Engraving using the early Gutenberg press during the 15th century.

Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature, music, or information — the activity of making information available to the general public. In some cases, authors may be their own publishers, meaning: originators and developers of content also provide media to deliver and display the content for the same.

Traditionally, the term refers to the distribution of printed works such as books (the "book trade") and newspapers. With the advent of digital information systems and the Internet, the scope of publishing has expanded to include electronic resources, such as the electronic versions of books and periodicals, as well as micropublishing, websites, blogs, video game publishers and the like.

Publishing includes the stages of the development, acquisition, copyediting, graphic design, production – printing (and its electronic equivalents), and marketing and distribution of newspapers, magazines, books, literary works, musical works, software and other works dealing with information, including the electronic media.

Publication is also important as a legal concept:

1. As the process of giving formal notice to the world of a significant intention, for example, to marry or enter bankruptcy;
2. As the essential precondition of being able to claim defamation; that is, the alleged libel must have been published, and
3. For copyright purposes, where there is a difference in the protection of published and unpublished works.

The process of publishing[link]

Book and magazine publishers spend a lot of their time buying or commissioning copy; newspaper publishers, by contrast, usually hire their own staff to produce copy, although they may also employ freelance journalists, called stringers. At a small press, it is possible to survive by relying entirely on commissioned material. But as activity increases, the need for works may outstrip the publisher's established circle of writers.

For works written independently of the publisher, writers often first submit a query letter or proposal directly to a literary agent or to a publisher. Submissions sent directly to a publisher are referred to as unsolicited submissions, and the majority come from previously unpublished authors. If the publisher accepts unsolicited manuscripts, then the manuscript is placed in the slush pile, which publisher's readers sift through to identify manuscripts of sufficient quality or revenue potential to be referred to acquisitions editors for review. The acquisitions editors send their choices to the editorial staff. The time and number of people involved in the process is dependent on the size of the publishing company, with larger companies having more degrees of assessment between unsolicited submission and publication. Unsolicited submissions have a very low rate of acceptance, with some sources estimating that publishers ultimately choose about three out of every ten thousand unsolicited manuscripts they receive.^[1]

Many book publishing companies around the world maintain a strict "no unsolicited submissions" policy and will only accept submissions via a literary agent. This shifts the burden of assessing and developing writers out of the publishing company and onto the literary agents. At these companies, unsolicited manuscripts are thrown out, or sometimes returned, if the author has provided pre-paid postage.

Established authors are often represented by a literary agent to market their work to publishers and negotiate contracts. Literary agents take a percentage of author earnings (varying between 10 to 15 per cent) to pay for their services.

Some writers follow a non-standard route to publication. For example, this may include bloggers who have attracted large readerships producing a book based on their websites, books based on Internet memes, instant "celebrities" such as Joe the Plumber, retiring sports figures and in general anyone whom a publisher feels could produce a marketable book. Such books often employ the services of a ghostwriter.

For a submission to reach publication it must be championed by an editor or publisher who must work to convince other staff of the need to publish a particular title. An editor who discovers or champions a book that subsequently becomes a best-seller may find their own reputation enhanced as a result of their success.

Acceptance and negotiation[link]

Once a work is accepted, commissioning editors negotiate the purchase of intellectual property rights and agree on royalty rates.

The authors of traditional printed materials typically sell exclusive territorial intellectual property rights that match the list of countries in which distribution is proposed (i.e. the rights match the legal systems under which copyright protections can be enforced). In the case of books, the publisher and writer must also agree on the intended formats of publication — mass-market paperback, "trade" paperback and hardback are the most common options.

The situation is slightly more complex, if electronic formatting is to be used. Where distribution is to be by CD-ROM or other physical media, there is no reason to treat this form differently from a paper format, and a national copyright is an acceptable approach. But the possibility of Internet download without the ability to restrict physical distribution within national boundaries presents legal problems that are usually solved by selling language or translation rights rather than national rights. Thus, Internet access across the European Union is relatively open because of the laws forbidding discrimination based on nationality, but the fact of publication in, say, France, limits the target market to those who read French.

Having agreed on the scope of the publication and the formats, the parties in a book agreement must then agree on royalty rates, the percentage of the gross retail price that will be paid to the author, and the advance payment. This is difficult because the publisher must estimate the potential sales in each market and balance projected revenue against production costs. Royalties usually range between 10-12% of recommended retail price. An advance is usually 1/3 of first print run total royalties. For example, if a book has a print run of 5000 copies and will be sold at $14.95 and the author is to receive 10% royalties, the total sum payable to the author if all copies are sold is $7475 (10% x $14.95 x 5000). The advance in this instance would roughly be $2490. Advances vary greatly between books, with established authors commanding large advances.

Pre-production stages[link]

Although listed as distinct stages, parts of these occur concurrently. As editing of text progresses, front cover design and initial layout takes place and sales and marketing of the book begins.

Editorial stage

A decision is taken to publish a work, and the technical legal issues resolved, the author may be asked to improve the quality of the work through rewriting or smaller changes, and the staff will edit the work. Publishers may maintain a house style, and staff will copy edit to ensure that the work matches the style and grammatical requirements of each market. Editors often choose or refine titles and headlines. Editing may also involve structural changes and requests for more information. Some publishers employ fact checkers, particularly regarding non-fiction works.

Design stage

When a final text is agreed upon, the next phase is design. This may include artwork being commissioned or confirmation of layout. In publishing, the word "art" also indicates photographs. Depending on the number of photographs required by the work, photographs may also be licensed from photo libraries. For those works that are particularly rich in illustrations the publisher may contract a picture researcher to find and licence the photographs required for the work. The design process prepares the work for printing through processes such as typesetting, dust jacket composition, specification of paper quality, binding method and casing, and proofreading.

The type of book being produced determines the amount of design required. For standard fiction titles, design is usually restricted to typography and cover design. For books containing illustrations or images, design takes on a much larger role in laying out how the page looks, how chapters begin and end, colours, typography, cover design and ancillary materials such as posters, catalogue images and other sales materials. Non-fiction illustrated titles are the most design intensive books, requiring extensive use of images and illustrations, captions, typography and a deep involvement and consideration of the reader experience.

The activities of typesetting, page layout, the production of negatives, plates from the negatives and, for hardbacks, the preparation of brasses for the spine legend and imprint are now all computerized. Prepress computerization evolved mainly in about the last twenty years of the 20th century. If the work is to be distributed electronically, the final files are saved as formats appropriate to the target operating systems of the hardware used for reading. These may include PDF files.

Sales and marketing stage

The sales and marketing stage is closely intertwined with the editorial process. As front cover images are produced or chapters are edited, sales people may start talking about the book with their customers to build early interest. Publishing companies often produce advanced information sheets that may be sent to customers or overseas publishers to gauge possible sales. As early interest is measured, this information feeds back through the editorial process and may affect the formatting of the book and the strategy employed to sell it. For example, if interest from foreign publishers is high, co-publishing deals may be established whereby publishers share printing costs in producing large print runs thereby lowering the per-unit cost of the books. Conversely, if initial feedback is not strong, the print-run of the book may be reduced, the marketing budget cut or, in some cases, the book is dropped from publication altogether.

Printing[link]

When editing and design work are completed, the printing phase begins. The first step is the creation of a pre-press proof, which is sent for final checking and sign-off by the publisher. This proof shows the book precisely as it will appear once printed and is the final opportunity for the publisher to find and correct any errors. Some printing companies use electronic proofs rather than printed proofs. Once the proofs have been approved by the publisher, printing—the physical production of the published work—begins.

A new printing process is printing on demand. The book is written, edited, and designed as usual, but it is not printed until the publisher receives an order for the book from a customer. This procedure ensures low costs for storage, and reduces the likelihood of printing more books than will be sold.

