Research Catalog

Details

Description

1. viii, 390 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color); 25 cm

Summary

1. "The definitive biography of the beloved-often controversial-co-creator of many legendary superheroes, A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee presents the origin of "Stan the Man," who spun a storytelling web of comic book heroic adventures into a pop culture phenomenon: the Marvel Universe. Stan Lee was the most famous American comic book creator who ever lived. Thanks, especially, to his many cameos in Marvel movies and TV shows, Lee was-and even after his 2018 death, still is-the voice and face of comics and popular culture in general, and Marvel Comics in particular. How he got to that place is a story that has never been fully told-until now. With creative partners including Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko-with whom he had tempestuous relationships that rivaled any superhero battle-Lee created world-famous characters including Spider-Man, Iron Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Hulk! But Lee's career was haunted by conflict and controversy. Was he the most innovative creator to ever do comics? Was he a lucky no-talent whose only skill was taking credit for others' work? Or was he something else altogether? Danny Fingeroth's A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee attempts to answer some of those questions. It is the first comprehensive biography of this powerhouse of ideas who, with his invention of Marvel Comics, changed the world's ideas of what a hero is and how a story should be told. With exclusive interviews with Lee himself, as well as with colleagues, relatives, friends-and detractors-Fingeroth makes a doubly remarkable case for Lee's achievements, while not ignoring the controversies that dogged him his entire life-and even past his death. With unique access to Lee's personal archives at the University of Wyoming, Fingeroth explores never-before-examined aspects of Lee's life and career, and digs under the surface of what people thought they knew about him. Fingeroth, himself a longtime writer and editor at Marvel Comics, and now a lauded pop culture critic and historian, knew and worked with Stan Lee for over four decades. With his unique insights as a comics world insider, Fingeroth is able to put Lee's life and work in a unique context that makes events and actions come to life as no other writer could. Despite F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous warning that "There are no second acts in American lives," Stan Lee created a second act for himself that changed everything for him, his family, his industry, and ultimately for all of popular culture. How he did it-and what it cost him-is a larger-than-life tale of a man who helped create the modern superhero mythology that has become a part of all our lives"--
2. Stan Lee spun a storytelling web of comic book heroic adventures into a pop culture phenomenon: the Marvel Universe. His creative partners included Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko-- and their tempestuous relationships rivaled any superhero battle. Lee created legendary superheroes, but his career was haunted by conflict and controversy. Fingeroth presents both sides of the controversy: Lee was either the most innovative creator to ever do comics, or a lucky no-talent whose only skill was taking credit for others' work. -- adapted from jacket

Alternative title

1. Amazing story of Stan Lee

Subject

1. Cartoonists
2. BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Editors, Journalists, Publishers
3. History
4. Biographies
5. Comic books, strips, etc > Authorship
6. Lee, Stan, 1922-2018
7. United States
8. 1900-1999
9. Marvel Comics Group
10. Cartoonists > United States > Biography
11. Comic books, strips, etc > United States > History > 20th century
12. BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing Arts

Genre/Form

1. Biographies.
2. History.

Contents

1. Preface -- JFK, the Beatles... and Stan Lee -- The dress cutter's son -- The Pied Piker of West Forty-second Street -- The psychopathology of comic books -- Breaking out and staying in -- Gathering forces -- From the ashes -- Webs tangled and otherwise -- Creating characters -- The ties that bind -- Boom boom boom -- Revolution in the air -- Surfing the waves -- Tense transitions -- Power politics -- The chaos and the King -- Returns and departures -- Goodbyes and hellos -- California dreamin' -- Follow the money -- Of love and law -- The undiscover'd country -- Legacy -- Afterword: Last thoughts on Stan Lee.

Call number

1. JFE 20-2787

Bibliography (note)

1. Includes bibliographical references (pages [365]-381) and index.

Author

1. Fingeroth, Danny, author.

Title

1. A marvelous life : the amazing story of Stan Lee / Danny Fingeroth.

Publisher

1. New York, NY : St. Martin's Press, 2019.

Copyright date

1. ©2019

Edition

1. First edition.

Type of content

1. text
2. still image

Type of medium

1. unmediated

Type of carrier

1. volume

Bibliography

1. Includes bibliographical references (pages [365]-381) and index.

Local note

1. BIOGRAPHY OF ICONIC MARVEL COMICS CREATOR.

Chronological term

1. 1900-1999

LCCN

1. 2019031647

Other standard identifier

1. 40029601342

ISBN

1. 9781250133908 hardcover
2. 1250133904 hardcover
3. 9781250133915 electronic book

Research call number

1. JFE 20-2787