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Stan Lee Media Inc. Sues Stan Lee

In a twist of irony, Stan Lee Media, Inc. is readying to file a lawsuit against 86-year-old comic book icon/author/company namesake Stan Lee. Marvel Entertaiment will also be named in the suit, which is a dispute over profits and over ownership interest in certain characters. The suit is being filed in New York and claims that Lee, who created beloved comic book characters like Spider Man, Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk, transferred his interests in Marvel characters over to Stan Lee Media, Inc. After Lee placed the entity into bankruptcy, new shareholders returned in 2006, claiming that they are owed up to $750 million.

Lee denies these claims and has filed his own $50 million lawsuit against SLMI, claiming that the company has used his image and his name and is preventing him from developing other artistic properties via his first-look deals with Disney and Virgin Comics.

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
01.27.09