Stan Lee: From comic book to cinema screen

Stan Lee (1922-2018) born Stanley Lieber passed away 12 November 2018 aged 95, he leaves a legacy of much loved Marvel Super Heroes — Spider-Man, the X-Men, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil and Ant-Man — heroes who were brilliant, but imperfect; heroes who struggled with who they were and the powers they held.

Spider-Man

Amazing Fantasy 1962 #15 / Comic book / Published 10 August 1962 / © 2017 MARVEL

Amazing Fantasy 1962 #15 / Comic book / Published 10 August 1962 / © 2017 MARVEL / View full image

Iron Man

Iron Man 1968 #1 / Comic book / Published 10 May 1968 / © 2017 MARVEL

Iron Man 1968 #1 / Comic book / Published 10 May 1968 / © 2017 MARVEL / View full image

As the gatekeeper of one of the world’s richest holdings of comic book narratives, Marvel has been a dominant force in popular culture since 1939. Founded as Timely Comics in 1939 by magazine publisher Martin Goodman, the company began as a response to the growing popularity of comic books, and in 1941, published its first Captain America comic. In 1961, the company changed its name to Marvel Comics, drawing on the title of its first publication, Marvel Comics 1939 #1, and soon after began to change the direction of Super Hero comics.

Under the editorial direction of Stan Lee, Marvel sought to create characters who reflected real-life issues faced by its readers. In a shift away from the all-powerful Super Heroes popular at the time, these new characters often lived in existing cities and grappled with questions about their powers and abilities and how to use them – to defend their neighbourhoods, the world, and the universe at large.

The Marvel Universe is a collective space where characters — whether street-level heroes from Brooklyn or gods from Asgard — interact, sharing both physical space and personal histories. They squabble and fight among themselves, while vigorously defending the social order against those who seek to disrupt and destroy it.

RELATED: Dive into the MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

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Thor

Journey into Mystery 1952 #83 / Published 1 August 1962 / Writers: Larry Lieber, Stan Lee / Penciller, cover artist: Jack Kirby / First appearance of Thor

Journey into Mystery 1952 #83 / Published 1 August 1962 / Writers: Larry Lieber, Stan Lee / Penciller, cover artist: Jack Kirby / First appearance of Thor / View full image

First created by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber for the comic book Journey into Mystery #183, published in 1962, Thor made his way to the cinema screen in Thor 2011 with Chris Hemsworth as the title character, the fourth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The sequel, Thor: The Dark World, was released in 2013, while the most recent Thor: Ragnarok was released in 2017 which coincided with QAGOMA’s 2017 exhibition ‘Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe’.

We look back to Thor: Ragnarok and ‘Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe‘ as a reminder of Stan Lee’s gift to all.

Amanda Slack-Smith was exhibition curator ‘Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe’ and is Curatorial Manager of QAGOMA’s Australian Cinémathèque, QAGOMA

Video: Behind-the-scenes of ‘Thor: Ragnarok’

Gain insights into the production design teams who worked on Thor: Ragnarok 2017 / © 2017 Marvel

Video: Installation of Asgard Throne

Go behind-the-scenes and watch how we transported and installed the Asgard Throne, featured in Thor: Ragnarok 2017 / © 2017 Marvel

Thor’s costume

Film still from Thor 2011 / © 2017 MARVEL

Film still from Thor 2011 / © 2017 MARVEL / View full image

Production still of Thor: The Dark World 2013 / Director: Alan Taylor / © 2017 MARVEL / © The Walt Disney Company (Australia) Pty Limited / Screening at GOMA on 11 June, 26 July and 20 August

Production still of Thor: The Dark World 2013 / Director: Alan Taylor / © 2017 MARVEL / © The Walt Disney Company (Australia) Pty Limited / Screening at GOMA on 11 June, 26 July and 20 August / View full image

Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe Gallery of Modern Art installation view costume detail

Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe
Gallery of Modern Art
installation view
costume detail / View full image

Dive into the Marvel Cinematic Universe / Subscribe to QAGOMA YouTube to go behind-the-scenes

Featured images: Detail Journey into Mystery 1952 #83 / Detail of Thor’s costume

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    Education Resource: ‘Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe’

    Exclusive to GOMA, 'Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe' offers a glimpse into the work of production designers, storyboarding and pre‑visualisation artists, costume and prop designers, and visual effects artists. Resources Q&A for secondary schools - Students meet ‘Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe’ curator Amanda Slack-Smith (QAGOMA Associate Curator, Australian Cinémathèque) as she responds to questions developed by the school audience. Includes behind-the-scenes information and images.
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    Go behind-the-scenes with our time-lapse videos

