They're calling him "Spider-Boy" and the boy with the "ear-achnid."

Most of all, they're calling him, and calling him, and calling him.

Jesse Courtney's phone hasn't been silent since the 9-year-old Albany boy told the Democrat-Herald his doctor had flushed two spiders out of his left ear a couple of weeks ago.

News outlets from Philadelphia to Pakistan have picked up the story.

Google hits on Jesse's name turned up reports from England, Canada, Germany and India.

"I will never be able to eat Rice Krispies again, thanks kid," wrote one United Kingdom blogger after Jesse compared the sound the spiders were making in his ear to the cereal's signature snap, crackle, pop.

A contributor to humor columnist Dave Barry's blog added haiku of the incident: "Constructing ear dams/Now where is my tinfoil hat?/Keep out the spiders."

Even the studio behind "Spider-Man 3" has taken notice. Columbia Pictures contacted the Democrat-Herald on Monday to find out how to send Jesse a goody basket of promotional items from the film. Jesse saw the movie opening weekend and said it was great.

So far, the South Shore fourth-grader is taking the attention in stride. "It's fun," he said.

His mother, Diane Courtney, initially thought the story was too silly to share with the media. She's since decided it was a good idea to call.

News media organizations, particularly radio shows, called all day Monday, she said.

"Six a.m., the Netherlands. Two from Australia. He did an interview today for a London radio station," she said. "And various radio stations from this country - Chicago, Utah, California, Washington. I've been trying to write them all down, 'cause it's just been crazy."

KGW's television interview with Jesse hit CNN's top four news videos Monday and stayed in the lineup all day. "Inside Edition," called, Diane said. So did officials with the "Ellen DeGeneres" talk show, who said they'd call back.

"We haven't heard back from them, but the phone's been busy a lot," she said, laughing.

Jesse said he'd love to be on the "Ellen" show, or anybody else's.

Some of his friends, he said, didn't believe him when he first told them about the spiders.

"They believe me now," he said.

If you missed the original story about Jesse, just go to http://www.democratherald.com/articles/2007/05/08/news/local/8aaa01_spiderboy.txt.