John Romita, Sr, Gerry Conway, Spider-Man, Gwen Stacy, & Me!

So here is a bit of my own personal history in comics.

Back in 1973 (when I was just a mere lad of 18) I attended my first or second NY Comic Con. For context this was shortly after the release of Amazing Spider-Man #121 when Gwen Stacy died at the hands of the Green Goblin. While at the show, I wandered into the Pro room to find to John Romita (Sr.) doing sketches and signing autographs. (No lines, no charge, just JRSR sitting at a table signing for the kids.) 

While wearing my über-cool Spidey T-shirt (with art by JRSR), I eagerly held out my convention book. For John to sign. Looking up from his last drawing, he spotted my shirt, smiled and reached out past a couple of other fans, for my book and asked who I would like for him to illustrate for me. "Gwen Stacy." I said. 

"I can only draw her head," He replied.

"OK, that's fine with me." I responded.

So he drew her face. Upon completing the sketch and autographing it, I reached for my program book, to take it back, only John wasn't quite done with it. He then drew a big word balloon, and wrote "You did it Gerry C.!" And then handed back to me.

I laughed at the cool moment. (Remember, Gerry Conway was the writer who famously wrote the story in issue #121 of Amazing Spider-Man where she died.)

About an hour or so later, I was back in the pro room to see who else I could get an autograph from, and lo and behold who was there, but none other than Gerry Conway himself. Knowing I simply couldn't pass this moment up, I turned to John's autograph in my program booklet, and handed it to Gerry as I asked for his autograph. 

"Sure kid," He said taking the booklet from me. Then when he noticed the page he was asked to sign, he did a double take and laughed, then he too autographed the page, adding "Yeah, and I'm glad I did!"

Needless to say, this was an even cooler moment for me. 

I still have that booklet with both autographs in it. 

A week or so back I attended TerrifiCon at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. where Gerry Conway was one of the guests. I hadn't crossed paths with Gerry in nearly 50 years, but I again couldn't pass up this moment. I went up to his table and said. "Gerry, you certainly don't remember me, but I hope you remember this." And I showed him the photo of the page from that old convention book that was on my phone.

"I absolutely do remember that!" he exclaimed, then he asked if he could take a picture of it off my phone, which I agreed to letting him do. I then got to chat with him for a few minutes to tell him how much I always enjoyed his writing.

A little later in the show John Romita, Jr showed up to sign autographs for the fans, and I—once again—wanted to share my 50-year-old story. So I approached JRJR's table and got his attention, saying "50 years ago I got your father's and Gerry Conway's autograph, and this is how they signed my book." showing him the photo on my phone.  

As can be expected, JRJR also loved the story, and I entreated him to also take a picture of my phone and send it to his father (who had never seen the response autograph that Gerry had gifted me with.) Which JRJR did. So his dad got to see the image before he passed.

To Gerry and John Jr. after telling them the the original story of the autograph, I then related the story how, when I showed up to see the 2nd Andrew McCarthy Spider-Man film, my friend, Shawn, who worked at the theater, told me "You're gonna hate this film." To which I replied, "Why, because Gwen dies in it?" (Shawn knew of my decades fanboy crush on Gwen.) 

Have you already seen the film?" he asked. 

"No." I said, "She died when I was 18 and I'm still not over it!"

Here now is that autograph that JRSR and Gerry did for me back in 1973, when I was 18.

Honestly, it is probably the coolest thing I own.

* * * Unfortunate Update * * *

I just learned that in April 2026 it was announced that Gerry had passed away. Gerry, as a writer of Spider-Man and other comics, was a big part of my childhood. Years later, while I was watching the TV show Law & Order, I discovered that he was the head writer for the show. 

And now, another little bit of my youth is gone. So long Gerry, thanks for all the good memories. 

Marvel Knights: Spider-Man (A Fan-Made Web-Series Pilot/Teaser)

Marvel Knights: Spider-Man is a no-budget fan film produced by Made Legit Media and directed by Jesse Scimeca. Make sure to stay after the credits for a little something extra! ;)

We will be releasing a video in the weeks to come, explaining exactly what this fan film was created for and what it means for future Spider-Man fan films.

Thanks to everyone involved with this project! It couldn't have been done without you!

