Stan Lee Popular Books

Stan Lee Biography & Facts

Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which would later become Marvel Comics. He was the primary creative leader for two decades, leading its expansion from a small division of a publishing house to a multimedia corporation that dominated the comics and film industries. In collaboration with others at Marvel—particularly co-writers/artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko—he co-created iconic characters, including superheroes Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, the Wasp, the Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, the Scarlet Witch, and Black Widow. These and other characters' introductions in the 1960s pioneered a more naturalistic approach in superhero comics, and, in the 1970s, Lee challenged the restrictions of the Comics Code Authority, indirectly leading to changes in its policies. In the 1980s, he pursued the development of Marvel properties in other media, with mixed results. Following his retirement from Marvel in the 1990s, Lee remained a public figurehead for the company. He frequently made cameo appearances in films and television shows based on Marvel properties on which he received an executive producer credit, which allowed him to become the highest-grossing person in film of all time by a large margin. He continued independent creative ventures into his 90s until his death in 2018. Lee was inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995. He received the NEA's National Medal of Arts in 2008. Biography Early life Stanley Martin Lieber was born on December 28, 1922, in Manhattan, New York City, in the apartment of his Romanian-born Jewish immigrant parents, Celia (née Solomon) and Jack Lieber, at the corner of West 98th Street and West End Avenue. Lee was raised in a Jewish household. In a 2002 interview, he stated when asked if he believed in God, "Well, let me put it this way... [Pauses.] No, I'm not going to try to be clever. I really don't know. I just don't know." On another interview from 2011, when asked about his Romanian origins and his relationship with the country, he said that he had never visited it and that he did not know Romanian because his parents never taught it to him.Lee's father, trained as a dress cutter, worked only sporadically after the Great Depression. The family moved further uptown to Fort Washington Avenue, in Washington Heights, Manhattan. Lee had one younger brother named Larry Lieber. He said in 2006 that as a child he was influenced by books and movies, particularly those with Errol Flynn playing heroic roles. Reading The Scarlet Pimpernel, he called the title character "the first superhero I had read about, the first character who could be called a superhero." By the time Lee was in his teens, the family was living in an apartment at 1720 University Avenue in The Bronx. Lee described it as "a third-floor apartment facing out back". Lee and his brother shared the bedroom, while their parents slept on a foldout couch.Lee attended DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. In his youth, Lee enjoyed writing, and entertained dreams of writing the "Great American Novel" one day. He said that in his youth he worked such part-time jobs as writing obituaries for a news service and press releases for the National Tuberculosis Center; delivering sandwiches for the Jack May pharmacy to offices in Rockefeller Center; working as an office boy for a trouser manufacturer; ushering at the Rivoli Theater on Broadway; and selling subscriptions to the New York Herald Tribune newspaper. At fifteen, Lee entered a high school essay competition sponsored by the New York Herald Tribune, called "The Biggest News of the Week Contest." Lee claimed to have won the prize for three straight weeks, goading the newspaper to write him and ask him to let someone else win. The paper suggested he look into writing professionally, which Lee claimed "probably changed my life." He graduated from high school early, aged sixteen and a half, in 1939 and joined the WPA Federal Theatre Project. Marriage and residences From 1945 to 1947, Lee lived in the rented top floor of a brownstone in the East 90s in Manhattan. He married Joan Clayton Boocock, originally from Newcastle, England, on December 5, 1947, and in 1949, the couple bought a house in Woodmere, New York, on Long Island, living there through 1952. Their daughter Joan Celia "J. C." Lee was born in 1950. Another daughter, Jan Lee, died a few days after her birth in 1953.The Lees resided in the Long Island community of Hewlett Harbor, New York, from 1952 to 1980. They also owned a condominium on East 63rd Street in Manhattan from 1975 to 1980, and during the 1970s they owned a vacation home in Remsenburg, New York. For their move to the West Coast in 1981, they bought a home in West Hollywood, California, previously owned by comedian Jack Benny's radio announcer Don Wilson. Philanthropy The Stan Lee Foundation was founded in 2010 to focus on literacy, education, and the arts. Its stated goals include supporting programs and ideas that improve access to literacy resources, as well as promoting diversity, national literacy, culture and the arts.Lee regularly donated papers, photographs, recordings and personal effects to the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming between 1981 and 2011. They cover the period from 1926 to 2011. Legal concerns Lee engaged in several legal actions in his later years. Intellectual property In 2017, POW! was acquired by Camsing International, a Chinese company, during the period Lee was caring for his terminally ill wife and dealing with his own failing eyesight. Lee filed a US$1 billion lawsuit against POW! in May 2018, asserting that POW! had not disclosed the terms of its acquisition by Camsing to him. Lee stated that POW! CEO Shane Duffy and co-founder Gill Champion had presented him with what they said was a non-exclusive license for POW! for him to sign, under Camsing, to use his likeness and other intellectual property. This contract turned out to be an exclusive license, which Lee claimed he would never have entered.Lee's lawsuit contended that POW! took over his social media accounts and was impersonating him inappropriately. POW! considered these complaints without merit and claimed that both Lee and his daughter J.C. were aware of the terms. The lawsuit was dropped in July 2018, with Lee issuing the statement: "The whole thing has been confusing to everyone, including myself and the fans, but I am now happy to be surrounded by those who want the best for me" and saying that he was happy to be working with POW! again.Following Lee's death, his daughter J.C. gathered a legal team to review the legal situation relating to Lee's intellectual property from his later years. In Se.... 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Best Seller Stan Lee Books of 2024

