Hello everybody and welcome to this special edition of the Elsp cultural or the pop culture that's like I don't know yeah Well, I think the first time I was aware of Stanley's a person it was probably one of the cartoons I remember reading comment whenever I went yeah, I think my first exposure stand might have been through comics because I Read them before I started watching the cartoons, right? But when I was reading comics stand was ever-present in every intro to every comic that I read from Marvel that I really enjoyed Mm-hmm Stanley created it and Stanley has mark on it in some way Yeah, usually it says you know Stanley presents usually there was some kind of little blurb that explained who the character was and was explained by Stanley's usually his words yeah, so even though I wasn't necessarily aware of what he looked like or what he sounded like I was aware that there was a Stanley that he had some serious influence on the thing that I was enjoying and that he was integral to the Entire process yeah, then of course there was also the bullpen Writings that he did where he was like hey everybody welcome to the show There were a lot of like you know a carnal barking from him where he's like I gotta sell this whole thing like what people aren't really you know Come to my mainstream. I gotta really like play this up. That's that's a noble profession I do not look down.
I don't call him carnal barker in a derisive way I mean like he's like he's trying to like run a three-ring circus. Yeah, you know with a shoestring budget Well, it's funny because like when like this is this is all very fresh or raw for all of us Yeah, you know what I mean like this this literally happened like it feels like moments ago Yeah, but it's been a few hours at this point. Yes. Um Initially, it's just like oh my gosh like the impact he had through creation is incredible Yeah, but do you think about the impact he had on industry itself and when you're talking about that bullpen I always thought of it more as like it's like you know during a time when there wasn't this like there wasn't like the internet And there wasn't YouTube and there wasn't like Instagram and all this stuff It was a way for fans of comics to know that like if they didn't have anyone else who read them that someone else was on the other end of them Someone else was involved and there was a person there and like that the person was reading them and it was a part of it Like you like I don't know.
Yeah, it's true. He definitely democratized fandom and like pop culture in a way in his own way Yeah, you know if you're enjoying a book or a novel by a long-lost creator But based on the whole like influence of creation You know they're not able to really like give you a whole like, you know This is who I am as an author and a lot of others like to divorce themselves and their work Stan was very much the opposite He's like this is something I made for you and I want you to really enjoy it It's almost inexorable to like disconnect the two of them. You can't yeah from his through the man in his creation Well, I think he's also credited with like making it like normal for a credits page. Yes, he did He was definitely like he really pushed it It's funny you hear about a lot of people talking about like you know the negative side of the business of the of the comp History and what his role was in like creators rights and and you know robbing people of their credit But like the dude was very much a proponent of being like these are the creators of the book Well, it's put their names on here I mean I want my name on there But like who doesn't and you know, he kind of made he normalized the concept of being like these are the people who made this comic possible Um, and and that's like just another notch in like the long like ever ever expanding belt of Influence that's standing out on the industry.
Yeah, I'm mainstream culture as well Certainly um so yeah, like I guess like just just getting back into like getting to know who Stan was After the bullpen and getting to know his voice like his words and his influence and his like ownership not a marvel But more on his ownership of like Marvel as an icon You know he didn't own yes, but it's more like he owned it Yeah, he took authorship over that world and so you know even when Marvel delved into other things like for me It was Spider-Man the cartoon from the late early from 81 and then after that spider-man his amazing friends Which is not like a spiritual sequel to it. Yeah, but his voiceovers on all of those shows was a way of being like hey I'm here to yeah, there's I'm not too far behind from where are you doing? Yeah, and and people's embracing of that culture. I remember you know, it's funny Stan made it like normal to expect him in his work.
Yeah, it's the point where he also appeared I mean like he and Jack Kirby also like we're drawn into yeah, I mean they would like make little fourth wall poking jokes even back then Yeah, but yeah, he's he definitely made it So it's like oh I know who he is and he feels like a like I feel like kinship with him You know he's never too far behind the thing you created and he's always very like jovial even if you know that there was Negativity around his creation. I'm sure he kept positive. He remained a positive force. He certainly did I'm sure when he was a publisher.
He was a son of a bitch But like in that way that good publishers are right in that way the publishers have to be yeah But like I'm sure to work with him was very different than to be a fan of his or to be like to grow up around him Right, you know, I mean how like kind of cool like in the voiceovers and then such to be like a kid and yes Know that like this is an adult Yeah, this grown up is is saying it's not only like okay to read watch or enjoy comics Yeah, but also that like maybe you could make them someday. Yeah, yeah That definitely was one of the voices that said to me like you can do things like you are you know The powers within you just just not just from his own creations and the metaphors and the allegories they ran You know like great power for your responsibility. I have power to create I should have responsibility make it It's also like no, I'm here to I'm telling you like I'm literally here as living proof But yeah, no, his his his influences as a character was ever present. I'm never like so he's in the voiceovers in the cartoons He did I remember seeing him.
It's funny. There was a Warner Brothers cartoon that I'm sure you're not unfamiliar with called freakazoid. There's a great moment of freakazoid where freakazoid and he's running away from a fanboy Mm-hmm, and freakazoid is trying to bribe him to go away from him Warner Brothers cartoon owners owners of DC Comics Yeah, and he's offering him like a Batman sequel script. Okay at one point.
He says like I'll give you an autograph picture of Stan Lee I'm like what? Of course in the in-joke that neither of them know who that is like it's a really cute Yeah, like even across the aisle everybody knew Stan loved Stan wanted to like make some kind of like, you know Deaference Dan, okay, you did this I know Stan and Carmine Fentino from DC Comics were great friends And they normalized or at least made it so that the comic book crossover could be a thing. Oh sure He's his I keep going back to the carnival barker Like ringmaster kind of thing because like the dude nude had a cell and he was always like excited about things that he was selling And so you know even the idea of like hey, so remember spider-man. He's like, that's fun We should we should get excited about that.