Starring... (in order of appearance)

John Riddle: Get Away Driver
Alex DiTaranto: Kid
John Martin: Burglar 1
Karl Remy: Burglar 2
Brendon Ferguson: Burglar 3
Samuel Scimeca: Spider-Man/Peter Parker
Curry Harris: Flash Thompson
Abby Coe: Gwen Stacey
Grant Holland: J Jonah Jameson
Eric Murray: Oscorp Door Guard
Virgil Williams: Otto Octavius/Dr. Octopus
Isaac Williams: Miles Morales

Follow me on other social platforms to stay updated!!! :)
https://www.facebook.com/madelegitmedia
http://instagram.com/jesse_scimeca
http://madelegitmedia.com

*** Marvel Knights: Spider-Man is a non-profit fan film made by Spider-Man fans. Please don't sue us. We don't have any money. Really, like none. ***

OK Kids, here is the new (extended) Spidery Trailer. As well as some background as to the potential plot of the film.

Wrong, wrong, wrong!

Peter and Gwen in bad lip reading!

Come fo rthe bad lip reading, stay for the Easter Egg.



And hilarity ensued!

Seriously, I nearly wet myself!

Gwen Stacy, stalked by the Lizard

Here is a new clip from the Up-coming Spider-Man film...



I have to say that while I am becoming more enamored by this film, this particular clip doesn’t help, as this actress simply isn’t (in my still-15-year-old comicbook-reading brain) preety enough to be Gwen Stacy.

Sorry kids.

My coolest collectible

Back in 1973 I attended my very first comicbook convention (in New York City, no less). It was there that I scored a huge stack of comics (most-specifically Spidey comics), but what I managed to acquire that has remained for me my coolest collectible was a pair autographs from John Romita (Sr.) & Gerry Conway.

John was sitting at a table doing quick sketches and signing autographs. I (wearing my bestest Spidey T-Shirt), was just one of  dozens of eager fanboys looking for an autograph. The Jazzy one looked up, spotted my T-shirt, smiled, and reached past two or three other fan’s to take my convention book.

“And what can I draw for you?” he asked.

“Gwen Stacy.” I said.

“I can only draw her head,” Johnny responded.

“That’s OK,” I replied.

So, Johnny set to work rendering a con sketch of Gwen’s lovely face. Once he was done, he signed his name. I reached to take the con book back, but John wasn’t quite finished. He hovered over the illustration for a moment, then drew a word balloon and had Gwen say “You did it Gerry C!!”

I began to laugh as Gerry Conway had very spectacularly killed Gwen earlier that years in Amazing Spider-Man #121. Well, it was probably an hour or so later that I ran into Gerry Conway. Unable to resist, I asked for his autograph as well, and pushed the same page that John had signed earlier towards him. Gerry obligingly took the convention book and then looked at what else was on the page. When he read what John had written, Gerry laughed, signed next to Gwen’s head and then added, “And I’m glad I did.”

That the page with that image and those words appears at the bottom of this post.

And I’m happy to say that I’m one of them also.

Will the real Spidey please do what a Spider can! (pretty please)

I just finished reading Ultimate Spider-Man 121. Prior to that, I read Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #38, and in both books the 15-year-old Spider-Man, acted responsibly, intellectually, and heroically, three things that are inexplicably lacking in the post BND-Amazing Spider-Man.

In Marvel Adventures #38, the young Peter used his scientific knowledge to defeat Swarm, and in Ultimate Spider-Man he (in seven short pages) beat the stuffings out of Omega Red (who, I believe, in the Main Marvel Universe has given the X-Men a serious run for their collective monies). Meanwhile, in Amazing, Spidey has let a pair of non-powered street muggers escape, hasn’t had a solid win over a single bad guy, torn his uniform, lost his web shooter, and, well, you get the point.

It isn’t that either of these books are being written brilliantly (which is not to say that they are not being well-written, they are), it is to say that there is way too much editorial interference being exerted on Amazing. What we are seeing in Amazing is a perfect example of the old adage that too many cooks spoil the broth. Management should see this, step back from the mix, and trust the very talented creators that they’ve hired to work their magic.

