# Lou Stathis

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American author, critic and editor (1952–1997)

Lou Stathis Lou Stathis in his New York City rooftop apartment, summer 1986. Photo by Jeff Schalles. Born (1952-09-29)September 29, 1952 Died May 4, 1997(1997-05-04) (aged 44) Nationality American Area Writer, Editor Awards International Horror Guild Award, 1997

[Kyle Baker](/source/Kyle_Baker)'s portrait of Lou Stathis at work.

Lou Stathis in his office at *[Heavy Metal](/source/Heavy_Metal_(magazine))* magazine, mid 1980's, photo by Jeff Schalles

**Louis J. Stathis** (September 29, 1952 – May 4, 1997)[1] was an American author, critic and editor, mainly in the areas of fantasy and science fiction. During the last four years of his life he was an editor for DC Comics' [Vertigo](/source/Vertigo_Comics) line,[2] working on such titles as *[Preacher](/source/Preacher_(comics))*, *[Doom Patrol](/source/Doom_Patrol)*, *[Industrial Gothic](/source/Industrial_Gothic)*, [Peter Kuper](/source/Peter_Kuper)'s *The System*, and *Dhampire*.

## Work

Stathis was a columnist and editor for *[Heavy Metal](/source/Heavy_Metal_(magazine))* and a columnist for [Ted White](/source/Ted_White_(author))'s *[Fantastic](/source/Fantastic_(magazine))* magazine; during the late 1970s and early 1980s, he also wrote a monthly column on contemporary popular music for *[Gallery](/source/Gallery_(magazine))* magazine. He worked as an editor for [Ace Books](/source/Ace_Books), *[High Times](/source/High_Times)* and *Reflex* magazine.[3][4]

Stathis collaborated with cartoonist [Matt Howarth](/source/Matt_Howarth), co-writing the first few issues of *[Those Annoying Post Bros](/source/Those_Annoying_Post_Bros).*, published by [Vortex Comics](/source/Vortex_Comics) in 1985. In 1989, Stathis wrote *The Venus Interface* (originally advertised as *Interzone: The Wild & Curious Times of Sheldon Zone*), a *Heavy Metal* graphic novel with a cover by [Olivia De Berardinis](/source/Olivia_De_Berardinis) and interior art by Jim Fletcher, [Rick Geary](/source/Rick_Geary), [Peter Kuper](/source/Peter_Kuper), Mark Pacella, Kenneth Smith, [Arthur Suydam](/source/Arthur_Suydam) and Michael Uman.

In writing and editing, Stathis took a prismatic approach, noting popular culture linkages:

"I see connections between all vital forms of popular art. At *Heavy Metal* and *Reflex*, we would feature side-by-side profiles of guys like [Tom Waits](/source/Tom_Waits), [Captain Beefheart](/source/Captain_Beefheart), [The Residents](/source/The_Residents), [Sun Ra](/source/Sun_Ra), [Voivod](/source/Voivod_(band)), [Ice Cube](/source/Ice_Cube), [Francis Coppola](/source/Francis_Coppola), [David Cronenberg](/source/David_Cronenberg), [Susan Sontag](/source/Susan_Sontag) (by [Samuel R. Delany](/source/Samuel_R._Delany)), [James Ellroy](/source/James_Ellroy) (by [Lewis Shiner](/source/Lewis_Shiner)), [Kathy Acker](/source/Kathy_Acker), [Neil Gaiman](/source/Neil_Gaiman) (who also interviewed [Lou Reed](/source/Lou_Reed) for us), [Alan Moore](/source/Alan_Moore), [Moebius](/source/Moebius_(comics)), [Brian Bolland](/source/Brian_Bolland), and [Dave McKean](/source/Dave_McKean)––as if they all deserved commensurate attention (they do). The idea was––and still is––that 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, cross-cultural/media conversation going on, and all you have to do to hear it is stop listening selectively."[5]

While he was an editor at [Vertigo](/source/Vertigo_Comics), Stathis began having headaches that kept him from working. He died of respiratory failure ten months after being diagnosed with a [brain tumor](/source/Brain_tumor).

## Awards

In June 1997, he received a special award from the [International Horror Guild](/source/International_Horror_Guild).[6]

## See also

- [List of notable brain tumor patients](/source/List_of_notable_brain_tumor_patients)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch ([https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VSNS-25S](https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VSNS-25S) : accessed 19 Mar 2013), Louis J Stathis, 4 May 1997.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Anderson, Paul M. (August 1997). "Vertigo Editor Stathis Succumbs to Cancer". *[Wizard](/source/Wizard_(magazine))*. No. 72. p. 22.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Apparatchik 78: In the Midst of Life, Dr. Fandom"](http://www.efanzines.com/Apparatchik/78-white.html). Retrieved 19 May 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Michigan State University Libraries: Index to Comic Art Collection: 'Loos' to 'Loque' "](https://web.archive.org/web/20060117192156/http://www.lib.msu.edu/comics/rri/lrri/loos.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.lib.msu.edu/comics/rri/lrri/loos.htm) on 17 January 2006. Retrieved 19 May 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Lou Stathis : Mixing and Maxing : Interview" by Pepé Valdez, p. 11-12 in *Shop Talk* (Sept. 1993)"](https://comics.lib.msu.edu/rri/srri/stat.htm). Retrieved 11 Dec 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["International Horror Guild"](http://www.ihgonline.org/prevrec.html#1996). Retrieved 19 May 2006.

## External links

- [*Business Wire*: "Obituary: Lou Stathis"](http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1997_May_7/ai_19381662)

- [*Heavy Metal*: Lou Stathis interviews David Lynch (full text)](http://www.thecityofabsurdity.com/intmetal.html)

- ["Remembering Lou Stathis" by Patty Jeres](https://web.archive.org/web/20070929103235/http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=36&t=000837)

- [Who's Who of American Comic Books: Lou Stathis](http://www.bailsprojects.com/(S(ajgy44453ymsmm45ovmwh4ut))/whoswho.aspx)

v t e Contributors to Heavy Metal Editors Brad Balfour Kevin Eastman Dave Elliott Joseph Illidge Sean Kelly Valerie Marchant Leonard Mogel Grant Morrison Tim Seeley Julie Simmons-Lynch Lou Stathis Ted White Debra Yanover Writers Brad Balfour Steve Brown Jean-Pierre Dionnet Harlan Ellison Archie Goodwin Alejandro Jodorowsky Jay Kinney Elaine Lee Richard A. Lupoff Doug Moench John Shirley Robert Silverberg Lou Stathis Bhob Stewart Jan Strnad Stefano Tamburini Ted White Artists Enki Bilal Stephen R. Bissette Caza Richard Corben Howard Cruse Nicolas de Crécy Philippe Druillet Alex Ebel Will Eisner Jean-Claude Forest Dave Gibbons H. R. Giger Juan Giménez Jean Giraud John Holmstrom Matt Howarth Jeffrey Catherine Jones Michael Kaluta Paul Kirchner Tanino Liberatore Terrance Lindall Milo Manara Esteban Maroto Pepe Moreno Gray Morrow Jean-Michel Nicollet [fr] Alex Niño Luis Royo Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri Walt Simonson Dan Steffan Jim Steranko Steve Stiles Arthur Suydam Alain Voss John Workman Bernie Wrightson Olivia De Berardinis Related Heavy Metal Les Humanoïdes Associés Métal Hurlant National Lampoon Schwermetall [de] Heavy Metal (film) Heavy Metal 2000 Love, Death & Robots

Authority control databases: National United States

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lou Stathis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Stathis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Stathis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.