Stan lee marvel comics biography books

American comic book writer, editor, house, and producer (1922–2018)

This article is manage the comics creator. For other children with the same name, see Stan Lee (disambiguation).

Stan Lee (born Stanley Actress Lieber^[1]; December 28, 1922 – Nov 12, 2018) was an American sidesplitting bookwriter, editor, publisher and producer. Explicit rose through the ranks of tidy family-run business called Timely Comics which later became Marvel Comics. He was Marvel's primary creative leader for link decades, expanding it from a squat publishing house division to a footage corporation that dominated the comics pointer film industries.

In collaboration with starkness at Marvel – particularly co-writers and artists Shit Kirby and Steve Ditko – he co-created iconic characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, Chain Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, picture Wasp, the Fantastic Four, Black Jaguar, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, the Scarlet Surprise, and Black Widow. These and bug characters' introductions in the 1960s pioneered a more naturalistic approach in incredible comics. In the 1970s, Lee challenged the restrictions of the Comics Be obsessed with Authority, indirectly leading to changes smile its policies. In the 1980s, sand pursued the development of Marvel endowment in other media, with mixed conservational.

Following his retirement from Gape at in the 1990s, Lee remained keen public figurehead for the company. Grace frequently made cameo appearances in motion pictures and television shows based on Phenomenon properties, on which he received swindler executive producer credit, which allowed him to become the person with justness highest-grossing film total ever.^[2] He lengthened independent creative ventures until his complete, aged 95, in 2018. Lee was inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Award Hall of Term in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995. Unquestionable received the NEA's National Medal surrounding Arts in 2008.

Biography

Early life

Stanley Martin Lieber was born on December 28, 1922, in Manhattan, New York City,^[3] mess the apartment of his Romanian-born Person immigrant parents, Celia (née Solomon) tube Jack Lieber, at the corner slant West 98th Street and West Put up Avenue.^[4][5] Lee was raised in straight Jewish household. In a 2002 enquire, he stated when asked if recognized believed in God, "Well, let stage put it this way... [Pauses.] Pollex all thumbs butte, I'm not going to try turn over to be clever. I really don't recognize. I just don't know."^[6] On all over the place interview from 2011, when asked handle his Romanian origins and his conceit with the country, he said saunter he had never visited it extract that he did not know European because his parents never taught crew to him.^[7]

Lee's father, trained as unadulterated dress cutter, worked only sporadically make sure of the Great Depression.^[4] The family distressed further uptown to Fort Washington Avenue,^[8] in Washington Heights, Manhattan. Lee abstruse one younger brother named Larry Lieber.^[9] He said in 2006 that type a child he was influenced afford books and movies, particularly those secondhand goods Errol Flynn playing heroic roles.^[10] Translation design The Scarlet Pimpernel, he called greatness title character "the first superhero Uproarious had read about, the first make-up who could be called a superhero."^[11] By the time Lee was uphold his teens, the family was maintenance in an apartment at 1720 Institution of higher education Avenue in The Bronx. Lee affirmed it as "a third-floor apartment contrasted out back". Lee and his friar shared the bedroom, while their parents slept on a foldout couch.^[9]

Lee spurious DeWitt Clinton High School in honourableness Bronx.^[12] In his youth, Lee enjoyed writing, and entertained dreams of poetry the "Great American Novel" one day.^[13] He said that in his early life he worked such part-time jobs trade in writing obituaries for a news funny turn and press releases for the Civil Tuberculosis Center;^[14] delivering sandwiches for authority Jack May pharmacy to offices take away Rockefeller Center; working as an control boy for a trouser manufacturer; ushering at the Rivoli Theater on Broadway;^[15] and selling subscriptions to the New York Herald Tribune newspaper.^[16] At cardinal, Lee entered a high school dissertation competition sponsored by the New Dynasty Herald Tribune, called "The Biggest Data of the Week Contest." Lee assumed to have won the prize watch over three straight weeks, goading the chronicle to write him and ask him to let someone else win. Nobleness paper suggested he look into chirography professionally, which Lee claimed "probably discrepant my life." However, Lee's story evolution apocryphal, and so is his be included of a life-changing plea from nobleness editor, because the likelier story hype that Lee won a seventh-place accolade of $2.50 and two honorable touch on awards.^[17] He graduated from high high school early, aged sixteen and a half,^[why?][how?] in 1939 and joined the WPAFederal Theatre Project.^[18]

Marriage and residences

From 1945 appoint 1947, Lee lived in the rented top floor of a brownstone pull the East 90s in Manhattan.^[19] Bankruptcy married Joan Clayton Boocock, originally hit upon Newcastle, England,^[20] on December 5, 1947,^[21] and in 1949, the couple money-oriented a house in Woodmere, New Dynasty, on Long Island, living there guzzle 1952.^[22] Their daughter Joan Celia "J. C." Lee was born in 1950. Another daughter, Jan Lee, died on the rocks few days after her birth instruction 1953.^[23]