I realize that this current approach — at its core — is supposed to be a “Back to Basics” approach, but it simply isn’t. It is the worst sort of fixing what ‘ain’t broke. I still say that I would have loved to have experienced a Post-Civil War Marvel Universe where Spidey was on the run. I still feel that we were cheated out of a slam-bang punch-out between Iron Spidey and Iron Man (Stark wouldn’t have had a chance). I still think that Dan Slott’s most amazing “fix” to the Spidey’s identity woes (as depicted in the brilliantly-written Avengers Initiative #7) was inappropriately and cavalierly tossed aside too quickly (although I spoke briefly with Dan at the recent NY Comic Con and he told me that that will still figure largely into what is to come, I can hardly wait).

Finally, lest someone read the above and think that I’m mean-spirited or simply a nay-sayer, that is so not the case. I love this character. I have always had (and still do) a huge fondness for Spider-Man, and I really don’t need him to be written “my” way. I would love for him to grow and evolve as a character. What I object to is that the current editorial team simply won’t allow that to occur. It is as if they that want to see him stuck in some weird 1960 time loop that will simply not allow the character to evolve and achieve his true potential.

I can only hope that editorial and/or management will ultimately see that allowing this travesty of a storyline to end, and let Peter Parker come back from whatever pocket-universe Limbo/Hell in which he is currently trapped. For I know the truth. The Peter Parker I know would NEVER had made a deal with the devil, not to save Aunt May, not to save MJ, not to bring back Gwen from the dead. He is one of the most morally straight characters ever conceived; and the deal with the Mephisto so completely goes against the fundamental core of what drives this character — “With Great Power, comes Great Responsibility” — there is nothing responsible about dealing with the Prince of Lies, for any reason. Ever.

Think I’m wrong? then pick up a copy of Avengers Classic #11, read the back-up story (an encounter between a young Spidey and a newly-revived Captain America) and then tell me I’m wrong. You won’t be able to do so. This short piece is as wonderful a story about Spidey as I’ve ever read, and supports my own personal theory that Spidey is my generation’s Captain America.

Matt Ryan Rules! So too does Mark Mazz, but we’ll get there in a minute.

This past weekend, my good buddy and collaborator on Wülf Girlz, Matt Ryan handed me what was easily the coolest piece of comicbook art that I’ve ever received. Yep, cooler than than the Stan Goldberg con sketch of Jughead, cooler than the con sketch I have of Betty Anderson. Hey it is even cooler than the page of original art by John Constanza from my first published comic strip — which John drew.

(OK, OK, it still takes second place to the Gwen Stacey illustration that was drawn for me by John Romita, Sr. back when I was 17 or 18, but it is a close second.)

Matt, as I’ve said, illustrates Wülf Girlz, and does a beautiful job doing it, I might add. Well, Mark (another good buddy of mine as well as the creative director of Guild Works Productions) commissioned a piece of delightful art from Matt knowing that I would not only instantly love the art, but be inspired by it as well. (Today I penned a pair of story pitches to the Marvel Adventure line.)

Sure enough, I was both. and I’d love to show you that art now:



Is this the coolest picture or what?

Truthfully, I only have one small problem with it. I just can’t remember who that girl in the picture is with Spidey...

Protest One More Day Now...Avoid the Rush!

Well boys and girls, I hope you all had a happy year-end festivities (It is Festivus for the Restofus!) I know I did. Spent the last six or so weeks of the year working on a big project for a brand-spankin’ new client of mine (racking up a ton of hours sos I can pay for my own little shindig)

Well, all of that aside. I have a new rant that I want to lay down on you all, and as you can see, it is about the latest crap being foisted on us by Marvel in the absence of any real story content. Yes, I mean One More Day. As you all know, this is a retcon (or retroactive continuity implant) that is being gengeneered by Marvel, or — more specifically — by Joe Quesada who has long held that Peter Parker’s marriage to Mary Jane Watson was a mistake.

All of which is fine, but instead of simply having the two of them break up, separate, or get divorced (some of these storylines have already been explored in the series), he had Mephisto — Marvel’s literary substitute for Satan — neither of which are Spidey villains) pop in to “trade Peter’s marriage” for the life of May Parker. That’s right, he had Peter cut a Faustian deal with the Devil.

OK, let’s ignore for a minute that utilizing Mephisto as a (if you’ll pardon the expression) Deus ex Machina to “fix” a problem that only Joe Q seems to have is a not only a huge conceit on Quasada’s part, but something that comes out of nowhere for the character and fans (especially the utilization of a non-cannon character to manipulate the events). Let us also ignore that cutting a deal with “the Prince of Lies” is, well, stupid beyond belief.

