Showing posts with label Stan Lee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stan Lee. Show all posts

Former Marvel editor/writer Roy Thomas reacts to new Stan Lee bio

I have a lot of respect for Roy Thomas and am a longtime fan of comic book writing and his magazine, Alter-Ego. I also recognize that he's very much a Stan Lee partisan in the arguments over whether Stan or Jack Kirby should get the most credit for creating the Marvel Universe. So, I'm not surprised to see him penning this piece in the Hollywood Reporter giving us his take on the new biography "True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee" by Abraham Riesman.

Not having known either Stan or Jack, I don't have a dog in the fight. But I do believe that Kirby deserves the same household name status that Stan enjoyed. I believe his character designs and plotting (or co-plotting) of classic Marvel tales earns him full co-creator status. But I also think it's wrong to diminish Stan's contributions in giving Marvel's characters personality and pathos via his dialogue, and for promoting the Marvel Universe as a thing. The plain truth is, none of it would've happened without both of them. Not to mention Steve Ditko...

At any rate, Roy's piece is certainly worth a read if you are a fan at all of Marvel's comic book past. (And, if you aren't, why are you here?!)

Snippet:

If you slice and dice the more-than-occasional bits of unhealthy fat off Riesman's book — the places where he goes off on unsupported flights of fancy to declare on his own recognizance that "Kirby … may well have been the sole creator of the whole kit and caboodle" of Marvel concepts and characters — you wind up with a book that could be a welcome, even major addition to the handful of Stan Lee biographies written to date.

But, no matter how well the Random House publicity machine manages to hype this book, as long as it stands as currently published, with Stan all but written off as an inveterate liar whose most important creation was his public persona (when it was actually the concept and direction of the Marvel Universe, an idea that was anathema to Jack Kirby, as per in-book quotes), it will remain undeserving of the high praise heaped upon it by people who, for the most part, don't really know what the hell they're talking about.

Out soon: "True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee"

A new bio looking at the triumph and tragedy of Stan's life (he would approve if my alliteration, I think). The Gaiman blurb indicates to me that it's likely a must-read. Available for pre-order now from Amazon.

Details:

The definitive, revelatory biography of Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee, a writer and entrepreneur who reshaped global pop culture—at a steep personal cost

“A biography that reads like a thriller or a whodunit . . . scrupulously honest, deeply damning, and sometimes even heartbreaking.”—Neil Gaiman

Stan Lee—born Stanley Martin Lieber in 1922—was one of the most beloved and influential entertainers to emerge from the twentieth century. He served as head editor of Marvel for three decades and, in that time, launched more pieces of internationally recognizable intellectual property than anyone other than Walt Disney: Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men, Black Panther, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor . . . the list seems to never end. On top of that, his carnival-barker marketing prowess more or less single-handedly saved the comic-book industry and superhero fiction. Without him, the global entertainment industry would be wildly different—and a great deal poorer.

But Lee’s unprecedented career was also filled with spectacular failures, controversy, and bitter disputes. Lee was dogged by accusations from key collaborators such as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko over who really created Marvel’s signature characters—iconic figures for whom Lee had always been suspected of taking more than his proper share of credit. A major business venture, Stan Lee Media, resulted in stock manipulation, bankruptcy, and criminal charges. A second one, POW! Entertainment, has been repeatedly accused of malfeasance and deceit. And in his final years, after the death of his beloved wife, Joan, rumors swirled that Lee was a virtual prisoner in his own home, beset by abusive grifters and issuing cryptic video recordings as a battle to control his fortune and legacy ensued.

Abraham Riesman is a veteran culture reporter who has conducted more than 150 interviews and investigated thousands of pages of private documents, turning up never-before-published revelations about Lee’s life and work. Lee’s most famous motto was “With great power comes great responsibility.” Stretching from the Romanian shtetls of Lee’s ancestors to his own final moments in Los Angeles, True Believer chronicles the world-changing triumphs and tragic missteps of an extraordinary life, and leaves it to readers to decide whether Lee lived up to the responsibilities of his own talent.

