11/13/2007
We're back & no more tothfans.dynu.com ...
11/13/2007
It's been a hard summer and fall for tothfans.com!
First, I had a bunch of issues with my internet hosting bandwidth going off-line multiple times, and then the company that hosts the domain name (tothfans.com and tothfans.dynu.com) also went permanently dark and unreachable.
I really thought I was going to lose tothfans.com domain name forever. So after a struggle of 6 days, and many phone calls and emails, tothfans.com is back online! Thanks godaddy.com and Tucows, Inc! *WHEW*
So please update any bookmarks on your site to make sure it lists www.tothfans.com. (tothfans.dynu.com is gone forever)
Thanks for the understanding everyone. --jeff
Darwyn Cooke's "The Alex" tribute comic posted.
9/4/2007
Darwyn Cooke has sent us his comic "The Alex" which he created to honor Alex Toth. If you missed this on free comic book day, it now has a home there on tothfans.
Thanks Darwyn!
Thanks also go to John Hitchcock for engaging Darwyn to share it with the site, and to Chris Ferguson for technical support and scanning the last few pages which got garbled in the email.
Photos from the Toth Panel @ SDCC
8/21/2007
Ruben Procopio sent along some photos of the Toth panel from this year's San Diego Comic con for those who missed it.
The line-up on the panel was; Alex Gray, Jon Mefford, Mark Chiarello, Ruben Procopio, Damon Toth, Eric Toth, David Armstrong & John Hitchcock.
And if you have not yet seen the "Simplicity: The Life and Art of Alex Toth" documentary yet, do yourself a favor and go buy your copy of the Space Ghost DVD. The documentary alone makes it worth the price!
Benton Jew - collect Roy Rogers comic strip by Toth?
8/6/2007
Hey All. Benton Jew brought up a fantastic idea and challenge to all us Toth collectors - to collect Toth run ghosting Mike Ahrens on the "Roy Rogers" strip.
Benton wrote,
"A few years ago I bought an original Roy Rogers daily that Alex had ghosted for a few weeks. It would be nice to see the series of Toth-drawn ones all together online. I'd like to put out a challenge to the Tothfans to see if we can collect them all together on the site. Perhaps a folder can be put up on the "gallery" page and members can gradually add to it as the missing pieces are found. Alex apparently ghosted "Roy Roger" for Mike Ahrens between 12-19-1960 to 1-12-1961."
We already have Benton's page, plus an old scan I got from who knows where.
So are we up to the challenge? Is it possible to collect them all?
If you have scans or copies, email them to me at tothfans ~at~ yahoo.com.
Alex Toth Roy Rogers Comic Strip
Simplicity: The Life and Art of Alex Toth Documentary at Comic-con
7/9/2007
Just Announced! At this year's San Diego Comic-Con International on Saturday, July 28 @ 3:30-4:30pm see "Simplicity: The Life and Art of Alex Toth".
"Featured for the first time will be the exclusive screening of the documentary Simplicity: The Life and Art of Alex Toth. The documentary will show what made Alex such a unique and beloved artist. Following the screening will be a brief panel discussion featuring the appearance of Mark Chiarello, Ruben Procopio, Toth’s children as well as documentary producers Alex Gray and Jon Mefford. Room 3"
UPDATE!
Eric Toth has let us know that in addition to Mark Chiarello, Rubén Procopio and Jon Mefford, he and his Brother Damon will be there representing the Toth Family.
Eric also mentioned, "I have seen a rough cut (of the documentary) and it will be very good".
Last year's panel was super fantastic, so don't miss out on this event!
Crystal & Taurus from Space Angel Cartoon
In Remembrance: Alex Toth
5/27/2007
Dear John: The Alex Toth Doodlebook up for Eisner award
4/22/2007
As posted by Jeff Parker in the Forums, the "Dear John: The Alex Toth Doodlebook" has been nominated for and Eisner award for Best Comics-Related Book.
Post your support for the book and John Hitchcock, Billy Ingram, James Counts and publisher Jeff Parker in the forums.
Good luck guys! This book is a gem and deserves the recognition (and the award too :D).
"Rough Stuff" on Toth
10/9/2006
Jesse Hamm posts:
"The upcoming second issue of this magazine that showcases comics pencilling has a Toth gallery. Sample here:sample on bobmcleod.com
More details and ordering info here:twomorrows.com
Remembering Alex Toth - Part 3
9/18/2006
The third part of the transcript for the "Remembering Alex Toth" Panel at the 2006 San Diego Comic-con is posted.
Thanks again to all of Alex's friends and family members, David Armstrong, Irwin Hasen, Dana Palmer, Eric Toth, Mike Royer, Paul Power, Rubén Procopio, John Hitchcock and Tom de Rosier for sharing with us all.
Remembering Alex Toth - Part 3
More Toth coming to stores - Alter Ego & America's Greatest Comics
8/6/2006
As posted by Neil Polowin in the forums - "Roy Thomas is devoting an upcoming issue of his Alter Ego magazine to Toth's work, and AC Comics is publishing America's Greatest Comics #16 as a "special all-Alex Toth issue". btw, the latter is listed in the current issue of Previews as item AUG062894 if anyone wants to pre-order."
Remembering Alex Toth - Part 2
9/18/2006
The second part of the three piece transcript of the "Remembering Alex Toth - Part 2" panel from the San Diego Comic-con has been posted.
Photos from Comic-con
7/31/2006
For more Photos for the San Diego Comic Con, You can visit the Parts Unknown website. Don Stroud has posted photos of the John Hitchcock, Jeff Parker and fellow Toth fans visiting the Octopus Press booth at Indy Island. Also included are some photo's of the Toth Panel.
Remembering Alex Toth - Part 1 (of 3)
9/18/2006
The first of a three part transcript of the "Remembering Alex Toth" panel at the San Diego Comic-con is now available.
The panel featured close friends and family, David Armstrong (moderator), Irwin Hasen, Dana Palmer, Eric Toth, Mike Royer, Paul Power, Rubén Procopio, John Hitchcock and Tom de Rosier. It is filled with insight, humor, and touching moments.
