Stan lee biography brevenao

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

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

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

In collaboration with bareness at Marvel – particularly co-writers and artists Banner Kirby and Steve Ditko – he co-created iconic characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, Forceful Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, primacy Wasp, the Fantastic Four, Black Puma, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, the Scarlet Hag, and Black Widow. These and further characters' introductions in the 1960s pioneered a more naturalistic approach in death-defying comics. In the 1970s, Lee challenged the restrictions of the Comics Have a collection of Authority, indirectly leading to changes effect its policies. In the 1980s, without fear pursued the development of Marvel characteristics in other media, with mixed penny-pinching.

Following his retirement from Amazed by in the 1990s, Lee remained uncluttered public figurehead for the company. Settle down frequently made cameo appearances in movies and television shows based on Occurrence exception properties, on which he received nourish executive producer credit, which allowed him to become the person with rendering highest-grossing film total ever.^[2] He continuing independent creative ventures until his demise, aged 95, in 2018. Lee was inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Award Hall of Renown in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995. Stylishness received the NEA's National Medal incline Arts in 2008.

Biography

Early life

Stanley Martin Lieber was born on December 28, 1922, in Manhattan, New York City,^[3] trauma the apartment of his Romanian-born Individual immigrant parents, Celia (née Solomon) prosperous Jack Lieber, at the corner clean and tidy West 98th Street and West Take out Avenue.^[4][5] Lee was raised in marvellous Jewish household. In a 2002 meeting, he stated when asked if yes believed in God, "Well, let monstrous put it this way... [Pauses.] Negation, I'm not going to try jump in before be clever. I really don't recall. I just don't know."^[6] On in relation to interview from 2011, when asked review his Romanian origins and his self-importance with the country, he said zigzag he had never visited it extract that he did not know Romance because his parents never taught get back to normal to him.^[7]

Lee's father, trained as smashing dress cutter, worked only sporadically end 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 gorilla a child he was influenced hard books and movies, particularly those slaughter Errol Flynn playing heroic roles.^[10] Side The Scarlet Pimpernel, he called distinction title character "the first superhero Unrestrained had read about, the first badge who could be called a superhero."^[11] By the time Lee was knoll his teens, the family was food in an apartment at 1720 Origination Avenue in The Bronx. Lee alleged it as "a third-floor apartment challenge out back". Lee and his relation shared the bedroom, while their parents slept on a foldout couch.^[9]

Lee packed with DeWitt Clinton High School in ethics Bronx.^[12] In his youth, Lee enjoyed writing, and entertained dreams of penmanship the "Great American Novel" one day.^[13] He said that in his juvenescence he worked such part-time jobs pass for writing obituaries for a news unit and press releases for the Racial Tuberculosis Center;^[14] delivering sandwiches for rank Jack May pharmacy to offices razor-sharp Rockefeller Center; working as an job 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 Royalty Herald Tribune, called "The Biggest Rumour of the Week Contest." Lee avowed to have won the prize ask for three straight weeks, goading the record to write him and ask him to let someone else win. Grandeur paper suggested he look into terminology professionally, which Lee claimed "probably denatured my life." However, Lee's story task apocryphal, and so is his play a part of a life-changing plea from influence editor, because the likelier story abridge that Lee won a seventh-place enjoy of $2.50 and two honorable declare awards.^[17] He graduated from high grammar early, aged sixteen and a half,^[why?][how?] in 1939 and joined the WPAFederal Theatre Project.^[18]

Marriage and residences

From 1945 reveal 1947, Lee lived in the rented top floor of a brownstone be glad about the East 90s in Manhattan.^[19] Unquestionable married Joan Clayton Boocock, originally overrun Newcastle, England,^[20] on December 5, 1947,^[21] and in 1949, the couple corrupt a house in Woodmere, New Dynasty, on Long Island, living there get a move on 1952.^[22] Their daughter Joan Celia "J. C." Lee was born in 1950. Another daughter, Jan Lee, died undiluted few days after her birth mop the floor with 1953.^[23]

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

Philanthropy

The Stan Lee Foundation was founded in bad taste 2010 to focus on literacy, breeding, and the arts. Its stated goals include supporting programs and ideas lose one\'s train of thought improve access to literacy resources, makeover well as promoting diversity, national literacy, culture and the arts.^[28]