Yeah, yeah, I know that Peter was desperate because the bullet that put May in a coma was meant for him, and yea, it was because he (wrongly) sided with Tony Stark during the Civil War Event, and then stupidly revealed his identity to the world before switching sides and taking up with Captain America. (All of which was manipulated, but again let’s ignore all of that.) Let’s talk about the fact that this ending (the use of Mephisto) was considered and then dismissed as unbelievable as a possible ending for The Clone Saga.



*** SPOILER WARNING *** SPOILER WARNING *** SPOILER WARNING *** SPOILER WARNING ***

Joe Q. has stated that the only thing that The Mephisto Deal has effected is the actual marriage of Pete and MJ. He has indicated that they have spent the past several years together as live-in lovers, but never actually got married, OK, that’s all well and good, but then why, at the end of Amazing Spider-Man #545 did the long dead Harry Osborne show up? Does this mean he never died? Did he ever marry and have little Normie? Are there any other inconsistencies in previously-established Spider-continuity? At this point, we don’t know.

*** END OF SPOILER WARNING *** END OF SPOILER WARNING *** END OF SPOILER WARNING *** END OF SPOILER WARNING ***

What we do know is that this is a seminal and earth-shaking an event as the death of Gwen Stacy The one important difference is that the Death of Gwen moved the series forward, this moves it backwards, and we are all the poorer because of it.

My suggestion is that you read the book and make your own decision and write to Joe and Marvel (as well as post on whatever blogs and board to which you regularly post) and let them know what you think.

If you haven’t as of yet patched into what I think, here it is. I think that One More Day is a bone-headed, badly conceived, poorly-executed, sloppily written act of self-indulgent, intellectual masturbation that disrespects us fans, the pros who have been writing Spider-Man for the past couple or three decades, and is the ultimate form of cop-out that loudly proclaims to the world that not only has Marvel run out of ideas, but that it’s writers and editors really can’t write themselves out of a paper bag.

It is a really bad idea that is so bad it really isn’t an idea as much as it is the admission that no one has an Idea, and anyone that actually does, simply isn’t to be tolerated, and will be asked to leave the room.

This entire dirty episode is such a reflection of what is going on culturally and politically in this country that it is an effin shame. Still, that topic is the subject of an entirely separate rant. For now I’m done, and will move on to other topics for a bit.

I thank you all for your indulgence, and respectfully ask that you leave comments expressing your own views, observations, and concerns. Personally, I’m going to have a strong drink, shake the dust off my dry bones, and hope I live long enough to see this contemptible mockery be put to rest and Spider-Man be reverted to his former glory.



UPDATE *** EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! *** UPDATE

This just in, I’ve been quoted by Newsweek on this storyline. Yes, you read that right, Newsweek!

How Wicked-Cool is that, eh?

Today I’m In Fanboy Heaven!

That’s right kids, I went on the Comicvine Dating service to see which comicbook character I’d be compatible with, and look who I got on my first try!

Tiger. It looks like I just hit the Jackpot!

(Personally I always thought of myself ad a Gwen kind of guy!)

They tell me that Captain America is dead...

Still, according to this guy, Cap won’t stay that way for long, and here’s why.

1) In most cases, a comic book character only dies when it makes financial sense for him or her to do so.

2) In most cases, a comic book character only stays dead for as long as it makes financial sense for him or her to do so.

3) In most cases, a comic book character will come back to life when it makes financial sense for him or her to do so.

4)There’s not a tremendous amount of evidence to suggest the “death” of Captain America is any sort of exception to the above three rules. It is “most cases.”

He goes on for eight more reasons, but I truly think that he covers the most important, and certainly the most salient reasons above.

Growing up as a comicbook fan, I learned that you never believe in the death of a character until you see the body. These days, however, with the return of The original Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, Bucky Barnes, Hawkeye, Superman, and Marvel Comics’ Captain Marv-Vel, all bets are off (Hell, I’ve even seen the still-dead Gwen Stacy wandering around the pages of X-Static presents Dead Girl), so I’m not buyin’ any company line, not yet.



You just watch, a year, maybe two, but certainly not as long as either Bucky or even Mar-Vel. Steve Rogers will be back, and no one is going to convince me otherwise.