Distribution[link]

The final stage in publication is making the product available to the public, usually by offering it for sale. In previous centuries, an author was frequently also his own editor, printer, and bookseller, but these functions are usually separated now. Once a book, newspaper, or other publication is printed, the publisher may use a variety of channels to distribute it. Books are most commonly sold through booksellers and other retailers. Newspapers and magazines are typically sold directly by the publisher to subscribers, and then distributed either through the postal system or by newspaper carriers. Periodicals are also frequently sold through newsagents and vending machines.

Within the book industry, some copies of the finished book are often flown to publishers as sample copies to aid sales or to be sent for pre-release reviews. The remaining books often travel from the printing facility via sea freight. As such, the delay between the approval of the pre-press proof and the arrival of books in warehouse, much less in a retail store, can be some months. For books that are tied into movie release dates (particularly children's films), publishers will arrange books to arrive in store up to two months prior to the movie release to build interest in the movie.

Publishing as a business[link]

Eslite Bookstore in Taiwan.

Derided in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica as "a purely commercial affair" that cared more about profits than about literary quality,^[2] publishing is fundamentally a business, with a need for the expenses of creating, producing, and distributing a book or other publication not to exceed the income derived from its sale. Publishing is now a major industry with the largest companies Reed Elsevier and Pearson PLC having global publishing operations.^[3]

The publisher usually controls the advertising and other marketing tasks, but may subcontract various aspects of the process to specialist publisher marketing agencies. In many companies, editing, proofreading, layout, design and other aspects of the production process are done by freelancers.^[4][5]

Dedicated in-house salespeople are sometimes replaced by companies who specialize in sales to bookshops, wholesalers and chain stores for a fee. This trend is accelerating as retail book chains and supermarkets have centralized their buying.

If the entire process up to the stage of printing is handled by an outside company or individuals, and then sold to the publishing company, it is known as book packaging. This is a common strategy between smaller publishers in different territorial markets where the company that first buys the intellectual property rights then sells a package to other publishers and gains an immediate return on capital invested. Indeed, the first publisher will often print sufficient copies for all markets and thereby get the maximum quantity efficiency on the print run for all.

Some businesses maximize their profit margins through vertical integration; book publishing is not one of them. Although newspaper and magazine companies still often own printing presses and binderies, book publishers rarely do. Similarly, the trade usually sells the finished products through a distributor who stores and distributes the publisher's wares for a percentage fee or sells on a sale or return basis.

The advent of the Internet has therefore posed an interesting question that challenges publishers, distributors and retailers. In 2005, Amazon.com announced its purchase of Booksurge and selfsanepublishing, a major print on demand operation. This is probably intended as a preliminary move towards establishing an Amazon imprint.^{[original research?]} One of the largest bookseller chains, Barnes & Noble, already runs its own successful imprint with both new titles and classics — hardback editions of out-of-print former best sellers. Similarly, Ingram Industries, parent company of Ingram Book Group (a leading US book wholesaler), now includes its own print-on-demand division called Lightning Source. Among publishers, Simon & Schuster recently announced that it will start selling its backlist titles directly to consumers through its website.^{[citation needed]}

Book clubs are almost entirely direct-to-retail, and niche publishers pursue a mixed strategy to sell through all available outlets — their output is insignificant to the major booksellers, so lost revenue poses no threat to the traditional symbiotic relationships between the four activities of printing, publishing, distribution and retail.

Industry sub-divisions[link]

Newspaper publishing[link]

Newspapers are regularly scheduled publications that present recent news, typically on a type of inexpensive paper called newsprint. Most newspapers are primarily sold to subscribers, through retail news stands or are distributed as advertising-supported free newspapers. About one-third of publishers in the United States are newspaper publishers.^[6]

Periodical publishing[link]

Nominally, periodical publishing involves publications that appear in a new edition on a regular schedule. Newspapers and magazines are both periodicals, but within the industry, the periodical publishing is frequently considered a separate branch that includes magazines and even academic journals, but not newspapers.^[6] About one-third of publishers in the United States publish periodicals (not including newspapers).^[6]

Book publishing[link]

Book publishers represent less than a sixth of the publishers in the United States.^[6] Most books are published by a small number of very large book publishers, but thousands of smaller book publishers exist. Many small- and medium-sized book publishers specialize in a specific area. Additionally, thousands of authors have created their own publishing companies, and self-published their own works.

Within the book publishing industry, the publisher of record for a book is the entity in whose name the book's ISBN is registered. The publisher of record may or may not be the actual publisher.

Directory publishing[link]

Directory publishing is a specialized genre within the publishing industry. These publishers produce mailing lists, telephone books, and other types of directories.^[6] With the advent of the Internet, many of these directories are now online.

Academic publishing[link]

Academic publishers are typically either book or periodical publishers that have specialized in academic subjects. Some, like university presses, are owned by scholarly institutions. Others are commercial businesses that focus on academic subjects.

The development of the printing press represented a revolution for communicating the latest hypotheses and research results to the academic community and supplemented what a scholar could do personally. But this improvement in the efficiency of communication created a challenge for libraries, which have had to accommodate the weight and volume of literature.

One of the key functions that academic publishers provide is to manage the process of peer review. Their role is to facilitate the impartial assessment of research and this vital role is not one that has yet been usurped, even with the advent of social networking and online document sharing.

Today, publishing academic journals and textbooks is a large part of an international industry. Critics claim that standardised accounting and profit-oriented policies have displaced the publishing ideal of providing access to all. In contrast to the commercial model, there is non-profit publishing, where the publishing organization is either organised specifically for the purpose of publishing, such as a university press, or is one of the functions of an organisation such as a medical charity, founded to achieve specific practical goals. An alternative approach to the corporate model is open access, the online distribution of individual articles and academic journals without charge to readers and libraries. The pioneers of Open Access journals are BioMed Central and the Public Library of Science (PLoS). Many commercial publishers are experimenting with hybrid models where older articles or government funded articles are made free, and newer articles are available as part of a subscription or individual article purchase.

Tie-in publishing[link]

Technically, radio, television, cinemas, VCDs and DVDs, music systems, games, computer hardware and mobile telephony publish information to their audiences. Indeed, the marketing of a major film often includes a novelization, a graphic novel or comic version, the soundtrack album, a game, model, toys and endless promotional publications.

Some of the major publishers have entire divisions devoted to a single franchise, e.g. Ballantine Del Rey Lucasbooks has the exclusive rights to Star Wars in the United States; Random House UK (Bertelsmann)/Century LucasBooks holds the same rights in the United Kingdom. The game industry self-publishes through BL Publishing/Black Library (Warhammer) and Wizards of the Coast (Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, etc.). The BBC has its own publishing division that does very well with long-running series such as Doctor Who. These multimedia works are cross-marketed aggressively and sales frequently outperform the average stand-alone published work, making them a focus of corporate interest.^[7]

Independent publishing alternatives[link]

Writers in a specialized field or with a narrower appeal have found smaller alternatives to the mass market in the form of small presses and self-publishing. More recently, these options include print on demand and ebook format. These publishing alternatives provide an avenue for authors who believe that mainstream publishing will not meet their needs or who are in a position to make more money from direct sales than they could from bookstore sales, such as popular speakers who sell books after speeches. Authors are more readily published by this means due to the much lower costs involved.

Recent developments[link]

The 21st century has brought a number of new technological changes to the publishing industry. These changes include e-books, print on demand and accessible publishing. E-books have been quickly growing in availability in major publishing markets such as the USA and the UK since 2005. Google, Amazon.com and Sony have been leaders in working with publishers and libraries to digitize books. As of early 2011 Amazon's Kindle reading device is a significant force in the market, along with the Apple iPad and the Nook from Barnes & Noble.^{[citation needed]}

The ability to quickly and cost effectively Print on Demand has meant that publishers no longer have to store books at warehouses, if the book is in low or unknown demand. This is a huge advantage to small publishers who can now operate without large overheads and large publishers who can now cost effectively sell their backlisted items.

