Stan Lee: First Hand Impressions of the Comic Book Legend

During the last weekend of October, I was granted access to comic creator Stan Lee that few ever have. Due to my all-access press pass for the Detroit FanFare comic book convention, I had the opportunity to spend more time around him than most comic book fans will ever have. After this high level of access, I found that I was bombarded with the same question from all angles. "What is Stan Lee really like?"

My History of Evaluating Personalities

I am a former business/political consultant who found it necessary to figure out how to evaluate personalities as soon as possible. In the business and political world, one has to have a keen sense of human nature and psychology, and the ability to use as many skills as possible to size up the hidden feelings of others.

My Access to Stan Lee

I was invited to the exclusive kickoff party for the Detroit FanFare on October 29^th, where Stan Lee was the guest of honor. I was rarely more than a dozen feet away from him. I had the opportunity to sit in on a Q&A session with the master as well. I spent time popping in when Stan Lee was spending time signing autographs, and taking pictures with fans. I was also able to sit down with him for a private interview (well, private if you exclude his manager and bodyguard).

Stan Lee with the Fans

While any celebrity would prefer to be known as someone who shows genuine love for the fans, Stan Lee is someone that undoubtedly does it with ease. If you are a fan in the presence of Stan Lee, you will almost assuredly sense a feeling of gratefulness emanating from him. Stan Lee makes sure that every fan knows that he is grateful for the career that he has, and exudes a feeling that he would be nothing without the fans. On many occasions, I noticed that Stan Lee was as excited to meet a fan as the fan was to meet him.

Stan Lee with Other Comic Book Creators

During the Detroit FanFare, there were many instances in which I saw Stan Lee interact with other comic book creators. Not only did he interact with the legends that he has worked with for years, but also the new creators that hope to be legends one day. In each instance, I found that he treated each creator with so much respect that an outsider might wonder who the bigger legend in the industry was. He spoke to each creator with reverence.

Stan Lee with Children

On many instances, I had the honor of Stan Lee interact with children. Again, an outsider looking in on his interaction might have been confused. They might have wondered how it was that one man could be a grandfather to so many children. It did not matter what the color was of their skin, he interacted with them as if he had known them, and loved them dearly for many years.

Stan Lee's Sense of Humor

To say that Stan Lee has a good sense of humor would be an understatement. I believe that there are few professional comedians that appear to enjoy the sound of laughter more than Stan Lee. During the entire time that I spent around him, I noticed him taking every opportunity to make as many people laugh as possible.

Stan Lee's Persona

There have been statements by some in the past that Stan Lee has a public persona that is completely different from his private one. With my years of experience, I could not pick up on any hint of a man who was hiding feelings. In every sense, Stan Lee personifies the positive qualities of every character that he has ever created.