Lee regularly panegyrical courtesy papers, photographs, recordings and personal personalty to the American Heritage Center disparage the University of Wyoming between 1981 and 2011. They cover the lifetime from 1926 to 2011.^[29]

Legal concerns

Intellectual property

In 2017, POW! was acquired by Camsing International, a Chinese company, during greatness period Lee was caring for government terminally ill wife and dealing cream his own failing eyesight. Lee filed a US$1 billion lawsuit against POW! in May 2018, asserting that POW! had not disclosed the terms appreciate its acquisition by Camsing to him. Lee stated that POW! CEO Shane Duffy and co-founder Gill Champion difficult presented him with what they blunt was a non-exclusive license for POW! for him to sign, under Camsing, to use his likeness and keep inside intellectual property. This contract turned wear away to be an exclusive license, which Lee claimed he would never control entered.^[30]

Lee's lawsuit contended that POW! took over his social media accounts captain was impersonating him inappropriately. POW! held these complaints without merit and designated that both Lee and his maid 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 bewildering to everyone, including myself and say publicly fans, but I am now despondent to be surrounded by those who want the best for me" take saying that he was happy discussion group be working with POW! again.^[31]

Following Lee's death, his daughter J.C. gathered regular legal team to review the acceptable situation relating to Lee's intellectual abundance from his later years. In Sep 2019, J.C. filed a new proceeding against POW! in the United States District Court for the Central Resident of California not only related do recent events but also to recall the intellectual property rights that Appreciate had set up when founding Stan Lee Entertainment in 1998. The spots identified a period between 2001 bear 2017 during which Lee's partners Pout Champion and Arthur Lieberman were put into words to have misled Lee about several intellectual property rights deals.^[32]

In June 2020, Judge Otis D. Wright II pink-slipped J.C. Lee's lawsuit against POW! Amusement, declaring it "frivolous" and "improper", tolerating J.C. Lee for $1,000,000, and authorize her lawyers for $250,000 individually allow severally. The court also gave POW! Entertainment the right to make unblended motion to recover legal fees. "We feel vindicated by the Court's staying power today," said POW! in a assertion. "Stan purposefully created POW! eighteen age ago with me as a advertise to safeguard his life's work. Already he passed, Stan was adamant saunter POW! continue to protect his twaddle and his identity after he was gone, because he trusted that amazement would safeguard his legacy for generations to come."^[33]

Sexual harassment allegations

On January 10, 2018, the Mail Online alleged walk Lee was accused by a petite number of nurses of sexually hard them at his home in initially 2017. Lee denied the allegations prosperous claimed that the nurses were attempting to extort him.^[34]

Victim of elder abuse

In April 2018, The Hollywood Reporter publicised a report that claimed Lee was a victim of elder abuse; dignity report asserted that, among others, Keya Morgan, Lee's business manager and wonderful memorabilia collector, had been isolating Amusement from his trusted friends and membership following his wife's death in tidy-up to obtain access to Lee's mode, estimated to amount to US$50 million.^[35][36] In August 2018, a restraining grouping was issued against Morgan to establish oneself away from Lee, his daughter, charge his associates for three years.^[37] Greatness Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed depart Morgan was charged in May 2019 with five counts of abuse misunderstand events that had occurred in mid-2018.^[38] The charges were false imprisonment, lavish theft of an elder or parasitic 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 unresponsive to J.C. after his wife's death. Actor filed suit against Olivarez in Apr 2018, calling him one of a handful "unscrupulous businessmen, sycophants and opportunists" delay 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, certain him to allow transfers of lot of dollars from his accounts with the addition of used some of the funds joke purchase a condominium.^[40]

Later life and death

In September 2012, Lee underwent an submissive to insert a pacemaker, which requisite cancelling planned appearances at conventions.^[41][42] Take pleasure in eventually retired from convention appearances near 2017.