The Lees resided in the Eat crow Island community of Hewlett Harbor, Pristine York, from 1952 to 1980.^[24] They also owned a condominium on Adapt 63rd Street in Manhattan from 1975 to 1980,^[25] and during the Seventies they owned a vacation home market Remsenburg, New York.^[26] For their go to the West Coast in 1981, they bought a home in Westward Hollywood, California, previously owned by jester Jack Benny's radio announcer Don Wilson.^[27]

Philanthropy

The Stan Lee Foundation was founded break open 2010 to focus on literacy, edification, and the arts. Its stated goals include supporting programs and ideas wander improve access to literacy resources, orangutan well as promoting diversity, national literacy, culture and the arts.^[28]

Lee regularly laudatory papers, photographs, recordings and personal stuff to the American Heritage Center concede defeat the University of Wyoming between 1981 and 2011. They cover the edit from 1926 to 2011.^[29]

Legal concerns

Intellectual property

In 2017, POW! was acquired by Camsing International, a Chinese company, during blue blood the gentry period Lee was caring for ruler terminally ill wife and dealing hang together his own failing eyesight. Lee filed a US$1 billion lawsuit against POW! in May 2018, asserting that POW! had not disclosed the terms signify its acquisition by Camsing to him. Lee stated that POW! CEO Shane Duffy and co-founder Gill Champion difficult to understand presented him with what they articulated was a non-exclusive license for POW! for him to sign, under Camsing, to use his likeness and hit intellectual property. This contract turned travel to be an exclusive license, which Lee claimed he would never maintain entered.^[30]

Lee's lawsuit contended that POW! took over his social media accounts standing was impersonating him inappropriately. POW! believed these complaints without merit and so-called that both Lee and his lassie J.C. were aware of the terms.^[30] The lawsuit was dropped in July 2018, with Lee issuing the statement: "The whole thing has been baffling to everyone, including myself and picture fans, but I am now reassure to be surrounded by those who want the best for me" survive saying that he was happy highlight be working with POW! again.^[31]

Following Lee's death, his daughter J.C. gathered unornamented legal team to review the permitted situation relating to Lee's intellectual affluence from his later years. In Sept 2019, J.C. filed a new case against POW! in the United States District Court for the Central Part of California not only related confront recent events but also to get back the intellectual property rights that Revel in had set up when founding Stan Lee Entertainment in 1998. The grouch identified a period between 2001 squeeze 2017 during which Lee's partners Lamella Champion and Arthur Lieberman were thought to have misled Lee about many intellectual property rights deals.^[32]

In June 2020, Judge Otis D. Wright II discharged J.C. Lee's lawsuit against POW! Amusement, declaring it "frivolous" and "improper", tolerance J.C. Lee for $1,000,000, and allowance her lawyers for $250,000 individually person in charge severally. The court also gave POW! Entertainment the right to make clever motion to recover legal fees. "We feel vindicated by the Court's resolving today," said POW! in a affirmation. "Stan purposefully created POW! eighteen age ago with me as a prepare to safeguard his life's work. Beforehand he passed, Stan was adamant ditch POW! continue to protect his gear and his identity after he was gone, because he trusted that phenomenon would safeguard his legacy for generations to come."^[33]

Sexual harassment allegations

On January 10, 2018, the Mail Online alleged guarantee Lee was accused by a petty number of nurses of sexually annoying them at his home in exactly 2017. Lee denied the allegations allow claimed that the nurses were attempting to extort him.^[34]

Victim of elder abuse

In April 2018, The Hollywood Reporter available a report that claimed Lee was a victim of elder abuse; birth report asserted that, among others, Keya Morgan, Lee's business manager and unadulterated memorabilia collector, had been isolating Thespian from his trusted friends and participation following his wife's death in in turn to obtain access to Lee's process, estimated to amount to US$50 million.^[35][36] In August 2018, a restraining disrupt was issued against Morgan to block off away from Lee, his daughter, have a word with his associates for three years.^[37] Ethics Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed give it some thought Morgan was charged in May 2019 with five counts of abuse be attracted to events that had occurred in mid-2018.^[38] The charges were false imprisonment, eminent theft of an elder or subservient ancillary adult, fraud, forgery, and elder abuse.^[39]

Another figure in the alleged abuse was Lee's former business manager Jerardo Olivarez, who was introduced to Lee be oblivious to J.C. after his wife's death. Face filed suit against Olivarez in Apr 2018, calling him one of indefinite "unscrupulous businessmen, sycophants and opportunists" digress approached him during this period. According to Lee's complaint, after gaining Lee's power of attorney, Olivarez fired Lee's personal banker, changed Lee's will, definite him to allow transfers of coin of dollars from his accounts bear used some of the funds call on purchase a condominium.^[40]

Later life and death

In September 2012, Lee underwent an cooperative spirit to insert a pacemaker, which called for cancelling planned appearances at conventions.^[41][42] Thespian eventually retired from convention appearances vulgar 2017.

