"Spider-Man is one of Marvel's flagship characters so, yeah, I'd say 'Amazing Fantasy' is very important," said Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Axel Alonso. "Funny thing is, the series - which was formerly titled 'Amazing Adult Fantasy' - was scheduled for cancellation before issue 'Amazing Fantasy' No. 15 hit stands. It ended up being one of Marvel's highest sellers at the time, and paving the road for the 'Amazing Spider-Man' series that's run monthly ever since."

It also helped pave the way for Spider-Man adventures on the radio, television and the movie screen.

Lee worked for Marvel for decades, eventually becoming its editor-in-chief, and then starting other businesses, including most recently POW! Entertainment.

He said, given the price paid for the issue, "I wish had saved my old Spider-Man books."

Back in the early 1960s, there was never any thought of saving extra issues or the original artwork that made up comics because there was no space to store the artwork or books sent back by the printer.

"So if someone came to deliver our lunch or sandwiches or something, before he'd left we'd say 'Hey, fella! You want to take these books with you or this artwork with you?'" Lee said. "We were giving all that stuff away. Nobody thought to save these books."

Lee said there is more to the price tag than just money.

"I think it's just wonderful that these old books are now considered, in some way, ancient treasures and are thought of so highly that people would give so much money for them," he said. "I would never have believed it, but I am very impressed."

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