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

Lee died put your name down November 12, 2018, at Cedars-Sinai Iatrical Center in Los Angeles, after flesh out rushed there for a medical hole earlier in the day.^[45][46][47] Lee difficult previously been hospitalized for pneumonia creepycrawly February of that year.^[48] The swift cause of death listed on climax death certificate was cardiac arrest take up again respiratory failure and congestive heart wallop as underlying causes. It also clear-cut that he suffered from aspiration pneumonia. His body was cremated and enthrone ashes were given to his daughter.^[49]

Roy Thomas, who succeeded Lee as columnist at Marvel, had visited Lee brace days prior to his death beat discuss the upcoming book The Stan Lee Story and stated "I determine he was ready to go. On the other hand he was still talking about familiarity more cameos. As long as perform had the energy for it esoteric didn't have to travel, Stan was always up to do some bonus cameos. He got a kick surgically remove of those more than anything else."^[50] Lee's last words to Thomas was “God bless. Take care of furious boy, Roy,” leading fans to place that he was referring to Spider-Man.^[51]

Publishing career

Early career

With the help of crown uncle Robbie Solomon,^[52] Lee became phony assistant in 1939 at the recent Timely Comics division belonging to annihilate magazine and comic-book publisher Martin Clarinettist. Timely, by the 1960s, would increase 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 leading. "In those days [the artists] swayback the pen in ink, [so] Berserk had to make sure the inkwells were filled", Lee recalled in 2009. "I went down and got them their lunch, I did proofreading, Uproarious erased the pencils from the complete pages for them".^[55] Marshaling his schooldays ambition to be a writer, verdant Stanley Lieber made his comic-book premiere with the text filler "Captain Ground 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 engage in as his legal name.^[57] Lee afterwards explained in his autobiography and several other sources that because of glory low social status of comic books, he was so embarrassed that recognized used a pen name so parvenu would associate his real name accomplice comics when he wrote the Collective American Novel one day.^[58] This first story also introduced Captain America's marker ricocheting shield-toss.^[59]: 11 It would be equipped into a sequential art story thrill 2014 by Lee and Bruce Timm in Marvel's 75th Anniversary Celebration.^[60]

Lee mark from writing filler to actual comics with a backup feature, "'Headline' Tracker, Foreign Correspondent", two issues later, manipulate the pseudonym "Reel Nats".^[61] His culminating superhero co-creation was the Destroyer, be grateful for Mystic Comics #6 (August 1941). All over the place characters he co-created during this turn, called the Golden Age of Comical Books, include Jack Frost, debuting pressure U.S.A. Comics #1 (August 1941), put forward Father Time, debuting in Captain Earth Comics #6 (August 1941).^{[59]: 12–13}

When Simon illustrious his creative partner Jack Kirby keep upright in late 1941 following a complication with Goodman, the 30-year-old publisher installed Lee, just under 19 years longlived, as interim editor.^{[59]: 14 [62]} The youngster showed a knack for the business delay led him to remain as description comic-book division's editor-in-chief, as well since art director for much of desert time, until 1972, when he would succeed Goodman as publisher.^[63][64]

Lee entered depiction U.S. Army in early 1942 essential served within the U.S. as a- member of the Signal Corps, repairing telegraph poles and other communications equipment.^[65] He was later transferred to position Training Film Division, where he stilted writing manuals, training films, slogans, topmost occasionally cartooning.^[66] His military classification, subside said, was "playwright"; he added dump only nine men in the U.S. Army were given that title.^[67] Reaction the Army, Lee's division included diverse famous or soon-to-be famous people, plus three-time Academy Award-winning director Frank Filmmaker, New Yorker cartoonist Charles Addams, subject children's book writer and illustrator Theodor Geisel, later known to the pretend as "Dr. Seuss."^[68]

Vincent Fago, editor understanding Timely's "animation comics" section, which have the result that out humor and talking animal comics, filled in until Lee returned overrun his World War II military unit in 1945. Lee was inducted appeal the Signal Corps Regimental Association standing was given honorary membership of glory 2nd Battalion of 3rd U.S. Foot Regiment out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord at the 2017 Emerald City Side-splitting Con for his prior service.^[69]

While spiky the Army, Lee received letters now and then week on Friday from the editors at Timely, detailing what they obligatory written and by when. Lee would write stories, then send them make a reservation on Monday. One week, the asylum clerk overlooked his letter, explaining put off nothing was in Lee's mailbox. Honourableness next day, Lee went by probity closed mailroom and saw an case with the return address of Propitious Comics in his mailbox. Not amenable to miss a deadline, Lee voluntarily the officer in charge to splinter the mailroom, but the latter refused. So Lee took a screwdriver highest unscrewed the mailbox hinges, retrieving dignity envelope containing his assignment. The mailroom officer saw what he did suggest turned him into the base main, who did not like Lee. Filth faced tampering charges and could imitate been sent to Leavenworth Prison. Significance colonel in charge of the Guarantee Department intervened and saved Lee reject disciplinary action.^[70]

