Just off the southern tip of Manhattan lies Governor’s Island, formerly an Army and Coast Guard base.  Decommissioned in 1996, it was sold to the City of New York for $1, with the only restrictions being no permanent housing or casinos.  Since 2003, the city has opened it to visitors during the summer, and plans to eventually construct 88 acres of open park space.

As part of the numerous events scheduled throughout this summer:

Fred Van Lente, author of The Amazing Spiderman, will be on Governors Island this Sunday at 1:30 PM to talk to visitors about how he set two issues of the iconic series on the Island.

In each story, Spiderman battles the Sandman around some of the island’s most notable landmarks and areas, including Castle Williams, Fort Jay, the historic district and even the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel vent shaft (which is how the evil Sandman accesses Governors Island). Even the old  Burger King on the southern end of the Island makes an appearance in the story.

Van Lente will take your questions about Spidey, how comics are made, and anything you might want to ask, so be sure to stop by the Commanding Officers House on Sunday to hear about Spiderman’s adventures on the Island.

How to get there? From Manhattan, head towards the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.  Right next door at 10 South Street is the Battery Maritime Building.  Brooklyn ferries depart from Pier 6, Brooklyn Bridge Park.  Both are free.  Once on the island, the Commanding Officers is south of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel Vent Shaft (that big hexagonal building visible from Manhattan) on Berry Road.

There are lots of other activities on the island, as well as the Governors Island National Monument, which comprises much of the northern half of the island, and includes fortifications dating back to the American Revolutionary War.  This weekend, the Civil War will be invoked with living history re-enactment, and if the cannon blasts are to0 archaic for your auditory enjoyment, modern sounds will be produced by Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band Sunday evening.

(For those who cannot visit, the “Scorpion Unleashed” mission of the Spider-Man 3 video game takes place on the island.  Van Lente also discusses the story’s origin over at Comic Book Resources.)

1 COMMENT

  1. You continually use these offensive examples to malign the entire pro gun community. For heavens sake why? The people saying those types of things and calling you obscene names are not indicative of the people that have replied honestly, respectfully, with passion and thoughtfulness. None of us condone that type of behaviour. Not in our personal lives nor, for the most part, on the forum. Why are you marginalizing an entire sector of society because of callous remarks made by idiots?