  • Stan Lee synopsis, comments

    Stan Lee

    Bob Batchelor

    The definitive biography of Marvel legend Stan Lee, celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth.Stan Lee’s extraordinary life was as epic as the superheroes he cocreated, from t...

  • Ringmaster synopsis, comments

    Ringmaster

    Abraham Josephine Riesman

    INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NPR’s 2023 Books We Love“Riveting, essential reading.” Rick Perlstein, author of ReaganlandThe definitive biography of Vince McMahon, former WWE c...

  • Stan Lee synopsis, comments

    Stan Lee

    Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara

    Be inspired by the amazing life of Stan Lee, the comic book genius who created SpiderMan, The Hulk and Iron Man! Little Stan grew up in New York City. As a child, he loved reading ...

  • Dinosaurs Vs Puppies synopsis, comments

    Dinosaurs Vs Puppies

    Dani Jones

    Stan Lee’s Kids Universe and Cesar Millan present: Dinosaurs Vs. Puppies. In this fun rhyming book from Stan Lee’s Kids Universe, dinosaurs and puppies are compared and contrasted....

  • Marvel Year By Year A Visual History New Edition synopsis, comments

    Marvel Year By Year A Visual History New Edition

    Tom DeFalco, peter sanderson, Tom Brevoort, Matthew K. Manning & Stephen Wiacek

    Deep dive into the full story of Marvel Comics in a single, beautifully illustrated volume.Created in full collaboration with Marvel, this fanfavorite title, last published in 2017...

  • Slugfest synopsis, comments

    Slugfest

    Reed Tucker

    The first indepth, behindthescenes book treatment of the rivalry between the two comic book giants. THEY ARE THE TWO TITANS OF THE COMIC BOOK INDUSTRYthe Coke and Pepsi of superher...

  • Dragons Vs Pandas synopsis, comments

    Dragons Vs Pandas

    Chelsea, Kenna

    Meet Dragons and Pandas, two seemingly different creatures who have a whole lot more in common than you’d think! Where it’s what they eat or how they play, each has a special treat...

  • Rock Star Super Diva synopsis, comments

    Rock Star Super Diva

    Meredith Short & Ivan Escalante

    When the forces of evil take the form of khaki dads in tootight tees led by a mechanical menace with the head of an 80s pop icon, only one girl can save the world. Using her superc...

  • Stan Lee synopsis, comments

    Stan Lee

    Abraham Riesman

    Nato nel 1922, Stan Lee è stato a capo della Marvel per trent'anni, un'era durante la quale ha lanciato supereroi che ancora oggi sono celebri in ogni angolo del pianeta: SpiderMan...

  • Marvel Encyclopedia, New Edition synopsis, comments

    Marvel Encyclopedia, New Edition

    Stephen Wiacek, DK, Stan Lee & Adam Bray

    Discover the essential facts about Marvel Comics’ timeless heroes such as Captain America, SpiderMan, and Iron Man and villains like Thanos, Loki, and Kingpin. Keep up with th...

  • Stan Lee synopsis, comments

    Stan Lee

    Bob Batchelor

    L’Uomo Ragno. L’Incredibile Hulk. Iron Man. Questi sono solo alcuni dei supereroi frutto della mente di Stan Lee. Dalla giovinezza nella New York della Grande Depressione al riceve...

  • Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book synopsis, comments

    Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book

    Jordan Raphael & Tom Spurgeon

    Based on interviews with Stan Lee and dozens of his colleagues and contemporaries, as well as extensive archival research, this book provides a professional history, an appreciatio...

  • Stan Lee synopsis, comments

    Stan Lee

    Bob Batchelor

    This first true biography of Stan Lee is an eyeopening look at a pop culture visionary. This book traces Lee's lifefrom his Depressionera childhood to his years as a teen editor an...