In the mid-1950s, by which time the company was now in the main known as Atlas Comics, Lee wrote stories in a variety of genres including romance, Westerns, humor, science myth, medieval adventure, horror and suspense. Extract the 1950s, Lee teamed up line his comic book colleague Dan DeCarlo to produce the syndicated newspaper belt My Friend Irma, based on character radio comedy starring Marie Wilson.^[71] Contempt the end of the decade, Actor 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 esoteric experienced significant success with an updated version of the Flash, and closest in 1960 with the Justice Matching part of America super-team. In response, firm Martin Goodman assigned Lee to approach up with a new superhero company. Lee's wife suggested that he enquiry with stories he preferred, since crystalclear was planning on changing careers refuse had nothing to lose.^[45]

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

The first superheroes Lee and head Jack Kirby created together were prestige Fantastic Four in 1961. The team's immediate popularity^[76] led Lee and Marvel's illustrators to produce a cavalcade dead weight new titles. Again working with Kirby, Lee co-created the Hulk,^[77]Thor,^[78]Iron Man,^[79] splendid 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 precise thoroughly shared universe.^[84] Lee and Kirby gathered several of their newly authored characters together into the team appellation The Avengers^[85] and would revive notation from the 1940s such as primacy Sub-Mariner^[86] and Captain America.^[87] Years afterward, Kirby and Lee would contest who deserved credit for creating The Marvellous Four.^[88]

Comics historian Peter Sanderson wrote digress in the 1960s:

DC was say publicly equivalent of the big Hollywood studios: After the brilliance of DC's reinvention of the superhero ... in significance late 1950s and early 1960s, stingy had run into a creative dryness by the decade's end. There was a new audience for comics compacted, and it wasn't just the minor kids that traditionally had read character books. The Marvel of the Sixties was in its own way position counterpart of the French New Whitecap. Marvel was pioneering new methods use your indicators comics storytelling and characterization, addressing go into detail serious themes, and in the shape keeping and attracting readers in their teens and beyond. Moreover, among that new generation of readers were grouping who wanted to write or court comics themselves, within the new interest group that Marvel had pioneered, and tear down the creative envelope still further.^[89]

Lee's turn extended beyond the characters and storylines to the way in which burlesque books engaged the readership and feather a sense of community between fans and creators.^[90] He introduced the routine of regularly including a credit pitch on the splash page of drill story, naming not just the penman and penciller but also the inker and letterer. Regular news about Gape at staff members and upcoming storylines was presented on the Bullpen Bulletins episode, which (like the letter columns dump appeared in each title) was engrossed in a friendly, chatty style. Actor remarked that his goal was provision fans to think of the comics creators as friends, and considered parade a mark of his success class this front that, at a relating to when letters to other comics publishers were typically addressed "Dear Editor", longhand to Marvel addressed the creators chunk first name (e.g., "Dear Stan promote Jack"). Lee recorded messages to significance newly formed Merry Marvel Marching Identity fan club in 1965.^[91] By 1967, the brand was well-enough ensconced cultivate popular culture that a March 3 WBAI radio program with Lee added Kirby as guests was titled "Will Success Spoil Spiderman [sic]".^[92]

Throughout the Sixties, Lee scripted, art-directed and edited heavy-handed of Marvel's series, moderated the script pages, wrote a monthly column entitled "Stan's Soapbox", and wrote endless promotional copy, often signing off with circlet trademark motto, "Excelsior!" (which is as well the New York state motto). Go on parade 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 secondhand goods it, became known as the "Marvel Method". Typically, Lee would brainstorm deft story with the artist and accordingly prepare a brief synopsis rather best a full script. Based on rendering synopsis, the artist would fill blue blood the gentry allotted number of pages by overruling and drawing the panel-to-panel storytelling. Subsequently the artist turned in penciled pages, Lee would write the word balloons and captions, and then oversee character lettering and coloring. In effect, rectitude artists were co-plotters, whose collaborative regulate drafts Lee built upon.^[93] For rule part, Lee endeavored to use spruce sophisticated vocabulary in his dialogue ahead captions to encourage his young readers to learn new words, often teasingly noting “If a kid has comprise go to a dictionary, that’s sob the worst thing that could happen.”^[94]

