{"id":32975,"date":"2025-05-27T15:04:57","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T15:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=32975"},"modified":"2025-05-27T15:04:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T15:04:57","slug":"setting-the-standard-comics-by-alex-toth-1952-1954-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/05\/27\/setting-the-standard-comics-by-alex-toth-1952-1954-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting the Standard: Comics by Alex Toth 1952-1954"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy Alex Toth<\/strong>, Mike Peppe<\/strong> & various, edited by Greg Sadowski<\/strong> (Fantagraphics Books)
\nISBN: 978-1-60699-408-5 (TPB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Alex Toth was a master of graphic communication who shaped two different art-forms and is largely unknown in both of them. He died on this day in 2006.<\/p>\n

Born in New York in 1928, the son of Hungarian immigrants with a dynamic interest in the arts, Toth was something of a prodigy. After enrolling in the High School of Industrial Arts he doggedly went about improving his skills as a cartoonist. His earliest dreams were of a strip like Milton Caniff\u2019s Terry and the Pirates<\/strong>, but his uncompromising devotion to the highest standards soon soured him on newspaper strip work when he discovered how hidebound and innovation-resistant the family-values based industry had become whilst he was growing up.<\/p>\n

Aged 15 he sold his first funnybook works to Heroic Comics<\/strong> and, after graduating in 1947, worked for All American\/National Periodical Publications who would amalgamate and evolve into DC Comics. He pursued his craft on Dr. Mid-Nite<\/strong>, All Star Comics<\/strong>, The Atom<\/strong>, Green Lantern<\/strong>, Johnny Thunder<\/strong>, Sierra Smith<\/strong>, Johnny Peril<\/strong>, Danger Trail<\/strong> and a host of other features and on the way dabbled with newspaper strips (see Casey Ruggles: the Hard Times of Pancho and Pecos<\/a><\/strong>)\u2026 and found that nothing had changed…<\/p>\n

Ceaselessly seeking to improve his own work, he never had time for fools or formula-hungry editors who wouldn\u2019t take artistic risks. In 1952 Toth quit DC to work for Thrilling Pulps publisher Ned Pines who was retooling his prolific Better\/Nedor\/Pines nested comics companies (Thrilling Comics<\/strong>, Fighting Yank<\/strong>, Doc Strange<\/strong>, Black Terror<\/strong> and dozens more) into Standard Comics: a comics house targeting older readers looking for sophisticated, genre-based titles.<\/p>\n

Beside fellow graphic masters Nick Cardy, Mike Sekowsky, Art Saaf, John Celardo, George Tuska, Ross Andru & Mike Esposito and particularly favourite inker Mike Peppe, Toth set the bar high for a new kind of story-telling: wry, restrained and thoroughly mature. This quiet revolution took place in a wave of short-lived titles dedicated to War, Crime, Horror, Science Fiction and especially Romance…<\/p>\n

After Simon &Kirby invented love comics, Standard – through artists like Cardy and Toth and writers like the amazing and unsung Kim Aamodt – polished and honed the ubiquitous fare of the nascent comics category, delivering clever, witty, evocative and yet tasteful melodramas: heart-tuggers both men and women could enjoy.<\/p>\n

Before going into the military, where he still found time to create a strip (Jon Fury<\/strong> for the US army\u2019s Tokyo Quartermaster newspaper The Depot\u2019s Diary<\/strong>), Toth illustrated 60 glorious tales for Standard; as well as a few rare pieces for EC and others. On his return – to a very different industry on the defensive against public antagonism, and one he didn\u2019t much like – Toth split his time between Western\/Dell\/Gold Key (Zorro<\/strong> and many movie\/TV adaptations) and National\/DC (assorted short pieces, Hot Wheels<\/strong> and Eclipso<\/strong>): illustrating scripts he increasingly found uninspired, moribund and creatively cowardly. Soon, after drawing X-Men<\/strong> #12 (cover-dated May 1965) over Jack Kirby\u2019s layouts, Toth moved primarily into TV animation. At Hanna-Barbera from 1964 on he designed and storyboarded for shows such as Jonny Quest<\/strong>, Space Ghost<\/strong>, Herculoids<\/strong>, Birdman<\/strong>, Shazzan!<\/strong>, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?<\/strong>, Sealab 2020<\/strong>, Fantastic Four<\/strong> and Super Friends<\/strong> amongst many others.<\/p>\n

