How Would You Like to ask Stan Lee a Question?

Posted By: Peter DavidPosted On:

I’m working with Stan Lee on a biographical project and I think what it needs is a Q&A.

So here’s what I’m looking for: What question would you like to ask Stan Lee about his life? I’m not looking for anything with inherent negatives (no “Did you hate so-and-so?” style questions.) If your question is interesting enough, I’ll ask Stan, and include it in the book with his answer and attribute it to you.

So what do you want to know?

PAD

56 comments on “How Would You Like to ask Stan Lee a Question?”

  4. If you were starting the Marvel Universe all over again today, is there anything you’d do differently?

  6. How hard is it to maintain the balance between serious situations and a lighter tone for a hero like Spider-Man without getting too campy?

  7. I’d like to know abput his reading habits. How many books did he read on average and his favorite books.

  8. Okay, you’re on: in the late 1960’s, the socio-political, and artistic upheaval of the hippie movement, civil rights, and radical groups were all but ignored by DC Comics, but Marvel accepted to the point of embraced the changes going on around them by incorporating them into many Marvel books (the “Brother, Take my Hand” story in “Daredevil” immediately comes to mind, and of course there was that time the Beatles appeared in, I believe, the FF).

    Did Stan ever receive any warnings from those-in-charge (Goodman) about incorporating these realities into books that were essentially for all ages, or did the powers-that-be give him free reign to incorporate whatever he wanted? Were there any or no restrictions?

  10. In what ways did you try to overcome stereotypes in your work? I imagine this would bring many parallels between the real world and human-mutant perceptions in the Marvel Universe.

  11. What is one thing you learned from your father, your mentor, and your child that has had a lasting effect on you?

  12. What is your favorite comic right now (if any) from Image, DC, Dark Horse, and of course Marvel?

    What did you imagine your creations would be like in 2014 when you first created them?

    Personal “thank you” to Peter David for helping to popularize the last name “David”. Thanks to famous guys like you and Larry David, people have stopped saying to me “no, your LAST name” or “did you say Davis?”

  14. I’ve read several times that you were ready to leave comics, just prior to your creation of the Fantastic Four, because you wanted to write a novel. My question is; what would that novel have been about? Thank you.

  15. I’d be interested in asking two questions pegged to each 10 year mark in Mr. Lee’s career, i.e., 10 years in, 20 years in, 30 years in, etc. The two questions are:

    At that point, what did you consider to be your greatest personal challenge professionally (e.g., greatest obstacle to overcome, greatest opportunity to advance)?

    At that point, what did you consider the greatest challenge in the comics industry (e.g., greatest threat, greatest opportunity)?

    These don’t have to be the greatest challenges as they seemed at the time. They could also be the greatest challenges viewed in hindsight. I’m looking for a chronological structuring of transformative moments. Thanks for the opportunity, and I very much look forward to seeing the project. — John Hall

  19. What books in the sixties would you have had Joe Maneely draw had he not died so tragically young?

    and

    What good health habits have allowed you to stay sharp and vibrant for so long?

  23. Mr David — thank you for the opportunity.

    Mr Lee — did you really jump up on your desk and act out comic scenes whilst describing stories, as several Bullpenners have claimed? 🙂

  24. Does your will include allowing your remains to be used as the traditional cameo in a Marvel film?

  25. How was your relationship with Jack Kirby, and if you could say one last thing to him right now that you didn’t get a chance to before his passing, what would you say to him?

  27. Question: If you could change things so that you could work with one comic (or other) professional that you never got to work with, who would it be?

    Comment: I don’t expect Mr. Lee is reading these comments, but just in case you are sir: Thank you for…well, everything, but I guess the best way I can summarize it is: Thank you for being Stan Lee.

  28. I heard back in the 60’s you were thinking about getting out the comic business but changed your mind due to the success of the fantastic four. Do you have any regrets about not changing careers? Also have you thought about releasing prose novels/plays not related to the super hero genre now?

  31. “and/or”
    Also- Stan has often said that he wanted to write the great American novel. Did he ever start that novel?

    1. Yes, he did, in Amazing Fantasy 15. He just didn’t know at the time that’s what he was doing. (That’s my answer to your question, not necessarily Stan’s.)

  32. Two questions:

    1) Looking back in hindsight: since Marvel Comics are, for all intents and purposes, his ‘Great American Novel,’ does Stan ever regret changing his name from Stanley Leiber?

    2) I doubt this is one Stan is going to remember, and it probably falls into the “who cares?” category, but it’s something I’ve always wondered. Who came up with the idea of indicating the issue number and cover date as “15 AUG” in a box, as opposed to the traditional “No. 15, August” format?

  33. 1) Was there ever a character you created thinking that he/she would “be a big hit with the readers” but instead that character never actually caught on?

    2) I’m sure you have been told many times before how you and your characters have impacted people’s lives.. are there any particular stories from fans that stand out over the years?

    3) If you could pick 1 of your characters to actually exist in the real world, who would you choose?

