Following the Leader...
Redartz: Hello, friends. Today we interrupt the usual "Follow the Leader" post to pay tribute to a Leader dear to us all. Yesterday the news went out that Stan Lee had passed. Yes, Stan Lee; writer, editor, publisher, promoter, personality. Stan Lee, who co-created most of the Marvelous characters the whole world has come to know and love. Stan Lee, who pretty much originated the "Marvel Style", and laid the foundations for the House of Ideas. Stan Lee, who's hype and enthusiasm fired the excitement and devotion of Marvel Comics fans for decades. Yes, Stan Lee has Moved On, but his legacy will be known forever.
I first came to know the name of Stan Lee as a boy, reading all those great Silver Age Spider-man and Fantastic Four issues. Unlike DC, Marvel comics had credits for the writers and artists, and so the prominent name of Stan Lee quickly became recognizable. And as most of the comics I read had his byline, he became synonymous to me with Marvel.
Years later I followed his monthly posts in "Stan's Soapbox" (as a little kid, I never read the Bullpen or letters pages). Through those regular doses of Marvel Mania, countless Marvel devotees became familiar with Stan and his florid, manic yet intimate style. Stan made us all feel like part of the gang, like we were 'in on the plot'. And it worked; from the Merry Marvel Marching Society to FOOM to the legions of Marvel fans anonymously reading his tales and watching the films, Stan led them all. Stan was the human face of Marvel, recognizable to the public at large (certainly not to minimize the importance of Kirby, Ditko, and all the others, who were as vital to Marvel's success but not as accessible publicly). Indeed, Stan became the face of comic books in general in a way that Eisner, Infantino, Kirby or any of the other giants of the medium never really could. Stan was Marvel, and Marvel was Comics; so Stan was Comics.
Stan, you led me through childhood and into adulthood like a Pied Piper of print. For all your stories, your hyperbole, your craziness, I thank you. If for nothing else than Spider-Man, I thank you (remarkable and poignant that both of Spidey's creators left us this year, Lee and Ditko). Rest well, Stan, I'll still be following you.
The rest of today's post is in your hands. Share your thoughts, memories and reflections about Stan the Man. 'Nuff Said.
26 comments:
Stan the Man... Excelsior... Nuff Said... True Believer...
The Man has brought me a lot of joy over my past 50 years.
And I felt good hearing, on the different three radio interviews yesterday driving home from work, that he was referred to as the co-creator of Spider Man, Fantastic Four, Hulk...
RIP Stan.
Oh, man. You're a hard act to follow Robert/Red, that's a very nicely written tribute.
For my own part, I have to say that Stan Lee is the first comics creator whose name, and face, I learned to recognize, almost immediately after I began to get into comics at the age of 6. At that point, I was barely reading them, but rather just admiring the pictures, but even I couldn't help but notice the words "Stan Lee presents" in bold letters at the top of the first page in every Marvel book. And then his image was often featured in the letters pages, or the Bullpen Bulletins or in some house ad. This was in the mid-1970s, so long after he was no longer actively writing any stories at all. Such was the power of that (oft-criticized) self-promotion that was inextricably bound to his seemingly tireless promotion of Marvel. It would only be a few years later that I began to pay attention to the names in the credit boxes to figure out who was actually writing and drawing my favorite stories.
So for me, memories of Stan are intertwined with my earliest memories of reading comics in general, and later, thanks to reprints, I read so many of the stories he actually wrote from the 1960s and early '70s, and grew to appreciate his writing and, even more so, that distinctive 'voice' he gave to the entire Marvel Comics line.
As an aside, a lot of people are saying that now all of the 'big 3' are gone, with refers to Kirby, Ditko and Lee, and I'm not disputing that, but I have to say that in this year alone we lost a big three: Lee, Ditko and Marie Severin.
I'll just close this by saying that any of you who have Facebook accounts should go check out the Diversions of the Groovy Kind fb page - a lot of fans are reposting the reactions to Lee's death by other comics creators, Sinnot, Simonson, Wolfman, Claremont, etc., there, which are quite moving. The one by Roy Thomas in particular is quite nice - it originally appeared at Bleeding Cool, although at Groovy Agent's fb page there's a few more photographs (which are very likely the last photographs taken of Lee).
I know--- I KNOW I'll have more to contribute to the discussion later this evening-ish (busy at work today). But a couple of quick notes:
-It's very cool that in the Washington Post this morning they have a headline article in the Style section on Stan's passing, AND a huge write-up in the obituaries. Photo in the Style section, though--- Stan between Lou F as the Hulk and Erik K as Thor from one of the Hulk's later TV events-- is a rather unfortunate choice. Why this particular moment, out of so many?