He returned sporadically to comics, setting the style and tone for DC\u2019s late 1960\u2019s horror line in House of Mystery<\/strong>, House of Secrets<\/strong> and especially The Witching Hour<\/strong>, as well as illustrating more adult fare for Warren\u2019s Creepy<\/strong>, Eerie<\/strong> and The Rook<\/strong>. In the early 1980s Toth redesigned The Fox<\/strong> for Red Circle\/Archie, produced stunning one-offs for Archie Goodwin\u2019s Batman<\/strong> and war comics (whenever they offered him a \u201cgood script\u201d) and contributed to landmark or anniversary projects like Batman: Black and White<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

His later, personal works included Torpedo<\/strong> (look for a fully updated review of the series here soon!) and the magnificently audacious Bravo for Adventure!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alex Toth died of a heart attack at his drawing board on May 27th<\/sup> 2006.<\/p>\n

After reprinting an extensive informative and almost exhaustive interview with the artist from Graphic Story Magazine<\/strong> – conducted by Vincent Davis, Richard Kyle and Bill Spicer in 1968 – this fabulous full colour chronicle then reprints every scrap of Toth\u2019s superb Standard fare beginning with impressive melodrama in \u2018My Stolen Kisses\u2019<\/em> from\u00a0Best Romance<\/strong> #5 (February 1952), after which light-hearted combat star Joe Yank <\/strong>nearly lost everything to \u2018Black Market Mary\u2019<\/em> in the debut issue of his own title (#5 March 1952).
\n\"\"
\nPerhaps a word of explanation is warranted here: due to truly Byzantine commercial and promotional considerations, all Standard Comics premiered with issue #5, although the incredibly successful Romance comics were carried over from their earlier Better Comics incarnations such as New Romances<\/strong> #10 (March 1952) for which Toth illustrated the touching \u2018Be Mine Alone\u2019<\/em> and the parable of empty jealousy \u2018My Empty Promise\u2019<\/em> from #11.<\/p>\n

The hilarious \u2018Bacon and Bullets\u2019<\/em> offered a different kind of love in Joe Yank<\/strong> #6 (May) – a very pretty pig named Clementine<\/em> – after which witty 3-pager \u2018Appointment with Love\u2019<\/em> (Today\u2019s Romance<\/strong> #6 May) provides a charming palate cleanser before the hard-bitten \u2018Terror of the Tank Men\u2019<\/em> from Battlefront<\/strong> #5 (June 1952) offers a more traditional view of the then-raging Korean War.<\/p>\n

\u2018Shattered Dream!\u2019<\/em> (My Real Love<\/strong> #5 June) is an ordinary romance well told whilst \u2018The Blood Money of Galloping Chad Burgess\u2019<\/em> (The Unseen<\/strong> #5 June 1952) reveals the sheer quality and maturity of Standard\u2019s horror stories, with \u2018The Shoremouth Horror\u2019<\/em> (Out of the Shadows <\/strong>#5) from that same month proving Toth to be an absolute master of terror and genius at the pacing and staging needed to scare the pants off you in pictorial form…
\n\"\"
\n\u2018Show Them How to Die\u2019<\/em> (This is War<\/strong> #5 July) is a superbly gung-ho combat classic whilst the eerie \u2018Murder Mansion\u2019<\/em> and \u2018The Phantom Hounds of Castle Eyne\u2019<\/em> – both from the August cover-dated Adventures into Darkness<\/strong> #5 – again demonstrate the artist\u2019s uncanny flair for building suspense. The single pager \u2018Peg Powler\u2019<\/em> (The Unseen<\/strong> #6 September) is reprinted beside the original artwork – which makes me wish the entire collection was available in black & white – after which the highly experimental \u2018Five State Police Alarm\u2019<\/em> (Crime Files<\/strong> #5) displays the artist\u2019s amazing facility with duo-tone and craft-tint techniques before salutary saga \u2018I Married in Haste\u2019<\/em> (Intimate Love<\/strong> #19, September) offers a remarkably modern view of relationships.<\/p>\n

