Thousands of hearts shattered on Nov. 12 when Marvel fans learned of Stan Lee’s death.

Lee was an inspiration to millions of fans and his legacy will live on. 

Lee died at age 95 after being taken from his home in Los Angeles to Cedar’s Sinai Medical Center. The cause of death has yet to be determined. 

Lee was born in 1922 and began his career in comics in 1939. In 1961, he launched his first superheroes, the Fantastic Four, into the Marvel universe. 

Little did he know how successful his comics would turn out to be.

“All I thought about when I wrote my stories was, ‘I hope that these comic books would sell so I can keep my job and continue to pay the rent,” Lee said in a 2013 interview with USA Today. “Never in a million years could I have imagined that it would turn into what it has evolved into nowadays. Never.” 

He went on to create many beloved characters, including Spider-Man, the X-men, Thor, and the Hulk. 

“His characters have helped shape me into who I am today,” junior Connor Allen said.

Throughout his career, Lee never failed to touch people’s hearts or put smiles on their faces. He was also able to bring families together. 

Freshman Madison Reedy and sophomore Jude Lee grew up watching Marvel with their fathers.

“It was like a part of my childhood was gone,” Jude Lee said after Stan Lee died. 

One aspect of Stan Lee that will be especially missed is his cameos in Marvel movies. 

“A piece of the movies that make them golden is gone,” sophomore Kylie Jones said.

But there is hope that some upcoming Marvel film pre-filmed scenes with him in them, sophomore Joey Diehl said. History teacher Ryan Cook suggested that film makers may add him into the movies digitally.

With Lee gone, people are wondering how Marvel will change.

“It’ll be different now that he’s not there to oversee everything or to see if it’s what he wants,” Reedy said.

Many people were stunned at the news of his death.

“I fell totally silent,” Jude Lee said. “I was completely shocked.”

When Stan Lee first began his career in comics, he worked for what was then called Timely Comics.

 He didn’t even start writing about superheroes until the company rebranded itself as Marvel Comics in 1947.

Before writing about superheroes, Lee felt embarrassed about the childishness of his comics. So, when creating the “Fantastic Four,” he aimed to make them more real. If it weren’t for the success of this comic, Lee may not have even continued writing.

Lee’s work for Marvel always had a raw undertone, while still maintaining some childish aspects. This made it so anyone, regardless of age, could enjoy reading his comics and films featuring his characters.

People of all ages worldwide fell  in love with Lee’s work. It’s a love that is passed down from generation to generation.

 Though Lee is gone, he will never be forgotten.

Spongebob creator Stephen Hillenburg’s passing is a shock.

The world lost a legend on Nov. 26.

Stephen Hillenburg, a former marine biology teacher turned animator, died at age 57. His legacy? Creating this generation’s most iconic cartoon: “SpongeBob SquarePants”.

Many fans were shocked by his death, especially when they learned the cause was Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“I was very irrationally sad when I found out about his passing,” English teacher and avid SpongeBob fan Devan Manning said. “In my class we are actually talking about ALS.”

The cartoonist was diagnosed with ALS in March of 2017. ALS is a rare progressive disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.

“I was very sad when I heard about his passing,” senior Fadi Ghazi said. “I used to watch his show every day, it brought joy into my life.”

SpongeBob was actually “Bob the Sponge” originally in “Intertidal Zone,” a comic book Hillenburg created in 1989 while working as a teacher and staff artist at the Orange County Marine Institute in Dana Point, California.

The comic book eventually became the inspiration for “SpongeBob SquarePants” and about a decade later transformed into one of the greatest TV cartoons of all time. 

Hillenburg’s love for drawing and marine biology actually spurred the idea to create the undersea world of Bikini Bottom. 

“It started me thinking, if I’m going to do a show, I would do it about these invertebrates and these crazy creatures that exist in the ocean, and it would be the perfect fusion of all the things I did,” Hillenburg said in a 2015 Nickelodeon interview.  

“SpongeBob SquarePants” not only brought humor to generations of people all over the world, but it also inspired people to be optimistic and imaginative.

“SpongeBob SquarePants” had a way of bringing people together.

‘SpongeBob SquarePants’  let me bond with people who also enjoyed the humor of the show,” junior Danielle Hight said.

“SpongeBob SquarePants” will forever bring laughter to generations of children and families everywhere

“Obviously SpongeBob is a comedy but it really was inspired by me liking marine science,” Hillenburg told Nickelodeon Animation Studio. “I focused on that and I never really thought the two would come together.” 

The show originated as a Saturday morning cartoon and has aired since 1999. 

“‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ is very different from the other shows, in a way it’s a smart show with mature jokes. It’s such an influential cartoon,” Manning said. “I was in elementary school when the show premiered. To this day I quote ‘SpongeBob’.

Hillenburg was a nine-time Emmy nominee for his show and an influence to many video games and movies.

The show not only appeals to children but adults as well. 

“I always watched it with my family,” junior Shelby Williams said. “The show taught me it is okay to be unique.”