STAN LEE MEDIA GOES PUBLIC TODAY.

Byline: Dave McNary Staff Writer

Starting today, you can own a piece of comic book legend Stan Lee.

The creator of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four is taking Encino-based Stan Lee Media public as part of his push to become a significant player on the Internet. Shares are expected to begin trading today under the symbol SLEE.

``I never expected to be publicly traded,'' Lee said in a telephone interview from the Comicon convention in San Diego. ``It should give us a lot more freedom and more cash.''

Lee, 76, launched Stan Lee Media as a Web marketing operation and ``virtual clubhouse'' for his fans late last year. The basic idea was to use the growing power of the Internet to reach Lee's worldwide audience.

Since then, his company has formed Web alliances with marketing specialist eCommercial.com, International Business Machines Corp. and Warner Bros.' Acme City site, which will be the home of Lee's ``Seventh Portal'' comic strip created for the Internet. He is hopeful the strip could spin off into a Saturday morning TV program.

Peter Paul, chief executive officer of Stan Lee Media, said the move to take Stan Lee public was crucial in order to expand the company. ``The stock gives us the currency we need to attract talent and make acquisitions of other companies,'' he added.

Earlier this month, Stan Lee Media executed a merger with a publicly held shell company, Boulder Capital Opportunity Inc. Paul said the transaction converts about 20 percent of the ownership of Stan Lee Media into 2.5 million public shares with trading expected to start at $6 a share today.

Paul said his company originally applied for the STAN listing but had to settle instead for SLEE. The stock will trade on the over-the-counter bulletin board system.

Lee, credited with pioneering the modern comic book era through the creation of superheroes with complex personalities, said the new venture is particularly fulfilling because he is the boss.

``It's just so exciting to be doing something really under my control,'' he noted. ``If I want to do something, I don't have to ask anyone. On the other hand, I have to make sure I'm right.''

Prior to launching his own company, he reached an agreement with longtime affiliate Marvel Entertainment Group allowing him to form a separate company while remaining as chairman emeritus of Marvel Media.

``I've never had more fun in my life,'' Lee proclaimed. ``The opportunities that seem to be unfolding are unbelievable. Almost every day, a new project looms.''

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Photo: (Color) Stan Lee

Created Marvel characters