On Stan Lee

Today we lost a legend in the comics industry. His name was Stanley Martin Lieber and he was the co-creator of Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and really most of the Marvel Universe. He was an icon who inspired legions of people from all over the world myself included. I remember first reading Stan Lee's works back when I started reading comics in the late 1980s. Immediately I was hooked! I was blown away that this was the guy who created Spider-Man, a character I was watching on Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends at the time. I was hooked and I was never the same since.

Stan Lee inspired me to create the Starbolts. I always wanted to create my own superheroes like he did. Ironically, he and I share some similarities in that regard. He always said that he couldn't draw very well. Neither can I. That was another thing that drove me to him. He never seemed to let his inability to draw get in the way of his imagination and we all know what kind of a wild imagination "The Man" had. That's why he was an inspiration. He inspired legions of fans to create, draw and dream about characters that are larger than life.

Do I regret not meeting him? I do. But, if you've been reading my blog for a long time, you may recall a post of mine from 2012 where I talked about how my friends' Rich and Laura got Stan to do a personalized video message. They had him drop everything and deliver me a message. He wished me good luck with everything I was doing and he seemed very, very sincere. Fans would agree that he is genuine. There's no mean bone in his body and I think that's why people were drawn to him. I guess in a way I did meet Stan Lee. Sure it would have been nice to see him in person, but,  that moment is something I'll always cherish. It was a personalized message given to me by two good friends. I need to find a way to immortalize that video. It probably means more to me than the Stan Lee biography I have.

Stan Lee was a powerhouse who will be remembered for many years to come.

Just one last thing to add before I go. Though he may be gone, his creations will live on on the comic page and on the big screen. I guess one man really can make a difference. 'Nuff said.

Thank you for being an inspiration.

EXCELSIOR!