Archie Giant Series Magazine #203 (Dec. 1972)

Today's Christmas themed cover is Archie Giant Series Magazine #203 (Dec. 1972). Although this issue's cover artist is uncredited, the cover looks to be the style of Dan DeCarlo, but then again it could be Stan Goldberg, who just started working for Archie around this time. Goldberg's house style was pretty close to DeCarlo in the early years at Archie. Later his art became looser (And Sloppier) and easier to identify.

Archie Giant Series Magazine #203, Dec. 1972 (Archie's Christmas Stocking)
Cover art by Dan DeCarlo (?)

Like most all the Archie issues of this time period, there are no credits for any of the stories, but a few of the artists styles are unmistakable such as the first story "Do It Yourself" and the last story, "The Greatest Gift" both look like the art is by Harry Lucey. The second story "Fair Exchange" is clearly by Samm Schwartz, probably the easiest Archie Artist to identify. The Li'l Jinx gags are also easy to identify as they are by Joe Edwards.

Great Comic Artists: Joe Staton (Part 1)

Here's a few covers spotlighting the somewhat cartoony, loose work of the underrated Joe Staton.

Staton broke into the biz in the early 70's for Charlton Comics working on many of their horror titles and is possibly most known for co-creating E-Man with Nicola Cuti. When he jumped to DC in the mid 70's, he co-created The Earth-2 Huntress and helped revive The Doom Patrol for Showcase and the Justice Society Of America in All-Star Comics. During the 80's, along with (One of my all time faves) Steve Englehart, they did a beloved run on Green Lantern Corps and the somewhat hated 8 issue weekly mini series, Millennium. In 1989, along with Joey Cavalieri, brought The Huntress into the Post-Crisis DC universe with a well received mini-series. In the 2000's, Staton was part of Archie's "new look" concept when he and Al Milgrom with writer, Melanie J. Morgan took on Jughead in a series in which Jughead falls in love. Today, Staton works on the Dick Tracy comic strip with Mike Curtis. I managed to meet him in Oct. of 2013 at the New York Comic Con. He signed my copy of Space 1999 #1.

Haunted Love #4, October 1973.
Staton also did the art for the second story in this issue, "Reunion".
As seen here, John Byrne's females are somewhat influenced by Joe Staton.

Space 1999 #1, November 1975.
This issue is signed by Joe Staton (New York Comic Con, 2013).

All-Star Comics #73, August 1978.
Inked by Joe Giella.
Giella's inks really ruin this cover, He was not the right fit for Staton at all.
The crammed panelling and the awkward positioning of some of the characters, also doesn't help it.

Showcase #97, Feb. 1978.
Inked by Joe Orlando

Jughead's Double Digest Magazine #141, August, 2008.
Inked by Al Milgrom.
Staton took on the "New Look" Archie concept which was designed to give the Archie world a more realistic look but his herky-jerky outlandish goofy style and 90's outdated hair & clothing made them seem more cartoony, not to mention more uglier than ever before.