Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you all must have heard that Stan Lee passed away this week. At the age of 95, one of the most influential figures in the comic book industry and superhero genre has left us. I was genuinely sad when I heard the news, because Stan was a real hero to me and I’d like to explain why.
All over the news and internet people are talking about his amazing body of work. How he had a hand in creating some of the most legendary Marvel superhero characters and stories ever, along with other creators like Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Roy Thomas, Steve Englehart, John Buscema and others. And that is absolutely true, but besides that, Stan was also the face of an entire genre and industry, even in times when it wasn’t popular at all.
I remember opening my very first Marvel comic back in ’84 and on the first page it said “Stan Lee presents”. I was 7 years old and had no clue who that was, but that name kept popping up in every single comic I bought. As a child, I read comics that were translated in Dutch, but in high school I started reading the original American versions and I always read Stan Lee’s “soapbox” column, which I really enjoyed. After that I saw Stan appear on various TV shows and stuff like that, always being charming and funny and always telling people how much he enjoyed telling (and reading) good stories about relatable characters.
I’m not saying the guy was a saint. I’ve read a lot of stories about his relationship with the likes of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. And sure, he played a big part in creating the Marvel universe that we all know and love, but so did a lot of the other creators that I mentioned earlier. But like I said, Stan was the face of an entire industry. He put superheroes on the map and I don’t think we would have all these wonderful movies and TV shows, based on comic books, if it hadn’t been for his efforts. Nowadays everybody knows who characters like Iron Man or Thor are, not just us shy and nerdy kids who actually read comic books.
So yes, he was a hero to me as a kid and he still is. And I will forever be grateful for all the amazing characters and stories that he helped to create and that have entertained me for 34 years. Those comics often gave me a world to escape to when times were rough and they still do. So thank you, Stan Lee. Thanks for all the wonderful stuff you created and thanks for making us geeks and nerds feel less like outcasts, in a time when it really wasn’t cool to like superhero stories. You will be missed. Excelsior!
Comic Geek 76 - My Thoughts On Comics and Pop Culture 