The New York Times currently has a photo essay online about the many past dwellings of comic book creator Stan Lee. Anyone who has seen Stan in interviews know the man can make just about anything sound fascinating. The guy could read a recipe for PB&J and make it sound like Shakespeare (with lots of gooey silliness, of course). As many know, if you’ve read/heard one interview from Stan “The Man”, then you’ve read them all. I will say, however, with this NYT piece, there were a few factoids that I believe I’ve never heard before.

I remember in the late 80’s that ABC’s 20/20 ran a piece about the Marvel Bullpen. The climate for comics at that point was in transition thanks to Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen, so the mainstream started touting the phrases such as “comics aren’t for kids anymore” and “comics have grown up”, and the media was quick to see anything relating to comics as newsworthy. I was probably 11 when that spot aired, so at that point I already had it in my head that one day I would be living in New York City as a penciler for Marvel.

I taped that episode and probably watched it daily for months, studying every frame, hopefully discovering any secrets I could devour that would set me on my way for New York after I graduated in 7 years. Stan really poured his heart out in those interviews for 20/20, and I clung onto every single word of his anecdotes. Since then, I’ve heard those same anecdotes, told almost exactly as he did on that segment, again and again.

No matter, because “The Man” can retell the same story like nobody’s business.

Oh, and I never did become a penciler.