Sean Howe, author of the wonderful Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, uploaded a recording to YouTube today of Stan Lee speaking at Princeton in March 1966.

There’s a ton of fun stuff you’ll want to hear, such as the boos that erupted when Stan mentioned Steve Ditko’s departure from Marvel and the cheers that arose when he brought up the Silver Surfer.

Plus there’s plenty of ammo for Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby partisans, such as when Stan called Ditko a “peculiar guy” who’s “a little eccentric,” and said that he hadn’t “spoken to this guy for over a year,” or when he talked about how surprised he was when the Silver Surfer turned up in the Fantastic Four, an event which had caused Stan to ask, “Who’s this naked nut running around?”

But what most piqued my interest, and caused me to consider a question I should have asked long ago but for some reason never thought to, was Stan’s explanation of the Marvel method, which begins at the 17:35 mark.

(And don’t worry—the audio quality picks up after the first few minutes.) (more…)

Irene attended the New Jersey Romance Writers annual Fall for the Book conference over the weekend, and I tagged along so I could (among other things) head into Manhattan to get together with friends both old and new. I’d planned to have lunch with a few other writers and editors from my high-school newspaper, a mini-reunion similar to the one I had last year. But since one of the group couldn’t get free until mid-afternoon, that meant it would be a late lunch, which also meant I’d have time for brunch with someone else.

That someone else turned out to be Sean Howe, writer/editor of the book Give Our Regards to the Atomsmashers! We’d been exchanging e-mails and a phone call as part of his research for his upcoming book on the history of Marvel Comics during the ’70s, and I thought, why not break bread with someone new for a change?

And I also thought—why not finally eat at the legendary Shopsin’s?

For those who’ve never heard of Shopsin’s, this lengthy New Yorker article will fill you in on the details. But the short explanation is that the food cooked at Shopsin’s was supposed to be so eclectic and ambrosial, and Kenny Shopsin himself such an improvisational artist of the griddle, that the combination would make me want to move back to New York just so I could work my way through the menu.

Here he is explaining how to prepare his famous mac ‘n’ cheese pancakes.

But Kenny Shopsin is famous for a lot more than just his food. He’s known for refusing to serve parties greater than four, believing it impossible to properly prepare a meal for such a group. He’s tossed people out for using their cellphones, or because they asked for substitutions, or took photos of the restaurant without asking. (And usually asking got you a no, anyway.) If he thinks you’ve ordered too much food, he’ll refuse to fill your order, and talk you down to a manageable amount. Some have compared him to Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi. But I decided it was time to find out for myself. (more…)