Before I begin my rant I would like to make a few things very clear. Firstly, I believe that Spider-Man is one of the greatest superheroes of all time. Secondly, I feel the 90’s Spider-Man Animated TV Series is one of the greatest superhero shows of all time. Lastly, I am severely disappointed with the way the DVD release of Spider-Man TAS is being handled.
For those of you who are unaware, Spider-Man The Animated Series is a show that was produced in the mid 90s for the Fox Network. The show presented Spider-Man in a manor befitting of his rich comic history. We got to see a full cast of our favorite Spider-Man characters in episodes that contained compelling plots and a rich visual style.
The only real valid complaint I can see people making about the show would be the toned down violence. At the time the show was being produced, the Fox Network had many heavy censorship practices in place. For example, no direct references could be made to “death” or “kill”, instead people were “destroyed”.
Such heavy censorship could very well have led the producers of the show to just take the easy road and make the show overly childish. Instead though the producers stuck with the mature approach, utilizing clever means to overcome the tough censorship. The result of their dedication is a serious cartoon in the same vain as Batman The Animated Series. A show with episodes that contain genuinely intriguing stories. It wasn’t just Spidey shows up, beats down the baddies, then calls it a day. Instead the show focused on character development, making extensive use of the vast universe of Marvel characters.
I could go on and on talking about the greatness of show. It really does hold a special place in my heart. So it should come as no surprise that the current state of the show’s DVD releases just pisses me the hell off.
Currently Spider-Man TAS is owned by Disney, exactly how that happened I don’t know. To be honest, I could really care less who owns the rights, just as long as the show is being released onto DVD in box set form. But apparently Disney does not share my view. Instead they feel it makes more sense to release single disc DVDs that contain a random assortment of episodes. Such releases do appeal to a segment of fans, mainly children who can convince their parents to pick up the relatively cheap discs. However there are many fans, including myself, who are not content with getting several single discs that contain various episodes in no particular order. Many fans just simply want to see a box set release.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask Disney to treat Spider-Man TAS with the same respect Warner Brothers has given their DC Animated Universe. Warner Brothers has released nearly every single season form every one of their hit animated series shows. In all fairness though, Warner Brothers was also a little slow in figuring the whole box set thing. Their earliest DC animated universe DVD releases where single discs with only a few episodes, just like what Disney is doing with Spider-Man. Seeing that Warner Brothers wised up and released the box sets gives me some hope that Disney will soon do the same.
Given the current success of the Spider-Man movie franchise and the new CW cartoon series that is forthcoming, now would be the perfect time for a Spider-Man TAS box set release. Spider-Man fans are demanding a box set release and Disney seems to have no intention to supply one. My fingers remained crossed that Disney will do the right thing and give Spider-Man TAS the treatment it truly deserves.
I totally agree. I grew up watching the Spider-man series (along with the Uncanny X-Men, which also has not come out.)and I would love to get the boxed sets of both.
ReplyDeletehell yeah,that show ruled. im lookin for that, and the x-men boxset myself
ReplyDeleteFound someone selling the show that looks promising :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ioffer.com/i/-SPIDERMAN-CARTOONS-90s-UNLIMITED-2003-15-DVD-SET-13961606
I wish they would hurry up and release this show on DVD as well. I already have the entire Batman the Animated Series, Superman the Animated Series and Justice League on DVD, but now we need Spiderman, X-Men and those other Marvel animated shows. What's taking them so long to produce DVD sets? Come on! We've held our horses long enough!
ReplyDeleteThat's so true! We love this serie of spiderman and can't understand what Disney are doing.
ReplyDeleteWe have looking for the box in many years and hope for a miracle coming soon.
I completely agree. I loved the Spiderman cartoon series as a kid, i had basically forgotten about it though over the years. But i caught a few shows recently in re-runs and was blown away by my nostalgia of the show.. I was psyched to order the show on DVD, and was stunned that i could not. I mean the show only ran 65 episodes, what's the problem here?? Spiderman is huge right now, it was a great series, the show will sell on DVD, just release it already and make the fans happy.
ReplyDeletei hate disney they take things that have alot of potential and ruin them for everyone. They even make tons of crappy movies because they try ot make them family freindly give us our spiderman dangit
ReplyDeleteI have BATMAN TAS..dying for spider man and xmen from the 90s to come out..i grew up on it...idk why they wnt put them on boxed dvds !!!!
ReplyDeleteIt makes no cents (hehe) that they wouldn't make a box set, unless these first few dvd's of the show were a test market, to see how they would sell? But with that said, they have been out for quite sometime now. I don't know, like you said, look at DC, they've got it right, and I bet they sell quite well. Now, as of this summer, X-Men has been released in season form, sort of, the first season, and maybe the second season, or the first half of the second season, on a two disc set, they have come out with volumes one and two, which is the first 33 episodes, and volumes three and four are on there way. So, where the hell is Spider-Man? More so, wouldn't had made since to had released all of these episodes of Spider-Man during the movie reign? They would have made so much damned money, if they would have jumped on the band wagon at that time! What else? Disney released The Tick Volumes one and two. THE TICK! Don't get me wronge, that was one of my favorite shows from my childhood, (some could say that I'm still in my childhood, and I'm 26 now) but how does The Tick make it in at least volumes like three, four years ago, but not Spider-Man? I mean it's taken them sometime to release The X-Men shows on dvd, I own the first seven tapes of The X-Men series, and was so happy to see The X-Men on dvd. Also, with all the room on blu-ray, they could fit almost any cartoon series from "our" childhood, on one or two discs. It makes no since to see almost every title from Fox's saturday morning line up, at that time, not on dvd. It sould be an international law. I have seen "official" sales of the first season of Spider-Man TAS on ebay, but it's a region two dvd, which means most any u.s. players won't play it. If anyone here reads this opften, there will be a link to the page from ebay. Also, lets try to get together, maybe over fill Disney's mailbox with letters telling them to make it. http://cgi.ebay.com/SPIDERMAN-1990s-COMPLETE-SEASON-ONE-DVD-SET-EXCELLENT_W0QQitemZ290336136839QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_DVD_HD_DVD_Blu_ray?hash=item439961de87&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
ReplyDeleteI grew up watching the spiderman and x-men cartoon shows i would LOVE to have BOTH on box set dvds or even blu-ray!!!!!
ReplyDelete