In 1978, Tiger Roholt, a 12-year old comic collector from north Minneapolis, decided to hold a comic-book convention at the Ridgedale shopping center. He figured it needed a famous person to attract people.
So he wondered: Why not Stan Lee? He wrote the Marvel Comics icon and asked for his terms. That's moxie. That's chutzpah.
That's ridiculous, Stan Lee said to his secretary. "But I told her to tell him what my fee was. I thought that would be the end of it," Lee told the Minneapolis Tribune at the time. "I figured it was one in a million chance that he'd pursue the matter."
Tiger accepted the terms.
"I couldn't get out of it then," Lee said. All for the best, though. "As it turned out, I was quite glad that I went to Minneapolis. It was one of the most pleasant experiences I'd had."
The story of Lee's visit resurfaced after the comic book icon's death on Nov. 12. Among those recounting their memories of him was Ward Sutton, a Minnesota-raised artist now based in Colorado. He attended Tiger's comic-con. He, too, was 12, and was impressed by his peer's accomplishment.
"Comic conventions were usually held in these weird random office building spaces or in a Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington. This felt more upscale, as befit Stan Lee," Sutton said.
"Stan was on stage, paired with some local artists. I remember him wearing a satiny disco shirt buttoned low with his chest hair coming out, and his trademark shaped sunglasses, that '70s swinger look."
