FALMOUTH (NEWS CENTER Maine) — Rick Parker describes Stan Lee in his office, surrounded by drawings that represent decades of his work.
"Stan Lee was a man who was well-dressed. He liked fancy rings and bracelets. He had a corner office on 57th Street and Madison Avenue, and he kept the door open," Parker said.
Rick Parker is a Marvel Comics alum; he spent more than 20 years working for the comic powerhouse as a letterer and artist. One of his highest profile assignments was to supply the art for the comic book adaptation of MTV's hit animated series, "Beavis and Butthead."
Marvel is where Parker met Stan Lee in the late '70s. They later collaborated in the '80s on the Spider-Man comic strip that ran in newspapers across the country.
"I had a script, and Stan had written a script, and it was my job to transfer the words from the script onto the artwork," Parker said.
Rick recalled being struck by Stan’s ability to imagine and realize an entire universe.
"I really thought that it was great, and I started getting excited about it. And that’s how I knew it was good because I’m getting excited about it, and I didn't really think of myself as a comic book fan," Parker said.
Parker said Stan Lee's creativity was matched by his kindness, generosity, and sharp sense of style.
The two had not seen each other in a few years. But Stan was always present in Rick’s life. A picture of Stan, dressed to the nines, sits squarely over Rick's right shoulder as he works in his home office in Falmouth.
"Stan is always watching what I'm doing," Parker quipped.
Rick Parker said he won’t focus on his friend’s absence, but instead, how his existence changed the world. He hopes all Stan Lee fans do the same.
"Stan, what he has given us is a great example to follow. And that is, if you believe in yourself and you work hard and you are willing to make a fool of yourself and have a good time, you know, you might just create something wonderful," Parker said.