So many American comic heroes we know were (partly) created by Stan Lee: Spider-man, The Hulk, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and many more… What would Marvel Comics have been without Stan Lee? And what would the world have been without his incredible creative mind? Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about this amazing comic book writer, editor, film producer and publisher.
1. He Debuted with Captain America at 19
Thanks to his uncle, Robbie Solomon, Stan Lee (born as Stanley Martin Lieber) started as an assistant at Timely Comics in 1939. As a rookie, he got lunch for the editors and erased the pencil marks from the finished pages. His debut as a comic writer - or actually a text filler - was in 1941 at the age of 19, when he was asked to write the text for ‘Captain America Foils the Traitor’s Revenge’ in ‘Captain America Comics No. 3’. He used the pen name Stan Lee here for the first time, intending to save his birth name for future literary works. Three issues later he co-created the Destroyer and later that year he was promoted to interim editor. In 1961 Timely Comics evolved into the now famous Marvel Comics, where Stan Lee became editor-in-chief, publisher and chairman.
2. Stan Lee Brought Realism to a Fantasy World
His superheroes are no 'aliens' like Superman. They are everyday people who get their special powers by accident: Spider-man, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil... and while having special powers, Stan Lee's characters are still struggling with their every day worries, family life, lovers and friends. This made Stan Lee's creations so refreshing and popular in the 60s and beyond. And to add to the realism, all of his characters live in a shared universe because they are all living ‘real lives’ in the US.
3. He is the King of Cameos
A bit like with his shared universe for Marvel’s characters, Stan Lee decided he wanted to be in every movie one of his characters was used in... and he made it happen! Because of this Lee has now starred in more movies than some of the greatest actors in the world! Look for a hotdog vendor in ‘X-Men’ (2000), a mistaken Larry King in ‘Iron Man 2’ (2010), and a security guard in ‘Captain America: the Winter Soldier’ (2014) just to name a few. He's appeared in comics too both as himself and as a character. He and co-creator Jack Kirby can be found in the comic ‘The Fantastic Four No. 10’, (1963) and he was the priest at Luke Cage and Jessica Jones’ wedding in ‘New Avengers Annual No. 1’ (2006). Have you spotted him anywhere else?
4. Stan Lee Wished for ‘Luck’ as a Superpower
‘Stan Lee’s Lucky Man’ is a popular British television series about detective Harry Clayton who has the power to control luck. The idea for the ‘Stan Lee’s Lucky Man’ series came from the statement Stan Lee made to fans, claiming that if he could choose a superpower, he would love to be granted the power of luck. Lee is co-founder of production company POW!, which turned the initial idea of this super power into a successful television series called ‘Stan Lee’s Lucky Man’.
Image source: Radio Times
1. His Autobiography was a Graphic Novel
After appearing as a cameo in many comics and films, in 2015 Stan Lee finally got his own comic book. It's a full-colour graphic autobiography illustrated by Colleen Doran called ‘Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvellous Memoir.’ The book tells the story of Stan Lee’s life and how he changed the world of comics forever.
Can’t get enough of Stan Lee’s superheroes and other comic characters? Catawiki holds a weekly Comics auction, and a special American Comics auction if you are interested in adding some of his works to your own collection! Do you have comics you would like sell? Then become a seller and offer them up for auction at Catawiki!