SUP E RH E RO E S
STAN L E E
b. 1922
Washington Green is proud to present the second deluxe editions collection of ‘Superheroes’; iconic comic book covers, created, orchestrated and masterminded by the legendary Stan Lee. These ten super-size deluxe editions of nine pay homage to the original large scale art, penned and inked by some of the greatest artists to emerge from the comic book industry. These ten classic covers feature some of the most influential characters that have dominated our society over the many years of Stan Lee’s reign at Marvel. We present Captain America, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Mighty Thor, The Invincible Iron Man, Wolverine and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers. Flying in the face of the universally accepted maxim that warns us not to “judge a book by its cover”, the cover of a comic is considered the most significant artwork within the book. A cover, much like a comic strip itself, tells a story, and sets the scene of imminent action and adventure. Working like a movie director, the artist manipulates the viewer’s experience via his or her vision and art direction. Each iteration of the cover art can entirely transform
the viewer’s understanding of the character and plot. The artist's use of composition, lighting and colour can help focus a reader’s attention to the important art on the cover. However, as any Marvel aficionado will know, cover art can be as much a tool of misdirection as a glimpse into the ensuing narrative within. Whether the cover seemingly shows one or more of our heroes on the brink of death, or indeed the comic world as we know it coming to an apocalyptic end, the chances are that the inner pages will right the wrongs shown on the cover, and good will once again triumph over evil. Therein lies the delicacy of touch needed by the revered Marvel cover artists; the balance of messaging for the reader must be enticing yet elusive, with just enough of the plot played out on the cover to be not just a head-turner, but a page-turner also.
Stan Lee is an iconic American comic book writer, editor and former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. In collaboration with several comic book artists, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, the Silver Surfer, The Avengers and many other fictional characters. Stan Lee is credited with introducing complex characters; characters that were not just the archetypal all American superhero, but those that had their demons, those that might, if pushed, lose their temper, or perhaps even become unwell – making them much more human and easier to identify with. This type of characterisation and story- telling had rarely been seen in the industry before. Stan Lee led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation during an era now referred to as the Marvel Revolution.
Stan Lee’s Marvel Revolution 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.
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