May 10, 2002

4:49 PM

Spider-Man artist makes amazing effort to save a child’s life. Amazing Spider-Man artist John Romita Jr. is spending the next 36 hours continuously sketching Spider-Man in New York to raise money to help pay for his two-year-old niece’s battle with cancer. I’m pleased to see a comic book artist striving to be a role-model and a hero. If any MeFi members in NYC are going to check this out, I'd be interested in reading your comments.
posted by JDC8 (12 comments total)

And if you can't make it to New York, you can always donate online.
posted by punkrockrat at 5:43 PM on May 10, 2002

what a wonderful thing. it has lifted my spirits this saturday morning.....i will see the movie now.
posted by billybob at 6:25 AM on May 11, 2002

Now John Romita Jr. totally freakin' rules more than he already did. *thumbs up*
posted by mmesker at 7:57 AM on May 11, 2002

Hero?? I mean, it's a nice thing to do, sure, but it's his NIECE, for Pete's sake....
posted by rushmc at 8:22 AM on May 11, 2002

Hero?? I mean, it's a nice thing to do, sure, but it's his NIECE, for Pete's sake....

right.

because a work of charity done in the name of a member of your own family immediately disqualifies you from being called a "hero."
god forbid.

sarcasm aside, good luck to mr. romita. i hope all goes well.
posted by ronv at 9:43 AM on May 11, 2002

With great pencilling comes great responsibility.
posted by ZachsMind at 1:46 PM on May 11, 2002

I really, really, really hope that he's cleared this with whoever owns the rights to Spider-Man.

Not, mind you, that it would be a PR-savvy thing to do to shut this thing down, but you never know what could happen.
posted by mikewas at 2:52 PM on May 11, 2002

because a work of charity done in the name of a member of your own family immediately disqualifies you from being called a "hero."

I don't think either the legal or ethical definitions of "charity" extend to working for money for your own family. As described, it sounds like simply doing a short-term job, although it is fact somewhat akin to huckstering or even street-begging. If the guy playing his guitar on the street is giving the money dropped into his hat to the March of Dimes, it's collecting for charity; if he's keeping it for himself, whether to feed his family or his booze habit, it's not charity.
posted by rushmc at 3:28 PM on May 11, 2002

You are correct in your definition of charity. However, I feel obligated to point out that nowhere in any of my links is Romita Jr.'s effort described as "charity." "Fundraising," yes. "Charity," no.

Metafilter is certainly an appropriate place to discuss the definitions and merits of charity, and you have a good point, rushmc. But I found your comparison of Romita's effort to huckstering and street-begging to be distorted and insulting to the man.

Why did you make such a disparaging comparison?
posted by JDC8 at 9:53 PM on May 11, 2002

I really, really, really hope that he's cleared this with whoever owns the rights to Spider-Man.

Are you serious?
posted by uftheory at 9:21 AM on May 13, 2002

But I found your comparison of Romita's effort to huckstering and street-begging to be distorted and insulting to the man.

It was not intended to be disparaging. I don't know the facts of the case, whether he's gotten legal clearance, etc. It seems like a nice thing to do. But I would imagine that if one had a sick child in one's family that one would be doing all sorts of things to raise money to pay for care, and I see nothing heroic in doing so.

He IS huckstering (in the sense of selling, not the "con man" sense), just like the blind man selling pencils. Or like the portrait artists in downtown areas in cities all over. What he's doing with the money he makes may be judged more laudable, but it's still an accurate description of his activity. Which I am in no way opposed to. He's not begging, as he's offering something in exchange for the alms he's asking for (although so do the urchins who squirt water on your windshield and offer to clean it), and I didn't claim that he was, only that he was closer to that than to an heroic act.

Sorry if it came across as unduly harsh.
posted by rushmc at 7:23 PM on May 13, 2002

Thanks for the reply, rushmc. Upon further review, I'd say that Romita's action is more accurately described as altruistic than heroic. I mean, with the current Spider-Man mania, he could easily make $25 per sketch for himself or spend his time working on one of the two monthly comics he draws for Marvel.

I'm pretty sure that Marvel would have no trouble with Romita selling sketches of Spider-Man for any reason. Comic artists working for every company have been doing sketches for decades at conventions, and I've never heard of a legal problem with it. Besides, Romita is a loyal Marvel man and both his mother and father work at Marvel.

I'm glad that you clarified your position; I accept your apology about the unintended harshness of your first post.
posted by JDC8 at 12:31 AM on May 14, 2002