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“Exclusive” Preview: Spider-Man Newspaper Comics 1981-1984

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D. D. Degg Published: June 2, 2026 Updated: June 2, 2026 2 minutes 0 comments

Following the success of the softcover editions of The Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Comics 1977-1980 Clover Press is planning to release the next four years in four softcover volumes.

The Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Comics 1980-1984 will be in the same format as the previous slipcased issues.

From Clover Press:

Between killer robots, Doctor Doom’s flying saucer, the rise of the Spider Brigade, and the infamous Spidey Jeans craze, the 1980s kept Peter Parker on his toes and newspaper readers glued to Stan Lee’s thrilling daily Amazing Spider-Man Comic Strip. Now, longtime fans and new readers alike can discover Spider-Man’s offbeat, thrilling adventures in four lovingly crafted softcover collections of The Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Comic from Clover Press. Collecting all of the newspaper adventures from 1981 to 1984 – written by Stan Lee with art by Iron Man co-creator Larry Lieber, longtime Airboy artist Fred Kida, and renowned Transformers artist Floro Dery – these new deluxe slipcase editions are now funding on Kickstarter. 

“By the early 1980s, Spider-Man was firmly established on the newspaper page.” said Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz. “Following the success of our campaign to collect the first four years of The Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Comic, we are thrilled to continue the line. The strips from 1981 to 1984 feature a more seasoned wall crawler navigating longer, more intricate storylines that balance action, emotional drama, and classic Peter Parker misfortune.”

Originally remastered and collected by The Library of American Comics in hardcover editions that are now largely out of print, these classic newspaper strips are highly sought after by collectors. Thanks to the success of the first Kickstarter, Clover Press is continuing to republish the series in affordable softcover editions of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, reprinting each strip just as readers experienced them nationwide, with the full-color Sunday pages integrated with the dailies. Each volume will measure 11″ x 8.5″ in a horizontal format and come housed in a vertical slipcase designed for protection and easy shelving. Backing this Kickstarter campaign [link added] will allow readers to get all four volumes in one bundle. The campaign will also include a puzzle, stickers, lithographs, a second pocket book facsimile and more.

At the end of the first four volume set Larry Lieber took on the art chores relieving John Romita, Sr. in November 1980. Lieber continues as the daily and Sunday artist in 1981 as this new set starts by ending a short month-long story arc and then on January 11, 1981 we are off to the races with Doctor Octopus.

In August 1981 Fred Kida would take over the daily comic strip art and the Sunday art in October 1981. Fred Kida had worked the comic book field in the 1940s and 1950s, often with Stan Lee in the latter decade. Kida was no stranger to comic strips, from 1946-47 he ghosted Judge Wright strip and two decades later he was ghosting for Dan Barry on Flash Gordon for five or six years.

The young (especially compared to Fred Kida and Stan Lee) Floro Dery came out of nowhere for me and took over the Sunday art at the beginning of 1983.

The few times I saw the strip during those years I was very impressed. Kida’s clean smooth lines were reminiscent of Romita while Dery drew the Sunday’s with an incredible flourish.

The daily comic strip, like the comic book, was a “shop” effort. The artists pencilled while Frank Giacoia, Joe Giella, Mike Esposito and others inked. I think Dery did the complete art on his signed Sundays.

In the last two-thirds of 1984 the daily strip was signed only by Stan Lee as various ghost artists drew.

Clover Press has granted The Daily Cartoonist an “exclusive” sneak peek at some of the strips from the latter half of the 1983 volume featuring the art of Fred Kida and Floro Dery. Without further ado…

Clover Press has offered some not-so-exclusive previews to various outlets:

The Kickstarter crowdfunding for The Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Comics 1980-1984 is a go.

In other Clover Press-The Amazing Spider-Man newspaper comics news is that the facsimile of the first Pocket Books Spider-Man comic strip mass market paperback that was made available as part of the 1977-1980 bundle will be available to all in July 2026. As mentioned above volume two of the mmpb will be part of the 1981-1984 bundle.

to SpiderFan and American Newspaper Comics for credit details.