Sadly, that world is one in mourning as we grieve the passing of one of, if not the most iconic name in the industry. Stan Lee, the prolific co-founder of Marvel comics, passed away today at the age of 95. If you have been following this page for a while, one of the first pieces I wrote was on Stan: The Man. It talked not only on his legacy of characters he bequeathed to comics but his stand against censorship from the CCA (Comic Code Authority). We have truly lost a great man today, however, I feel that with as much sadness as there is in the world, sadness would be the last thing he would have wanted. Instead, I propose we take a moment to celebrate the life he lived, and the gifts he gave to us in his stories.
If you were looking to know Stan, I feel that there is little else that needs to be known other than that even in fading health, in the wake of losing his wife Joan, he still dedicated himself to being there for his fans. Even with his poor health, Stan made it out to conventions all over the country, maintained a fairly heavy social media presence, and made sure to let us fans know that as much as we appreciated him for the characters and worlds he gave us, he appreciated us just the same. Normally I wouldn't exactly feel comfortable calling someone I met for only a brief few seconds by there first name, but just like a certain wall-crawler we all know and love, Stan Lee was your friendly neighborhood kind of guy, and I believe he would be friends with everyone. In fact, if you look at his work in the industry, I feel it only reinforces that. To Stan Lee, there was no such thing as a stranger or an outcast, only a potential friend to make.
During times of adversity, Stan Lee used comics to fight institutions of hatred and bigotry. Titles like X men and Black Panther tackled civil rights issues in complex and nuanced ways that allowed people to appreciate people for more than the color of their skin, but their actions. Characters like Peter Parker shine a bit of Stan through as a person that wants to see the best in everyone and tries to do right for others more than himself. Stan Lee was about telling human stories through fantasy and sci-fi, so, to him, a person's sex, ethnicity, beliefs, it didn't matter, what mattered was how a character overcame adversity, in whatever form it may have come.
Thank you, Stan Lee, for the gifts you gave us: every character and every issue. While it is sad that you are no longer with us and can no longer grace us with more brilliant cameos, the ride couldn't last forever, and so on behalf of the entire world of nerd: Thank you for it all, it's been a blast! I am not a particularly religious or spiritual person, but I do hope that you are with your wife and are watching over us. Excelsior!
This has been another edition of Comic Relief! we will see you again soon!
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