spider-man Archives - The Lady Nerd

While visiting Disney Springs this summer, I happened upon a fun looking clothing collection for the release of the new Spider-Man: Homecoming film.

And then I saw it.

A women’s tank top with a cleverly designed crochet straps forming a web on the back. Right in the middle of the shirt was a circle shaped graphic that with the Spider-man mask overlaid on it was rather reminiscent of a basketball.

It was too perfect. The shirt just screams Mayday Parker, despite the “Spider-MAN” part on it. (For those who don’t know, May “Mayday” Parker, better known as Spider-girl, is Peter Parker’s daughter from an alternate universe. She’s a feisty, resourceful 90s gal with a love for basketball and fighting evildoers.) I paired it of 90s-style shorts from Forever 21, and my trusty Converse for a fun, casual geek summer outfit.

As luck would have it, I got to team up with the folks at Angle 3 Films to bust out this shoot. A match made in geeky heaven! I happened to need photos for my blog and Michael Rivera and David Hoang needed a project for their interns to cut their teeth on. Win-win!

Photograph: Michael Rivera
Tank Top: Disney Springs – TrenD store
Shorts: Forever 21 (not exact, but closest ones I could find)
Aviators: Target
Shoes: Converse via DSW

Happy 20th anniversary to the neighbourhood-friendly female web-slinger, Spider-girl!

The first time May “Mayday” Parker appeared in What If? Volume 2: #105 on February 1st, 1998. The story didn’t follow the main series storyline, but an off-shoot in an alternate universe. In the Clone Saga, Spider-man’s love, Mary Jane Watson miscarried their child. What if the baby had survived as a healthy, bouncing baby girl and later exhibited her father’s same powers? The issue garnered enough interest to launch her own title. Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz set to work creating the spunky May Parker.

I will fully admit that I did not grow up reading Spider-girl. I discovered her while on a personal quest a few years back. I was part of superhero costume charity group called S.O.S.I. (Society of Secret Identities) in Nashville. The main female superhero costumes (Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, etc.) were already being done by other ladies in the group, so I was curious to see if there was another popular, role model female superhero to inspire the kids I’d be visiting. Spider-man was definitely the most popular character by far at whatever charity event we did. Besides a fun personality, I think that might have been due to the fact that his poses were crouches or squats, so he was at the kids’ eye level and therefore felt more approachable. I wanted to capture some of that, especially with shy little girls, so when I discovered Spider-girl in 2010, I set to work finding out what I could about her.

Via a Facebook superhero costuming group, I found a talented costumer, Kino Karou, in the Philippines who specializes in Spider-verse suits. He made this beautiful suit that was set to arrive me to for Dragoncon 2014. But, the day it arrived, I was at Grady hospital fighting for my life after a near-fatal car accident. It took me another year of physical therapy before I could even try on the suit. But it didn’t stop Michael Rivera and I from planning to shoot when I could!

We finally got that opportunity on a warm evening of which we had exactly ONE HOUR to get me dressed, on a rooftop to shoot at golden hour, and get me out of the suit. AND WE DID IT!

Photography: Foto Mike
Suit: Kino Karou
Webshooters: Red Hand Regalia

Casual Spider-girl

Spider-girl Cosplay