What's the 'true face' of Stan Lee?

[MatthewC]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/?column=13

In discussing "In Search Of Steve Ditko," Rich says:
"But amazingly, Ross does something with Stan Lee that I've never seen on camera. He presses the point over Stan's acknowledgement of Steve Ditko as co-creator of Spider-Man and for about twenty seconds, Stan drops the mask. The huckster, the showman, the face-front of Marvel is gone and you see the true man behind... before the mask comes back up again. For someone who's been brought up on Stan Lee, hell I even interviewed him myself twelve years ago, it's incredibly unsettling and worth the whole programme. "

It sounds fascinating, but it makes me wonder exactly what is seen behind the mask. Is the real Stan bitter? Sad? A cauldron of boiling anger and jealousy?

I know the show hasn't aired yet, but the odds of me seeing it when it does are slim.

[zuludelta]

It sounds fascinating, but it makes me wonder exactly what is seen behind the mask. Is the real Stan bitter? Sad? A cauldron of boiling anger and jealousy?

I'm guessing the "man behind the mask" is an old old man who wants a nap more than anything else.

I remember seeing an atypical Stan Lee moment in the Stan Lee produced "Comic Book Greats" video interview, the one with Jim Lee (released around 1991 or so). There's a point in the vid where he's asking Jim to draw something and Jim sort of diverges from his directions and you can totally see Stan's face and body tense up for a couple of beats, his mouth set in a straight line, and he reprimands a somewhat startled Jim Lee. It was one of those "blink and you'll miss it" things, though.

[Kid Monster]

This documentary sounds infinitly more interesting than anything on American TV or in American theatres right now. I'm looking forward to watching it on YouTube, if they don't catch it in one of their copyright purges.

Back in '85 or '86, when I was about 15 or so, I saw Stan Lee give a Q&A at Western Illinois University. He really lived up to his PR persona... incredibly animated, jovial, suffering idiots and little kids with grace, leaping from topic to topic like chain lightning... one of the few encounters I have had in my life with someone geniunely "larger than life". I'm now in my 30s and have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning... but Stan was bouncing around like a chicken on meth. I was a dumb, impressionable teen at the time, so I may be biased, but his energy and personal magnitism were incredible.

His mood darkened, however, and all the smiles and laughter stopped dead for ten minutes when somebody asked him about the "upcoming" Spider-Man movie (Side note: In the mid 1980's a low-budget studio based out of Israel had plans to make a cheapo Spider-Man movie. It fell through, and the numbnuts involved instead went on to do Captain America. Yes, that Captain America movie. The one where the Red Skull is Italian and Cap has rubber ears). Stan was pissed... he told us that "The script for Spider-Man is a piece of garbage! Garbage!" and urged us all to "Boycott it!". He seemed genuinely personally hurt, and I think most of us kids in the audience would have gladly attacked the studio with firebombs if Lee commanded it... and considering Captain Rubberears, maybe he should have.

[The Xenos]

I was thinking it was something more like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM8zB6zm860

[Karl H]

This documentary sounds infinitly more interesting than anything on American TV or in American theatres right now. I'm looking forward to watching it on YouTube, if they don't catch it in one of their copyright purges.

Back in '85 or '86, when I was about 15 or so, I saw Stan Lee give a Q&A at Western Illinois University. He really lived up to his PR persona... incredibly animated, jovial, suffering idiots and little kids with grace, leaping from topic to topic like chain lightning... one of the few encounters I have had in my life with someone geniunely "larger than life". I'm now in my 30s and have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning... but Stan was bouncing around like a chicken on meth. I was a dumb, impressionable teen at the time, so I may be biased, but his energy and personal magnitism were incredible.

His mood darkened, however, and all the smiles and laughter stopped dead for ten minutes when somebody asked him about the "upcoming" Spider-Man movie (Side note: In the mid 1980's a low-budget studio based out of Israel had plans to make a cheapo Spider-Man movie. It fell through, and the numbnuts involved instead went on to do Captain America. Yes, that Captain America movie. The one where the Red Skull is Italian and Cap has rubber ears). Stan was pissed... he told us that "The script for Spider-Man is a piece of garbage! Garbage!" and urged us all to "Boycott it!". He seemed genuinely personally hurt, and I think most of us kids in the audience would have gladly attacked the studio with firebombs if Lee commanded it... and considering Captain Rubberears, maybe he should have.

The BBC are doing uploads of top shows and stuff I'd imagine that given there'll likely be a reasonable amount of demand for this stateside that you might find something on the BBC website.

[Sonicjuce]

I love Stan Lee for what he did for the comic community and his creation of some of the greatest characters ever. Having said that I think he is just a personal glory hound in it for his own gain. He wrote stories because it was a job. He may care for his characters, but at the same time he wants money from them. Of course he does deserve it, but I think at this point its all for personal gain not for love of the character. I can't seem to phrase this right but hopefully you will understand.

My point is I would have no interest in this I guess.

[Jack Zodiac]

And then you run into the argument that Kirby was responsible for most of Lee's "great ideas." It wasn't like Stan was running the show himself, and Jack had been doing it better for a lot longer on his own.

