The Untold Truth Of Spider-Ham

As not only a funny talking animal, but attached to one of the most recognizable superhero franchises, you'd think Spider-Ham would be a no-brainer for an animated series. However, it wasn't until 2014, with the Ultimate Spider-Man TV show, that a cartoon Peter Porker finally materialized. 

According to 2010's Back Issue #39, the idea was raised in the '80s but just inexplicably evaporated. Tom DeFalco said someone from Marvel Animation talked to him about the concept but insisted the character couldn't be a pig. DeFalco protested that the lead character was named "Peter Porker, Spider-Ham." Marvel Animation reportedly said they could "fix" that, and DeFalco said he looked forward to hearing their ideas. DeFalco said they never bothered explaining why the character couldn't be a pig, saying only the people in Marvel Animation "used to feel they knew better" and that "maybe pigs hold no appeal to the animation market."

It's only speculation, but one possibility is that 1980s Marvel might've still been sensitive about being forced by Disney to change the appearance of Howard the Duck upon threat of lawsuit, and perhaps they didn't want a Warner Bros. lawyer to decide Spider-Ham was too similar to Looney Tunes' Porky Pig. 

Regardless, Marvel Animation ghosted the issue. "I don't think we ever heard from them again," DeFalco told Back Issue, and he doesn't know why. "For all I know," DeFalco mused, "they went back ... and realized they couldn't come up with anything and let it die."