Art Quote by Stan Lee
“Some artists, such as Jack Kirby, need no plot at all. I mean I'll just say to Jack, "Let's let the next villain be Dr. Doom" ... or I may not even say that. He may tell me. And then he goes home and does it. He's so good at plots, I'm sure he's a thousand times better than I. He just makes up the plots for these stories. All I do is a little editing ... I may tell him that he's gone too far in one direction or another. Of course, occasionally I'll give him a plot, but we're practically both the writers on the things.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Comic Book Creators Talk, 2012
He describes collaborating with Jack Kirby, noting Kirby’s intuitive storytelling and Lee’s editorial role, highlighting creative partnership.
In simple terms: Lee edits Kirby’s plots, trusting his instinct.
Key Takeaway
Trust creative partners and focus on strengths.
Themes
collaboration
creativity
comic art
Mood
collaborative
insightful
Type
creative
industry
When to use this quote
- comic book production
- team projects
- creative brainstorming
Key Concepts
storytelling
visual narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance intuition with structure?
- When should editors intervene?
A Different Perspective
Reliance on intuition may risk narrative coherence without oversight.
![“Jack [Kirby] and Joe [Simon] wrote and drew the stories themselves in the beginning and I was just, like, the office boy. But after a while they had more writing than they could handle and I was the only guy around, so they said, "Hey Stan, you think you can write this?" When you're seventeen…” quote by Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a90/stan-lee-1586_boys_jack-kirby-and-joe-simon-wrote-and-drew_1163951.jpg)
![“My most vivid memories of those times weren't the actual nuts and bolts, but just pleasant times sitting with Jack [Kirby] in his studio, going over the pages and looking out the window at my kids playing in his swimming pool .” quote by Mike Royer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4cf/mike-royer-14555_bolts_my-most-vivid-memories-of-those-times-we_1164119.jpg)
![“I was in the beginning when [comic book superheroes] started, but not anymore. Now I expect it. I've gotten very used to it.” quote by Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f71/stan-lee-1586_book_i-was-in-the-beginning-when-comic-book-s_125956.jpg)
