As I have noted many times, tho, if one looks at the Kirby issues Stan scripted, really LOOKS at them, paying attention to what's in the pictures, compared to what's in the dialog, we can see Stan's contribution was considerably more than just the typist the Kirby Kamp would have him be. In fact, it's well known that Kirby was often not happy with how Stan scripted the books, sometimes telling a very different story from the one Kirby plotted. (I had similar problems with Claremont.)

Lee & Kirby were the Lennon & McCartney of comics - they did some memorable work individually, but their collaboration was something more.

Robert, I like this analogy...very true. Great on their own, but absolutely nuclear together.

There's a pretty short list of writer/artists who have done memorable work at Marvel - with JB, Jim Steranko, Walt Simonson, Jim Starlin and Frank Miller among them

While there has been a Roger Stern, Chris Claremont, Roger McKenzie or an Archie Goodwin that can be thrown into the mix successfully, I'd still rather see those five write and draw their own comics.

I think most of the people who want to bust Stan's chops for not giving "proper credit" fall into either of two camps: the relentless Kirby boosters, who insist He and He Alone did EVERYTHING (including creating Spider-Man); and those who felt somehow "betrayed" (in that way only hardcore fans can) when they found out about the "Marvel Method" of plot/pencils/script.

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Absolutely. When it comes to movies/TV/comics/etc., people really do seem to want to pin creative success (or failure!) on a single visionary, don't they?

In the case of Lee and Kirby, the books would not have been as magical if one of them hadn't been present.

Kirby was one of the greatest artists in the history of the medium (if not the greatest!). Lee is probably the best writer-editor in the history of the medium. They both brought iconic concepts and characters to the table. 

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As I have noted many times, tho, if one looks at the Kirby issues Stan scripted, really LOOKS at them, paying attention to what's in the pictures, compared to what's in the dialog, we can see Stan's contribution was considerably more than just the typist the Kirby Kamp would have him be. In fact, it's well known that Kirby was often not happy with how Stan scripted the books, sometimes telling a very different story from the one Kirby plotted. (I had similar problems with Claremont.)

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Yep. I've been reading my accumulated Masterworks, recently, and it's fascinating to spot all of those little moments where Stan's scripting subtly (or obviously!) altered/augmented/improved/detracted from Kirby's art.

The classic example, for me, is that moment in the Red Skull's origin story, where Stan's scripting kicked the story up a few notches beyond the page as drawn by Kirby--

Kirby drew a Nazi officer interrupting Hitler as the latter was training the Skull (who's wearing an SS uniform.). Hitler smacks the officer in the face, and then presents the Skull with his costume.

Lee scripted it so that Hitler saw the Skull being trained as a mere SS by the officer, smacks the officer in the face, and takes over the Skull's training personally. We then see Hitler presenting the Skull with his costume at the end of the training (with a good period of time having passed between panels, rather than mere seconds, as was clearly intended by the art).

Amazing.

On the flipside, since Lee and Ditko weren't talking at that point, in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN # 30, Lee mistakenly named the goons in purple suits as agents of the Cat (that  particular issue's villain), whereas Ditko was actually laying in subplot for the Master Planner story that followed in the next issue.

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Much as I loathe "Golden Age" and "Silver Age" (especially when I am compelled to use them, for lack of anything else), I hate loathe and despise "Bronze Age" most of all.

Nothing like having all my work, and the work of my contemporaries, awarded "third place".

Kirby drew a Nazi officer interrupting Hitler as the latter was training the Skull (who's wearing an SS uniform.). Hitler smacks the officer in the face, and then presents the Skull with his costume.

Lee scripted it so that Hitler saw the Skull being trained as a mere SS by the officer, smacks the officer in the face, and takes over the Skull's training personally. We then see Hitler presenting the Skull with his costume at the end of the training (with a good period of time having passed between panels, rather than mere seconds, as was clearly intended by the art).

Amazing.

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I usually point to that origin of the Red Skull as the best place to see the Lee/Kirby synthesis at work. In addition to the scene you name, there's also one where the Skull is clearly shooting an off-panel victim to death, as Hitler looks on horrified. But Stan didn't write the scene that way. He has Hitler exclaim that the Skull has shot all the buttons off the man's uniform, but left him alive. "Dead he is of no use," the Skull sneers, "but alive, he can be retrained!"

It's brilliant stuff!