Alex Toth, the late and great comic illustrator, is the subject of a series of high quality retrospectives. About Genius, Illustrated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth covers his work from the 1960s until his death in 2006.
Toth, the irascible, restless, inventive artist is a fascinating character. Rough and gruff on the outside, Toth was sensitive and ever-questioning on the inside. And now we have more insight on both sides!
About Genius is heavily Illustrated indeed, treating us to scans of original comic art pages, character sketches, posters, storyboards, and other illustrations. We see his work evolve over a 45-year period, but remain remarkable consistent throughout.
Toth’s “genius”, a word that is bandied about with reckless abandon these days, is evident when we actually read his sequential art pages: Toth is truly a master of rendering shapes that compel the eye forward to the next panel. The figures, their relationship to the background and thier positioning in the panel are all aligned with one goal: to tell us one panel’s worth of story, and to make us want to read the next panel. So deceptively simple, the way Toth does it.
In and among the splendid artworks are long passages that document Toth’s family life, his challenges and successes, and frustrations. It’s a big read but well-compiled.
Winner of the 2014 Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Book and Best Publication Design and the 2012 Harvey Award for best biography. Edited and designed by Dean Mullaney, Associate Editor, and Biographical text by Bruce Canwell, art directed by Lorraine Turner.
IDW, Genius, Illustrated: The LIfe and Art of Alex Toth, $49.99 for 354 pages.
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