RIP Stan Lee.

For those who don’t know, Stan Lee passed away yesterday at the age of 95.  Everyone’s talking about it, and rightfully so.  Some people are devastated and terribly sad, and it’s natural to want to mourn.  Me?  I’m not sad at all.  There’s nothing to be sad about, and here’s why I think that:

The man lived to be 95 years old.  He was here almost a century.  That’s not a life cut tragically short.  That’s a damn good run on this planet.  We should all be so lucky to live that long, and to pass from this existence because of old age.

The man was the universally-recognized “face” of the comics industry.  Literally.  His face and look were as iconic as the comics he helped create.  His cameos in the Marvel movies alone are proof of that.  Comics and Stan Lee were always mentioned in the same breath, and will be for years to come.  To achieve that level of recognition and success is something most of us can only dream of.

The man was mostly beloved by comics peers and the general public.  Sure, he had his critics and his less-than-perfect moments, but no one is without faults.  In the wake of his passing, tributes have been flooding in from big name comics creators telling stories of how he inspired and uplifted them.  Fans and readers have been sharing their experiences of meeting him, and the warmth he would show in public appearances.

Stan Lee’s passing isn’t a tragedy.  It’s a happy ending to a remarkable life.

Excelsior.