-Since I recently picked up the WONDER YEARS book, I may be a little more alert to the FF, and. . . so far I kinda feel like they're VERY conspicuously absent from most of the homage-images I've seen being shared in social media. Ben Grimm has popped up a couple of times, but that's about it from my personal observation. In such a short span of time, Stan's initial, landmark creation seems to have become the lost relative who has to stand at the back of the hall for the memorial service.
-I'd forgotten that Joanie, Stan's wife, had passed away last year-- after 70. . . Seventy!. . . years of marriage. And she was never not part of Stan's recounting of that first issue of Fantastic Four. I know we tend to romanticize the re-uniting in the after-life of all of these creative partnerships. . . but I think they'd likely pale in comparison to the reunion with the one person he surely missed beyond all others. . . Man, seventy years. . .
HB
A very fitting Follow The Leader today!
This coming Friday, November 16th, will be 44 years since I read my first ever Marvel comic, Marvel UK's Planet Of The Apes #5. There are lots of reasons to praise the genius of Stan Lee but I am forever grateful for the fact that he created Marvel UK and enabled British kids like me to discover the magic of Marvel. Stan also acquired the rights to Conan The Barbarian and it was thanks to Marvel that I became a life-long Conan fan - Stan has died just as Conan is about to return home to Marvel. It's hard to imagine my childhood years without Marvel comics and it was all thanks to Stan Lee :)
The first time I read the words "by Stan Lee" they were in a word balloon flying out of Dr. Doom's mouth on the cover of "Bring on the Bad Guys". I realized his name was on all these awesome superhero books, and got a kick out of how he split the name Stanley into two words.
I went on to scribble dozens of my own comic book stories in crayon, stapled together, with my trademark byline "by Dave Id" (I've still got those comics).
In 2009 I was able to have Stan the Man himself sign that copy of Bring on the Bad Guys. I asked him to make it out to Dave Id. He didn't quite understand what I was getting at, it was a bit noisy, there were about 7 feet and a handler between us, so it's just made out to Dave. Oh well, he had a lot of books to sign. At least I got the autograph.
I went over to the next table and got Neal Adams to sign my Batman #251 "to Dave Id." Not quite the same, but I guess worth it for his quizzical look at my request.
So long, Stan. Thanks for founding the universe that shaped my young life, and still brings warm memories to my old one.
-david p.
Robert -
That's a beautiful tribute. I could have written that, as your experience mirrors my own. Thanks.
Doug
Yeah, Stan was the voice of Marvel for so many years; whenever I think of Spider-Man, it's Stan's version that shines through. He'll be missed but his legacy will probably live forever.
I'm still processing Stan's death. It's somewhat easier for me to deal with since he was in poor health and exploited by others in recent years. His legacy is amazing and he was similar to Mark Twain in that Stan was "an American Original."
I read the news today, oh boy...
Redartz, thank you for your lovely tribute.
Stan's soapbox was where I first encountered Stan the man. He made me feel like part of the gang with his stories and exciting news about marvel-lous projects. I'm not sure how old I was when I realized just how much of the fabric of the Marvel universe he had woven, both as co-creator of wonderful characters and as the writer of early key moments and mythos.
Colin, last month marked 40 years since I bought my first Marvel UK comic. What a great innovation, one of many.
I'm glad to have a place to share memories and reflect. Sad times.
Great tributes all. I can only echo what others have said. Stan reached through the page and not only exemplified the welcoming spirit of Marvel but also seemed to speak to the individual. Comics and all forms of related entertainment would not be the same without him. His energy and happiness were electrifying. Even on work he did not himself handle, I am sure he was a great leader who gave creators the freedom to push limits.
He will be remembered fondly for his personal touch, exhuberance, and for encouraging a sense of wonder.
Great tribute Redartz and great comments all!
Not sure what to add. Except maybe that, to me, STAN WAS COMICS.
I came to Marvel in 1973 and he was everywhere. From "Stan Lee Presents..." to Stan's Soapbox, Origins of Marvel Comics, Son of Origins, the Superhero Women, Bring on the Bad Guys, oh and he wrote just about all of the silver age reprints.
Excelsior Stan! You will be missed.
Tom
What a long strange trip it’s been…
It seems that Stan Lee was a presence to be reckoned with since I was old enough to read, circa 1964, right up to the present year and his cameos in Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Ant-Man and the Wasp.
While I was mainly a DC comics fan, Marvel was always part of the picture. When those poorly-animated cartoons appeared on TV in the 1960s, I recognized Don Heck’s art for the on-screen adaption of Avengers #20, which was cover-dated September 1965. That’s probably the earliest Marvel comic book I ever owned. I was seven years old.
