Stan Lee Media

Infobox Company
name = Stan Lee Media

type = Public Delisted
genre =
foundation = October 1998
founder = Stan Lee, Peter F. Paul
location_city = Beverly Hills, California
location_country = USA
location =
locations =
area_served =
key_people = Nelson Thall, Director
industry = Entertainment
products =
services = internet animation studio
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
owner =
num_employees =
parent =
divisions =
subsid = Stan Lee Media Studios
slogan =
homepage =
footnotes =
intl =

Stan Lee Media (SLM) is an Internet-based creation, production and marketing company founded in 1998, dismissed from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection in November, 2006. The company created Stan Lee branded super hero franchises for applications in all media. Its 165-man animation production studio was based in Los Angeles, California from 1998-2001.

Evolution

The company was founded by Stan Lee (Spider Man, X-Men, Iron Man The Hulk, and Fantastic Four co-creator) with his friend, Peter F. Paul (Hollywood entrepreneur) in 1998 as Stan Lee Entertainment. Stan Lee Entertainment merged with Stan Lee Media, Inc. of Delaware in April 1999. In July 1999, SLM of Delaware reverse acquisite of Boulder Capital Opportunities, Inc., a public company, allowed the corporation to go public trading under the symbol SLEE. [ cite web |url=http://www.secinfo.com/dsVsb.5Dg.htm#5thPage |title=CORPORATE HISTORY AND REORGANIZATION |accessdate=2007-09-22 |format=html |work=Stan Lee Media Inc · 10KSB · For 12/31/99 ]

SLM used $4.3 million in stock to purchase Conan Properties Inc., owner of Conan the Barbarian. Plans for a third Conan movie and webisodes were made. [ cite web |url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/036/036531p1.html |title=Conan 3 Status Update |accessdate=2007-09-22 |last=Linder |first=Brian |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=18 |year=2000 |month=09 |format=html |work=IGN Movies |publisher=IGN ] With SLM stock price falling below the sale agreement level, Conan Properties, Inc. stock reverted to their previous owners, Baums, LSDC, Arthur Lieberman and the de Camps. [ cite web |url=http://www.rehupa.com/news_2000.htm#09-12-2000 |title=STAN LEE MEDIA has purchased Conan Properties, Inc. |accessdate=2007-09-22|date=12 |year=2000|month=09 |format=html ]

Bankruptcy

The company subsequently failed, closing operations entirely by December 19, 2000. [cite web|url=http://www.stanleemedia.net|title=Corporate information for Stan Lee Media Inc of Colorado|last=Lee|first=Stan|accessdate=2008-01-10|accessyear] SLM bankruptcy dismissed on Dec 6, 2006 on application of US Trustee for cause. The company was taken back by the shareholders after its dismissal from bankruptcy and hired a legal and accounting forensic consultant to review all transactions that occurred during bankruptcy.

The company remained under bankruptcy protection until the US Trustee for the Central District of California moved to dismiss the bankruptcy for failure of the company as Debtor in Possession to comply with basic requirements of filing monthly reports and paying quarterly fees to the Trustee. As of November 1, 2006, all of the officers and directors of the company had resigned or abandoned their positions and the company's lawyers for the Debtors in Possession attempted to obtain court authorization to destroy or dispose of the company's books and records.

Productions

Some of Stan Lee Media's most important projects included the animated Web series "The 7th Portal" (where Stan Lee himself voiced the character Izayus), "The Drifter", and "The Accuser". "The 7th Portal" characters were licensed to an interactive 3-D movie attraction in four Paramount theme parks. [cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/services/amusement-recreation-services/4571964-1.html|title='7th Portal' On Despite Stan Lee Media Problems|last=Emmons|first=Natasha|format=news article|work=Amusement Business]

The 7th Portal

"The 7th Portal", which came out in the year 2000, [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243729/|title=IMDB page for The Seventh Portal|accessdate=2008-01-10] was the most successful of their animated series, being picked up by Fox in mid run, who translated it into other languages. [cite web|url=http://sec.edgar-online.com/2000/08/14/16/0000950148-00-001790/Section7.asp|title=Edgar Online:Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements:Significant Business Agreements|quote=On June 14, 2000 FOX Latin America and FOX Kids Latin America formed a strategic alliance with SLM [Stan Lee Media] to repurpose SLM's content and to create original branded content for distribution on the Internet and television outlets throughout the Latin American Region.] Twenty-two episodes were made, [cite web|url=http://www.stanleereturns.org/7thportal.php|title=The Stan Lee Resurrection:The 7th Portal|accessdate=September 2007 Please note, this site hosts the episodes without known legal permission.] of which the first twenty were shown on-line before the website went bankrupt. The final two episodes were only visible on television.

Main plot

"The 7th Portal" told the story of Izayus when he approaches a group of young beta testers. He claims to have a game that will let them fight real monsters, which he projects holographically using the CD-ROM he claims contains the game. The game's premise is that there are six other dimensions, all of which have been conquered by the evil "Lord Mongorr", and the players need to take the form of a superhero in order to stop him from opening the portal to the seventh universe, their own.

After they have chosen their form, half of them are sucked into the computer screen, where in time they learn that they've been transported for real into a parallel universe. However, their forms are still subject to the rules of the game, such as spending "Life Points" to use their superpowers. They are eventually captured and brought to "The Bloodzone", a gladiator-like arena consisting of floating platforms over a bottomless pit.