  • A Marvelous Life synopsis, comments

    A Marvelous Life

    Danny Fingeroth

    The definitive biography of the belovedoften controversialcocreator of many legendary superheroes, A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee presents the origin of “Stan the ...

  • Supergods synopsis, comments

    Supergods

    Grant Morrison

    NATIONAL BESTSELLER What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, and the XMen...

  • Stan Lee synopsis, comments

    Stan Lee

    Liel Leibovitz

    From the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, a meditation on the deeply Jewish and surprisingly spiritual roots of Stan Lee and Marvel Comics Few artists have had as much of an impac...

  • Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating the DC Universe Book Two synopsis, comments

    Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating the DC Universe Book Two

    Michael Uslan, Chris Duffy, Dan Jurgens, Stephen DeStefano, John Severin & Gary Frank

    In 2001, the unthinkable happenedStan Lee, the comics creator most synonymous with Marvel, reimagined DC�s greatest heroes with a lineup of comics� greatest artists. Back in print ...

  • Stan Lee synopsis, comments

    Stan Lee

    Adrian Mackinder

    Discover the astonishing history of modern American entertainment, seen through the eyes of a popculture icon who lived for nearly 100 years.Stan Lee: How Marvel Changed the World ...

  • Once Upon a Time There Was a Pig... synopsis, comments

    Once Upon a Time There Was a Pig...

    Dani Jones

    Hamilton the pig is trying to tell the kids HIS story, but keeps getting interrupted by all of his animal friends. Does he ever get to finish the story?

  • Tommyland synopsis, comments

    Tommyland

    Tommy Lee

    I am Tommy Lee, born Thomas Lee Bass in Athens, Greece, on October 3, 1962, and raised in a suburb of California by an American father and a Greek mother. At seventeen, I joined Mö...

  • Monsters Vs Kittens synopsis, comments

    Monsters Vs Kittens

    Dani Jones

    A fun children's picture book about the differences and similarities between Monsters vs Kittens.

  • Reggie the Veggie synopsis, comments

    Reggie the Veggie

    Stan Lee, Dale Mettam, Terry Dougas & Ivan Escalente

    Reggie the Crocodile goes to his first day of school and finds that only meat is being served by the lunch lady. But where are all the fruits and veggies?! Reggie is no fool, veggi...

  • Imagine It Forward synopsis, comments

    Imagine It Forward

    Beth Comstock & Tahl Raz

    FROM ONE OF TODAY'S FOREMOST INNOVATION LEADERS, AN INSPIRING, PERSONAL APPROACH TO MASTERING CHANGE IN THE FACE OF UNCERTAINTY.NAMED A 2018 BEST BUSINESS BOOK PICK BY FAST COMPANY...

  • Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary synopsis, comments

    Marvel Studios Visual Dictionary

    Adam Bray

    Join Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, and the Guardians of the Galaxy on a stunning journey through the Marvel Cinematic Universe!DK is bringing its expertise in creat...

  • Marvel Greatest Comics synopsis, comments

    Marvel Greatest Comics

    Melanie Scott & Stephen Wiacek

    100 Marvel comics that built a universe.Which comic books have helped define Marvel Comics and make them the popculture phenomenon they are today? Find out in Marvel Greatest Comic...

  • Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating the DC Universe Book One synopsis, comments

    Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating the DC Universe Book One

    Stan Lee, Michael Uslan, Joe Kubert, Michael Wm. Kaluta, Jim Lee & Gene Colan

    Stan Lee at DC seemed like something fans could only ever dream aboutuntil it happened in 2001! This new collection brings these stories back in print, including Just Imagine Stan ...

  • Amazing Fantastic Incredible synopsis, comments

    Amazing Fantastic Incredible

    Stan Lee & Peter David

    In this gorgeously illustrated, fullcolor graphic memoir, Stan Leecomic book legend and cocreator of SpiderMan, the XMen, the Avengers, the Incredible Hulk, and a legion of other M...

  • Stan Lee synopsis, comments

    Stan Lee

    Bob Batchelor

    The definitive biography of Marvel legend Stan Lee, now adapted for young readers.Stan Lee’s extraordinary life was as epic as the superheroes he cocreated, from the Amazing Spider...

  • Civil War synopsis, comments

    Civil War

    Stuart Moore

    Second title in Titan Books' Marvel fiction reissue program, featuring the classic story: Civil WarSPIDERMAN IRON MAN CAPTAIN AMERICA THE FANTASTIC FOURTHE EPIC STORY THAT BLOWS ...