If you're walking down the street today and happen to hear a crowd shouting the word "Excelsior!" over and over again, don't panic — it's simply the comic book community's way of celebrating Stan Lee's birthday.
The acclaimed Marvel Comics creator and writer turns 87 years old today, but you could hardly tell based on Lee's level of activity and unwavering enthusiasm for both his past successes and present projects alike.
Here at Splash Page, we've made a regular habit of speaking about and with Lee, indisputably one of the greatest comic book creators of all time. While it's not surprising that Stan The Man is still hard at work in an industry he helped to revolutionize, he is nonetheless showing up in some surprising places.
Twitter, for example, has become a virtual playground for the POW! Entertainment founder. Lee told MTV News that using Twitter brings him back to the days of Stan's Soapbox, a popular column that the creator used to reach out to Marvel's legions of fans.
"[I'm] able to write any thoughts that I had and put them down and maybe somebody is actually reading them," said Lee. "The only frustrating thing about it is keeping it to 140 letters, because I'm a very long-winded guy."
But Twitter isn't Lee's only means of public exposure, as the creator has gone from comic book writer to comic book actor thanks to a series of cameos in Marvel's many film projects. Beyond his upcoming bit role in "Iron Man 2," Lee will also have a cameo appearance in Kenneth Branagh's "Thor."
"When [Branagh and I] had lunch, I was sure he had asked me to lunch because he wanted me to play Odin, but it was a big disappointment," the Marvel Comics icon laughed. "I figure I'll end up carrying his spear."
Lee is even branching out from the world of live-action cinema by bringing his considerable vocal talents to an upcoming episode of "Marvel Super Hero Squad," in which he plays the mayor of Superhero City.
"I actually lose the election," he described. "A villain named Egghead wins the election by doing a lot of illegal villainous things, and it's pretty heavy dramatically ... I almost get choked up when I have to describe this."
Wherever Lee decides to go next in his continually evolving career, one thing is for sure — the comic book community is lucky to have such an iconic creator whose legacy can be summed up in one word: "Excelsior!"
Wish Stan Lee a happy birthday in the comments section or on Twitter!