Meanwhile, the other half of the beta testers are mystified by their friends' disappearance. Suddenly, they are transported into cyberspace to meet Izayus. He reveals to them that the CD was actually a device called "The Artifact" [Note: two such devices are actually seen, one in Mongorr's hands an the other in Izayus's. However, only Izayus's is ever named, and Mongorr's cannot fuction without Izayus's.] , which allows for transportation between their dimension and "Darkmoor", the realm of Lord Mongorr.

The first group discover that they must fight some "Nullifiers" (as Mongorr's select group of minion's call themselves) to the death if they want to leave the Bloodzone. When Peter (one of the heroes) loses all his Life Points, transforming back into a regular human being, Izayus appears and allows himself to be captured so that they can escape with The Artifact. The Nullifiers try to stop them, when the heroes are saved by the second group of beta testers, now in their superhero forms.

They take the name "Data Raiders" for themselves and hide in a basement. A fight breaks out among them because Peter had transfered Roberto's Life Points to his own, leaving Roberto at zero points. Peter is knocked out and Roberto leaves. The others, however, notice that Peter's Life Potins are increasing, and hypothesize that if they get something to eat they'll be able to increase their Life Points even faster. When they return with the food, they discover an ambush, and are forced to surrender.

Mongorr creates a portal and sends them back to Earth, since he now has The Artifact. Shortly afterwards he proceeds to send an army through it to destroy several of the Earth's landmarks. However, Izayus sends some energy through the portal, returning the Data Raiders' powers to full strength, and they return through the portal. They combine forces and defeat all the Nullifiers, and Izayus assures them that now he will fix all seven dimensions to be as if Mongorr had never existed. As a reward, the Data Raiders get to keep their powers.

Characters

The Drifter

"The Drifter" was about a character called "The Drifter" who can travel through time with the aid of a device called the decoder, which resembled a black semisphere with colored buttons. Viewers of the series were called true believers. [Loading games before "The 7th Portal" episodes]

The Accuser

"The Accuser" starred a character who took justice into his own hands.

Plot

At the first chapter starts, we see a recently hospitalized Dan Mason recalling his past as the best criminal defense attorney money could buy. He usually didn't care about whose money was buying him and taught himself not to know what his clients do after being acquitted. At the cost of his own wife, Lucia, Dan learns the underworld's gratitude isn't long-lasting.

One of his clients, upset that he agreed to defend Lucas Cortex, tried to have him killed. As a result, Dan is now a wheelchair-bound widower. In the hospital, Dan said he'd give his soul in exchange for a chance to bring justice. A mysterious entity accepts the deal and gives Dan a special wheelchair that can be converted into a special armor that will move his legs for him. What Dan doesn't know is that his mysterious benefactor is evaluating him for some unknown agenda.

Others

Other productions included the "Evil Clone" —a purported attempt to clone Stan Lee as a cartoon that wackily criticized many aspects of the media, including happy endings, the StanLeeMedia.net website—, and "The Backstreet Project", a project including the Backstreet Boys. Different editions on The Backstreet Project comic books were realeased on the market. Six webisodes were also released in 1999 via StanLeeMedia.net.

Lawsuits

Near the end of 2000, investigators discovered illegal stock manipulation by Paul and corporate officer Stephan Gordon. [SEC Litigation Release No. LR-18828, August 11, 2004.] Stan Lee Media filed for bankruptcy in February 2001, and Paul fled to São Paulo, Brazil."Stan Lee Holder Peter Paul Flees to South America, According to Cohort's Affidavit", "Inside.com", March 5, 2001] ["Accusations Against Peter Paul Retracted and Corrected in Court Filing", "MarketWatch.com", May 7, 2001] He was extradited back to the U.S., and pleaded guilty to violating SEC Rule 10b-5 in connection with trading of his stock in Stan Lee Media.United States Attorney's Office, [http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nye/pr/2005mar8.htm "Peter Paul, co-founder of Stan Lee Media, Inc., pleads guilty to securities fraud; Fraud scheme caused $25 million in losses to investors and financial institutions"] , press release, March 8, 2005. ] April Witt, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/04/AR2005100401150.html "House Of Cards: What do Cher, a Hollywood con man, a political rising star and an audacious felon have in common? Together they gave Bill and Hillary Clinton a night they'll never forget – no matter how hard they may try"] , "The Washington Post", October 9, 2005, p. W10] Lee was never implicated in the scheme.

On March 15, 2007, Stan Lee Media's new President Jim Nesfield filed a lawsuit against Marvel Entertainment for $5 billion, claiming that the company is co-owner of the characters that Lee created for Marvel. [ cite web |url=http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=21665&hed=Stan+Lee+Media+Sues+Marvel:+$5B |title=Stan Lee Media Sues Marvel |format=html |archiveurl=http://strange.commongate.com/post/Stan_Lee_Media_Sues_Marvel_5B |archivedate=2007-09-22 ]

On June 9, 2007, SLM filed suite against POW Entertainment, Stan Lee, and other former staff members of Stan Lee Media now working at POW. [ cite web |url=http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/june_9_stan_lee_media_inc_files_aggressive_lawsuit_against_stan_lee/ |title=June 9: Stan Lee Media, Inc. Files Expected Lawsuit Against Stan Lee
accessdate=2007-09-22 |format=html |work=Daily Blog |publisher=The Comic Reporter ]

References