Stan Lee’s multi-decade career in the comic book industry, spanning from 1938 to today, revolutionized the way comics, particularly superheroes comics, were written, as well as the way said comics were viewed by the public. By implementing new techniques, such as giving his superheroes flaws, the “Marvel Method” of writing comics, and discussing current events in his comics (ie WWII, drug use, and discrimination), Lee made comics more relatable to old readers while gaining new readers. Furthermore, Lee introduced hundreds of new characters to the Marvel Universe, including the Hulk, Spiderman, and the Fantastic Four - the latter of which jump-started a period known as the “Marvel Revolution”, which revived the popularity of superheroes after the end of WWII. Later on, Lee helped set up and run a branch of Marvel that focused on expanding superheroes to a newer form of media - television and film. Eventually, Lee was acting chairman and president of Marvel, and became the public face of Marvel. Today, one can see Lee’s remarkable effect on the comic book industry in the popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Marvel’s The Avengers is one of the highest grossing films of all time), and in that comic books and superheroes are no longer viewed as “an important factor in juvenile delinquency” (Frederick Wertham), but rather, entertainment for the whole family.
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