Comics legend Joe Staton attended the Superman premiere and still had time to make a Svengoolie Artist Collection design
Plus, the artist reveals his process and the character he's most proud of!
There are very few corners in the world of comics that Joe Staton's pen hasn't touched. He is one of the greatest artists in the history of the industry. Many of the medium's greatest characters have had their legacies sharpened by his craft. Best of all? Joe Staton is a Svengoolie fan, just like us.
He was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to speak with Yikesgeist and answer all our questions about his life and art.
Get your "Sven-Boogie" designs here!
Yikesgeist: Joe, what is your process like when you set upon a new project? Do you have your own Fortress of Solitude that you retreat into?
Joe Staton: I do! Upstairs, I have my own floor in the house, and it's a studio with papers and designs and stuff all over the place. And then there's the library, and then there's a room full of comics, so that's whatever I can have around me. So, yeah, I have a spot that I hide out.
Yikesgeist: Is there ever any music playing when you draw?
Joe Staton: There is, occasionally. I guess most of the time I have NPR on, but sometimes there will be music. Of course, always falling back on the Ramones. They've got a piece called "Sheena is a Punk Rocker." They've got to have a comics personality behind that. And they had their own comic out a while back.
[Editor's Note: This song was written in reference to comic book heroine Sheena, Queen of the Jungle]
Yikesgeist: Speaking of punk rockers, "Punkrocker" was the big theme song from the new Superman movie. I'd love to ask you about your experience on the red carpet at the premiere.
Joe Staton: My wife, Hillary, and I were there. We were invited because I did the design work when the new version of Guy Gardner was brought back from a long hiatus in the comic. So yeah, I got to meet Nathan Fillion, who played Guy Gardner. So that was very appropriate.
Yikesgeist: So, was that bowl cut your making?
Joe Staton: Yeah, it was my doing. I mean, it comes and goes. Some people can't stand it, and some have really developed it and really pushed it. So, it was my doing to start with. The original Guy [Gardner] was basically a fill-in Green Lantern for one of the others and looked pretty much like any Green Lantern. But after he was seriously injured, and put into a home— or something—for years, the people who worked in the facility would come around and give him a bowl cut. It was just an easy trim around and keep going, and he kind of liked it! He kept it funny when he came back to being this superhero again.
Yikesgeist: That's perfect. And we know there's an upcoming Green Lantern Corps show, and I don't know if you can spoil anything, but do you think we can expect a Kilowog appearance?
Joe Staton: I have not been told if there is a Kilowog appearance, but Kilowog seems to turn up in everything! I mean, he's in hundreds of games and everything. Kilowog is probably the most popular of the newer Green Lanterns that Steve Englehart and I did at a certain point. And Kilowog has really kept on and developed, and he's still out there. Yeah, he's good.
Yikesgeist: Which character that you helped create are you most proud of?
Joe Staton: Well, Guy and Kilowog. And there were a bunch of the other Green Lanterns. But I've developed two different versions of the character, The Huntress. The strongest one was in an alternate timeline. She was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman. So there's a whole continuity of Batman being killed, Catwoman being killed, and Huntress avenging them. She's not as strong and dark as Batman, but she carries on the tradition, and she teams up with Robin, who's grown now. So, I guess the Helena Wayne character, the Huntress. I think she would be the best.
When I was back at Charlton with Nic Cuti, we developed a character, E-Man, who was the energy man from outer space. He was a very funny superhero. He looked like a superhero but had a very curious sense of humor. So yeah, there's another character that I can look back on.
Yikesgeist: Absolutely. There's so much to love about the Huntress character and the way that her design has these flourishes that evoke Batman and Catwoman equally. You did a great job of integrating the history of both of those characters into this new design. You did well by them.
Joe Staton: Thank you. That was a lot of contribution from the colorist on the job, Anthony Tollin. He was the one who got the colors together. There's the purple and the blue and the black, and it's all from Catwoman and Batman, and it comes together, and it's the Huntress!
Yikesgeist: With her own iconic design! Now, speaking of iconic designs, I'm sure Svengoolie fans are going to be excited to get their hands on t-shirts with this new artwork that you've created. Did any particular inspiration lead you to this design that you've done?
Joe Staton: I just had to come up with an idea for Sven, and I was thinking Sven and Gwen, you know, they make a good team! So, you know, they boogie, they get down. So, that was it. They need some music.
Yikesgeist: That's right. They should be listening to The Ramones!
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