By April MacIntyre Jan 18, 2009, 22:24 GMT
Comic book great Stan Lee tells Details magazine in their latest issue about the superheroes we need today, picking up ladies, and being out-geeked by Gene Simmons.
Comic genius Stan Lee - "Iron Man" Los Angeles Premiere - Arrivals - Grauman's Chinese Theater - Hollywood, CA, USA © David Gabber / PR Photos
Lee shared a great anecdote about being out-geeked. “I once sat next to Gene Simmons on an airplane. Huge comic-book fan, apparently. He starts quizzing me. ‘You know, Stan, that Iron Man issue you wrote. No. 23. On page 10 in panel 3, where . . . ‘ And I say, ‘Slow down, mister. I can't even remember where this plane is going.’”
The full interview can be found in the Jan/Feb issue of Details, on newsstands January 20th.
Lee shared the global reach of his creations. "In China, I'm hailed by the title 'exalted creator.' In Japan, they welcome me off the plane like I'm one of the Beatles or something. I've been invited to talk about X-Men in Poland and Fantastic Four in Italy. All over. All over. It's really a wonder. Everywhere I go, people know the comic books, they know the characters, and they seem to know me."
Lee admits he is even stymied by some of his unusual creations, like radioactive spiders. "I never knew half the stuff I was writing about. Gamma rays? What the hell's a gamma ray? Telepathic communication? Jesus! What's that? I don't know a goddamned thing about science. All I know is what sounds cool—there's a kid inside me that goes, 'Wouldn't it be cool if I could lift this car and then destroy that brick wall?' "
Lee shared that he never felt he had attained a level of success. "To tell you the truth, I never thought of myself as much of a success...It's funny. When I was younger I used to be embarrassed. There were men building bridges, doing medical research—things that mattered—and here I was writing these ridiculous comic-book stories."
Lee continued. "People always tell me things like "When I was a child, my mother was gone, my father was drunk, but your books were there for me." Is that success? I don't know. Then again, I don't think anybody ever stops a bridge builder on the street and says, 'Your bridges! They're thrilling!' "
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