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Everywhere this week there are reminders of Stan Lee.
He was very kind to me every time we met (except for when he tried to run me over with his scooter).
More than that, he was wise. He said the exact thing I needed to hear even though I didn't KNOW I needed to hear it.
He was very kind to me every time we met (except for when he tried to run me over with his scooter).
More than that, he was wise. He said the exact thing I needed to hear even though I didn't KNOW I needed to hear it.
I think there's a real danger of making him into a cute photo of a beloved puppy from your childhood. Which is a nice sentiment, but not who he was. He was a real person.
He genuinely cared about people. Thousands of people have a neat Stan story where he said or did something astute and surprising. He had a way of boiling down a mentorship truth to a single sentence or conversation.
More importantly, he was doing creative stuff right up until the end of his days. And not the same stuff he was known for, he was always doing some new thing.
The first time I met him, he crashed a panel on gays in comics, because he wanted to do a film adaptation of a novel with a gay superhero lead. He spoke about it with a real sense of enthusiasm and conviction. It meant something to him.
Right now I am reading an advance copy of a lovely novel he wrote, with @KatRosenfield, that was announced YESTERDAY. There's nothing retro or antique or quaint about it. It's full of ideas. It's called A TRICK OF LIGHT.
@katrosenfield So this guy, at 95 years old, was working on a novel that was very far from his previous work, and it's got humanity and insight. It has some bite. He was in his mid-90's and still trying new things.
@katrosenfield I love that people have such fondness for him, such a gut response to just hearing his voice. But I don't see him as some edgeless Santa figure. He was also an unstoppable creative force.
@katrosenfield I think that drive, that getting up every day with a new idea and making it happen, is an even better legacy than co-creating Spider-man.
@katrosenfield I don't have any spectacular insight into the man, but he three times took time out to tell me something I needed to hear, and it changed my life for the better each time. And I am just someone who wandered into his field of view in passing.
@katrosenfield I miss him lots. I feel like the tributes to him are lovely, and yes, he was a fantastic salesperson and spokesman.
But I love that the guy put on his shoes with a new idea every day and if something didn't work, he smiled and created something else.
But I love that the guy put on his shoes with a new idea every day and if something didn't work, he smiled and created something else.
@katrosenfield That is incredibly moving to a lot of us who don't always know the path forward.
You could do a lot worse than trying new things because challenge strengthens and inspires you.
You could do a lot worse than trying new things because challenge strengthens and inspires you.
@katrosenfield And here's some info about the book and audio book I was talking about, earlier. It's called ALLIANCES, A TRICK OF LIGHT. So far, it's just a lovely, graceful read. Recommended. It's not out yet, but when it's out, get it.
Thanks for listening to me ramble.
Thanks for listening to me ramble.
