The Amazing Spider-Man: Skating on Thin Ice [Comics]

Did you know that Spider-Man once fought Electro in Winnipeg of all places? Thanks to The Amazing Spider-Man: Skating on Thin Ice, I do. Why wouldn't they, Winnipeg-ians(?) are thinking, Winnipeg is a cosmopolitan, international city. But I digress . . .

This was a 1990 giveaway comic intended to educate Canadian schoolchildren on the dangers (not joys) of recreational drug use. It's a full-size comic, and they even got Todd McFarlane to do the cover: as you can see on the right, the kids are facing: a marijuana cigarette, a can of beer (Beer brand beer), a bottle of beer (Beer brand beer), something in a glass stopper (coke?), cigarettes (Cigarettes brand cigarettes), a syringe (heroin?), a prescription drug bottle, and another container that disappears off the page. But don't worry kids! Spider-Man, along with advertisements for . . .

Canada Post stamps ("A unique gift for any occasion")

Kraft Peanut Butter ("Hey Kids! Let everyone know you make your own choices, and if anyone tries to change your mind . . . Don't even give them the time of day!" Unless, presumably, you've chosen drugs, in which case you should give anti-drug comics the time of day, but once again I digress!)

Downy laundry detergent ("All right! Spider-Man, thanks for being there when we all need you the most.")

Ultra Cheer detergent ("3 Cheers for Spider-Man")

Nestle Quick and Libby's Zoodles ("You can't beat this lunchtime crowd!")

Marvel Comics Subscriptions

Marvel Masterworks Books

Kellogg's Frosted Flakes ("Join the 'Drug Free' Team." Are the words "Drug Free" in quotation marks because they're supposed to be sarcastic? Is Tony the Tiger a pusher? You Decide!)

Coca-Cola (Don't ask for "Coke" when ordering kids--you may get more than you bargained for!)

. . . is there to save the day! After beating up Electro, Spider-Man convinces a young hockey player named Alan that he doesn't need beer and cigarettes to celebrate his first hat trick. Good job Spider-Man! One kid down, only several million to go!

I'm pretty sure this is part of a series of giveaway comics featuring Spider-Man across Canada, as I also own Crisis in Calgary and another issue advertised as Double Trouble is set in Fredericton. I wish I had gotten comics like these as a kid--even if they are a bit cheesy, they would have been a hundred times better than most school-related handouts.