Stan Lee - (95) RIP

I first learned of Lee's death a few moments ago, from an email from the Coos Bay, Oregon, newspaper The World. It was in Coos Bay in 1967 that I became a Marvel fan. I and my fellow Marvel fans in Coos Bay never would have imagined that one day Stan Lee's death would be front-page news with The World.

https://theworldlink.com/entertainm...fc5dbfeb.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest

The work of Stan and other Marvel folk was a big deal in our youthful imaginings in that rainy town. The first Marvel comic I bought was Thor #140.
1542054089439.png

It went on sale on 2 March 1967, according to the delightful Mike's Amazing World of Comics site:

Mike's Amazing World of Comics

I think I bought one other Marvel comic that month, the new issue of Fantastic Four.

1542054259180.png


Soon, though, I would be buying all the Marvel superhero comics. You could get them all even if your finances were about $2 a month back then. Think of that!

 
Last edited:
R. I. P. Stan. Possibly one of the greatest genre voices in our generation. You’ll gen sorely missed.
 
A long time ago I was introduced to the wonder of American Comic Books, I came in through the back door, Marvel UK reprinted the original X-Men which opened the door to a greater universe, and much like the X-Men that universe was in many ways the co-creation of Stan Lee.

When you look back over his career the volume of his work is astounding, The Fantastic 4, The Avengers, Spider-man – and most of the individual members who make up those teams all came from his mind. Comics are a unique medium, the work is rarely just one person, and Marvel would not have grown into what it became if it was not for his collaborators too, but the one name that was linked to all those early creations was Lee. When you look at the massive success of the Marvel movies, it is not surprising to see that the majority of them are from this earliest eras of the comics giant.

When you look into the world of fictional characters very few grow beyond the page and worm their way into popular consciousness – Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, Superman, Batman, Harry Potter, but the reknown that comes with this is generally lightning that strikes once, some how Lee managed to do it for an entire universe.

There was more to Lee and his comics than that, he had a unique talent for hyperbole, the way he wrote those comics made them larger than and unlike anything else on the market. He made the writers and artists were given nicknames, there was nothing like the way the comics were credited and nothing like way he wrote.

He even made the readers part of the comics, speaking to them on a more intimate level. Perhaps one his lesser creations was the way he made the creators more than just names. With the use of his Bullpen Bulletins columns, he gave a skewed insight into life at marvel comics, giving life to those creators in a larger than reality way.

It was part of who he was, from his signature comments and his soapboxes, from Excelsior to Nuff Said! Lee was more than a part of Marvel, he was Marvel.

Even when Lee cut back on his work, he was an integral part of every issue – each story starting with 'Stan Lee Presents'

And through his appearances on TV and in films (how many blockbusters has he appeared in?) he became a recognisable face.

And his work ethic?

He was working well into his nineties!

He was pretty much the last of his generation, and now he has gone, reunited with his wife Joan, with Jack and Steve, but the god of the Marvel Universe is gone and the world of colourful costumes and larger than life characters is slightly darker tonight.

Excelsior!
 
May his memory be a blessing.

His writing certainly was a blessing for my childhood. I adored the Fantastic Four, especially Sue Storm. I'll end with the words he used to sign off some editorials, words to strive and hope for:

Pax et Justitia.
 
I'm convinced the Marvel universe turned me onto science, scifi and mythology and acted as a gateway to a wider world of esoteria. Stan, alongside some significant collaborators, drew upon such a broad range of influences, this child could not help but develop an enquiring mind.
Should be at the heart of any state curriculum.
 
The end of an era. RIP, Stan.

"Face Front, True Believers!"
 
Marvel comics were a wonderful contributor to the growing imagination of my childhood. I still love those comics today.

Thanks for giving me that sense of wonder, Stan - and rest easy, we still believe.
 
The first Marvel Comic my brother came home with:
674941.jpg

The first Marvel Comic I bought myself:
jim109.jpg

I still remember opening Sgt. Fury 2 and wondering who Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were. It didn't take long to find out. Childhood idols rivaled only by the Beatles.
 
Sad news.

As well as the obvious success of Marvel films more recently, I really enjoyed the X-Men and Spiderman animated TV series. Must've watched a ton of Spiderman as a child.

Mildly surprised it wasn't higher up the news running order. Not saying top story, but he was a very significant figure in modern culture, and it's not like Marvel's Cinematic Universe is niche.
 
Today I want to pay tribute to a man I never met, but help made my young life enjoyable and perhaps inspirational. That man was Stan Lee.

Mister Lee, as most of you know died Monday at the grand age of 95. Not bad for a pencil pusher.

Yes, he was a pencil pusher a Master Pencil Pusher for he wrote hundreds if not thousands of comic stories for Marvel Comics ...... and he was very good at it. Why was he so good? Simple: his heroes and villains had personalities and problems and humor.

As a smart alec teen ager I appreciated smart alecs. I remember reading one issue of Dare Devil where he made fun of his skin tight costume in the company of villains.

Dare Devil was one of my favorite heroes not just because he was witty, but he (like me) had a handicap. Dare Devil was blind but, his other senses were super sharp. He knew how many people were around him, he could hear their heart beats, he could smell their perspiration and where they been and with his radar sense he would counter their attacks. Awesome as these abilities were his character was even more so for by day he was a lawyer defending the downtrodden. At times he even defended in court some of those he put in jail.

Two of my other favorites were the Silver Surfer and Iron Man.

The Silver Surfer because he traveled around the universe encountering different civilizations, doing good where and when he could, and his raw power. Hey, when you're a 90 pound weakling you appreciate power.

Iron Man also had a challenge. He had a bad heart, but he got around it by using his genius to create a suit of armor that strengthen him. This is something I wish I could do.

In my imagination I did. My friends and I back then played a role playing game called Villains and Vigilantes. In this game you had to create a hero based on who you were. I was Ion possessing magnetic powers and I like Iron Man wore armor.

Reading all these great comics was an inspiration to me to be a comic book artist. Unfortunately, I wasn't talented enough and too slow for this occupation. Nonetheless, the writings of Stan Lee has been part of my inspiration to be fantasy writer.

Over the years I have thought two sources of writing have help me get through life. The Bible has helped me to deal with reality and comics has helped to escape reality.

I hope and pray that God allows me the talent, the humanity, and drive to leave a legacy like Stan Lee has.
 

Similar threads


Back
Top