Dear Joan,
We have never met. I was a best boy grip on the film set of Fantastic Four and was privileged to meet your husband, Stan Lee, on the day he did his cameo as the mailman. So it is in this spirit that I pen this letter to you now.
My boss, Steve Smith, prefers to avoid set like the plague, and my task was to adhere myself to the cinematographer, Olver Woods. Mostly this meant I would prod him awake if he dozed off between shots at the monitors. I have met many rockstars, actors, and renown artitsts but never have I been this starstruck. Stan sparked the frosted wheaties kid in me and I neglected my duties, staring at him, gobsmacked, as he sat in his cast chair. The script supervisor, Tina, caught my eye. “Do you want to meet him? I have the teamsters doing a run to get vintage comic books. I could have them get you a few for Stan to sign?” Ahhh, hell yeah!
But she did more. Everyone in the industry knew that, at the time, I was teching only one monster feature a year and dedicating the rest of my time to writing. On lunch, Tina lead me to Stan’s trailer. And I met him. Stunned, I held out my newly-acquired vintage comics. Stan spoke. “I hear you write.” My head was screaming “omg this is Stan Lee and he talks!” I squeaked out how in fact that very day I had received my first animation option agreement. So not only did Stan sign my comics, but he also witnessed my first animation contract. Now that’s luck! And then he spoke of you…
Of how you encouraged him to leave his job and tell his own stories, of how you believed in him when he didn’t even know he had talent, of how you gave him his super scribe powers. Then he bestowed some advice “From one writer to another, Lynne, find someone. Find someone who loves you and your work as much as you do. Don’t write alone. It’s too lonely to be alone.”
Stan is very lucky to have you. I am not so fortunate yet. So thank you Joan for helping Stan and for giving me some of my childhood heroes. I now have another… you.
Many thanks, Lynne
This post is in loving memory of Christina Weigman who left us this month. You are missed Tina. Thank you for this moment.
