Spidey’s Always Had a Certain Pizzazz!
Pizzazz was a short-lived magazine created by Marvel Comics that ran for 16 issues in the late 1970s. What separated Pizzazz (or, Pizza Ass, if you prefer) from other kids rags of the era like Dynamite, Supermag and Bananas was an exclusive monthly Star Wars comic as well as plenty of shameless self-promotion for Marvel properties. (So many articles about the Hulk!). Today it is little more than a forgotten footnote in Marvel’s long and storied history, albeit one that wears bellbottoms and is more than just a little obsessed with Shaun Cassidy. In the middle of the magazine’s run, Marvel took to the airwaves for the above commercial from 1978 that features a confused Spider-Man. This video raises so many questions. Is this the same Spidey who appeared on The Electric Company? What other mags does our Friendly Neighbor Spider-Man subscribe to? What the hell is “Da Doo Ron Ron” about anyways? How often did Spidey hit up Harry Osborn’s stash of Quaaludes in the 70s? There’s really a lot to ponder here.
About The Author
Chris Cummins is a pop culture writer and Archie comics historian who has contributed to The Robot's Voice, Den of Geek US, Philebrity, Geekadelphia, Uproxx, and Unicorn Booty. He is the co-producer and co-host of Nerd Nite Philadelphia, and is regularly involved in producing and hosting New York Super Week events. In 2014, Chris began Sci-Fi Explosion, a mix of live performance, trivia and funny clips celebrating the weirdest in science fiction that regularly travels around the United States. He wrote the introductions to the compilations Archie's Favorite Comics From The Vault and (with Paul Castiglia) Archie's Favorite High School Stories. You can find Chris on Twitter at @bionicbigfoot and @scifiexplosion.