STARBURST writer Ryan Pollard opens his heart about the late great Stan Lee…

When I was a child, I never had any particular interest in anything or wasn’t generally open to anything I came across be it film, TV and so forth. That all changed when I first encountered Spider-Man on the big screen in 2002, which then compelled me to track down the various comics I could get my hands on. There I discovered the name Stan Lee. Stan “The Man” had such an impact on my life and helped define who I am now as a person. After Spider-Man, I discovered the various colourful characters that Stan had a hand in creating, like the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the list goes on. This became my springboard into the world of cinema, TV and comics, which would later inspire me to become a writer on film and media, becoming a part of STARBURST Magazine. Everything Stan Lee did blew my mind as a nine-year-old child, and frankly, I wouldn’t be the person I am now if it weren’t for him. But, it’s wasn’t just me he inspired, it was other people as well. All of the stories and characters he helped create, inspired fellow creators to go off and continue what he started, whether it be in comics or on film. He left such a huge mark on the world of pop culture and media that it’s hard to imagine how such a genius like him can now no longer be amongst us.

I was fortunate enough to have meet him briefly at London Film and Comic Con in 2014, and he was just the life and soul of the event. He was kind enough to take a photo with me, and afterwards, I thanked him enormously, and he was incredibly gracious, shaking my hand and wishing me a fantastic day. That was something that has stayed with me for a long time afterwards, which makes it all the more tragic that he’s now passed, which seemed impossible to me. The fact that this legendary man could traverse all these decades and be important to people like me speaks volumes about how many lives he impacted through his extraordinary body of work, how important he was to so many people, and how he will forever be remembered by my generation, the present generation, and no doubt by generations to come. Thanks for the ride Stan. It has been a great one. Excelsior!