Stan IS The Man!

How cool is it to be Stan Lee? No, really, that’s an actual question. Think long and hard about it for a second. The man who brought us Spider-Man, Iron Man, sometimes the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four (not to mention countless more) has got to be riding high right about now. He’s a legend in the comic book world. Ok, you’re right. Legend is to light of a word. The god Stan Lee (is that better?) has everything an artist/writer/creator could ever want out of life: name recognition, a slew of fans, miles and miles of awards, and a very good nature to boot. So what could top that? How about signing an independent deal with Disney to create, film, and produce several more titles? Um, yeah, that sounds pretty sweet!

Apparently when Disney bought Marvel they also courted Lee to buy stock in POW! Entertainment. For those of you who don’t know, POW! is Lee’s pet project to develop new characters and ideas for the stage and screen. This means the legacy of Stan Lee is not over. In fact, it may be beginning anew.

This whole idea excites me for a couple of reasons. A) It looks as though Stan Lee is developing several new titles to please us all and B) It really shows how we view the icons of the Golden Age of comics. I’ve spent a fair share of my time at comic book conventions. I remember having the absolute honor of sitting next to Marty Nodell, the creator of Green Lantern. He was a great guy. He also was quick to remind me (a young, budding, daydreaming comic book writer at the time) that this industry can be hard on creators. He told story after story about fighting back at the industry to gain respect and profit. He also talked about how comic books weren’t even culturally acceptable when he created one of the top superheroes of all-time. Did Nodell ever get the respect he deserved? Did he ever get the money he deserved? I think not, but Lee seems to be paving a new way for creators and it will not only payoff in profit, but in visibility.

Lee has been having a blast these last few years. His cameo appearances in the movies with his creations are proof of it. He seems to always be smiling. He seems to always be in a great mood. Is it the fact he is making more money now than ever before? I’m sure it doesn’t hurt. However, I have to wonder if the respect factor has anything to do with it. Although Lee is younger than Nodell, he certainly wasn’t far behind him when the industry was all about profit and less about respecting the people who create that profit. I wouldn’t doubt Lee had his own set of horror stories about the industry.

For a company like Disney to come in and offer this type of deal to Lee is a great precedent for creators. Don’t get me wrong, Lee has worked his tail off in building this empire and positioning himself late in life to make this kind of splash. He deserves this credit. But Disney is no slouch. They could make a deal with some rising artist, pay less money, and hope for a good result. By knocking on Lee’s door, they are tipping their hat to a renowned artist and creator. In short, they don’t have to gamble with Lee, they simply have to plan correctly and make money.

What’s Next?

Any comic book fan can look in their collection and see the fingerprints left behind by Lee. He WAS comic books in the Golden Age. There was nobody better at creating than Lee. His ideas were brilliant. He brought comic books into the fold of acceptability. Now, we have a chance to see if he still has the touch.

Lee claims to have about 20 characters already in development and 40 more in the early stages. That’s 60 new characters. 60!! Can you imagine what will happen if even a small portion of those are as brilliant as his early work? We might have to create a new word besides god for Lee.

So far, six of them have been announced. Currently in development are Nick Ratchet, Tigress, Blaze, Foreverman, and Time Jumper. Of course we have no idea what these characters are about, but that’s the exciting part. In essence, Lee has figured out a way to cut out the industry middle man and develop his ideas into movies instead of comic books.

This is a great day for comic book fans. Post-Michael Eisner Disney has made great strides in ensuring my trust once again. By buying 10 percent of POW!, Disney seems to be getting back to their roots of appreciating brilliance and bringing it to the masses. I hope this marriage is a success because the real winners will be the fans!