STAN LEE MEETS - COVER & SPLASH PAGE GALLERY...

All images copyright Marvel Comics

STAN LEE and MARVEL are inextricably linked in the minds of most comicbook readers of a certain age.  Hard to believe, then, that Stan's Soapbox (which started in 1967) disappeared from the pages of Marvel mags around 14 years ago, as did the tagline 'Stan Lee Presents'.  Apparently, Marvel was trying to disassociate itself from its leader, who, along with JACK KIRBY, STEVE DITKO, DON HECK and others, was responsible for laying the foundations for the 'House of Ideas' back in the early '60s.

It was therefore refreshing to see Marvel embrace Stan to its bosom again in 2006, when a series of five special mags entitled STAN LEE MEETS was issued to the comics-buying public, "commemorating 65 years of Stan Lee at Marvel".  Each issue featured Stan meeting a different Marvel character (written by himself), various back-up stories in a similar vein (written by others), plus a collectors' item classic from Marvel's back-catalogue.

Here, then, is a cataclysmic cover and splash page gallery of the first and last tale in each magazine.  A hardback collected edition was later issued, containing the complete five issues, so if you have a bit of dosh to spare, you might want to consider treating yourself or a loved one to a copy.  After all, Christmas isn't too far away - and Stan is 'The Man'.  All together now - "Hang Loose, Face Front, Excelsior"   (Not forgetting " 'Nuff Said!")

      

MAN IN A SUITCASE...

One of my favourite programmes as a kid was

MAN IN A SUITCASE, so I thought I'd give you the

opporchancity to hear the theme tune.  I think the show

was retitled Man With A Suitcase for American TV -

can anybody confirm whether this was so or not?