Stan Lee Celebrates 90th Birthday

An anonymous reader writes "Congratulatory tweets and missives pour in to honor @theRealStanLee (nee Stanley Lieber), the Romanian immigrant who created or co-created most of Marvel Comics' memorable heroes. Lee celebrated his 90th birthday on Friday. Earlier this year, someone posted a collection of Lee's cameo appearances in Marvel Comics movies, often playing an older gentleman in the crowd ('Superheroes in New York? Give me a break!'), but watch for the time he plays himself, trying to get past a club bouncer ('I'm Stan Lee. I should be on that list!')."

Comments

Happy Birthday

[Osgeld]

I don't read comic books, but hey its a pretty big milestone so here's to you bud!

You know what they say

[93 Escort Wagon]

With great age comes great responsibility.

Happy 90th birthday, Mr. Lee!

Re:You know what they say

[JustOK]

Copyright.

Re:You know what they say

[jamstar7]

Damn, blew out all my mod points yesterday.

Re:You know what they say

[Y2KDragon]

Copyright.

Best response that anyone could make. Besides, we all know that turning him into Iron Man would have been a better choice.

Stan Lee is not an immigrant

[cbraescu1]

@theRealStanLee (nee Stanley Lieber), the Romanian immigrant who created or co-created most of Marvel Comics' memorable heroes.

While Stan Lee has Jewish-Romanian ancestry, he is definitely not an immigrant. He was born in 1922 on American soil, in New York City.

Re:Stan Lee is not an immigrant

[rolfwind]

And how many generations back makes you purely US roots? And since you mention thousands of years, I guess it's not just to the founding of the United States.

In the end, we all come the same basic area, and everyone emigrated here. Some, just earlier than others.

Re:Stan Lee is not an immigrant

[KiloByte]

he is definitely not an immigrant. He was born in 1922 on American soil, in New York City.

Pshaw! I bet his long-form birth certificate is a forgery.

Re:Stan Lee is not an immigrant

[peragrin]

Well considering the current popular idea is that children born on US soil of immigrants are still immigrants. I would say at least 4-5 generations.

That basically makes 75% of the current US population an immigrant.As the majority came through 100 years ago.

Re:Stan Lee is not an immigrant

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought the definition of an immigrant was someone who had moved from their country of birth to some other country with the intention of living in the other country. It is also a legal status you attain when your application for immigrant status is approved. If you were born in a country then your are not an immigrant to that country, you are a native, depending on legalities you might not be a citizen. You could be an immigrant to several countries as you travel from place to place over the years. If you travel fast enough you aren't an immigrant, you are a tourist.

Re:Stan Lee is not an immigrant

[Darinbob]

So you're saying he could run for president?

Re:Stan Lee is not an immigrant

[bill_mcgonigle]

purely ... roots

Only Africans get to make that claim.

I Met Stan Lee

[markstrelecki]

I met and interviewed Stan Lee at a comic convention in Phoenix back in the eighties. He was gracious to a fault, gave freely and willingly of his time, and paid me several compliments about my comics insight and experience. I only wish I still had that VHS footage, including some interesting time with an up-and comer at the time named Chris Claremont. I had bumped into Stan in a chance elevator ride and managed to babble a request for an interview, which he accepted without hesitation. Just tonight I read his Origins of Marvel Comics, front-to-back, and am reminded of his highly colorful literary style, his extremely imaginative and creative mind, and how much (at least in 1975) credit he was willing to share with Jack Kirby, co-creator of many of those same superheroes. It was a bit of a shock to read that after working with Jack to come up with the character of Galactus, the planet eating superfoe, and deciding what needed to be drawn on the pages, that Jack had, of his own volition and invention, introduced the "required" herald for the big guy, a character we've come to know as Silver Surfer. Stan, you are a force of nature, and the people's lives you've so willingly touched are changed forever. I know I was, and I know that I love this fellow we call Stan Lee. I wish him all the best now, and in the next phase of his existence (where there are likely no typewriters or word processors). Stan showed me that being creative and passionate is the duty of the intelligent mind, and in his honor I will always say "Excelsior!" MARK STRELECKI Atlanta, GA. USA

Re:I Met Stan Lee

[PCM2]

It was a bit of a shock to read that after working with Jack to come up with the character of Galactus, the planet eating superfoe, and deciding what needed to be drawn on the pages, that Jack had, of his own volition and invention, introduced the "required" herald for the big guy, a character we've come to know as Silver Surfer. Stan, you are a force of nature

Wait ... so you were so shocked to hear how much Kirby contributed, and that he invented the Silver Surfer from whole cloth, that you turned around and gave the credit back to Lee? Insert here that Warner Bros cartoon rapid head-shaking sound that reads like, "Ay-yuh-yi-yuh-yi-yuh-yay-yuh-ai-yuh..."

