Book Review: Genius, Isolated
Genius, Isolated
The genius of comic book legend Alex Toth is near-universally recognized. He is influential to the graphic medium on a level perhaps only equaled by creators like Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, and Wally Wood. He has not had, however, an archival collection with which to bring his artistic mastery to light for modern readers, budding artists, and would-be fans.
Until now.
IDW’s recent release, Alex Toth: Genius, Isolated ($49.95 USD, 328 pgs.) is the first of a three-part, roughly chronological look at the life and art of Toth. According to the webpage for the Library of American Comics (who is releasing the book in conjunction with IDW) these three volumes, edited by the Eisner-winning team of Dean Mullaney and Bruce Canwell, aim to be “the definitive statement on the restless genius and timeless legacy of Alex Toth.”
This statement sounds like average marketing hyperbole but believe me, it’s not. My skepticism started to fade the minute I literally got ahold of the book. I’m a big Toth fan and I’ve been waiting for this collection for awhile (it went through a couple of shipping delays) and I knew what to expect to find in the material. That said, I have been constantly and pleasantly surprised from the minute I opened the box containing my copy. This is a massive collection. It’s as large as the classic Marvel and DC treasury books, and it’s as wide and heavier than any Absolute slipcover. Even the individual pages feel heavy and high-quality. The paper really allows the color and blacks of the art to jump off the page. Despite being indescribably excited to read about Toth’s life and see some of stuff inside (sketches and unused panels, notes, and photos) I found myself constantly stopping to admire the production and design of the physical book itself. It’s that well done.
The material itself is of course also phenomenal. A good number of casual and veteran comic fans are unfamiliar with Alex Toth’s work. He’s known by your general reader as the creator of Space Ghost…and maybe not much else. In my completely unscientific survey of some “average” readers, the most specific description of Toth was that of a “legendary” Golden Age artist. I use quotations here because people have a hard time specifically pointing to what he’s done, and subsequently why he’s so respected. This has to do with the fact that Toth (like other artists who are described as being an “artist’s artist” like Kevin Nowlan or Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez) did not have a sustained run on any one particular book. In fact, Alex Toth, known for his temper and sudden shifts in mood, can scarcely be said to have had a sustained run at any one company.
It’s this temper which helps to make the biographical information contained in the work just as interesting as the art. One notable example involves the rumors surrounding the end of Toth’s first stint at National (ne DC Comics) and involves legendary editor Julius Schwartz, a paycheck and lots of yelling…all in the space of a lunch break.
I raced through this volume, engaged by the story of Toth’s life and enraptured by the art. As I sit and wait not-so patiently for the next volume, Genius, Illustrated (which sadly, doesn’t even have a release date yet) here are three things I learned from the release of Genius, Isolated:
1. Even The Unfinished Stuff Is Amazing
One of the stories included in this collection is “Unknown”, an apropos title for a story which was, until the compiling of material for this project began, virtually unknown! One of the only examples of Toth’s surviving pencils from the 1950s, it’s an amazing look at how Toth worked. The lettering is perfect, the inking is flawless, and the storytelling is so well-thought out that the pencils seem arbitrary, a half-step between the working out of placement and lighting and the finalizing of everything in the inks.
2. There Are About Twenty Different Alex Toths, All Of Them Brilliant
There are many ways to make comic books. Black and white, color or grey tones, Duo-tone, Zipatone. Pens, nibs, brushes and washes. Horror, romance, adventure and, of course, super-hero. All were expertly done by Alex Toth, and all are gloriously represented in this work. Standouts include “Battle Flag of the Foreign Legion” (a historical adventure story, half of it reproduced from the original pages), “The Crushed Gardenia” (a crime story acknowledged as one of Toth’s best) and, one of my all-time favorites, “Thunderjet!” (a war story, done over layouts by Harvey Kurtzmann, and reprinted here from the original art, which is done with a judicious, striking use of Zipatone).
3. Everyone Loves IDW’s Archival Work, Even The Competition
The archival work done right now by IDW is so strong that everyone wants in on their production. Even Marvel! Three words. Thor. Walter Simonson. Original Size! (That’s five I know, but those last two just came out). IDW is set to release an “Artist’s Edition” of several issues of Walt Simonson’s Thor in July. IDW is really setting the standard for this kind of high-end archive reprint right now and Marvel Comics ain’t no dummy!
I can’t recommend this book enough, whether you’re a dedicated Alex Toth fan, a casual comic reader, or just an aficionado of great art.