I remember talking with some other kids around 1966, and while I was more up-to-speed on stuff like DC’s Legion of Super-Heroes, I remember being fully aware of who the X-Men and Fantastic Four were, as well as some of their villains. I certainly had Amazing Spider-Man #62 when it came out in July 1968, and I very likely had at least one X-Men comic from the same decade.
Jump ahead to the early 1970s, when Marvel put out all those fabulous reprint titles like Marvel Tales, Marvel Triple-Action, and others. By this I point I was a full-blown collector, and it gave me the opportunity to read, often for the first time, some of the early adventures of Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four, among others, most (if not all) written by Stan the Man. And of course Stan’s leadership of the company throughout the Bronze age surely influenced the tone of what the other writers were doing after he stepped aside from most of the scripting.
Cut to the early 1980s, when Stan co-wrote Spider-Man Annual #18 and that Silver Surfer one-shot with John Byrne. Yep, Stan was still in the game.
His early efforts to bring the Marvel Universe to Hollywood didn’t pan out so well, with all those forgetable Spider-Man and Captain American made-for-TV movies. I was unimpressed with The Hulk TV show, even though I liked Bill Bixby as Bruce Banner. It took a very long time for the movie and TV industry to finally get it right.
I would argue that the era of the modern comic-book movie started with X-Men in 2000. We’ve seen Stan’s cameos in almost all of the Marvel movies produced by various studios right up until the present day.
I’m 60 years old now. And I figure that if Stan Lee could carry the passion for super-heroes up to the age of 95, there is no shame in saying that I’m still a fan. So thank you, Mr. Lee, for entertaining me for the past 53 years! Maybe I’ll see you in another cameo or two in 2019 (I don’t know if they’ve already filmed any scenes with him for Captain America or Avengers 4).
Terry in Virginia
I've been pondering this on and off quite a bit since yesterday, and the thing I keep coming back to is that. . . I don't think it is POSSIBLE to overstate the vast scope of Stan's long-term legacy. I don't think the media stories or the obituaries even quite have a handle on it. Characters that Stan created. . . you can spot them EVERYWHERE ON EARTH. The films in the last two decades have, of course, accelerated their dissemination amongst the entire population o' Humanity-- but that is STILL his legacy at the root. Is it driven by naked marketing and merchandising and cashing-in on popularity and trend-chasing? Oh, heck yes it is, BUT-- that ONLY works because of the almost supernaturally universal appeal of these characters across the tiresome dividing lines of nationality, religion, race, economic status, age, and even gender and sexual orientation. As small, living, humans ourselves. . . we all "get" these brightly-clad, deeply-flawed, perpetually-striving, mythically-powered, morally-striving fictional characters. They are forever a reminder to try to present our "best" selves to the world--a desire that doesn't follow boundary lines. And since there's such a broad pantheon of characters, we are all able to find a specific character that speaks especially to ourself.
And the fact that these characters are inherently attractive to young kids does all the more to perpetuate them over the course of decades. There'll be days when I'm walking into the theater in one of my super-hero t-shirts, and I'll get shout-outs from the 3-year-olds in our neighboring pre-school as they walk past-- "He gots Spider-man!" or "That guy has a Iron Man shirt! Hi! HIIIIIIII-!!!!" And generally at least a third of those toddling boys (AND girls!) will have some sort of superhero paraphernalia of their own on---. That is SO cool to me--!
And I've been thinking, "Stan--- man, just LOOK at how many lives you've touched! Not always profoundly, perhaps-- but even then by bringing small pieces of joy into peoples' everyday world-- and making their world brighter, more fun, more hopeful--- just better."
He put something good into the world-- and over the course of nearly 60 years those roots quietly spread and spread to become part of the pop-cultural landscape.
Ahhhhh, I'd better sign off, eh? Rattlin' on, me!
HB
Oboy, sniff, gonna miss ya Stan ....
Well, first off I'd like to add my name to the millions of fans in celebrating the life and legacy of Stan the Man Lee. Yes, Kirby, Ditko and others were just as instrumental in the creation of many of the world's best loved superheroes, but it's no exaggeration to say that Stan was THE face of the comicbook industry. If ever one person could say he was 'Mr. Comics' it was Stan.
I read an article today which described him as the architect of the modern comicbook industry. His usage of what we now call the 'Marvel method' is used by many creators up to this day. Personally, I believe that Stan's influence runs deeper than many people think. I remember watching a documentary some years ago on the major influencers of modern pop music; the Beatles were mentioned and one commentator said 'even if you don't think you were influenced by the Beatles, you were influenced somehow by the Beatles'.
