I remember sitting in the living room,
as a child, on Saturday mornings watching The Incredible Hulk
and Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends. The intro to each
show, as well as the lead in to commercials were narrated by Stan
Lee. This was my first exposure to “The Man,” in what would feel
like a lifelong friendship that lasted for about 35 years. I never
had the chance to meet him, and I know he was essentially just a
pitchman selling his wares, but his approach in reaching out to his
audience made him feel like he was an uncle that lived far away.
The first time I remember having a
Spider-Man comic book in my hand was at the local barbershop at an
age when they still had to put a plank of wood across the arms of the
chair so I would be up high enough for the barber to cut my hair. There was an end table in the corner next to the dog that was so old
you'd swear it was dead but someone forgot to tell him. On this
table there were magazines and newspapers for the grown ups and on
the shelf underneath there was a small stack of comics for any kids
that came in.
The books were tattered, torn and
yellowed with age and cigarette smoke. I can't remember what any of
the books were about but I can still remember they had the smell of
old paper, the hair products used in the shop and that almost dead
dog that laid next to them.
As a kid that hasn't fit in anywhere
since kindergarten and that had parents that seemed too caught up in
their own bullshit and failing marriage to pay much attention, comics
and cartoons are what helped salve that burn for me when I was a kid. They provided a world for me where people fought for the greater
good. Sometimes these characters had their own inner conflicts and
failings but they always tried to do the right thing in the end. And every now
and then, bullies like Flash Thompson would get their occasional
comeuppance.
I didn't realize until years later
that most of these characters and stories came from one man. Stan
Lee, with the help of many other writers and artists, created a
universe that contributed to getting me through my day to day until
Punk Rock was put under my nose and I suddenly had a soundtrack to go
along with the comics that I was reading.
I know Stan Lee has a conflicted
history with his coworkers but he always did fall on the right side
of history when it came to social issues. He used his platform of
comics to create characters that stood out because they were
different and fought against prejudice. There were times he would
use his monthly column, known as “Stan's Soapbox,” to speak out
more overtly on issues that were important to him. If there were
things he felt his readers needed to know, he was not afraid to tell
them. With millions of kids reading his words, he knew he was a role
model and did not take that for granted.
The fact that Stan Lee used New York
City as a backdrop for his stories is something that still amazes me. Spider-Man lived in Forrest Hills, Queens which is the same
neighborhood where The Ramones grew up. This is sheer coincidence
involving a fictional character but it still feels like magic to me. You can keep your Jesus, I'll put my faith in Spider-Man punching a
mugger in the face on the Lower East Side any day.
Modern American culture dictates that
at some point we must all “grow up” and put away childish things
such as comics and records. Stan Lee lived the majority of his life
surrounded by comics, proving that you don't need to walk away from
the things that you love. To this day, I still pick up a comic from
time to time or watch a cartoon if I'm in the mood. There are few
things in life that are finer than a well written episode of the
Venture Bros. or Rick & Morty. Batman: The Animated Series is
still one of the best uses of that character that I've ever seen and
warrants re-watching every now and then.
And I don't think I would ever trade
in my record collection for fantasy leagues and following high school
football or whatever else "normals" my age do. I'll be just fine with my childish things. Going without
them at this point in my life would be like cutting two legs off of a
chair and expecting it to still function as a chair.
I will forever be indebted to Stan Lee
for what he has done for me and I will always be a “True Believer.” His death, at age 95, wasn't like it was unexpected. I'm sure the
coroners report will have the cause of death listed as “Too Old For
This Shit.” But the loss carries a lot of weight nonetheless. The
characters that Stan Lee created helped this misfit of a child feel a
little less lonely when I needed it the most. Thank you, Stan. Excelsior.
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