I met and interviewed Stan Lee at a comic convention in Phoenix back in the eighties. He was gracious to a fault, gave freely and willingly of his time, and paid me several compliments about my comics insight and experience. I only wish I still had that VHS footage, including some interesting time with an up-and comer at the time named Chris Claremont. I had bumped into Stan in a chance elevator ride and managed to babble a request for an interview, which he accepted without hesitation. Just tonight I read his Origins of Marvel Comics, front-to-back, and am reminded of his highly colorful literary style, his extremely imaginative and creative mind, and how much (at least in 1975) credit he was willing to share with Jack Kirby, co-creator of many of those same superheroes. It was a bit of a shock to read that after working with Jack to come up with the character of Galactus, the planet eating superfoe, and deciding what needed to be drawn on the pages, that Jack had, of his own volition and invention, introduced the "required" herald for the big guy, a character we've come to know as Silver Surfer.
Stan, you are a force of nature, and the people's lives you've so willingly touched are changed forever. I know I was, and I know that I love this fellow we call Stan Lee. I wish him all the best now, and in the next phase of his existence (where there are likely no typewriters or word processors). Stan showed me that being creative and passionate is the duty of the intelligent mind, and in his honor I will always say "Excelsior!"
MARK STRELECKI
Atlanta, GA. USA