[dragontamer]

Stan Lee probably had more influence than Walt Disney in terms of how Americans see themselves and how people around the world sees us.

Walt Disney is overwhelmingly about older stories (Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty), and not anything I feel distinctly "American".

The most popular and timeless properties out of Disney (ex: Mickey Mouse) aren't really telling stories or setting cultural trends IMO. Meanwhile, Superman and Spiderman (Okay, I know Stan Lee only partially had influence on Spiderman...) are closer to what people see as distinctly "American".

[breve]

Who would win in a fight between Stan Lee, Jim Henson, and Walt Disney?

Maybe Epic Rap Battles of History has the answer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXBJIZ1NXFU

[jasonfarnon]

"Meanwhile, Superman and Spiderman (Okay, I know Stan Lee only partially had influence on Spiderman...) "

it's not like he had anything to do with superman

[coldtea]

>Stan Lee probably had more influence than Walt Disney in terms of how Americans see themselves and how people around the world sees us.

Seriously doubt it.

Both "how Americans see themselves and how people around the world sees them" was established way before both the MCU and before superhero comics became anything else than a preoccupation of the nerdy niche.

In the 60s, and 70s, and 80s, few fucks were given around the world for the Marvel comic universe (they still sold somewhat, just not that important culturally), and it was definitely not how people got to perceive the US: hollywood, the western, rock n' roll, all those were 100x more important. And Disney was way more important than Marvel at the time too.

[dragontamer]

What work of Disney (company, not the man per se...) is more influential on the modern American Psyche (today, in 2026) than Ironman, X-Men or Spiderman?

Moana? Sleeping Beauty? Mickey Mouse?

The only major "American identity" film I can think of was Princess and the Frog. Maybe Big Hero 6 (at least the San Francisco half).

-----------

The others are correct in that Mark Twain is probably the real answer. But I'm thinking of a modern media (film, comic books, etc. etc).

Maybe Wicked and Wizard of Oz counts as two sides of American culture. A push and counter push.

--------

Sleeping Beauty? That's French. Beauty and the Beast? Also French.

Great Mouse Detective? British. Alice in Wonderland? British.

Pinocchio? Italian.

[coldtea]

>What work of Disney (company, not the man per se...) is more influential on the modern American Psyche (today, in 2026) than Ironman, X-Men or Spiderman?

All of them. None of those MCU movies really did anything to the "american psyche", forgettable entertainment.

And even if they had done, the question was "in terms of how Americans see themselves and how people around the world sees us". Nobody sees Americans in in 2026 the way Stan Lee or MCU saw them. Not even themselves. How they have been seen in general wasn't determined in 2026 or 2020 or 2000, but in the 20th century. And even how they're seen and see themselves in 2026 is not defined by the MCU either.

Concerning the general view on US, Disney movies (especially including Pixar) have had much more influence. But I mentioned other even more important things: Hollywood in general (pre-MCU, from early film to John Ford, and to Copolla and Scorsese), the western and the idea of the west/'frontier', rock n' roll...

>Sleeping Beauty? That's French. Beauty and the Beast? Also French. Great Mouse Detective? British. Alice in Wonderland? British. Pinocchio? Italian.

In their Disney treatment they're 100% American.

[anamax]

In the spirit of “The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.” - James D. Nicoll

Yes, Sleeping Beauty, et al were originally from "not the US" countries, very few people outside those countries remembers that. Instead, they're Disney, or at least US.

[dragontamer]

Counter point: the opening song of Beauty and the Beast starts with "Bonjour".

Basil of Baker Street (Great Mouse Detective) literally saves the Queen of England.

Robin Hood and The Sword in the Stone are also similarly very, very British. No one can possibly confuse the issue.

[LarsDu88]

You mean Jack Kirby right? LoL

[dragontamer]

Its not like Walt Disney personally wrote or drew all his stuff either. Stan Lee was closer to actually making the story than Walt Disney.

But yeah, Jack Kirby would be closer than the other two.

[LarsDu88]

cough Ub Iwerks