Eric Stanton by E. N. Cuire
The first thing that strikes one as one meets the Maestro is the impish humor that exudes from his eyes.
IT is SURPRISING that although millions have enjoyed his work, little is known of Eric Stanton. The "erotic" Stanton first displayed his remarkable artistic talents during his days with the legendary Irving Klaw, where Eric was an individual for all seasons. He was one of only few to capture the essence of Bettie Page in drawings. Bettie was then to become the inspiration for many of the characters that Eric created on paper. The Stanton Archives catalogue has become a collector must and it is updated every year. The annual includes fresh work by the Master and a round out collection carefully researched by Stanton himself.
Stanton has produced all manner of art, from paintings to comic books, from book covers to calendar art. Probably the most collected characters from Stanton are the "Blunder Broad" and "Sweeter Gwen" series.
The Stanton's humor reigns in all his characters. Super Heroines who can take anything, masochistic Misses who enjoy their misuse and repair within the following pages to defeat their adversaries: these have become Eric's trademark. When you look beyond the outrageous bodies caressed by fetish attire and examine the faces of the characters, only then you will discover the humor, the pathos, the innocence, the anger and the lust in Eric's art, and you will climb into the mind and imagination of Stanton as he leads his characters through impossible situations and devices. The artist in Stanton was born while he was serving in the US Navy, as he started sending drawings to the American Forces Newspapers. During this time, he was also starting a mildly erotic art career by creating drawings for shipmates.
Postwar, there were few openings for returning sailors. So Eric waited tables and drew on his half-Russian origins in becoming a Russian Dancer and knife-thrower. It was during these years that he sent a cheeky letter to Irwin Klaw, informing him that someone called "Eric" was an artist who was much better than the illustrator Klaw was using. The result was employment and, later, encouragement to attend Art School, where Stanton s skills were nurtured.
It was after leaving Klaw that, the Stanton Archives came into being. Stanton had seen a lot of his work sold for considerable amounts of money. That s how he decided to go into business as his own publisher.
Eric's understanding of sexual fantasies grew as more fans wrote to him, requesting books on their private fantasies. He became one of the contributors to the Kinsey Report. Some of his original work is owned by the Kinsey Foundation. Since he is a very private man, many often ask if Eric Stanton is still alive. Eric lives with his wonderful family in the Eastern US, and his work is commissioned regularly by men's publications when they need that certain twinkle of humor to grace their pages.
His work has been copied by many artists. Many have used Stanton stories with little change, but, to his true fans, there is only one Eric Stanton. No matter how much many try.
Stanton is a lover of women. Tall, beautiful, strong dominant ones. His second wife Britt, herself a talented painter, some three inches taller than Eric, inspired many Stanton characters.
Could Eric's unique style of art and humor be the result of his mixture of Italian and Russian genes? Whatever it is, true Stanton fans go on enjoying the work of the Master of the bizarre.
Article is from Le Fer Rouge, Issue 1, 1996 and is a part of the Mistress Michelle Archives
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