Spidey Stash #1 :The Amazing Spider-Man: A ROCKOMIC!

In the early 1970s Marvel was starting to branch out into the world of mass market merchandising.   They had previously offered memorabilia for sale through the mail (ads in the comic books or Marvel fan clubs back in the 1960s).  One of the earliest mass market items to be produced was the Amazing Spider-Man:  A ROCKOMIC!, featuring a five episode story, each one with a song to wrap up the episode.  The Rockomic was intended to be the first of more to come, but no other Rockomics were ever made.

Produced in 1972 by Buddah Records, the Rockomic was available all around the world, in a range of formats:  vinyl LP (33.3 rpm), vinyl single (45 rpm), 8-track tape, and cassette.  The Rockomic was available for sale at “all fine record stores”, as well as through the mail (ads in the comics, FOOM magazine, and even CREEM Magazine, which billed itself as “America’s Only Rock ‘n Roll Magazine”).  I first saw the order form as a 9-year-old, in issue #2 of FOOM magazine (early 1973).  My mother sent a money order in for my LP.

In addition to a classic Spidey cover and articles in that CREEM magazine, the LP was promoted heavily through traditional methods.  Promotional “kits” were sent out to radio stations and record stores (45 to play on the air, an issue of The Amazing Spider-Man comic book, press release articles, and some window stickers).  A large cardboard counter display was also available for placement in stores.  I have heard of some local tv stations advertising the LP and an in-store visit with Spidey himself back in late 1972.

Spider-Man fans were treated to some of John Romita, Sr.’s finest artwork on the packaging of the Rockomic.  In addition to a dramatic front cover (also the same artwork on the poster included with the LP, and the image which some toy companies and t-shirt manufacturers used on their products),  and a beautiful back cover scene, the album cover opens in gatefold fashion to reveal 5 incredible comic strips (the only work that John Romita had done the coloring for in his Spider-Man career).  The story features cameos by some of Spidey’s greatest villains, Aunt May, Dr. Strange, and the Kingpin as the main villain.

The music on the Rockomic is done by “The Webspinners”, a small group of musicians assembled just for this project.   All vocals (lead singer and backup singers) were done by Ron Dante (of “The Archies” records fame).  Ron recorded the vocals all in one night!  In communications with him last summer, Ron expressed that he was proud of his work on the project.   He also said that he enjoyed reading Spider-Man comics in the early days of Marvel.

The voice actors included some well-known performers.  The voice of the Kingpin was done by actor Thayer David, who had many acting roles over the years (including the fight promoter in the first Rocky movie).  Peter Parker/Spider-Man was voiced by Rene Auberjonois, an award-winning actor.  In recent years he was famous for his portrayal of Odo in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (also known for his role as Clayton Endicott III in Benson, which lasted 8 years).

Although the Rockomic has been a treasured item from my childhood days, my interest was rekindled by Ron Frenz (artist extraordinaire) in the summer of 2019.  Ron posted on social media, wondering when/how the famous Spider-Man “responsibility” quote had gotten changed over the years, compared to the original version (“with great power, must also come…. great responsibility”, in the last panel of Amazing Fantasy 15).  Ron also was wondering when the quote was first attributed to Uncle Ben (because it wasn’t that way originally).  After some interaction with myself and others, we could find no reason to refute Ron’s belief that the very first attribution to Uncle Ben happened on the Rockomic!  A little slice of history on glorious vinyl….

With my interest heightened by Mr. Frenz, I started to discover some “variants” in the Rockomic items.  I have been tracking down various items and educating myself over the past 12 months of collecting.  At this point, I have collected 12 different labels on LPs (different design, color, or wording in different locations).  I have done the same with the 45s (finding 5 different labels, and 3 different paper sleeves).  There are also some differences in the 8-track “stickers”.  I blame Ron Frenz for my variation “frenzy” at this point!

The Rockomic is still easy to find and purchase these days. Many times, you can still get a sealed copy (although most of them do have a “notch cut”, indicating it was either a promotional copy or an unsold copy sent back to the manufacturer for credit).  The notch cut should not damage the record or the poster inside.

If you have questions or comments, please let me know!  I love talking Spidey and collecting.  My quest continues for more Spidey-Stash, including more Rockomic items…..

If you would like to listen to the full album here it is on youtube.