Re:I Met Stan Lee

[Mantrid42]

...how much (at least in 1975) credit he was willing to share with Jack Kirby, co-creator of many of those same superheroes. It was a bit of a shock to read that after working with Jack to come up with the character of Galactus, the planet eating superfoe, and deciding what needed to be drawn on the pages, that Jack had, of his own volition and invention, introduced the "required" herald for the big guy, a character we've come to know as Silver Surfer.

Kirby was consistently mistreated at Marvel, and wasn't allowed to characterize the Silver Surfer the way he wanted. Stan Lee may be very personable, but that's because he's been cultivating that for forty years. Kirby deserves way more credit in the world of comic books than Lee does. Read "Marvel Comics: The Untold Story". Pretty much everyone involved (except Kirby, actually) comes off as an asshole.

Re:I Met Stan Lee

[HPHatecraft]

That made my day. Thanks for words. It's great to hear something uplifting, non-cynical, inspirational.

I met Howard Chaykin this year at Comicpalooza in Houston. I think I felt the same way. I could stand and listen to him talk forever. He was super cool, not a douche, and seemed almost hurt when I didn't want to intrude and have my photo taken with him. That was a great day.

It's really Kirby's b-day but Stan's taking credit

[Picass0]

Stan is the best there is at what he does, and what he does is stand on the sholders of giants.

so what?

[Anonymous Coward]

Ever read anything Stan Lee has said? The guy's an A-number-one asshole of the lowest order. I wish people would just stop with the hero worship.

And heres to many more cameos!

[feedayeen]

Come on, who doesn't love this guy's filmography?

Stan Lee in The Big Bang Theory

[nomad-9]

"You boys may have gotten autographed comics from Stan Lee, but I saw the inside of his house and got an autographed application for a restraining order."
" Plus, I get to hang out with him again at the hearing."

- Sheldon, ("The Excelsior Acquisition" episode).

Peter Parker killed off

[andrewa]

This is pretty messed up... where is the creative control now? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9767988/Peter-Parker-the-alter-ego-of-Spider-Man-killed-off.html

Re:Peter Parker killed off

[Gaygirlie]

This is pretty messed up... where is the creative control now? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9767988/Peter-Parker-the-alter-ego-of-Spider-Man-killed-off.html

Huh. Well, I've gotten the impression that these Marvel superheroes die all the god damn time only to be resurrected by some mystical power or similar, or to be revealed later that it only looked like they died. As such I have a hard time caring. I do quite like the idea of Dr. Octopussy going through some really major identity crisis as a Spiderman, though, it'll make for some interesting story.

Re:Peter Parker killed off

[compro01]

Pfft. Superhero heaven has no pearly gates, only revolving doors.

Get over it

[Anonymous Coward]

You know who else has died? Pretty much everyone. Superman, Batman, Captain America, etc.

Re:It's really Kirby's b-day but Stan's taking cre

[partyguerrilla]

Stan is the best there is at what he does

Fuck Jack Kirby's wife? No but seriously, he does get more credit than what he deserves, specially with Spider-Man's creation.

Stan Lee?

[Frankie70]

Tucci?

He is bald, but surely not 90.

    - Penny.

Co-created.

[tverbeek]

It isn't correct to say that Stan "created or co-created" those characters. It is "co-created" in every instance. The artist who designs the appearance of a comics character is as essential to the process of creating it as the writer. Since Stan is not an artist, and has never claimed to have designed the visuals of the characters, he hasn't simply "created" any of them.

He's an enormously imaginative and influential creative force, without whom the American comics industry would be very different, and his vitality and charm at 90 is a testament to him as a person. There's no need to pad his résumé by denying the roles of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and every other artist he has worked with over the decades, as co-creators of the characters they jointly brought into being.

Re:Co-created.

[mapuche]

Actually, Stan Leed didn't give proper credit to artists for decades. He was forced to do it Just remember Jack Kirby and Mr Lee conflict.

Re:FUNKY FLASHMAN!

[tverbeek]

To deny Stan Lee's role in creating the Marvel Universe is as dishonest as denying Kirby's.

"nee"?

[Antibozo]

Stan is not a girl: "né".

Happy birthday, Stan!

Thanks Stan!

[Nyder]

Not sure why Marvel comics are my favorite, even though I do like others. Spider-man, Ice-man, The Hulk, The Thing, Juggernaught, and Sabertooth, my favorite comics book characters. All Marvel.

Happy Birthday, and hopefully you will have many more.

thanks!

Excelsior!

[otis wildflower]

'Nuff said.

Re:It's really Kirby's b-day but Stan's taking cre

[bill_mcgonigle]

Stan is the best there is at what he does, and what he does is stand on the sholders of giants.

For every Marvel Comics there are hundreds of would-be authors and artists who never got into distribution.

Marvel and DC were major successes while most of the rest petered out or were acquired. The business is equally as important as the story and artwork if the goal is to get the comics into readers' hands.