Up, up and Away

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Up, up and Away

 

Just the other day Stan Lee passed away. For those of you who don’t know he, along with artist Jack Kirby, created Marvel Comics. Many great characters were born from this; Spiderman, The Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Ironman, The Avengers, X-men, The Mighty Thor, Incredible Hulk and Captain America to name but a miniscule number of them. Obviously a very creative and talented person. I cannot begin to perceive what it takes to crank out a story a month for each one of these characters, along with what was needed to put together an entire illustrated comic book.

But even more than that he created characters that seemed real. Although they could save the world every other day, they had issues. For instances Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, couldn’t work up the courage to ask the girl he loved on a date. As a teenager growing up I could relate. There were a couple of girls I was very attracted to, but just couldn’t find the courage.

          In the days before computers and video games I’m sure there were a lot of youngsters who, like me, lived in their heads while reading comic books. I used to deliver the local newspaper through sun, rain and snow (and growing up in Edmonton there was an awful lot of the latter) and saved all of my earnings in order to rush to the local drugstore to buy the newest offering of any of the above-mentioned titles.

          I grew up collecting them and eventually became an entrepreneur. My great friend Ron Smith and I would attend comic book conventions and local flea markets buying and selling. At one time I was the proud owner of nearly 5,000 comic books. Yes, obsessed and crazy, but the one thing I have realized since is that they inspired the way I write, creating a particular mindset. When I write a scene for a novel or a short story, I see an entire picture, like a frame-to-frame page in a comic book, and put it down on paper. 

The first thing I ever had published was a letter in the fan pages of one of my comic books (1990, letter to editor, Legion of Super-Heroes #6, DC comics). Yes, I still have a copy of that today. It was the first thing that made me realise I can do it, and I am a writer, and made me continue to believe in myself. It was nearly twelve years later that I won a first-page-to-a-novel contest and that first page eventually became the first in my Stillwaters Run Deep Series, Raven’s Lament. From a very miniscule acorn a mighty oak (or maybe giant beanstalk is more apt here!) has grown.

Stan Lee was a well-respected and well-loved man. They say leave the world a better place than when you came into it. I think in his case he did just that. I’ve added a link to a video compilation of his cameos in movies made of his characters. Hope you enjoy. (Check out also my recent podcast and a teaser video; link also below.)

PS. Yes, for all of you true comic book aficionados the title is NOT from a Stan Lee inspired character, but from Superman in DC comics. But I thought it just fit as a title for a man on his way to the heavens.

 See you next month!

Stan Lee Cameo's video

My recent podcast on the Dr. Lesley Phillips show

https://drlesleyphillips.com/intuition/first-nation-legends/?fbclid=IwAR3scD3BwyEPLToYhxUYQqXp0botD4JQttZ3x1qgrQU1W5jJVpl4LLIi4yE



My Teaser video for Raven's Lament

Sincerely

Frank Talaber

twosoulmates@shaw.ca

My webpage

http://twosoulmates.wixsite.com/frankt-author-blog

Frank Talaber’s Writing Style? He usually responds with: Mix Dan Millman (Way of The Peaceful Warrior) with Charles De Lint (Moonheart) and throw in a mad scattering of Tom Robbins (Even Cowgirls Get The Blues).
PS: He’s better looking than Stephen King (Carrie, The Stand, It, The Shining) and his romantic stuff will have you gasping quicker than Robert James Waller (Bridges Of Madison County).

Or as is often said: You don’t have to be mad to be a writer, but it sure helps.

My novels on Amazon are at:  https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Talaber/e/B00UC407R0

https://www.facebook.com/FrankTalaber/

https://www.facebook.com/franktalaberpublishedauthor/ (My facebook short story page)

http://bwlpublishing.ca/authors/talaber-frank-suspense-urban-fantasy-canada/