Thwip? Thwip?

Thwip? Thwip?

In 1976, I switched camps and decided that Marvel superheroes were now the way to go, so Spider-Man was what I needed to be that Halloween. Despite my adventures the year previous as “The Bat“, my costume hunting was again done at the same Woolco store that had what seemed like a gigantic rack of collegeville costumes.
In a repeat of the last year, no Spider-Man costumes were available, so for Halloween 1976, I was “The Spider”, no, not the classic pulp character, just a guy who looked enough like Spider-Man not to get sued.

I will again admit that I loved this costume although I have to admit that I was much more concious of this being a knock off than I was being “The Bat”, I guess shame comes with age.

If the mask looks familiar, there is a good reason, it was used on the cover the classic rock album “The Joker” by Steve Miller.

PS I really miss my dog…

About The Author

Mantooth
AKA Brian Heiler author of "Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings" and co-editor of "Toy-Ventures Magazine". Co-Host of the "Pod Stallions" podcast. Host of the Brick Mantooth Youtube channel, painter, designer, writer, mental health advocate, toy collector, Mego, and Mego Knock-Off enthusiast. I have large feet, ADHD and I live in Canada. Talk toys, not others.

8 Comments

  • Ian Sokoliwski on October 15, 2008

    There was another Spidey-type ripoff costume from the same time (or a year or so later) that had a large spider covering the Spidey facemask. I seem to recall my brother having that, probably around ’78 or ’79. Maybe.

  • Bubbashelby on October 15, 2008

    GAH! I would kill for that mask today!

    So cool.

  • Arkonbey on October 15, 2008

    Holy crap, that is hilarious!

    I would have never noticed the rip if you hadn’t pointed it out.

  • Keith on October 15, 2008

    I seemed to have lots of knock off costumes when I was growing up. My mom also made a lot of the stuff my bro and I wore. Our parents couldn’t always afford new costumes.

  • Reis O'Brien on October 15, 2008

    You’ve got a pretty good run of dressing as knock-off characters. What’s next? “The Norse God with a Hammer”? “Large Green Man”?

    By the way… that final comment on your dog, just broke my heart. 🙁

  • Plaidstallions on October 15, 2008

    Large Green Man made me laugh out loud, although I think it would likely have been “Irritated Large Green Man”

    As for Grover, she lived for 17 glorious years so it was a good life…

  • chunky B on October 15, 2008

    I think I remember seeing these at a TG&Y back in the day.

    Grover, a little nod to the Street in that name, huh? Real nice.

  • Vlad on October 15, 2008

    Living in rural Transylvania, we had limited selections of Halloween masks and one year I was forced to wear the sweaty green version of this mask and costume as I impaled infidels on my rounds trick and/or treating. I didn’t know a red version existed. A lot of the blood splatter would have blended right in, had I only known! My costume also came with a little rubber spider. To this day Vlad is not sure why…

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