THE 13 AMAZING STAN LEE FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW

When you hear the name Stan Lee, chances are superheroes such as Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man spring to mind. With his exciting tales of superhuman powers, he founded Marvel Comics and became a megastar to millions. But there are still amazing things about ol’ Stan that many don’t know about. Here are a few:

1. Stan Lee wasn’t his real name. 

He was born Stanley Martin Lieber on December 28, 1922.

Since he wasn’t sure his comics would be successful, he wanted to save his real name for serious novels he planned to publish later on. Obviously, he became much better known for his comics than his novels.2.

2. Stan Lee worked with Dr. Seuss.

During World War II, Stan was sent to New York to write films for Army training movies. Soon he found himself churning out scripts alongside other up-and-coming writers such as Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and playwright William Saroyan.

3. He never went to a barber.

When someone complimented his hair, he told them, “In my whole adult life I’ve never been to a barber. My wife, Joanie is the only person I let cut my hair.”

 

4. His career had a morbid start.

Long before he created superheroes, Stan made ends meet by writing obituaries for newspapers. He later quit because it was “too depressing”.

5. He almost quit the biz.

When our hero hit 40 he began thinking he was too old to write comics. That’s when his wife suggested he give it one more try and just create whatever he felt like no matter what anyone else liked. That’s how the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk came about.

6.  One key to his success.

Stan took pride in the fact that his superheroes usually had human emotions. He figured just because someone has superpowers doesn’t mean they don’t have problems.

7.  Stan Lee had a horrible memory.

Stan Lee even would forget the names of his characters so he decided it would be easier if their first and last name started with the same letter. That’s how Reed Richards, Bruce Banner, and Peter Park got their names.

8.  Stan Lee Credits His Mom.

Stan was known for trusting his instincts. He once said, “I probably got my self-self-confidence from the fact that my mother thought everything I did was brilliant”.

9. Why the Hulk is Green?

The character was supposed to be grey but the printer had problems keeping the color consistent. Stan opted to suddenly make him green without any explanation to readers.

10. An expensive fight.

According to Stan Lee, his wife once destroyed his typewriter during an argument. Turns out that was the typewriter he used to write the first issues of Spiderman and the Fantastic Four. It probably would be worth a small fortune today but sadly, it ended up in the trash.

11. Stan Lee once worked for the enemy.    

The legendary creator did some work for Marvel’s chief competitor, DC Comics. His job was to re-imagine the origins of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

12.  Destructive fire.

Years ago, flames destroyed Stan’s studio in Van Nuys California. The fire department ruled it arson but no one was ever charged with the crime.

13.  Stan Lee Pawnstars appearance

Stan Lee appeared in an episode of the TV series, “Pawn Stars”. He had to verify whether his autograph on a comic script was real. It was.

Stan Lee passed away at the age of 95 in 2018 but no doubt, his comic creations will live on forever. Shortly before he died, he told an interviewer, “My motto is ‘Excelsior.’ That’s an old word that means ‘upward and onward to greater glory.’

 

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