8. He shaped superhero culture.
For Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee, "Bruce Lee was a superhero without a costume. He was the first to make westerners aware of that type of fighting and way of life."
Marvel produced plenty of Lee-inspired comic series (The Hands Of Kung Fu, Iron Fist...) and Lee's instantly recognisable, superhuman-like qualities have seeped into many other areas of pop culture (try finding a fighting videogame without a Lee-like character).
And, inevitably, his bankable, iconic allure hasn't gone unexploited by advertising...
Don't forget to join us for tonight's DVD Club where we'll be watching Enter The Dragon from 8pm.
Like This? Then try...
- 8 Girlyish Man Fights
- David Carradine: Looking Back At A Cult Legend
- The Story Behind Inglourious Basterds
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Comments
RobBuckley
Jun 9th 2009, 12:47
That's true to a certain of the US and Chinese martial arts. But there was a long tradition in the UK and Australia, for example, of Japanese martial arts such as jiu jitsu and judo being taught openly in classes available to everyone. Jiu Jitsu practitioners used to tour music halls in the 19th century and both men and women were taught techniques.
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alowe
Jun 9th 2009, 13:55
Fair point. So was Lee's Seattle school the first outside China? I had a quick rummage around whether Chinese martial arts were taught secretly in the US/UK/Australia before Lee but couldn't get a solid answer.
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