No matter where he went in the world, Stan Lee never found himself short of admiring fans. The same held true in Toronto, where the comic legend made a number of stops between 2010 and 2016.
Andrew Moyes, the vice president of Fan Expo HQ, helped arrange some of those appearances. He told CP24.com Monday that he saw firsthand the effect that Lee had on those who admired him.
“The fans would walk away a few feet taller after meeting him,” Moyes said. “He made everyone feel special.”
At smaller Fan Expo events, Moyes said, fans would share intimate accounts of how Lee had changed their lives.
“It’s there where the fans would get up and let Stan know not only what he has meant to them, but also what the characters he’s created have meant – very inspiring stories of strength, perseverance and growth that the fans have found in the characters Stan created and also in Stan himself.”
Moyes called Lee “an icon beloved across fandoms” and said he was always the most requested personality at Fan Expo.
Toronto comic artist Ramon Perez, who has worked on Marvel and D.C. comics, told CP24.com that part of Lee’s appeal was that he created relatable characters.
“His creations were definitely an inspiration to myself and many comic creators locally, and no doubt around the world,” Perez told CP24.com in an email. “He created superheroes that were human, as opposed to ‘Gods’ like the ones at D.C. Comics. Which I think made them very relatable to the growing audience of when they were created, and why they still persevere today.”
In person, Lee remained as relatable as the characters he created, despite his success.
“He was a great story-teller and obviously he had lived a big life and yet he was capable of being very grounded,” Moyes said. “He was rolling off the names of presidents and movie stars and he would do it in a way that everyone felt connected to those electric moments.”
If fans adored Lee, the feeling was apparently mutual. In a press release ahead of his 2016 appearance at Fan Expo Canada, Lee spoke in glowing terms about those he met in Toronto.
“I've always been so impressed by how committed and loyal the fans are,” Lee said. “Longevity in this business is only truly possible with the support of the fans - and Toronto has some of the best.”
While that appearance at 93 years old was billed as his last public appearance in Canada, Lee would go on to do another in Calgary the following year when his friend, Canadian comic artist Todd McFarlane, asked him to come.
“And he’s doing this at 93, 94, 95,” Moyes said. “To have that energy and to be able to share and be so active at that stage was truly a gift because that’s the time when a lot of people would say ‘this is my time now to go and celebrate my successes and enjoy a life outside of the spotlight.’”
Last year when Hurricane Irma was threatening the Tampa Bay area, Moyes said a Fan event in Orlando needed “some extra magic” so they asked Lee to come.
“Without question he made time in his schedule to come and bring that extra magic to Tampa Bay and we ended up raising together over $20,000 for hurricane relief. That again speaks to the kind of guy he is.”
While news of his death sparked sadness, Moyes said Lee has left behind an incredible body of work to be remembered by.
“What we do have and what we will have is an extraordinary legacy of powerful characters, great stories,” Moyes said.
He said Fan Expo is exploring ways to honour Lee at future events.
