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Thursday, July 16, 2020

Stan Lee's Soapbox--(mostly) lost show

Our recent post about Marvel Comics appearances on TV before the superhero TV boom of the late Seventies led me to this great clip:

 

The uploader worked on the show, a production for Manhattan Cable in the mid 1970s, and says most of the tapes were lost in a fire and Lee, last he asked, didn't know where surviving copies were.

That's a shame because this is a lot of fun. Stan is relaxed and self-deprecating. He's an engaging host even if (maybe partly because of) his apparent non-over-preparation. It's a warm conversation that draws you right in. It's easy to see why Roy Thomas got such a prominent role at Marvel; he helps Stan in various ways throughout the conversation without upstaging or undermining anything he's doing.

The backdrop may seem a little silly, but to me it's part of the charm.  I also love the ad reads for local comics-related businesses, and the general cable-access-level production is perfect for this kind of chat show.  In several decades, Marvel productions would mean big budgets, bombastic effects, etc.  At this moment, it's a couple guys who care about their vocation sharing their thoughts.

If anyone has more of these, please share! The uploader says Stan talked to Harvey Kurtzman, John Buscema, and more as part of this series.

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