Coming Up: Marvel Masters of Suspense: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol. 2

Available for pre-order from Amazon now.

Details from Marvel Comics:
Concluding Marvel's once-in-a-lifetime Omnibus collection of every astonishing tale of suspense by the inimitable duo of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko! Their collaborations birthed the Amazing Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, and in these pages you'll find the concepts, the themes and the very creative origins of those iconic super heroes. They're packed inside tight five-page thrillers, stories covering everything from aliens with outsized agendas to down-on-their-luck gutter bums. Stories that sought to raise the bar for comic book storytelling. Stories that plumb the human condition, expand the language of comics - and shock your pants off . Extensively researched and painstakingly restored, this, True Believer, is the collection you've dreamed of - and a testament to two of Marvel Comics' greatest creators.

COLLECTING: JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (1952) 74-96, STRANGE TALES (1951) 92-109, 112-113, TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) 27-48, TALES OF SUSPENSE (1959) 25-44, 46, AMAZING ADULT FANTASY (1961) 7-14, AMAZING FANTASY (1962) 15

Check it out: Stan Lee "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" figure from Hot Toys

Sad this comes so close (maybe a little too close?) to Stan's passing, but it's kinda fun and - like all of the Hot Toys line - looks uncannily realistic. More info here.


Review: "Kirby & Lee: Stuf’ Said!: The Complex Genesis of the Marvel Universe, in its Creators’ Own Words"


Ask the average moviegoer who created the Avengers, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange or the X-Men and you'll more than likely hear "Stan Lee."

And that drives some comic book fans nuts. "What about Jack Kirby?!! What about Steve Ditko?!!!," they scream.

And they have a point.

The early Marvel stories were collaborative affairs and it's hard to pinpoint when the creation of a particular character took place and who all was involved. Not only did Kirby and Ditko develop the look of many of the superheroes we know and love today, they also were involved in plotting the characters' adventures and in shaping their personalities.

To truly  get a handle on the creation of the Marvel Universe, you'd need to re-trace the steps of the various creators and characters chronologically and look for clues as to who did what and when. And that's exactly what John Morrow has done in this new book, which includes hundreds of quotes from Lee, Kirby, Ditko and others that shed light on the creative/collaborative process involved.

Over the course of the book, we come to see that, not only did these creators differ on who deserved credit for creating a particular character or writing a certain story, they differed on what terms such as "story," "script" and "plot" even mean.  For Lee, coming up with a concept for a superhero was creation. For Kirby, a character wasn't fully created until he or she appeared on paper in visual form.

It could also be argued to that a character isn't really defined until he or she appears in a story. And, in this book ,we see how Kirby and Ditko, and the other Marvel artists who followed, deserve much of he credit for the plots, and sub-plots, contained in many classic Marvel tales.

By Lee's own admission, many comics created by these two artists followed "plot conferences" in which Lee provided very few, or no, suggestions. For example, Lee might simply tell Kirby that "Doctor Doom should be in the next issue." Kirby would then plane, pace out and draw the complete Fantastic Four story that included a battle with Doctor Doom, but also a lot of other stuff he'd  come up with. And then Lee would add in finished captions and dialogue to the nearly completed result.

This practice came to be called the "Marvel Method," and Lee claimed the artist-first approach in resulted in more visually exciting stories. Which is hard to argue. But is "dialoguing" the same as "writing"? It's easy to see why the artists believed they deserved more credit.

On the other hand, it's hard to imagine classic Marvel stories without Lee's hyperbolic captions and engaging dialogue. Even if his contributions to a story may've been less than that made by Kirby or Ditko, his work was unique and vital.

Lee did sing Kirby and Ditko's praises. We see him doing that throughout this book. Oftentimes, he essentially gives them equal credit in the creative process and in Marvel's success. But then, a page or two later, Lee will say something that again puts himself in the spotlight - it's almost as if he can't help it. His gloryhound tendencies would almost be funny if it didn't come at the expense of artists who deserved at least just much acclaim as he received, not to mention a bigger cut of Marvel's profits.

