1992 was the 30th anniversary of Spider-Man’s creation by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in June 1962. In the August ’92 issue #367 of Fantastic Four, a page was dedicated to reading about where Spider-Man writers and artists were when Spider-Man was first created.
Some were little toddlers. Others were in high school or working for DC. Interestingly, several of the writers and artists of Spider-Man in 1992 expressed how they were fans of DC at first, but when they saw the novelty and relatability of Spider-Man, they knew Marvel was onto something special.
Above the 30th anniversary feature are some words from Stan Lee, expressing his thoughts after having read through a newspaper filled with negative stories (the words below also shed light on why Marvel chose to work with UNICEF):
“In many ways the gang at Marvel is not unlike the United Nations. We have artists, writers, editors and production people, as well as a bright staff of managers who handle our countless business and legal matters. And, like the U.N., all of these dedicated, hard-working Marvelites, men and women alike, represent just about every color, race and creed…
If Marvel’s little legion of diverse individuals can work together in harmony and friendship the way they do, respecting each other’s rights, cooperating and helping one another as they work towards a common goal, then why can’t the nations of the world do the same thing? Why can’t the inhabitants of our cities and towns behave towards each other in the same way? Why can’t people everywhere adopt a philosophy similar to that of our own Silver Surfer, a philosophy that says: We’re all members of one great human family, sharing an all-too-brief sojourn on an enchanted planet; therefore we should celebrate the gift of life by making every golden minute as joyful for each other as we possibly can.”
