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Somos met his story five years ago. When he was a child, Huamán was hospitalized and, while waiting for a diagnosis for days, he imagined his favorite superhero appearing in the room to keep him company. Spider-Man never came. Years later, he decided to become that visitor for other children himself. Now Jorge tells us he is in his final year of Medicine and continues to visit hospitals in the red and blue suit, especially at Christmas and other special dates. “It is the moment when my two lives meet: the life of a doctor and the life of Spider-Man,” he says.
“As a Peruvian, you have to be creative and thrifty. I started improvising with homemade materials,” he recalls about his first attempts. He learned on his own, working with lycra and high-relief paints. “In my case, it was trial and error: I experimented with various supplies. You have to walk around the Center, around Gamarra, and try until you find what you need,” he explains. Over the years, he incorporated techniques like sublimation and 3D printing. The hobby also became a small business, and some of his creations have traveled to countries as far as Saudi Arabia, as well as the United States, Colombia, and Mexico.
Why dedicate so much time and effort to a single superhero? For Huamán, the answer lies in what has made Peter Parker one of Marvel’s most popular characters. “Spider-Man is a more human character. He has economic, family, romantic, and academic problems; the same problems any young person his age might have,” he explains emotionally.
The return of the spider
Huamán’s enthusiasm this time responds to a special reason. “Spider-Man: a new day” will mark Tom Holland’s return as Peter Parker, five years after “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the movie that brought together the three cinematic incarnations of the superhero. The new adventure finds Peter Parker forced to start practically from scratch, after the whole world forgot his identity at the end of the previous film. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon return to the cast, joined by new faces from the Marvel universe. For Jorge Luis, each premiere is also an event: the new suit must be studied, reproduced, and, of course, the mask put on again.
Not all Peruvian Spider-Men fight villains. Some have much more earthly adversaries, like unemployment and bills to pay. This is the case of Ángel Giuseppi Saravia Roncalla, an industrial electrical technician and father of two, who found in his favorite superhero a way to bring money home when work is scarce. Dressed in his suit, he visits different points in Lima, participates in fairs and birthdays, and entertains children by imitating the character’s movements.
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His story was told this year by “Trome,” which found him walking around downtown Lima. Saravia began portraying the character when he was still a student and could not work full-time. Over the years, he perfected the suit and the staging, now accompanied by the music of “Spider-Man.” He also makes small yoyos with balls, rubber bands, and toy spiders, which he sells for between 3 and 5 soles. Thanks to Spider-Man, he explains, he has been able to generate income to pay for his studies, his children’s, and help with household expenses. The old motto about great power and great responsibility takes on a daily meaning in his case: putting on the mask is also a way to fulfill the responsibilities of being a family father.
The Peruvian who drew Spider-Man
The Peruvian web reaches the official Marvel pages. Diego Olórtegui is one of the national artists who managed to make the leap to the big American comic industry and, between 2018 and 2019, had the very Spider-Man under his pencils. When Somos spoke with him, the artist described that experience as one of the great milestones of his career. “For me, it was an achievement unlocked and an honor. I think when you project yourself to draw for big publishers, you dream of drawing Batman if you work for DC Comics or Spider-Man if you work for Marvel. Drawing Spider-Man has been a tremendous honor.”
Today Olórtegui says he continues working as an artist for DC Comics but keeps a special place for Marvel’s old arachnid. So much so that this year their paths crossed again: on the occasion of the premiere of “Spider-Man: a new day,” the Cinemark chain invited him to illustrate the commemorative ticket that those attending the first-day screenings will receive. A small homecoming for someone who once had the responsibility of officially drawing Peter Parker’s adventures.
Just as Spider-Man wove his webs in the hearts of Peruvians, Peru has also had a presence in the official “Spider-Man” comics. In “Peter Parker: Spider-Man Annual 2001,” published by Marvel, the superhero travels to Nasca and meets the Spider-Clan, a community that worships the Great Weaver and spiders — the adventure, however, takes generous liberties with our geography and turns the surroundings of Nasca into a lush jungle landscape —. It seems that Spider-Man’s webs, after all, have been spreading freely across Peru for quite some time. //. //
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