Central Virginia reacts to loss of a comic icon

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) -There’s no denying the multiple contributions Stan Lee made to the world of comic books. The list of characters he helped create goes on and on.

“Characters like Spider Man, the Fantastic 4, Incredible Hulk," said Brett Carreras, who organizes the Virginia Comic-Con. "The characters that he’s created really define fun and escapism today in the world.”

The news of Lee’s death hit him Carreras like a ton of bricks.

“I just turned 40 and I’ve been doing comic books since I was 13 years old, so you’re talking about somebody that’s had a great impact on my life,” Carreras said.

Lee’s storied career stretches over some 70-plus years. It was in the 1960s that he made his greatest contributions to the comic book world co-creating the characters the Fantastic Four, Thor, Dr. Strange and the X-Men.

“Stan found a way to take a super hero that is on one hand fantastic, and on the other totally human,” said Avi Arad, Chairman and Chief Executive of Marvel Studios.

“He was a writer, a creative genius but he had dozens of people working with him as far as artists and creators go,” Carreras said.

As head of Marvel Comics, the small statured man was larger than life in the hearts of his fans. A 95-year-old superhero in his own right who will be missed.

“Up until last year, he was still going out and meeting with the fans and appearing in motion pictures,” Carreras said.

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