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In Episode 216 of Anecdotally Speaking, listen to hear how Todd McFarlane repopularised the Spider-Man comics by going against the status quo.

In episode 216 of Anecdotally Speaking, Shawn shares the fascinating story of how Todd McFarlane propelled the Spider-Man comics back to the top of the charts from a low rank of 22nd.

The story highlights McFarlane’s persistence and confidence in his vision, leading to Spider-Man’s resurgence in popularity.

This episode uncovers valuable business lessons in overcoming resistance, maintaining persistence, and questioning the so-called “rules” or myths about what higher-ups might prefer. As well as serving as a reminder of the dangers of complacency and the rewards of pushing boundaries.

Mark and Shawn also discuss the benefits of using universally recognisable names and characters in storytelling.

The full story can be found on Episode 639 of the Tim Ferriss Podcast: Ferriss, Tim. “Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline (#639).” The Tim Ferriss Show. 30 Nov. 2022. https://tim.blog/2022/11/30/todd-mcfarlane/.

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For your story bank

Tags: Persistence, Change, Creativity, Perseverance.

This story starts at: 1:37

In 1962, Stan Lee, alongside his co-creator, introduced Spider-Man to the world. The character, Peter Parker, was a relatable teenager who also happened to have superhero abilities. This combination made Spider-Man an instant success. However, by the late 1970s and early 1980s, the comic started to decline. The stories had become darker and more complex, moving away from the relatable qualities that had initially made it popular.

In 1987, Todd McFarlane joined Marvel, starting his work on “The Incredible Hulk.” Soon after, he earned the position of working on “The Amazing Spider-Man,” the main title for the Spider-Man character. At that time, the comic was ranked 22nd in sales.

Wanting to stand out as a young comic writer, Todd made noticeable changes to the character. He gave Spider-Man larger eyes, added more intricate webbing—referred to as “spaghetti webbing”—and emphasized spider-like poses. These changes were not well received by his editors and the executives, who felt that he was altering the iconic character too much. Despite this, Todd persisted.

As Todd continued with his new approach, “The Amazing Spider-Man” rose in the sales charts, eventually becoming one of the top-selling comics at Marvel. Despite the success, he still faced criticism from the higher-ups.

At one point Todd was selling more books than any other writer at Marvel, still facing resistance. In the end, Todd’s main piece of advice is that the single greatest danger you are going to meet in your life is the status quo.

One significant moment occurred when Todd began drawing outside the panels, breaking with the traditional comic layout. His editor warned him that the president of Marvel wasn’t pleased with this approach. However, when Todd met the president, he asked about this directly. The president responded that he had no issue with breaking outside the panel, as long as it was done well. Todd just looked over at his editor, reflecting on the mythologies that often get passed down to the frontline about the likes and dislikes of higher ups.