Accessible publishing uses the digitization of books to mark up books into XML and then produces multiple formats from this to sell to consumers, often targeting those with difficulty reading. Formats include a variety larger print sizes, specialized print formats for dyslexia,^[8] eye tracking problems and macular degeneration, as well as Braille, DAISY, Audiobooks and e-books.^[9]

Green publishing means adapting the publishing process to minimise environmental impact. One example of this is the concept of on demand printing, using digital or print-on-demand technology. This cuts down the need to ship books since they are manufactured close to the customer on a just-in-time basis.^[10]

A further development is the growth of on-line publishing where no physical books are produced. The ebook is created by the author and uploaded to a website from where it can be downloaded and read by anyone.

Standardization[link]

Refer to the ISO divisions of ICS 01.140.40 and 35.240.30 for further information.^[11][12]

Legal issues[link]

World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva

Publication is the distribution of copies or content to the public.^[13][14] The Berne Convention requires that this only be done with the consent of the copyright holder, which is initially always the author.^[13] In the Universal Copyright Convention, "publication" is defined in article VI as "the reproduction in tangible form and the general distribution to the public of copies of a work from which it can be read or otherwise visually perceived."^[14]

In providing a work to the general public, the publisher takes responsibility for the publication in a way that a mere printer or a shopkeeper does not. For example, publishers may face charges of defamation, if they produce and distribute libelous material to the public, even if the libel was written by another person.

Privishing[link]

Privishing is a term for publishing a book in such a small amount, or with such lack of marketing, advertising or sales support from the publisher, that the book effectively does not reach the public.^[15] The book, while nominally published, is almost impossible to obtain through normal channels such as bookshops, often cannot be special-ordered and will have a notable lack of support from its publisher, including refusals to reprint the title. A book that is privished may be referred to as "killed". Depending on the motivation, privishing may constitute breach of contract, censorship,^[16] or good business practice (e.g., not printing more books than the publisher believes will sell in a reasonable length of time).

See also[link]

General: Accessible publishing Concentration of media ownership Digital publishing List of publishers List of book distributors Mass media Open access publishing Open publishing Publication Self-publishing Serials, periodicals and journals Small press Writing Zines

Publishing on specific contexts: Academic publishing Books published per country per year Document management system Scientific literature Writing circles

Journalism portal Publishing tools: Desktop publishing Electronic publishing Mobile publishing Web publishing tools

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (July 2009)

External links[link]

Look up publishing or publisher in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Publishing

Wikisource has original works on the topic: Book Industries and Trade

• International Publisher's organisation

Joseph Eric Stephenson (17 September 1914 – 8 September 1944) was an English former footballer who played as an inside left at both professional and international levels.

Career[link]

Born in Bexleyheath, Stephenson signed for Leeds United in 1933, turned professional in 1934, and made his first-team debut in 1935.^[1]

Stephenson also earned two international caps for England in 1938.^[2]

War service[link]

After leaving Leeds in 1941 to become a Major in the Gurkha Rifles, Stephenson died in active service in Burma in September 1944.^[1] His younger brother Ernest had died in action August 1943, at the age of 27.^[3]

References[link]

Rocket is a fictional comic book superhero in materials published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, she first appeared in Icon #1 (May 1993), and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Mark Bright.

Publication history[link]

This section requires expansion.

At the 2008 Comic-Con, DC Comics executive editor Dan DiDio announced that the Milestone Universe and characters would be revived and merged into the DC Universe proper. The merger treats the characters as new to the universe, ignoring the "Worlds Collide" Milestone/DC crossover of 1994. Rocket reappeared in Justice League of America (vol. 2) #27, written by her creator Dwayne McDuffie.

Fictional character biography[link]

Raquel Ervin was born in Paris Island, the poorest, most crime-ridden neighborhood in Dakota.^[1] Although she is only the sidekick of the title character, Icon, she is the actual protagonist of the series. She yearned to become a writer ("just like Toni Morrison"), but lacked the motivation until she met Augustus Freeman IV, a corporate lawyer who was secretly a stranded alien with superhuman powers.^[1] This occurred while she and her friends were robbing Freeman's home. Raquel convinced Augustus to become the superhero Icon, and to take her on as his sidekick, Rocket.^[1] While in costume, she wore a belt that Icon fashioned out of his escape pod's inertia winder, which allowed her to manipulate kinetic energy.^[1][2]

Shortly after she began adventuring with Icon, Raquel discovered that she was pregnant by her ex-boyfriend, Noble (one of the other robbers from the day she met Freeman).^[3] She gave birth to a son, Amistad Augustus Ervin, named "Amistad" after the famous ship that brought slaves over from Africa to America,^[4] and "Augustus" in honor of Icon.^[5] While her pregnancy caused her to give up adventuring for a time, Raquel eventually became a superhero again.^[6]

Rocket also assists the Blood Syndicate member Flashback in fighting her addiction to crack cocaine.^[4][7] Rocket was more liberal than Icon, which caused them to clash on a number of occasions. She befriended Static, another teenage superhero from Dakota City. While it has been hinted that someday they might become more than friends, their relationship remained platonic throughout the run of their respective titles.

DC Universe[link]

Following the death of Darkseid (as chronicled in Final Crisis), the space-time continuum was torn asunder, threatening the existence of both the Dakotaverse and the mainstream DC universe. The being known as Dharma was able to use energies that he harnessed from Rift (upon that being's defeat in Worlds Collide) to merge the two universes, creating an entirely new continuity. Only Dharma, Icon and Superman are aware that Dakota and its inhabitants previously existed in a parallel universe.^[8] In the revised continuity, Rocket and the other Milestone characters have apparently always existed in the DC Universe.^[9] Rocket is still partnered with Icon, who appears to have an existing friendship with Superman and is exempt from prosecution at the hands of the Green Lantern Corps.

Rocket makes her first DCU appearance in Justice League of America (vol. 2) #30, intervening at Icon's request when Batman, Zatanna, Firestorm, and Black Lightning attack several members of the Shadow Cabinet while on a mission in the city of Metropolis. Believing Raquel and the Shadow Cabinet agents have kidnapped former Justice League International member Kimiyo Hoshi (Dr. Light II), Batman immediately attempts to strike Rocket with a batarang, which she easily deflects with her powers. After berating Batman and informing him that Kimiyo is unharmed, Rocket accompanies the Shadow Cabinet Agents and JLA members to the Justice League Satellite, where they aid Icon, Hawkman, and the rest of the Shadow Cabinet and JLA members in a battle with the Shadow Thief. Once Shadow Thief is defeated, Rocket and the other Milestone heroes return home by use of the Shadowslide, with Raquel and Augustus presumably returning to Dakota.^[9]

On her Twitter account, writer Gail Simone mentioned that she had planned on using Rocket at some point during her tenure on Wonder Woman, but wasn't allowed to.^[10][11]

Powers and abilities[link]

Powers[link]

None. All of Rocket's superhuman powers derive from her inertia belt (see Equipment).

Skills[link]

Raquel Ervin is a voracious reader and a gifted writer. A former high school gymnast, she is very agile and has quick reflexes. Rocket is also a good hand-to-hand combatant due to her crime fighting experience as Icon's sidekick.

