| Plot Summary of Excelsior! |
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"Stan Lee, with artist Jack Kirby, created a host of Marvel Comics' leading superheroes during the company's "Golden Age." The pair created The Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, The Mighty Thor, and many others. With artist Steve Ditko, he invented The Amazing Spider-Man and Dr. Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts. In his able hands, first as a writer, then as the editor-in-chief, and finally as the publisher, Marvel Comics became the leader in the industry, surpassing even Detective Comics (DC) in sales. Stan recounts how, in the early days, he was on the verge of quitting the company because his artistic vision was being thwarted. His wife convinced him to stay with the company long enough to write a comic the way he wanted, come what may. He did, giving human characteristics and failings to characters that had been before the same predictable sort of one-dimensional, cardboard characters that every comic book depicted. He gave his characters worries, problems, fears, hopes, beliefs, faults, failings, and passions along with their bright costumes and superpowers. Readers responded, snapping up the comics as soon as they were printed, and Stan remained at Marvel for many decades to come. In fact, he remains active in certain aspects of the company today, after having officially "retired." Stan Lee's autobiography offers an engrossing look inside the comic book industry of which he has been such integral part for so many years."
Gary Pullman, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Excelsior! |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession:
- writer
Job/profession/poverty story
Yes
Period of greatest activity?
- 1950+
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- writer
Age:
- long lived adults
Biography of famous person?
Yes
Ethnicity
- White
Nationality
- American (!)
How sensitive is this person?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other people
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Book makes you feel?
- encouraged
Is book humorous?
Yes
If humorous, kind of humor
- gentle
Commentary on society?
Yes
Writer's slant towards subject:
- favorable
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of nearly entire life
If this is a kid's book:
- Age 16-Adult
Autobiography?
Yes
Pictures/Illustrations?
- A lot 11-15 B&W
How much dialogue in bio?
- significantly more descript than dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 51%-75% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story?
- 0-25% of book
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