postings and asked him to write SC's water-based hero Depthon, Son of the Ocean, so he produced a five-page story, with art and lettering by Kenneth M. Johnson, that appeared in All-Surprising Comics #1. He then scripted a seven-pager that was illustrated by Ron Stewart and appeared in Monty's World #1. The fate of a third Depthon script is unknown to Skeates. A number of smaller comics companies proceeded to contact Skeates, including Canada-based Red Lion, whose editor-publisher, Jonathan A. Gilbert, wanted to revive an unsold talking-animal property called Stateside Mouse, which Skeates and artist Joe Orsak had developed twenty years earlier as a World War II-era adventure series (It remains unpublished, but Skeates and Orsak still have hopes for it). At the same time, Skeates self-published a 22-page magazine-sized comic called “Could I Have My Reality Check Please?” which was created in the style of the Underground comix of the sixties and seventies and sold at conventions. At the San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2012, Skeates received the Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. He began writing for The Charlton Arrow anthology series in 2014. In 2018, two unpublished stories originally written by Skeates and penciled by George Wildman in 1978-1979 for the Underdog comic series by Warren Publishing were completed and published in Underdog 1975 #1 by American Mythology. Canadian comics creator Jonathan A. Gilbert has written of Skeates, "The reason Steve is such an influence on me creatively is because of his unique writing style. He is not what I would call a 'pretty writer' but rather takes a subject and puts a unique twist on it that no one else had even considered. He can make the old look new again which is a rare talent in our business." Awards 1972 Shazam Award: Best Humor Story, "The Poster Plague" in House of Mystery #201 (with Sergio Aragonés) 1973 Warren Award: for Best All Around Writer 1973 Shazam Award: for Best Writer (Humor Division) 1973 Shazam Award: Best Humor Story, "The Gourmet" in Plop! #1 2012 Bill Finger Award Bibliography AC Comics The Charlton Arrow vol. 2 #2 (2017) American Mythology Underdog 1975 #1 (2018) Archie Comics Red Circle Sorcery #6–7 (1974) Atlas/Seaboard Comics Western Action #1 (1975) Wulf the Barbarian #3 (1975) Charlton Comics Abbott & Costello #1–11 (1968–1969) Blue Beetle #4 (Question backup story) (1967) Charlton Premiere vol. 2 #1, 4