A tribute to the late Stan "The Man" Lee has been announced for Wednesday, January 30 at Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theatre. Excelsior! A Celebration of the Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible, & Uncanny Life of Stan Lee will honor and celebrate Lee's work with celebrity speakers, an art exhibit, a costume and prop display, and more - including a private tribute hosted long-time fan Kevin Smith.
"Thank you, Stan, for making me not only the boy I was but also the man I am today," Smith said. "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."
Smith will moderate conversations about the Marvel Comics co-founder with celebrity guests including Mark Hamill, Rob Liefeld, Vincent D'Onofrio, RZA, Michael Uslan, and Tom DeSanto. Several video tributes are also scheduled, as are live performances of Lee's favorite music and poetry.
Excelsior! is being organized by Smith, Legion M, Agents of Mayhem, and Lee's former company POW! Entertainment. All net proceeds from the event's ticket sales will be donated to the non-profit charity the Hero Initative, which supports comic book creators in need.
"Stan believed in the 'golden rule,' and always went out of his way to make time for others and make their day just a little bit better," said the Hero Initative's Jim McLauchlin. "I think this tribute is absolutely in that spirit, and a great chance for fans to get together, share their love for Stan, and find strength in that."
Lee has appeared at the TCL Chinese Theatre on numerous occasions for film premieries, as well as the July 18, 2017 ceremony in which he left his handprints, footprints, and signature at the Theatre's famous sidewalk display of celebrities.
Tickets for the January 30 event go on sale Wednesday, January 9 at 8 p.m. Eastern time at http://www.legionm.stantribute.