Oh, we're not how much we make after that We're gonna make a lot right right as long as we sell it and we like champion it I mean if you read any of his like little blurbs, you can see him like getting all excited behind the behind the key Oh sure, I mean like he always strikes me or struck me as a instead of a why person a why not very definitely definitely Kind of person is like yeah, of course why not I mean look at if you look at the earliest Marvel cartoons Yeah, they are some of the worst things to see but hey, they approached the group like we want to make these animated features Like yeah, like do it why not like every everything his whole career is defined by why not his not only his career But also his creations Because we could jump into that a little bit. Yeah, absolutely Not withstanding just the movies and his cameos and everything and everything we'll talk about some of the Marvel creations that he's made Yeah, so contributions in the world You know he's responsible for a lot and I had this thought like we could just read all the things that he's creative I'm like that we try to keep a little bit of a brevity Yeah, of course and like and not to say that like he did all these alone like no He worked with people a lot of artists and like incredibly powerful creators themselves, but you know just You know again stands attitude of why not and he brought these he brought words to them and these stories and yeah Yeah, I mean he's no he's the guy who with great power comes very responsible He's a concept. I don't normal I've never heard before for learning about spider-man or after hearing about spider-man and these are those are his words Or his like his concept and it has such an amazing applicability to so much and that's just one character in one issue Not withstanding how much influence is had in the formation of characters that help to make people give people off a ship over there On lines. I'm thinking about Daredevil for example.
Daredevil blind superhero definitely in a volume of the why not Exactly. Well, I mean, you know I think it was his wife who encouraged him when like he was about to leave comics and like this opportunity comes along to create only superheroes to rival with DC's coming out with the time Marvel's not quite Marvel at the moment No, no, but I was like why don't you just tell the story you want to tell and he decides that he's like I'm gonna tell stories But people have flaws they're fallible, right? Do you see it was more like about like, you know, like the ideal? Yeah, you know, right strong man the the the very like radio drama superhero.
I do no wrong. I'm not like fallible I jump over buildings in single-bound. Mm-hmm. Yeah, he was very much a Because he was bored, you know, he's like, I could do that but like why not do something, you know different or something I want to read about exactly I mean like that's I mean, you know sure it was a like takeoff of another team But you know fantastic for first creation.
Yeah, it's true the first family Marvel people say that a lot But like, you know, the reason they call them that is because they were created first Not the first timely com But certainly the first like Stan Lee era. Yeah of Marvel. Yeah, and the fantastic four percent so much There's first of all talk about coming out of gate swinging four characters on one team immediately Yeah, all the way the different area powers of course payment or just a derivative of the robot unit or I think made more interesting as a result But like four individual characters seemingly no correlation between their power sets not like oh, they all have eye powers They all have like flights or something they each other own they each could be their own superhero They could each other on book indeed they have And yet let's talk about this group of people who make a family. Yeah, like at the core You know, yeah, it's a super team all of them be defeat like a mole man But like also look at these people who are super heroes like look or more also a family.
You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, absolutely And and honestly, you know, he not only decided to take them and make them into a family Yeah, but he takes these characters who have you know lives beyond being heroes who That's the only thing you know, they're explorers. They're scientists They are heroes in a sense and then he gives them like what could just be seen as like oh, you know Yeah, now you're super heroes the world's gonna love you and but he also gives them complications Absolutely like you know not all of them come out as lucky as Reed No, oh, you mean I'm just as handsome and I can also like stretch every part of my body and so I can please my wife But also do science the same time like yeah good for you man But like your best friend is a horrible rock monster exactly Yeah, just just and you can tell from the writer standpoint a person who like loves to tell stories and loves drama and pathos the idea of like Number one making it reads fault number two making his best friend the rock monster Making his rock monster kind of a crush on the girl He's interested in right like all of that is just delicious pathos that makes for wonderful storytelling Yeah, and it just it feeds the soul it makes you want to go and I go out and not only write about that But in terms of us as consumers of content. We want to read about that Yeah, I mean every time I think of the thing you know outside of his hilarious voice or a stogie out of his mouth I think of the image of him in the pouring rain and says low his man is monster Right this image of the thing tortured and alone in a trench coat in the pouring rain just like desperately like looking for purpose in the world And like who would have thought that like someone would say hey I want to read about a superhero that just hates his life And you know the thing that makes him special and fun is the thing that he would love to be rid of Yeah, so many of those Marvel characters like that But in not any like copy and paste kind of like way no Hulk while they pit the Hulk against the thing so Incredibly different from the from each other.
Mm-hmm. You know the Hulk is another character Well, like I'm tortured. I'm a giant monster I'm attached to like all these things but like his whole world is completely different from the thing Yes, and yet like you could you control parallels But like you can get something different out of that concept like of like a person who's reluctantly a hero or reluctantly part of this Like monster's form. Yeah, the dichotomy of being monstrous and also.
