SPIDER-MAN REACHES #600, HERO INITIATIVE GETS BIRTHDAY PRESENT!

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 8, 2009) – Marvel Comics’ Amazing Spider-Man has been around long enough to reach its milestone 600th issue! And to celebrate, San Francisco’s Comic Outpost is holding a Spider-Man anniversary party on the date of the book’s release, Wednesday, July 22. The party takes place at Comic Outpost, 2381 Ocean Ave. in San Francisco.

Comic Outpost has constructed a massive wall displaying ALL 600 issues of Amazing Spider-Man, dating back to issue #1 from 1963. Fans will be able to view the massive Spidey collection, and enter raffles for books signed and sketched by legendary Spider-Man artist John Romita Sr., a signed-and-numbered copy of Stan’s Soapbox: The Collection, which collects all of Stan Lee’s legendary “Soapbox” columns, and more. The highlight of the raffle will be a genuine chainsaw prop from the Doctor Octopus emergency room scene in the Spider-Man 2 movie. All proceeds from the event will benefit Hero Initiative, the charity dedicated to helping older comic creators in medical or financial need.

“Way back in the early ’70s, my mother bought me my first comic, Marvel Team-Up #42, featuring Spider-Man and Vision. From that point I was hooked!” said Comic Outpost owner Gary Buechler. “Through the years, I’ve put together a full run of Amazing Spider-Man and it's a kick to be able to display it in my own store! It’s an honor and a duty to help give back to all of the creators who brought me and so much joy and have allowed me to actually make a living. It is the least I could do.”

“I’m very proud of my years of work on Spider-Man, and always pleasantly surprised to see that people remember it fondly still today,” said Hero Initiative Board member John Romita Sr. “My thanks to the crew at Comic Outpost. This should be a great event I wish I could attend, and should raise some much-needed funds for Hero!”