"THANK YOU"

It was 2016 at the crowded FanExpo. The local Toronto convention centre was filled with pop culture icons and cosplayers. Charles Sagun stood in a line stretched almost through the entire convention hall B, awaiting one of the creators of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee. Sagun waited for hours in line to get a photo with Stan Lee in his comic book character t-shirt, Venom. After waiting for what seemed forever, Sagun saw the man himself; for a moment time stopped and his heart skipped a beat. Sagun approached Stan Lee and mustered the courage to say the one thing he’s been thinking about since reading his first Marvel comic, “Thank you.”
When the legendary comic book creator Stan Lee passed away back in November of 2018, fans across the world mourned and reminisced the iconic characters Stan Lee created. Some would say it’s the end of an era, the passing on of a great titan. With Avengers: Endgame coming to theatres on April 26, 2019, it’s also the possibility we’ll see the last of Stan Lee in the Marvel cinematic universe. For Sagun it’s almost a proper goodbye to the man who showed him there’s a hero in everyone. Stan Lee has known to create characters of many different kinds such as Captain America, Iron Man and Thor. All have one thing in common and yet different about them, they’re written to be relatable to the reader.
“Spider-man was more than just a character to me. It was me,” Sagun continues. “Spider-Man had to deal with becoming a hero at a young age and taking more responsibility. Same goes for me, minus the awesome powers.”
During his time at FanExpo Sagun walked through crowds of people dressed in many types of costumes. Many of which were characters familiar to him such as Superman from DC comics, Captain America from Marvel comics and many others. However, Sagun didn’t only see fans in costumes celebrating comic characters, he saw fans brandishing Stan Lee’s legacy.
“Stan Lee has created more than just fictional characters, they’ve become real because we all learned something from these heroes and made it a part of us.” Sagun said.
Emmanuelle Chateauneuf is a comic book artist and has also created Toronto’s local superhero Queen Street. The character was brought to life by the ideas of relating it to the reader through family, purpose in life and the complexities of simply being alive. However, the idea of making a comic book character relatable came from one of her heroes, Stan Lee.
“I read Marvel comics when I was younger because my dad loved them. As I grew older I started creating characters that people can relate to and look up to. Just like how Stan Lee showed me taught me,” Chateauneuf said.
Chateauneuf explained one of the comic books she read while growing up was Namor the Sub-Mariner. She connected with this Namor because both were a fish out of water. When Chateauneuf lived in Toronto she felt the city look at her differently because she didn’t look like the average Canadian.
“When Namor was a teenager and seeing him experience being out of place helped me understand myself. The way he overcame his troubles by becoming greater than them helped me overcome mine.” Chateauneuf said.
Anna Peppard is a Brock University comic book scholar who teaches communications. During her lessons she somewhat talks about how the Marvel cinematic universe tends to speak about daily situations in our lives. One of her lessons involved how Captain America: The Winter Soldier gave a political divide between doing what’s right and doing what’s necessary. Despite the mixed feelings of how Stan Lee was portrayed in media as the sole creator of Marvel, she uses his legacy to teach others how these comics can be a part of our lives.
“I often teach Marvel comics and the films and television shows they've inspired. When teaching these texts, I always emphasize the collaborative nature of the creative process, and have students reflect on the politics of media portrayals of Stan Lee as the sole creator of the Marvel Universe.” Peppard said.
Sagun stood in front of Stan Lee, his hero and said to him “Thank you,” but it was more than just two simple words.
“His world and his characters they helped me and other people get through tough times. Being able to say that to one of your heroes is impactful in my life,” Sagun said.