STAN LEE 1922-2018
the legacy collection
Stan Lee was an iconic American comic book writer, editor and former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. Born Stanley Leiber in New York city December 28th 1922, he signed his name as Stan Lee when he wrote his first comic book script ‘Captain America Foils the Traitors Revenge’, in 1941. Stan Lee had a gift for inventing plots with more depth and substance than the distinguished competition. He created characters with interesting personalities, who spoke like real people. They suffered personal hang-ups and the bad guys possessed previously unseen psychological complexity. Lee’s first creation alongside Jack Kirby, launched under the Marvel brand, made history in November 1961. Lee added wit, subtlety and hidden morals to a genre that was previously locked into flat portrayals of good versus evil; a style of story writing that endures to this day. He collaborated with several comic book artists, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, and went on to co- create Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Silver Surfer, The Avengers and many more fictional characters. Stan Lee’s Marvel Revolution also extended beyond the characters and storylines, to the way in which comic books engaged the audience and created a
community between the readers and the creators. Additionally, he pioneered and advocated the use of comic books to comment on social issues of the time, including bigotry, injustice and discrimination. This got him into some hot water with the rather conservative Comics Code Authority but Lee wouldn't yield, he continued to pursue what he believed in and what he knew his audience craved; thus the code changed. In summary, Stan Lee and his collaborations with some of the greatest comic book artists ever to have lived, changed the game. In 1984, Stan Lee was awarded The National Medal of Arts by the United States Congress, the highest honour awarded to an individual artist in the United States. Previous recipients include Georgia O'Keefe, William de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein and Bob Dylan. In November 2018, fans of all ages across the world united to mourn the passing of Stan Lee. As the mastermind behind some of the most popular characters ever to grace the pages of Marvel comics, the 95-year-old was as much a legend to the generations he inspired as the superheroes whose trials and triumphs he crafted on his trusty typewriter.
There’s nothing that can’t be overcome with a little courage and help from friends. In this rare selection of Marvel graphics, we see a fabulous selection of artwork taken from the stories of bravery and honour that have passed through the hands of comic book fans for decades. The Legacy Collection commemorates not only the extraordinary triumphs of the characters, but also those of the original superhero behind them: the late, great Stan Lee. Hand-signed by the Marvel Comics legend, each of these limited edition artworks captures the illustrations of some of the most acclaimed comic book artists of all time. Alongside his team – which included writers, pencillers, inkers, colourists and letterers – Stan brought the world’s best-loved superheroes to life. More complex and human than their predecessors, these incredible characters started a conversation that transcended the speech balloons of comic book pages and can still be heard today. Never before exhibited in the UK, this desirable collection continues Stan’s legacy. Showcasing characters like Iron Man, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Black Widow and Captain America, the graphics have been curated from one of the largest and most prestigious collections of Marvel comic book art in the United States.
To echo the vivid colours and dynamism of the original large-scale artworks, each graphic has been created by a specialist atelier team using the fine art giclée printing process. This painstaking technique captures the fine details of the original works, including the meticulous shading and ink strokes that added a new dimension to the costumes, weapons and explosive fight scenes. Presented in a modern black frame, each image is represented in three edition sizes: a deluxe edition of four, a collector’s edition of 10 and/or a standard edition of 99. Only a very few were signed by Stan Lee, making the collection even more desirable. The range of complementing sizes also allows collectors to curate their own body of work. Providing a snapshot of the early modern era of Marvel Comics, these adrenaline-filled scenes are taken from unforgettable story arcs, both triumphant and tragic. With comic book art now as meaningful as ever, as stories of superhuman strength in the face of adversity circulate in the news and our social media feeds, The Legacy Collection shows how something extraordinary is always just a few pages away.
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