Celebrating Stan Lee on His 94th Birthday
We wanted to wish Stan Lee at very happy 94th birthday here at The Marvel Report. Stan’s career has spanned 77 years, from his first job as an assistant at Pulp Magazine to now. Stan is 94 today and is still going strong. Not only is he considered a co-producer on many of the Marvel films that we know and love, but he regularly hosts comic conventions, publishes books, and was just honored with a “Stan Lee Day” from the City of Los Angeles.
Here are a few of our favorite Stan Lee moments, film cameos, and memories:
Jeremy Las Dulce: My favorite cameo of Stan’s was when he appeared as Willie Lumpkin in the first Fox Fantastic Four movie because as a kid I loved the Fantastic Four, especially the old stuff. I was 9 or 10 when the movie came out. I knew who Stan Lee was but for some reason I never knew what he looked like, so when my dad whispered to me in the theater, “J that guy is Stan Lee,” my mind was blown.
Jennifer Redelle Carey: When I was 10, in 1991, I saw a movie called The Ambulance with Eric Roberts playing the lead. Roberts worked as an artist and Stan Lee played his boss. I remembered Stan from his narration of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and had seen his likeness in comics and knew who he was. I was star-struck and I felt passionate about working for Marvel. I have not given up on that dream. In 2010, almost 20 years later, I met the Man himself, on Halloween, while I was dressed as Amy Pond from Doctor Who. While Stan Lee has appeared in every one of my favorite movies and many series (namely, Agent Carter and Heroes), his appearance in The Ambulance is the one I cherish the most. Happy birthday, Stan! Thank you for what you have done for the millions of Marvel fans the world over.
Carolyn Poddig: My favorite Stan Lee memories are varied. I was this close to meeting him at Amoeba Records the night I met the Russo brothers (apparently he showed up because no one knew who they were.) My all time favorite Stan Lee moment has to be when Bob Iger, Chairman of the Disney Company, gave him a special cast member award for 75 years of company service. Stan is a big Disney fan and to see Spider-Man and Mickey side by side was like a wonderful treat, a sample of my childhood. Here’s to the best cast member Disney has ever had besides Walt himself!
Shawn Richter: At SDCC this year, we were hanging out in the lobby of one of the hotels close to the convention center. Stan happened to walk by, so I handed my phone to my son and he ran off after him. He caught up with Stan near the elevator and he was kind enough to take a quick selfie. When he came back around the corner, my son was beaming with excitement. It was a chance encounter, but one of the biggest highlights of our SDCC 2016.
Michael O’Leary: It’s hard to say anything will ever top my getting to meet The Man at Boston Comic Con in 2015, that’s always going to be number 1. To specify for 2016 though, it’d have to be getting to go aboard the IMDboat at SDCC. We were on the first deck and low-and-behold, Kevin Smith was interviewing Stan directly above us and we got to watch it live on the cameras throughout the yacht. One can always feel his vibe in the vicinity even if you’re not in the same room.
Kathryn Calamia: Back when I was in high school I had the opportunity to volunteer for Stan Lee’s Pow Entertainment at New York Comic Con. It was great to meet so many Stan Lee comic book fans that weekend.
Jennifer Lloyd: The cameo that comes to mind first is Stan Lee as the MC at the strip club in Deadpool. The movie was amazing and that was the perfect cameo for the spirit of the movie.
Lauren Gallaway: My favorite Stan Lee cameo is the amazing exploding fight stunt sequence from The Amazing Spider-Man. I have never laughed so hard during an action sequence. I also love that Stan is still so involved in reaching out to fans at conventions. I have an amazing time every year at his con, Comikaze/LACC. I also appreciate his amazing work ethic. He is still working and as no plans to stop, even at 94.
Ronyell Anatasha Coaxum: My two favorite moments with Stan Lee was his moment in Thor where he was helping the excavation team with trying to get Thor’s Hammer out of the ground and he ended up messing up the machine in the process! I also loved his moment in Avengers Age of Ultron where he was partying with the Avengers and he ended up getting drunk at the end. It was so hilarious!
Brittany Rivera: My favorite Stan Lee moment from 2016 was when he introduced Avengers: Age of Ultron during the marathon leading up to Captain America: Civil War at the El Capitan theater. It was the first time I was in the same room as the legend and since it wasn’t announced I was completely shocked. It was an amazing experience, I was so excited I started shaking. Also, my favorite movie cameo of Lee’s has to be as Fred’s dad in Big Hero Six because it’s just so funny and perfect.
Tatiana Hullender: I have never met Stan Lee in person, but I have seen him speaking at conventions several times. Each one of those events, he is filled with a warmth and energy that’s so unique to him. He brings stories to life as he tells them and makes everyone in the room feel like a part of the journey, which helps explain how he’s enthralled us with his comic book stories for decades. I especially loved seeing him crash Mike Colter’s panel at LA Comic Con this year and congratulate Mike on Luke Cage doing so well. It felt like a passing of the torch moment, and just another reminder that comics are a living legacy that will be passed down for generations in whatever form they’re adapted.