Today the world lost a beloved legendary comic book writer who’s been entertaining and inspiring us for decades. Stan Lee died today, he was 95.

The co-creator of SO many iconic Marvel characters — Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Panther, Thor, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four — Stan Lee was larger than life. There’s even a Wiki page dedicated to ALL of the fictional characters he created or co-created. Some even called him a real-life superhero, and rightly so. He was an inspiration to many, and was a pioneer in his field as a comic book artist… he broke down barrier between artists and audiences as THR pointed out in this article, and he condemned racism and bigotry through his heroes in his comics, as well as directly using his Marvel “Stan’s Soapbox” column in 1968…

“Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today.” “A story without a message… is like a man without a soul.”

RIP Stan Lee #StansSoapbox pic.twitter.com/S8PvuDassx

— jen yamato (@jenyamato) November 12, 2018

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I remember reading how Stan Lee often felt that what he did (as a comic writer, editor and publisher) wasn’t really important work… as many people in entertainment could relate to. But of course his work inspired millions, as many people would attest today as we all mourn him.

Thank you, Stan Lee. pic.twitter.com/ssLCVq0OcO

— Full Sail University (@FullSail) November 13, 2018

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I watched his documentary With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story at Twin Cities Film Fest in 2011 and wrote a brief review of it here. His characters resonated with people as they too had real problems and real angst that people can relate to. X-Men for example, deal with a message for tolerance for outcasts, real-life themes that are still pertinent to this day that elevate the comic-book stories to be more than simply entertainment.

I greatly admire him and am one of those millions who are entertained as well as inspired by his creations. I read a bunch of articles about Stan Lee today, but one of them stood out to me because it came from a personal experience: What 20 Years of Lunches With the Comics Legend Taught Me. Apparently the ‘private’ Stan Lee wasn’t that different from ‘public’ Stan Lee and he’s just as eccentric (in a fun way) as I had imagined.

Naturally, tributes have been pouring in all day from various celebrities … this one from Captain America himself echoes my sentiment about Stan Lee… and clearly, not every superhero wore capes.

There will never be another Stan Lee. For decades he provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship and joy. He exuded love and kindness and will leave an indelible mark on so, so, so many lives. Excelsior!!

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) November 12, 2018

Let me end this small tribute with this video of every Stan Lee cameos from 1989. In fact, I had just seen his cameo (in cartoon form) in Ralph Breaks The Internet as one of the main characters was in the Oh My Disney fansite.

I always enjoy seeing Stan the Man in all his cameos, but some are more memorable than others. My top three favorite cameos are:

• Captain America: The Winter Soldier – “I am SO fired!”
• Captain America: Civil War: “Are you Tony Stank?”
• Thor Ragnarok: “My hands aren’t as steady as they used to be.”

You’ll be sorely missed, Stan Lee… but your legacy shall live on forever.

What’s your favorite Stan Lee’s comic book creation… or if that’s too tough to answer, what’s your fave Stan Lee cameo(s)?

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