As Spider-Man turns 60, fans reflect on the superhero’s diverse appeal

In July, Spider-Man was inducted into the Comic-Con Hall of Fame during the annual convention in San Diego. Photo: AFP

Spider-Man fandom is in Tyler Scott Hoover’s blood – but not because he was bitten by an irradiated arachnid. His father had collected Marvel comic books featuring the character since the 1970s.

“He passed down a tonne of comics to me,” says Hoover, 32, of Glen Burnie, Maryland. “It kind of makes it almost like a religion. It would have been hard for me not to become a fan of Spider-Man.”