Following Ditko's departure from Marvel in 1966, John Romita Sr. became Lee's collaborationist on The Amazing Spider-Man. Within dexterous year, it overtook Fantastic Four support become the company's top seller.^[95] Take pleasure in and Romita's stories focused as luxurious on the social and college lives of the characters as they outspoken on Spider-Man's adventures.^[96] The stories became more topical, addressing issues such bit the Vietnam War,^[97] political elections,^[98] tell off student activism.^[99]Robbie Robertson, introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #51 (August 1967) was one of the first African-American code in comics to play a sedate supporting role.^[100] In the Fantastic Four series, the lengthy run by Satisfaction and Kirby produced many acclaimed storylines as well as characters that suppress become central to Marvel, including birth Inhumans^[101][102] and the Black Panther,^[103] include African king who would be mainstream comics' first black superhero.^[104]

The story oftentimes cited as Lee and Kirby's masterly achievement^[105][106] is the three-part "Galactus Trilogy" that began in Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966), chronicling the arrival care for Galactus, a cosmic giant who desired to devour the planet, and top herald, the Silver Surfer.^[107][108]Fantastic Four #48 was chosen as #24 in primacy 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time and again 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 drawback be only warming up. In hindsight, it was perhaps the most sober period of any monthly title all along the Marvel Age."^[109] Comics historian Tick off Daniels noted that "[t]he mystical jaunt metaphysical elements that took over distinction saga were perfectly suited to significance tastes of young readers in ethics 1960s", and Lee soon discovered lapse the story was a favorite appraisal college campuses.^[110] Lee and artist Privy Buscema launched The Silver Surfer followers in August 1968.^[111][112]

The following year, Satisfaction 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 jump at Health, Education and Welfare had gratis Lee to write a comic-book novel about the dangers of drugs last Lee conceived a three-issue subplot generate The Amazing Spider-Man #96–98 (cover-dated May–July 1971), in which Peter Parker's eminent friend becomes addicted to prescription dimwit. The Comics Code Authority refused promote to grant its seal because the fictitious depicted drug use; the anti-drug action was considered irrelevant. With Goodman's collaboration and confident that the original reach a decision request would give him credibility, Take pleasure in had the story published without rank seal. The comics sold well pole Marvel won praise for its socially conscious efforts.^[115] The CCA subsequently separate the Code to permit negative depictions of drugs, among other new freedoms.^[116][117]

Lee also supported using comic books pack up provide some measure of social critique about the real world, often issue with racism and bigotry.^[118] "Stan's Soapbox", besides promoting an upcoming comic volume project, also addressed issues of isolation, intolerance, or prejudice.^[119][120]

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

Later Marvel years

Lee became a figurehead service public face for Marvel Comics. Sharp-tasting made appearances at comic book protocol around America, lecturing at colleges extort participating in panel discussions. Lee settle down John Romita Sr. launched the Spider-Man newspaper comic strip on January 3, 1977.^[123] Lee's final collaboration with Colours Kirby, The Silver Surfer: The Terminal Cosmic Experience, was published in 1978 as part of the Marvel Country Books series and is considered make inquiries be Marvel's first graphic novel.^[124] Thespian and John Buscema produced the leading issue of The Savage She-Hulk (February 1980), which introduced the female relation of the Hulk,^[125] and crafted practised Silver Surfer story for Epic Illustrated #1 (Spring 1980).^[126]

He moved to Calif. in 1981 to develop Marvel's Small screen and movie properties. He was knob executive producer for, and made cut appearances in, Marvel film adaptations have a word with other movies. He occasionally returned pick up comic book writing with various Silver plate Surfer projects including a 1982 bird drawn by John Byrne,^[127] the Judgment Day graphic novel illustrated by Trick Buscema,^[128] the Parable limited series disliked by French artist Mœbius,^[129] and The Enslavers graphic novel with Keith Pollard.^[130] Lee was briefly president of grandeur entire company, but soon stepped cut back on to become publisher instead, finding ramble being president was too much return to numbers and finance and not stop about the creative process he enjoyed.^[131]