We all owe a huge dept of gratitude and thank you to Alex Toth's family and friends who took this time to share their thoughts, memories and love with us fans.
For the transcript; thanks goes to Kirsten Rose who worked with her two finger typing style to meticulosity transcribe the panel. And also to Bobbie Thompson who made a last minute dash to buy the voice recorder.
Watch for part 2.
"The Alex Toth Doodle book" now in stores
7/26/2006
"The Alex Toth Doodle book" by Alex Toth and John Hitchcock, published by Jeff Parker's Octopus Press arrived in stores today, Wednesday, July 26th.
The book is filled with never before seen Toth art, musings, annotations and interview answers.
Sold out? Can't find it? - you can order one from John himself. He'll even sign it for you if you'd like.
The details ordering from him at his "Parts Unknown" comic book shop can be found in the forums here.
So get one before they sell out. This is a book not to be missed.
Toth: The Comics Journal #277
7/25/2006
Now on the shelves, The Comics Journal #277.
In this Issue:
* Alex Toth Dies at 78:
by Jesse Hamm (Yes, the very same long time fellow Tothfan here on the site.)
* Alex Toth:
An appreciation and an assessment by Howard Chaykin
* A Conversation with Alex Toth:
by Gary Groth
Quick Update: Remembering Alex Toth @ Alex Toth @ the San Diego Comic-con.
7/23/2006
For those waiting, a report of the "Remembering Alex Toth" panel will be coming in a few days. We will have photographs of the event as well as a write up.
For those who are here in San Diego, a reminder that you can see a unique display of Toth's original artwork Sunday, July 23rd from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Omni San Diego Hotel (Room 5: fourth floor).
Remembering Alex Toth @ the San Diego Comic-con
7/9/2006
The details of the memorial panel are now available on the San Diego Comic-con website:
"6:00-7:30 Remembering Alex Toth— This unique artist was one of the true innovators in both the comic book and animation worlds. Alex died this May. To celebrate his life and career, his friends and colleagues share memories of his work and life. Join Golden Age legend and Toth mentor Irwin Hasen (Green Lantern, Wildcat), inker and Disney artist Mike Royer (Winnie the Pooh), internationally renowned sculptor and animator Ruben Procopio (The Little Mermaid, The Lion King), Disney animator Tom de Rosier (Mulan, Tarzan), author/publisher of the Toth book Dear John, John Hitchcock, and two of Alex’s four children: son Eric Toth (international automotive designer) and daughter Dana Palmer (photographer). The panel will be moderated by Toth’s long-time friend and AACC president, David Armstrong. There will be a display of original artwork commemorating Toth’s distinctive artistic vision on Sunday at the Omni San Diego Hotel Room 5, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Room 4"
I have started a discussion thread in the forums here.
Alex Toth Biography
7/3/2006
By: Dave Cook
Alex Toth was known for a dynamic minimal style that was the envy of every emerging graphic artist and many seasoned professionals. His style is often described in the jargon of graphic artists as “good” which actually means superlative and exemplary, top-notch, clean, perhaps even perfect – what most artists from the Fifties through the Nineties would associate as the ideal commercial style of The Famous Artists School of illustrators, and that makes sense considering Toth’s consistent admiration for Albert Dorne and Robert Fawcett and Noel Sickles, illustrators whose work in magazines such as LIFE, LOOK and Collier’s defined the ideal for illustration in the post-war and “Baby Boom” years.
Toth (pronounced with a long “o” sound like both), born June 25, 1928, in New York City to Hungarian immigrants...Read the Alex Toth biography
Remembrances of Alex Toth
6/26/2006
Remembrances:
- Alex Toth remembrance by Dave Cook
- Remembrance tribute drawing by Aron Arocho
- Remembrance tribute drawing by Nicolas_Blocteur
- Remembrance tribute drawing by Mário Latino
- Remembrance tribute drawing from Aron Arocho
- Remembrance tribute drawing from Scott James
- Remembrance tribute comic strip from Christine Harper. (Drawn for Comics International #197, June '06)
For those who also wish to create remembrances and have them posted here, please e-mail them to me at my tothfans email address.
Alex Toth: June 25, 1928 - May 27, 2006
5/28/2006
Tothfans Forum
DEAR JOHN-The Alex Toth Doodle Book
5/20/2006
$19.99 for 256 pages of rare Toth art? Yes, coming up in June 2006 you can pre-order John Hitchcock's "DEAR JOHN-The Alex Toth Doodle Book" from Octopus Press at your local comic shop.
Here is a bit from the Diamond catalog description, "A new look inside the mind of one of comics' greatest creators! This collects 20 years worth of doodles, sketches and roughs from Space Ghost creator Alex Toth, never before in print. Also features 'director's commentary' by the artist on some of his classic comics stories, and correspondence full of insights on storytelling."
So go and pre-order your's now under Diamond Preview code - JUN063296. Also spread the word far-and-wide; post the link in news groups, forums and e-mail it to friends.
New in May - Tributes and Space Ghost model sheets
5/13/2006
Tothfans has received some new tributes this month of Toth's own "The Fox" by J. Christopher Greulich and a keen "Zorro" by Dave Cook.
Also not to be missed, Aron Arocho sent us a load of Space Ghost model sheets for the gallery.
Thanks guys! --Jeff
All new Alex Toth Tributes
3/1/2006
We have some new Alex Toth tributes for the site from Federico Zilli, Paul Smith & Franck Biancarelli.
Franck's mentioned that his tribute is "..a song's adaptation : ' L' homme à la tête de chou'".
Paul had this to say about his tribute of Errol Flynn, "Someone in the 'One Man Show' section left an unfinished drawing alone and unprotected ...".
Thanks guys!
Interesting quote
1/28/2006
"You know you've achieved perfection in design, not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing more to take away."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Alex Toth
12/19/2005
Alex Toth has his first ever "One Man Art Show" running Sterling Collage Art Gallery from November 1st 2005-January 31st 2006. The show put on by Dave Cook and his students to help expose new people to Toth's work.