Science Fiction was the metier of Fantastic Worlds<\/strong> #5 which provided both contemporary \u2018Triumph over Terror\u2019<\/em> and futuristic fable \u2018The Invaders\u2019<\/em> to finish off Toth\u2019s September commissions after which \u2018Routine Patrol\u2019<\/em> and \u2018Too Many Cooks\u2019<\/em> offer two-fisted thrills from This is War<\/strong> #6 (October). \u2018The Phantom Ship\u2019<\/em> is a much reprinted classic chiller from Out of the Shadows<\/strong> #6, with October also releasing the extremely unsettling \u2018Alice in Terrorland\u2019<\/em> from Lost Worlds<\/strong> #5.<\/p>\n

Toth only produced four covers for Standard, and the first two, Joe Yank<\/strong> #8 and Fantastic Worlds<\/strong> #6, precede \u2018The Boy Who Saved the World\u2019<\/em> from the latter (November 1952) after which service rivalry informed \u2018The Egg-Beater\u2019<\/em> from Jet Fighters<\/strong> #5. The cover of Lost Worlds<\/strong> #6 (December) perfectly introduces the featured \u2018Outlaws of Space\u2019<\/em>, after which the single-page \u2018Smart Talk\u2019<\/em> (New Romance<\/strong> #14) perfectly closes the first year and sets up 1953 to open strongly with \u2018Blinded by Love\u2019<\/em> from Popular<\/strong>\u00a0Romance<\/strong> #22 January) in which the classic love triangle has never looked better…
\n\"\"
\nThis was clearly Toth\u2019s ideal year as \u2018The Crushed Gardenia\u2019<\/em> from\u00a0Who is Next?<\/strong> #5 shows his incredible skills to their utmost in one of the best crime stories of all time. \u2018Undecided Heart\u2019<\/em> (Intimate Love<\/strong> #21 February) is a delightful comedy of errors whilst both \u2018The House That Jackdaw Built\u2019<\/em> and \u2018The Twisted Hands\u2019<\/em> from Adventures into Darkness<\/strong> #8 perfectly reveal the artist\u2019s uncanny facility for building tension and anxiety. The cover to Joe Yank<\/strong> #10 is followed by splendid aviation yarn \u2018Seeley\u2019s Saucer\u2019<\/em> from March\u2019s Jet Fighters<\/strong> #7, whilst the clever and racy \u2018Free My Heart\u2019<\/em> (Popular Romance<\/strong> #23, April) adds new depth to the term \u201csophisticated\u201d and \u2018The Hands of Don Jos\u00e9\u2019 <\/em>(Adventures into Darkness<\/strong> #9) is just plain nasty in the manner horror fans adore. \u2018No Retreat\u2019<\/em> (This is War<\/strong> #9 May) offers more patriotic combat, but \u2018I Want Him Back\u2019<\/em> (Intimate Love<\/strong> #22) depicts a far softer, more personal duel whilst \u2018Geronimo Joe\u2019<\/em> (Exciting War<\/strong> #8 May) proves that in combat there\u2019s no room for rivalry…<\/p>\n

