We grew up with comic books. In fact, we still have a box in the attic with titles that may or may not be worth much on the open market, but are packed with priceless meaning. (And yes, we’re squarely in the Marvel Universe camp.) Nostalgically, we like to think we learned a thing or two about storytelling from those stacks of pulp. And with the passing of Stan “The Man” Lee, we believe there are some bigger takeaways in here for us, too.
Be an Original
Lee wasn’t just a storyteller and businessman, but a guy who was willing to push the boundaries of the medium. So much so, his work garnered fans and imitators alike. In fact, his signature sign-off, “Excelsior!,” sprang from his need to find a catchphrase so unique that any copycats would be obvious.
Don’t Listen to the Haters
The “Ten Cent Plague,” the “Horror in the Nursery.” “The Seduction of the Innocent.” Surprisingly, they’re not comic book titles— but they’d be pretty good ones! They’re actually headlines and such from articles used in the crusade against comic books. There was even a congressional subcommittee hearing on the matter! Good thing Lee and others persevered.
Be Amazing
Lee not only partnered with other creatives to bring Spider Man, the Incredible Hulk, X-Men, Black Panther, and more to life. He was a helluva business guy, too, growing Marvel Comics into a multimedia corporation— a Marvel Universe, indeed. Along with his now famous movie cameos, Lee did voiceover work on 80’s-era cartoons.
Be a Risk-Taker
Lee brought us the first African American superhero in Black Panther, humanized heroes like Spider Man with his own self-doubt, and touched on taboo topics like prejudice and drug addiction in his comics. Heady stuff for a genre birthed from the newspaper funnies.
Change, Adapt, Improvise, Overcome
Lee didn’t expect that his fame and fortunes would be made in the superhero biz. In fact, this son of immigrant parents hoped to be a serious novelist. Hence, taking on the moniker Stan Lee, in order to save his given name, Stanley Lieber, for his higher-brow stuff. It was job as a comics editor led him to the career he never expected.
In the words of the man himself, “‘Nuff Said!”