Alex Toth---A Master among men.

[Wrightson fan]

I have decided to start a thread where we can share our favorite Toth stories/covers, ect. I was sitting up tonight, dealing with what my doctor thinks may be pneumonia, and thought about how truly great his work is. He was an artist who could express more with less, better than any other comic artist I have been exposed to. I want to start with my favorite Toth book and hope we can discuss it in depth.

 

Who is Next #5 Standard Publishing Jan, 1953

 

Here is the cover...and this is in my top 25 favorites.

 

 

Story to follow.

 

Scott

 

 

[Wrightson fan]

[Wrightson fan]

[Wrightson fan]

[Wrightson fan]

[Wrightson fan]

[Wrightson fan]

[Wrightson fan]

[Wrightson fan]

[*paull*]

Thanks for posting this story! I love Toth... This story is a bit different than his later work, but has the same charm. I think Toth is in the top ten of all-time greats.... he's super underrated.

[Aman619]

his stuff is so beautiful and well designed. Lichtenstien should have copied HIS panels!

[Sal]

Thanks for posting, Scott! I love Toth's clean style

[rjpb]

Thanks for posting, Scott! I love Toth's clean style

 

Wise choice to post the Eclipse reprint pages, the contemporary coloring really gives credit to the timeless feel of Toth's style. While the story obviously takes place in the 50s, it looks like it could have been drawn very recently.

 

I would say Toth used to be underrated, but considering about a dozen books have come out in the last few years showcasing his work, I don't know if that's true anymore.

[KingOfRulers]

I thought the same thing rjpb. The coloring makes it look like a current independent book. I've never really looked at Toth's style before. I appreciate the story being posted. I just skimmed through it, and I like his style. It is certainly different than most GA artists. The story is also quite political. Interesting stuff.

[capt_comics]

I have decided to start a thread where we can share our favorite Toth stories/covers, ect. I was sitting up tonight, dealing with what my doctor thinks may be pneumonia, and thought about how truly great his work is. He was an artist who could express more with less, better than any other comic artist I have been exposed to. I want to start with my favorite Toth book and hope we can discuss it in depth.

 

Who is Next #5 Standard Publishing Jan, 1953

 

Here is the cover...and this is in my top 25 favorites.

 

 

Story to follow.

 

Scott

 

 

Great book and very tough to find.

 

I had a copy a few years ago and sold it to one of John Hitchcock's friends

(author of the recent Toth book)

John told me it had taken him a long time to find this book

 

Very strange title - a one shot - I believe.

 

 

[Wrightson fan]

I have decided to start a thread where we can share our favorite Toth stories/covers, ect. I was sitting up tonight, dealing with what my doctor thinks may be pneumonia, and thought about how truly great his work is. He was an artist who could express more with less, better than any other comic artist I have been exposed to. I want to start with my favorite Toth book and hope we can discuss it in depth.

 

Who is Next #5 Standard Publishing Jan, 1953

 

Here is the cover...and this is in my top 25 favorites.

 

 

Story to follow.

 

Scott

 

 

Great book and very tough to find.

 

I had a copy a few years ago and sold it to one of John Hitchcock's friends

(author of the recent Toth book)

John told me it had taken him a long time to find this book

 

Very strange title - a one shot - I believe.

 

 

Extremely tough to find. I paid about 6 times guide for this VG copy if that tells you anything. I knew John Hitchcock quite well when I lived in Greensboro, NC and was turned onto Toth's work through John. The book that John recently had published is very well done and a treasure trove of information. He still runs a comic store called Parts Unknown in Greensboro. You can go to his website if you are a Toth fan and are interested in a copy.

The story was reprinted in the Eclipse Seduction of the Innocent series back in the 80's and the coloring job was very well done in my opinion.

Thanks for all of the positive comments. I hope to dissect the story more in depth in the days to come.

 

Scott

[BangZoom]

I published what I think was the first comprehensive checklist ever compiled on Alex Toth.

 

It was serialized in issues 1-3 of a fanzine I published in 1972-73.

 

I gave Toth a copy of the checklist when I met him at a NY convention in the summer of 1972.

 

He later wrote me a long letter noting omissions, etc.

 

Here's an excerpt:

 

Before my “Heroic” days, I did a page (penciled only, I believe) for an editor named ‘Kapitan,’ at “Funnies, Inc.” or Lloyd Jacquet Studios – it was teen humor, or some such, just one page.

