Comic Book Legend Stan Lee Passes Away at 95

Monday, November 12, 2018

GoLocalProv News Team

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Stan Lee passes away at 95

Comic book legend Stan Lee passed away at the age of 95 on Monday.

According to TMZ, Lee was rushed to the hospital on Monday morning where he passed away.

Lee had suffered from multiple illnesses over the last year including pneumonia, as well as, issues with his vision.

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Lee came to Rhode Island Comic-Con in 2016.

About Lee

Lee along with artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko created the Marvel Comics universe which includes characters such as The Amazing Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, X- men and many others.

The first superhero group that Stan Lee created was the Fantastic Four, but his (and Steve Ditko's) creation of Spider-Man helped put he and Marvel over the top. Spider-Man is Marvel's most successful character.

Lee makes cameo appearances in just about every Marvel movie. including the last one Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Lee was inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2008, Lee received a National Medal of Arts.

Last year, GoLocal unveiled a legal spat in RI focused on Lee:

Last November’s Rhode Island Comic Con was billed as the last time Stan Lee would be appearing at an event in New England — ever. Lee, the creator of Spiderman, is a now-94-year-old superstar. Fans waited for hours in line to pay $100 or more for an autograph or a photo of the legendary comic book creator and the once-editor of Marvel Comics, believing this was to be his "last time" in New England.

Now, Hasbro -- the third largest toymaker in the world with revenues of approximately $4.45 billion -- is launching a rival event called HASCON. Featured at the event? Stan Lee.

Both RI Comic Con and Hasbro's HASCON are held at the RI Convention Center.

“We have a signed contract with Mr. Lee's management stating his Rhode Island Comic Con 2016 appearance [was] to be his last New England appearance,” said Susan Soares, Press Relations Manager of Altered Reality Entertainment — the parent company of RI Comic Con.

This is big business. "Eventbrite, a ticketing website, estimated that fandom conventions in North America grossed $600m in 2013. It said the wider economic impact could be as high as $5bn," writes the BBC on the Comic Con industry. Unlike the RI Comic Con and HASCON, the San Diego Comic Con generated $17.2 million in 2014 -- the last year they filed their 990 Tax Form.

Legal Battle Brewing?

Rhode Island Comic Con produced a portion of the contract for GoLocal, which was executed on March 8, 2016, and was signed by the agent for Stan Lee that committed that the event would be billed as “Stan Lee’s Last New England Convention Appearance.”