“Just Too Damn Sensitive For Their Own Good…” How The Politics Of Roy Thomas Influenced His Dismissive Attitude & Shit Writing

Believe it or don’t, I’d much rather keep this site apolitical. It’s only that bringing up someone’s political beliefs- which of course they are entitled to- must today be brought up in a larger context, insomuch as it pertains to their public statements and creative work and how that creative work may or may not […]

“He Looked A Lot Like The Old One…” The Second Life & Grand Delusion of Roy Thomas

Roy Thomas is ubiquitous, seemingly everywhere and far more visible in the world of comics than he has been in decades, partially due to the rise of general interest in the Marvel Universe itself and partially due to the machinations of his omnipresent manager, John Cimino. Thomas’s presence and billing as Stan Lee’s protege and […]

“As far As I’m Concerned, There’s No Controversy”- Disentombing 2011’s Breezy ‘With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story’

You’re sick of it. I’m sick of it! When I publicly declared that I would comprehensively review every documentary and every biography of Stan ‘The Man’ Lee, I never knew how quickly I’d fatigue from the slog of the same ol’ folk tales and talking heads praising and regurgitating the usual tired tropes. To add […]

“One Night He’s Seized By All-Consuming Originality!”- Digging Up The 1995 Stan Lee Doc

No Disney/Marvel production seems to have spurred as much discussion in 2023 as June 16th’s Stan Lee, with the debate and reactions still raging on nearly two months after it’s official release. The topic’s importance in the current conversation was sustained a little longer thanks to the esteemed Jeet Heer’s excellent How Stan Lee Became […]

“He Kinda Looks Like A Supervillain”- A Look at the Clues- And Responses- To Funky Flashman

This is not an article which attempts to inform you on the history behind Jack Kirby’s character Funky Flashman, a brilliant send-up and factually correct satire of Stan Lee. That’s been covered numerous times to varying degrees of success and factual correctness, notably on the excellent According to Kirby blog. No, today we’re going to […]

“Was Never The Same Without-” Looking At Simon & Lee Sans Kirby

If you read enough on the history of comic books and who-did-what and when, whether it’s transcriptions of interviews, blogs or essays or even comments from fans and collectors on message boards, the statement is ubiquitous. It is oft repeated and simply cannot be avoided. That is, that in the minds of many, Jack Kirby […]

“Look, Stan’s relationship to the truth is very interesting…” Evaluating the Exhausting ‘Stan Lee: A Marvelous Life’

Among the various comments I’ve seen regarding Four Color Sinners, one stood out to me, and its content was not surprising: when our article about POW! Entertainment’s many failed ventures were shared to someone’s Facebook page, a guy remarked- without reading, natch– that this was the product of a “Stan hater.” This is to be […]

“Fabled and Notorious THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY…” EXHUMING 2015’s DISGRACEFUL & Offensive ‘Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible!’

When it premiered in 2015, “Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir” received credit from the press for being in the graphic novel format, as if this were some innovative approach in biographical storytelling. It was just another instance of the media giving Stan Lee credit for something that numerous creators before him had already done […]

“That’s When All The Gimmicks Are Over…” A Review of ‘Slugfest: Inside the Epic 50 Year Battle Between Marvel and DC”

The first thing I’d like to do is give Reed Tucker credit for taking the time to sift and compile both well known and lesser known information into a cohesive and mostly engaging narrative that will keep you occupied on a train ride and that’s not faint praise, I promise. While this is notable for […]

“The Narrative Wouldn’t Exist Without Him As a Foil”- Thoughts on Martin Goodman

Think about how you know him. He’s subtly omnipresent to the point of existing in our collective unconsciousness the way founding fathers or historical figures are- he’s John Wilkes Booth, existing to be the assassin in Abraham Lincoln’s story. He’s Herbert Morrison, necessary to breathlessly describe the Hindenburg Disaster, so that it better becomes a […]