So in order to give it a more permanent "virtual home", Dave has sent scans of the pieces to be displayed here on Tothfans.com.
The Case of the Curious Classic Anotated
12/2/2005
It's the "AnnoToth" we've all been waiting for, The Case of the Curious Classic". Josh B. Malks, editor of the Auburn/Cord/Duesenberg Newsletter, has offered to publish an article with 4 pages of color commemorating Alex's "casting" of the Cord in several stories. Dave Cook sent "The Case of the Curious Classic" to Toth saying, "Hey, we haven't done one of these in 3 years..." so the result, hot from the mailbox is here at Toth's web site. Enjoy... but watch out for those Macadam roads... dangerous curves ahead...
New Gallery Drawings.
11/18/2005
Hey Folks. Courtesy Dave Cook we have some super keen new gallery updates for 'ol Tothfans. Thanks Dave!
Tothfans 4th anniversary
10/10/2005
October celebrates our 4th anniversary of tothfans.com! And what better way to celebrate than a birthday package loaded with images for the Gallery and a new Tribute? And some fresh things for The Page Of the Day! The Toth proves he still has it in the new millennium as artwork from 2000 thru 2005 will attest. Happy 4 Years! And best wishes to our friend and idol Alex Toth!
June Tributes!
7/19/2006
A new batch of has arrived for June. This month we have tributes from Marco Fodera, Scott James and Franck Biancarelli.
Check out their Batman, Space Ghost and Comic pages in the Toth Tributes Gallery. Thanks guys!!
Tribute Updates!
5/28/2005
The tributes keep rolling in. And from what I have heard, Toth appreciates them!
Scott James sends us a pair of "Toth inspired" illustrations including Toth's famous "Fox" character as well as "Torpedo" in color.
Dave Cook's new Zorro tribute is actually from 2001. Dave says, "The 2001 Zorro sketch was playing off Toth's "mimes" and also having a little fun off the whole topic of Alex and "sound effects".
Jesse Hamm has "mimed" a Toth model sheet of complete with "Tothisms".
And last but not least, D.J. Ellis contributes a "Jesse Bravo" illustration.
Thanks everyone for the fantastic tributes!
New Tributes!
5/15/2005
Two more new tributes! This week we have added art from Aaron Arocho and Dave Cook.
Aaron's goal was to, "...to pay a small portion back for what he's meant to his admirers. It took me a while to come up with a sketch that served its purpose in paying tribute to Mr. Alex Toth."
Dave Cook's Tribute is a Zorro collaboration between himself and Toth. The story behind it is, "I sent a sketch idea to Alex, he sent back a very faint pencil and said, "Okay, now you finish it..." so what is attached to this is the semi-final result. (I went into it later with an ink wash)He thoroughly approved -- I got a card back saying, "Well done! Kuddos!" which is no mean feat.""
Thanks guys!
Thanks again to everyone who has contributed so far this is becoming a fantastic feature on Tothfans.com. Keep them coming folks.
First Tribues added!
5/8/2005
Well folks, the first few tributes have been added to the Tribues Gallery. We have a fine pair from Nicolas Blocteur of Jesse Bravo and The Fox! Greg Gates sent along a "..recent example of my always Toth-inspiired work" from "Jane Digby". Thanks guys!
New Tothfans Feature - Tributes!
4/27/2005
Well, this may have been bought up before, but recently fellow Tothfan Roberto Zaghi proposed the following in an e-mail to me; "How do you think about starting a gallery where artists can post their tributes to Alex?"
Roberto mentions that he was inspired by the last holiday cards and though it might make a nice feature for the website.
So why not? So many people have been influenced by Alex why not set up a showcase for those who want to show their appreciation.
Professionals and amateurs alike please e-mail your contributions to Tothfans ^at^ yahoo.com.
And please spread the word to anyone you think might be interested in contributing. I'll post them in the gallery as I receive them.
I look forward to seeing what gets sent!
-- Jeff
Gallery Update
12/11/2004
The Gallery update this time around includes a model sheet from Dino Boy and The Fantastic Four as well as a page from Rip Hunter and some Toth doodle pages. You can find it in the 2004 gallery section.
Tothfans is 3 years old!
10/19/2004
Well, Murphy has been working against me lately.
First, Tothfans went down sometime last night. Then as I was building up a new Server today, I realized that I had missed announcing our Third Anniversary on October 18th! What a day for the server to crash…
So Happy Third Anniversary everyone! And once again thanks to Alex and all of Tothfans’ contributors and visitors! Here is to another three years and beyond!
Batman Annotated returns!
10/5/2004
Batman is back! We gave you a brief one-month look at this last spring and at some Toth fans' requests we've brought it back -- Alex Toth's one and only Batman comic book story with his annotations, "Death Flies the Haunted Sky". There are insights from Alex about how the story originated, about comics layout and "insider's" knowledge from the pros about continuity, and some preferences on color and panel design -- even dialogue balloons. So feast your eyes, friends, on a master at work. 'Wizard' magazine used the panel sequence at the top of page four when it listed Toth as one of the Top Ten comics illustrators of all time!
Postponed Honeymoon & No Love for Me Annotated
8/10/2004
Looking back through time at comics done 50 years ago Toth is the only person who could really give us an insight into what it was like to draw for the comics, panel after panel, page after page, day after day.
These two Lev Gleason romance stories are from Boy Loves Girl #47: "Postponed Honeymoon" (6/1954) and "Boy Loves Girl #46: "No Love for Me" (5/1954). They bring out the usual boos and hisses about green suits and inattentive coloring as well as a fond remembering of an era that Toth helped to define. The love comes through in every panel, and you can hear it in his writing as well: "Mother nature's kiss of grace does linger on." Mucho Gracias to Mr. Toth for sharing his thoughts with us.
Black Canary - Part II
7/20/2004
Well, the the wait is over! The Black Canary annotated Part II is here.. Enjoy!
Black Canary Annotated - Part I!
