In Prince George, B.C., the Famous Players Six theatre faced a predicament when the expected promotional posters for the movie “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” did not arrive due to a shipping mishap. To remedy the situation, employee and artist Drake Landon was tasked by his manager to create a replacement poster inspired by the internet meme character Spooderman.
Despite being able to draw the actual Spider-Man, Landon opted to craft a rendition of Spooderman, a character known for its crude, MS Paint style parody of Marvel’s Spider-Man dating back to 2012. Displaying his hand-drawn poster in the theatre lobby, Landon included a message apologizing for the absence of the official posters and any inconvenience caused.
The unique Spooderman poster caught the attention of movie-goer Adam Woodrow, who found it delightful during his visit to the Famous Players with his son Rogan. Rogan captured a photo of Landon next to his creation, which gained significant traction online, accumulating thousands of likes across various platforms, including the Marvel Studios subreddit where it received over 54,000 upvotes.
The online buzz surrounding Landon’s Spooderman poster led to suggestions from admirers for him to design all movie posters for the theatre or even market his Spooderman drawings. However, Landon revealed that his personal artistic preferences lean towards drawing robots, intricate machinery, and weaponry in his free time.
While appreciative of the recognition, Landon humbly credited the original idea of Spooderman to its creator from years ago, acknowledging the simplicity of his drawing based on an existing meme. His father, Craig Landon, expressed pride in his son’s creativity, emphasizing Drake’s long-standing passion for drawing and his gratification in seeing him receive acknowledgment for it.
Although Cineplex plans to replace Landon’s Spooderman poster with the official “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” poster, they intend to find a new spot within the theatre to showcase Landon’s hand-drawn artwork. Looking ahead, Landon aspires to create prints of his now-iconic poster for personal fulfillment.