Yeah, yeah You know so yeah, I just just going down the list about a few things that people characters that mean something to me I mean like I'm glad to mention the fantastic for I love those characters I was seeing them I love like what they represent mmm-hmm if you're if you've the fantastic for are not happy and joyous in some way like they should have Family drama stuff like that, but if the end of the day there's no joy you're doing it wrong And I think that would be like a good fitting tribute to those characters I mean by the way, if you've never read it this came out more recently than you think there's a book called the last fantastic four Story threatened by Stanley with our by John and junior and it came out after Marvel I decided like oh we're gonna do this book called the end where it's we're gonna Subscribe this concept to a whole bunch of characters because obviously we're never gonna stop making Wolverine books But what if we did like we did like any issue series or 12 issues series? We're Wolverine literally ended we'll give it to Paul Jenkins and somebody else and we'll make a book out of it Wolverine the end they did a bunch of those and in fact I did one well the fantastic for the end and It was just I think the idea was they approached Stan about doing a last fantastic four story and he was like busy or not able to do it and But he never let go of the idea and it's so sweet because not only is that this that book is only about 10 15 years old So like in his 80s, he's thinking he's he could easily be like I'm not doing that anymore I'll make this character. Yeah, I don't need to I'll just collect checks and like go to cons and collect more checks Right, but like that dudes like that idea got stuck in his crawl He's like you know what I'm gonna write that idea And he did and then it was after the the end thing had ended But he's like you know what like here you go if you want to do something with it And like yeah, and so the last thing that's four stories is cute little like story about a huge cosmic monster that comes out of those out of space and judges the human race the educator But it's a fun story feels very classically Remed as pencils are very evocative of Kirby's designs, right and indeed it should be but it's by the way last It has four stories you assume like oh they died and then they got no spoilers here But like I will say there's joy in that book and joy in the writing you tell he really had a good time Right, and I think that's what's so endearing about him is that as much as you like we're saying he was a showman He wanted to sell this product. Yeah, he did have a love for it Right.
Oh, no, you don't it's when someone sells you something that they don't love or believe in You can tell yeah, even if they are the best salesman if there's no love for it It's very plain and obvious and when it comes to Stan you could tell not only did that dude love Being a showman. He also loved the medium that he represented said He absolutely loved this medium and you know even if he didn't write for it in like towards the twilight years Yeah, he definitely represented it He was never afraid when he was in a movie premiere or doing anything for a video game or another show He was like you know comics by the way Yeah, you know these are the things that formulated the stuff you like yes And they're not like step stones to it like comics aren't like an avenue for you to enjoy movies They're a thing unto themselves that you can enjoy and appreciate love and he did I mean he I think that's a thing like the industry that Embraced and brought him success. He will always he had always treasured and appreciated Mm-hmm. Yeah, I completely know Bling in there.
No, but I mentioned the fantastic for they were super cool Yeah, and I'm I'm sad never got to see a fun version of the fantastic for in the on screen It was funny that was I liked it I think he loved it all right exactly that's the thing like every time he did an interview You could tell like he really didn't hate any of those movies. He was just excited that they existed Yeah, like look I was I made this right and like look all these people who came together to make it happen And all these people who want to go and see it yeah Yeah, it's just I think for him it just it was it was enchanting right yeah No, and also like here's the other thing when it comes to like my dumb comment about how like it's doing I'm gonna see a good fantastic for movie like for him. He's seen them all he wrote most of them Yeah, he's seen the best fantastic four stories that have existed yeah and helped to formulate them Oh, yeah So like at the end of the day who cares if they adapt a burn story or they make one of his stories into a celluloid like adventure Like he imagined it he put on paper and made it real so you know, he's been there already Yes, I mean like it's it's weird. It's like he's lived like a thousand lifetimes right no It's true absolutely incredible.
That's the thing like I hope that wherever he is It's half as imaginative and joyous and fun and crazy and zany as the world is great It has to be because Kirby and Diggo got their first right yeah They got to pick up to paint the one way in but yeah, man So all right talk a little bit about other things you know with great heroes come great villains Of course every great villain looks daily's created could be a hero in their own story Mm-hmm or could also be in some significant way sympathetic thinking of course of characters like Galactus and dr. Doom I love Galactus as a character every time I see him I'm like I'm kind of in awe and it's funny because I came to that concept a lot later than in life Then you think like as a kid I was always like it looks like a big dope and a big weird helmet But like I never lost reference for him if that makes sense as a compa fan you know we're a little bit self-loathing We like oh, this is really stupid isn't it but I'm desperately reading and collecting everything a little issue You know what I'm about myself, but when it comes to Galactus like I was always like you know He looks silly, but when he shows up and was like I always hold my breath Mm-hmm and that just just that effort that went into like his Kirby made Galactus look cool or silly if you're Whichever way you want to go here's the thing I think that ultimately you find the appreciation of the character like I Don't know if I'll ever appreciate what Crave and Hunter looks like but I still might point remains firm and it comes to like cosmic characters like that Mm-hmm, but yeah like when he when you come up with this idea like oh he eats planets, right? Okay, he's a jerk we plan it's like you can do that But like no, he's this he's this time lost you know explorer and he's compelled by the universe to do to do ill and he's you know Transends time and it is all this like beautiful gigantic amazing stuff that also makes it crowns it in reality, right? He eats planets not really most relatable character, but also you know He's tortured and compelled to do things against his will like so many of us are right and he at some point in our loss Yeah, so yeah, of course also dr.
Do was awesome. Not that well. Yeah, I think I think doom is the ultimate Example of a villain who is a hero in their own story. Yes, you know like doom does come from a like tragic Origin in a sense, you know almost mirroring the fantastic world right?
