home

A brief history of Stan Lee Anthony Wayne Pettus January 12, 2018 Michael J Vassalo made such valuable points that I thought it was important for as many people as possible to read. [Editor's note: These are highlights from the scanned post below. Michael did not write this post to be quoted, and is simply a stream of consciousness, complete with typos. He has graciously let us repost it here. Michael Vessallo is the world authority on Timely comics, co-author of "The Secret History of Marvel Comics" and has written numerous introductions to Marvel books. Michael is always measured and fair, so if this comes across as strident, blame my out-of-context editing.] "No one has studied the writings of Stan Lee "prior" to Fantastic Four #1 more than I have. I know what he wrote in the 1940's and I know what he wrote in the 1950's. Almost all of the freelance writers Timely and then Atlas employed were better writers than Stan. And Stan did not write as much as the other writers." "Stan writing can be found in: * pre-code horror (see the first 5 issues of MENACE) * dumb-blonde humor and kiddie humor like MY FRIEND IRMA, MY GIRL PEARL and HOMER THE HAPPY GHOST * and in generic western fillers. That means, 'not' TWO-GUN KID, KID COLT nor RAWHIDE KID.[...] But for the most part, all of this is pedestrian and insipid." "A case can be made that 'cracking wise' was one of the key elements he brought to the Marvel age approach to the characters. But "creator? And 'great writer'? That's ridiculous." [...] Jack Kirby was an engine of ideas, concepts, characters and story arcs. He already had been doing it for 20 years. Creating. Stan was editor-in-chief of the company that produced more comic book titles than anyone else. He "dabbled" in writing."

home