    4) Which modern age writer reminds you the most of yourself?

    5) What is your favorite adjective used to described Spider-Man (amazing, spectacular, friendly neighborhood, etc.)?

    –PS [to PAD] Thanks for the opportunity to ask possible ?’s to Stan, but most of all, Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah ..may you & your family have a great holiday season this year!

  34. Well, you could ask him, on behalf of those who don’t read comic books but wandered here by other paths, why he likes comic books, why he chose to be a comic-book writer, what he believes he’s contributing to society via the genre of comic books, or what place comic books have (or should have) in the overall field of literature/publications.

    All of these appear to be related to the inquiry (from others, supra) re why he remained in the field during the Sixties and, apparently, later.

    This from someone whose current reading is John Dean’s transcripts of the Nixon Watergate tapes (and other, similarly light material) — I probably haven’t read a comic book since I was a teenager 50 years ago.

    Am I missing something? If so, what?

  35. Given all of the horrors your generation has seen, how have you stayed an optimist?

    What do you think characters you’ve created, co-created, and/or worked on, would say about America today (especially Captain America?)

  36. Mr. Lee:

    In the 60s, you anticipated that comics readers (on average) were getting older and created and co-created characters who were more like ordinary people (save for the super powers) than DC’s characters at the time. If you’d had that same sort of gut instinct about the Marvel characters one day being embraced by the movie industry in a positive way (even if no one else believed you and even if you knew it might take decades), would you have done anything differently with particular characters and/or teams? If so, what?

    Also, I don’t know how close you were with Julie Schwartz, but if he were still alive and you’d suggested that just for fun, he do a cameo in The Avengers and you do one in Man of Steel (or any other two Marvel & DC-related movies), do you think he’d have gone along with it?

    Thank you for the decades of enjoyment you’ve given the world.

    Rick

  37. No questions. But I would ask one thing.

    Please pass on the following:

    I grew up reading the Fantastic Four. And because of that series, I learned to appreciate the boundless power of imagination, and have striven to become a writer myself ever since. I may succeed, or I may fail, but regardless, I want to thank him for creating the characters that inspired my dreams.

  38. Thanx for the awesome chance:

    What was the first time you saw one of your characters used by someone else that made you think, “These superheroes are going to live on forever?”

    Jeff

  40. Aren’t you glad you never listened to the people who said you should quit playing around with these silly comics and get a real job?

  41. If you had known how popular and long lived the characters you created were going to be, would you have made any changes to the original plans for them?

  42. I would ask something along the lines of:

    Stan (if I can call you that), you have had an incredible impact on so many areas of culture by focusing on creating the best quality comics you could. You transformed the face of comics by creating flawed characters with real problems, which made these heroes relatable. In the best traditions of science fiction and fantasy, you incorporated real world situations into “escapist” entertainment, which helped many people deal with situations beyond their control, and brought hope to many whose situations seem hopeless. Presently, it is the characters you created which are the ones fundamentally changing the movie landscape, a process which had a rather rocky start but “clicked” and became extremely lucrative once the focus shifted to character-driven stories in line with the comics tradition, instead of shoehorning comic book characters into movies, and which promises to shape the future of comic book films for years to come. Outside of your professional accomplishments, your long-standing marriage is known to be important to you (and of course all comics fans owe your wife a HUGE thank you for encouraging you to write the kind of story you always wanted to write before quitting comics). With all of these diverse yet impactful accomplishments, what do you think will be the most enduring aspect of your legacy, and why? Of which are you proudest?

    Bonus question: Did you ever dream that after you stopped writing comics, you would have cameos in movies, with a career stretching into your 90s? Do you have any comment on this?

    PAD, thanks for the incredible opportunity to have a chance for our questions to be passed along. I’m honestly rather in shock that this came along. Thank you again.

    Chris

  43. To Stan: Many people have talked about how short the plot synopses got towards the end of your run on ‘Fantastic Four’ with Jack Kirby, and it’s assumed that a lot of the plot was actually hashed out verbally. What was that creative process like?

  44. My question: If you were forced to be locked in a room for 500 years (pretend this is possible) with a single character you created at some point, who would it be and why? What about if it was a character you didn’t create (Superman, James T. Kirk, Kermit, Falstaff… anyone)? What about a historical figure?

  45. “Who’s stronger–the Thing or the Hulk?”
    No, seriously. I was at a Marvel convention in the 70s (at a time when Stan was getting a bad rap as Funcky Flashman), when a young boy in the audience asked this question. Groans from the “adult” fans. Stan smiled and very seriously answered the kid’s question.
    I’ve been his biggest fan since that moment>

  46. 1) At what point did you realize you were making something that wasn’t just selling well at the moment, but would actually have a long lasting impact on the culture?

    2) Your success came in your late 30’s and 40’s, much later than that of most creative people, at least nowadays. Why did it take so long and how did that affect your writing?

  48. Stan, is there any food, drink or exercise that makes you more energetic at ninety one than I am at fifty three?

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