Oh, no, of course But you know not learning at the same lesson that they do no not rising above which makes him of course become the villain of course But you know he's a genius creation right and giving him that like you know Yeah And has been that's the potential by the way of every character that's in his great It could be a great villain or great hero and most of the Marvel stories They've done a lot of them they could flip either way Yeah, and I think that's just another mark of like stands desire to create characters that are more relatable because there's you know The idea of they're being absolute good or absolute evil is not something that we come across too often No in the world, you know, there's where we all have potential to do the right or wrong thing at every moment of the day Yeah, so I think it's brilliant of him. Yeah, no I agree By the way, we didn't really get a chance to talk too much about him I wanted to just because like about emboldening people giving him authority over their over their agency Daredevil the show just ended season three Not only can I not believe that there was a great show called Daredevil But like I can't believe how much I've fallen in love with this character over the years in the beginning I was always like oh spider-man supported character basically as a very little kid I always saw him in other spider-man comics I didn't really I'm like what are these he doesn't have powers like you kind of can't see like that's the radar So I don't understand what that means but like the more you get into Daredevil the more I love him Especially as I get into adulthood like he is so like interesting and Like relatable and like there's so much about him that makes me excited to read about him and to explore his character And it's all right there in the page. It's all right there in the beginning of his creation Just a little just a poor Catholic kid who is like a but like a rough time and a rough dad Yeah, I can relate to that origin a little bit and the dude also like making a lawyer and making that whole thing like not just like he's a thing Like he works at a book newspaper like for you know, I mean even the even the Superman thing I'm not gonna so short-changing I love the clock works in a newspaper, but like the idea of tying his Origins a superhero to him to his job and being like that could be just as interesting and fun as him being a superhero Yeah, for me is so appealing. It's what I'm like.
Well, I'm like what I missed about the show We're like no no more more about him being a guy. Yeah more about his other superhero identity where he's this work He's like championing justice, you know with a suit and tie I love Daredevil's character and I can you imagine like you've already like stop drilling you hit oil right? You have a fantastic for you do like you do spider-man and then like and I don't know which comes first I think I think it's why he came first but like you know, I'm gonna stress you on that I think 63 but in any case like you could have stopped right at a certain point and he's like now I'm doing all kinds of like I'm not you that's yet to come. Yeah.
I mean like just just Cool So yeah, are there any other characters like just bring up some on to you? Just like I said, we're not gonna go down the list of you like here's all the characters We think it really cool. I mean like he's I mean here's a thing dick out really is the one that came to stand and said like hey I want to write this like here's my five-page treatment and some images on a doctor strange, right? I want to do this and you know stands on the says, okay.
Yeah, yeah, why not? Let's give it a shot Right, I think that you know is origins like that whole idea of being like oh no It was it was dico dico like they put it in strange tails It was a very short thing like they didn't have a whole lot of time to get it out there initially Like say I want to call mr. Strange, you know what that sounds to demeanie Yeah, I'm not a stranger than stand apparently remember that he was like we already have a building better strange You know what it's fine. Yeah, it doesn't matter.
It's fine. Yeah, but he was that why not right? I'm like yeah, all right You want to do some magic stuff sure let's go for it And of course like you know dico would kind of be the driving force behind that in the world is strange lived in yes You know leaves the one who wrote a lot of that He's the one that like gave a voice and like you know took things like the horror host of haga and you know the high Vagamado and like yeah, I know the mean but right right figure it out. It just sounds cool, right?
Let's just go for it. Yeah, yeah, don't don't discount the the power of something that looks or sounds really cool Yeah, and making that work yeah, and the power that is behind it I mean like ultimately, you know my interest in spider-man began with just him looking awesome right? Yeah, that's a great creation. Oh, it is good good.
Good pull. Yeah. I'm glad that yeah Well for me, this is a rough year. Yeah, we lost we lost them both.
Yeah, just passed. Yeah, yeah Yeah, that's really sad This is a character that like I didn't really think about too much But like I appreciate this origins and the more I get into comics I mean like if I could even say that but like the more I get into the comic book industry the more I'm surprised by how many People love the Hulk right identify with him and as a kid I'm like, I was gonna let's drink If you ever were a kid in the like 80s and 90s marketing people were selling you big strong guys Non-stop you were barrage with he men right and masters of the universe Just muscle-bound lunatics non-stop, but like the Hulk is a little different You know because and the Hulk is almost like a literary figure I mean obviously the Jekyll and Hyde some comparisons are about like a dude who does a meek timid science worker who winds up Becoming like a hulking rage monster is like a really neat idea and the idea of being like okay Here's your book. It's about a guy who doesn't want to be a superhero. Yeah, like what a weird cell Well, it's interesting because it's like you know on one hand you have the concept of twin around three powerful responsibility Right and then on the other hand you have this where it's just like you know Like I become something I don't want to be yeah, and I think when I don't want to be that I'm sorry.
I mean I don't want to be this but when I am it I can commit great good Yeah, I'm so effective at this thing that I hate being yeah Yeah, but I think like that's an interesting concept And I think a lot of people can be related that like that not being the person they want to be right? Yeah, yeah, the idea of being like of feeling Like a slave to your emotions. Yeah, yeah, or you're like especially to your anger. Yeah, um and you know Thanks to that creation.
I think we've gotten some really incredible introspectives on like using the Hulk on emotion and on you know self-loathing and on you know a certain duality Right absolutely in a character and all because you know Stan is you know out there You know saying yes to creators coming up to him like whatever and encouraging like not only himself But others around him to pay to know what's going on the world. Yeah, that's true You know like let's like again the world outside your window. Oh, yeah, what's going on right now? No very much We're gonna draw It was very much a proponent of being like it would be unfair and dishonest to not report or reflect what's happening right now on the website I mean very much at most every every book that they made was like, you know true to the author's vision whether that was his as an Author or whether it was the author who wrote that book or drew that book He was very much like well if you if it matters and you have something to say like you know put it out there Maybe you know, it's funny.
