Stan Lee - The Silver Surfer: my philosophical outlet (19/42)

To listen to more of Stan Lee’s stories, go to the playlist:
• Stan Lee (Writer)
The creative genius of US writer Stan Lee (1922-2018) generated 'Spider Man', 'X-Men', 'The Hulk' and other complex characters. Marvel Comics with Lee at the helm became hugely successful. In January 2011, Lee received the 2428th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [Listener: Leo Bear; date recorded: 2006].
TRANSCRIPT: The… the other character that I liked was called The Silver Surfer. I worked with an artist who was the greatest, named Jack Kirby. I don't think my stories would have looked as good if Jack hadn't done some of them 'cause he… he was brilliant. In fact, all the artists were brilliant. There was John Romita and Steve Ditko and John Buscema. I… I was the luckiest guy alive 'cause… I think I could have done a mediocre story, they made them look as though the stories were great 'cause they were so beautifully drawn. But Jack one day… One of the most important things is to come up with villains. The heroes are… you know, you come up with a hero and you've got him, and every month he's the same hero. But you need a new villain every month, and you're always trying to top yourself. So I had done everybody as a villain, and one day I said, ‘We ought to do somebody who's like a demi-god’, and I came up with this character Galactus - really kind of silly but Jack made him look good. He's a guy who travelled through the galaxies and he destroyed planets, and he wasn't a bad guy. He only destroyed planets 'cause they provided him with his nourishment. He would drain all the energy out of a planet to keep himself alive. He was huge and he had this huge space ship, and he didn't want to harm anybody but he had to live. So it's like us catching fish. If we're starving we catch a fish, we eat it, we don't want to hurt the fish but we need to live.
So I had this character Galactus, and Jack drew the story, but in the story, he drew a fellow on a flying surfboard flying from planet to planet and ‘Who the hell is that?’ and he said, ‘Well, I figured anybody as big and powerful as Galactus ought to have a herald who flies ahead of him to find planets for him’. Maybe that's not a bad idea, but I loved the way he drew this character. This character looked so heroic, and so noble, and so dramatic that I gave him the name The Silver Surfer. And instead of just a guy flying around finding planets, I made him a philosophical observer of the world and the universe. And I had him talk in semi-Shakespearean and biblical language, and… he became my mouthpiece for how I feel about a lot of things. I told Jack: ‘I want to use this character a lot’. And he came to Earth and he would say things like - and I don't remember the exact words, I'll just paraphrase it - but he would talk about the fact that we live in the greatest planet we could ever want. It has everything: it has clean fresh air, it has sunlight, moonlight. It has all the water we could need, most of the planet is water. It has beautiful growing things, all the food we could want, room for everybody. Why do we fight each other? Why do we hate each other? Why is there… what's the matter with us? Are we insane? And all the… and the kids loved him. And whenever I would lecture at college… I don't know if I mentioned this but I probably lectured at colleges more than any human being. When I… I became publisher in 1970 or thereabouts, from '70 to '80 I don't think a week went by that I wasn't flying to some city in Canada, America, England… somewhere, lecturing about Marvel Comics. Or life in general. And during these lectures, inevitably - mostly at colleges - some kid would get up: ‘Stan, tell us about The Silver Surfer, and do you equate his Judeo-Christian philosophy with that…’ and they'd get into all of this deep stuff, which I loved. Speaking of that, I had a character called Doctor Strange who was a magician - master of the mystic arts. He was another one who was popular. And when he would do his magical thing I couldn't just have him say abracadabra or something, so I made up incantations for him. Like he would say… if he wanted to throw a bolt of lightning at a villain he'd say, ‘By the hoary hosts of Hoggath so let it be’. Or things like that. ‘By the shades of the shadowy seraphim’, I had dozens of them. Well, when I would lecture at colleges inevitably a kid would get up and say, ‘We've been studying the various incantations of Doctor Strange and it's obvious that you got them from ancient Druid writings’… or from this, or that. And I hated to have to disappoint the kids by saying no, I dreamed them up. So after a while I'd say, well as a matter of fact I did do some heavy research. But I found… you can't write anything that people aren't going to read things into, that you didn't even think of, you know...
To read more of the transcript go to www.webofstories.com/play/sta...

[@goodcontent2509]

Stan’s surfing in the stars now

[@joshdurham2035]

Doing a big cry right now.