I feel the same way about Stan in terms of comics - whenever I read a comicbook, any comicbook, whether old or new, Marvel, DC or another, I always get a mental image in my head of Stan sitting somewhere in a cramped studio plotting another adventure of Spider-Man or some other character. From now on, when I'm reading I'll always think of him looking over my shoulder and saying 'aren't comics great, kid?'. I'll smile and look upwards at him and say simply 'yeah'.
Some people prefer Shakespeare, others Hemingway, others Tolstoy. Me? Pardon me, but I have some Lee/Ditko Spider-Man issues to read now ....
Excelsior.
- Michael from Trinidad & Tobago.
Nice way to end my day was driving down the Chicago Hwy today and there on a huge, electronic billboard for thousands and thousands to see was a photo of a smiling, older Stan Lee with "Stan Lee RIP." (Why couldn't the traffic jam been there instead of two miles north!)
Man that guy brought me / us a lot of joy in my life.
Nice tribute Red.
Thanks for sharing today, friends. It's a testament to Stan's positive influence that so many people worldwide, from all fields and all backgrounds, have such high regard for the man and his creations. Like the Wizard of Oz put it, "A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how you are loved by others"...
Can't add much to what's been said, but I was fairly late arriving on the Marvel scene.....Lee had already stepped way from his writing/editing, but thanks to all those great reprint series and the Marvel Treasury Editions, I was able to catch up pretty quickly to what the fuss was all about. I loved his cameos in each of the Marvel films and it makes me sad to know that there won't be any more of those. R.I.P. Stan The Man and Excelsior!!
Doggone it! I miss waking up on Saturday morning and not having this blog to get me going! It was better than a cup of Joe! Well, it was great while it lasted! Have a great weekend everyone!
Yep, I habitually keep clicking back over here to see what's being chatted about, myself--!
I'm thinking we could do worse than to let ourselves engage in topics on Tuesdays that may indeed yield lengthier, more in-depth discussion over the course of a few days? And, although the format isn't perfect for it, side-discussions and tangents become possible as well, yeah?
(This is me thinking yet again clear back to Van Plexico's AVENGERS ASSEMBLE board, where some topics could go on forever and ever. Although the risk of prickliness does increase--- ha!)
HB
Charlie and HB- I fully agree, the topics may be considered flexible enough to spawn tangents aplenty! And I trust our community of comrades to maintain a pleasant atmosphere, even in the face of my often lame humor...;)
Red-- Perhaps I could put a stress-test on our forum's civility by once again explaining why I think the Avengers' bomber-jacket phase was truly a fun, solid choice. Yeah? Opportunity knocking?
HB
(Ha! I kid!)
HB
Mercifully (?) I missed the bomber jacket phase? When was it? Was it spawned by all those Members Only jackets we wore in the early 80s?
I don't know why we could ramble on? I mean I could ask HB if he's had any new additions to that man-cave of his? B.t.w. HB, did you ever acquire one of those "Here comes the Hulk, there goes the Hulk" sweatshirts (t-shirts?) that were advertised like in the mid - late 60s? I think Hulk was pulling a ducky on a string??? LOL
Actually, I come here every few days to see if anybody has added new comments - which proved to be the case for this one. Although that's something I did both here and at the BAB even when they were up and running, sometimes even leaving a new comment (even at the risk of it not being seen by anybody else).
So I'm definitely up for longer discussions that go over several days or more.
CH47: I don't know about your Members Only theory (confession: had two of those, a steel-blue one and a black one that was a hand-me-down from an older cousin), since actual bomber jackets were pretty popular items of apparel in the late '80s and early '90s if I recall correctly.
And since you brought up the Hulk t-shirt, I have to say that back in the mid-'70s I had the Spidey and Thing t-shirts from that same line - on the back of the Thing shirt, it had "If you can read this, you're too darn close!" written on the back of his little blue Speedo.
Hi Edo, I did me a bit of googling and found that I am thinking of a 1960s sweatshirt that Marvel sold for $2.99 and Hulk is towing a wooden bunny, lol.
https://blogintomystery.com/2013/11/05/here-comes-the-hulk-there-goes-the-hulk/
How's everything going in Croatia (?)
CH47: things in Croatia, after a very mild, pleasant and almost Indian-Summerish autumn that lasted until the middle of last week, are now miserable and cold. It even snowed last light! Temps where I am aren't freezing yet, so it didn't really stick to pavement, but everything else is covered with it - it's the wet, heavy kind that, given the aforementioned non-freezing temperature, is now turning into slush.
Anyway, the Hulk shirt: yeah, that design first appeared in the late '60s, but it was still being printed on t-shirts that kids like me could see in the kids apparel sections of say, JC Penny or Montgomery Ward, back in the mid-'70s, like the Thing and Spidey shirts I mentioned.
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