!
Approximately one dozen "Spidey Super Stories" segments were produced during The Electric Company's 1974--1975 season, with another twelve or so during the 1975--1976 season, and an undetermined number during the series' final season.
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Stories involved the masked superhero foiling mischievous characters who were involved in petty criminal activities (such as burglary or assault). The cast of The Electric Company played the roles of the various characters in each story, with another serving as narrator. In many of these sketches, viewers were addressed as "true believers."
Unlike other live-action and cartoon productions of Spider-Man, this version of the web-slinging hero does not speak out loud, instead communicating only with word balloons (having a similar role to Clarabell the Clown of Howdy Doody), in order to encourage young viewers to practice their reading skills. This was done because Spider-Man was not drawn with a mouth. He also never appears out of his costume as Peter Parker and, given the series' budget limitations, uses his web-shooters sparingly. (Many times, the scene cut to a pre-drawn panel of Spidey using his web-shooters, with the caption, "Take that!")
The theme song that plays at the beginning and end of the shorts was written by Gary William Friedman.
The lyrics are:
Spider-Man, where are you coming from?
Spider-Man, nobody knows who you are!
Spider-Man, you've got that Spidey touch
Spider-Man, you are a web-slinging star!
Approximately one dozen "Spidey Super Stories" segments were produced during The Electric Company's 1974--1975 season, with another twelve or so during the 1975--1976 season, and an undetermined number during the series' final season.
(SUBSCRIBE)