[@taylorsachs5779]

Yes sir

[@jameswestfall646]

He will always be earths herald

[@KalleVilenius]

"If sacred places are spared the ravages of war... then make all places sacred. And if the holy people are to be kept harmless from war... then make all people holy." Wasn't written by Lee himself but it's the best line the Surfer ever had.

[@Blade-Thing]

Who wrote that?? JMS?

[@sadplatinum6786]

@@Blade-Thing yeah

[@mryoyoserpico]

@@Blade-Thing who is JMS?

[@SuperZX49]

@@mryoyoserpico Joseph Michael Straczynski. Quote from Silver Surfer: Requiem

[@mryoyoserpico]

It is a good quote!

[@vigneshsubramanian2511]

Silver Surfer is hands down Stan Lee's best superhero he wrote and easily one of the best superheroes of all time. He is so underrated and I hope there is a movie about him.

[@Unversed333]

There were plans for him to have his own film, with the Rise of the Silver Surfer setting up a few stuff we could have seen in the film. Sadly, Fantastic Four's box office and critical failure prevented that from happening, and the character has not been featured outside of the comics since the MCU took over. Hopefully, they will do this guy justice, perhaps once Kang is taken out, and they begin setting up Galactus as the next big bad of the MCU.

[@Isaacisaperson4677]

I think you mean Jack Kirby's best superhero

[@antonissa8345]

I can’t wait to see Silver Surfer’s philosophy in the MCU. R.I.P You made a cameo in all our lives.

[@nicholash3849]

Exactly what he described is on Disney plus.. unfinished

[@marcushamner5994]

I met Stan 5 years ago at Cincinnati, Ohio. I miss him so much. 😢👊🏾

[@sigurd-333]

Emotional to listen Stan's voice. Silver Surfer's philosophical impressions are much relatable...

[@DoctorCyan]

I love hearing Stan describe Doctor Strange as “another character”, and describe him like we’ve never heard of him. He’s a household name now 🥲

[@Honchopokoloco]

Marvel was tanking during this time period, but yes thankfully a household name, watch out for some of the fantastic four in multiverse of madness 👀 hehe

[@tetsuoswrath]

He always was for Marvel fans. Fucking casuals….

[@brudermurus9972]

it destroyed me that "the origins of silver surfer " stopped after season 1 ... IT WAS SO PHILOSOPHICAL AND DEEP !

[@priyankkumar8197]

Even season 1 wasn't completed, it was abandoned mid season, you have to read the script for the remaining episodes.

[@atharv7562]

I'm still waiting for the fight between Silver Surfer and Thanos

[@priyankkumar8197]

@@atharv7562 Read "Thanos #17" Thanos wins part 5. Hell of a story, didn't do silver surfer justice in the end though. Good story non the less.

[@rolanddeschain9880]

@@priyankkumar8197 why the fuc@ you spolied if you want me to read comics? Thanos wins?what is the biggest spoiler than this

[@CFunk99]

"Why do we fight each other? Why do we hate each other? Why there's always the matter with us, are we insane?"

[@adamaneve22]

You are so very missed Stan Lee! 😭😢❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@michaelkclark6981]

The Silver Surfer is my favorite comic book character for over 50 years. I wish we would get a good Silver Surfer movie. We miss seeing you 😎

[@christianiguess7039]

I'm pretty sure we won't get an MCU silver surfer movie, but no doubt will we get a fantastic representation of silver surfer in the future avengers and F4 movies to come. Maybe a decade down the line they could do the requiem storyline that I love so much as a movie but who knows. I'd love to see alexander skarsgard play him though!

[@tetsuoswrath]

We got one already, wtf are you talking about? And we had the animated series which is better than the entirety of the MCU. 🤷🏻

[@Unversed333]

@@tetsuoswrath The guy said he wantes a good Silver Surfer "movie" not a television series. And that was a weird kind of show that didn't last more than one season, unlike the animated X-Men and Spider-Man tv Series. I personally liked the Silver Surfer in the Fantastic Four animated series.

[@tetsuoswrath]

@@Unversed333 and what did I say? We already got a good Surfer movie and a great show. You whiners are crying about those awesome FF movies and the perfect Surfer cartoon but probably lap up the MCU dog shit 24/7. 🤣

[@trollheyman2703]

RIP Jack Kirby, the truth doesn't stay hidden forever. Everyone that has eyes will learn and the ignorant will blindly ignore.

[@avatarkana1161]

Stan Lee is a hero of mine

[@steelcastle5616]

I remember seeing the names of those artists at the beginning of every one of my favorite comics. Those guys were key parts of Marvel Comics that made them much more interesting than DC. There are times I would not read the comics, and just "marvel" at the artistry in each page.

