Benjamin and Aura and Spider-man

WHAT?

Because I view the Marvel comic out of its original context, Benjamin would argue that the digital copy that I see lacks aura because it is a reproduction. Furthermore, without me knowing, being able to appreciate, and really living the original context, the comic loses its “cult” or “ritual” value and instead serves only the purpose of exhibition.

There is one thing about this Marvel comic that I find pretty interesting in relation to Benjamin’s theory. At the top of the comic is the label, “1st All-new Collector’s Item Issue!” The reason this is so interesting to me is because it basically names itself as authentic. However, labeling it a collector’s item suggests that it was created with intentions of becoming exhibitive in nature. This thereby creates a perplexing mix of Benjamin’s description of authentic aura and his explanation of art abandoning its original purpose for a more exhibitive – or even political – one.

I believe one of the aspects of the aura the piece loses is in the fact that because the image is reproduced so often, and Spiderman himself is reproduced so often, that the familiarity the viewer has with the piece takes away from the uniqueness. Despite the fact that this the first collectors issue and it is signed by Todd McFarlane, there is a level of authenticity lost because it is so easily accessible and reproduced.

Is it about… the Benjamins?

Todd McFarlane’s original art to the cover of Spider-Man was sold at auction in 2012 for $657,250, reportedly making it the single most valuable piece of American comic ever sold at auction. The aura held in the original work is what gives this piece of art its essential value, as it is safe to assume that no one would pay nearly three-quarters of a million dollars for a reproduced copy that could be found online. Although the original piece of art has been reproduced in spades over the past two and a half decades, it alone holds the lone value of originality, completed by the artist’s handwritten signature in the bottom right hand corner. The authenticity and aura that are lost in the process of reproduction reside solely in the original drawing of this famous comic.

Todd McFarlane’s original art to the cover of Spider-Man was sold at auction in 2012 for $657,250, reportedly making it the single most valuable piece of American comic ever sold at auction. The aura held in the original work is what gives this piece of art its essential value, as it is safe to assume that no one would pay nearly three-quarters of a million dollars for a reproduced copy that could be found online. Although the original piece of art has been reproduced in spades over the past two and a half decades, it alone holds the lone value of originality, completed by the artist’s handwritten signature in the bottom right hand corner. The authenticity and aura that are lost in the process of reproduction reside solely in the original drawing of this famous comic.

For perspective: It’d take Dr. Phill 13 years salary to buy that one comic image

Or that comic could pay for roughly 6 educations from undergrad-Ph.D.

Original Spider-Man #1Silver Spider-Man #1 fromMcFarlane’s Webs ComicsAnd Gold Spider-Man 1,because 90s.

Spider-Man #13, withSM in his black outfit.

Next to it is a newer,digitally colored version.

Gen-13 #1. Cover by John ClearySpawn #8, by McFarlane,Jokingly signed “after me.”

Dramatically digitally coloredfan version.Lego version.Re-worked version for Spider-Man: Masques cover.

Assassin’s Creed And GI Joe

Mo’ Spider.

Mo’ Spider.

If the image is known for its widely reproduced (over 2 million copies) color version, why is the original black and white drawing so valuable? The element that sets this image apart is the aura surrounding it.

Because the image was hand-drawn and not colored until later, there is much more detail in the original. Each strand of web, each spider, and every element of his suit required conscious time and effort, and it is very apparent. Many details were lost when the color was added and the image was shrunk to be printed and distributed. Because aura is that which is degraded with mechanical reproduction (Benjamin), this detail contributes to the overall aura of the piece.

If we are discussing this piece with regard to the physical copy that was produced and sold at auction, then this Spider-Man #1 cover, by Todd McFarlane, undoubtedly possesses some semblance of an aura, though it is slightly different than that of a traditional aura, as defined by Walter Benjamin. It may be argued by some that this piece of work possesses an incomplete aura is due to the fact that while it is an original piece by an author, it is still a reproduction of the idea of Spider-Man, as the original creators, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, produced the original Spider-Man in a 1963 Amazing Fantasy comic book. While this may seem like a viable argument, Benjamin describes the primary flaw of a reproduction is that it lacks the original’s “presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be,” (Benjamin 3).

Yet, one of the many questions that Walter Benjamin brings to fruition is: are these reproductions really the same and do they do the original justice? The quickest way I can answer this question is with another: have you ever listened to a song being made? The moment the final chord is melded into the melody or the high-hat is added to flesh out the percussion section, the musical ensemble finally makes sense and it suddenly clicks with the musician or whatever audience member might be there. This moment of immediate recognition gets at two of Benjamin’s points on the “aura” of a rhetorical piece: the time/place of a given piece of rhetoric and the previous nonexistence of identical copies. The moment the song is finished, nobody else has heard anything like it before (unless it is completely derivative) and nobody else has heard it at the time and place of its creation (the timing of music is essential – 2000’s music would not be popular today and vice versa).

Which has the most “aura?”

1.

2.

3.

Which has the most “aura?”

1.

2.

3.

Seems timeless, at least right now. Highly likely to still be used and recognized in a decade, but far removed from first Cowboy star.

Hand drawn. I bet there’s only Bat-1.

Still insane clever with it’s hidden arrow, but due to colors and font likely to pass from favor and use long before the Cowboy’s star.