Lou Stathis
Encyclopedia
Lou Stathis was an American author, critic and editor, mainly in the areas of fantasy and science fiction. During the last three years of his life he was an editor for DC Comics' Vertigo line, including Preacher, Doom Patrol, Industrial Gothic, The System and Dhampire.
Stathis was a columnist and editor for Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (magazine)
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
, and he also did a column for Ted White
Ted White (author)
Ted White is a Hugo Award-winning American writer, known as a science fiction author and editor and fan, as well as a music critic...
's Fantastic
Fantastic (magazine)
Fantastic was an American digest-size fantasy and science fiction magazine, published from 1952 to 1980. It was founded by Ziff-Davis as a fantasy companion to Amazing Stories. Early sales were good, and Ziff-Davis quickly decided to switch Amazing from pulp format to digest, and to cease...
magazine. He worked as an editor for Ace Books
Ace Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
, High Times and Reflex magazine.
In 1989, Stathis wrote The Venus Interface, a Heavy Metal graphic novel with a cover by Olivia De Berardinis
Olivia De Berardinis
"Olivia De Berardinis" is an American artist known for paintings of women, often referred to as pinup or cheesecake art. She has been working in this genre since the mid-70's...
and interior art by Jim Fletcher, Rick Geary
Rick Geary
Rick Geary is an American cartoonist and illustrator.-Biography:Rick Geary was born on February 25, 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri. Geary was initially introduced to comics readers with his contributions to the Heavy Metal and National Lampoon magazines...
, Peter Kuper
Peter Kuper
Peter Kuper is an American alternative cartoonist and illustrator known for his autobiographical, social, and political observations.-Early life:...
, Mark Pacella, Kenneth Smith, Arthur Suydam
Arthur Suydam
Arthur Suydam is an American comic book artist and musician. He has done artwork for magazines including Heavy Metal, Epic Illustrated and National Lampoon, while his comic book work includes Batman, Conan, Tarzan, Predator, Aliens, Death Dealer, and Marvel Zombies.-Illustration:Suydam has...
and Michael Uman. Stathis also collaborated with Matt Howarth
Matt Howarth
Matt Howarth is an American comic book writer/artist known for such series as Those Annoying Post Bros, Savage Henry, Star Crossed, and Bugtown....
on Das Loot, published by Aeon in 1994.
In writing and editing, Stathis took a prismatic approach, noting popular culture linkages:
- I see connections between all vital forms of popular art. It's all in the mix, and to erect barriers between, say, comics and music–to ignore the noise from any part of the system–is counterproductive and just plain stupid. Most of the artists and writers I know listen to and take inspiration from music while they work; most of the musicians I know read comics and get off on the imagery. There's an intense, crosscultural/media conversation going on, and all you have to do to hear it is stop listening selectively.
While he was an editor at DC Comics, Stathis began having headaches which kept him from working. He died of respiratory failure ten months after being diagnosed with a brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
.