skjam

It is that time of year again, when I send mix CDs to people who like music. This year, the mix honors Stan Lee, creator of beloved Marvel Comics character Stan Lee.

STAN THE MAN

1. "Samson and Delilah"--The Barry Sisters & Jan Bart: Stan was born Stanley Leiber, so here's a song he might have heard on Yiddish radio back in the 1930s, about a proto-superhero.
2. "Rose Garden"--Lynn Anderson: Stan was nearly forty years old when he finally got to write a superhero comic he'd actually want to read as an adult, and hit on the Marvel Comics formula.
3. "Mon Super Heros"--AM: The Fantastic Four, the first heroes with clashing personalities and character arcs in superhero comics.
4. "Spider-Man TV Theme"--Ramones: Spider-Man, a teen hero who wasn't a sidekick!
5. "Fury of the Storm"--Dragonforce: Thor, god of thunder!
6. "Man of Constant Sorrow"--Osaka Popstar: The Hulk, man and monster in one!
7. "Steel Angel"--Steel Angel Kurumi soundtrack: Iron Man, the millionaire with an artificial heart!
8. "I Will Not Stand Alone"--Kayhan Kalhor & Ali Bahrami Fard: And there came a time when Earth's Mightiest Heroes stood together to defeat dangers no single hero could withstand...and they became the Avengers!
9. "Magic Music: March of the Toreadors"--Violinist of Hameln OST: Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme.
10. "Monsters & Angels"--Voice of the Beehive: The mutant X-Men, when Stan got tired of coming up with new secret origins, and just went with mutants who were "born that way."
11. "Invisible Woman"--Celena Rae: Stan and his collaborators weren't that hot at coming up with effective female characters but got better at it over the years, and character development improved matters.
12. "Legendary Hero"--Yuji Yoshino: And many other heroes over the decades, an entire Marvel Universe.
13. "Skullcrusher Mountain"--Jonathan Coulton: Let's not forget the villains! Whether they were scientific masterminds...
14. "Loki's Song"--Justin Eiler: ...mythological gods...
15. "May All the Fools Before Us Be Destroyed By the Power You and I Possess""--Slayers the Movie soundtrack: ...or evil wizards...
16. "The Red Invasion"--The K-Pers: ...Communists, aliens or Communists disguised as aliens (surprisingly common in the early days)...
17. "Seeking Power"--Final Fantasy XII soundtrack: ...or just ordinary crooks, Stan had a gift for memorable bad guys.
18. "Protectors of the Earth"--Two Steps from Hell: But we knew in the end, the good guys would step up and win the battle, even if not always neatly, or getting the full credit.
19. "Pep, Vim and Verve"--Andy Paley/Jeff Vincent: Stan Lee had his faults, but he was always full of boundless enthusiasm for his product and its spinoffs.
20. "Human Freedom"--The James Connolly Songs of Human Freedom Band: And Stan believed that Marvel Comics had no place for bigotry.
21. "Passage of Time"--Alan Silvestri: And so we bid Stan Lee farewell...at least until the clone is ready.

Your thoughts, comments and Stan Lee tributes?

HeroMan volume 1 by Stan Lee

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


So, Stan Lee has been around a long time. Over the years, he's come up with a lot of ideas. Some were great, many were pretty good, some needed a bit more work to be viable, and a handful were truly awful So by now, Stan has a briefcase full of ideas of varying quality and every time he runs a bit short of lunch money, he opens up the briefcase and sells one of his spare ideas.

A couple of years back, Stan Lee sold a couple of ideas to the folks over in Japan. This is one of them.

It was an animated series, and this is a tie-in comic for fans of the show. Fans will quickly spot the usual Stan Lee touches: underdog teen hero, bullying jock, elderly relative who must be protected, Stan Lee cameo...plus the manga staples like an enormous robot controlled by a hot-blooded teenager, and a romantic interest who wears a tiny skirt even in the most inappropriate circumstances.

The combination works pretty well, but long-time fans will find much of the material very familiar. I'd recommend it mostly to junior high kids who will strongly idenify with Joey and HeroMan.



View all my reviews

I'm still looking for a new job, but I'll be doing a little participation in the Holiday Wishes community. Each year, I send out mix CDs to some lucky people. So, your thoughts on what would be a good theme to work from this year?

My choices so far are:

1. Music with Rocks In--a geology related mix.
2. Blue Lantern's Light--Songs of hope.
3. The World is Always Ending--a tribute to 12/21/12.