Today the world’s oldest comic book aficionado and the master of superhero mayhem turns 90 years old. In that time Stan Lee has brought the world classic and unforgettable comic book characters that have leapt from the dotted pages of comic book world and onto the big screen.
Just this year Lee had another mega movie blockbuster hit with the super hero collaboration film, The Avengers. It made history as the first film to gross $200 million in its first three days. His other films (the X-Men series, the Spider-Man trilogy, the Thor series, the Fantastic Four series, the Iron Man triology, The Amazing Spider-Man series, the Hulk films and Daredevil) continue to introduce Lee to new audiences even though he began his career at the tender age of 17 as an editor's assistant in the early 1940's at Timely Comics. In the 1960's this company would later become Marvel Comics.
Lee first garnered widespread recognition with the Fantastic Four comic book in the 1960’s, and became editor of Marvel Comics in 1972. His unique style of creating superhero characters who were human beings first and ultra powerful beings second entranced comic book fans and changed the landscape of the comic book world. In essence, he made the superhero accessible to the common man.
Since then it’s been a rollercoaster ride to the top for Lee. Comic books are generally specific to a select fanbase but the introduction of sophisticated special effects and green screen technology to the film world in the early 2000's changed all that. Soon a slew of Marvel films populated the film landscape and Lee cleverly and adorably had it written into his film contracts that he would make a cameo appearance in each film. Part of the fun of the blockbuster comic book movies is spotting Stan Lee. It’s like a live action version of Where’s Waldo. X2 was the only film to date where Lee did not make a cameo.
In recognition of all that he’s given here are a few tweets from celebrity admirers, the first of which comes from William Shatner. It figures that the captain of the Enterprise would be one of the first to tweet happy tidings to the silver-maned dynamo.
@TheRealStanLee Excelsior! just doesn’t seem to express the right sentiment tomorrow. Oh how about HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Yes, that will do. MBB - @williamshatner
Happy 90th Birthday @TheRealStanLee !!! I can’t share a birthday with a better guy! #FlashThompsonTurns36 #CapricornsRule -@joemanganiello
#Happy90th to @therealstanlee architect of so many dreams. Thanks for all of your creations & kindness. You rule. #NuffSaid - @sethgreen
So it’s @therealstanlee’s birthday today. I suggest we wish him a #Happy90th for helping mold our childhoods with unbridled awesome. - @zacherylevi
Happy Birthday to a Father of modern myth – my hero @TheRealStanLee! Thank you for fueling my childhood AND adulthood with the Marvelous! - @ThatKevinSmith
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