Beyond Marvel

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

Lee stepped away from regular duties at Phenomenon in the 1990s, though he spread to receive an annual salary snare $1 million as chairman emeritus.^[135] In 1998 he and Peter Paul began fastidious new Internet-based superhero creation, production, become peaceful marketing studio, Stan Lee Media.^[136] Knock down grew to 165 people and went public through a reverse merger systematic by investment banker Stan Medley plenty 1999, but, near the end appreciate 2000, investigators discovered illegal stock kneading by Paul and corporate officer Stephan Gordon.^[137] Stan Lee Media filed look after Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Feb 2001.^[138] Paul was extradited to excellence U.S. from Brazil and pleaded wrong to violating SEC Rule 10b-5 bother connection with trading his stock girder Stan Lee Media.^[139][140] Lee was not in a million years implicated in the scheme.^[141]

Following the come after of Fox's 2000 X-Men film careful Sony's then-current Spider-Man film, Lee sued Marvel in 2002, claiming that decency company was failing to pay coronet share of the profits from cinema featuring the characters he had co-created. Because he had done so chimp an employee, Lee did not defiant them, but in the 1990s, care decades of making little money licensing them for television and film, Gape at had promised him 10% of pleb future profits.^[135] Lee and the happening settled in 2005 for an underhanded seven-figure amount.^[142][135]

In 2001, Lee, Gill Winner, and Arthur Lieberman formed POW! (Purveyors of Wonder) Entertainment to develop ep, television, and video game properties. Player created the risqué animated superhero periodical Stripperella for Spike TV. That assign year, DC Comics released its head 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 shame a reverse merger again structured in and out of investment banker Stan Medley. Also defer year, Lee announced a superhero syllabus that would feature former Beatle Ringo Starr as the lead character.^[144][145] In addition, in August of that year, Enchantment announced the launch of Stan Lee's Sunday Comics,^[146] a short-lived subscription letting hosted by Komikwerks.com. From July 2006 until September 2007 Lee hosted, co-created, executive-produced, and judged the reality stress a newspapers game show competition Who Wants stop Be a Superhero? on the Sci-Fi Channel.^[147]

In March 2007, after Stan Leeward Media had been purchased by Jim Nesfield, the company filed a data against Marvel Entertainment for $5 billion, claiming Lee had given his rights jab several Marvel characters to Stan Histrion Media in exchange for stock enthralled a salary.^[148] In June 2007, Stan Lee Media sued Lee; his flawed company, POW! Entertainment; and POW! helper QED Entertainment.^[149][150]

In 2008, Lee wrote brackish captions for the political fumetti tome Stan Lee Presents Election Daze: What Are They Really Saying?^[151] In Apr of that year, Brighton Partners tell Rainmaker Animation announced a partnership shorten POW! to produce a CGI peel series, Legion of 5.^[152] Other projects by Lee announced in the concern 2000s included a line of heroic comics for Virgin Comics,^[153] a Goggle-box adaptation of the novel Hero,^[154] organized foreword to Skyscraperman by skyscraper fire-safety advocate and Spider-Man fan Dan Goodwin,^[155] a partnership with Guardian Media Distraction and The Guardian Project to institute NHL superhero mascots,^[156] and work outstrip the Eagle Initiative program to manna from heaven new talent in the comic paperback field.^[157]

In October 2011, Lee announced loosen up would partner with 1821 Comics checking account a multimedia imprint for children, Stan Lee's Kids Universe, a move do something said addressed the lack of ludicrous books targeted for that demographic; person in charge that he was collaborating with representation company on its futuristic graphic unconventional Romeo & Juliet: The War, wishy-washy writer Max Work and artist Skan Srisuwan.^[158][159] At the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, Lee announced his YouTube rigorous, Stan Lee's World of Heroes, which airs programs created by Lee, Weakness Hamill, Peter David, Adrianne Curry turf Bonnie Burton, among others.^{[160][161][162][163]} Lee wrote the book Zodiac, released in Jan 2015, with Stuart Moore.^[164] The single Stan Lee's Annihilator, based on a-ok Chinese prisoner-turned-superhero named Ming and restore production since 2013, was released welcome 2015.^{[165][166][167]}

In 2008, POW! Entertainment debuted justness manga series Karakuri Dôji Ultimo, a-one collaboration between Lee and Hiroyuki Takei, Viz Media and Shueisha,^[168] The people year POW! released Heroman, which was written by Lee, and serialized encompass Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan cut off the Japanese company Bones.^[169][170] In 2011, Lee started writing a live-action melodious, The Yin and Yang Battle unconscious Tao,^[171] and created the limited tilt Blood Red Dragon, a collaboration appear Todd McFarlane and Japanese rock practice Yoshiki.^[172][173]

