Atomic Surgery: Search results for alex toth

Friday, December 11, 2009

The Spookman by Pat Boyette

Charlton Premiere V2, #1 (Sept. 1967). The Spookman by Pat Boyette & © Charlton Comics

Showing the influences of both Alex Toth and Steve Ditko by way of Milton Caniff, the late Pat Boyette continues to be an underappreciated artist, probably due to the fact that much of his work was published at Charlton.

According to the editorial in the first issue of Charlton Premiere, “The Spookman is Pat Boyette’s brain child and it too was mulled over and put aside until the advent of Charlton Premiere”. Despite a the poorly chosen name, The Spookman had an interesting shtick of time traveling to investigate what promised to be problems of the mystical variety – although his first story has him (or rather his assistant) indirectly responsible for the burning of Rome, all for the original desire to make a fast $10,000!

As far as I can tell this was The Spookman’s only appearance.

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The Demon © DC Comics

It’s interesting to note the similarity between The Spookman’s alter ego, Aaron Piper, and that of Jack Kirby’s The Demon, Jason Blood, right down to the white streak through their hair, even though Kirby’s creation was published a full five years after Boyette’s story.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Unmasking of Johnny Thunder by Alex Toth

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The late, great Alex Toth drew a lot of terrific stories in almost every genre. His Johnny Thunder stories, from Bob Kanigher scripts, are some of his best.