Regardless of what you think of his current public persona, there’s no denying that Stan Lee is one of the most important creators in comic-book history. He co-created nearly all of the major Marvel characters who now generate billions at the box office, and is responsible for the overheated “Pow! Gasp! Excelsior!” writing style many people still associate with comics.
So, it’s with some sadness that I report that Stan Lee, the man who did so much for the medium, can no longer read comic books. Lee, who recently turned 93, described the extent of his vision loss for the first time in a recent radio interview:
“My eyesight has gotten terrible and I can’t read comic books any more. The print is too small. Not only a comic book, but I can’t read the newspaper or a novel or anything. I miss reading 100 percent. It’s my biggest miss in the world.”
That said, even a loss of vision hasn’t kept Lee from creating:
“I come up with ideas for stories and somebody writes an outline for me, but I can’t read it. I have to hope it’s good. I have the same trouble with hearing. It’s awful to feel a thousand years old.”
Okay, somebody out there needs to start working on some wacky Jack Kirby-looking sight-enhancing goggles for Stan Lee. If we can spend billions making Marvel movies, we can throw a few bucks at this. ‘Nuff said.
(Via Comic Book Resources)