6/21/2004
No matter who created her, no one's ever put such a sexy mark on her as Toth, and in the Seventies his deliniation of The Black Canary for Adventure Comics upstaged the cover girl, Supergirl. How could one comics title have so much to stir up pubescing adolescent boys?
TV's "Kung Fu" may have had the moves but Toth's Black Canary had the form, and that little 'Bolero' outfit has never looked the same. "Move over, man, I want to learn Judo! Hey, baby, what you say? Best two out of three falls?" Don't offer this one candy, brother, even if we do have parts one and two annotated by The Man Himself...
Update: Toth issue of the Comics Journal
6/19/2004
Dirk Deppey, Managing Editor of "The Comics Journal" has sent us an update on the contents of the upcoming Comics Journal Toth issue.
“TCJ #262 will contain over 30 pages of Toth's comics from the 1950s, including several classic tales from the Gleason comics series "Crime and Punishment," plus a romance strip from the same era. The interview is an archival conversation with Toth, which was submitted to the magazine a decade ago and recently unearthed in our files -- so far as I know, it'll be the interview's first English-language appearance. The essay, by "The Pirates and The Mouse" author Bob Levin, is a good 'un.”
Much to look forward to in this issue. Thanks for the update and hard work Dirk!
Release date: August 18 2004
(At the time of this posting this project did not have the participation of Alex Toth.)
Toth issue of the Comics Journal
6/17/2004
As mentioned in the Forums, the Comics Journal #262 will be spotlighting Alex Toth! The June 2004 Diamond Previews Catalog has the details, so don't miss out on preordering you issue now!. Look for more details on this site soon!
Release date: August 18 2004
(At the time of this posting this project did not have the participation of Alex Toth.)
America's Greatest Comics AD
5/22/2004
Bill Black sent this sample of what is appearing on the back cover of June issues of AC Comics. The shipping date for "America's Greatest Comics" is July / August.
Our congratulations to Tothfan James Ritchey III for his newest incarnation of The Green Lama. (and where can we get the name and phone number of the babe in the blue suit?)
Details: (Diamond Previews Catalog Page #208, Diamond Code MAY042164)
Catching Candids
4/4/2004
More wisdom from the Master. In this session, Toth discuses thinking through and having your Characters 'Act'. ’Catching Candids’
A New Never-Before-Seen Toth Cover! and a new all-Toth book from AC Comics!
3/10/2004
Coming July 2004!
Bill Black of AC Comics tells us he has solicited "America's Greatest Comics" no. 10 with a 'Spotlight on Alex Toth'. It will be a 52-page comic with a new never-before-seen cover by Toth, several complete stories such as "Danny's Dream", art from "Sea Hunt", "Time Machine", "Darby O'Gill", "77 Sunset Strip", "Sugarfoot", "The Land Unknown", "Buster Crabbe", and much more.
AC Comics has submitted the solicitation to Diamond Distribution's catalog, so keep an eye out for a color version of the art we're displaying here and a preview of what we might expect from this upcoming book. (Remember: You heard it here first.) Copies will also be available from AC Comics' online store at their web site. Don't miss out!
Thinking Excercise
3/7/2004
Think you know it all? Think again! And try Toth's Thinking Exercise, which I think really works, I think.
Look and see
2/23/2004
See faces as they are. Toth advises us to make an omelet and ignore the “Ol‘ Egg-head things!”. Look and see
A New Logo for 'Tothfans.com' from The Man himself!
2/7/2004
We thought we were "officially" Toth's web site before -- Alex sent this new logo via post card for his web site and future 'personalized' post cards. Our reaction? Drop dead awestruck!
And as if this wasn't earthshaking enough, you have 24 hours, Toth-ites, before even more awesome stuff comes your way! So hang on to your butts and keep your bodices pinned on tight...
Old vs. New
Toth on style
2/4/2004
Toth is a keen observer of style and always ‘costumes’ his figures well. He never shortcut the costumes in his art, they always befit the character, setting, era and needs of the story.
In this latest column, Toth gives some tips to us Tyros on observing style. Some good advice all ‘inkdippers’ should listen to. Sense of style you mean?
More Annotated
1/31/2004
More Annotated with Sy Barry's inks on The Australian Code Mystery, and some of the the famous "back pages". Enjoy!
Annotated Love is in the Air
1/24/2004
Well it may not be Valentine's Day yet, but here at Tothfans Love is in the air with two new Annotated Love stories by Toth - "Appointment with Love" and "I Do".
Annotated in time for the New Year.
12/30/2003
Two new annotated stories Turner's Treasure and The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of. Now I though there were only "Seven deadly sins" but Toth has now identified the Eighth!
December updates
12/13/2003
Some great new art on display in the Gallery this month including Toth's only known drawing of The Phantom, a fantastic Errol Flynn and Pinocchio!
Also not to be missed in participating in this years Holiday card to Alex. Nicolas is working on a follow-up to last year's card. Send in scans of your signature or post a Holiday note to Alex in the Forums and it will be included digitally in the card. Send them to the tothfans @ yahoo.com email address. Don't miss out!
Speaking of the holiday season, I have again had to resort to a re-run for the ‘Page-of-the-Day' feature due to my crazy work schedule. So in the sprit of giving, perhaps someone could scan another classic Toth comic for the site. Again you can send them to the site's e-mail address.
And last but not least, Tothfans.com has again been moved to another Server. Please report any issues on this Server to my e-mail address or the Forums.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Page of the Day Returns
11/23/03
Tothfans.com returns the "Page of the Day" feature. Enjoy!
"Page of the Day" on Hiatus.
11/1/03
Hey folks. In case you didn't notice, I did not post any "Page of the Day" content this week. So your are probably wondering "what is going on?"
Well, my job has been keeping me very, very busy and I have not been able to find any spare time to scan and/or post them. Thus rather than continue to present an empty calendar page with no image, I thought it would be better to put the "Page of the Day" on hiatus. As soon as time presents itself I hope to return this feature.
I would also like to again thank Neil Polowin, Axel Kahlstorff, Kevin Nowan & Dave Cook for contributing to this feature. Many thanks guys!
