Stan Lee, who died in November at age 95, was a larger-than-life comics legend. The co-creator of superheroes such as Spider-Man, Black Panther, Iron Man, the X-Men and the Hulk, Lee grew Marvel Comics from a small publishing company into an international media giant. On January 30, a special tribute, \u201cExcelsior! A Celebration of the Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible & Uncanny Life of Stan Lee,\u201d honored the fabled cultural icon\u2019s many contributions.<\/p>\n
Among those walking the gala\u2019s red carpet at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, was ÌÇÐÄvlog Police Chief and International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) President Paul Cell. Representing the IACP, he spoke on the red carpet about his firsthand knowledge of Lee\u2019s dedicated support of law enforcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI worked as a law enforcement liaison for Stan\u2019s Hands of Respect initiative, which he created to bring community members and law enforcement together to help create safe communities and promote a nationwide culture of respect,\u201d says Cell. Together with Lee, he helped to promote the initiative at Comic Cons and on a number of nationally broadcast appearances. Cell is no stranger to red carpets, having attended the red-carpet premiere of Spider-Man<\/em> with Lee and served as a talent escort for Grammy Award and daytime Emmy Award ceremonies.<\/p>\n \u201cI was honored to be able to pay my respects to Stan Lee one more time, present a posthumous award and acknowledge all the contributions he had made to society,\u201d says Cell. \u201cThrough his comics, he always delivered a message of hope that right will always prevail, as long as you do the right thing. It doesn\u2019t matter who you are \u2013 anyone can help people and be a hero.\u201d<\/p>\n Cell, who admits that Captain America is his favorite superhero, helped coordinate the tribute, which was produced by Legion M. Agents of Mayhem and Stan Lee\u2019s POW! Entertainment and presented by filmmaker Kevin Smith & Friends. In addition to the red carpet walk and presentations attended by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, public theater forecourt activities included an exhibit of Lee memorabilia, art by artist Rob Prior, a musical performance and more.<\/p>\n The evening\u2019s private tribute continued in the TCL Chinese IMAX Theatre, where Smith moderated conversations about Lee\u2019s life, work and legacy. Celebrity speakers included actors Mark Hamill and Vincent D\u2019Onofrio, as well as The Dark Knight<\/em> producer Michael Uslan and X-Men<\/em> producer Tom DeSanto.<\/p>\n Proceeds from the event will benefit the Hero Initiative, a federally chartered not-for-profit dedicated to providing a financial safety net for comic book creators in need.<\/p>\n For Cell, Lee will be remembered as someone who really cared about people. \u201cHe had a true concern for people and the safety of our communities,\u201d Cell says. \u201cHis message was clear: any person could be a hero, no cape or costume needed.\u201d<\/p>\n