[@AliFareedMC]

some of them wrote stories that stan lee took the credit for

[@SuperZX49]

@@AliFareedMC So what? These artists are still legendary no matter what

[@yourbrogio_9744]

I'm on that Stan Lee videos Marathon again. Expecting manful tears.

[@rodneymarsden3003]

Galactus didn't look good in a Fantastic Four movie but in the comics Jack made him really impressive.

[@Unversed333]

That film was meant to set up a proper appearance for the character a Silver Surfer spin-off film that never came to be after the second Fantastic Four film didn't too well.

[@ninjacaptor]

both men belong in history books and whoever else walked on those kind of books should be also be along in history books

[@Shrieking_In_the_Void]

ok, Disney, hear me out a Silver Surfer film directed by Panos Cosmatos and give the man free reign guaranteed masterpiece

[@bmphil3400]

I'm not confident that Cosmatos is even doing movies anymore. He would be an excellent choice. His movies are so far out and trippy it would be a great start for a Silver Surfer movie.....

[@Unversed333]

I think the Silver Surfer should pop in someone else's film first. While he is associated with the Fantastic Four in the comics, I'd rather have him appear in a Guardians or Captain Marvel film, since they are already in space. Then, give him his solo film to set up the next Big bad after Kang, the cosmic devourer of worlds and his former master, Galactus.

[@jennifercoveydavis4552]

Marvel Comics my favorite. I Miss Stan Lee. RIP Stan Lee 😢❤

[@mryoyoserpico]

I agree with everything you have just said in your comment.

[@GUNDAM-NOLASAINTS]

Brilliant man

[@bradyjones8263]

He wasn't lying about Kirby. There will never be an artist quite like him.

[@b.l.g.4169]

Stan Lee's abundant ideas that lead to so many character heroes nor villains that every kids all over the world enjoy. Thank you

[@hyx6817]

thanks

[@user-fv1jn1gw5w]

Greatness

[@gabewoodard4152]

I just finished this show and it’s… damn man….it’s mezmorizing

[@marklepe12]

Stan Lee was the Silver Surfer in the Comics

[@lilamdan]

I hope that some version of the surfer will appear

[@michaelrandall8609]

The strangest not so good characters that I came up with are AFTERMATHUS The HANDMASTER Dr.ANVIL The EMPEROR Of ELEMENTS TELE-MASTER The FLAMORIANS THUNDER MASTER The KING Of MARS The HOMBREGIANT.

[@troyfowler4869]

More videos boss keep it up of silver surfer

[@AceLM92]

Stan: "I came up with Galactus" Me: "I" as in Jack Kirby?

[@youvegotmailed]

Jack designed Galactus and created silver surfer. Stan Created Galactus and developed silver surfers character.

[@AceLM92]

@@youvegotmailed developed as in changed/fluffed up Jack Kirby's dialogue?

[@Gamer-lq4wl]

@@youvegotmailed Wrong ! Stan Lee once said he said this... "Hey Jack, lets make the Fantastic Four fight GOD" The response of Jack Kirby to that vague idea is the creation of a character called Galactus and his herald Silver Surfer.

[@LemonTheKing900]

He literally said that his story is mediocre without the fantastic artists that draw it so get off your high horse.

[@AceLM92]

@Linhziz Zzz not my fault the horse ate my edibles by mistake

[@mrageyt9853]

Rest in peace ....

[@hllwn123]

well i'm not sure this days about fiction & science, looks that this could be possible

[@KligDin]

The All Father

[@betsydonato6817]

The Wonderful Water Woman's Groom ?? - is Abel or Abe to " My Brothers Keepers " out of two mountains from the same tree and root stem.

[@EclipseHedgehog]

I've watched some of the cartoon episodes and I gotta say, its pretty deep. I'm sure the comics are just as if not deeper. RIP Stan. though SJW's are ruining your babies, we'll never forget how they originally were.

[@SpecialDad]

Jack Kirby created the Silver Surfer. Stan had no idea who it was until he saw the pages turned in by Kirby.

[@loranenzo8225]

yes you are right but at least stan never confirmed being the creator of silvers surfers and fortunately. But in any case we can say thank you Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for creating the characters of the Marvel universe despite the conflict between the two

[@FabioNegro]

1:36

[@wuvumgywgy]

1:43

[@damiencruz4268]

0:48 pause

[@jamilturner1624]

Free max b. ⚡ Free the wave. 😂🤣🤙🏾

[@ananddixit1553]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍😢

[@robertbones326]

K imma buy glasses like these

[@rm2kking]

Welcome, true believers!

