By Michael Ceraso — Washington D.C. visitors who love Marvel would do well to detour from their scheduled monuments and White House walking tours to visit the Library of Congress, where they can enjoy a mind-blowing adventure into Steve Ditko’s original art of Amazing Fantasy #15, which is the first appearance of Spider-Man.

Ditko’s stylized penciling and inks illustrate the deeply-wounded characters surrounding Peter Parker and his alter ego Spider-Man, which have gone on to give rise to storylines that have captured the nation’s collective imagination for nearly 60 years. Simply put, comic book lovers must witness these original pages in-person. Only then will they truly appreciate the patience and intense collaboration required to bring Spider-Man from the mind of an artist to print. 

Below you will find the exact steps for how to view Steve Ditko’s original Spider-Man art at the Library of Congress…

How to View Steve Ditko’s Original Spider-Man Art at the Library of Congress

The collection containing this historic artwork is located on the third floor of the Prints and Photographs Division in the James Madison Building. The first step is to request to see the prints by visiting the Library of Congress website and completing an “Ask Librarian'' form. Within a week, you will hear from a library representative who will schedule an appointment for you during open hours. Arrive 30 minutes before your appointment to obtain a reader registration identification card or else you won’t be allowed in. 

Learning the historical details of Amazing Fantasy #15 will reshape the way you view this beloved character. Stan Lee wanted the character to feel “less heroic,” to give young readers relatable character qualities that reflect their own struggles and estrangement from others. Ditko’s wiry conception of Spider-Man earned him the right to draw the web-slinger over the legendary Jack Kirby, who pictured a neighborhood Spider-Man that was muscular and more in line with other heroic, statuesque characters. Kirby’s cover remained, but unfortunately, it was not part of the print collection that was anonymously donated to the Library of Congress in 2008. You can see Steve Ditko’s cover here. 

When you arrive, you will be greeted by a curator as you walk through the Madison doors of room 339. They will then seat you at a classroom table that will probably remind you of middle school art class.

The curator then pushes a rolling cart your way with large manila folders sitting neatly on top. Inside each folder is a 17” by 22” print of Spidey’s origin story. The curator places one page in front of you and stands patiently, leaving you plenty of time to read each comic panel, observe each erased pencil mark, and experience one of the definitive superhero coming-of-age stories as it was put directly to the page.

You discover that the  “turn ’em out” approach to comic book coloring limited the time that Ditko and the issue’s colorists could spend on a comic. The pencil and ink art and the light and dark shades in the early pages of Amazing Fantasy #15 are tight and detailed, flawless in fact. But when you flip to page 10, you see a looser pencil stroke from Ditko, possibly rushing to meet a deadline. 

You will also learn that the intricate webbing design logo underneath the Spider-Man header on the splash page was nixed to reduce the workload for the writers, artists, and colorists. Look closely at the margin to find Stan Lee’s notes, including a clear directive to remove the panels that belabored the spider bite to presumably improve the flow of the story. 

Internal expectations within Marvel at the time thought that Spider-Man would be a throwaway character, but readers loved him. Young people could relate to a teen superhero wanting to be noticed. The first appearance of Spider-Man hit the stands in August 1962, with Amazing Spider-Man #1 completed and rushed to newsstands by January 1963, launching a character that remains popular the world over, stylized and enduring and a major draw in movie theaters.

It’s a truly humbling experience to view these pages, to consider how they were created and how the ideas within them would captivate so many people for generations to come.

This piece is by Michael Ceraso.