Stan Lee’s company slams Bill Maher’s ‘disgusting’ comments about late Marvel giant
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stan Lee’s company POW! Entertainment released a statement slamming comedian Bill Maher’s “disgusting” comments about the late comic book mastermind.
Maher, the host of HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher,” wrote about the recent death of Lee on his blog. Lee died earlier this month at age 95. He was the mastermind behind superheroes such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk. Maher wrote that Lee inspired millions to “watch a movie.” His comments were immediately criticized by Lee’s fans.
“The guy who created Spider-Man and the Hulk has died, and America is in mourning. Deep, deep mourning for a man who inspired millions to, I don’t know, watch a movie, I guess,” he wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BILL MAHER TRASHED BY COMIC BOOK FANS FOR CRITICIZING THOSE MOURNING STAN LEE’S DEATH
Maher continued, saying adults “pretended comic books were actually sophisticated literature.”
“And because America has over 4,500 colleges – which means we need more professors than we have smart people – some dumb people got to be professors by writing theses with titles like Otherness and Heterodoxy in the Silver Surfer,” Maher wrote. “And now when adults are forced to do grown-up things like buy auto insurance, they call it 'adulting,' and act like it’s some giant struggle.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 62-year-old comedian concluded the post stating, “I don’t think it’s a huge stretch to suggest that Donald Trump could only get elected in a country that thinks comic books are important.”
POW! Entertainment did not take Maher’s comments lightly, saying Lee inspired millions to read.
STAN LEE, LEGENDARY MARVEL SUPERHEROES CREATOR, DEAD AT 95
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“But to say that Stan merely inspired people to ‘watch a movie’ is in our opinion frankly disgusting,” the statement read. “Countless people can attest to how Stan inspired them to read, taught them that the world is not made up of absolutes, that heroes can have flaws and even villains can show humanity within their souls.”
The statement continued saying Lee was the “author of millions of happy childhood memories and the provider of so many of the positive tools of adulthood.”
The statement concluded with one of Lee’s most famous quotes, “With great power there must also come – great responsibility!”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Maher has not immediately commented on the backlash.