Between Jack Kirby's family being denied profits from The Avengers (just the latest and most high-profile of decades of disputes between Marvel and the Kirby family), and DC going ahead with Before Watchmen against he wishes of Alan Moore, the rights of the comics creator are a very hot topic at the moment. And where does Stan Lee stand on the issue? About where you'd expect. He tells Grantland:

“I’ve never been one of these people who worries about [that]. I should have been. I’d be wealthy now, if I had been. I always felt the publisher was the guy investing all his money, and I was working for the publisher, and whatever I did belonged to him. That was the way it was. And I was always treated well, I got a good salary. I was not a businessman. Now, a guy like Bob Kane, who did Batman — the minute he did Batman, he said, ‘I wanna own it,’ and signed a contract with DC. So he became reasonably wealthy. He was the only one who was smart enough to do that. [...] I haven’t had reason to think about it that much. I think, if somebody creates something, and it becomes highly successful, whoever is reaping the rewards should let the person [who] created it share in it, certainly. But so much of it is — it goes beyond creating. A lot of people put something together, and nobody really knows who created it, they’re just working on it, y’know? But little by little, the artists and the writers now are a different breed than they were, and most of them, if they create anything new, they insist that they be part owners of it. Because they know what happened to Siegel and Shuster, and to me, and to people like that. I don’t think it’s a problem anymore. They make much more money than they used to make, when I was there. Proportionately. Everybody thought that I was the only one that was getting paid off, but I never received any royalties from the characters. I made a good living, because I was the editor , the art director, and the head writer. So I got a nice salary. That was all I got. I was a salaried guy. But it was a good salary. And I was happy.”

Face front, True Believers! This video purports to feature every Stan Lee Marvel movie cameo ever. Check it out. and let me know if you think they missed anything (other than The Trial of the Incredible Hulk - I remember that one, and I don't think it counts as it was a TV movie).

Stan Lee has parlayed his comics fame into multimedia success, including a reality show and a cameo in just about every Marvel movie. Now he's taking his smiling face and boundless enthusiasm to the realm of video games, as he says that he'll be a playable character in the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man game.

What exactly that means isn't clear, though I'm betting its going to be something along the lines of an unlockable skin. Maybe a pre-order incentive that will later be available to purchase, the sort of thing we saw a great deal of in superhero games last year. While we don't know the specifics, it is pretty awesome. Here's Stan dropping the news to a reporter at the London Super Comic Convention.

The Amazing Spider-Man hits stores June 26, 2012.

A big "Excelsior" on the occasion of his 89th birthday to the co-creator of the Marvel Universe, not to mention decades worth of pre-Marvel Atlas titles and post-Marvel projects across nearly every medium imaginable, the inimitable Stan Lee!

As a fellow Jewish New Yorker who loves comics with a birthday around Christmas (December 31 here), I tip my hat to the living legend. Thanks for your many, many contributions to culture and to the lives of billions, and here's to many more.

Sweet lord, when does Stan Lee sleep? The comics legend, who is the head of POW! Entertainment, a creator of titles for BOOM! Studios, and a full-time living legend, has devoted some of his downtime to a partnership with MASScanvas, to encourage fans and aspiring artists to design "Hero-themed" T-shirts. Portions of the T-shirt sales will got benefit the John Wayne Cancer Institute.

Starting Thursday, November 4, fans can submit designs for the 'WORLD OF HEROES' challenge until November 20 at masscanvas.com. ALL entries will be featured on masscanvas.com, the only requirement being they reflect the theme of "WORLD OF HEROES." Entrants and fans can comment on designs throughout the challenge and VOTE for the top 20 designs. On December 8, Stan Lee will choose 5 winning tees (each receiving a $1,000 cash prize), from the top 20, that he feels best represent the theme. The 5 winning tees will be custom printed in limited quantity, individually hand-numbered, and sold in support of the charitable cause.

