Kevin Smith Leads Cheer for Stan Lee

While things have settled down significantly in recent months, it's not been the best year for legendary comic creator Stan Lee -- which is why filmmaker Kevin Smith asked for a little help in cheering for him.

At L.A. Comic Con this past weekend, Smith appeared via video to ask fans -- who he called the "children of Stan Lee" -- to join him in cheering for him as a way to honor him. The cheer? A simple "We love you Stan. Excelsior!" You can check it out in the video (via Media Discord) above.

While Lee has a history with the comic convention -- his POW Entertainment had a partnership with the former Comikaze Expo until it ended this year -- it was announced earlier this year that Lee would no longer be appearing at conventions or public signings. It was a change prompted by concerns over Lee's health which were themselves connected to concerns that those surrounding Lee at that time were exploiting him for financial gain.

During an appearance at Silicon Valley Comic Con in April, fans grew concerned about Lee's well-being after he appeared exhausted and as though he hadn't fully recovered from a bout of pneumonia that had sent him to the hospital in February. Video from that event appeared to confirm some of the concerns while a report by The Hollywood Reporter went even further, alleging that Lee's daughter J.C. was among those abusing him along with her attorney Kirk Schenck and Lee's then-business manager Keya Morgan.

Lee was granted a restraining order against Morgan in August and things appear to have quieted down for him since then. Earlier this month, Lee gave an interview with The Daily Beast in which he addressed some of the headline-grabbing issues with Lee appearing to take it all in stride -- especially when it came to the allegations about his daughter.

"There really isn't much drama," Lee said. "As far as I'm concerned, we have a wonderful life. I'm pretty darn lucky. I love my daughter, I'm hoping she loves me, and I couldn't ask for a better life. If only my wife was still with us. I don't know what this is all about."

As for Smith's cheer, this isn't the first time that he's offered up support for Lee. Right after the allegations of elder abuse surfaced, Smith took to Twitter to show his support for Lee.

"This is heartbreaking," Smith wrote at the time. "We love you @TheRealStanLee. You are always welcome to come live with me -- or please let us fans buy you a new place to live. We miss you, sir."

What do you think about Smith's cheer for Stan Lee? Let us know in the comments below.