The Stan-hattan Project was a writing workshop conducted as a joint venture by Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

 and New York University

New York University

New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...

 (NYU)'s Department of Dramatic Writing between 1995 and 1996.

The project was an attempt to develop new writing talent for the comic book publisher and to provide practical training and professional opportunities for students at the university.

Graduates of the program were given access to Marvel Comics staff and the chance to see some of their work published.

The program was overseen by then Marvel editor James Felder

James Felder

James Felder is a comic book editor and cartoon writer best known for his work editing Daredevil and writing for the series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Chaotic.-Biography:...

.

NYU students involved in the project who went on to become comic book professionals include Joe Kelly

Joe Kelly (comics)

Joseph "Joe" Kelly is an American comic book writer, penciler and editor who has written such titles as Deadpool, Uncanny X-Men, Action Comics, and JLA...

, Brian K. Vaughan

Brian K. Vaughan

Brian Keller Vaughan is an American comic book and television writer. He is best known for the comic book series Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, and Pride of Baghdad, and was one of the principal writers of the television series Lost, during seasons three through five...

 and Ben Raab

Ben Raab

Benjamin "Ben" Raab is a comic book writer and editor. He has written stories for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, WildStorm, Moonstone Books, Malibu Comics, Harris Publications and Ludovico Technique LLC.-Biography:...

.

The name of the project comes from a combination of the name of Marvel Comics' legendary editor Stan Lee

Stan Lee

Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....

 and the Manhattan Project

Manhattan Project

The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...

, the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 program which developed the first atomic bomb.