JOE STATON'S GODS AND MONSTERS (CHAPTER 2)

This is the second of Joe Staton's marvelous three-part sage of the GODS OF MT. OLYMPUS.

See Chapter One HERE.

JOE STATON'S GODS AND MONSTERS (CHAPTER 1)

This is this first chapter of a three-part series written by Johnny Achziger and drawn by Joe Staton. If memory serves me right, I bought this through The Comic Buyer's Guide. I'm also not sure if it was a 3-issue subscription or if they came all at once. It was published by Achziger out of Spokane, WA at a time when there was a paper shortage in Canada, and Charlton Comics, who were based there, were forced to temporarily cease printing. Staton explained in an interview with COMIC BOOK ARTIST: "There was a paper mill strike in Canada, or something, that created a huge shortage of paper, and I got this notice from George Wildman, I remember it very well, it said, 'This is a black day. We have nothing left to print on.' At that point, Johnny Achziger in Washington state contacted me. This is all before the whole direct sales market started, and I think it was the old distribution network, but we did a tabloid-size magazine about the Greek myths in comics form. Johnny Achziger published them. It died out because Charlton got back printing, the paper shortage was over, and I kept on trying to do the last issue while I was doing everything else, and couldn't do it! [laughter] The first issue I was so proud of. I didn't have anything else to do, so I put a whole lot of work into that first issue."

A couple of years later, the series was reprinted in Mike Friedrich's independently-published "underground" comic, STAR  REACH. Unfortunately, the story lost its magnificence with the smaller size.

THE GODS OF JOE STATON

Now 75-years old and still active, Joe Staton has been a comics artist for decades. Staton got his start at Charlton, where he and Nicola Cuti created one of Charlton's most popular heroes, E-Man. Among many others, he worked for DC, Marvel and Warren and drew the Dick Tracy comic strip for 10 years in the 2000's.

Now considered "hard-to-find", one of his greatest accomplishments was the unique 3-issue, newspaper-sized series, THE GODS OF MOUNT OLYMPUS. Independently produced in 1974 by Quintessence Publications, it was drawn by Staton and written by Johnny Achziger. Included with the first issue was a poster (seen below). I purchased the trio back in '74 and I believe at the time it was only available through the mail.

Staton illustrated numerous supernatural comics for Charlton, including this one, GHOSTLY HAUNTS (#28, December 1972). His story, "No Way Out" has a character that is very much inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. Other art is by Steve Ditko and Jack Abel.

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