In the mean time, there will be more content coming so keep your eyes pealed on Tothfans.com!
Your humble webmaster,
--Jeff
P.S. I can start this up again if you folks don’t mind a re-run or two… or three…
"Hold Soflty, Hand of Death" Annotated.
10/25/03
"What could the secret be of that man on the beach in his lonely wheelchair? If you've been following the creepy story, "Hold Soflty, Hand of Death" in the Page Of The Day, then check out Toth's annotations. And watch out for those obsessions..."
Two new AnnoToths!
10/5/03
Toth takes on Andre LeBlanc and Mort Meskin. The classroom is here and the lectures in session as The Man takes us through Meskin's Vigilante story - "The Rookie who fought a Ghost" and LeBlanc’s “Intellectual Amos”
Toth annotates Meskin's Vigilante!
9/20/03
The updates keep coming. Toth annotates Mort Meskin’s Vigilante story "Fiddler’s Fee". This annotated contains Toth’s reminiscence and analysis. A fun and educational read!
Thanks to Dylan Williams for sharing this!
Paolo again adds art to the Gallery
9/19/03
Our fellow Toth fan Paolo Giovenale has sent us a second set of art for the Toth fans gallery. His last contribution was fantastic, so go now to see what is in this new collection!
New Galley Art!
9/7/03
Your humble webmaster has been behind in his duties, but you Tothfans have not! Thus we have Gallery contributions from Tothfans Don (the scan of Toth's art for sale) and Leif (Young romance pages) to enjoy.
Note: Warring I left Leif's scans as they were posted so they will be slow downloads. But they are well worth the wait!
Questions about "The Question" answered!
8/26/03
It’s Gangster mugs, damsels in distress, and Wertham ’no-nos’! Toth annotates his rare and sublime version of “The Question”.
New art in the Gallery
8/6/03
Check out some superb Toth art in the Gallery including some new Supermen sketches and other rare gems.
The Vanguard!
7/8/03
It's got all the things Toth loves -- the 1930s, offshore gambling gangsters, a complicated mystery, and a hero worth drawing. And, amazingly enough, as Our Hero tells it, he was a reject. True! It's "The Vanguard", and even if you've read it before you've never seen it like this, with notes from The Man himself, so read on...
Ogden Whitney, Skyman and Toth!
6/23/03
You read it here first! We broke comics history with the Annotated Toth, now Toth ventures into new realms annotating commentary on the work of Golden Age great Ogden Whitney and his high-flying hero "Skyman"! The classic Cord automobile! The Flying Wing aircraft! All the seminal stuff we expect from Toth, but in an earlier package. If you want to learn something, Bucky, read on...
We celebrate our Independence early with 3 new AnnoToths!
6/16/03
From the patriotic flyers of the American Volunteer Group in "Burma Sky", to
the unexpected arrival of occult evil at a typical American farm in "Double
Edge", to the mean streets of "Crushed Gardenia", it's Toth at his best...
as usual.
Gallery update from Don!
6/10/03
It’s been a mighty long time since we have had a gallery update here at Tothfans. Thankfully our great fellow Tothfan Don Mangus has graciously sent scans of some top notch, eye popping Toth art. See it in the Mangus Collection. Better yet, buy it online at Ebay now!
Thanks Don!
Toth cover on ‘Alter Ego’ magazine no. 25!
6/1/03
As many of you may know, Toth has been contributing columns, art, etc., to buddy Roy Thomas's magazine 'Alter Ego' for TwoMorrows Publishing.
Recently He contributed a piece about Mort Meskin for issue no. 24, and the most recent issue, no. 25 coming out this week has a recently colored cover of the Plastic Man illustration he did for Luca.
Pick it up on the stands soon. (I think...)
A Royal Welcome For This Week's 'AnnoToths'!
6/1/03
"If I Were King" I would want to know "Who Is Haunting The Haunted Chateau?" so I could live in my castle in peace. Perhaps, if you read Toth's latest notes "The Wings of Jealous Gods" will settle down and we'll have some peace and quiet...
Biplanes, UFOs and Death!
5/26/03
Four of Toth's favorite topics in two stories: Biplanes and UFOs in the subtle creepy "Tibor Miko's Christmas Eve" and Errol Flynn and swashbuckling in "The Man Who Tried to Kill Death". Seems like I remember Tibor coming out of the mother ship in "Close Encounters" ...
Spooky Annotated!
5/18/03
What connection could Alex Toth possibly have with Carol Landis, a town in Germany, witchcraft, rats, mobs, and a pack of kids you wouldn't want to take on a field trip?
Take a look at these latest "AnnoToths" from 'The Witching Hour' and the classic story "Eternal Hour" and see what you can make of it all.
Also a big thank you to fellow Tothfan Nicolas Blocteur for the awesome job prepearing the images for posting. Thanks Nicolas!
Two Fox Stories Annotated
5/4/03
Alex the Comics Fan shows it again, paying tribute to Irwin Hasen, Roy Crane and the joys of the past with his own nostalgic stories of "The Fox", part one and part two from Red Circle Comics' "Black Hood".
You can read what he has to say about them -- and get some rare glimpses and otherwise unknown facts!
Bugs in the system? No! "Comput-err" Annotated...
4/28/03
You won't believe us... so you better see Toth's newest annotations on "Comput-Err" and see him face more than one mystery.
Toth on 'Big Little Books'
4/21/03
A neat little illustration and Toth’ reminisces about the ‘Big little books’ of yesteryear.
Oo-la-la it's Toth annotated!
4/20/03
It’s all here in this story folks, aviation, movies, Crane, Sickles and “sans any formulaic/house rules” it’s Toth’s whimsical and exciting “Oo-la-la” annotated!
Some of the best yet...
4/6/03
Three new annotated stories from the Master... "Dirty Job", "Taps" and "Lone Hawk". Need we say more?
Love is in the Air...
3/29/03
"I do, I do, I do still love him!" *sigh* We do, too, and you'll know why if your read Toth's new annotations to "When Love Has Gone".