You were talking about like representation Yeah feeling like you know connected to something I mean the X-Men like like I said like you could have been like okay Well, I made you know I got the fantastic for it. I really need to make more teams I mean these Avengers I put them all on one team exactly but to come up with a concept like the X-Men by the way like the X-Men Like Magneto wasn't quite the social Avenger that people Made him into until much later, you know mostly he was like in his first appearances He was mostly like oh defeat you like he was very much a mustache twirling villain Yeah, but the concept of mutants the concept of the X-Men even if it didn't wear its Political motivations on its sleeve. We're definitely when inherent within the text or the subtext of this series certainly just just by presenting characters that were hated and feared for a visual cue or an Uncontrollable Affectation of your existence man like that that's that is definitely speaking people's languages particularly in the 60s But especially any time there are people in civilization So you know it's it's really dope to see like how early that started sure how well represented it was in this fun story and how relevant the X-Men Continue to be and how like important that team is to so many people I literally don't know anyone who isn't a fan of some aspect of the X-Men and doesn't go like the X-Men Like even even people who are like non I'm very I'm definitely more of a cosmic guy I'm definitely more of a or of an Avengers girl like no when it comes to the X-Men everyone's like I recognize how poor And I recognize how much they mean to people yeah, and what that what it means to have to help them claim like some kind of Authority over themselves, so you know just like wow the X-Men yeah, come on man, right? So I see on the list of you also like Thor I do a bit interesting one damn on that It literally shows that it was kind of like yeah, okay all these characters right there born from the atomic age Oh like nuclear concerns communist suspicions, you know social unrest and also this God right?
But what I love about that is you know sure Thor has certainly changed over the years And I think all of these characters have to some degree although a lot of them their core is still yeah Exactly the Stanley germ is still it's still inside, but with Thor I mean yeah He's like he's like let's put a God in this universe. Yeah, let's go for it Yeah, but it has to be a person yeah exactly But he's gonna if we went ahead and just had Thor like land and he's like and I'm here too It's like yeah, you just Superman I get it right with a hammer with a But yeah making it a human grounding human reality It's funny though how much that's changed but how the core concept of like humanized Thor yeah Thor relatable yeah is still inherent in the character even if like they've killed off or retired or abandoned the Donald Blake person or Whatever You want to give to Thor at some point or other people like yeah, but I don't really care about that or I don't want to do that I'm with a lot of writers like that right but like as long as the Reason behind his identities. Yeah is in is implicit within Thor then you've got a good song book or the very least you've got an authentic version of the Stanley creation Yeah Yeah, we also speaking of going back to representation stuff like that Black Panther hitting at the box office is like yeah, no kidding But also like black panther resonating with people well before that is like yeah, no kidding Like I've met so many people over the years who are like who I remember like not only knowing people who love black panther as children but like seeing actors and movie directors and other writers who found black panther to be a Voice for them a representation for them that is like essential to their core and being like Oh, yeah, it was made by these two white guys like but like the concept of Black Panther giving them this like hey look at this James frickin bond and also like you know with better skills and black Yeah, and also all this crazy cool technology and yeah And you know just just if you just gave him the skills you gave him like the super human abilities and the costume You've already sold everybody but then also making it like no culturally. He's also dope.
Yeah, yeah The representation is so important and it's why people are like so like you know I like seeing myself in the thing I'm making and black neither is like So representative of that and seeing people are hearing people who are like seeing actors and movie directors were like I've always wanted to make a black panther movie because I want to like give back to this character that made me feel like I had someone else in those books at that time Just and how cool and like I wonder if like you know I don't know how much of it was like standing like you know really cool if like all these people that I live in this Very like eclectic city could have some representation or if it was like you'll be cool black guy cat powers like I don't know But you know what though I guess kind of regardless of what it is it's kind of just like you know like he's just like why not right again Why not well how about that well? I mean like look at you know not just black panther, but like look Iron Man yeah Iron Man It's funny, and I've heard the story a couple times from him. I had a picture of Iron Man I guess I'll just pull it up but like I was like I'm ready for this But I've heard the story a million times about how he created Iron Man where he was like okay, so Most of the people who read in my comics are protesting like war profiteers and weapons manufacturers But wouldn't it be fun to make one of their superheroes into one of them? And like just kind of like poking the hornets nest a little bit but also being like just testing it out Why not do it like this why not make one of these like the faces of the evil corporate America into a superhero and seeing a Velby seeing a bill if they'll go for it The idea of Iron Man is so pure and interesting and funny the idea of his origins, but also the idea of like I mean It's funny how the comics took so long to finally like sell the way that people should expect Iron Man to sell and it was until the movie The people were like culturally aware of iron on board, but like the Iron Man movie Did a great job of like throwing out a lot of the like minutia and the the technical stuff You know the junkyard of continuity and stuff that he's accumulated over the years and being like this is what Tony start really is And if you go back and read like the the Stan Lee stuff, it's pretty much that it's pretty much that version of Iron Man It's just that it's distilled into a pure product that Robert Downey Jr.
Expertly produced using his own brand of like You know ash and charm and yeah I've never really found Iron Man to be as charming until I saw it in our Robert Downey Jr If you watch that or read his like Lee's work and of course something works as well, it's there That swagger is there that that earned kind of arrogance is there within that character and It's kind of cool how like that kind of came out I would have like the the pure product of Stan Lee's original creation kind of like came through and a burning crucible of this movie. Yeah Yeah So there's anybody else you want to mention before you like move on? Oh, whatever you want to? Yeah, no Shout out to Stanley's beautiful wife who we also lost a little while ago who is entirely modeled who went to his entirely modeled after I believe he just gave Remita a picture of her and was like make her into this character And indicative of the character where he's like let's put heart into something I'm making and you know what like I've been doing this a long time I'm gonna make this character boy Make the most beautiful person to the woman that I've ever seen into the woman that I married like yeah But yeah, so I guess I'll talk about Spider-Man a little bit I think you should Spider-Man is my favorite superhero.
