moonraker

Completely agreed. I used to love this show when I was about 7 or 8. Bought the DVD set when it came out, and much to my delight it held up enormously well (and I'm in my 40's now). The first season episodes are still incredibly fun to watch. The background music is fantastic, and this series features the definitive voice for Spidey (IMO). The first season is infinitely rewatchable for me -- 30+ years later. I also share your disappointment with the later seasons. But the first season episodes are enough to make this set one of my personal favorites in my entire dvd collection.

darthdelegate

I like how Spider-Man would spend 5 minutes of the show swinging around trying to get to wherever he needed to get to.

gorgo99

Yes, that's part of the post-season one problem. Apparently it was due to budget cuts, they had to reuse a lot of animation in each episode.

One of the later episodes had him literally crossing the street... cut to 5 minutes of swinging past various things... now he's across the street! Hilarious.

The first season is worth the price of admission, though.

What also amazes me about it is that Spider-Man was still a brand new character then. Most "new" comic characters didn't get their own show right away like that.

dullboy

This makes for fun drunken (or other influenced) gatherings. The Bakshi episodes were so 'far-out' and bizarre that it's a blast watching them and laughing and pointing out the drug-crazed feel. There is one ep that actually shows what looks like Spidey taking two tabs of acid and then swinging for 5 minutes through insane colors and backdrops until he comes upon some sort of Satan-figure in an alternate reality. He snaps out of his trip by the end of the show and returns to reality (his apartment) and seems happy that it's all over.

LordStaxxus

One of my favorite aspects is the fact that no matter what time of day they have him on the street, there's never any traffic and not a single pedestrian to be found. It's like every episode takes place during a mass evacuation of New York City.

And then there's the Daily Bugle, run by just JJJ, Betty, and Peter. Talk about budget cuts!

wm lopez

I always thought the Baski ones were done in the early 60's like those Marvel Superheros, since it looked so cheap.

majorjoe23

All the cartoons were mid to late 60s. In the early 60s the characters were just getting started.

joltman

For the record, Marvel Superheroes ran in 66 and Spider-Man ran from 67-70