History of Comic Books Podcast · JT Wheatley

Archives - The Life of Stan 'The Man' Lee, Part 2

·23 min·2 clips

Stan Lee's 1971 Carnegie Hall celebration bored the audience, turning his big moment into a complete disaster.

This episode concludes the biography of Stan Lee, hosted by JT Wheatley. It details Lee's transition from writer to corporate figurehead and public celebrity. The narrative picks up in 1971 with a pivotal, disastrous event at Carnegie Hall intended to celebrate Lee. Despite a lineup featuring guests like actor Peter Boyle and writer Tom Wolfe, the Carnegie Hall event bored the audience. Lee subsequently became Marvel's president in 1972 but hated the role, finding it consumed by financial management. He relinquished creative control, focusing on being publisher while Roy Thomas became editor-in-chief. Lee's final direct writing credits were *Amazing Spider-Man* #110 in July 1972 and *Fantastic Four* #125 that August. As publisher, he launched *Crazy* magazine in October 1973, a *Mad Magazine* competitor bearing the "Stan Lee Presents" banner and edited by Marv Wolfman. Marvel also produced *Spidey Super Stories* for *The Electric Company* TV show from 1974 to 1977. A surprising insight is that Lee, despite his public persona, felt trapped and uncreative in Marvel's executive leadership. The episode notes his 1976 partnership with the noted underground comics publisher, an attempt to branch Marvel's reach. Lee's relentless promotion cemented Marvel as the "House of Ideas," a phrase coined during this era. His hands-on publishing efforts reveal a continued desire to influence Marvel's content, if not directly write it. The failed Carnegie Hall show illustrates the early, awkward phase of Lee's celebrity transformation. His frustration with corporate finances contrasts sharply with his public image as a carefree creative. The tone is educational and narrative, structured as a chronological biography. The style is conversational, delivered by a single host recounting historical events. Fans of Marvel history and media industry stories would love this episode. Listeners seeking analysis of comic book art or Lee's creative collaborators might find it less focused.

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