Members of the Riverina’s comics industry have paid tribute to pop-culture icon Stan Lee after he died in Los Angeles on November 12.
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The legendary writer and publisher of Marvel Comics died at 95 years old and is credited with creating iconic characters like Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men and Iron Man.
Isabella Hurst, president and convenor of GAMMA Con Wagga, the largest pop culture festival in Southern NSW, said Mr Lee’s creations shaped who she was.
“He's one of the founding fathers of superheroes and pop culture,” she said.
“Spider-Man was where I found the characters Venom and Carnage who shaped who I am today.
“Marvel is the reason I run pop culture events and started cosplay.”
The 27-year-old Riverina resident, who began reading comics when she was six, said she owed Mr Lee a lot.
“It [his death] was the first thing I read when I woke up this morning,” she said.
“He was 95 and had a great life.”
Ms Hurst met Mr Lee at Supernova on the Gold Coast a few years ago and said he was “one of the kindest and most wonderful people”.
She said the next GAMMA Con in Wagga may be populated with people engaging in cosplay as Marvel characters.
“A lot of people would attend as Marvel characters to pay tribute to him,” Ms Hurst said.
Similarly, Wagga comedian and comics fan Aidan Mungai said Mr Lee’s influence on pop culture was undeniable.
“He created characters that dominate today, so he’s a big deal,” Mr Mungai said.
“He redefined and unquestionably changed the face of modern mythology.”
The 24-year-old, who has participated in previous cosplay events, met Mr Lee during the 2013 Oz Comic-Con in Sydney.
“It was only a few days ago that I talked with some friends about meeting Stan Lee then find out a few days later that he died,” Mr Mungai said.
Lee’s daughter JC Lee confirmed the death to Reuters.
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