“I Don’t Like Anything That’s Contrived- I Conceive, They Contrive. OK?”- Another Look at Jack Kirby’s “Infamous” 1989 TCJ Interview

Far be it from me, the most refreshing of comic critics, to simply beat the same old mash all the time, especially when this particular interview has been discussed and covered more academically than I’m about to do. That being said, some minor instances nudged me towards thinking about this oft-cited interview with Jack Kirby […]

“I Belong To All Worlds”- on The Time Capsule Charm of Spurgeon & Raphael’s Seemingly Forgotten 2003 Stan Lee Biography

“As much as ninety-percent of what Lee said at any given time might have been bullshit, but it was delivered happily, and with an admission that it was mostly bullshit, which made him a rather hard person to hate. And hey, he cared enough to bullshit you. That’s something, right?” – J. Caleb Mozzocco, 2009 […]

“He’s a Good guy, He’s just Not a GREAT guy”- on 2021’s “TRUE BELIEVER: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee”

It was only four short years ago (as of this writing) that a truly monumental work was published, a work that, for a short time at least, seemed to signal a possible push towards a truer narrative in the long-cultivated myth of comics history that we’re all so used to. That work was the Stan […]

“It Became Increasingly Stylish to Bash Stan…”- What Critics of Stan Lee Should Actually STOP Doing in Order to Be Successful

Stan Lee. The Myth. “The Man”. The legend. And one that is, apparently, bashed. The term ‘Stan Bashers’ refers to the sort of Lee critic that has become a sort of subculture within comics history nerdom, with those for and against the career and deeds of the man born Stanley Martin Lieber over a century […]

“One of The Hard Lessons The Comics Industry Has Taught Me is That EVERYONE LIES SOMETIME…”- on Tony Isabella and The Continued Irrational Defense of “Not In The Room”

It seems I have to, unexpectedly, touch upon the words and thought process of outspoken comics veteran Tony Isabella– a figure covered here once before as I examined his selective approach to injustice and how he rationalized which conservative(s) to direct his ire towards. I was slightly reluctant then as I am now to offer […]

“You’ve Heard The Legend- Which I Think Is True…”- A Flip Thru’ the Supermarket Sleaze of 2018’s ‘Entertainment Weekly- Stan Lee: A Life of Marvel’

I’ve seen this shit. You’ve seen this shit. These compiled “special” issues of various articles from the pop culture media put out to celebrate any figure who has some topical traction and visibility at the moment- I saw a special edition magazine last week at the grocery store dedicated to Madonna, whom I remembered is […]

“Always The First Person In The Room to Point Out It Wasn’t Just You…” The Slog That is 2002’s ‘Stan Lee’s Mutants, Monsters & Marvels’

I had known about this truly intolerable documentary, in actuality a long-form interview conducted by the equally intolerable Kevin Smith, since it initially appeared in 2002 when I was considerably younger. I’d like to stress that I avoided it completely then, largely due to my immense dislike of Smith which was quite possibly formed by […]

“It Was a Dichotomy that Made No Sense”- Reexamining 2011’s ‘Lee & Kirby: The Wonder years’

I’ll admit to being a bit conflicted upon reviewing Mark Alexander’s sentimental study of Stan Lee & Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four run from 2011, ‘Lee & Kirby: The Wonder Years‘, published by TwoMorrows Publishing (and doubling as the 58th issue of The Jack Kirby Collector, albeit in a deluxe, trade paperback format) for what I’d […]

“You Sort of Believe It Actually Happened”- Examining Roy Thomas’s Comments On ‘The Great Stan Lee/Jack Kirby Debate’

At the time of this writing, Roy Thomas has just turned 83. And, in reaching another milestone in his Eighth decade I’d argue one of the more significant ones is the bestowment of the glorious nickname “The Forever Boy” by his own personal Scott Thorson/Manager/Leech John Cimino. Honestly, when this was brought to my attention, […]

“I Guess Ditko and Jack are The Only Two Guys Who Know That…” A Brief Oral History of Stan Lee’s Responses To Kirby’s Creator Claims

(This has been compiled for the purposes of research; it is by no means complete. However, it contains the bulk of Stan Lee’s recorded public statements/responses to Jack Kirby’s claims of being the primary creator of the Marvel Universe. You will see at times that Lee is consistent in his narrative and repeats talking points. […]