As a longtime Marvel enthusiast and avid spectator of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I must say that this year’s return of Spider-Man is nothing short of thrilling! The balloon design, based on the iconic artwork of John Romita Sr., harks back to a more muscular interpretation of our friendly neighborhood hero.
This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade might not have featured any spiders with the impressive quad muscles that Spider-Man will show off when he makes his comeback to this traditional event after a decade-long hiatus. The first time Spider-Man graced the parade was in 1987, and he became an annual presence until 1998, when his balloon was retired. However, he reappeared in 2009 only to be absent again from 2014 onwards.
According to Polygon, this year’s Spidey design is inspired by the works of renowned artist John Romita Sr., who stepped in for Steve Ditko in 1966 with The Amazing Spider-Man issue #39. This marks the first time a Spider-Man balloon has been modeled after a particular style, and for Will Coss, executive producer at Macy’s, there was no question about it when they decided to bring back Spider-Man in 2021 – they had to go with this distinctive Romita Sr. design.
From start to finish, it was clear that John was the right choice for our project. We sensed from the beginning that this approach and style would work best. As soon as we were granted the chance to bring back Spider-Man for the parade, we focused on making it happen as early as possible.
Romita Sr.’s portrayal of the character deviated significantly from Ditko’s, with broader eyes and a more robust physique contrasting the lean, agile look that he later became famous for. As Coss put it, “Spidey is bringing a fresh, energetic muscle-focused vibe to this year’s parade, and he certainly doesn’t disappoint.
It seems that you might not have viewed any sketches or our trial flights, but let me tell you, that balloon is truly remarkable.
What’s Up With Spider-Man’s Thighs?
It’s immediately noticeable in the image you see that Spider-Man’s quad muscles in his thighs are prominent, indicating he hasn’t missed leg day even while not participating in the parade. Moreover, this year’s depiction of Spider-Man appears more dynamic than previous versions, which typically portrayed him climbing a building. Coss mentioned that creating this year’s balloon design took several months, and it seems those muscular thighs were the main point of fascination for everyone involved in the process.
Initially, we experimented with several drafts displaying various positions of arms and hands, considering different angles. We devoted significant attention to the muscular definition in the thighs during this process.
Without a doubt, everyone will be focusing on Spider-Man and his legs as he comes back to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. If you can’t attend in person, you can catch all the excitement when it airs live on NBC and Peacock at 8:30 a.m. EST on Nov. 28. Keep an eye out for Spider-Man 4, scheduled to be released in theaters in 2026.
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2024-11-27 21:31