Equipment[link]

All of Rocket's superhuman powers derive from the inertia winder installed in her belt buckle.^[12] This device is one of two from Icon's escape pod, the other is installed in Hardware's current suit of armor.^[13] When activated, the inertia winder surrounds Rocket in an "inertia field," which absorbs, stores, and redirects any kinetic energy used against it.^[12] Rocket's inertia field is normally invisible to the human eye. The field glows purple when it absorbs or releases kinetic energy.^[12]

The inertia field primarily serves as a force field that protects her from anything invested with kinetic energy: physical blows,^[12] bullets,^[12] falls,^[14] etc. The maximum amount of kinetic energy Rocket's inertia field can absorb and store is unknown. However, the field nearly reached its limit during Rocket's battle with Oblivion.^[6]

Rocket's inertia field normally extends a few inches from her body,^[12] but she can expand the field to enclose much greater areas. She once used it to protect a small crowd of people without any loss of its durability.^[15]

Rocket can release the field's stored energy, giving her a range of offensive abilities. She can strike with superhuman force by surrounding her fists with kinetic energy.^[12] By releasing all the energy in the inertia field, she can stagger powerful beings like Icon with a single blow.^[16] However, such a feat would leave Rocket defenseless so she prefers to throw less powerful punches. Furthermore, Rocket has moral qualms about using her full store of kinetic energy against normal human opponents.

Rocket can also use kinetic energy to increase the force with which she hurls an object, turning it into a dangerous projectile.^[12] For example, she once hurled a bullet with enough force to rival a shot from a high-caliber rifle. This ability is limited to objects which she can lift and toss with her normal strength.

By releasing her store kinetic energy in focus beams, Rocket can project powerful energy blasts from her hands.^[12] As with her kinetic punches, the force of these blasts depends on how much kinetic energy she uses.

Recently, Rocket has learned how to use her inertia winder to surround a target within an "inertialess field."^[17] This field's kinetic energy nullifies the energy of anything trapped within down to the molecular level. As a result, Rocket can use the inertialess field to effectively immobilize her opponents. In fact, some opponents can fall unconscious in as much as the field prevents oxygen molecules from reaching their lungs. The inertialess field consumes enormous amounts of energy and collapses after a few seconds.^[17]

Rocket can fly by releasing her inertia field's kinetic energy beneath her, launching her skyward. Initially, she was not very skilled with this ability and thus could only leap over great distances.^[5] However, after training from Darnice, Rocket can use her kinetic energy as a means of propulsion for genuine flight.^[5] Rocket is capable of flying through narrow corridors and performing complex aerial maneuvers.^[16] She can even hover in midair by releasing controlled bursts of kinetic energy beneath her.^[16]

Rocket's inertia field has certain weaknesses due to its very nature. First, the field will not activate if a person or object exerts little kinetic energy against it. This makes Rocket vulnerable to stealth attacks, which rely on slower movements and minimal force.^[18] Second, the inertia field offers little protection against weapons based on non-kinetic energy like thermal (e.g., flamethrowers)^[19] or electrical (e.g., tasers).^[12] Finally, Rocket will begin to feel the force of attacks directs against the field if it is overloaded as occurred in her battle with Oblivion.^[6]

In other media[link]

Television[link]

• Rocket appears in Young Justice voiced by Kittie. In the episode "Revelation", she and Icon are shown helping the Justice League fight off a massive plant creature created by the Injustice League. She reappears in the episode "Failsafe", working alongside Red Arrow, Zatanna, Garth and Tula as part of a resistance cell trying to stop an alien invasion. She later appears in "Misplaced," saving a bus on the edge of the bridge. In "Agendas," Wonder Woman nominates Rocket for membership in the Justice League, a sentiment which is echoed by both Black Canary and Hawkwoman. However, Superman rejects this notion on the grounds that she is not old enough to join the League. In "Usual Suspects," Rocket joins the Team after Icon is inducted into the Justice League, at the end of the episode she learns that stopping worldwide threat level criminals is a normal day for the team. She helped the rest of the team defeat Vandal Savage and the mind controlled Justice League, notably taking down her mentor and incapacitating Wonder Woman. She displays an attraction to Aqualad, and kisses him at the end of "Auld Acquaintance."

• Rocket reappears in Young Justice: Invasion, set five years after the events of "Auld Acquaintance." Now an adult, Rocket is shown as a member of the Justice League alongside her former teammate Zatanna.

Notes[link]

• Rocket held liberal views on economic and social issues, which resulted in her often clashing with her conservative partner, Icon. Under her influence, Icon eventually began re-evaluating his views.
• W. E. B. Du Bois' The Souls of Black Folk was a major influence in shaping Rocket's liberal views.^[1]
• Rocket is the first comic book superheroine who is a single teenage mother. The only other one is Mirage, a former member of the Teen Titans . Although Stephanie Brown, the former Batgirl and current Spoiler, gave birth at 15, she gave the child up for adoption.^[4]

See also[link]

• Icon

References[link]

External links[link]

• World of Black Heroes: Rocket Biography
• International Heroes: Rocket
• Rocket at the DC Database Project
• Museum of Black Superheroes: Rocket

Michael Easton (born February 15, 1967) is an American television actor, poet, author and photographer.

Career[link]

Easton has made appearances on television shows such as Ally McBeal and The Practice. He had a recurring role on the science fiction television series Mutant X. He played the dual lead role in the 1996 thriller series Two, as well as starring roles in the sci-fi series VR.5 and Total Recall 2070.

Additionally, Easton has appeared on soap operas, first starting out in the role of Tanner Scofield on NBC's Days of our Lives from 1989 to 1992. He went on to a two-year stint as vampire Caleb Morley on Port Charles from 2001 until its cancellation in 2003. Easton portrayed John McBain on the ABC soap opera, One Life to Live, a role he played since the creation of the character in October 2003 until the series ended in January 2012.^[1] He has since reprised the role on "General Hospital".

A collection of Easton's poetry was published under the title Eighteen Straight Whiskeys. He is the author of the Soul Stealer series of graphic novels, drawn by Christopher Shy, as well as several currently unproduced screenplays. He collaborated with author Peter Straub on the graphic novel The Green Woman, which featured art by John Bolton and was published by Vertigo Comics in 2010. Easton and Straub met and became friends after the latter, a fan of daytime soap-operas, visited the set of One Life to Live.^[2]

Personal Life[link]

Easton married model Ginevra Arabia in 2004. On April 15, 2011, Ginevra gave birth to their first child, a baby girl named Lilah Bell.

Television filmography[link]

• General Hospital as John McBain (2012-Present)
• One Life to Live as John McBain (2003–2012)
• Mutant X as Gabriel Ashlocke (2002) (recurring)
• Port Charles Caleb Morley/Michael Morley (2001–2003)
• Total Recall 2070 as David Hume (1999)
• Ally McBeal/The Practice as Glenn (1998) (recurring)
• 413 Hope St. as Nick Carrington (1997–1998)
• Two as Gus McClain and Booth Hubbard (1996)
• VR.5 as Duncan (1995)
• Days of our Lives as Tanner Scofield (1989–1992)

Books[link]

• Easton, Michael (1997). Eighteen Straight Whiskeys. The Bowery Press. ISBN 0-9658674-0-4.
• Easton, Michael (2008). Soul Stealer. ISBN 978-0-9809103-6-0.
• Easton, Michael (2009). Soul Stealer Book Two: Blood and Rain. ISBN 978-0-9809966-5-4.
• Straub, Peter & Michael Easton (2009). The Green Woman. ISBN 978-1-4012-1100-4.

Awards[link]

• 2005 - Soap Opera Digest Award Favorite Triangle for One Life to Live; shared with Melissa Archer and Renee Goldsberry

Awards nominated[link]

• 1999 - Gemini Awards: Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for Total Recall 2070

• 2002 - Daytime Emmy Awards: Special Fan Award America's Favorite Villain for playing Caleb Morley on Port Charles

• 2003 - Soap Opera Digest Award: Outstanding Younger Lead Actor for Port Charles

References[link]

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2009)

External links[link]

• Official website
• Michael Easton at the Internet Movie Database
• The Poetry of Michael Easton
• Soul Stealer by Michael Easton and Christopher Shy

Stan Lee
Stan Lee in 2007
Born	(1922-12-28) December 28, 1922 (age 89) New York City, New York, US
Nationality	American
Area(s)	Writer, editor, publisher, producer, actor, reality show host
Notable works	Fantastic Four Hulk Spider-Man Thor Iron Man X-Men
Awards	Jack Kirby Hall of Fame
Spouse	Joan Lee (m. 1947–present)
Signature
150px

Stan Lee (born December 28, 1922) is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

In collaboration with several artists, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, and many other fictional characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. In addition, he headed the first major successful challenge to the industry's censorship organization, the Comics Code Authority, and forced it to reform its policies. Lee subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.

