Stan Lee has passed away.
Those were five words I dreaded hearing. The man was a legend. Hearing the news, I’m simply gutted. There’s a little shock mixed with a feeling of denial. I don’t want to accept it, but we have no choice. We now live in a world without him.
The reality is, if it wasn’t for Stan Lee, I wouldn’t be in the position I am today.
I grew up watching the animated adventures of Spider-Man (and the Super-Friends). There was always something about those Spider-Man cartoons. My first exposure was reruns of the Spider-Man 67 series. This was followed by a live-action version which confused me a little because of how different Peter looked without his mask and the giant web-shooters he wore.
Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends really made an impact. The show introduced me to so many different characters included the X-Men and Wolverine (who had an Australian accent). This show really opened my eyes to how big the comic book world was. This pushed me into reading and collecting comics. If it wasn’t for that pursuit, I wouldn’t have been in the situation to play my role in creating ComicVine.com.
Stan Lee is co-created so many of our favorite characters besides Spider-Man such as the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Inhumans, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Daredevil, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, Black Widow, Nick Fury, Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, and so so many more. Take a look at the amazing list here. Try to imagine comic books without his contributions. He made characters we could relate to since they often had flaws.
I’ll never forget the time I got to meet Stan in 2010. It was probably the first time I sat in a room with a comic book legend. He was as kind and gracious as you would hope. I can’t remember the exact words we exchanged. Part of me wants to think I said “Thanks” at some point. That’s all there really is left to say.
Thank you Stan Lee. You’ve given us so much. You will be missed everyday. Excelsior.
RIP Stan Lee 1922-2018.
What the Heck is going on?!? 
He had an influence on so many and had a hand in shaping so many careers. Years ago I picked up an interactive book where you go to a hero’s page and push a button and Stan Lee’s voice comes on and tells you about creating that character. I’ll sit and take a look at that book tonight. R.I.P. Stan Lee.