Danny Fingeroth

I think if you told Stan Lee back in the 70's that there would be Books - MULTIPLE books - about his life he would have fallen back in his chair in his tiny office at Marvel and laughed and laughed. (He had a wonderful laugh like a seal barking but very contagious)

So now we have A Marvelous Life The Amazing Story of Stan Lee by Danny Fingeroth who worked with Stan and can claim some insight on the Man and his impact on the modern American Zeitgeist. (I say Zeitgeist and i can just hear Stan show more say "Gezuneheit").

Stan lived a long time and loved to tell stories about his early days and had no compunction about "punching up" a story to make it a better (if less truthful) story. So you start to research and you find two or three different versions of a story and which one is right? In case of a tie, believe Danny.

It's a good book and captures pretty what Stan did (and what Stan didn't do) that lead to the rise of the current Marvel juggernaut. The early Marvel origin stories were drawn from "Dr. Jekyl" and "Frankenstein" and the Bible. (Stan borrowed from the best). He wasn't Norman Mailer. He never wrote the great American novel.

But he had an effect on my life, growing up in The Marvel Age and It was fun to read about his early life and up along to the California Days and the many fun cameos in the Marvel Movies.

Curious that the industry that puts brightly printed comic books in candy stores and spinner racks is dying out even as the movies based on Marvel Comics make millions and billions.

This review has already gone on too long so I will end it as Stan would end it.

"Nuff said" show less

The introduction to this awesome biography makes an important point. Most people, when asked to name famous comic book creators/writers, would respond, "Stan Lee.'' Because there are very few people who don't know who Stan Lee is (I can't bring myself to use past tense there). And for most people who aren't avid comic book fans, Stan Lee's name is the only one they can come up with. There are other greats (which my husband is introducing me to a bit at a time -- he's been a comic book fan show more for decades. I'm just now learning.), but Stan Lee was just a force all to himself.

This biography includes interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, background information on Marvel Comics, the characters Stan created, and his life from childhood until his death. I love how the book doesn't just focus on Marvel comics but on the man himself. It gives a full account of his life, experiences, and his writing.

I took my time reading this book. I enjoyed it a little bit at a time. Most of the time I followed up a chapter by reading a comic from my husband's extensive collection or watching a Marvel movie. I will truly miss Lee's cameos in Marvel movies. I always waited with expectation for the cute scene with Lee in it. It always made me smile. I don't remember a single theater experience where the audience didn't clap or show appreciation for the cameos. He will be missed by many.

The author of this book worked with Stan Lee for more than 40 years. And it shows. This biography is well researched, complete and obviously heart-felt. I loved every page!

RIP Stan Lee. Excelsior!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** show less

For those of us interested in the history of American comics as an art form, and the superhero genre in particular the fact that several of the foundational characters of that genre were created by young American Jewish boys of largely Eastern European descent is common knowledge. Fingeroth takes that as a starting point for a very personal examination of the superhero genre from a Jewish perspective. It’s a fascinating and thought provoking read. I did think there was a few times I felt show more he was over reaching to make a connection (but as I’m not Jewish I don’t have his perspective), and in a couple of places he glossed over areas I wanted to know more about. But these are minor quibbles for an extremely well written book that had me rethinking some of the sub-text behind some classic comics stories. In the end as Fingeroth states in his conclusions, this is “a subjective analysis and exploration” that sheds some light on the underpinnings of popular culture. show less

In this biography, Danny Fingeroth concentrates on Stan Lee’s time as editor and promoter of Marvel comics. I think of Stan as the cute little old man with the big smile who did cameos in Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Others know him as the co-creator of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. Still others remember him as editor of the letters page in Marvel comics. Stan spoke on college campuses during the late 60’s and early 70’s and narrated Marvel animated TV series. No one can show more think of Marvel comics without seeing and hearing Stan Lee.

He was a controversial figure in the comics industry. Fingeroth doesn’t shy away from what Stan did as editor at Marvel. He was hired through nepotism; his uncle owned the magazine publishing company that published what would become Marvel comics. Stan set up a situation where artists were hired on a freelance basis with the company owning their artwork. Stan claimed that because he came up with the idea for the Spider-Man character and other legendary Marvel characters that he was their creator. The artists felt that they created the characters, because they drew them and brought them to life. Many artists had to sue to get money from Marvel for these popular and lucrative characters. Later in life, Stan would say in interviews that he co-created these famous characters with the artists who drew them.

However you remember Stan, either the man who made Marvel what it is today or the man who kept others from getting the money and adulation due to them, he will always be considered one of the most important figures in comic book history. Fingeroth gives an even-handed portrayal of Stan’s life at Marvel. I recommend this book to fans or comics and comic book movies. show less