I like Batman. I love Batman and Kuchima But like at the end of the day Spider-Man is is it I'm not alone I think that Spider-Man like when they put when Dan's on insisted that they put world's greatest superhero underneath the amazing Spider-Man thing I didn't hear a lot of protests because I think a lot of people like Spider-Man Yeah, and it's amazing how people like him for so many different reasons funny You know people when I first saw him I think it might have been a toy or a cartoon show My first comic book was a Batman book but my first but that was a book that was given to me right like I was aware of Batman culture I'm a little boy, right the you've given dinosaurs trucks sharks of Batman But like when you when I went out into the world against a little boy though when I saw a spider-man like that I don't know why I don't know what it is about like how his cool big eyes and the red and blue Maybe the Patriots is me but like but the fact that like Spider-Man looked really cool was the first thing that brought me in and then of course I read the books and each issue regardless of what part in a series it was who was working on it How it looked the core of it looks cool and also the the core of the character we're all implicit in the books that I read and I loved it You know I connected with the material immediately. Yeah, and it's interesting how I Resinated like Peter Parker resonated with me as a person I wanted to be like and a person that appealed to me as a human But it's interesting how you know I was brought in by the visual look of spider-man and how so many people love spider-man for so many different reasons Right love Peter Parker or they love venom or they love you know different characters like you just just any other ancillary character Or they love the power set or his rogues gallery It's interesting how one character can mean everything to someone and yet mean everything in such a totally different way to someone else And it all comes from standing like hey, what'd it be cool? There was a guy with spider powers.
There's also like a sidekicks age Like literally that was it was just like hey, what if Robin were his own superhero and he had awesome dope powers And so spider-man comes from that whole like thought that whole thought process again another why not by the way that was big time Hey, like well, I guess I'll do this amazing fantasy was getting canceled I guess if I'm never gonna get a chance to do this character It's gotta be now right because it's gonna in like it's one chapter in a bunch of other things By the way shout out to Jack Kirby did that cover every loves dick-o-o-to-one cover is very much more dynamic Dico does one where it's like swinging at you with a guy same exact direction, which means I guess Stan said Like this is what it's gonna be yeah, but but Kirby did the one where he's more in place He's more strong and imposing and superheroic, but by the way, it's Jack Kirby didn't get to work on Spider-man But because Lee was like no you're doing him too heroic too big You gotta make him a kid you gotta make him a kid And that's when he's like Dico I can make him sure the and he did it, but yeah, so spider-man is a character that like means a lot to me It's all thanks to Stan over time The character has only grown in my like respect and interest and evolved over time with me But I'll always owe so much to him for creating this kind of like formative moral compass character for me, you know So we're very lucky to have such incredible influences over time And I'm really happy to say in terms of celebrating same existence and his contributions that like my story isn't a solitary one I think a lot of people feel the same way or they don't they're like yo spider-man's cool looking and he also has these rock and powers and He brought this alien back from a planet that was like made for corporate reasons But ultimately that thing made this venom character attached to flash toms and another Stanley creation And that guy gave me like made me feel good about like being a veteran or soldier Right, you know, like so much comes from like one source and funny like spider-man Maybe that source for something but like from spider-man come Stanley and Stan leaves webs out into like all these other sources To all these other like impacts on people and influencing them and their and their perspective in their direction You know, I identify a lot of characters by me was that one like that never really waivered and changed You know and and it all comes from the core of what Lee was putting in there You know, I think you have a character say like here's what I'm all about and you put it on front street He says a bumper sticker quote it feels a little hokey, but number one during that time It was like that was how it was written But number two that was how it was done But number two like you know not to not paraphrase but like to quote like a line for my character Stanley did not read Phil Colson, you know, we could kind of use that right about now Yeah, we can use that kind of hokey We could use a little old fashioned right about yeah, and Stanley was nothing if not simultaneously old-fashioned ahead of his time You know where he's like here's something fun kiddos, you know, and you're like all the grandpas gonna say something He's like yeah, you know, it's totally cool all these forward-thinking ideas about like people and society and Like the human condition. It's like oh crap. Just drop some science on it. Yeah, and he did it in a really cool way that involved like Women yeah, I absolutely like not like that But like I love just seeing like this thing would be like hey check out what's gonna be happening next week in spider-man Right, but they'd also be like hey, oh by the way Like here's something like I think you guys should all be paying attention which is like care about each other right yeah, exactly Or like hey, you know, it's a real problem drugs Yeah, like he gained your respect and interest through comics and then from that he was able to like try to pass on like positive messages Exactly, which is like and ever green positive message It's not just like not just like you know, hey kids make sure brush your teeth or hey make sure to like duck and cover like things that are relevant today Yeah, I guess brushing teeth is still You get what I'm saying, but I think that like it's above and beyond what you'd expect right yeah Yeah, right a publisher and a higher gun who's just there to make things that kids are gonna buy right like a lot of us Who grew up in the 80s and 90s love he man, right like but at the end of the day the people who made he man were making action figures Yeah, and the cartoon shows to sell those action figures Yeah, they were there to do to go like I'm gonna make this thing that he's kids are gonna buy and bother their children or their parents to get You know like Stan was definitely the same kind of person in terms of like hey listen I need to make up these things he's gonna buy I'm trying to make money here and he's like yes Yes, I'm going to do that as well.
Also. Here's something kind of like evergreen about like the human condition We're gonna put it there like here's something important. Yeah, and also like you know what it's not all about selling the pages And it's not it's carnival arc or he's a salesman But he's also like we're also gonna sell this like we're also gonna sell like being a person Yeah, human because like at the end of the day that's my characters are right happened to be put in these fantastic situations Yeah, I mean and it's not even in a story So I mean like Stan famously also would just write little messages in the back of oh yeah No, absolutely. Oh he would it's funny because like when he would work with other artists his artists would be like The Marvel method usually he'd be like he'd be like here's the outline here's what stories give me about go for it And then he'd be like yes, you know like he put the like the letter of the word bubbles because they had you know He was writing so much.
