Stan 'The Man' Lee by NicolasRGiacondino on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Stan "The Man" Lee

(December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018)

A legend has passed and I don't use that term lightly. You see, when I started introducing my son to comics and he got hooked up on all of the Marvel mythology, including their live-action incarnations, he'd always brighten up at the screen and point out: "There's Stan Lee!" He'd recognise and have fun with all of The Avengers AND look for good ol' Stan as hard as he'd wait for Spider-Man to crack a joke. We all did and his cameos as well as his looming presence at conventions and events became as mandatory as anything else regarding the Marvel Universe.
To reach that level of familiarity with the entire world across multiple media is a testament to the man's endeavors and we owe him our thanks for turning comics into serious, professional business in the eyes of the public.

And of course, there will be those who'll try and throw shade on the man for his treatment of his co-creators and for (perhaps) enlarging his role in the creation of some of these archetypal characters. But the truth is that, as an artist, I can attest to the fact that we're usually pretty private and awkward creatures, preferring the solitude of our desks and tools rather than going around shaking hands and making appearances. For all our talent, we're very poor at making our work noticeable and ubiquitous. That's where people like Stan Lee come in; the showman, the salesman, the editor who jumped around the office making superhero noises. He exposed the work of many geniuses to the world and became himself a quintessential character in the pantheon of great ones that shped our childhoods.

Thus, he will be sorely missed.

Excelsior, Stan! 'Nuff said!

Nic.-