No song titles this week. Just a blog about the man.
So I guess it took me a long time to know who Stan Lee was. But looking back, my first introduction to him was from when he would do the voice-over bumpers for Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. I didn’t really watch the show, but I remember that distinctive voice that I would later learn was Stan’s.
I’ve waffled between being a True Believer (a Stan-ism) and a fan of the Distinguished Competition (another Stan-ism). I’m more of a DC guy now but in my teens, I was definitely on team Marvel. Marvel just seemed more relevant and that’s something Stan Lee was always championing for. He pushed for comics to be more than just kiddie fare.
He had a hand in the creation of so many iconic characters. It’s really amazing. My life would be markedly different without those colourful creations that he helped breathe life into for so long.
By the time I really started reading comics, Stan was more of an ambassador for the brand. Stan was an incredible hype man. His shilling just came by so easily and so earnestly. It was actually endearing.
I got to meet Stan the Man back in 2011. Well, “meet” is a strong word. I got to spend about ten seconds getting my picture taken with him at Montreal Comic Con. The throngs of fans wanting to meet him was so large that it was really all they could allow to let everybody get a chance at the autograph and photo sessions. We all knew it was likely the last time such an opportunity would present itself to us and we all jumped on it. At least we got in to see his panel. It was just so cool to hear him tell his stories. He was a great storyteller.
From his first notable cameo in Spider-Man, it’s been fun catching all his cinematic moments. Supposedly he was able to film an appearance for the next Avengers movie. It’ll be bittersweet to see him on the big screen one last time.
Yeah, so this is pretty rambling. I just wanted to say some words. And now they’re said. So RIP Stan Lee. Thanks for the memories.