Joe Staton was born on this date in 1948. Staton was a key artist at Charlton in the 70's and later DC among other publishers, as well serving a long tenure on the comic strip Dick Tracy. And he co-created my favorite hero - the focus of today's Dojo celebration -- E-Man.
(E-Man Promotional Poster 1973)
(E-Man & Nova 2023 - Just added to my collection)
It was the summer of 1975, and I was freshly graduated from high school and headed for college. I was looking for new ways and means to frame my identity and had grown somewhat bored with the comics from Marvel and DC. I went looking for new things and found the upstart Atlas-Seaboard company fired up and waiting to greet me. It was thrilling finding the debut issues of
Ironjaw,
Phoenix, and
Wulf the Barbarian.
But as it turns out Atlas-Seaboard didn't last very long, not even past my first semester in college. What did linger a bit longer was the comic I found with those terrific three new buys, a little gem titled
E-Man. Issue six was my first one, but I was quickly on the lookout for earlier issues and never missed any of the new ones.
The amiable alien superhero Alec Tronn and his vivacious girlfriend partner Nova were everything I wanted in a comic book. Nicola Cuti and Joe Staton were my new comic gods and then there was Rog-2000 by John Byrne as back up in many issues as well.
Here's a fascinating image I found on the internet ages ago. It seems to be a page by Cuti and Staton working out the looks of E-Man and Nova.
There was a long gap between issues two and three because of a paper shortage. In those months, Joe's style really developed.
Delightful but destined for brevity. E-Man went away and only returned many years later at First Comics, barely recognizable but still there. Eventually Joe Staton and Nick Cuti returned in tandem and the decades since have been dotted with glimpses of E-Man's greatness.
The boys of the CPL Gang tried to keep the E-Man flicker alive with some appearances in the Charlton Bullseye fanzine. One and in issue four, a story left over from the abruptly ended run.
Joe Staton got hold of the rights and took the characters to First Comics and eventually Nick joined him there.
Comico was the next stop as we'd get special issues from time to time. Fantastic printing on these books beginning in 1988. There was a one-shot followed by a brief trilogy of issues.
Alpha Productions picked up the characters and knocked out a few nifty tomes around 1993. These were all one-shots and you never knew if another was on the way.
Digital Webbing was the next stop in 2006 after a long hiatus. Several one-shot issues were produced, each a gem.
E-Man - Curse of the Idol holds special meaning for me as it's the only comic book in which I letter published. Reading it again fifteen years later, I'm struck by how important E-Man has been throughout my life. I'm slobbering all over the book, but that's how I felt then and still feel now.
The revived Charlton Comic brand was the final home for new adventures starring Alec Tronn, Nova and the gang as appropriately it should be.
With the passing of Nick though, Staton retired the character permanently. And I can't say I disagree with that. E-Man was something special from two great talents. So, I regrettably must say farewell to the delightful creation. But I have all of his adventures still and read them with gusto again and again. I will read them again I'm sure because E-Man, this amiable stranger in a strange land is my favorite hero.
Happy Birthday Joe Staton!
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