*flash!* - "Proof Positive"
3/29/03
Toth's fascination with antique photography leads to murder, and we have his notes on "Proof Positive" as the Annotated evidence.
More classic *romance* Annotated
3/22/03
Brrrrr. She's an ice queen, but don't give her a chilly reception. Take a look at Toth's notes on "Hide Your Love" and you'll know how to handle her, Baby. Chill out.
More Annotated!
3/19/03
Loose the hounds! The game's afoot... as we chase Alex through the newly annotated chiller, "The Mask of the Red Fox". Anyone care for tea?
Annotated Romance.
3/14/03
You liked 'em when they ran as Page of the Day! You begged for more! Toth's "chick" stories are back, this time with attitude! Catch "Masquerade" in its newly 'annotated' form. Read 'em and weep! *Sob*
Toth on Roy Crane!
3/8/03
Prompted by Dave Cook's questions about sound effects in comics, Alex Toth has written a new article on his mentor Roy Crane. Read and enjoy!
"39/74" Annotated
3/2/03
One of Alex's most personal masterpieces, "39/74", cowritten with his late and much-beloved wife Guyla, is finally here as the latest addition to the "Annotated" archives, thanks to John Hitchcock. Read Toth's own commentary and reminiscences about this unique story, including his anecdotes about sending this story to Roy Crane. Toth asked for a critique? Amazing!
Bravo for Adventure - Chapter 4!
2/15/03
Off-stage violence, silhouetting, TV and film references -- the "auteur" himself reveals the secrets of -- and his secret hopes for -- the finale of the masterpiece-among-masterpieces, "Bravo for Adventure - Chapter 4", as the last chapter concludes with Toth's own commentary and our own cry of "Bravo! for TOTH!!!!!"
"Bravo for Adventure" - Chapter 3!
1/19/03
The climactic 3rd chapter of "Bravo For Adventure" is finally here! Danger, denouement, disaster! What more could you want? Plus the dialogue between Alex Toth and Dave Cook as commentary -- like a track on a DVD -- but we have it in the margins!
“Bravo For Adventure” – Chapter 2!
12/28/02
The next part of the Classic "Bravo for Adventure" Annotated is up. Read "Bravo for Adventure - Chapter 2". Enjoy!
“Bravo For Adventure” – Chapter 1!
12/16/02
Just in time for the Holidays! Alex Toth's gift to us all -- the first 12-page installment of "Bravo for Adventure", Toth’s magnum opus serialized as he originally meant for it to be! Complete with notes and comments - the Auteur show us his vision!
Thanksgiving early!
12/2/02
A grand week on the Tothfans site, just in time to be "thankful" for Thanksgiving -- a feast for the eyes and mind to beat the feasts for the stomach! Alex has done the next 17-page "dream" sequence of "Bravo for Adventure", dialoguing with ol' Dave Cook about design, free association and other assorted fun.
PLUS -- longtime Toth friends and fans Luca Biagini and Jim Vadeboncoeur have shared their collections with us. You can see their pieces of original Toth art in the "Luca Gallery" and "Vadeboncoeur Gallery".
Our thanks and mille grazie to Jim and Luca for sharing these fine pieces with us.
Annotated 'Who is Jesse Bravo?'!
11/10/02
It's here!!! The first four pages of Toth's original masterpiece "Bravo for Adventure" have arrived for the 'Annotated Toth'! Toth starts with the introductory story "Who is Jesse Bravo?" that he did for the Dragon Lady Press printing. In this 'Annotated', Toth banters with Dave Cook about the filmic influences, design & fashions as well as addresses the confusion around the pages sequences, A-B-D-C!
Thanks to Toth, Dave Cook and John Hitchcock, we can see the vision behind 'Bravo'. Enjoy!
Exclusive Toth Columns!
11/4/02
Wow! Now we're really "official" -- Alex has joined us for his own platform! As he often quotes, "Unhappy is the know-it-all with no one to tell it to." Well, now, he has his own web magazine without any interference from editors (although he still has to face the Forums).
Check out the first three offerings under Articles -- "Let's Face It", "Now Then", and "Who Cares? I do!" He also followed up his memories of Sol Harrison and "what to leave out" with an "addendum". The beginnings of what promise to be a regular feature exclusive to the ‘Toth Fans’ web site. You not only saw it here first -- you won't read it anywhere else!
Memoir: Sol Harrison and knowing “what to leave out”
10/13/02
At times it’s to imagine that Toth was not born with his clean and powerful style right out of the gate. But as this latest postcard from Toth shows he also learned his lessons from others like Sol Harrison and worked hard to apply them - and apply them he did to legendary effect!
Along with the memoir is an image from a section of an envelope that Toth uses as an example for us young Tyros to learn from. It shows image reduction and helps us see “what to leave out” or get to the pure form as it were. A Toth cover from ‘The Film Journal’ has also been include to further demonstrate this principle.
So take a look, learn and enjoy…
It's Official! New URL! Updates!
10/5/02
SPECIAL ANOUNCMENT: It's official folks. Alex has given his blessing to the site! From now on 'Toth Fans' is the one and only "Official" Alex Toth website! A special thanks needs to go out to Dave Cook and John Hitchcock. Without them it never would have happened. Thanks guys!
So in celebration we have a new URL too! No more goofy URL that you have to bookmark to remember just type - www.tothfans.com and you are here! As easy at that. Not to hard to remember. The old URL will continue to work, but why use it?
And that's not all. We also have content updates for you as well. An October 2002 Gallery update, which includes a sweet Toth ‘Zorro’ drawing contributed by Brian Postman and John Hitchcock contributed some mind blowing pieces from his great collection as well. Although not all of the 'Space Angel' art in the Gallery is Toth's it still has his design work all over it. Go check it out and post your options on this rare work in the Forums.
Toth: 'Sez me'
12/7/02
Ever wonder what tools Toth uses to put his masterful lines down on paper with? Well wonder no more as Toth has send along a nice letter filled with 'doodles' and "Tool Talk"
Annotated Unreal!
