If you’re a comic book fan, meeting the creator of such masterpieces as Spider-Man, the X-Men and Fantastic Four is a moment you never forget. We wanted to approach it from the other side, so we asked Stan Lee about three encounters he will never forget:

James Cameron
“At the time, he wanted to do—and I wanted him to do—[the film version of] ‘Spider-Man,’” Lee says. “He had a birthday party years ago at his house in Malibu, and my wife and I went there and met his family and him. He's like a walking lump of talent.”

Joe Barbera of Hanna-Barbera
“Every time I'd meet him—we were very friendly—he'd end the meeting by saying, ‘Stan, we've gotta have lunch some time. I'll call you.’ He never called. It didn't matter; he was a great guy.”

President Ronald Reagan
“This was a few months after he had finished his second presidential term. I said, ‘Gee, Mr. President, you must feel so relieved that you don't have the weight of the world on your shoulders.’ He looked at me, full of enthusiasm, and said, ‘No! I loved being President!’”