Toth was rapidly reaching the acme of his design genius as \u2018Man of My Heart\u2019<\/em> (New<\/strong> Romances<\/strong> #16 June), \u2018I Fooled My Heart\u2019<\/em> (Popular<\/strong> Romance<\/strong> #24 July – and reprinted in full as original art in the notes section) and both \u2018Stars in my Eyes\u2019<\/em> and \u2018Uncertain Heart\u2019<\/em> from New Romances<\/strong> #17 (August) saw him develop a visual vocabulary to cleanly impart plot and characterisation simultaneously. He often stated he preferred these mature, well-written romance stories for the room they gave him to experiment and expand his craft, and these later efforts prove him right: especially in the moving \u2018Heart Divided\u2019<\/em> (Thrilling Romances<\/strong> #22) and compelling \u2018I Need You\u2019<\/em> (September\u2019s Popular Romances<\/strong> #25).
\n\"\"
\n\u2018The Corpse That Lived\u2019<\/em> (Out of the Shadows<\/strong> #10) is a historically based tale of grave-robbing, whilst deeply moving \u2018Chance for Happiness\u2019<\/em> (Thrilling Romances<\/strong> #23 October) is as powerful today as it ever was. \u2018My Dream is You!\u2019<\/em> (New Romances<\/strong> #18) turned fresh eyes on the old dilemma of career vs husband and far darker love is depicted in \u2018Grip on Life\u2019<\/em> (The Unseen<\/strong> #12 November), before true love actually triumphs in \u2018Guilty Heart\u2019<\/em> (Popular Romance<\/strong> #26). Another \u2018Smart Talk\u2019<\/em> advice page ends 1953 (New Romances<\/strong> #19) and neatly precedes an edgy affair in \u2018Ring on Her Finger\u2019<\/em> (Thrilling Romances<\/strong> #24 January 1954), after which \u2018Frankly Speaking\u2019<\/em> from the same issue leads to terrifying period horror in \u2018The Mask of Graffenwehr\u2019<\/em> (Out of the Shadows<\/strong> #11).<\/p>\n

February saw a fine crop of Toth tales, beginning with charming medical drama \u2018Heartbreak Moon\u2019<\/em> (Popular Romance<\/strong> #27), spooky mining mystery \u2018The Hole of Hell\u2019<\/em> (The Unseen<\/strong> #13), 1-page amorous advisory \u2018Long on Love\u2019<\/em> (Popular Romance<\/strong> #27), lesson in obsession \u2018Lonesome for Kisses\u2019<\/em> and two more advice pages – \u2018If You\u2019re New in Town\u2019<\/em> and \u2018Those Drug Store Romeos\u2019<\/em> – from Intimate Love<\/strong> #26. These last stories were eked out in the months after Toth had left, having been drafted and posted to Japan. However, even though he had (presumably) rushed them out whilst preparing for the biggest change in his young life, there was no loss but a further jump in artistic quality.
\n\"\"
\nOne final relationship \u2018Smart Talk\u2019<\/em> page (New Romances<\/strong> #20 March 1954) precedes a brace of classic mystery masterpieces from Out of the Shadows<\/strong> #12: \u2018The Man Who Was Always on Time\u2019 <\/em>(also reproduced in original art form in the copious \u2018Notes\u2019<\/em> section at the back of this monumental book) before the graphic wonderment regrettably concludes with the cynically spooky \u2018Images of Sand\u2019<\/em> – a sinister cautionary tale of tomb-robbing…<\/p>\n

After all that, the last 28 pages of this compendium comprise a thorough and informative section of story annotations, illustrations and a wealth of original art reproductions to top off this sublime collection in ideal style.<\/p>\n

Alex Toth was a tale-teller and a master of erudite refinement, his avowed mission to pare away every unnecessary line and element in life and in work. His dream was to make perfect graphic stories. He was eternally searching for how to best tell a story, to the exclusion of all else. This long-ignored but still utterly compelling collection shows how talent, imagination and dedication to that ideal can elevate even the most genre-bound vignette into a paragon of form and a mere comic into high art. Get this book, absorb it all and learn through wonder and delight.
\nAll stories in this book are in the public domain but the specific restored images and design are \u00a9 2011 Fantagraphics Books. Notes are \u00a9 2011 Greg Sadowski and the Graphic Story Magazine<\/strong> interview is \u00a9 2011 Bill Spicer. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alex Toth, Mike Peppe & various, edited by Greg Sadowski (Fantagraphics Books) ISBN: 978-1-60699-408-5 (TPB\/Digital edition) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. Alex Toth was a master of graphic communication who shaped two different art-forms and is largely unknown in both of them. He died on this day in 2006. … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Setting the Standard: Comics by Alex Toth 1952-1954”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[191,365,324,119,75,290,239,125,225,148,107,93,99],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-alex-toth","category-aviator-strips","category-comicsacademic","category-crime-comics","category-dinosaurs","category-drama","category-humour","category-mystery","category-romance","category-science-fiction","category-war-stories","category-westerns"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8zR","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32975"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32984,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32975\/revisions\/32984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}