Jason G :: Stan The Man

RIP STAN LEE (2) - SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #2 PAGE 14 - FACE IT, TIGER ... YOU HIT THE JACKPOT!

Artists: Mark Bagley (Penciller) , Sam de la Rosa (Inker) , Tom DeFalco (Writer)

6 Comments - 1,755 Views - 9 Likes

RIP STAN LEE (2) - SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #2 PAGE 14 - FACE IT, TIGER ... YOU HIT THE JACKPOT! Comic Art

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Artwork Details

Title:	RIP STAN LEE (2) - SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #2 PAGE 14 - FACE IT, TIGER ... YOU HIT THE JACKPOT!
Artist:	Mark Bagley (Penciller)
Artist:	Sam de la Rosa (Inker)
Artist:	Tom DeFalco (Writer)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Splash Page
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	1,755
Likes on CAF:	9 10
Comments:	6
Added to Site:	11/13/2018
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Like so many other comic art aficionados, I started out reading and collecting comics, and for many years had no idea you could buy or collect something called "artwork". I initially got into comics with the first Batman movie (Keaton and Nicholson. Not Adam West. I’m not THAT old), but it wasn’t long after that Spiderman became my other favorite. And yes, I know it’s cliché to have Batman as your DC favorite and Spidey as your Marvel favorite, but that’s how it is for a lot of people, and that’s how it’s always been for me. But while it’s fairly common for comic collectors to try to assemble runs from a particular title, I never really bothered trying to do that. With one exception – Amazing Spider-man #1-50. It was, and remains to this day, the only title and the only specific run that I ever made a conscious decision to try and put together one-by-one.

There will be plenty of discussions and summaries of Stan’s life and career, and there are many others who can do that far better than I can. There will also be endless fights among fanboys and fangirls and historians, about things Stan did wrong, accusations of misbehavior, artists he didn’t give proper credit to, and other grievances. I’m not dismissing those, and I know that those who cared about and admired Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, or other aritsts, have much to say in that respect. It’s just not what I want to focus on tonight.

Would there have been a comic book industry without Stan Lee? Certainly.
Would there have been comic book movies, and conventions, and TV shows? Maybe.
Would the comic book universe and everything connected to it look anything like it does now if there had never been a Stan Lee? Definitely Not.

He inspired other writers and artists, who would do incredible things with his creations as well as create their own memorable characters and stories. He forced DC and the other competition to change and move forward and be better. He made the nerds, and the weirdos, and the misfits feel a little less alone. After all, if heroes with super-powers could have the same day-to-day life problems we all experience, and even be mutant outcasts to society, maybe getting picked on didn’t feel quite as bad as it did the day before you read that Marvel comic. He brought happiness and enjoyment and comfort and thought-provoking entertainment to millions and millions of people.

There’s a saying, which I think was by Jackie Robinson, about how "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
I never got to meet Stan Lee. Never got to have a conversation with him. But he had an immense impact on my life, and on so many others. In a time where more often than not there seems to be a focus on division, and anger, and negativity, I’m guessing that while he obviously had some detractors, the otherwise overwhelming reaction to the passing of Stan Lee is a mostly unified feeling of sorrow, at the loss of someone who helped bring so much joy to so many.

Since Spidey has always been my favorite Stan creation, I thought I’d post a couple of pieces recalling 2 of the most memorable moments of a story that’s now been going strong for more than half a century. One is a re-telling of the classic origin story where young Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider, gains amazing powers, but lets a criminal flee past him, and after that same criminal kills his Uncle Ben, learns the horribly painful lesson that With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility. The other page features Peter and Mary Jane, and her iconic "Face It Tiger… You Hit The Jackpot!"

Normally I’d say something about the artwork, but it just doesn’t seem all that important right now. I know that when someone passes, you’re supposed to try and focus on celebrating their life and their legacy, but I’ve done that for years. Celebrating the characters, and the stories, and the artwork. Today, more than anything else, I feel a tremendous sadness that I wasn’t expecting.

It's hard not to say that someone who made it to 95 and did so much almost until the end got all he could out of life. But he was one of those people who really did seem like he'd be around forever, so there's definitely a real sadness now that he’s gone, and I imagine that’s how it is for so many people today.

Something I didn’t realize until a few hours ago, is that Spiderman was created when Stan was 39. It came after many years of not succeeding. And the lack of success and working in comics was why he didn’t use his real name. He didn't want to put his name on silly little comic books just in case one day he wrote The Great American Novel.

Turns out, he did.

Excelsior!
'Nuff said.
Rest In Peace Stan.

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About the Owner

	Jason G ( 1 ) Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	January 2009
Last Login:	August 2025
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Jason's Classifieds Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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F M
Member Since 2005

Posted on 11/13/2018

Great splash and nice eulogy

Dino Mauricio
Member Since 2009

Posted on 11/13/2018

Outstanding!

K Gearon
Member Since 2011

Posted on 11/13/2018

2 great posts in honor of Stan the Man. Love that bottom panel. Congrats!

Vik V
Member Since 2016

Posted on 11/13/2018

Fantastic page!

West Stephan
Member Since 2007

Posted on 11/19/2020

You hit the jackpot on this page!

Peter Sullivan
Member Since 2006

Posted on 1/20/2022

He hit the jackpot many times. Multiple lottery winner type luck.

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