By James Peters

How a TRU professor became close friends with Stan Lee

Nov 13, 2018 | 3:17 PM

KAMLOOPS — A Thompson Rivers University professor is mourning the loss of a man he calls a very close friend: Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee.

The 95-year-old Lee died Monday at a hospital in Los Angeles.

Dr. Jeff McLaughlin, who teaches in TRU’s Department of Philosophy, History and Politics and edited a book about Lee in 2005, writes about philosophy in comic books.

He says the relationship started as that of a fan and his idol.

“When I first met him, I had to be a professional about this, but also I’m a fan,” said McLaughlin. “I always remember, when we went out for lunch that afternoon, he sat there and I just sort of listened. He turned to me and said, ‘Eat your food. I’ll do all the talking.’”

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After that first meeting with Lee years ago, the two grew close, emailing each other weekly and seeing each other in person frequently.

The professor had planned to meet Lee next month, knowing the year since his wife died had been very difficult, with Lee beginning to be surrounded by those seeking to take advantage of his eroding mental and physical capabilities.

“He lost his beloved wife last year. I thought at that time, given how the two of them were inseparable, that perhaps something might have happened then. But he kept on fighting the fight and still had a smile on his face.”

Lee is known for introducing more depth to comic book stories, and that dovetailed well with McLaughlin’s interests.

“He introduced the Fantastic Four who would argue among themselves like family members would do,” said McLaughlin. “He added a level of sophistication to the characters, along with the co-creators who participated at a (time) when DC Comics was writing rather less deep comics… the ‘wham bam’ type of thing.”

“There’s no one bigger. His nickname was Stan the Man and that is the case.”

“Stan was the guy who did it – he did it all. He became the face of comic books for the public. Rightly or wrongly, he was the face we all got to know.”

While Lee’s death was not a complete surprise, McLaughlin says he is still struggling with the emotional impact.

“I had seen pictures of him on Saturday. I know someone who was with him on Saturday, at his house, and they were sharing stories and sharing laughs. So that is kind of a nice thing to think about, that the last couple of days before (his death), that he was having a good time.”

The philosophy professor says it’s likely he will continue writing about Lee well after the man’s passing, saying his influence spans far beyond comic books and movies.

“He helped create and promote a modern mythology in the 20th Century. His legacy is enormous and will go on forever.”