[@spider-geddon6088]

2:10

[@the_old_sock3244]

A fucking legend

[@phillipchavez1321]

3:41 writer

[@jaij5742]

😥😢

[@nicholasjanke3476]

It's odd that Marvel's biggest creation-The Fantastic Four-has only had three movies (the first two were fine but the third one was awful). Marvel had had big superhero success in the 1940s with their Invaders characters-Captain America, Bucky, The Sub-Mariner, The Human Torch. But after World war 2, the public had lost interest in those characters, and Marvel's super hero avenue faded. Not untill the 1960s did Stan Lee revive Marvel's superhero comic line with Fantastic Four.

[@Unversed333]

The franchise has always been cursed. From the unreleaesed 1994 film, a few of their cartoons. It's been hard for them to get the proper treatment when adapted outside of the comics, but I have faith that they will finally get their due credit under the MCU's creative execs.

[@abinaslimbu3057]

Surlfur bord yes Sulfur bike

[@carryingfire286]

This man is rolling in his goddam grave from the recent S.S. news.

[@_ripVanWinkle_]

since he created Shalla Bal and lived through Fan4stic im sure he's fine

[@thefakenewsnetwork8072]

Long live democratic socialism, freedom and stan lee s legacy

[@bmphil3400]

Democratic Socialism is the opposite of freedom.....

[@jaij5742]

I am not devil

[@michaelrandall7229]

I'll never forget that already came up with a strange teenage afro American crimefighting but weird heroic individual who was once a corn rolled janitor that was being attacked by bullies in his job who doused him with a big bag of plaster and they put him in this strange machine and after his horrifying ordeal his whole body becomes different white as well as his face and now PLASTERFACE is born with his plasterpowers for his own advantage to fight crime not to mentioned his arch enemy BRITTLEMAN THE CORROSIVE MAN SLATE THE FRIZZLER and THE WHITE MARBLE.

[@Falcovsleon21]

5:20 Sadly it's also a bit of a double-edged sword. Especially in comic books these days. Part of the reason I hate people like RIchard Meyer/Ya Boi Zack is simply BECAUSE they read too much into things with modern Marvel and DC and just make up shit that isn't there. I'm not fond of modern Marvel's management or writing but I call them out on actual political agendas that are blatantly there, not imaginary shit like "here's a scene of kids eating tacos in the new Champions. Clearly this writer thinks it's still the 1930s."

[@sketchstevens5859]

Idk. He put his money where his mouth is and is doing better so he's on the ball

[@Falcovsleon21]

@@sketchstevens5859 Not really. The average "Ya Boi Zack" video is still 90% buzzwords and bullshit. The guy is a prime example of everything I hate about Comicsgate.

[@sketchstevens5859]

@@Falcovsleon21 It might be buzzwords because that's all he current industry has devolved into and he's just calling it as he sees it

[@jaij5742]

Ha dada

[@jaij5742]

I am not demon

[@doolittlegeorge]

My "reading into" the Silver Surfer is that he doesn't represent anything mystical at all but in fact "physical silver" as a "Financial God" heralding a terrible time for anyone who dares mock him and his "Master" Galactus (physical gold.) Underneath these two Almighty's sits the Great Metropolis' all hungry and indeed starving not from lack of fish but lack of respect for how the fish goes from Sea, estuary, Lake, stream or River to your table and then of course "from table to mouth"(good manners). Humans are by nature hedonistic, gross, suffering, plaintive and indeed pitiful and by looking at this thread indeed pitiless even as Artists as well. That we have to rise above this does indeed require "evil" or "villainy" in the World...but hopefully villainy in this form...that which expresses a greater purpose for us to be considered "worthy humans..

[@argon1232]

My brain hurts

[@ElectrickSoundz]

Never never land .... ¥^¥√

[@jaij5742]

Demon

[@jaij5742]

I am spider man

[@funnyhaha7131]

Your goku

[@MrCrispian]

Kirby created most of the characters....

[@MrCrispian]

and he paid him a pittance....he died broke and broken...Lee screwed him royally,......

[@milboxr9772]

MrCrispian and you know this how?

[@guileniam]

Kirby got paid by the job, he lived and worked this way. Stan lee doesnt own these characters anymore than kirby and even says they wouldnt have been successful without him. He never pulled a Bob kane , who was an awful human being, attempting to erase Bill finger from history. I dont think its fair to blame lee for what happened to Kirby, Marvel? sure but not Lee.