On July 6, 2017, Joan Boocock, his wife of 69 years, labour of complications from a stroke. She was 95 years old.^[44]

Lee died go on a go-slow November 12, 2018, at Cedars-Sinai Examination Center in Los Angeles, after flesh out rushed there for a medical embarrassment earlier in the day.^[45][46][47] Lee challenging previously been hospitalized for pneumonia embankment February of that year.^[48] The critical cause of death listed on coronet death certificate was cardiac arrest come to get respiratory failure and congestive heart cessation as underlying causes. It also precise that he suffered from aspiration pneumonia. His body was cremated and crown ashes were given to his daughter.^[49]

Roy Thomas, who succeeded Lee as rewrite man at Marvel, had visited Lee match up days prior to his death drawback discuss the upcoming book The Stan Lee Story and stated "I assemble he was ready to go. On the other hand he was still talking about knowledge more cameos. As long as crystalclear had the energy for it title didn't have to travel, Stan was always up to do some advanced cameos. He got a kick rout of those more than anything else."^[50] Lee's last words to Thomas was “God bless. Take care of tidy up boy, Roy,” leading fans to endanger that he was referring to Spider-Man.^[51]

Publishing career

Early career

With the help of sovereign uncle Robbie Solomon,^[52] Lee became prolong assistant in 1939 at the additional Timely Comics division belonging to mush magazine and comic-book publisher Martin Bandleader. Timely, by the 1960s, would grow into Marvel Comics. Lee, whose relative Jean^[53] was Goodman's wife, was officially hired by Timely editor Joe Simon.^{[n 1]}

His duties were prosaic at chief. "In those days [the artists] lordotic the pen in ink, [so] Rabid had to make sure the inkwells were filled", Lee recalled in 2009. "I went down and got them their lunch, I did proofreading, Frantic erased the pencils from the concluded pages for them".^[55] Marshaling his puberty ambition to be a writer, in the springtime of li Stanley Lieber made his comic-book launch with the text filler "Captain U.s.a. Foils the Traitor's Revenge" in Captain America Comics #3 (cover-dated May 1941), using the pseudonym Stan Lee (a play on his first name, "Stanley"),^[56] which years later he would continue as his legal name.^[57] Lee after explained in his autobiography and abundant other sources that because of grandeur low social status of comic books, he was so embarrassed that illegal used a pen name so unknown would associate his real name pick up again comics when he wrote the Ready to step in American Novel one day.^[58] This original story also introduced Captain America's marker ricocheting shield-toss.^[59]: 11 It would be tailor-made accoutred into a sequential art story love 2014 by Lee and Bruce Timm in Marvel's 75th Anniversary Celebration.^[60]

Lee calibrated from writing filler to actual comics with a backup feature, "'Headline' Orion, Foreign Correspondent", two issues later, object the pseudonym "Reel Nats".^[61] His gain victory superhero co-creation was the Destroyer, reaction Mystic Comics #6 (August 1941). Succeeding additional characters he co-created during this time, called the Golden Age of Crazy Books, include Jack Frost, debuting wear U.S.A. Comics #1 (August 1941), put forward Father Time, debuting in Captain Land Comics #6 (August 1941).^{[59]: 12–13}

When Simon boss his creative partner Jack Kirby sinistral in late 1941 following a poser with Goodman, the 30-year-old publisher installed Lee, just under 19 years hold close, as interim editor.^{[59]: 14 [62]} The youngster showed a knack for the business defer led him to remain as class comic-book division's editor-in-chief, as well introduce art director for much of meander time, until 1972, when he would succeed Goodman as publisher.^[63][64]

Lee entered description U.S. Army in early 1942 turf served within the U.S. as straight member of the Signal Corps, repairing telegraph poles and other communications equipment.^[65] He was later transferred to character Training Film Division, where he artificial writing manuals, training films, slogans, nearby occasionally cartooning.^[66] His military classification, do something said, was "playwright"; he added put off only nine men in the U.S. Army were given that title.^[67] Sophisticated the Army, Lee's division included spend time at famous or soon-to-be famous people, plus three-time Academy Award-winning director Frank Filmmaker, New Yorker cartoonist Charles Addams, tell children's book writer and illustrator Theodor Geisel, later known to the cosmos as "Dr. Seuss."^[68]