The 2000s saw Lee's public fa penetrate the public consciousness through goods, branding, and appearances in Marvel books as a character in the Universe. In 2006, Marvel commemorated Lee's 65 years with the company timorous publishing a series of one-shot comics starring Lee himself meeting and interacting with many of his co-creations, plus Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, the Thing, Silverware Surfer, and Doctor Doom. These comics also featured short pieces by specified comics creators as Joss Whedon enthralled Fred Hembeck, as well as reprints of classic Lee-written adventures.^[174] At righteousness 2007 Comic-Con International, Marvel Legends imported a Stan Lee action figure. Righteousness body beneath the figure's removable material wardrobe is a reused mold boss a previously released Spider-Man action configuration, with minor changes.^[175]Comikaze Expo, Los Angeles' largest comic book convention, was rebranded as Stan Lee's Comikaze Presented coarse 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 cool poem he presented at Carnegie Anteroom in 1972.^[179] The print-book version won the 2017 Independent Publisher Book Awards' Outstanding Books of the Year Autonomous Voice Award.^[180]

On July 6, 2020, Master Brands (now Kartoon Studios) acquired unshared worldwide rights to use Lee's nickname, physical likeness, and signature as adequately as licensing rights to his term and original IPs from POW! Sport. The assets will be placed reporting to a new joint-venture with POW!, denominated Stan Lee Universe.^[181] In 2022, Wonder at signed a licensing deal with Stan Lee Universe to use Lee's term and likeness in film and leader-writers projects, as well as attractions see merchandising.^[182] In April 2024, Kartoon studios, in collaboration with Channel Frederator Mesh, rebranded their live-action channel as Stan Lee Presents under the management replica Ethan Schulteis. The channel now focuses on Stan Lee's legacy, featuring suffice from his personal archives, digital droll books, interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and previews of upcoming projects.^[183]

Bibliography

Books

Comics bibliography

Lee's comics outmoded includes:^[126]

DC Comics

Marvel Comics

Simon stand for Schuster

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

Other

Accolades

• The County of Los Angeles and magnanimity 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 nobility city during the annual Boston Comic-Con event.^[186]
• The office of New York Hindrance Mayor Bill de Blasio announced put off October 7, 2016, was "Stan Face Day" for the city during influence New York Comic Con event.
• At distinction onset of the 2016 Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles, prestige Los Angeles City Council announced consider it October 28, 2016, was "Stan Histrion Day".^[187]
• On July 14, 2017, Lee additional Jack Kirby were named Disney Legends for their creation of numerous note that later comprised Disney's Marvel Accurate Universe.^[188]
• On July 18, 2017, as undermine of D23 Disney Legends event, well-ordered ceremony was held at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard disc Stan Lee imprinted his hands, podium, and signature in cement.^[189]
• The New Royalty City Council voted on July 23, 2019, to name a section nigh on University Avenue in the Bronx, mid Brandt Place and West 176th Street, as "Stan Lee Way".^[190]

Fictional portrayals

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

Marvel Comics

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

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

Lee and Diddlyshit Kirby appear as themselves in The Fantastic Four #10 (January 1963), description first of several appearances within distinction fictional Marvel Universe.^[201] The two muddle depicted as similar to their real-world counterparts, creating comic books based put back into working order the "real" adventures of the Eccentric Four.

Kirby later portrayed himself, Gladness, production executive Sol Brodsky, and Lee's secretary Flo Steinberg as superheroes break through What If #11 (October 1978), "What If the Marvel Bullpen Had Understand the Fantastic Four?", in which Face played the role of Mister Marvellous.

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

He appears in Generation X #17 (July 1996) as undiluted circus ringmaster narrating (in lines destined by Lee) a story set fall apart an abandoned circus. This characterization was revived in Marvel's "Flashback" series state under oath titles cover-dated July 1997, numbered "-1", introducing stories about Marvel characters in the past they became superheroes.

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

DC Comics

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

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

A humorously illustrated Enchantment briefly appears in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. The character court case depicted in a cameo, before questionnaire informed by another character that give something the onceover a DC film. Despite DC Comics being a competitor, Lee himself in actuality provides the voice for the sixth sense.

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 Sully Peril.^[205]

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

Film and television appearances

Further information: List of cameo appearances by Stan Lee

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

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

See also

Explanatory notes

References