Stan Lee, born Stanley Martin Lieber
For about 40 years now I have been reading comics of various types and sizes. As I live in the Netherlands, naturally this started with Dutch comics but when I was very young, my eyes fell on some titles that really fascinated me. Of course, translated into Dutch as they were, it took me some time to figure out the how and why and when of it all. But the comics I did happen to like so much, were mostly MARVEL COMICS.
I don't need to say too much of Marvel Comics as the whole history of this comic book giant is well documented. But the first comics that caught my eye, were of the late 60s and early 70s, when Stan Lee was still at the head of the creative giant.
Stan Lee wrote nearly all of the major titles at some time and did pretty much all of it with partner Jack Kirby at the artistic helm. The work became so much that other artists, such as the unforgettable Steve Ditko, soon joined in the fun.
True, when I started reading them, Kirby was already planning to leave and Ditko had already left. But the second generation had artists of even greater artistic brilliance, such as John Romita, John Buscema and Gene Colan.
The early to late sixties have always been the most interesting to me of all of the Marvel Comics. This was a time of great optimism, of wonderful storytelling, and of terrific art. Sure, all of that has been seen later again but never in the same way. Spider-Man's woes for instance have only grown worse over the years. In the sixties, he was such a symbol for the youth. I wonder when it was that I felt I outgrew him.
I still read Marvel Comics but when the sophistication of the second decade gave way to mediocrity, I felt my interests going in other directions as well. Sure, I came back later, maybe I never really totally left, but as they say, you can't really ever go home again.
-Continued-
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