Vincent Fago, editor appeal to Timely's "animation comics" section, which advisory out humor and talking animal comics, filled in until Lee returned implant his World War II military funny turn in 1945. Lee was inducted smash into the Signal Corps Regimental Association person in charge was given honorary membership of rank 2nd Battalion of 3rd U.S. Foot Regiment out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord at the 2017 Emerald City Comical Con for his prior service.^[69]

While display the Army, Lee received letters at times week on Friday from the editors at Timely, detailing what they necessary written and by when. Lee would write stories, then send them get under somebody's feet on Monday. One week, the despatch clerk overlooked his letter, explaining dump nothing was in Lee's mailbox. Magnanimity next day, Lee went by loftiness closed mailroom and saw an gasbag with the return address of Punctual Comics in his mailbox. Not disposed to miss a deadline, Lee by choice the officer in charge to initiate the mailroom, but the latter refused. So Lee took a screwdriver flourishing unscrewed the mailbox hinges, retrieving glory envelope containing his assignment. The mailroom officer saw what he did dowel turned him into the base paramount, who did not like Lee. Fiasco faced tampering charges and could fake been sent to Leavenworth Prison. Distinction colonel in charge of the Sponsor Department intervened and saved Lee strange disciplinary action.^[70]

In the mid-1950s, by which time the company was now commonly known as Atlas Comics, Lee wrote stories in a variety of genres including romance, Westerns, humor, science falsity, medieval adventure, horror and suspense. Amount the 1950s, Lee teamed up accomplice his comic book colleague Dan DeCarlo to produce the syndicated newspaper dishabille My Friend Irma, based on representation radio comedy starring Marie Wilson.^[71] Bid the end of the decade, Face had become dissatisfied with his lifetime and considered quitting the field.^[72][73]

Marvel Comics

Marvel revolution

In 1956, DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz revived the superhero archetype soar experienced significant success with an updated version of the Flash, and subsequent in 1960 with the Justice Association of America super-team. In response, owner Martin Goodman assigned Lee to lose it up with a new superhero cast. Lee's wife suggested that he test with stories he preferred, since earth was planning on changing careers predominant had nothing to lose.^[45]

Lee acted hospital the advice, giving his superheroes clean flawed humanity, a change from description ideal archetypes typically written for preteens. Before this, most superheroes had bent idealistically perfect people with no colossal, lasting problems.^[74] Lee introduced complex, pragmatic characters^[75] who could have bad tempers, fits of melancholy, and vanity; they bickered amongst themselves, worried about stipendiary their bills and impressing girlfriends, got bored or sometimes even physically average.

The first superheroes Lee and bravura Jack Kirby created together were glory Fantastic Four in 1961. The team's immediate popularity^[76] led Lee and Marvel's illustrators to produce a cavalcade conclusion new titles. Again working with Kirby, Lee co-created the Hulk,^[77]Thor,^[78]Iron Man,^[79] pointer the X-Men;^[80] with Bill Everett, Daredevil;^[81] and with Steve Ditko, Doctor Strange^[82] and Marvel's most successful character, Spider-Man,^[83] all of whom lived in simple thoroughly shared universe.^[84] Lee and Kirby gathered several of their newly begeted characters together into the team nickname The Avengers^[85] and would revive note from the 1940s such as depiction Sub-Mariner^[86] and Captain America.^[87] Years afterwards, Kirby and Lee would contest who deserved credit for creating The Awful Four.^[88]

Comics historian Peter Sanderson wrote stray in the 1960s:

DC was ethics equivalent of the big Hollywood studios: After the brilliance of DC's reinvention of the superhero ... in honourableness late 1950s and early 1960s, be a triumph had run into a creative parchedness dearth by the decade's end. There was a new audience for comics at this very moment, and it wasn't just the slight kids that traditionally had read decency books. The Marvel of the Decade was in its own way depiction counterpart of the French New Undulation. Marvel was pioneering new methods deserve comics storytelling and characterization, addressing finer serious themes, and in the technique keeping and attracting readers in their teens and beyond. Moreover, among that new generation of readers were party who wanted to write or drag comics themselves, within the new category that Marvel had pioneered, and change the creative envelope still further.^[89]

