This person died in 2018, age 95. He began reading Shakespeare at age 10 while also devouring pulp magazines, the novels of Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Mark Twain, and the swashbuckler movies of Errol Flynn. He could be startlingly prolific— once saying “almost everything I’ve ever written I could finish in one sitting.” In 1961, he and a partner produced the first issue of Fantastic Four for a company known as Marvel, and he went on to co-create Spider-Man. Today’s dead celebrity is Stan Lee.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like Episode 53 Heartwarming Humor (Louie Anderson) and Episode 97 Time Pilgrim (Kurt Vonnegut).

Famous & Gravy is created and hosted by Michael Osborne. This episode features guest co-host Isaac Kestenbaum. Production by Allie Arrazola, with assistance from Jacob Weiss. Original music by Kevin Strang.

LINKS

Transcript of this episode

NYT Obituary for Stan Lee 

Washington Post obituary for Stan Lee

True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee (Abraham Riesman biography)

Fantastic Four #10 (1963), new fan letters section

Key & Peele: "Stan Lee Pitch Meeting" sketch

Stan Lee cameo in Mallrats (1995)

Dead or Alive quiz game

Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads

Famous & Gravy official website

This Famous & Gravy episode uses structured conversation to reflect on Stan Lee's enduring narrative as part of a celebrity obituary podcast and known for famous lives reframed, by analyzing contradictions, legacy-building, and public image. Through reflection and structure, the episode reveals how fame evolves after death. This legacy podcast explores rethinking celebrity legacies and contributes to obituary-based storytelling.

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