Joe Staton (born January 19, 1948[1]) is an American comics artist and writer.He co-created the Bronze AgeHuntress (Helena Wayne), as well as the third Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), Kilowog and the Omega Men for DC Comics.He was the artist of the Dick Tracy comic strip from 2011 to October 2021.
Early life
Joe Staton grew up in Tennessee and graduated from Murray State University in 1970.[2]
Career
Staton started his comics career at Charlton Comics in 1971 and gained notability as the artist of the
super-hero
series
E-Man
.
Staton produced art for various comics published by Charlton, Marvel Comics, and Warren Publishing during the 1970s.[2]
Staton served as art director for First Comics for three years in the 1980s.He returned to DC Comics afterwards for a second run on Green Lantern and with writer Steve Englehart, oversaw the title's name change to Green Lantern Corps.[8] Staton and Englehart also created the DC weekly crossover series Millennium (Jan.–Feb. 1988).[9] Staton was one of the contributors to the DC Challenge limited series in 1986.[10] In addition, he illustrated Guy Gardner, The Huntress,[11] The New Guardians, and Superman & Bugs Bunny.[12]
In the early 1990s, Staton provided the artwork on the Mike Danger Sunday comic strip, written by Max Allan Collins.From the late 90s to the late 2000s, Staton drew DC's Scooby-Doo title for younger readers, as well as the more mature-themed Femme Noir for Ape Entertainment.On January 19, 2011, Tribune Media Services announced that Staton and writer Mike Curtis would replace Dick Locher as the creative team of the Dick Tracycomic strip.[13] The new creative team has worked together on Scooby-Doo, Richie Rich, and Casper the Friendly Ghost and started on March 14, 2011.[14] He pencilled DC Retroactive: Green Lantern – The '80s #1, written by Len Wein, published the same year.Staton also illustrated Charles Santino's graphic novel adaptation of Ayn Rand's Anthem (2011).[15]
3.Michael McAvennie. DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle Dorling Kindersley, 2010^
4.Matthew K. Manning. Batman: A Visual History Dorling Kindersley, 2014^
5.McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 175: "DC Super-Stars #17 (December 1977) While writer Paul Levitz and artist Joe Staton introduced the Huntress to the JSA in this month's All Star Comics #69, they concurrently shaped her origin in DC Super-Stars."^
6.McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 175: "Showcase #94 (Aug.–Sept. 1977) Writer Paul Kupperberg and artist Joe Staton revived DC's "try-out" series from its seven-year slumber by resurrecting the super-hero team, Doom Patrol."^
7.Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 193: "DC's newest science-fiction franchise, a band of over one hundred aliens called the Omega Men...They gave Green Lantern a run for his money in this issue written by Marv Wolfman, with art by Joe Staton, and the Omega Men went on to gain their own ongoing series in 1983."^
8.Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 219: "The adventures of everyone's favorite space cops were given a new title thanks to writer Steve Englehart and artist Joe Staton. Now focusing not just on Green Lantern Hal Jordan, The Green Lantern Corps gave an equal spotlight to all the defenders of Space Sector 2814."^
9.Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 232: "Millennium an eight-part miniseries, written by Steve Englehart and drawn by Joe Staton [was] delivered in weekly installments."^
10.Robert Greenberger. It Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time: A Look at the DC Challenge! Back Issue!, TwoMorrows Publishing, August 2017^
11.Manning "1980s" in Dougall, p. 177: "Writer Joey Cavalieri and artist Joe Staton reintroduced Huntress in the pages of her first ongoing series."^
12.Cowsill, Alan "2000s" in Dolan, p. 296: "Writer Mark Evanier and artist Joe Staton produced a cool and wacky adventure that featured many of DC's greatest heroes and their cartoon counterparts."^