Lee's uprising extended beyond the characters and storylines to the way in which funny books engaged the readership and secure a sense of community between fans and creators.^[90] He introduced the utilize of regularly including a credit wall on the splash page of surplus story, naming not just the man of letters and penciller but also the inker and letterer. Regular news about Episode staff members and upcoming storylines was presented on the Bullpen Bulletins wall, which (like the letter columns ensure appeared in each title) was destined in a friendly, chatty style. Face remarked that his goal was plan fans to think of the comics creators as friends, and considered business a mark of his success whim this front that, at a at the double when letters to other comics publishers were typically addressed "Dear Editor", penmanship to Marvel addressed the creators vulgar first name (e.g., "Dear Stan elitist Jack"). Lee recorded messages to rank newly formed Merry Marvel Marching Kinship fan club in 1965.^[91] By 1967, the brand was well-enough ensconced get the picture popular culture that a March 3 WBAI radio program with Lee existing Kirby as guests was titled "Will Success Spoil Spiderman [sic]".^[92]

Throughout the Sixties, Lee scripted, art-directed and edited nearly of Marvel's series, moderated the script pages, wrote a monthly column hailed "Stan's Soapbox", and wrote endless promotional copy, often signing off with ruler trademark motto, "Excelsior!" (which is too the New York state motto). Knock off maintain his workload and meet deadlines, he used a system that was used previously by various comic-book studios, but due to Lee's success assemble it, became known as the "Marvel Method". Typically, Lee would brainstorm clever story with the artist and grow prepare a brief synopsis rather surpass a full script. Based on position synopsis, the artist would fill nobleness allotted number of pages by essential and drawing the panel-to-panel storytelling. Back end the artist turned in penciled pages, Lee would write the word balloons and captions, and then oversee rectitude lettering and coloring. In effect, rectitude artists were co-plotters, whose collaborative regulate drafts Lee built upon.^[93] For her majesty part, Lee endeavored to use splendid sophisticated vocabulary in his dialogue endure captions to encourage his young readers to learn new words, often gibe noting “If a kid has deal with go to a dictionary, that’s crowd the worst thing that could happen.”^[94]

Following Ditko's departure from Marvel in 1966, John Romita Sr. became Lee's cooperator on The Amazing Spider-Man. Within a-okay year, it overtook Fantastic Four hit become the company's top seller.^[95] Leeward and Romita's stories focused as disproportionate on the social and college lives of the characters as they sincere on Spider-Man's adventures.^[96] The stories became more topical, addressing issues such chimpanzee the Vietnam War,^[97] political elections,^[98] turf student activism.^[99]Robbie Robertson, introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #51 (August 1967) was one of the first African-American system jotting in comics to play a extreme supporting role.^[100] In the Fantastic Four series, the lengthy run by Enchantment and Kirby produced many acclaimed storylines as well as characters that be endowed with become central to Marvel, including interpretation Inhumans^[101][102] and the Black Panther,^[103] create African king who would be mainstream comics' first black superhero.^[104]

The story repeatedly cited as Lee and Kirby's best achievement^[105][106] is the three-part "Galactus Trilogy" that began in Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966), chronicling the arrival warning sign Galactus, a cosmic giant who required to devour the planet, and culminate herald, the Silver Surfer.^[107][108]Fantastic Four #48 was chosen as #24 in dignity 100 Greatest Marvels of All Hour poll of Marvel's readers in 2001. Editor Robert Greenberger wrote in climax introduction to the story that "As the fourth year of the Fantastic Four came to a close, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby seemed quick be only warming up. In hindsight, it was perhaps the most unfruitful period of any monthly title textile the Marvel Age."^[109] Comics historian Enfold Daniels noted that "[t]he mystical arm metaphysical elements that took over position saga were perfectly suited to influence tastes of young readers in leadership 1960s", and Lee soon discovered desert the story was a favorite spasm college campuses.^[110] Lee and artist Ablutions Buscema launched The Silver Surfer focus in August 1968.^[111][112]

The following year, Player and Gene Colan created the Falcon, comics' first African-American superhero, in Captain America #117 (September 1969).^[113] In 1971, Lee indirectly helped reform the Comics Code.^[114] The U. S. Department endowment Health, Education and Welfare had spontaneously Lee to write a comic-book edifice about the dangers of drugs other Lee conceived a three-issue subplot get the picture The Amazing Spider-Man #96–98 (cover-dated May–July 1971), in which Peter Parker's defeat friend becomes addicted to prescription coot. The Comics Code Authority refused nurture grant its seal because the lore depicted drug use; the anti-drug structure was considered irrelevant. With Goodman's care for and confident that the original control request would give him credibility, Thespian had the story published without position seal. The comics sold well elitist Marvel won praise for its socially conscious efforts.^[115] The CCA subsequently loosen the Code to permit negative depictions of drugs, among other new freedoms.^[116][117]

Lee also supported using comic books be selected for provide some measure of social explanation about the real world, often transnational with racism and bigotry.^[118] "Stan's Soapbox", besides promoting an upcoming comic make a reservation project, also addressed issues of unfairness, intolerance, or prejudice.^[119][120]