9/8/02
The "Annotated Unreal!" is now online. Toth is really starting to get into the swing of it now. Check it out..."The Annotated Unreal! "
Annotated Survival!
8/20/02
All right, I'm sure everyone is super disappointed that I have not yet posted my San Diego Comicon 2002 report, right? But I figured that I had had a choice - 1.) Do my Con report or 2.) Post a new installment of one of Toth's Annotated stories.
So here it is from John H. and the hand of Toth - "The Annotated Survival! " Will you ever forgive me...?
Annotated "The Monument"
7/14/02
The latest installment of "THE ANNOTATED TOTH" as been posted! In this installment John and Alex discuss The Monument." Enjoy!
"White Devil...Yellow Devil!" Annotated
6/24/02
John has sent us the latest installment of "THE ANNOTATED TOTH". This time Alex and John cover the classic White Devil...Yellow Devil!"
I'm in the process of trying to figure out how I want to handle the display of these great pages, so please accept my apologies for the poor design. I will be working on a new one as soon as I can.
A Community Helping Out and Gallery Update
6/16/02
-A Community Helping Out-
As reported by Steve Lieber on our Forums, Comic creator Bill Loebs and his wife are going through some very tough financial times right now, and folks all over the web are pitching in to help them get through.* Many comic pros, friends and fans are auctioning off rare items or sending donations with the full proceeds going to Bill and his wife.
Fellow Toth fans Steve Lieber and Jeff Parker are auctioning off some of their rare and prized art to the cause. Steve even put up his copy of "Alex Toth...by Design" for action on e-bay.
A paypal account has been set up for contributions and donations. You can find more details at the "Comics Journal" Forum here.
*(Ok, This may not come as news to folks who frequent many of the other forums out on the web, but I thought I would put it here in case some folks have not heard yet.)
-Gallery Update-
The Gallery grows by leaps and bounds this month thanks to Italian Toth fan Paolo Giovenale! He has a most impressive collection of original pages, model sheets and sketches. He owns some fantastic pieces of Art that I'm sure many of use would die to have in our own collection. But hey, He has shared them with us so we can all enjoy them. Check out Paolo's Collection. Thank you Paolo!
'The Annotated Toth' presents 'Daddy and the Pie'
6/5/02
All right Toth fans, it's official now! Alex's first official 'The Annotated Toth' contribution has been posted in the "Articles" section! This month Alex annotates 'Daddy and the Pie'. We all hoped that he would participate to the site and now our wish has come true. I'm sure I speak for all us Toth Fans by thanking John Hitchcock and Alex for making it happen (and Jaysen Buterin for doing the scans). Thanks guys!
Toth Notes
5/28/02
Here are some great notes from the hand of Alex in response to some of the dialogues going on in the 'Forums' here at 'Toth Fans'. Check them out here.
May Gallery Update
5/26/02
It's time for another Gallery update. This month we have included a new version of the Zorro drawing that was in the April Gallery. Toth added some shading to the new drawing so you can now compare the 'clean line' with the shaded version. Let us know what you think!
New Pages For 'The Annotated Toth'
5/24/02
Another great group of pages annotated by Toth has been posted in the "Articles" section. This time, Toth annotates the classic "Kui" story published by Warren Publishing. Also a bonus page from 'Bravo for Adventure'.
April Gallery Update
4/30/02
The Gallery has been updated with nine new drawings. It contains new Toth Art provided by Dave Cook including a stunning new Batman drawing! You can find it under the April2002 section in the Gallery.
Update! - Just added a drawing to the Gallery April2002 update that will silence any skeptics who say Toth no longer has "has it"!
The Annotated Toth
4/25/02
The cult of the Auteur rules in the film world. With the advent and mass acceptance of the DVD format, directors commentary on films has become a commonplace occurrence. These commentaries can provide more than just background on a film, instead they can provide a deep look inside the filmmakers vision and thought process as well as give the history and story behind the film.
What does all this have to do with Alex Toth and comics? Well, we all have certainly seen and read untold pages of interviews with Comic Artists and the like. Within these articles and interviews, interviewers often refer to certain stories or panels as discussion points. However, this format does not quite give the same texture and immediacy as a director's commentary on a film. But that said, there is a possible format that does gain the same level of immediacy and mirrors the "voice" of the Comic Auteur in the same way as hearing the voice of the director during a particular scene. And what is it? Well I'm getting to that... [CONTINUE]
More Art for sale or Alex Toth Auction Helps a Friend - Part II
4/23/02
After the success of the last Art sales, Alex has requested that more of his Art go up for auction to help out his friend. For fear of repeating myself, see the news article posted on 4/11/02.
This time the auction contains such notable characters as Zorro, Plastic Man, Batman and the Shadow! It's great to see more Art, so don't miss out on your chance to pick up one of these gems this time!
The art is listed by Bunker101.
Noel Sickles Interview in the Journal
4/17/02
The new April 2002 Comics Journal contains an interview with Toth's favorite artist Noel Sickles. The interview was conducted by Gil Kane, Ron Goulart and Dick Higgins back in 1973. And that's not all! There is a 'Tothfans' connection as well as one of our very own 'Tothfans' community members Dylan Williams contributed some of the art. It is great art indeed!
You can read and comment on the issue in the thread created by Dylan here in the Tothfans Forums. It's late, so I'm going to crawl into bed and enjoy reading about the Master who influenced the Master. (I know corny, but hey I said it's late..)
Alex Toth Auction Helps a Friend
4/11/02
At this point regular visitors to the site have only seen E-bay auctions make the news here if they were busting fraudulent Toth art. However, five special auctions have started on E-bay that were requested by Alex himself. According to the listing, "They're being sold at Toth's request... which is a first for him. The money will go to help a friend pay for his daughters' emergency surgery."
So fellow Toth fans, get on over there to bid on the art. If Alex went out of his way to to help a friend, its the least we can do to help out as well. And heck, not only will you be helping out a friend of Alex's, but if you bid high enough you may win a one of a kind Alex Toth masterpiece for your own collection! You can find them here listed by Bunker101.