He was inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995.

Early life[link]

Stan Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber in New York City on December 28, 1922, in the apartment of his Romanian-born Jewish immigrant parents, Celia (née Solomon) and Jack Lieber, at the corner of West 98th Street and West End Avenue in Manhattan.^[1][2][3] His father, trained as a dress cutter, worked only sporadically after the Great Depression,^[1] and the family moved further uptown to Fort Washington Avenue,^[4] in Washington Heights, Manhattan. When Lee was nearly 9, his only sibling, brother Larry Lieber, was born.^[5] He said in 2006 that as a child he was influenced by books and movies, particularly those with Errol Flynn playing heroic roles.^[6] By the time Lee was in his teens, the family was living in a one-bedroom apartment at 1720 University Avenue in The Bronx. Lee described it as "a third-floor apartment facing out back", with him and his brother sharing a bedroom and his parents using a foldout couch.^[5]

Lee attended DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx.^[7] In his youth, Lee enjoyed writing, and entertained dreams of one day writing The Great American Novel,^[8] He has said that in his youth he worked such part-time jobs as writing obituaries for a news service and press releases for the National Tuberculosis Center; delivering sandwiches for the Jack May pharmacy to offices in Rockefeller Center; working as an office boy for a trouser manufacturer; ushering at the Rivoli Theater on Broadway;^{[citation needed]} and selling subscriptions to the New York Herald Tribune newspaper. He graduated high school early, at age 16½ in 1939, and joined the WPA Federal Theatre Project.^[9]

Career[link]

Early career[link]

With the help of his uncle Robbie Solomon,^[10][11] Lee became an assistant in 1939 at the new Timely Comics division of pulp magazine and comic-book publisher Martin Goodman's company.^[11] Timely, by the 1960s, would evolve into Marvel Comics. Lee, whose cousin Jean^[12] was Goodman's wife, was formally hired by Timely editor Joe Simon.^[11]

His duties were prosaic at first. "In those days [the artists] dipped the pen in ink, [so] I had to make sure the inkwells were filled", Lee recalled in 2009. "I went down and got them their lunch, I did proofreading, I erased the pencils from the finished pages for them".^[13] Marshaling his childhood ambition to be a writer, young Stanley Lieber made his comic-book debut with the text filler "Captain America Foils the Traitor's Revenge" in Captain America Comics #3 (May 1941), using the pseudonym "Stan Lee", which years later he would adopt as his legal name. Lee later explained in his autobiography and numerous other sources that he had intended to save his given name for more literary work. This initial story also introduced Captain America's trademark ricocheting shield-toss, which immediately became one of the character's signatures.^[14]

He graduated from writing filler to actual comics with a backup feature, "'Headline' Hunter, Foreign Correspondent", two issues later. Lee's first superhero co-creation was the Destroyer, in Mystic Comics #6 (Aug 1941). Other characters he created during this period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comics include Jack Frost, debuting in USA Comics #1 (Aug. 1941), and Father Time, debuting in Captain America Comics #6 (Aug. 1941).^[15]

When Simon and his creative partner Jack Kirby left late in 1941, following a dispute with Goodman, the 30-year-old publisher installed Lee, just under 19 years old, as interim editor.^[16] The youngster showed a knack for the business that led him to remain as the comic-book division's editor-in-chief, as well as art director for much of that time, until 1972, when he would succeed Goodman as publisher.^[17][18]

Lee entered the United States Army in early 1942 and served stateside in the Signal Corps, writing manuals, training films, and slogans, and occasionally cartooning. His military classification, he says, was "playwright"; he adds that only nine men in the U.S. Army were given that title.^[19] Vincent Fago, editor of Timely's "animation comics" section, which put out humor and funny animal comics, filled in until Lee returned from his World War II military service in 1945. Lee now lived in the rented top floor of a brownstone in the East 90s in Manhattan.^[20]

He married Joan Clayton Boocock on December 5, 1947,^[21] and in 1949, the couple bought a two-story, three-bedroom home at 1084 West Broadway in Woodmere, New York, on Long Island, living there through 1952.^[22] By this time, the couple had daughter Joan Celia "J.C." Lee, born in 1950; another child, Jan Lee, died three days after delivery in 1953.^[23] Lee by this time had bought a home at 226 Richards Lane in the Long Island town of Hewlett Harbor, New York, where he and his family lived from 1952 to 1980,^[24] including the 1960s period when Lee and his artist collaborators would revolutionize comic books.

In the mid-1950s, by which time the company was now generally known as Atlas Comics, Lee wrote stories in a variety of genres including romance, Westerns, humor, science fiction, medieval adventure, horror and suspense. By the end of the decade, Lee had become dissatisfied with his career and considered quitting the field.^[25][26]

Marvel revolution[link]

In the late 1950s, DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz revived the superhero archetype and experienced a significant success with its updated version of the Flash, and later with super-team the Justice League of America. In response, publisher Martin Goodman assigned Lee to create a new superhero team. Lee's wife urged him to experiment with stories he preferred, since he was planning on changing careers and had nothing to lose.^[25][26]

Lee acted on that advice, giving his superheroes a flawed humanity, a change from the ideal archetypes that were typically written for preteens. Before this, most superheroes were idealistically perfect people with no serious, lasting problems.^[27] Lee introduced complex, naturalistic characters^[28] who could have bad tempers, fits of melancholy, vanity; they bickered amongst themselves, worried about paying their bills and impressing girlfriends, got bored or even were sometimes physically ill.

The first superhero group Lee and artist Jack Kirby created was the Fantastic Four. The team's immediate popularity led Lee and Marvel's illustrators to produce a cavalcade of new titles. With Kirby primarily, Lee created the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and the X-Men; with Bill Everett, Daredevil; and with Steve Ditko, Doctor Strange and Marvel's most successful character, Spider-Man, all of whom lived in a thoroughly shared universe.^[29]

Comics historian Peter Sanderson wrote that in the 1960s:

DC was the equivalent of the big Hollywood studios: After the brilliance of DC's reinvention of the superhero ... in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it had run into a creative drought by the decade's end. There was a new audience for comics now, and it wasn't just the little kids that traditionally had read the books. The Marvel of the 1960s was in its own way the counterpart of the French New Wave.... Marvel was pioneering new methods of comics storytelling and characterization, addressing more serious themes, and in the process keeping and attracting readers in their teens and beyond. Moreover, among this new generation of readers were people who wanted to write or draw comics themselves, within the new style that Marvel had pioneered, and push the creative envelope still further.^[30]

Stan Lee's Marvel revolution extended beyond the characters and storylines to the way in which comic books engaged the readership and built a sense of community between fans and creators.^[31] Lee introduced the practice of including a credit panel on the splash page of each story, naming not just the writer and penciller but also the inker and letterer. Regular news about Marvel staff members and upcoming storylines was presented on the Bullpen Bulletins page, which (like the letter columns that appeared in each title) was written in a friendly, chatty style.

Throughout the 1960s, Lee scripted, art-directed, and edited most of Marvel's series, moderated the letters pages, wrote a monthly column called "Stan's Soapbox," and wrote endless promotional copy, often signing off with his trademark phrase "Excelsior!" (which is also the New York state motto). To maintain his taxing workload, yet still meet deadlines, he used a system that was used previously by various comic-book studios, but due to Lee's success with it, became known as the "Marvel Method" or "Marvel style" of comic-book creation. Typically, Lee would brainstorm a story with the artist and then prepare a brief synopsis rather than a full script. Based on the synopsis, the artist would fill the allotted number of pages by determining and drawing the panel-to-panel storytelling. After the artist turned in penciled pages, Lee would write the word balloons and captions, and then oversee the lettering and coloring. In effect, the artists were co-plotters, whose collaborative first drafts Lee built upon.