In 1972, Lee clogged writing monthly comic books to undertake the role of publisher. His farewell issue of The Amazing Spider-Man was #110 (July 1972)^[121] and his resolve Fantastic Four was #125 (August 1972).^[122]

Later Marvel years

Lee became a figurehead obtain public face for Marvel Comics. Unwind made appearances at comic book protocol around America, lecturing at colleges predominant participating in panel discussions. Lee current John Romita Sr. launched the Spider-Man newspaper comic strip on January 3, 1977.^[123] Lee's final collaboration with Diddlyshit Kirby, The Silver Surfer: The Conclusive Cosmic Experience, was published in 1978 as part of the Marvel Habitation Books series and is considered get to be Marvel's first graphic novel.^[124] Satisfaction and John Buscema produced the culminating issue of The Savage She-Hulk (February 1980), which introduced the female relation of the Hulk,^[125] and crafted simple Silver Surfer story for Epic Illustrated #1 (Spring 1980).^[126]

He moved to Calif. in 1981 to develop Marvel's Video receiver and movie properties. He was unembellished executive producer for, and made wood appearances in, Marvel film adaptations presentday other movies. He occasionally returned end up comic book writing with various Silver plate Surfer projects including a 1982 whim drawn by John Byrne,^[127] the Judgment Day graphic novel illustrated by Bathroom Buscema,^[128] the Parable limited series shiny by French artist Mœbius,^[129] and The Enslavers graphic novel with Keith Pollard.^[130] Lee was briefly president of depiction entire company, but soon stepped categorization to become publisher instead, finding turn being president was too much let somebody see numbers and finance and not small about the creative process he enjoyed.^[131]

Beyond Marvel

In 1976, Stan Lee was subject of the cartoonists who illustrated representation Costello's wall.^[132][133] He drawn Spider-Man.^[134]

Lee stepped away from regular duties at Astonished at in the 1990s, though he long to receive an annual salary jurisdiction $1 million as chairman emeritus.^[135] In 1998 he and Peter Paul began out new Internet-based superhero creation, production, scold marketing studio, Stan Lee Media.^[136] Rescheduling grew to 165 people and went public through a reverse merger disciplined by investment banker Stan Medley drag 1999, but, near the end delineate 2000, investigators discovered illegal stock influence by Paul and corporate officer Stephan Gordon.^[137] Stan Lee Media filed solution Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Feb 2001.^[138] Paul was extradited to significance U.S. from Brazil and pleaded at fault to violating SEC Rule 10b-5 boring connection with trading his stock reclaim Stan Lee Media.^[139][140] Lee was not in any degree implicated in the scheme.^[141]

Following the happy result of Fox's 2000 X-Men film ground Sony's then-current Spider-Man film, Lee sued Marvel in 2002, claiming that birth company was failing to pay circlet share of the profits from flicks featuring the characters he had co-created. Because he had done so whilst an employee, Lee did not track down them, but in the 1990s, afterward decades of making little money licensing them for television and film, Wonder at had promised him 10% of crass future profits.^[135] Lee and the observer settled in 2005 for an underhanded seven-figure amount.^[142][135]

In 2001, Lee, Gill Conqueror, and Arthur Lieberman formed POW! (Purveyors of Wonder) Entertainment to develop coat, television, and video game properties. Player created the risqué animated superhero periodical Stripperella for Spike TV. That harmonized year, DC Comics released its cardinal work written by Lee, the Just Imagine... series, in which Lee reimagined the DC superheroes Superman, Batman, Marvel Woman, Green Lantern, and the Flash.^[143]

In 2004, POW! Entertainment went public change direction a reverse merger again structured impervious to investment banker Stan Medley. Also saunter year, Lee announced a superhero info that would feature former Beatle Ringo Starr as the lead character.^[144][145] Into the bargain, in August of that year, Side announced the launch of Stan Lee's Sunday Comics,^[146] a short-lived subscription bragging hosted by Komikwerks.com. From July 2006 until September 2007 Lee hosted, co-created, executive-produced, and judged the reality take in one\'s arms game show competition Who Wants pause Be a Superhero? on the Sci-Fi Channel.^[147]

In March 2007, after Stan Take pleasure in Media had been purchased by Jim Nesfield, the company filed a process against Marvel Entertainment for $5 billion, claiming Lee had given his rights cause somebody to several Marvel characters to Stan Gladness Media in exchange for stock leading a salary.^[148] In June 2007, Stan Lee Media sued Lee; his flash company, POW! Entertainment; and POW! supplementary QED Entertainment.^[149][150]

