Category Archives: Comic book history

Decoding Stan Lee’s Spider-Man Movie Notes from 1984

The American Heritage Center houses a vast number of Stan Lee’s personal papers, including handwritten notecards from 1984 that reveal his first ideas for a Spider-Man movie.  Last fall, I had the amazing opportunity to view copies of these notecards … Continue reading

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Mort Weisinger: The Man Behind Superman in Comics’ Silver Age

Ever wonder who gave Superman his Fortress of Solitude, or why kryptonite comes in so many colors? Meet Mortimer “Mort” Weisinger, the unsung architect of Superman’s expansive mythology during the Silver Age of Comics. Born in April 1915 in New … Continue reading

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Studying Stan – The Creation of Stan Lee: Beyond the Book

In June 2023, a team of three University of Wyoming student interns began researching the papers of Stan Lee, which are housed at the American Heritage Center (AHC). Their interns’ intention was to create an exciting and informative exhibit about … Continue reading

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Stan Lee and the Comic Book Boom

Beginning the late 1960’s, Stan Lee and Marvel Comics started to reach beyond the audience of just the United States and into global popular culture. Marvel’s characters and stories possessed universal themes and relatable qualities that touched readers from all … Continue reading

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Stan Lee: A Legacy of Learning

A-listers, cutting-edge CGI, chaos, quips, and post-credit scenes—that is 21st-century Marvel Entertainment in a nutshell. Churning out one blockbuster production after another, Marvel has established itself as a live-action media mogul persistently setting the pace for family action movies over … Continue reading

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Why Wyoming? An Investigation into Stan Lee’s Relationship with the American Heritage Center

The University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center is home to thousands of collections. Perhaps one of the most popular, and equally perplexing, collections is the Stan Lee Papers, the official archive of the celebrated author, editor, and Marvel Comics trailblazer. … Continue reading

Posted in American Heritage Center, Biography and profiles, Comic book history, Entertainment history, Interns' projects, Marvel Comics, Pop Culture, popular culture, Stan Lee, Superheroes, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Exploring the Intricate World of Will Gould’s Comic Creations

With September 25th as National Comic Book Day, it’s an appropriate time to delve into the captivating legacy of cartoonist Will Gould. Gould was born in 1911 in the Bronx borough of New York City. His father owned a haberdashery … Continue reading

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Lucy Tells: The Story of a Woman Comic Book Writer

Lucy Thomas was a woman author and columnist in the heavily male-dominated comics industry of the 1950s. Born on June 19, 1920, in New Jersey, Lucy Thomas later resided in Colorado in the 1950s where she was heavily involved in … Continue reading

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Excelsior! – Honoring a Lifetime of Stan Lee’s Work

December 28, 2022, marks the 100th Anniversary of Stan Lee’s birth, so it is fitting that the last post of the year delves into his remarkable life and work. Lee’s papers are among the American Heritage Center’s most popular collections. … Continue reading

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Holy Spectacle, Batman! Campy Fun with the 1960s Batman Television Series

As September 19 would have been Adam West’s 94th birthday, let’s look back on one of his best-known roles, Batman. The campy, smash hit of the 60s was loathed by some and loved by many more. But the people who … Continue reading

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