Remembering Alex Toth

The mid-1950s was a fascinating period in the development of animation and comics. In the animation field, Chuck Jones and Tex Avery were producing some of their best work, and the UPA studios were in top form, expanding the range of tools and pushing boundaries to tell stories more effectively. The same was happening in the comics field. While critical studies of the medium by Will Eisner and Scott McCloud would be decades in the future, artists like Bernie Krigstein and Alex Toth were struggling with the conventions of the day, and pushing themselves to develop their craft so that they could take full advantage of the specific strengths that a comic page can offer.

Toth in particular gained attention for both his skill and his devotion to improving himself. He studied endlessly - other artistic fields, movies, etc. - for ideas and inspiration. Staging, pacing, the use of silhouettes, lighting, - Toth recognized that each could contribute effectively to how a story is presented, not just in celluloid, but in printed form too.

This is one of Toth's western stories, from Western Gunfighters #24 (Atlas Comics, 1957). To my knowledge, like much of his work, it hasn't been reprinted anywhere.