Disney+ released a documentary about the life of Stan Lee, the editor of Marvel Comics. However, the documentary has received criticism from Neal Kirby, the son of Lee’s co-creator, Jack Kirby. Neal Kirby and his daughter, Jillian Kirby, posted a series of tweets expressing their dissatisfaction with the documentary.
Credit for Creating Marvel Characters
Neal Kirby’s complaint is that the documentary gives Lee too much credit for creating Marvel characters that Jack Kirby also had a hand in bringing to life. He questions whether Lee was truly the sole creator of every Marvel character and suggests that it may have been a collaborative effort, with Jack Kirby walking into Lee’s office with ideas for characters. Neal Kirby points out that Lee spends a lot of time talking about how he created the Fantastic Four, with only a passing reference to his father’s involvement.
Stan Lee’s Knowledge
Neal Kirby also challenges Lee’s knowledge, stating that Lee had a limited understanding of history, mythology, and science compared to his father. He quotes Einstein’s famous saying, “More the knowledge, lesser the ego. Lesser the knowledge, more the ego,” suggesting that Lee’s ego may have been a factor in taking too much credit for the creation of Marvel characters.
Defending Writers and Artists
Neal Kirby concludes his post by stating that it’s time to set the record straight and give credit where credit is due. He defends all the writers and artists who worked on Marvel Comics and whose contributions may have been overshadowed by Lee’s legacy.
The documentary on the life of Stan Lee has been criticized by Neal Kirby, the son of Lee’s co-creator, Jack Kirby. Kirby challenges Lee’s claim to sole credit for creating Marvel characters and questions Lee’s knowledge compared to his father. Kirby defends all the writers and artists who worked on Marvel Comics and suggests that it’s time to set the record straight.