On Monday, November 12, 2018, we lost one of our greatest pop culture icons. Marvel comics writer and chairman Stan Lee, who passed away at the age of 95 in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, was a leading pioneer in the comic book world. Lee, along with the late Jack Kirby, created some of Marvel Comics’ most memorable characters. Marvel Comics was formed by the late Martin Goodman in October 1939, at the height of the superhero craze of that time, and from the get-go sold thousands of copies of their innovative and engaging superhero comics. Goodman appointed his nephew Stan Lee as editor/writer of Marvel in the early 1940s. Lee, along with co-creator Jack Kirby, created some of the most memorable comic book characters, including the Hulk, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Black Panther, Thor, Doctor Strange and the X-Men. Stan Lee’s most memorable comic book character by far, though, was Spider-Man.
Created in 1962 by Lee in conjunction with writer/editor Steve Ditko, Spider-Man has spawned a television series, multiple animated cartoons, and several Hollywood films, as well as issues upon issues of comic books. Along with the Spiderman films, movies such as Blade, Hulk, The Avengers, Black Panther, and more have grossed billions in ticket sales worldwide. You may recognize Stan Lee’s face from his numerous cameos in the Marvel films. These cameos were a brilliant idea, giving Lee the respect he deserves for the world he has created.
Lee’s lasting legacy at Marvel, in the whole comics industry, and in pop culture at large will never be forgotten, and neither will the characters he created along with some of the greatest writers of our time. Just like the characters he created, Stan Lee will forever be a legend; a real-life superhero of the imagination.
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