Stan
Lee, who created some of the most recognizable comic book heroes in
history, died Monday, November 12, 2018, at the age of 95.
The
characters and stories Lee created in partnership with artists Jack
Kirby and Steve Ditko, among others, include what amounts to a list
of the biggest and most beloved entertainment properties of the 21st
century: Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Hulk, the Avengers, the X-Men. And
the way Lee positioned all these separate comic-book series into a
single, unified fictional universe would go on to influence the way
pop storytelling — from sitcoms to video games — has been
imagined ever since.
Stan
Lee’s own origin story has become as canonical in the world of
comics as that of any fictional hero. Born Dec. 28, 1922 in New York
City, Stanley Martin Lieber discovered his love for writing at a
young age. As a teenager, he dreamed of penning “the great American
novel” but was willing to settle for a decent writing job to help
his impoverished family out.
He
got that and more in 1940, when a relative got him a job as an
assistant at Timely Comics, the corporate precursor to Marvel.
Superman and Batman were on top of the world at the wildly successful
DC Comics, while Timely had just launched Captain America. Not long
after Lee arrived, Timely underwent an organizational shakeup, and
Lee, one of the last men standing at the company, was abruptly named
editor in chief. He was 18 years old.
It
was a writing job, and it paid the bills, which isn’t something
every aspiring author can
boast. But Lee was ashamed of what he was writing. “I was
embarrassed to tell people that I wrote comic books,” he told Radio
Times in a 2016 interview. “I even changed my name because people
hated them so much. My name used to be Stanley Martin Lieber, which
was a very normal name. I cut it in half and made it Stan Lee because
I didn’t want to use my real name on my work. I was saving it for
the great American novel, which I never wrote.”
Question
1:
[2 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or
false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a)
Lee used to work alone.
b)
Lee’s ambition was to write a significant novel.
c)
Timely was a successful business in 1940.
d)
Lee promoted unexpectedly fast in his company.
Question
2 [2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words.
a)
Why did Lee start writing comics?
b)
Why did he change his name?
Question
3: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to
the words and definitions given.
a)
pass away (par. 1)
b)
find out (par.3)
c)
not wealthy (par. 3)
d)
go through (par. 4)
e)
pride oneself on (par.5)
KEY
Question
1: [2 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or
false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) False
Lee created in partnership with artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko,
among others,
b) True
he
dreamed of penning “the great American novel” // I was saving it
for the great American novel, which I never wrote
c)
False
while
Timely had just launched Captain America
d)
True
was
abruptly named editor in chief
Question
2 [2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words.
a)
was
willing to settle for a decent writing job to help his impoverished
family out.
b) But
Lee was ashamed of what he was writing. I was saving it for the great
American novel
Question
3: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to
the words and definitions given.
a)
die
b)
discovered
c)
impoverished
d)
undergo
e)
boast