Now, let's hear from Stan himself:

Freakin' love Stan. So get to work! Good luck, let me know how it goes, and feel free to e-mail me your designs if you want exposure or a critique.

Sure, we've seen Cleveland get blown up, crashed Quinjets and Avengers cast and crew in Central Park - but I think I speak for the fans when I say "where's Stan Lee?" If it's a Marvel movie, it's gotta have Stan, and The Avengers is no exception.

Upon seeing the pics of Stan, chilling at an outdoor cafe with Chris Evans, I immediately came up with a theory which, according to Worst Previews, is shared by others who have seen the photos. Possible spoilers ahead:

The scene features Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) sitting at a coffee shop with Lee sitting at a nearby table. Rogers is then joined by an older man, who some believe is a fellow-soldier from WWII.

That was my thought as well; the juxtaposition of the two immediately calls to mind the Captain America: man out of time thing which is a staple of the comics, and of course is going to need to be addresses in The Avengers.

Stan Lee, the man who taught generations to read and created the Marvel Universe, then went on to create Stripperella, host a reality show and turn the NHL into superheroes, continues to have a great big laugh at the world's expense and to enjoy the fact that, when you're a lovable guy who basically invented the comics industry, you can do whatever the hell you want and people will pay you for it as long as you are deemed mentally competent.

And lets face it, who among the consumers and producers of entertainment these days can claim to be qualified to make that call?

So. We were all sure that this was an April Fool's joke, but it's real - The Governator, a massive multimedia collaboration between Stan the Man and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, is very real. In fact, since the project was announced in the April 1 issue of Entertainment Weekly, it's actually grown in scale.

From Deadline:

At a MIPTV press conference this morning, Arnold Schwarzenegger added a 3D feature film to rollout plans for his multi-platform project The Governator. The film is part of a plan that will include an animated TV series, a comic book and Internet programming. The feature film will be ready in early 2013, said A Squared Entertainment's Andy Heyward, who launched the project along with Schwarzenegger and Stan Lee, the producer behind the project. He told Deadline that it all starts with a 52-episode series that will feature the voice and animated image of Schwarzenegger as a superhero bent on beating the bad guys and the forces of evil.

And the forces of evil are gathered in a nefarious organization known as "The G.I.R.L.I.E. Men". I shit you not.

And there's an Arnold Cave. I'm not joking! Watch the trailer, and get excited, disturbed, or nonplussed.

Face front, true believers! So we can see your nifty shirt, I mean.

In times of trouble, I often ask myself, "What would Stan do?"

The answer? Write 2-paragraph epic involving something named "Kradoom, the Prius that Talked Like A Man," give it to Kirby, write about 100 other epic stories and punch out for the day. At some point, pause for a breather and realize I've created the Marvel Universe, then check in with Pam Anderson to see if she wants to do something with this Internet thing all the kids are talkiing about nowadays.

This awesome T-Shirt pays tribute to one of the most stand-up guys ever, and a god among men to those of us who enjoy our funnybooks.

You can buy yours here.

Excelsior!

Well, a question that's been haunting us all since at least Mallrats has finally been resolved: sex with the Thing, be it in your creepy stepfather's puppet factory or the back of a Volkswagen, is an uncomfortable proposition. Stan the Man himself confirms Aunt Petunia's favorite nephew is packing a bunch of bricks in his pants, telling Vanity Fair:

I guess common sense would say it was made of orange rock too, but I always thought it was more interesting to think about Reed Richards. As you know, he had the ability to stretch, and sexually, that would seem to be a great asset in many areas.

Of course, that raises as many questions as it answers: has Stan really spent quality time thinking about Reed's junk? What about Sue? Does she create forcefields in lieu of traditional birth control? Does she get some action from Reed while he's busying himself in the lab without him even noticing, 'cause she's invisible?

And what does Ben pee?

Regardless of the answers to any of the above, I think its fair to say that nothing in the upcoming Fear Itself event could come anywhere close to the horrifying prospect of a date with The Thing.

Thanks for scarring me for life, Stan!