Because of this system, the exact division of creative credits on Lee's comics has been disputed, especially in cases of comics drawn by Kirby and Ditko. Lee shares co-creator credit with Kirby and Ditko on, respectively, the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man feature film series.

In 1971, Lee indirectly helped reform the Comics Code.^[32] The US Department of Health, Education and Welfare had asked Lee to write a comic-book story about the dangers of drugs and Lee conceived a three-issue subplot in The Amazing Spider-Man #96–98 (cover-dated May–July 1971), in which Peter Parker's best friend becomes addicted to pills. The Comics Code Authority refused to grant its seal because the stories depicted drug use; the anti-drug context was considered irrelevant. With Goodman's cooperation and confident that the original government request would give him credibility, Lee had the story published without the seal. The comics sold well and Marvel won praise for its socially conscious efforts. The CCA subsequently loosened the Code to permit negative depictions of drugs, among other new freedoms.^[33]

Lee also supported using comic books to provide some measure of social commentary about the real world, often dealing with racism and bigotry. "Stan's Soapbox", besides promoting an upcoming comic book project, also addressed issues of discrimination, intolerance, or prejudice.^[34][35]

Later career[link]

Signed photo of Lee at the 1975 San Diego Comic Con.

In later years, Lee became a figurehead and public face for Marvel Comics. He made appearances at comic book conventions around America, lecturing at colleges and participating in panel discussions. By this time he owned a vacation home on Cutler Lane in Remsenburg, New York^[36] and, from 1975 to 1980, a two-bedroom condominium on the 14th floor of 220 East 63rd Street in Manhattan.^[37] He moved to California in 1981 to develop Marvel's TV and movie properties. He has been an executive producer for, and has made cameo appearances in, Marvel film adaptations and other movies. He and his wife bought a home in West Hollywood, California previously owned by comedian Jack Benny's radio announcer, Don Wilson.^[38] Lee was briefly president of the entire company, but soon stepped down to become publisher instead, finding that being president was too much about numbers and finance and not enough about the creative process he enjoyed.^[39]

Peter Paul and Lee began to start a new Internet-based superhero creation, production and marketing studio, Stan Lee Media, in 1998. It grew to 165 people and went public, but near the end of 2000, investigators discovered illegal stock manipulation by Paul and corporate officer Stephan Gordon.^[40] Stan Lee Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February 2001.^[41] Paul was extradited to the U.S. from Brazil, and pleaded guilty to violating SEC Rule 10b-5 in connection with trading of his stock in Stan Lee Media.^[42][43] Lee was never implicated in the scheme.

In the 2000s, Lee did his first work for DC Comics, launching the Just Imagine... series, in which Lee reimagined the DC superheroes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and the Flash.^[44]

In 2001, Lee, Gill Champion and Arthur Lieberman formed POW! (Purveyors of Wonder) Entertainment to develop film, television and video game properties. Lee created the risqué animated superhero series Stripperella for Spike TV. In 2004 he announced a superhero program that would feature Ringo Starr, the former Beatle, as the lead character.^[45] Additionally, in August of that year, Lee announced the launch of Stan Lee's Sunday Comics,^[46] hosted by Komikwerks.com, where monthly subscribers could read a new, updated comic and "Stan's Soapbox" every Sunday. The column has not been updated since February 15, 2005.

In 2006, Marvel commemorated Lee's 65 years with the company by publishing a series of one-shot comics starring Lee himself meeting and interacting with many of his co-creations, including Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, the Thing, Silver Surfer and Doctor Doom. These comics also featured short pieces by such comics creators as Joss Whedon and Fred Hembeck, as well as reprints of classic Lee-written adventures.^{[citation needed]}

On March 15, 2007, Stan Lee Media's new president, Jim Nesfield, filed a lawsuit against Marvel Entertainment for $5 billion, claiming that the company is co-owner of the characters that Lee created for Marvel.^[47] On June 9, 2007, Stan Lee Media sued Lee; his newer company, POW! Entertainment; POW! subsidiary QED Entertainment; and other former Stan Lee Media staff at POW!^[48]

In 2008, Lee wrote humorous captions for the political fumetti book Stan Lee Presents Election Daze: What Are They Really Saying?.^[49] In April of that year, at the New York Comic Con, Viz Media announced that Lee and Hiroyuki Takei were collaborating on the manga Karakuridôji Ultimo, from parent company Shueisha.^[50] That same month, Brighton Partners and Rainmaker Animation announced a partnership POW! to produce a CGI film series, Legion of 5.^[51] That same month, Virgin Comics announced Lee would create a line of superhero comics for that company.^[52] He is also working on a TV adaptation of the novel Hero.^[53] He wrote the foreword to the 2010 non-fiction e-book memoir Skyscraperman by skyscraper fire-safety advocate Dan Goodwin, who had climbed skyscrapers dressed as Spider-Man.^[54]

Lee promoting Stan Lee's Kids Universe at the 2011 New York Comic Con.

In 2009, he and the Japanese company Bones produced its first manga feature, Heroman, serialized in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan; the feature was adapted to anime in April 2010.^[55][56]

In October 2010, Lee's SLG Entertainment partnered with Guardian Media Entertainment on The Guardian Project to create superhero mascots for the National Hockey League.^[57]

In August 2011, Lee announced his support for the Eagle Initiative, a program to find new talent in the comic book field.^[58]

In 2011, Lee was writing a live-action musical, The Yin and Yang Battle of Tao.^[59] In October, Lee announced he would partner with 1821 Comics on a multimedia imprint for children, Stan Lee’s Kids Universe, a move he said addressed the lack of comic books targeted for children; and that he was collaborating with the company on its futuristic graphic novel Romeo & Juliet: The War, by writer Max Work and artist Skan Srisuwan.^[60][61]

Action figure[link]

At the 2007 Comic-Con International, Marvel Legends introduced a Stan Lee action figure. The body beneath the figure's removable cloth wardrobe is a re-used mold of a previously released Spider-Man action figure, with only minor changes.^[62]

Charity work[link]

The Stan Lee Foundation was founded in 2010 to focus on literacy, education and the arts. Its stated goals include supporting programs and ideas that improve access to literacy resources, as well as promoting diversity, national literacy, culture and the arts.^[63]

Stan Lee has donated portions of his personal effects to the University of Wyoming at various times, between 1981 and 2001.^[64]

Awards and honors[link]

• Lee has received several awards for his work, including being inducted into the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995.
• On November 17, 2008, Stan Lee was awarded the National Medal of Arts.^[34][65]
• The County of Los Angeles declared October 2, 2009 Stan Lee Day.^[66]
• The City of Long Beach declared October 2, 2009 Stan Lee Day.^[66]
• Lee won the Comic-Con Icon Award 2009 at Scream Awards.^[67]
• Lee received the 2,428th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 4, 2011.
• On January 21, 2012, Lee received the Vanguard Award from the Producers Guild of America.^[68]

Fictional portrayals[link]

Stan Lee and his collaborator Jack Kirby appear as themselves in The Fantastic Four No.10 (January 1963), the first of several appearances within the fictional Marvel Universe.^[69] The two are depicted as similar to their real-world counterparts, creating comic books based on the "real" adventures of the Fantastic Four.

