Comic book legend Stan Lee — who passed away in 2018 — was born 100 years ago, today.
Along with Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and others, Stan Lee introduced the world to The Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, The X-Men, and other superheroes. They “revolutionized entertainment and the then-dying superhero-comics industry by introducing flawed, multidimensional, and relatable human heroes — many of whom have enjoyed cultural staying power beyond anything in contemporary fiction, to rival the most enduring icons of the movies.”
Marvel’s greatest success of the period was Peter Parker, The Amazing Spider-Man. Debuting in the August 1962 Amazing Fantasy, Spider-Man blended a mixture of “unconventional humor and emotional agony.” In short, Spider-Man mirrored the rather unconventional pulp hero that Lee claimed as his inspiration: Richard Wentworth, The Spider.
“When I was about 10 years old, I used to read a pulp magazine called The Spider and sub-titled ‘Master of Men.’ Perhaps it was the Master of Men that got me, but to my impressionable, preteen way of thinking, the Spider was the most dramatic character I had ever encountered. He ranked right up there with Doc Savage and The Shadow. Even better, he wasn’t as well known as the others, which gave me the warm feeling that his fans belonged to an elite club. At any rate, in searching for a title for our newest superhero, I remembered my old pulp favorite — and the title Spider-Man instantly hit me. I didn’t mind borrowing the Spider part of his name because everything else about our new character would be completely different. I was determined to make our next production the most original, most unique comic book character ever to swoop down the pike.”
Although it’s debatable how much credit Lee actually deserves for the creation of Marvel’s now iconic characters, Stan was “The Man” who sold The Marvel Universe and, in turn, the comic book medium and the film universe that followed. “Stan, because of his personality and ability to talk in front of people, became the spokesman for all the comic books.”
So happy birthday, Stan Lee, comic book creator, promoter, and . . . pulp fan.
Spider-Man made his debut in the final issue of Amazing Fantasy, dated August 1962. Featuring cover art by Jack Kirby, the fifteenth issue would be one of Marvel Comics’ best-selling issues to date. Seven months later, The Amazing Spider-Man would make its debut.
We hope you’ll join us at PulpFest 2023 for a celebration of the Master of Men — The Spider — and other great pulp heroes that debuted in 1933. Our featured image is drawn from Walter Baumhofer’s cover art for the first issue of Popular Publication’s The Spider, dated October 1933.
PulpFest 2023 will take place from August 3 – 6 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry in Mars, Pennsylvania. You can become a member of the convention by clicking the Registration button on the PulpFest website. And don’t forget to book a room.