[@madtitan7502]

Stan Lee was not Marvel's owner, moron.

[@AliFareedMC]

@@madtitan7502 his cousin in law was And don't tell me there wasn't favoritism going on since Stan lee who started as office boy shot up to become chairman While others more experienced than him got the shaft

[@tektoniks_architects]

Jack Kirby was more than an "artist." Jack was the sole creator of the Silver Surfer. He created the concept and the premise for the character in his artwork before Stan even knew it was happening. Kirby also co-wrote, as a minimum - thru his plotting and panelization - every story he ever drew. Kirby wasn't just an "artist" - he was the co-creator and co-writer. Stan was a master of appearing to give credit to his artists, while back-handedly let you know he was the creative inspiration for the stories (not the artist). Marvel artists were just Stan's "pencils" for his ideas. This is far from reality. Stan was Marvel's greatest ambassador and salesman, and were it not for him neither Marvel or the MCU would be what it is today. But describing the Marvel artists as anything other than co-creators is a disservice to their contributions. The greatest character Stan Lee ever created was Stan Lee. 'Nuff said.

[@AliFareedMC]

Jack Kirby Created Stan Lee

[@IYamJacobIyam]

If its true or not, it isnt exactly the vibe im getting from this video. "I could come up with the most mediocre character and theyd come up with something amazing"

[@AliFareedMC]

@@IYamJacobIyam it is PR

[@davidlane1248]

Agree to disagree. Stan Lee on his own is simply a writer and an "ideas" guy who very much needs visual artists to bring his concepts to fruition. But he's still the seed, which is the most important part. Artists are like the water, sunlight and fertilizer- highly necessary and able to influence how a seed grows, but they can be used for any seed with varying degrees of success. The seed that turned into modern marvel was born mostly from Stan Lee. I say that as an aspiring artist myself I will admit the silver surfer bit irritated me a little because Stan definitely sounded like he wanted to give as little credit as possible, but most marvel creations are from Stan's noggin. He the originator and deserves more than a simple 50/50 split on credit

[@Unversed333]

@@davidlane1248 Well, I think what Stan means is that Jack was the one who drew in the character, labeling him as Galactus' herald, but it was Stan who crafted the character's personality and motivation, giving him a sense of identity.

[@followthewhiterabbit2549]

Jack Kirby > Steve Ditko > Stan Lee Nuff Said !

[@MonsterParadise]

Why though...smh

[@followthewhiterabbit2549]

@@MonsterParadise Why not? Jack Kirby was the mind behind those Marvel characters, Stan Lee is just a scumbag who took too much credit for the things Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita, Bill Everett, Don Heck and many others did. Come on, Stan Lee did not even create Silver Surfer which is the subject of this video.

[@AlexDragonfire96]

@@followthewhiterabbit2549 brainlet

[@Unversed333]

@@followthewhiterabbit2549 Jack conceived the idea of the Silver Surfer, but Stan was the one who gave the Surfer a personality. At the end of the day, Jack is just the artist who gives the character life through his artwork. Stan always credited the artists for their talent in making the characters look amazing, belieiving they had what it took to direct movies.

[@followthewhiterabbit2549]

@@Unversed333 Jack Kirby was just an artist? LOL !!!! Stan Lee said this... "Jack Kirby was the most imaginative, inventive guy I've ever met. I mean...his imagination was incredible. The things he thought of..."

[@GolDRoger-zd3wm]

Jack Kirby created those characters not Stan.

[@FabioNegro]

1:36

[@Highesttech1]

The woman in the back laughing is annoying

[@Gamer-lq4wl]

The funny thing is that this piece of crap didn't create Silver Surfer.

[@BC08]

... or Galactus

[@Gamer-lq4wl]

@@BC08 You're damn RIGHT ! Stan Lee admitted in an interview that he said... "Hey Jack, let's let the Fantastic Four fight against God" Jack Kirby response to that vague idea was the creation of the character Galactus and his story.

[@AlexDragonfire96]

He gave SS life and made him the character he is today. Che pirla che sei

[@Unversed333]

You do realize that creating a comic is a collaboration. Stan would always credit Jack's work on the comics, but Stan focuses on his contribution to the characters he creates. At the end of the day, Stan will always say that he is just a guy with an idea if he didn't have amazing artists like Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and others.

[@jaij5742]

Demon

[@johnnyjohnny2990]

What ?