Origins of Marvel Comics by Stan Lee preliminary Cover Concept signed by Stan Lee

Origins of Marvel Comics by Stan Lee preliminary Cover Concept. This was done in 1975 by a bullpen artist. Stan Lee commented that it was most likely Marie Severin. Signed by Stan Lee and authenticated by CGC

Origins of Marvel Comics is a landmark anthology written and curated by Stan Lee, first published in 1974. The book collects and contextualizes the earliest and most important stories of the Marvel Age, spotlighting the creative revolution that reshaped comic books in the 1960s.

More than a simple reprint collection, Origins of Marvel Comics serves as a historical document. Through Stan Lee’s personal introductions and commentary, readers are given rare insight into how iconic characters such as the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor, and Doctor Strange were conceived, developed, and brought to life alongside legendary artists like Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. Lee frames these stories not just as entertainment, but as the foundation of a new style of storytelling—one grounded in flawed heroes, emotional realism, and interconnected worlds.

Widely regarded as one of the most important books ever published about Marvel Comics, Origins of Marvel Comics helped legitimize comics as a serious creative medium and preserved the origin stories that launched a global pop-culture phenomenon. For collectors and historians alike, it stands as a definitive snapshot of Marvel’s birth and Stan Lee’s enduring legacy as its chief architect.