Stan (Not) the Man

I have many a message asking me to comment on the announcement that death has not ended Stan Lee's convention appearances; that he'll be still be at some in holographic form. Most of those who asked asked if I thought it was (a) morbid or (b) something of which Stan would have approved. To answer (a): Well, yes…sort of. But no more creepy than a Walt Disney animatronic at Disneyland or your basic Elvis impersonator. As for (b), I assume Stan signed off on such usages of his likeness back when he was alive and/or that his heirs have blessed it. Unless it's against his or their wishes, the relevant question is "How well done is it?"

I don't intend to attend the L.A. Comic Con to find out. First off, they didn't invite me and I don't go to cons that don't invite me and ask me to participate in some way that sounds like fun. Also, since I knew and worked with the actual living and breathing Stan Lee, I don't think I want to stand in line, let alone pay to commune with even a reasonable facsimile.

About the third from the last time I saw Stan in person was at some version of that convention in that building. Stan was not only alive then, he was having the time of his life meeting his fans and signing autographs for some serious dollars. There were reports later of financial shenanigans with regards to where all that money went and also reports of Stan being mistreated and forced to do this when he wasn't up to it but I was not a witness to any of that. A documentary was announced that would supposedly validate the horror stories with video clips but it stopped its Kickstarter appeal before it got near its target goal.

So I dunno what to think except that I don't think I need to have an opinion on any of this.

That day at the con, I was with my lovely friend Amber. I pointed Stan out to her and, having heard much about him, she asked if she could meet him ever so briefly. That did not look possible but I decided to give it a try. There was a long line of folks waiting their moment with Stan. There was also a bodyguard or security person who looked like his assignment was to stand there looking like a Marvel Super-Villain who'd crush anyone who got out of line or didn't get into line. He did not have a costume. He just had that kind of face and body language.

I approached him and said, "Hi, I used to work for Stan and he knows me. Is there a way we could get thirty seconds with him and say hello?"

He replied in a firm monotone, "No one gets to talk to Stan unless they buy a ticket and wait in line."

I said, "I understand that but like I said, he knows me. If you'd just tell him that Mark Evanier is here and he'd like to –"

He interrupted in that firm monotone, "No one gets to talk to Stan unless they buy a ticket and wait in line."

I can of course make the case that it was the guy's job to say that and even to say it in a slightly threatening manner. There were, after all, paying customers who'd been patiently awaiting their few minutes with Stan and they didn't need me to butt in and make their wait longer. But I like to think Stan would not have liked the tone or appearance of his protector.

I also don't think he would have liked something I also saw that day. He was enjoying the hell out of meeting fans, signing what they wanted signed and giving some of them a thrill they could talk about the rest of their lives. Some of them, I'm sure, thought it was well worth what they paid But I also saw a few younger folks who came to his booth for the thrill of meeting the Wizard of Oz only to find out they couldn't afford the entrance fee to The Emerald City. Amber and I tried to comfort one young lad who was almost in tears. Maybe, depending on the price, that kid will settle for the hologram.

Marv Wolfman, Stan Lee and me in better times

I did not talk to Stan that day. Later on, because of various things he said and did, perhaps even under oath, I decided it was better if I didn't talk to him at all. He was old and frail and having trouble remembering things. At the breakfast buffet at a subsequent Comic-Con in San Diego, I saw him not know who Marv Wolfman was and I figured it he didn't recognize Marv, he wouldn't recognize me. I certainly wasn't about to direct any anger at that man at that age. Perhaps you have friends you liked at certain times but chose to avoid at others.

From the articles, I gather that the Stan Lee Hologram is programmed to speak sentences that Stan himself uttered in life. I'd pay good money if it could say some of the things he said to me that went unrecorded about how his collaborators — Jack Kirby, especially — had so many of the ideas and came up with so many (and so much) of the stories and characters for which he received the writing — and often, sole creator — credit. But I had a long, up-and-down, on-and-off relationship with Smilin' Stan Lee and I certainly don't need his hologram disappointing me the way the man did.