Kirby later portrayed himself, Lee, production executive Sol Brodsky, and Lee's secretary Flo Steinberg as superheroes in What If #11, "What If the Marvel Bullpen Had Become the Fantastic Four?", in which Lee played the part of Mister Fantastic. Lee has also made numerous cameo appearances in many Marvel titles, appearing in audiences and crowds at many characters' ceremonies and parties, and hosting an old-soldiers reunion in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos No.100 (July 1972). Lee appeared, unnamed, as the priest at Luke Cage and Jessica Jones' wedding in New Avengers Annual #1. He pays his respects to Karen Page at her funeral in the Daredevil "Guardian Devil" story arc,^{[volume & issue needed]} and appears in The Amazing Spider-Man (June 1977).

In Marvel's July 1997 "Flashback" event, a top-hatted caricature of Lee as a ringmaster introduced stories which detailed events in Marvel characters' lives before they became superheroes, in special "-1" editions of many Marvel titles. The "ringmaster" depiction of Lee was originally from Generation X #17 (July 1996), where the character narrated a story set primarily in an abandoned circus. Though the story itself was written by Scott Lobdell, the narration by "Ringmaster Stan" was written by Lee, and the character was drawn in that issue by Chris Bachalo.

Under his given name of Stanley Lieber, Stan Lee appears briefly in Paul Malmont's 2006 novel The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril.^{[citation needed]}

Lee and other comics creators are mentioned on page 479 of Michael Chabon's 2000 novel about the comics industry The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Chabon also acknowledges a debt to Lee and other creators on the book's Author's Note page.

On one of the last pages of Truth: Red, White, and Black, Lee appears in a real photograph among other celebrities on a wall of the Bradley home.^{[citation needed]}

In Stan Lee Meets Superheroes, which Lee wrote, he comes in to contact with some of his favorite creations.

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby appear as professors in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #19.

Film and television appearances[link]

Marvel television[link]

• One of Lee's earliest contributions to animation based on Marvel properties was narrating the 1980s Incredible Hulk animated series, always beginning his narration with a self-introduction and ending with "This is Stan Lee saying, Excelsior!" Lee had previously narrated the "Seven Little Superheroes" episode of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, which the Hulk series was paired with for broadcast.
• Lee did the narration for the original 1989 X-Men animated series pilot titled X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men.
• Lee was an executive producer of the 1990s animated TV series Spider-Man. He appeared as himself in animated form in the series finale episode titled "Farewell, Spider-Man". Spider-Man is transported by Madame Web into the "real" world where he is a fictional character. He meets Lee and the two swing around until Spider-Man drops him off on top of a building; Madame Web appears and brings Spider-Man back to his homeworld. Realizing he is stuck on a roof, Lee muses, hoping the Fantastic Four will show up and lend a hand.
• He also voices the character "Frank Elson" in an episode of Spider-Man: The New Animated Series series broadcast by MTV in 2003, and titled "Mind Games" (Parts 1 & 2, originally aired on August 15 & 22, 2003).
• He voiced a loading dock worker named Stan on The Spectacular Spider-Man in the episode "Blueprints".
• In the pilot episode of The Superhero Squad Show, Lee voices the mayor of the city, preparing to give away the city's key when disaster strikes.
• Lee has appeared in episodes of the Disney XD TV series Ultimate Spider-Man as a high school janitor named Stan, in which he makes references to Lee's real-life career. In the pilot, "Great Power", he mentions Irving Forbush, a character Lee co-created in 1955 as a literary device.^[70] He appears in Episode 6, "Why I Hate Gym".^[71]

Marvel films[link]

Lee has had cameo appearances in many films based on Marvel characters that he created or co-created:

• In the TV-movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989), Lee's first appearance in a Marvel movie or TV project is as a jury foreman in the trial of Dr. David Banner.
• In X-Men (2000), Lee appears as a hotdog stand vendor on the beach when Senator Kelly emerges naked onshore after escaping from Magneto.
• In Spider-Man (2002), he appeared during Spider-Man's first battle with the Green Goblin, pulling a little girl away from falling debris. In the DVD's deleted scenes, Lee has an expanded cameo in which he plays a street vendor who tries to sell Peter Parker a pair of sunglasses "just like the X-Men wear."
• In Daredevil (2003), as a child, Matt Murdock stops Lee from crossing the street and getting hit by a bus.
• In Hulk (2003), he appears walking alongside former TV-series Hulk Lou Ferrigno in an early scene, both as security guards at Bruce Banner's lab. It was his first speaking role in a film based on one of his characters.
• In Spider-Man 2 (2004), Lee pulls an innocent person away from danger during Spider-Man's first battle with Doctor Octopus. In a deleted scene that appears as an extra on the film's DVD release, Lee has another cameo, saying, "Look, Spider-Man stole that child's sneakers."
• In Fantastic Four (2005), Lee appears for the first time as a character from the comics, in a role credited as Willie Lumpkin, the mail carrier who greets the Fantastic Four as they enter the Baxter Building.
• In X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Lee and Chris Claremont appear as two of Jean Grey's neighbors in the opening scenes set 20 years ago. Lee, credited as "Waterhose man," is watering the lawn when Jean telekinetically redirects the water from the hose into the air.
• In Spider-Man 3 (2007), Lee appears in a credited role as "Man in Times Square". He stands next to Peter Parker, both of them reading a news bulletin about Spider-Man, and commenting to Peter that, "You know, I guess one person can make a difference". He then says his catch phrase, "'Nuff said."
• In Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Lee appears as himself at Reed Richards' and Susan Storm's first wedding, being turned away by a security guard for not being on the guest list. In Fantastic Four Annual No.3 (1965), in which the couple married, Lee and Jack Kirby are similarly turned away.
• In Iron Man (2008), Lee (credited as "Himself") appears at a gala cavorting with three blonds, where Tony Stark mistakes him for Hugh Hefner.^[72] In the theatrical release of the film, Stark simply greets Lee as "Hef" and moves on without seeing Lee's face; another version of the scene was filmed where Stark realizes his mistake, but Lee graciously responds, "That's okay, I get this all the time."^[73]
• In The Incredible Hulk (2008), Lee appears as a hapless citizen who accidentally ingests a soft drink mixed with Bruce Banner's blood, leading to the discovery of Dr. Banner's location in a bottling plant in Brazil.
• In Iron Man 2 (2010), during the Stark Expo, Lee, wearing suspenders and a red shirt and black and purple tie, is greeted by Tony Stark as "Larry King".
• In Thor (2011), Lee appears among many people at the site where Thor's hammer Mjolnir lands on earth. He tears the back off his pickup truck in an attempt to pull Mjolnir out of the ground with a chain and causes everyone to laugh by asking, "Did it work?".
• In Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Lee is again used as comic relief, this time portraying a general in World War II. When Captain America/Steve Rogers is queued to a stage to receive an award, a man goes on stage to tell the presenter that Rogers will not be attending. The general mistakes the man for Rogers, commenting, "I thought he'd be taller." Lee said in April 2011, "Marvel Studios has upgraded my cameo for the Captain America movie! They’ve given me one more word of dialogue than originally planned!"^[74]
• In The Avengers (2012), Lee makes a cameo appearance as a man interviewed by the media about his opinion concerning the Avengers thwarting the Chitauri's attack on Manhattan Island. Lee's character responds with, "Superheroes in New York? Give me a break", and then returns to a game of chess with a fellow senior citizen. ^[75]
• In The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Lee is scheduled to have a cameo in an action scene where he plays a librarian oblivious to the fight between Spider-Man and the Lizard happening behind him.^[76]

Warner/DC properties[link]

In the original February 7, 1998, broadcast airing of the Superman: The Animated Series episode "Apokolips... Now! Part 2" on the Kids' WB programming block, an animated Stan Lee was visible mourning the death of Daniel "Terrible" Turpin, a character based on his longtime Marvel Comics collaborator Jack Kirby. This shot was later modified to remove the likeness of Lee and other of background Marvel characters when the episode was released on DVD.^[77]

Other film, TV, and video[link]

