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Post by rberman on Jan 27, 2019 16:07:00 GMT -5
This weekend I happened across this 2012 book by Dean Mullaney of Eclipse Comics. I put it next to a comic here so you can see its impressive size:  It's 350+ pages on sturdy paper. The middle volume of three, it covers Toth's career from the 1960s onward. It includes the entirety of the 16 page Hot Wheels story that he wrote and drew; his love of vintage 1930s cars and airplanes comes through:  Also work from his lengthy association with Hannah-Barbera animation, as in this 1970s Super-Friends storyboard. Fun fact: Space Ghost had a cowl, and his teen sidekicks had domino masks, as an edict from H-B executives who wanted the trio to be reminiscent of Batman and Robin.  Here's an excerpt from a comic book which explains the painstaking work of TV animation in gory detail:  Toth did a lot of exclusive work for armed forces publications, like this from a two-page spread educating young servicemen that "no" really does mean "no," and rape was punishable by execution under the USJMC:  Here's a doodle with Toth and two of his characters that never got a whole lot of publication traction: Bravo the Errol Flynesque pilot, and The Fox:  Fun fact #2: Toth preferred black and white work because he was red/green colorblind! Late in life, with his kids grown, his animation pension activated, and his fourth wife (!) working, he found reasons to turn down lots of work, but he still drew constantly, filling notebooks with doodles that he would include in letters sent to his many admiring correspondents.  It's a compelling look at the life of one of illustration's legendary curmudgeons; makes me want to get the other two volumes. |
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Post by beccabear67 on Jan 27, 2019 17:11:39 GMT -5
I knew about this project but couldn't justify the price when I did look into buying in... I remember that one page with Bravo and The Fox from the 1978 Sandy Eggo Con book! But who is this "Ross"?  |
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Post by rberman on Jan 27, 2019 17:21:08 GMT -5
I knew about this project but couldn't justify the price when I did look into buying in... I remember that one page with Bravo and The Fox from the 1978 Sandy Eggo Con book! But who is this "Ross"? That would be example #1050 of my fingers going on auto pilot. This is why most of my posts end with "Last edited by RBerman on...." |
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Post by codystarbuck on Jan 27, 2019 23:51:15 GMT -5
I have the whole set and it is tremendous reading. Previously, I had Toth: By Design, which was filled with his H-B model sheets, which included what Space Ghost looked like under the mask. Toth created so many fantastic looking characters for the H-B adventure shows and they have more life in his model sheets than they often did in the shows. The third volume, Genius Animated...  ...is worth it, alone, as it has those model sheets, plus presentation boards for pitches to the networks (including a Farrah Fawcett animated series), including this one, of a much different Legion of Doom...  There are also storyboards and tons of model sheets, plus examples from other animation houses, like a couple of pieces from Cambria's Space Angel, the Bionic Six (8s syndicated animated series, from Japanese company TMS), and his contributions to Thundarr (which was mostly duplicating work by Kirby and creating some ancillary characters). The first volume, Genius Isolated...  ...shows his background, his artistic influences, the effect cinema had on his work and his growth into, arguably, the top illustrator of the post-war/Atomic Age era. There are reprints of stories from several companies and his strip, Jon Fury, done for the Army. There is also biographical detail, in all volumes, plus family photos, which greatly illustrate why Toth was the guy alleged to have held a DC editor (Kanigher is one I read cited, though Schwartz was also suggested) out a window to retrieve a paycheck owed, in a comic legend that has been mostly debunked (though sounds great). |
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Post by berkley on Jan 28, 2019 0:55:38 GMT -5
Love Toth's style but I remain slightly puzzled whenever I try to decide what to look for in terms of back-issues or collections some order to enjoy his work. I forget the title, but IIRC one art book made the, to me, inexplicable decision to print the beautiful black and white Toth artwork on a purple background instead of plain white, which to my eyes detracted from the play of light and shadow that is so much a part of his style. I might try the Bravo for Adventure collection, though I'd like to have a look at it first, if possible.
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Post by codystarbuck on Jan 28, 2019 1:01:30 GMT -5
His Zorro stuff is as good as any place, to start. That is pure storytelling, at its finest.
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Post by Cei-U! on Jan 28, 2019 1:09:52 GMT -5
I have the Genius, Animated volume (a gift from our old pal Dr. Cyclops), as well as the 2-volume Eclipse collection of Toth's Zorro. They are mong the treasures of my collection.
Cei-U!
Great stuff!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2019 8:57:00 GMT -5
I'm thinking about it too and I have a friend that will get me the three set volumes and he handling it himself -- because he can get me a discount on it. I hope to have it in a month.
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Post by berkley on Jan 29, 2019 1:54:43 GMT -5
I've always felt a bit leery of Toth's Zorro, not sure why - perhaps a vague feeling that his style didn't suit the character or time period. All the same, I'll want to read it eventually, but I'm more attracted to the Bravo stuff, something about that character and its 30s(?) milieu feels more in tune with Toth's artwork to me.
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Post by codystarbuck on Jan 29, 2019 14:04:55 GMT -5
I've always felt a bit leery of Toth's Zorro, not sure why - perhaps a vague feeling that his style didn't suit the character or time period. All the same, I'll want to read it eventually, but I'm more attracted to the Bravo stuff, something about that character and its 30s(?) milieu feels more in tune with Toth's artwork to me. I'm a massive Zorro fan and Toth nailed it. It is based on the Disney series, so the likeness is Guy Williams; but, aside from that, he captures old California, the swashbuckling style of the various Zorro films and the tv series and makes it fun, like it should be. Toth loved swashbuckling films, especially those of Fairbanks and Flynn. he did swashbuckling better than anyone. Check out his model sheets and storyboards for The Three Musketeers, for Hanna-Barbera (both for the Banana Splits Show and for the later full length classic tale).  and an example from Zorro...  |
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Post by MDG on Jan 29, 2019 15:10:20 GMT -5
Some of the later Zorro work looks a little rushed, but the composition/storytelling is there.
I'd love to see a collection of some of the oddball movie/TV adaptations he did for Dell, but getting the rights would probably be a nightmare.
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Post by beccabear67 on Jan 29, 2019 15:56:34 GMT -5
There is a nice '80s Green Lantern (#171) with a stand alone story he did that should be very easy to find and affordable... pencilink.blogspot.com/2009/01/green-lantern-171-alex-toth-art.htmlI have it and one just a little before that is all Gil Kane. There were also very nice pieces in Adventure Comics #425 and 431 just after Supergirl ended in the title, and #418-419 had a two part Black Canary story, a Question story in b&w in Charlton Bullseye Magazine #5 (not the later color comic), and DC reprinted a lot of his Johnny Thunder western work in the early '70s as well in it's own title! I'm also remembering his contributions in some obscure earlyish indy publications like 'Voyages' and 'Dragon Teeth' which I'm sure I still have around someplace.  |
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Post by MDG on Jan 29, 2019 16:33:39 GMT -5
Well, as I've (redundantly) mentioned, my favorite late-period Toth are the Fox stories he did for Red Circle. |
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Post by beccabear67 on Jan 29, 2019 16:45:26 GMT -5
I had Black Hood #1 at that time, but I often had trouble finding those comics.  Mindblowing page from The Fox... Keith Giffen eat your heart out...  |
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Post by berkley on Jan 29, 2019 17:19:34 GMT -5
Has DC ever collected all of Toth's Black Canary stories anywhere, or are there not enough of them to make up a book? Or have they ever done any Toth collections of any kind?
I'm almost tempted to get that Creepy Presents Alex Toth book, even though I believe I should already have all the individual issues of Creepy that featured his work.
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