So what are you waiting for, go bid now!
Alex Toth Named 7th Most Influential Comic Artist of All Time
4/11/02
This months Wizard Magazine named Alex Toth number 7 in an article listing the "10 Most Influential Comic Book Artists of All Time". Toth is listed along with fellow legends like Will Eisner and Jack Kirby. According to the writer of the article Jim McLauchlin, "Only one thing counted when choosing our top 10: influence."
Alex making a list like this would probably not surprise any of us Toth fans, but having him named in Wizard Magazine may bring great exposure to some people who may have never seen his legendary work. A thread in the forums here at Tothfans has been discussing trying to get DC comics and other publishers to begin reprints of his classics into dedicated volumes. Toth's listing in Wizard certainly can't hurt that cause any.
You can see a scan of Toth's listing in the Wizard article here. You can buy the issue on the news stands now.
Setting the record straight - part II
4/1/02
Some folks may remember back in early January of this year when Dave Cook spotted some art for sale on ebay.com which was being erroneously credited to the Master himself. Well, Dave recently found some more art for auction which also looked suspicious.
In an effort to again set the record straight and find out the truth, Dave sent printouts of the auctions and art to Alex for verification. As you can probably guess, Dave's eye for art spotted the "fakes" and Alex sent back his response to Dave for posting. You can find Alex's comments in the gallery under a new section called "NotToth".
Rare Toth on the Web.
2/21/02
If you read the 'Forums' here on 'Toth Fans', you may have seen Dylan Williams' post about Toth's rare "Tom Mix" give-away on his Mort Meskin website.
To follow Dylan's Mort Meskin example, perhaps 'Toth Fans' could use some more personal information about Alex. Is anyone interested in writing something up? Contact me here.
Cool 70's Toth Story posted online.
2/19/02
Jeff Parker posted Toth's "If I Were King" story from "Red Circle Sorcery #9" on his website. While you are there, do yourself a favor and check Jeff's art as well!
February Gallery Additions
2/17/02
Not many updates over the last month, so I thought I would pop up some new additions to the 'Gallery'.
Also, 'Toth fans' is always looking for submissions of all sorts. Please contact me at tothfans@yahoo.com if your interested in contributing!
Find the Galley updates here. Enjoy!
Cook Collection added to the Gallery
1/16/02
Dave Cook, a close personal friend of Alex's, has shared some incredible sketches and drawings from the master himself. These sketches come from Dave's personal correspondences with Alex which were included in letters and drawn on the back of postcards. There are a great variety of subjects and contain several gems, including an awesome Zorro sketch and believe it or not, Alex's interpretation of "Stuart Little"!
I'm sure I represent all of the Toth Fans out there when I say, "Thanks Dave!" See them here.
Discuss them here.
Toth at Atlas/Seaboard - now on the stands!
1/10/02
Check out issue #16 of COMIC BOOK ARTIST magazine for another fine 'Before I Forget" letter. In this issue Alex writes about his work for Atlas/Seaboard comics in the 70's. It includes the true origin of the Toth written-and-drawn "Vanguard" story that appeared in HOT STUFF #4 and reprinted in ALEX TOTH: BLACK AND WHITE.
And just to get you started, I have posted a sketch that Alex did for Atlas/Seaboard Comics which you will not see in this issue! A "Toth Fans" exclusive! (Well sort of...it actually came from an old issue of THE COMICS JOURNAL.).
So pick this issue up at your local comic shop or order it online @TwoMorrows Publishing.
Setting the record straight.
1/6/02
Did anyone see the recent sketch that was up for sale on eBay a few weeks back claiming to be a "Toth self-portrait"? Well, Dave Cook, a personal friend of Alex's, has a keen eye and suspected that it was not true. So in order to set the record straight Dave decided to go right to the source for the answer. Check out Alex's response here.
Plus, keep watching the site for a very special contribution from Dave coming up soon!
Alex Toth Designed Toys?
12/12/01
Yep it's true. Folks may have seen some Space Ghost toys in the past, but believe it or not there are now action figures of the "Space Ghost Sidekicks" .
Do they mean Jan and Jace? How about Blip? Nope! It's the sidekicks from "Space Ghost: Coast to Coast", Brak, Zorak and Moltar.
Is "Space Ghost: Coast to Coast" a travesty to Alex's work or a great show? Do these these toys represent over-commercialization or cool collectable? Discuss this in the Toth fans forums.
Another question - can you even call plastic action figures priced at $39.99 "toys"?
Gallery Problems
12/11/01
Unfortunately, there were some problems with the new Gallery so the code has been rolled back to the last version. Please feel free to e-mail or post comments in the "Website Feedback" section of the forums if you have any issues or problems with the site and they will be addressed as soon as possible. Thank you. --Jeff
Gallery Update
12/11/2004
The Gallery has been updated with both new Art and a cleaned up interface. Also, the Gallery is now broken down into four categories for your perusal - Animation, Comic Art, Sketches and Other. Check them out here...Gallery
TOTHFANS.DYNU.COM is now online!
10/18/01
Welcome fellow Toth fans to TOTHFANS.DYNU.COM, the web sit site devoted exclusively to Alex Toth and his works. There are few artists who have created as deep and long lasting contribution to graphic storytelling Alex Toth, thus we created this web site to honor his contributions to illustration and animation.
In order to keep the web site interesting and engaging, TOTHFANS.DYNU.COM will be scanning and posting a new page each and every day from Alex Toth’s comic book work through out the years.
We created this web site because we wanted to share our enthusiasm and admiration for Toth and his work as well as to give fans a place to gather and share their own ideas and passion. TOTHFANS.DYNU.COM has forums for discussion, a gallery of various sketches and Toth artwork as well as news and articles.
We are also looking for contributions of all sorts, including scans of art work, comic pages and articles as well. Since TOTHFANS.DYNU.COM is for all us fans, please feel free to participate and help it grow into a community and location for fans to gather and appreciate Toth's work. E-mail us at tothfans@yahoo.com
