Kevin Smith Posts Heartfelt Tributes to Stan Lee

Filmmaker and podcast host Kevin Smith paid tribute to the late Stan lee in a pair of heartfelt posts on social media on Monday.

Lee passed away on Monday at the age of 95. The legendary writer and comic book creator was taken to Cedars-Sinai Hospital for an unknown illness, and never returned home. Lee has worked with Smith on many projects, as Smith's creations so often revolve around comic books and geek culture in general. On Monday afternoon, Smith said goodbye.

"Farewell, my friend," he wrote on Twitter. "You're not only responsible for the boy I was, but also the man I am today. I will miss you all my days."

Farewell, my friend. You’re not only responsible for the boy I was, but also the man I am today. I will miss you all my days. Read it all here: //t.co/3ni6SLKhWW pic.twitter.com/6naCfXP7HO

— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) November 12, 2018

Smith included a selfie with Lee, but he posted a different picture on Instagram. There, he brought back an old photo of Lee sitting with his legs crossed on a massive throne, with furs draped over the back and golden chimeras afixed to the front. Smith stood smiling on one side while his friend and collaborator, Jason Mewes, stood on the other.

"This is how I'll always see you, [Stan Lee]: as our benevolent leader and king, smiling down from your eternal throne on the generations of imaginations you fed and inspired," Smith wrote. "You were the first creator whose voice I knew before I'd ever actually heard it. You dreamed up some of my favorite modern myths and created characters that instilled in me a moral barometer, teaching me right from wrong and showing me it's always better to be a hero instead of a villain."

What followed was a long eulogy for Lee, and a long list of his influences. Many pointed out some of Lee's most memorable characters, stories and quotes on Monday, but Smith dove deeper, offering his insight on how Lee shifted the entire culture of entertainment.

"Your characters represented us," he wrote, "Yes, they had extraordinary, unbelievable abilities, but they were also reflections of a world we knew, where a Spider-Man is really just a boy who wants to help. You showed me how to interact with the audience whenever you stepped onto Stan's Soapbox to reach out to the readers. You showed me how to advocate for my field beyond the actual art itself whenever you tub thumped for comic books outside of the medium."

Smith went on, addressing Lee and thanking him for his generosity over the years. He listed just a few of the projects that the two worked on together -- some before Marvel took over the box office and some after.

"When you did Mallrats with us, you not only made a lifelong fan's dream come true, you also lent me comic book credibility that I still get to spend today. And whether it was for [Comic Book Men] or [Yoga Hosers], whenever I asked to borrow your heat again, you were always there for me with a smile."

Smith thanks Lee for everything -- from high-flung morals like the difference between good and evil to simple social cues and tips on dealing with fame.

"Outside of my parents, you were the one adult who gave me the most useful life skills I still use today," he wrote. "You had great power and you always used it responsibly, fostering billions of dreamers who all know your name - a name written in the stars for all time. You were not just the literary titan of comic books, you were our modern day Mark Twain. I will miss you all my days, my friend and hero. Excelsior forevermore."

Smith interviewed Lee back in 2013 for his podcast, Fat Man on Batman. The episode is now available only on Stitcher Premium, and it contains a long-form discussion on Lee's career and his feelings on the art of making comic books.