Morrow has done a tremendous service to comics history here. This book is fascinating reading and should serve as a resource for anyone doing further writing about the creators it covers and the work they did.

It's nice to have all these quotes and background in one place, whether its as fodder for further arguments over whether Lee gets too much credit and Kirby and Ditko not enough (or vice versa), or to more deeply appreciate, and understand, the contributions all of these guys made. One thing that, I think, can't be argued is that Marvel wouldn't have been Marvel without all three of them.

You can oder "Stuf' Said!" here.

Entertainment Weekly publishes special Stan Lee tribute magazine

Out today.

Stan Lee: A Life of Marvel tells the story of “Stan the Man” from multiple perspectives — including classic interviews with him detailing how he and the Marvel braintrust of artists and writers created Spider-Man, The Hulk, Fantastic Four, and other heroes and villains.

This collector’s issue spans the Silver Age of comic books, which Lee helped define, and explores how that Big Bang is still expanding into television and movies today.

Accompanied by galleries of photos and illustrations, A Life of Marvel includes:

• Exclusive interviews with other comic book and movie greats about Stan Lee’s influence (and influences).
• A breakdown of his most famous characters — as well as a rundown of Lee’s own many pop culture cameos and appearances.
• Tributes and remembrances of fans as well as the actors that brought his characters to life, including a first-person account from Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige about the last time he met with Lee.

Stan Lee 1922-2018

I'm so sad to note the passage of Stan Lee, co-creator of the Marvel Comics Universe, who died at age 95 today.

This is a day we all suspected was coming soon, but one that hits hard, nevertheless.

For those of us who grew up reading his comic book scripts and Stan's Soapbox columns, and, I suspect, for those who've grown up seeing his many cameos in Marvel's movies, it's difficult to contemplate living in a world with no Stan Lee. I know it's going to take me a long time to get used to  it.

Without a doubt, I'll be paying tribute to Stan and his fellow Marvel creators for a long time to come here at Pop Culture Safari. But, today, I'm thinking about the one brief moment I got to spend in the presence of the Man.

I grew up in a state that doesn't have much in the way of comic book conventions, so my direct contact with the comics creators I admired as a kid has always been pretty much limited to the actual pages of comic books themselves.

Several years back, though, I did manage to make it to a con at which Stan was a featured guest. In fact, Stan's presence was pretty much the only reason I made the trip.

Sadly, Stan didn't present a lecture or participate in a Q&A at the event. But he did, for a considerable sum, pose for pictures with fans.

I think such photos are a weird phenomena. They seem so strangely transactional and raise all sorts of questions about fame and how bizarre it is. Are fellow humans really that much more important than the rest of us that we should pay to be in the same picture frame as them? I mean, Stan was just a guy, right?

But I paid and it was worth it, not just for the pic below of me, my kids, and Stan, but also for the chance to say, literally, "thank you," which I did right after the shutter clicked.

Stan at that moment was functioning, basically, as a human prop. In fact, that's what he looks like in the picture. He didn't have much time to move, let alone speak, before the next set of fans sidled up next to him. But he did give a smile and a slight nod of acknowledgement at my comment. And my inner fanboy smiled, too.

I'm glad I had the chance, in person, to say thanks to one of the people who helped make my childhood a little more magical.

Thank you, once again, Stan, for all those Marvelous memories. And, to all my fellow fans out there, I'm thinking of you. Be well. This is a tough one, but we'll make it through if we all hang together.


Video: Mark Hamill and Stan Lee interview

The Star Wars star and Stan both voice characters on the upcoming animated "Avengers: Black Panther's Quest" series on Disney XD.

Marc Bolan of T. Rex interviews Stan Lee, 1975

This is a radio interview, unfortunately, but captures Stan interviewed by one of the UK's biggest pop stars during a visit to promote Marvel's UK branch.