Fans around the world are mourning the death of Stan Lee, comic book titan. Born in 1922 to immigrant parents, Lee entered the comic book industry at a young age as a proofreader for Timely Comics. Born Stanley Martin Lieber, he adopted the pen name Stan Lee with the publication of his comic book debut, writing text filler for “Captain America Foils the Traitor’s Revenge” in Captain America Comics #3.
In addition to the many comic books Lee would go on to write, he also authored more traditional books as well, including two memoirs. Those books are listed here:
Origins of Marvel Comics has a great source of insider information on some of Marvel’s most popular and enduring characters, including Hulk, Spiderman, and Thor. Each character represented in the book is preceded by an introduction written by Lee, and is then followed by comics depicting the character’s origin and a followup story.
This was followed up by a series of books delving deeper into the origins of various heroes and villains, including:
- Son of Origins of Marvel Comics
- Bring on the Bad Guys: Origins of the Marvel Comics Villains
- The Superhero Women
- Bring Back the Bad Guys
- Grandson of Origins of Marvel Comics
Lee’s first memoir and autobiography is Excelsior! The Amazing Life of Stan Lee, published in 2002. In the book, Lee and coauthor George Mair describe the early life and career of Lee, discussing his home life and tenure and Timely Comics. They include stories from when Lee worked as a screenwriter for military training films for American forces during World War II, and they explore some of Lee’s first experiences in Hollywood.
Illustrated by acclaimed illustrator Colleen Doran and coauthored by Peter David, Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir is a graphic memoir depicting the life and times of Stan Lee. In addition telling stories from his youth and early career, this memoir also includes tales from the contemporary resurgence of Marvel interest brought on by the recent string of blockbuster films.
Stan Lee’s impact on popular culture cannot be overstated, and his work has entertained multiple generations of fans, readers of the comics and moviegoers alike.
What are some of your favorite works by Lee? Share in the comments!
