After Stan Lee’s passing on November 12, 2018, an outpouring of remembrances and celebrations of his life have been shared by fans and those within the industry. Vincent Zurzolo of Metropolis Collectibles and ComicConnect appeared on BBC World News to pay tribute to the giant of the comic book industry. Zurzolo displayed several of the comics that made Lee a household name while he told the story of his first encounter with Lee.

“I was standing around alone at San Diego Comic-Con when someone approached me and said ‘Hello, I’m Stan Lee.’ I was a little nobody, and he was a legend coming over to talk to me,” Zurzolo recalled. “Over the years I got know him and interview him, and he was a real kind guy, just a sweetheart.”

Zurzolo discussed Lee’s popular creation, Spider-Man and described why the character was so revolutionary and inspirational. “Spider-Man’s alter ego Peter Parker was a nerdy kid, who was unlucky with the ladies, he never had any money and was very relatable and human,” Zurzolo continued. “He had all the headaches of anybody walking down the street.”

Zurzolo went on to display copies of Amazing Fantasy #15, Avengers #1, Fantastic Four #1, and Incredible Hulk #1 that are currently at ComicConnect.

The New York Daily News also interviewed Zurzolo in their moving testimonial to Lee.