Stan Lee-Themed Comic-Con to Launch in Shanghai

By Patrick Frater

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Days after Stan Lee dropped his $1 billion lawsuit against Pow! Entertainment , Pow!’s Hong Kong owner has unveiled plans for a Lee-themed convention in China.

Camsing International, which bought a majority stake in Pow! last year, said a “ (Shanghai) Comic Universe” event will be held between Oct. 1 and Oct. 3 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center. It insisted that the confab, which it also described as a “Comic Con,” is authorized by Pow!

The 95-year-old Lee had initiated legal proceedings against Pow! in May, claiming that he had been duped into signing away the exclusive right to his name. He was allegedly under the sway of memorabilia collector Keya Morgan. Lee and Pow! issued a joint statement on Monday, announcing that the suit had been dismissed. Morgan is now barred from contacting Lee or coming within 100 yards of him, under a restraining order granted last Friday.

The Shanghai event will include “regular theme-based activities, such as exclusive events, meetings, and signing sessions and cosplay, which are commonly seen in major comic cons,” Camsing said in a statement. “(It) will also enthrall comic fans with diversity of pop culture activities, from comic and electronic music festivals to e-sports featuring American comics.” Comic industry icon Burton Morris will be among the guests.

Lee is considered the father of the Marvel Comics universe, having created characters that include Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Hulk, and other superheroes. In 2011, Stan Lee and Pow! Entertainment jointly launched the “Stan Lee Los Angeles Comic Con,” a multi-media pop culture gala in Los Angeles.