 

Skipping to pre ’54 days, while I was at Lev Gleason’s, I did a few romance jobs for them (was that the ‘Atlas’ title I see on your lists?) (I can’t remember “Atlas,” at all.) Anyhoo, I inked ‘em, too – they were clean, simple jobs, and some of the best I ever did- then: I was drafted and I never quite found again the crisp, open style I’d used on those romance stories.

 

In ’56, after the army service, I did one or two western jobs for Stan Lee - that’s all. My own inks. Then I joined Western/Whitman in L.A., to do “Dell” books - and while there…I illustrated “Lone Ranger” and other coloring books for ‘em, and a Golden Book of “Maverick,” two-color illos thru out. Plus, a slew of ad booklets for Union ’76 Gas. Co. (sports) profiles of top athletes, like Y.A. Tittle, etc… and things for American Dairy Council, and some “You Are There” and “20th Century” booklets (based on those CBS-TV series) …but not sure of who the client was?? Might’ve been one of those insurance companies…?

 

Recently painted two covers for Charlton’s “Real West” pulp mag. Doing another for a forthcoming “Film Journal” mag.

 

I “ghosted” a few Dan Barry comic book jobs for Ziff-Davis comic titles (mystery/sci-fi types) back in the early ‘50s –one story had to do with a “Fisherman of Space” or some such rot. Fish nets from above- etc…

 

May’ve done a romance or two, also.

 

I “ghosted” a movie ad for “Les Miserables” for Barry (in the 50’s) (pencils only) appeared in Sunday comic sections. Done in strip technique. Barry inked it, himself, changed it as he did so, too… not much tho.

 

I also helped “ghost” (along with a gang of artists) one of Barry’s “Vigilante’s… it was an overnight thing, literally- everyone in New York helped crank it out. Coffee and sandwiches all night/morning long---we did it- in time for 10AM delivery to DC’s editor. 8 or 10 pages, dunno. We penciled, inked, etc, etc… Belfi, Sy Barry, Roussos, Giacoia, Infantino, etc, etc..

 

I “ghosted” about a month of “Roy Rogers” dailies in ’60, or ’61- can’t remember for sure. Taking off Mike Arens’ style. Not easy.

 

I don’t see listing of my “Range Rider” westerns, (for ‘Dell) circa 1956/57 or my “Rex Allen” books, same years.

 

I did “Sugarfoot” a few copies…

 

 

 

 

[AtlasFan]

Toth is on my short list of top 1950s artist. Although best noted for his DC westerns (in particular JOHNNY THUNDER) and a sprinking of sci-fi in STRANGE ADVENTURES, his best work is in his Standard Comics titles. JET FIGHTERS is my personal favorite of the Standards.

 

If you get the chance, pick up the b&w "STANDARD COMICS" reprint book published by Pure Imagination. This book reprints some classic Toth war and romance stories.

Bill

[adamstrange]

This is one of my favorite Toth stories. Here are some comments about this page from the Silver Age: The Second Generation of Comic Artists by Daniel Herman. I definitely recommend his book which reprints the page in black & white. For Toth's art from this time period I prefer sans color.

 

With a minimum of detail in a three panel sequence, he establishes the tone of what is to come. The fourth panel, showing the emotionally confused girl, only shows the tops of the hands of the character who will drive the story. The cropping of the hands is cinematic and adds an unexpected tension to the composition. Most artists would have shown the other character in the frame; Toth knew that all the reader had to see was the girl's expression juxtaposed against the hands to make his point. When the obviously unbalanced would-be boyfriend goes into an uncontrollable rage in the sixth panel, all we see again is his hand on the shoulder of his victim. Again, this is a framing technique used in cinematography and was not used in the comic books until Toth advocated the use of such thoughtful composition. The finishing panel is naturally composed, the antithesis of a superhero slugfest, and feels like it is really happening; the body movements are natural and fluid.

 

[Wrightson fan]

 

 

To follow Adam....in panels 2-5, you have a sequence of intense conflict, yet only see one character in side profile and the other in two small shots. This 4 panel sequence is extremely powerful and sets the tone for Johnny's further slide which drives his obsession. The wordplay is written in a way that a father might speak to someone who was courting his daughter and was worried about her well being. The father is a character who is fair, but will not tolerate disrespect. He was willing to give Johnny another chance even when his daughter wasn't willing to.

 

Scott