He was I mean like he was writing to me things. He was writing he was editing he was doing the letters pages He was doing the bullpen he was doing Stan so box like he's also like marketing things and now like I also gotta make sure I write all This stuff so we gotta keep going. Yeah, exactly But yeah, even through things where he's like Jack Kirby have the human torch and circle swam in the flame and and then he would say oh No, I'm in circled in flame like yeah, we got it But like he also yeah like you said like infused his rhetoric into the words as well It's funny. We were talking about like these people these humans these grounded characters little kid from Queens becomes like a superhero The world's most famous superhero behind Superman that I probably I actually want to say it's probably Batman's Spider-Man at this point But but then there's a character that like really got to be the thing that's but the silver surfer I'm not picture of him right now Silver surfer's character where he would just like ride the cosmos and beautiful pictures Yeah, but then he'd be that was Stanley's way of being like I'm not talking about the real world Right, but I'm gonna do it from the perspective of this outside or alien We just got a commenting on it so that it's not me infusing the book of my personal politics It's that silver alien who's commenting on what's happening in the book.
It's not me. It's totally yeah Yeah, no you said that super here. I think I really thought for a second like I was like oh wait No, who's born Manhattan? That's where Stan was born.
Oh, yeah, he did kind of become like the world's greatest superhero. He did yeah Yeah, no, it's very true and like honestly It's funny because like you know what we spider-man's know for what like great power from great responsibility and like Stan the lived that right way Yeah, you know Yeah, because he always used the well like when he became a public persona when he got out of publishing He became the ambassador to comics and he was like using his influence his power so to speak to influence other people to be like This is a normal thing comics are normalized and fun and like you should get into it Yeah, absolutely and like trying like really keeping up at the times even if he wasn't sure what it was necessarily But you know whether it be you know cameos on random shows Oh, what cameos on his own in the films like getting to interact with spider-man or the fantastic for kind of fun And like kind of surreal I can imagine I can't even imagine no Where he's especially if he's interacting with three different versions But like to see him yeah like literally like step off the route out of the real world and almost like into a kind of like Version of his reality right well, it's like it's like seeing it's like seeing God with his with you know This creations like when Henson would yes, oh yeah with the muppets. It's bizarre cuz it's like it's bizarre It's their god. Yes, behold.
I'm here. I made you without me. There is no guy right? I'm just a guy.
I put on pants like just like everybody else you know yeah He is it's funny, you know you think about like God's myths legends We don't really know who like made them up. Yeah, like who created Zeus? You know what I mean? But uh we I think that the reason why we have such an affinity for stand-asites is like public personality and his like Great public persona and his you know like decades of infusing himself into the pages of things are reading and the culture that was influenced by it But also like we don't we like because we know he made them we can like ascribe a lot of ownership and a lot of like deep Connective stuff to the person that was thinly and so you know like it's kind of crazy to imagine that kind of thing Like I really do believe in some part of me that like in a thousand years if we're still here as a species That like things like spider-man and like Thor and even Captain America will still be there Yeah, and that they will like be these things that we not necessarily worshiped but like use as totemic examples of what it means I mean certainly we can still talk about Beowulf.
Right. There's no reason we can't still talk about Peter Parker Right exactly and and you know and beyond yeah, you know, so we we owe a lot to Stanley and that's like the weakest way to say Something about a person who has directly influenced millions of lives and the literal culture because like here's the thing Comics are still small medium. Yeah, only a couple hundred thousand people re comics per month and yet those movies those video games those cartoons influence people as well and millions of people watching consume all that stuff and those people are influenced by those influences and So whether or not you know, you could say like oh Stanley and influence probably like, you know A couple million people over the period of like 30 years some of that, right? He's also influenced directors and writers and authors and musicians and other people who also impact the culture and the entertainment industry Who could go out there and create things and so he's done a lot of good Yeah, and he will continue to do so until we are no longer species Yes, and it's kind of cool that we got to live in that world Yeah, like we will be those who like anyone anyone born after this day will live in a world where Stanley was like yeah like I like all your stories of him yes, exactly or even like even just like it would have been I can't but like I love the Hulk can you mean so much to me?
I wish I could have met the guy with the men who created him yeah, and you know The further along we get the more myth that he'll become yeah, and the more like distant is you know It's gonna be interesting it's gonna be very different. It's a different world and or at least it will be and you know I you know may seem a little like a alcoholic, but I really believe it like you know There is a we are now in a world where Stan is no longer a man who's over there who's like having you know Who's put his pants on like now? He is part of his creations now he lives in that world yeah, and so we all a lot and we're lucky to live in in that world Yeah, we're living in a lot of those people's worlds honestly no, it's true There's so many people who have influenced us in such a Pure and honest and interesting and fascinating and in a miraculous way and so if I can have a takeaway from this take an opportunity to think About people in your life yeah who influenced you or have influenced you that matter oh yeah, and and reach out to them Yeah, like don't wait don't wait like kids myth used to say don't meet your heroes He's very like oh you deliberately avoid meeting Wayne Gretzky because like I don't want to have that one have that I don't have that like I say even if you don't want to meet them or you want to maintain that disconnect I say take Your opportunity to say thank you. Yeah, try to reach out even if it's just your parents I think it's your grandparents and your brother your sister your uncle's like go to that person in some way Whether it's a note text tweet and say like yeah, you influence me.