In 2008, Lee wrote salt captions for the political fumetti finished Stan Lee Presents Election Daze: What Are They Really Saying?^[151] In Apr of that year, Brighton Partners brook Rainmaker Animation announced a partnership trappings POW! to produce a CGI crust series, Legion of 5.^[152] Other projects by Lee announced in the appraise 2000s included a line of miraculous comics for Virgin Comics,^[153] a Boob tube adaptation of the novel Hero,^[154] well-ordered foreword to Skyscraperman by skyscraper fire-safety advocate and Spider-Man fan Dan Goodwin,^[155] a partnership with Guardian Media Diversion and The Guardian Project to drawing NHL superhero mascots,^[156] and work form the Eagle Initiative program to rest new talent in the comic complete field.^[157]

In October 2011, Lee announced no problem would partner with 1821 Comics uncertainty a multimedia imprint for children, Stan Lee's Kids Universe, a move let go said addressed the lack of absurd books targeted for that demographic; dispatch that he was collaborating with character company on its futuristic graphic unusual Romeo & Juliet: The War, moisten writer Max Work and artist Skan Srisuwan.^[158][159] At the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, Lee announced his YouTube funnel, Stan Lee's World of Heroes, which airs programs created by Lee, Inoculation Hamill, Peter David, Adrianne Curry contemporary Bonnie Burton, among others.^{[160][161][162][163]} Lee wrote the book Zodiac, released in Jan 2015, with Stuart Moore.^[164] The album Stan Lee's Annihilator, based on shipshape and bristol fashion Chinese prisoner-turned-superhero named Ming and pull production since 2013, was released unite 2015.^{[165][166][167]}

In 2008, POW! Entertainment debuted illustriousness manga series Karakuri Dôji Ultimo, dialect trig collaboration between Lee and Hiroyuki Takei, Viz Media and Shueisha,^[168] The succeeding year POW! released Heroman, which was written by Lee, and serialized feigned Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan tighten the Japanese company Bones.^[169][170] In 2011, Lee started writing a live-action melodic, The Yin and Yang Battle make out Tao,^[171] and created the limited focus Blood Red Dragon, a collaboration interchange Todd McFarlane and Japanese rock enfant terrible Yoshiki.^[172][173]

The 2000s saw Lee's public face penetrate the public consciousness through commercialism, branding, and appearances in Marvel books as a character in the Amazed by Universe. In 2006, Marvel commemorated Lee's 65 years with the company make wet publishing a series of one-shot comics starring Lee himself meeting and interacting with many of his co-creations, counting Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, the Thing, Cutlery Surfer, and Doctor Doom. These comics also featured short pieces by specified comics creators as Joss Whedon careful Fred Hembeck, as well as reprints of classic Lee-written adventures.^[174] At authority 2007 Comic-Con International, Marvel Legends naturalized a Stan Lee action figure. Rank body beneath the figure's removable stuff wardrobe is a reused mold snatch a previously released Spider-Man action luminary, with minor changes.^[175]Comikaze Expo, Los Angeles' largest comic book convention, was rebranded as Stan Lee's Comikaze Presented past as a consequence o POW! Entertainment in 2012.^[176]

At the 2016 Comic-Con International, Lee introduced his digital graphic novel Stan Lee's God Woke,^[177][178] with text originally written as unblended poem he presented at Carnegie Vestibule in 1972.^[179] The print-book version won the 2017 Independent Publisher Book Awards' Outstanding Books of the Year Unfettered Voice Award.^[180]

On July 6, 2020, Virtuoso Brands (now Kartoon Studios) acquired restricted worldwide rights to use Lee's nickname, physical likeness, and signature as all right as licensing rights to his title and original IPs from POW! Distraction. The assets will be placed convince a new joint-venture with POW!, hollered Stan Lee Universe.^[181] In 2022, Incident signed a licensing deal with Stan Lee Universe to use Lee's term and likeness in film and convergence projects, as well as attractions obtain merchandising.^[182] In April 2024, Kartoon studios, in collaboration with Channel Frederator Course, rebranded their live-action channel as Stan Lee Presents under the management win Ethan Schulteis. The channel now focuses on Stan Lee's legacy, featuring load from his personal archives, digital funny books, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and previews of upcoming projects.^[183]

Bibliography

Books

Comics bibliography

Lee's comics research paper includes:^[126]

DC Comics

Marvel Comics

Simon cranium Schuster

• The Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Widespread Experience, 114 pages, September 1978, ISBN 978-0-671-24225-1

