Stan Lee, co-creator of such legendary comic book characters as the Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man, is set to dream up a whole new universe of heroes under a partnership with leading kids entertainment company DIC Entertainment.
Lee, whose superheroes propelled Marvel Comics to cult status worldwide, will create a new programming stream to be called "The Stan Lee Universe" under the joint-venture agreement with DIC.
The first project slated for development is the animated series "Stan Lee's The Secret of the Super Six" -- described as a superhero-based animated series with a strong humanitarian component that features Lee as a key character.
The deal and the initial project were jointly unveiled Wednesday by DIC chairman and CEO Andy Heyward and Lee, who is chief creative officer of POW! Entertainment, under which the deal with DIC is inked.
POW! is a partnership among Lee, his producing partner Gill Champion, who serves as chief operating officer of the company, and Arthur Lieberman, the company's business strategist. Endeavor represents both DIC and POW! and negotiated the deal on behalf of POW!
"Super Six," to be launched in the fall at international TV market MIPCOM, will feature Lee as an animated character. The series centers on a group of superpowered alien teens who are chased to Earth by their enemies and are discovered by a reclusive cartoonist -- Lee. The comic maestro must become the sixth member of the group in order to help this unlikely band of heroes "learn what it means to be human" as they adjust to life on this strange new planet, all while powerful forces from Earth and their home planet seek to attack or exploit them.
"I've been featured as a character on 'The Simpsons' but have never been a continuing character in a series before," Lee said in an interview. "It appeals to me because it's something that I have not done in the past, and I love doing things that I have not done before."
Said Heyward: "The idea is to create the Stan Lee universe. Marvel was for all practical purposes largely the work of Stan Lee himself. That's what we are doing. We want to continue that body of work by Stan Lee. We plan on creating a universe of programming literally called 'The Stan Lee Universe.' "
Lee also has co-created such legendary Marvel characters as Daredevil, Iron Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. He said he will focus on creating more superheroes under the DIC/POW! creative partnership. "I am bringing in a whole folder of projects to talk about with Andy, and a lot of them will be new superheroes," he said.
Lee added: "Everything that I do I hope will be liked and enjoyed by young readers and young viewers, and I also hope that the projects will be compelling and intelligent enough for the older viewer to enjoy them too. I find that young people are smarter and hipper and catch on quicker than some older people might. I often find in the comics when I introduce philosophical elements that I get fan mail from young readers about it. I never have to write down to younger readers or to dumb stories down, and nothing will be dumbed down (in the new creative venture with DIC).
"Andy has never done that at DIC. I have known Andy for years and enjoyed what he does there. This all came about spontaneously at a meeting when he made the suggestion that we work together. I love doing animation, and there is nobody that I would rather be partners with than Andy."
Said Heyward: "There aren't many names that are brand names in themselves. There's Jim Henson and Disney, and there's Stan Lee. Everybody knows that Stan is the gold standard for action comic book superheroes. This is unquestionably one of the most exciting deals that I have ever had the pleasure of entering into.
"There's a lot of equity in his name. He's more than a creator -- Stan Lee is a brand. Working with him to create fresh and stimulating children's content is a dream come true and a dynamic marriage for POW! and DIC. I'm excited to have the opportunity to develop a line of products that creates a universe -- the Stan Lee universe."
Added POW!'s Champion: "Stan's visions are forward-thinking, exploring diverse revenue streams by way of films, television, both animated and live-action, video games, publishing, licensing and merchandising. All of these ancillary markets are vertically integrated during the development process to further ensure the success of his franchises. DIC is the perfect partner to continue on this successful journey."
In addition to the creative marriage between the companies, DIC and POW! are developing a comprehensive branding campaign for the partnership. DIC is currently negotiating licensing relationships for the new brand.
Said Nancy Bassett, senior vp worldwide consumer products at DIC: "We see no stronger avenue to enter the boys superhero industry than under the banner of Stan Lee. With Stan's reputation and global success, we anticipate a groundswell of interest from potential partners and are excited to be a part of this new arena."
Lee joined Marvel Comics when he was 16 years old. One year later, he was the youngest editor in the business. His long career at Marvel was interrupted by a stint in the Army during World War II, but he later went on to become chairman of Marvel Comics and Marvel Films. The characters he has co-created have generated more than $1 billion in worldwide revenue.