It's been brought to my attention that the welcoming of Stan Lee back into the creators' community, with his inclusion into Portraits of the Creators sketchbook, might be slightly over-presumptuous in that Stan Lee has never truly departed the creators community in order to warrant a need to welcome him back into it. This is very much the truth and Stan Lee's inclusion in the sketchbook should not be construed as otherwise.

This is also a good opportunity to voice a resounding support of the sentiment expressed by Clifford Meth in Stan Lee. Patriarch. regarding the immense stature of the man behind Marvel Comics and the very down-to-earth personality he remains, exuding a humanity, humility and sincerity rarely seen by others who attain such cultural heights.

Having been primarily bred at the competition, my career was nonetheless laced with sporadic work for Marvel throughout the late 1970's and early 80's. This is significant to me in that Marvel Comics was no less of an inspiration for me in seeking a profession in comics art than was DC. Truth to tell, there was a dimension and scope to the Marvel line which DC was frankly unable to match then, at least not until Jack Kirby joined the Superman Family with the Fourth World trilogy, The New Gods, Forever People and Mr. Miracle, all branching out from the Jimmy Olsen series he began producing there.

Such series as The Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four, Thor, and later Warlock, carrying the bigger than life mythology that pierced through to the skeleton of our imagination with ominous portrayals, was also complimented by the human falterings of heroes such as Spider-Man, Daredevil and The Hulk, all revealing a universe which stood well apart from the more one-dimensional world of DC Comics in the 1960's. It's been said that this direction which the line of Marvel Comics took, is perhaps what saved the comics industry at that critical junction, and was crucial in defining the Superhero mythology, rising steadfast in its conquest of Hollywood and pop-culture today.

Clearly, the lion's share of the credit for all this lies at the feet of none other than Stan Lee himself, the seminal and perpetual comics creator, writer and publisher, whose vision has helped shape the form of the comics, catapulting it into the heights it's destined to achieve.

Stan Lee. Emeritus Paterfamilias.

'Nuff said.