An Ode to the Greatest Superhero of all Time- Stan Lee!
A burst of status updates on Whatsapp about Stan Lee remembering his life and times. Well, that’s how I came to know about the demise of one of the most loved souls on Planet Earth yesterday :(
Writing an ode to the person you deeply admire for his craft, ingenuity and his boldness to chart a new industry is tough amidst the outburst of emotions you experience as you write about him. Fondly known in today’s time as the old man who used to appear in a ‘blink and miss’ role in Marvel movies he gave joy to millions of kids and adults by giving birth to legendary superheroes.
Stan aspired to be a writer but started off first as an office assistant and then became a writer. At Timely Comics (later renamed as Marvel comics), Lee along with comic writers Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko teamed up to form the terrific trinity. Buoyed by the success of Justice League of America by the archrival DC Comics, the trio created ‘Fantastic Four’ series which became a landmark hit in 1961. This was just the beginning for Lee as he went on to create some of the most landmark superheroes you know and love. Heroes such as Spiderman, Hulk, Silver Surfer, Iron Man, X-Men, Dr. Strange resonated strongly with the readers and became an instant hit as they were not the supreme kinds. That they had their own personal demons to tackle apart from the arduous task of saving the world gave a complexly layered narrative to these characters and became much more appealing to the mostly white conservative reader base of that era.
Overall if I have to reflect on Lee’s journey and encapsulate some of the key learnings they will be:
1. Have the courage to follow your dreams and ambition and the persistence to let your passion and talent create a magic potential. Although Lee started as office assistant he had faith in his abilities that once he became a writer it will be his greatest moment of reckoning!
2. Do not be bogged down by society’s expectations and be proud of your work. As Lee mentioned once, he used to be embarrassed that he was just a comic writer while other people were building bridges or going for medical careers. But then he realized that entertainment is one of the most important things in people’s lives. Without it, they might go off the deep end. He even created an alibi to preserve his real name Stanley Martin Lieber for more ‘serious’ work.
3. Tie in your daily work with a broader mission or the purpose of your existence which serves as an anchor to guide you through tough times or when you are hopelessly down and want to leave it all. To Lee, he felt that if he was able to entertain people he was doing a good thing and adding color and joy to the lives of millions stuck in a rut. His life’s motto was ‘Excelsior!’ which meant upwards and onwards to greater glory, just what he continued to do in his lifetime!
4. Break all boundaries, unleash your truest potential and strive to create a masterpiece which is the most groundbreaking work of all time in your work or art. Lee created Black Panther- the first black superhero featured in a mainstream US comic and brilliantly brought to life in the Marvel movie this year! He also transformed Marvel from a tiny venture to a multimedia giant.
5. Know what your audience desires and pique their motivations and deepest yearnings to create a compelling narrative be it in selling a product, service, or writing a comic book. Lee created characters which became what they have since he understood the pulse of the audience, what they felt and what they truly resonated with which still holds true 60 years after.
6. Learn to evolve with times and the changing taste of your audiences to engage with them throughout the journey and create a timeless appeal. As Lee transitioned from writing comics to appearing in the Marvel movies, his short cameos were something his loyal audience eagerly looked out for having grown up reading his stories and it made them love him even more.
7. And at the end do not forget to enjoy the little moments and laugh along in the journey. Remain optimistic, radiate happiness and spread joy. In almost all the cameos Lee’s scenes were funny, at times cheeky and he was game to make fun and laugh at himself.
So while Thanos might have ‘snapped’ his fingers to take our most beloved away, we know you will still be enthralling audiences in the other space and be your ever happy and jovial self. Excelsior!
Here is to the greatest showman who enthralled millions through his vision and work, who made life less cumbersome and more exciting with superheroes to idolize. RIP Stan “The Man” Lee.
PS. I know you might have missed out on a few of his cameos in movies. Fret not, you can see all of them here!
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of any institute or organization he is associated with.
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