There is an excellent essay on Stan Lee in The New Yorker ('Flame On,' p. 70, 15 February 2021') by Stephanie Burt in which she shares her knowledge and thoughts more than she reviews Mr. Riesman's book, the first biography to be published since his death. I didn't realize how thin Marvel's business was when they had to have DC distribute their books to newstands with a limit of eight titles a month after the Comics Code agreement. Ms. Burt also summarizes the changes in the in then industry, who films, and how Stan Lee was used by grifters in his old age.
Of course, there is much more detail about the business shared by Mr. Riseman if one wants to know more about given events mentioned in this essay.
"Perhaps above all, Lee was a grand self-mythologizer. As Riesman writes, one of his canniest bursts of creativity was inventing 'a character named Stan Lee.' His ability to impress strangers, and to believe his own tall tales, suggests comparisons to Ronald Reagan."
Of course, there is much more detail about the business shared by Mr. Riseman if one wants to know more about given events mentioned in this essay.
"Perhaps above all, Lee was a grand self-mythologizer. As Riesman writes, one of his canniest bursts of creativity was inventing 'a character named Stan Lee.' His ability to impress strangers, and to believe his own tall tales, suggests comparisons to Ronald Reagan."
