Amazing Fantasy #15 [Regular]
(September 1962 (see Notes))

Marvel, 1962 Series
 
Volume
1
Price
0.12 USD
Pages
36
Indicia Frequency
bimonthly
On-sale Date
1962-06-05
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Approved by the Comics Code Authority
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Atlas Magazines, Inc.
Brand
MC
Editing
Stan Lee (editor)

Issue Notes

Distributed to newsstands in June 1962. This issue includes 10 pages of paid advertisements.

Distribution date from Joseph Marek's Marvel Comics Group history website.
Both the 1962 initial copyright and the 1990 renewal list the publication date as June 5th 1962.
Says "August" on the cover, but "September" in the indicia. Based on the copyright dates for Amazing Adult Fantasy #8-14, September is the correct date.
This issue has variants:
Parts of this issue are reprinted:

Spider Man (Table of Contents)

Spider-Man / cover / 1 page (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Steve Ditko
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek
First Line of Dialogue or Text
Though the world may mock Peter Parker, the timid teenager... it will soon marvel at the awesome might of... Spider-Man!
Genre
superhero
Characters
Spider-Man [Peter Parker]
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Though some people believe that the other person on the cover is "the Burglar," there is no resemblance to the character depicted in the interior story, and no indication on the cover that it is the same character.
In Amazing Fantasy (Marvel, 2004 Series) #15 (January 2006), it is revealed that the man Spider-Man is carrying is a guy named Steve.

Cover Thumbnail for Amazing Fantasy (Marvel, 1962 series) #15 [Regular] Cover Thumbnail for Amazing Fantasy (1962 series) #15 [British]
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An Amazing Invention - Magic Art Reproducer (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

Norton Products / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Spider-Man! (Table of Contents: 2)

Spider-Man / comic story / 11 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (signed)
Pencils
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Inks
Steve Ditko (signed as S. DITKO)
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek
Job Number
V-789
First Line of Dialogue or Text
Like costume heroes?
Genre
superhero
Characters
Liz Allan (introduction); Crusher Hogan; Ben Parker (introduction); May Parker (introduction); Spider-Man [Peter Parker] (origin) (introduction); Flash Thompson (introduction); the Burglar
Synopsis
Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider and gains the abilities of a spider. When he fails to stop a burglar who runs past him, his uncle is killed as a result. He therefore swears never to shirk his responsibility again.
Awards
Reprints
Keywords
Acme warehouse; Midtown High; radioactive rays; science experiment; web-shooter; wrestling ring

Indexer Notes

This story is divided into two untitled parts (6 pp, 5 pp).

This is the first Spider-Man story published, the Burglar has never been definitively named.

Winner of the 1962 "Best Short Story" Alley Award.

Amazing New Home Training Plan (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

Commercial Trades Institute / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Boys! Men! My Secret New Dynaflex Method (Table of Contents: 4) (Expand) /

Mike Marvel System / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The Bell-Ringer! (Table of Contents: 5)

comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (signed)
Pencils
Steve Ditko (signed)
Inks
Steve Ditko (signed)
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek
Job Number
V-792
First Line of Dialogue or Text
This is the way this little tale was told to us...
Genre
fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Old Pedros
Synopsis
On a small Mediterranean island of fisherfolk, Old Pedros is the town bell-ringer. One day the volcano atop the island begins to erupt. The villagers evacuate and put out to sea. Old Pedros, though, stays at the church. "The bells must be rung," he tells himself. "Someone will hear. For centuries someone has always heard!" Molten rock streams toward the church. Before it reaches Old Pedros, a ray of sunlight surrounds him. The superstitious villagers swear they saw him ride that ray into the sky. Did their eyes play tricks on them, or did Someone hear the bells?
Reprints

So Life-Like…You'll Expect It to Hiss! (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

Medford Products / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Save Hundred of Dollars… (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

Medford Products / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Man in the Mummy Case! (Table of Contents: 8)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (signed)
Pencils
Steve Ditko (signed)
Inks
Steve Ditko (signed)
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek
Job Number
V-791
First Line of Dialogue or Text
A mummy case might seem to be as good a place as any to hide in!
Genre
horror-suspense
Characters
Rocco Rank
Synopsis
A fugitive accepts a mummy's help to escape the police, only to find himself an ancient Egyptian slave.
Reprints
Keywords
museum

