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My
Dinner With Stan
Daniel
DeFabio works for Creative Light Entertainment, but has also
been working with Donald Swan and myself in keeping Once Upon
A Dime up and running on the web. As a result, he and I both
got to attend a private event on Friday night at the Con,
which his superiors have okayed us talking about.
I'll
let Daniel do it, because I think I've made Rob Sparling cry
enough this week.
 Thanks
to Don Swan a dream of mine came true. I met Stan "the
Man" Lee. Stan is for me (as I'm sure for many of you)
a mixture of hero, muse, patron saint, guiding creative force
and more. Friday the 18th at Comic Con San Diego, Stan stopped
by the booth for Comic Book the Movie. (He is interviewed
by Don Swan in the film.) I had only time to shake his hand
and exchange the basic praises "It's a great thrill to
meet you." I think I said.
He commented
on the cute girl in the booth wearing her "Have Courage!"
t-shirt. I offered him one to wear himself. "Are you
kidding? I can't wear t-shirts they make my arms look too
skinny."
A crowd
began to gather around him. I mentioned he was a bigger draw
than the lovely model dressed as Liberty Lass. He said something
like "there must be something wrong with these people,
look at her." And then Stan had to dash off to his other
booth promoting "Who wants to be a Superhero?" his
new reality TV show for WB.
But the
best was yet to come. That night Stan was to join Don Swan,
Mark Hamill and the folks from Creative Light Entertainment
for dinner. As editors of OnceUponADime.com,
Derek McCaw and myself were invited to attend. Rob Worley
of www.comics2film.com
(and writer of the upcoming Epic series Young Ancient One)
was also invited. Silly me I was late to arrive, but luckily
Stan was later.
I found
most seats were taken and Derek and Rob had the good fortune
of sitting across from Baywatch Babe Donna D'Errico. I mentioned
to them that they had the best seats in the house. Then Stan
Lee arrived.
The talented
voice over actors who appear in Comic Book the Movie quickly
surrounded Stan and serenaded him with the themes to the Hulk
and Captain America (1966 era). (Roger Rose led them, and
from our table, Rob and I hereby note he had the lyrics wrong
-- but Stan didn't say anything. --Derek)
Soon Stan
and Chase Masterson (Deep Space 9, Creature
Unknown) discovered the last remaining seats were near
me.
 To
be honest Stan's attention was dedicated mostly to the lovely
Ms. Masterson but I did manage to get a few edge-wise words
in. I told Stan that much like Robert Fulghum's book "Everything
I needed to know I learned in Kindergarden," everything
I I needed to know I had learned from Marvel comics. How to
read, how to write, how to draw (the Marvel Way), and how
to appreciate Norse myth, which I still do. I mentioned my
high school rock band was named MJOLLNIR
and I had the hammer of Thor on my bass drum. He laughed and
said I owed him royalties.
Later
with Derek and Rob we talked to Stan about his comics to film
adaptations. He said Spiderman was his favorite so far. He
was thrilled and amazed that the FX technology is now at a
point where his stories can be told on the screen.
Although
he had a favorite Marvel character film, when I pressed him
to choose his favorite child (of his comic book creations)
he said he couldn't. They were all his favorites. "And
it depends on when you read them. Who's drawing them. Who's
writing them. Everyone does something different with each
one. I can't keep up with reading the books these days."
Stan was
amazingly charming, jovial and soon I felt he could be my
grandfather. In a creative muse sort of way I guess he is.
Thanks,
Stan.
'Nuff
said.
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