[The Xenos]

I guess even if the ideas weren't 100% Stan's, you have to admit he was the showman that helped get them known and off the ground. That's the thing. The guy wasn't just a writer. Maybe even mroe than his writing, he was a great showman. Not in a more sleezy PT Barnum way either, in a more good natured meaning of the word.

[deadbeat76er]

The real face of Stan Lee turns out to be a cross between pissed off that he is asked a straight question and remorse/anger that he can't give a better answer than; 'It was my idea but I am willing to give Ditko equal footing because he asked for it and is upset about it' ?!

Ditko didn't think that was enough and Lee left it at that...

[Omega Alpha]

The real face of Stan Lee turns out to be a cross between pissed off that he is asked a straight question and remorse/anger that he can't give a better answer than; 'It was my idea but I am willing to give Ditko equal footing because he asked for it and is upset about it' ?!

Ditko didn't think that was enough and Lee left it at that...

Actually, he says Ditko deserves it, but Spidey was his idea.

[dancj]

I felt a bit sorry for Stan Lee. I don't agree that Spider-Man was just his creation, but the guy seems to clearly believe his viewpoint that the idea is the creation.

[Alan2099]

Just because Stan has a moment of seriousness or anger doesn't mean everything else is an act. Everybody has a few topics they don't like to talk about or moments of anger.

Maybe he's just tired of all that "You didn't really create all of marvel," talk he's probably been getting for decades.

[Jerkmeister]

I watched that entire documentary very closely. It was an excellant effort on Jonathan Ross' part, probably the best comic documentary ever because it was done with HEART and seriousness.
Having said that, I don't get the whole deal with Stan Lee's "true face." Sure, his "showboat" persona was dropped but that was because the question was getting serious. There was nothing malicious in his reply, don't know why people are insinuating that.

[Randy Reynaldo/WCG Comics]

A few years ago, I got a chance to see Lee speak at a meeting of a local professional cartoonists' group I belong to. (In fact, by dumb luck I ended up sitting next to him.) Lee has done tons of speaking engagements over the years, so even though he told us he hadn't prepared anything formal, he was engaging and entertaining. He was good personal friends with many of the people there, but even there he was "on." I think it's always just been an intrinsic part of his personality.

One interesting thing he said was that if he hadn't gone into comics (and before the "Marvel Age" began, he always thought comics would just be a temporary thing) he probably would have pursued something in advertising/PR. Doing the Stan's Soapbox page was his way of being able to have fun with that side.

Lee is a salesman. I don't think he's ever consciously tried to steal the glory or take credit for things. But I think when he wrote the Origins of Marvel Comics (and Son of Origins), it was as much an opportunity to promote Marvel as much as himself. He's always been a devoted company man and he sees Marvel as his baby -- after all, he maintained his relationship with the company even when he was suing them a few years ago (he was in the middle of litigation when he spoke to us and made this distinction very clear to us).

Lee's always perpetuated the view of Marvel as one big happy family, so I don't think he realized how much some people were hurt either by the way the way he portrayed things (which was possible because his outgoing personality made him the primary "face" and embodiment of Marvel) or the way they were treated by corporate Marvel. He also probably greatly internalized what was written in his books as fact: To quote the film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

[Randy Reynaldo/WCG Comics]

I watched that entire documentary very closely. It was an excellant effort on Jonathan Ross' part, probably the best comic documentary ever because it was done with HEART and seriousness.

Also meant to comment on this -- if you haven't seen it, watch the full-length documentary on Alex Toth that's buried on the new classic Space Ghost compilation. It's an outstanding documentary that includes his four children and industry people like Joe Kubert, Irwin Hasen, Paul Pope, etc. It's outstanding and, as many people have noted, the quality is easily good enough to air on something like PBS and its "American Masters" series. It helps that aside from his groundbreaking art, Toth the man is a fascinating subject all by himself.

[The Xenos]

Finally saw this Ditko documentary. Fantastic. Between this and the Japanorama episodes I've seen, I am really digging Ross.

As for Stan Lee, that was very interesting. It got pretty serious, but not too uncomfortable. It really showed a clash of opinion and the men went their separate ways.

[RichJohnston]

Finally saw this Ditko documentary. Fantastic. Between this and the Japanorama episodes I've seen, I am really digging Ross.

As for Stan Lee, that was very interesting. It got pretty serious, but not too uncomfortable. It really showed a clash of opinion and the men went their separate ways.

Ross does a weekly Letterman-style chatshow on BBC 1, a weekly film review show on BBC2 and a weekly music show on BBC Radio 2. The last should be easily accessible online.

[The Xenos]

I knew he has done other shows and talk shows. Though certainly it's stuff like this Ditko doc and the Japanorama that shows me he's a nerd into some of the same stuff I like is what sparked my interest. Dear crap. Some of the crazy stuff he did in Japanorama alone has me jealous as hell. Geez. Nerds aren't supposed to be famous and successful. :p

[dancj]

Top man. He used to co-own a comic shop with Lenny Henry and Paul Gambachini.

[cg_maniac]

found some of it here, not sure if this will keep working though.

http://www.dograt.com/category/cartooning/comic-books/in-search-of-steve-ditko/