According to the description on the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry website, “Starting from Spider-Man’s introduction in Amazing Fantasy #15, guests will experience the evolution of this hero.” The depth of Spider-Man’s history is on full display for all who attend. The exhibit is curated with {spider}- bite-sized nuggets of information on the walls. The information is not overwhelming to the novice Spider-Man fan and is produced in a way that welcomes all who attend. 

“One of the most interesting pieces is the one-pager description of an issue of Spider-Man written by Stan Lee. It was just a paragraph of the story, and the writers and artists took it from there,” states Dr. Voula Saradikis, Head Curator of Collections and Archives at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. During a recent conversation with Dr. Saradikis, she described the exhibit’s importance and how it fits into MSI’s museum culture.

“The Exhibit aligns with the STEAM aspect of the museum. In T, we see the technology that creates the comics and movies, and how it has evolved. The Art Industry aligns with A, in which we learn about what it takes to go from idea to final pages.” 

Introduced to Spider-Man through the old 70s/80s television show and Saturday morning cartoons, Dr. Saradikis’s knowledge of Spider-Man is extensive. As the Head Curator, she goes into the exhibit incognito to see which artifact the crowd gravitates to. “The exhibit is so multigenerational. So many people of all ages attend the exhibit and share it with their families. Seeing the adults/teens read all the material on the walls and the younger kids playing with the interactive projectiles is fun to see.”

As Spider-Man’s popularity grew, the comics started incorporating actual New York monuments. One of the most famous is the Brooklyn Bridge, where Gwen Stacy met her fate. Seeing this enlarged on the wall was still a gut punch and shows how Spider-Man can not save everyone.

As the years went by, Spider-Man started tackling modern issues like Racism, College campus riots in the 70s, and the current immigration issues. In the modern era and with the release of the Spider-Verse movies, “The exhibit shows how anyone can be Spider-Man, and we see different cultures/species represented in the Spider-universe.”

The exhibit is also very hands-on with the Spider-Verse console being the most popular. “(She) loves the interactivity with the Spider-Verse console. The way you can tap on one of the many spider-characters and learn all about them.” Dr. Saradikis also ” loves the drawing section that is there. Seeing all of the people draw Spider-Man and the many interpretations.” Seeing the wall of drawings in the gift shop is pretty neat. Not only do you see multiple Spider-Men, but you also see amazing variations of Spider-Man crossed with other series.

When asked if there was a certain item that she would love to keep for the museum, Dr. Saradikis stated, “It would be Amazing Fantasy #15. It is the origin of Spider-Man, who was just a throwaway character, but it sold so well that it sold out the following issues.”

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Beyond Amazing – The Exhibition runs until August 17th. The exhibit has been extended twice due to demand and popularity. Make sure you see it before it leaves because this will be the last time to see it for who knows how long, because Chicago is its last stop.