My Role Model: Stan Lee

For my role model essay in 300 words, I’ve chosen Stan Lee, one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the world and the father of Marvel. 

Lee was born in New York City in 1922. His parents struggled to make money, which made Lee depressed. However, he overcame his depression by making stories about great superheroes and drawing comics about them. After graduating from high school at age 16, Lee entered Timely Comics as an assistant in 1939 and became an interim editor in 1940. 

In the early 1960s, Timely Comics changed its name to Marvel, and Lee was asked to make a new series of comics that could compete with rival company DC’s new comic, ‘Justice League of America’. Together with Jack Kirby, Lee created the ‘Fantastic Four’, about four astronauts who gain superpowers after a cosmic accident. It was a hit. After the success of Fantastic Four, Lee and his co-workers created many famous characters such as the Hulk, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, and the X-Men. Marvel enjoyed increasing prosperity as time went on, and in 1972, Lee was promoted to publisher and editorial director of Marvel comics. He received the Medal of Arts honor from President George W. Bush and was later appointed chairman emeritus.

Lee’s creativity and success have made him one of my biggest role models. He overcame his depression by creating stories and comics, and his imagination and hard work led to his successful career in the comic book industry. Lee's success was not without struggle, as his wife's death caused him a great deal of mental suffering and health problems, which ultimately led to his death in 2018 from congestive heart failure.

In conclusion, Stan Lee is a legendary entrepreneur whoose creativity, perseverance, and imagination made him a role model for many, including myself. He showed that through hard work and dedication, it is possible to achieve success.