Last night, we learned that Stan Lee had passed away, aged 95. That's one heck of a run but it made the news no easier to deal with, especially when the last few years of his life have been consumed by false allegations of sexual assault and relatives and business associates alike reportedly robbing him blind. It was a sad end for the elderly comic book creator but things did appear to be looking up for him in recent months, so that's definitely something we can take solace in.
Lee's impact on the world isn't one you need me to remind you of; he's created and co-created a huge list of characters and an argument could be made that while he may not have been responsible for dreaming up the likes of Batman and Superman, they probably wouldn't be around today had Marvel Comics not appeared on the scene in the 1960s and made superheroes cool again.
It's thanks to Lee that we not only get to enjoy comic books today but also the movies that are based on them. Without him, there would be no cinematic universe; most definitely no Avengers and no Fantastic Four and X-Men for us to all eagerly anticipate joining that shared world spearheaded by Kevin Feige. His cameos in those movies have become a highlight for fans and non-fans alike (both my mother and fiancee - neither of whom have read a comic book in their lives - get a kick out of seeing him appear), while it's always a pleasure to get to hear his enthusiasm and excitement about the likes of Spider-Man: Homecoming and Black Panther even if he wasn't involved in them from a creative standpoint.
A Stan Lee signing in 2012 I attended at London's Super Comic-Con
(yes, kids, cameras really were that crappy six years ago).
Without "The Man," ComicBookMovie.com almost certainly wouldn't exist and I can safely say that not only would I have ultimately chosen a different career but I may have also ended up being a totally different person (something I'm sure many of you can relate to). Growing up in the 90s, I idolised Spider-Man in the animated TV series which aired on FOX and just as my interest in the character started being put on the backburner due to other childhood distractions, he swung on to the big screen in a movie that changed everything for me.
I may not have necessarily known who Stan Lee was at the time, but the release of Spider-Man in 2002 created a passion for superheroes which has never gone away and I stuck with them right through the 2000s, enduring the likes of Elektra and Fantastic Four all while finding something to love about them until superhero movies finally took a turn for the better in 2008. In 2009, I stumbled across ComicBookMovie.com and have been part of the site ever since, getting to write about the heroes and villains I adore as a full-time job and helping a website I fell in love with initially as just another commenter continue to grow. Had Lee not created these characters, myself and writers like Mark Cassidy and Rohan Patel would have nothing to write about and it's great to know that Lee's work will continue to have an impact for many, many years to come.
In 2012, I actually got to meet the legendary comic creator at the London Super Comic-Con. His first convention appearance in the United Kingdom for a number of years, I jumped at the chance to have a comic signed by Lee and to take a photo with him (not to mention attend a panel in which he recounted creating Spider-Man, a story which I would later realise he told at pretty much every convention he appeared at). Finding a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #39 on eBay, I was a little disheartened in the queue that day to see I was one of probably a hundred people who had taken that issue to the event but it still sits proudly framed on my wall to this very day.
One of the best issues of Amazing Spider-Man ever with some killer art by John Romita.
As for meeting Stan, I couldn't help but be starstruck. Despite that, I was glad to get the chance to shake his hand and to say thank you for everything he'd done. It was a moment he no doubt instantly forget but one I will always remember. He didn't and will now never know the impact he had on my life but I'll forever be grateful for everything he contributed to this world, laying the foundations for characters who I believe will one day be looked back on - long after we're all dead - the same way the legends of Norse and Greek mythology are today.
I met Stan Lee for all of thirty seconds but he was still someone who meant a lot to me and getting over his death won't be easy. He changed the world of pop culture forever and his creations have undoubtedly shaped us all into the people we are today. Whether that's because we could relate to Spider-Man's problems, were inspired seeing a blind man fight for justice or a man of colour lead The Avengers, his creations will stand the test of time and I know that he will never be forgotten. He truly was "The Man" and you just know he's up in heaven regaling everyone with the many incredible tales he shared with us over the years. Excelsior and RIP, Stan.