Lou Stathis

Who was Lou Stathis?

Louis J. Stathis 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 line, including Preacher, Doom Patrol, Industrial Gothic, The System and Dhampire.

Stathis was a columnist and editor for Heavy Metal, and he also did a column for Ted White's Fantastic magazine. He worked as an editor for Ace Books, High Times and Reflex magazine.

In 1989, Stathis wrote The Venus Interface, a Heavy Metal graphic novel with a cover by Olivia De Berardinis and interior art by Jim Fletcher, Rick Geary, Peter Kuper, Mark Pacella, Kenneth Smith, Arthur Suydam and Michael Uman. Stathis also collaborated with Matt Howarth on Das Loot, published by Aeon in 1994.

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

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.