• In the 1990s, Lee hosted the documentary series The Comic Book Greats and interviewed notable comic book creators such as Chris Claremont, Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld and Whilce Portacio.
• Lee has an extensive cameo in the 1995 Kevin Smith film Mallrats. He plays himself, this time visiting the mall to sign books at a comic store. Later, he takes on the role of a sage-like character, giving Jason Lee's character, Brodie Bruce (a longtime fan of Stan's), advice on his love life. He also recorded interviews with Smith for the non-fiction video Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters, and Marvels (2002).
• Lee is the host of the 2010 History Channel documentary series Stan Lee's Superhumans.
• Lee makes a cameo appearance as the "Three Stooges Wedding Guest" in the 2004 Disney film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.
• Lee hosted and judged contestants in the SyFy series Who Wants to Be a Superhero?
• Lee appears with director Kevin Smith and 2000s Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada in the DVD program Marvel Then & Now: An Evening with Stan Lee and Joe Quesada, hosted by Kevin Smith.
• Lee was interviewed on the History Channel show Superhuman by Daniel Browning Smith, who held several Guinness Records for extreme flexibility^[78] due to having Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic condition affecting collagen formation. Smith had created his own comic book to display his own struggles as an outcast for his flexibility, and legitimately surprised Lee with a quick demonstration of his talent.
• In the animated series Jim Henson's Muppet Babies, Lee plays himself in a live-action scene of the "Comic Capers" episode.
• Lee appeared as himself in an extended self-parodying sketch on the episode "Tapping a Hero" of Robot Chicken.
• Lee appears as himself in writer-director Larry Cohen's The Ambulance (1990), in which Eric Roberts plays an aspiring comics artist.
• In "I Am Furious Yellow", the April 28, 2002, episode of The Simpsons, Lee voices the animated Stan Lee, who is a prolonged visitor to Comic Book Guy's store. He asks if Comic Book Guy is the stalker of Lynda Carter – the star of the 1970s show Wonder Woman – and shows signs of dementia, such as breaking a customer's toy Batmobile by trying to cram a Thing action figure into it (claiming that he "made it better"), hiding DC comics behind Marvel comics, and believing that he is the Hulk (and fails trying to become the Hulk, while Comic Book Guy comments he couldn't even change into Bill Bixby). Lee also appeared on the commentary track along with other Simpsons writers and directors on the episode for The Simpsons Season 13 box set released in 2010. In a later Simpsons episode, "Worst Episode Ever", Lee's picture is seen next to several others on the wall behind the register, under the heading "Banned for life".
• Lee appears as himself in the Mark Hamill-directed Comic Book: The Movie (2004), a direct-to-video mockumentary primarily filmed at the 2002 San Diego Comic-Con.
• Lee made an appearance on December 21, 2006, on the NBC game show Identity.
• Lee appeared as himself in "The Excelsior Acquisition", a third season episode of The Big Bang Theory, in March 2010.^[79] He appears at the front door of his house wearing Fantastic Four pajamas, ultimately calling into the rest of the house, "Joanie, call the police!" to get rid of Sheldon.
• Lee voices the Mayor of Superhero City in the Super Hero Squad Show.
• He plays a bus driver in the 16th episode of the first season of Heroes.^[80]
• Lee made a guest appearance as himself in "Bottom's Up", a season seven episode of the TV series Entourage. He guest-starred in "Glimpse", a season five episode of Eureka that aired in July 2011.^[81]
• Lee appears in "The Guardian", the October 7, 2010, episode of Nikita, as Hank Excelsior, a witness to a bank robbery who is interviewed by a TV reporter.
• Lee was interviewed in the 2011 documentary Superheroes.
• Lee is scheduled to appear on X Japan's music video "Born to be Free".^[82]
• Lee portrayed himself at a CIA holiday party in the fifth season of Chuck, in which it is revealed in that universe he secretly works for the government and has a romantic interest in General Beckman.
• Stan Lee appeared in the eleventh episode of season five of The Guild, in which he was captured at a convention by the character Zaboo's Master Chief cosplaying henchmen.^{[episode needed]}
• Stan Lee portrayed a future version of Tony Stark in "Episode 205 – The Future!" of the comedy web series Avengers Assemble!. In this episode, he delivered from the future a cryptic message to the rest of his fellow Avengers, but constantly frustrated his companions due to his ineptness with the technology of his future era.^[83]

Video games and applications[link]

• Lee narrates the 2000 video game Spider-Man,^[84] the 2001 sequel Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro^[85] and 2010's Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.^[86][87]
• Lee made his first-ever onscreen video game appearance as a senator named after himself in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.^[88]
• Lee narrates the The Avengers Origins: Hulk and Avengers Origins: Assemble! apps for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, which were released by Disney Publishing Worldwide in February 2012.^[89]
• Lee is a playable character in Activision's The Amazing Spider-Man video game, which is scheduled to be released in June 2012, as a tie-in to the film of the same name.^[90]

Personal life[link]

Lee's favorite authors include Stephen King, H. G. Wells, Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and Harlan Ellison.^[91] He is also a fan of the films of Bruce Lee.^[92]

Bibliography[link]

Lee's comics work includes:^[93]

DC[link]

• DC Comics Presents: Superman #1 (2004)
• Just Imagine Stan Lee creating:
  • Aquaman (with Scott McDaniel) (2002)
  • Batman (with Joe Kubert) (2001)
  • Catwoman (with Chris Bachalo) (2002)
  • Crisis (with John Cassaday) (2002)
  • Flash (with Kevin Maguire) (2002)
  • Green Lantern (with Dave Gibbons) (2001)
  • JLA (with Jerry Ordway) (2002)
  • Robin (with John Byrne) (2001)
  • Sandman (with Walt Simonson) (2002)
  • Secret Files and Origins (2002)
  • Shazam! (with Gary Frank) (2001)
  • Superman (with John Buscema) (2001)
  • Wonder Woman (with Jim Lee) (2001)

Marvel[link]

• Amazing Spider-Man #1–100, 105–110, 116–118, 200 (1962–80); (backup stories): #634–655 (2010–11)^[94]
• Avengers #1–35 (1963–66)
• Captain America #100–141 (1968–71) (continues from Tales of Suspense #99)
• Daredevil, #1–9, 11–50, 53 (1964–69)
• Daredevil, vol. 2, #20 (backup story) (2001)
• Epic Illustrated #1 (Silver Surfer) (1980)
• Fantastic Four #1–114, 120–125 (1961–72); #296 (1986)
• The Incredible Hulk #1–6 (continues to Tales to Astonish #59)
• Journey into Mystery (Thor) plotter #83–96 (1962–63), writer #97–125 (1963–66) (continues to Thor #126)
• Ravage 2099 #1–7 (1992–93)
• Savage She-Hulk #1 (1980)
• Sgt. Fury #1–28 (1963–66)
• Silver Surfer #1–18 (1968–70)
• Silver Surfer vol. 2, #1 (1982)
• Silver Surfer: Parable #1–2 (1988)
• Solarman #1–2 (1989–90)
• Strange Tales (diverse stories): #9, 11, 74, 89, 90–100 (1951–62); (Human Torch): #101–109, 112–133; (Doctor Strange): #110–111, 115–142, 151–158 (1962–67); (Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.: #135–147, 150–152 (1965–67)
• Tales to Astonish (diverse stories): #1, 6, 12–13, 15–17, 24–33 (1956–62); Ant-Man/Giant Man: #35–69 (1962–65) (Incredible Hulk: #59–101 (1964–1968); Sub-Mariner: #70–101 (1965–68)
• Tales of Suspense (diverse stories): #7, 9, 16, 22, 27, 29–30 (1959–62); (Iron Man): plotter #39–46 (1963), writer #47–98 (1963–68) (Captain America): #58–99 (1964–86)
• Thor #126–192, 200 (1966–72), 385 (1987)
• What If (Fantastic Four) #200 (2011)
• The X-Men #1–19 (1963–66)