In Just 30 Days Be a Powerhouse of Muscles! (Table of Contents: 9) (Expand) /

Major League Suppliers / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Look! Boys Wanted to Sell Grit (Table of Contents: 10) (Expand) /

Grit Publishing Co. / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Important Announcement from the Editor! (Table of Contents: 11)

Fan Page / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
First Line of Dialogue or Text
You will notice that the format of AMAZING has been changed.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Stan Lee's editorial explains: "We are omitting the word ADULT from our masthead. A number of our teen-age readers have written to say that it makes them feel a bit awkward to buy a magazine which seems to be written exclusively for older readers."

Lee also explained the new feature: "..The SPIDERMAN, who will appear every month in AMAZING. Perhaps, if your letters request it, we will make his stories even longer, or have TWO Spiderman stories per issue."

Based on job numbers researched by Will Murray, the stories that appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #'s-2 were likely prepared for the next issues of Amazing Fantasy. Publisher Martin Goodman cancelled the title before sales figures came in and immediately reinstated Spider-Man in a title of his own when he discovered how well the issue sold.

Shop by Mail (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

advertisement / 1 page (report information)

There Are Martians among Us! (Table of Contents: 13)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (signed)
Pencils
Steve Ditko (signed)
Inks
Steve Ditko (signed)
Colors
Stan Goldberg
Letters
Artie Simek
Job Number
V-790
First Line of Dialogue or Text
The problem was... how to find the Martians??
Genre
science fiction
Synopsis
The discovery of a crashed flying saucer frightens a small town, especially when the townspeople realize that the Martians are among them. A month goes by with the aliens still at large. A man leaves for the city and tells his wife to stay in the house where she is safe. Later that day, though, she has to go to the store for coffee. On her way home she is captured! When her husband gets home and finds her missing, he makes a desperate phone call ... to another Martian, who like him must have four arms.
Reprints
Keywords
bloodhounds; spaceship

Now! Everything You Need to Start Your Valuable Stamp Collection! (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

Scott Publications, Inc. / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

Learn Any Dance Fast! (Table of Contents: 15) (Expand) /

Famous Dance Course / advertisement / 0.25 page (report information)

Live Sea Horses! (Table of Contents: 16) (Expand) /

Florida Sea Horse Co. / advertisement / 0.25 page (report information)

Treasure Chest of Fun (Table of Contents: 17) (Expand) /

Honor House Prod. Corp. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[no title] (Table of Contents: 18) (Expand) /

American Body Building Club / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Boys, Girls, Men, Women (Table of Contents: 19) (Expand) /

Wallace Brown, Inc. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Issue at my.comics.org
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. Spider Man
    Spider-Man
  2. 1. An Amazing Invention - Magic Art Reproducer
    Norton Products
  3. 2. Spider-Man!
    Spider-Man
  4. 3. Amazing New Home Training Plan
    Commercial Trades Institute
  5. 4. Boys! Men! My Secret New Dynaflex Method
    Mike Marvel System
  6. 5. The Bell-Ringer!
  7. 6. So Life-Like…You'll Expect It to Hiss!
    Medford Products
  8. 7. Save Hundred of Dollars…
    Medford Products
  9. 8. Man in the Mummy Case!
  10. 9. In Just 30 Days Be a Powerhouse of Muscles!
    Major League Suppliers
  11. 10. Look! Boys Wanted to Sell Grit
    Grit Publishing Co.
  12. 11. Important Announcement from the Editor!
    Fan Page
  13. 12. Shop by Mail
  14. 13. There Are Martians among Us!
  15. 14. Now! Everything You Need to Start Your Valuable Stamp Collection!
    Scott Publications, Inc.
  16. 15. Learn Any Dance Fast!
    Famous Dance Course
  17. 16. Live Sea Horses!
    Florida Sea Horse Co.
  18. 17. Treasure Chest of Fun
    Honor House Prod. Corp.
  19. 18. [no title]
    American Body Building Club
  20. 19. Boys, Girls, Men, Women
    Wallace Brown, Inc.
This issue was most recently modified by:
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