An American icon; comic book writer, editor Stan Lee turns 87 years old today. Stanley Martin Lieber, better known as Stan Lee was born in 1922 in New York City. The former President and the chairman of Marvel Comics created legendary comic book characters such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and countless others. Lee changed the industry by introducing complex, relatable characters and established a shared universe where they resided. In addition, he also led the first major successful challenge to the industry’s censorship organization, the Comics Code Authority and forced it to reform its not-relevant policies. Stan Lee subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small publishing house into a successful multimedia corporation.
Lee has received a multitude of awards for his contributions to the graphic medium and was formally inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995. He received his own star on Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008.
Stan Lee was my childhood idol and I wish him continued success. Thank you for the countless enjoyable hours of my youth. Your stories fueled my imagination and dreams. The wealth of wonderful characters and fantastic stories that you created changed my perception of reading; what was once a chore became a pleasure. Happy Birthday Stan, Excelsior!
