Artist Drew Friedman remembers Stan Lee: "a complex man"

Portrait artist extraordinaire Drew Friedman worked as an intern for Marvel boss Stan Lee, and went on to draw Lee's likeness many times. On his blog, Drew remembers Lee:

Stan Lee (1922-2018), Born Stanley Martin Lieber, was a complex man. He was both worshiped and vilified, and has been described as a tireless and shameless celebrity spokesman for Marvel comics. He was an imperious comics writer and editor, a persistent self-promoter, and a credit and publicity hog. His public persona was charming, funny and affable. He was the face of Marvel for over half a century and probably the most famous man to have ever worked in the comics industry.

I got to know Stan when I was a young kid in the early to mid 1960s. My dad was a magazine editor at Martin Goodman's "Magazine Management" publishing company, and he shared an adjoining office with Stan for a decade, between 1954-66. Mario Puzo's editorial office was also nearby. My brothers and I would often visit and I always made a beeline for the Marvel comics offices, where Stan held court. He couldn't have been nicer to me, like a favorite uncle handing out candy, although in Stan's case, brand new Marvel comic books. Stan took a liking to me, especially after he learned I liked to draw cartoons. He'd often exclaim "Someday Drew is going to draw for MARVEL!" That was not to be although I did intern at Marvel for a week at age 14 in 1972 as part of a school work-study program. Stan was still as kind and attentive to me as ever.