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The revered comic book writer impressed everyone at Comic-Con with a joyous energy that defied his 93 years.

Japan has a number of events in the annual calendar dedicated to the celebration of domestically produced animation and comics, but this year for the very first time, it’s getting its very own Tokyo Comic-Con. Brought over from the U.S. as a sister convention to the Silicon Valley Comic Con organized by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, the event is currently being held at Chiba’s Makuhari Messe from 2 to 4 December, and one of the stars making an appearance at the event is none other than the legendary Stan Lee.

The man who brought us iconic superheroes like Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man and the Hulk, recorded this greeting to fans in October, shortly after it was announced that he would be heading over to the Japanese capital for its inaugural Comic-Con event.

Eager to catch a glimpse of the revered comic-book writer, our Japanese-language reporter attended the Tokyo Comic-Con opening event on Friday and came back with nothing but glowing praise for the veteran of the industry. Lee was in high spirits as he sat down to talk to the Japanese host on stage immediately after the inaugural Opening Ceremony and looked like he was thoroughly enjoying the Tokyo event. Having only visited Japan a few times in the past, this was a rare opportunity for Japanese fans to catch a glimpse of the star, which meant the venue quickly became packed with attendees.

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During the short 15-minute interview, Lee was asked to give his impression of the Tokyo event compared to the original Comic-Con back home in the States. He replied:

“This is exactly the same. If I don’t think about this being Tokyo, I’d make the mistake of thinking I was back in San Diego. I think that Tokyo Comic-Con looks set to become as big as the original Comic-Con in the future.”

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Then, Miss Japan 2017 appeared on stage to present Lee with a huge bouquet of flowers. He rose to his feet enthusiastically to receive the bouquet, along with a kiss on the cheek from the Japanese beauty, impressing everyone with his energy and vitality at 93 years-of-age.

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It’s been over forty years since the very first three-day San Diego Comic-Con was held in August 1970, back when Lee was 47 years-old, so the Japanese opening has been a long time coming. There were some initial concerns when it was announced that male attendees would be prohibited from attending in costume, but that decision has been thankfully reversed. Now we can’t wait to see what types of creative superhero cosplay surface from the new event!

Reference: Tokyo Comic-Con
Photos © RocketNews24
[ Read in Japanese ]