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"Excelsior" may have been copied from Wallace Wood
J David Spurlock
18 August 2016
EXAMPLES OF WALLACE WOOD USING “EXCELSIOR” AS A MOTTO IN COMICS PRIOR
TO STAN LEE. Outside of comicbooks, it was used by The Christmas Story
author-humorist, Jean Shepherd on radio; was a poem by Longfellow and
used by the State of New York. But the earliest prominent use we've
noted IN COMIC BOOKS is by Wallace Wood, a few years before Stan
started using it. Stan claimed he got it from Longfellow. That is
obviously the most flattering, poetic and literary source to cite —
but we know Stan was watching Wood's work in this period and likely
heard Shepherd's popular WOR radio show too... so, anything is
possible. Wood could have picked it up from any of these sources as
well. We're not sure when, in his show's long run, Jean Shepherd
started using the motto but Longfellow's poem was from 1848 and The
State Seal of New York banner reading "Excelsior" as the state's motto
was adopted in 1778. Still, Wood's use predated Stan Lee's in comics.
The Monster Mania ad seen here was done circa late'63/early-'64 though
it didn't run til later. The THUNDER Agents use was circa '65-'66.
Patrick Ford: Not a big deal, but another example of Lee's ridiculous
claims about his inspirations.
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