    Have you ever been to an exhibition at QAGOMA and walked away wanting to know more — for example — how did Qiu Zhijie create his enormous five-storey wall painting Map of Technological Ethics for ‘APT9’; alternatively, what did Ben Quilty use to create a series of site-specific, hand-drawn portraits of Margaret Olley — (teapots, jugs, and vases cast in chalk wouldn’t immediately come to mind) — what about — how did we create Olafur Eliasson’s commanding and interactive Riverbed, transforming an empty gallery in to an awe-inspiring rocky landscape; maybe you’d like to know how Céleste Boursier-Mougenot’s From here to ear (v. 13)2010 which orchestrates a space for listening and experiencing was created as an environment for finches to feed, fly, rest and make music; or even how could we possibly get Cai Guo-Qiang’s 30m Eucalyptus tree into GOMA through the front doors? Understandably, artists are protective of their work and sometimes don’t want to share too much in case it spoils the interpretation or gives away the installation process. Well, now you don’t have to be an art aficionado to know their secrets as we hopefully will be able to answer some of your unanswered questions. Watch a selection of time-lapse videos created over the years and go behind-the-scenes for a peak into the world of an art gallery. We are fortunate to have been able to capture over 40 artworks and installations for you to see how major exhibitions are created. Watching the results of multiple frames speeding by in a time-lapse can be unbelievably satisfying, so head over to our YouTube playlist to watch them all and while away the time. 2019: Olafur Eliasson During the ‘Water‘ exhibition which highlighted this precious resource, Olafur Eliasson’s commanding and interactive Riverbed 2014 offered audiences a chance to explore and ponder the existence of water. Is this the very first landscape on Earth, an environment yet to spring into life, or is this the last precious water source in a barren, post-apocalyptic future? Behind the vision of the renowned Danish/Icelandic artist and architect’s work was a huge team at QAGOMA all equipped with unique skill sets to transform an empty gallery in to an awe-inspiring rocky landscape. Olafur Eliasson, Denmark/Iceland b.1967 / Riverbed 2014 installed at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane 2019 / Water, rock (volcanic stones [blue basalt, basalt, lava], other stones, gravel, sand), wood, steel, plastic sheeting, hose, pumps / Courtesy: The artist; neugerriemschneider, Berlin; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York/Los Angeles 2018: Patricia Piccinini Watch our time-lapse as we install Patricia Piccinini’s multisensory immersive installation The Field 2018 in her exhibition ‘Curious Affection’, especially conceived for GOMA’s expansive spaces. The creatures for which Piccinini is renowned, sit in a field of over 3000 transgenic flowers that gently sway in response to passing viewers, the movement made possible by a multi-layer flooring system designed and manufactured by GOMA to function under the weight of the visitor. Patricia Piccinini, Australia b.1965 / The Field 2018 / 3000 objects: ABS and PPE plastic / Courtesy: The artist; Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne; Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney; and Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco / © Patricia Piccinini 2017: Marvel Go behind the scenes to view over 500 unique objects and costumes worn by your favourite superhero when earth’s mighty heros, their allies and adversaries from the pages of Marvel Comics to their big-screen incarnations, come together in the largest Marvel exhibition ever presented, exclusively for GOMA. Watch how we prepared, dressed and installed the costumes for The Avengers, just one of the many rooms in ‘Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe’, not to mention, never-before-seen set pieces from Thor: Ragnarok 2017, including the majestic Asgardian throne room and Hulk’s bed. Installation view of the ‘Alternate dimensions’ room, ‘Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe’, GOMA 2017 / © MARVEL 2016: Haegue Yang For ‘APT8’ Haegue Yang created Sol LeWitt Upside Down — Open Modular Cubes (Small), Expanded 958 Times 2015, a site-specific work for the Queensland Art Gallery Watermall. The installation consists of 1012 white Venetian blinds, arranged into grids and suspended from the ceiling in an inverted and expanded rendition of the ‘open modular cube’ structures, signature works of American conceptual artist Sol LeWitt.  Haegue Yang, South Korea/Germany b.1971 / Sol LeWitt Upside Down – Open Modular Cubes (Small), Expanded 958 Times 2015 / Aluminium Venetian blinds, aluminium hanging structure, powder coating, steel wire / 560 x 1052.5 x 562.5 cm / Commissioned for APT8. Purchased 2015 with funds from Tim Fairfax, AC, through the QAGOMA Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Haegue Yang 2015: Asim Waqif Asim Waqif created a site-specific work for ‘APT8’ at GOMA entitled All we leave behind are the memories 2015 that expanded through the gallery spaces. His installation is constructed from the worn and aged timbers typical of vernacular south-east Queensland architecture. Embedded with lights and sound sensors to be triggered by the viewer, this seemingly precarious structure is designed to be entered and explored. Installation view of Asim Waqif’s site-specific work All we leave behind are the memories 2015 2014: Tomas Saraceno The exhibition ‘Harvest’ celebrated food in art and included a large scale installation by Tomas Saraceno, renowned for his ambitious sculptures and installations that take the form of webs and interconnected spheres or bubbles. This group of works takes inspiration from the ‘Biosphere 2’ experiments in Arizona in the early 1990s, which analysed the possibility of humans living within closed ecological environments. Saraceno’s Biosphere 02 sculptures contains Tillandsia plants — a type of bromeliad that is native to the Americas, they receive all of their nutrients from water and air so are perfect for a closed ecosystem, like a floating garden. Tomás Saraceno, Argentina b.1973 / Biosphere 02 2009 / PVC, rope, nylon monofilament, acrylic, plants (Tillandsia), air pressure regulator system, hydration system / Purchased 2014 with funds from Tim Fairfax,...
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