Yeah, it really does and it'll matter to you too You don't know you don't know how much it's gonna bother you or hurt you until it's already too late Yeah, so just take the opportunity it doesn't matter it's not even feel silly right it may feel silly and they make you feel silly for it But don't let them because it's not about making them feel good It's like making you at peace with the person that they help make yeah, yeah It's it's really it's gonna be more for you than it is for them. Yeah, but it'll still don't impact them Yeah, it's true. Yeah, no, they will never forget like yeah, I'm honestly like so glad that you did give me him yeah me too twice Yeah, I can't believe that either now the first time he just wandered up he was just there yeah Yeah, yeah, and then the second time you hooked me up with with his meeting I would be forever great No, only and I we and that was it was a time when he was getting getting on but he was still there and that was a really really authentic Experience that I'll never forget it was like I it's one of those things where it's like we could have just been like No, there's always there's always next time there isn't always next time. No, it's and so you never know when that is gonna be it's Yeah, it really is it really is and like if anything I wish I could have like thanked him Yeah, I'm sorry that I'm sorry that I like but I at the time I wouldn't have like no one to thank you for I would have thanked you no because like you wouldn't be the person you are Without him no, I'm not just being like oh, yeah, but like no I am no it's true without him.
I wouldn't be this without a couple people There's like he is one of a handful of people who made me who I am that may make people go like well Then I should go out and punch them in the face There are more people who are like well I'm glad to have to do that that have happened You know I'm very fortunate as a person even if like you know I wasn't able to look at people's lives It's more about like I'm a whole person yeah, and yeah, you're a treasure Oh, thank you know it's because I wouldn't be the person who would have followed those those breadcrumbs throughout my life So thank you all so much for joining us on this little retrospective It's a little like a celebration of a man who has influences culture in many ways in ways we can't yet fathom and in ways in And ways we couldn't possibly imagine yeah And again like I know you know we've you know left it on like I know to like you know don't forget to tell people who matters you But like yeah, like we said like don't forget like he's gone. No, it's true He'll be here. He'll be here long after we are not really all you have to do is pick up a comic Yeah, yeah, he had any part of it any point time any right there. Yeah, that's right And I implore you by the way go back and like listen to some of his like fun recordings Yeah, definitely because it's it's like he's in and he's got so many that you know you can listen to him for years to come But yeah, so let go out and that's your home for today You know thank you thank you and we will catch you another episode of the else was exchanged before we go We did end up getting a couple super chats and I want to address them Yeah, because like they were and we addressed them to get up so we're not trying to monitor anyway It's not gonna have as honoring This is not like this was really just cathartic for us and I hope for you as well It's true place where you go to go if like you just wanted to share how you were feeling about this exactly Which I get the feeling that's what this was really really good at the day like he's a stranger like yeah He's not yeah, we didn't know when we didn't grow up with him We weren't friends with him.
He's not my uncle, you know, it's just but but he is in way like he's like he belongs to all of us Oh, yeah, he really does any caliber. I read yours a question metson a love bro Just love right on my buddy comic goblin my first introduction Stanley was in the 90s vitamin animated series when he was in the final season My dad's playing who he was it's a cherished memory of mine and my dad got to meet him glad I got to meet him Alright, peace and Lee and you it's a good man. I see 40 stands the first person I recognize for their creations He was in some ways a part of my life since I was four in short camping on a crime right now Oh, just you weren't crevishish the first experience I had with comments was the first ten spider in comments on CD wrong Give up by Kool-Aid when I was five 18 years later stands great and continue to push me to be better me too, man Super Luigi act. I hope he was at peace in spite of the controversy agreed.
I'm happy to hear I haven't read much anything about the controversy I'm thrilled that it's all about just celebrating the man who existed yeah Cam says me finding out about Stan was a kid was the first time I realized there are actually people responsible for creating the things I loved I'm happy that the general easy mo found key found peace me too man The super casual plebe the world just got a little more darker a true American hero past. Thank you May stand be with his wife and peace he will be missed a bunch of adorable mojis Yeah, the dude loved his wife to death and I'm if there is anything afterwards I have no doubt they're together Danny blacks and TV RFP Stanley the man was a true legend of my personal heroes a writer and a storyteller the man was truly great excels You're indeed my friend and me Gleason and memoriam to the death of Stanley Will you do any just imagine books Stanley did this thing with DC comes where he like reimagine DC creations Batman flash Which is a lady in check with hummingbird dn day and other characters like green lantern and aquaman or who's more or less a hydrometer I'd love to that we have a full omnibus of that book Comic chats his creations mainly spider-man in the phrase with great power must also come great responsibilities influenced by him today It's actually the real quote. I just used to truncate it like so many of us say in hand. I'm a big YM you guys do too much love Thank you man.
I mean a lot Danks the destroyer farewell true believer excels here mr. Roboto Stanley's greatest creation is daredevil is he's superhuman for the blind despite Always suffering never quitting of winning most most events still cool. I agree. Yeah, mr.
Roboto Bruce Banner was kirkonner's times 10 with depth. Yeah, I agree with that kirkonner's great villain though Jordan Cooper I was hoping stand to make a cameo as the one above all talking to spider-man one of the movies encouraging him to We're saying he was his favorite Like that too. I we never know we don't know what he recorded before it's a narrow like the rumors out there There are plenty free recorded Exactly. So that's gonna be rough.
Yeah The super casual plea joined back in to say onwards and upwards excels here Which is by the way What excels here means and compa kipster he'll live forever on in the bonds of friendships that he with his work that is works created Enforged he mentioned give all of us misfits a sense of belonging What a great ending. Thank you guys so much for hanging out with us And we'll see you guys next time here on comic-pop if you are new to this channel check us out, you know But otherwise we'll see you guys then next time I'm Sal I'm Dibany and excels here