I had a conversation with Stan Lee once.

In 2011, he was a guest at the Montreal Comic con. That was the year that attendance skyrocketed. I’d been going for the previous few years, so I went that time also.

There was a Q-and-A session that I attended; I’m not sure if that took place before or after the conversation. I remember that I didn’t get the chance to ask my question – were there any of his characters that he was surprised *didn’t* become a success? – because the ‘Fathers For Justice’ guy from a few years back (remember him? Dressed up as Spider-Man and climbed the bridge to get attention, and shut down traffic for a few hours?) was asking this very long and involved question which boiled down to “do you support my worthy cause, Stan, please say yes”, and afterward Stan was tired and they had to end the session a bit early.

But the conversation. At one point, Stan was moving from one part of the Palais des Congres to another, and although his assistants wanted to take him through the back corridors, he decided to walk across the main convention floor. Which were full of people who went absolutely wild because STAN LEE WAS WALKING AMONG THEM. People who were calling out “STAN, STAN, WE LOVE YOU STAN”.

I was rummaging through a longbox at some dealer’s spot when this took place, and by chance Stan moved towards me.

I was about 10 feet away from him.

I looked at him.

I raised my fist and said “All hail Stan!”

He grinned, and said “You’re damn right.”

And then he moved on.

I consider that a conversation.

Goodbye, Stan.

Excelsior.

Danny Sichel