BY JOSHUA YEHL Stan Lee, the Marvel Comics legend who co-created some of its most famous heroes like Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the Fantastic Four, died Monday in Los Angeles at the age of 95. Lee was reportedly rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he later died, according to TMZ. The cause of death has not been immediately released. 

Lee’s legacy is defined by his numerous popular comic book character creations for Marvel Comics, where he began working in 1939 when the company was called Timely Comics. The company changed its name to Marvel Comics in 1961 when Lee and artist Jack Kirby co-created the Fantastic Four and saw it go on to become a hit.  Lee’s birth name was “Stanley Martin Lieber,” but used “Stan Lee” as his pen name and then later had it legally changed. 

With the success of Marvel’s First Family came more Lee/Kirby creations throughout the 1960s, including Hulk, Thor, Iron Man and the X-Men. Lee co-created Daredevil with Bill Everett, and Doctor Strange and Spider-Man with Steve Ditko. The characters all lived in a shared universe that mirrors our own, with most heroes residing in Lee’s home of New York City. The common factor that proved to be Lee’s key to success was giving superheroes relatable flaws as opposed to making them perfect, infallible beings. 

These characters eventually went on to star in lucrative movies, TV shows, and video games, and were the basis for action figures, statues, and all manner of merchandise. They are the foundation of Marvel Entertainment, which is now a multi-faceted company of which Marvel Comics is only one aspect of the business. Marvel Comics is currently the leading publisher of the comic book industry in terms of sales and comics sold and is only rivaled by fellow superhero publisher DC Entertainment. While Marvel eventually grew beyond Lee, many credit his showmanship as a large reason for the company’s initial growth and success.  Lee prided himself on having a friendly rapport with fans and would answer questions in the letters pages with a personable and exuberant style, signing his correspondences with his signature phrase, “Excelsior!” 

Yet for as beloved as Lee went on to become as the smiling and affable “Stan the Man,” his career was not without controversy. Lee is credited with creating the “Marvel Method” of writing comics where he would write a summary of the story and let the artist draw the full issue from that rather than providing them with a fully scripted, beat-by-beat breakdown. This meant the artist was doing the lion’s share of the creative legwork, and so Lee was seen as taking an undue amount of credit over his artistic collaborators, Kirby in particular. In 1971, Kirby even created a comic character based on Lee called the Funky Flashman who was a money-hungry man that took advantage of others and tricked people into thinking he was making creative contributions. 

Lee rose through the ranks at Marvel, holding positions as writer, editor, film executive producer, editor-in-chief, publisher, and chairman. Since moving on from Marvel, he has remained in the public eye largely thanks to the success of Marvel’s movies where he is listed as executive producer and can be spotted in many obvious-yet-endearing cameos. Such was Stan’s lovable fandom that it wouldn’t be uncommon for fans to applaud in the movie theater when he makes his brief on-screen appearances. He’s also made appearances in various comics, TV shows, and video games, ones made by Marvel and otherwise. 

Lee has used his name to start new companies like Stan Lee Media and POW! Entertainment that made their own multimedia superhero franchises, although none ever took off in popularity like his early Marvel work. In 2011, Lee started his own comic convention called Comikaze Expo and was eventually renamed to Stan Lee's LA Comic Con. 

Propelled by his massively popular and influential work at Marvel, Lee became an icon known across the world thanks to his glowing personality, sharp wit, and warm sense of humor, instantly recognizable in his signature aviators tightly trimmed mustache. His work also inspired multiple generations of comic book creators to pick up a pencil and start their own careers. 

His wife Joan passed away in 2017 due to stroke-related complications. He is survived by his daughter Joan Celia "J. C." Lee.  Follow link: https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/11/12/stan-lee-dead-at-95?fbclid=IwAR3Up1idHACLpxt9NFRSnnNXSlpWEG9_dwePNFAIqgOyycnSK312U6KH4m0

Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard cellist Hugh McDowell has died from cancer at the age of 65. 

