Geoff Edgers - Who Is Stan Lee?

Martin Goodman, the publisher of Timely Comics in New York City, didnt know what to do with the teenager. But the boy was his wifes cousin and she had asked Goodman to hire him. So, just like that, Stanley Martin Lieber was working in the middle of the Golden Age of Comics. As a boy, Stan spent hours curled up with comic books. Now, he was part of that world!

Superheroes were everywhere at Timely. The Human Torch fought bad guys with fire. Namor the Sub-Mariner could fly and breathe underwater, and he was as strong as a thousand men. Captain America began life as a scrawny art student, but turned into a superhero after the US government recruited him for the Super Soldier project.

At first, Stan kept to himself. The artists at Timely were a little scary. They were all older, smoked big cigars, and yelled at each other all day long. What was there for a seventeen-year-old kid from the Bronx to do?

Young Stanley Lieber ran to the deli for sandwiches at lunchtime and made sure the artists inkwells were full. But he wasnt going to waste a lifetime fetching coffee and answering phones. He had dreams. He was a writer. He wanted to tell stories and maybe someday write the great American novel.

One day, two of Timely Comics top managers both got angry and quit their jobs. Mr. Goodman needed someone to run the office while he was taking naps or playing golf. He called Stan over and offered him the job.

Thats when Stanley Lieber became Stan Lee. In the next half century, he would help create some of Americas most famous superheroes, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, and the X-Men. He wasnt the only person who made comic books for a living, but Stan Lee was the best.

Chapter 1
Growing Up

Stanley Lieber was born on December 28, 1922, in New York City.

His father, Jack, and mother, Celia, were immigrants from Romania who lived in a tiny apartment. Like millions of people, they had come to the United States with dreams of a better life. They wanted to start a family and buy a house.

Jack got a job cutting fabric at a dress factory. He was paid very little and worked long hours. Celia stayed home and took care of Stan. By the time Stanley was six, the Great Depression had begun. Millions of people lost their jobs, including Stans father.

Now the family struggled to pay bills. Jack and Celia began to argue. Stan worried whenever his parents argued. He loved his parents and didnt want them to fight.

The Lieber family moved to an even smaller apartment. Jack and Celia had to sleep on a cot in the living room. There was only one tiny window, and it faced a brick wall.

Stans mother wanted him to finish school quickly so he could go to work to help the family. She pushed Stan to study hard, and he did. He ended up skipping a few grades, which meant that he was always the youngest in his class. He sometimes struggled to make friends.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

THE GREAT DEPRESSION STARTED ON OCTOBER 29, 1929, WHEN THE STOCK MARKET CRASHED, CAUSING MANY BANKS AND INDUSTRIES TO SHUT DOWN. IT WAS THE WORST ECONOMIC CRISIS OF MODERN TIMES. UNEMPLOYMENT PEAKED IN 1933, WHEN ONE-QUARTER OF ALL AMERICANS WERE OUT OF WORK AND COULD NOT FIND JOBS.

PRESIDENT HERBERT HOOVERS NAME BECAME LINKED TO THE HARDSHIPS THAT MANY PEOPLE FACED. HOOVERVILLESTOWNS MADE UP OF TENTS AND SHACKS BUILT BY PEOPLE WHO HAD NO OTHER PLACE TO LIVEPOPPED UP EVERYWHERE. SOUP WAS CALLED HOOVER STEW.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION LASTED NEARLY TEN YEARS. IT AFFECTED NOT ONLY THE UNITED STATES BUT COUNTRIES ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

Stans favorite teacher was Leon B. Ginsberg, Jr. Mr. Ginsberg had a great sense of humor and always told a funny story to make his point. Stan learned that people remember stories if they are told with a sense of humor.

As a boy, Stan loved to write. He also loved to readeven if it was just the label of a ketchup bottle on the kitchen table! In fact, Stan always had a book or magazine with him at meals. The Hardy Boys was one of his favorite book series. Two adventurous brothers, Frank and Joe Hardy, were the heroes of the books. Stan also loved to draw. He wasnt the best artist, but that didnt matter. Drawing helped Stan tell his stories.

During the summers, many New York boys went to camps outside the city. But the Liebers couldnt afford to send Stan away to camp. Instead, Stan stayed home and read. Stans mother even bought him a stand to keep his books upright on the table while he ate.