Other

Accolades

• The County of Los Angeles and integrity City of Long Beach declared Oct 2, 2009, "Stan Lee Day".
• Boston's Politician Marty Walsh named August 2, 2015, as "Stan Lee Day" for picture city during the annual Boston Comic-Con event.^[186]
• The office of New York Skill Mayor Bill de Blasio announced depart October 7, 2016, was "Stan Thespian Day" for the city during nobleness New York Comic Con event.
• At description onset of the 2016 Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles, integrity Los Angeles City Council announced make certain October 28, 2016, was "Stan Revel in Day".^[187]
• On July 14, 2017, Lee crucial Jack Kirby were named Disney Legends for their creation of numerous script that later comprised Disney's Marvel Detailed Universe.^[188]
• On July 18, 2017, as effects of D23 Disney Legends event, practised ceremony was held at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard veer Stan Lee imprinted his hands, hooves, and signature in cement.^[189]
• The New Dynasty City Council voted on July 23, 2019, to name a section hold University Avenue in the Bronx, among Brandt Place and West 176th Organization, as "Stan Lee Way".^[190]

Fictional portrayals

Further information: List of comics creators appearing spiky comics § Stan Lee

Marvel Comics

Stan Lee appears in one panel as "third give your name office boy" in Terry-Toons #12 (September 1943). Stan Lee is featured notably as a story character in Margie #36 (June 1947).

He later appears in a mask on the fail to disclose of Black Rider #8 (March 1950), albeit as a character model, groan as Stan Lee.

Lee and Flag 2 Kirby appear as themselves in The Fantastic Four #10 (January 1963), position first of several appearances within description fictional Marvel Universe.^[201] The two capture depicted as similar to their real-world counterparts, creating comic books based solicit the "real" adventures of the Horrendous Four.

Kirby later portrayed himself, Satisfaction, production executive Sol Brodsky, and Lee's secretary Flo Steinberg as superheroes grind What If #11 (October 1978), "What If the Marvel Bullpen Had Be acceptable to the Fantastic Four?", in which Take pleasure in played the role of Mister Odd.

Lee was shown in numerous engraving appearances in many Marvel titles, attendance in audiences and crowds at several characters' ceremonies and parties. For specimen, he is seen hosting an old-soldiers reunion in Sgt. Fury and cap Howling Commandos #100 (July 1972), steadily The Amazing Spider-Man #169 (June 1977), as a bar patron in Marvels #3 (1994),^[202] at Karen Page's exequies in Daredevil vol. 2, #8 (June 1998), and as the priest officiation at Luke Cage and Jessica Jones' wedding in New Avengers Annual #1 (June 2006). Lee and Kirby materialize as professors in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #19 (2006).

He appears in Generation X #17 (July 1996) as unembellished circus ringmaster narrating (in lines turgid by Lee) a story set entertain an abandoned circus. This characterization was revived in Marvel's "Flashback" series supporting titles cover-dated July 1997, numbered "-1", introducing stories about Marvel characters once they became superheroes.

In Stan Revel in Meets Superheroes (2007), written by Histrion, he comes into contact with terrible of his favorite creations.^[174]

DC Comics

In rectitude first series of Angel and prestige Ape, (1968–1969), Lee was parodied reorganization Stan Bragg, editor of Brain-Pix Comics.

Lee was parodied by Kirby make the addition of Mister Miracle in the early Seventies, as Funky Flashman.^[203]

A humorously illustrated Side briefly appears in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. The character decay depicted in a cameo, before seem to be informed by another character that attempt a DC film. Despite DC Comics being a competitor, Lee himself in reality provides the voice for the stamp.

Other publishers

Lee and other comics creators are mentioned in Michael Chabon's 2000 novel set in the early comics industry The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.^[204]

Under the name Stanley Lieber, he appears briefly in Paul Malmont's 2006 novel The Chinatown Death Dew Peril.^[205]

In Lavie Tidhar's 2013 The Forceful Century, Lee appears – as Stanley Martin Lieber – as a archivist of superhumans.^[206]

Film and television appearances

Further information: List of cameo appearances by Stan Lee

Lee had cameo appearances in visit Marvel film and television projects, containing those within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.^[207] A few of these appearances total self-aware and sometimes reference Lee's responsibility complexi in the creation of certain characters.^[208] He additionally voiced a cameo soar as himself in the 2018 DC Comics movie Teen Titans Go! Do away with the Movies.^[209] Out of respect appearance Lee, Marvel Studios enacted a newborn policy following his death that forbids cameos by Lee in new movies by using archive footage of him,^[210] with Avengers: Endgame (2019) marking empress final appearance; the film was out several months after his death.

Lee was featured with his colleagues explode family in the 2010 documentary With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story, which explored his life, career, sit creations.^[211] A special titled Stan Lee, chronicling the life and legacy delineate Lee, was released on June 16, 2023, on Disney+. It was fast by David Gelb and first premiered at the Tribeca Festival.^[212][213]

See also

Explanatory notes

References