He performed at ELO's first concert in 1972 but left a year later with fellow bandmate Roy Wood to form Wizzard.  McDowell returned to ELO shortly after, featuring on their albums Eldorado and Face the Music.  News of his death was confirmed after friend and fellow ELO cellist Melyvn Gale posted a statement on his private Facebook page. 

He said: "I'm sad beyond words to have to pass on the news that my old friend and fantastic cellist Hugh McDowell passed away last night after a long illness. 

"We met in our mid teens and were close until we left ELO in 1980. He was a beautiful free spirit, had such a natural gift as a cellist and just a lovely bloke." 

McDowell, who was born in London in 1953, began playing the instrument at a young age, winning a music scholarship as a 10-year-old to the Yehudi Menuhin School. 

He went on to attend the Kingsway College of Further Education, the Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama. 

McDowell performed with the London Youth Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra and London Youth Chamber Orchestra. 

He was invited to join ELO by Jeff Lynne when he was 19 and, bar his brief hiatus with Wizzard, remained in the group until 1979 when Lynne ditched ELO's string section. 

After leaving the band, McDowell continued to play classical music and worked on arrangements for films and theatre projects. See story at: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-46139419#

Jimmy Farrar, who sang with Molly Hatchet from 1980-82, has died. He was 68.

The news was confirmed by the band's bassist Tim Lindsey via Facebook. A separate page for fans of Molly Hatchet says Farrar passed away at 6:30AM today of congestive heart failure, and kidney and liver failure. He suffered three heart attacks in 2017, and had bypass surgery performed in Atlanta. Farrar's wife, who had lost her job, set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for his care.

Born on Dec. 8, 1950 in La Grange, Ga., Farrar got his start in the local Raw Energy Band where he met Rocky Manbrettie, a former roadie for Molly Hatchet. Manbrettie got Farrar's demo tape into the band manager's hand, and Farrar was offered the job shortly after Molly Hatchet parted ways with then-singer Danny Joe Brown.

He made his recorded debut on 1980's platinum-selling Beatin' the Odds, which saw Molly Hatchet moving away from the Southern rock of their first two albums in favor of a more traditional hard-rock sound. Take No Prisoners followed a year later, before Farrar split. He said he had quickly become fed up with Molly Hatchet's lifestyle.

"We had a lot of internal problems in the band, drinking and drugs and just stress from the road," Farrar told Swampland. "And living away from my family was like a living hell for me and I knew that I could not raise my family 5,000 miles away, and I made the choice to go home and raise my family."

After leaving Molly Hatchet, he sang in Predator, Section 8 and the Southern Rock All-Stars. Farrar later formed Gator Country, a band comprised of former members of Molly Hatchet.  Follow link:  https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjojfOrk8PeAhXIx1QKHVsKAbQQMwhGKAAwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fultimateclassicrock.com%2Fjimmy-farrar-molly-hatchet%2F&psig=AOvVaw0plIVCeYS7xv_jHW-lqwgd&ust=1541709974102919&ictx=3&uact=3

Todd Youth, the guitarist who played with Warzone, Murphy’s Law, Fireburn, Son Of Sam and Danzig, has died aged 47 years old.

The news was confirmed by his Fireburn bandmate Israel Joesph in a Facebook statement, but a cause of death has yet to be established.

“There are no words to express how sad I am at the passing of my brother Todd Youth,” he writes. “The music he made will forever be remembered, and I’m so thankful that I was able to work with him and that we created Fireburn together.

“Todd and I were living separate lives doing hardcore and reggae music,” he adds. “We met each other in 1992 and then never spoke again until 2017. We created Fireburn within two weeks of knowing each other and finished writing two of my favourite hardcore records that I ever worked on: Don’t Stop The Youth and Shine. Closed Casket Records signed the band and we were on our way. We had great shows and lots of people showed up to them. We toured with GBH from England, hung out with the guys from Negative Approach, and got our blessings about our music and our records from the Bad Brains.

“Rest In Peace, Rest In Power, rest my brother.”