ALEX TOTH GETS ROMANTIC

Alex Toth will probably always be remembered for his animation career but his work in the comics medium is nothing to be lightly dismissed. Working in almost every genre imaginable, he could elevate even the most forgettable stories into a worthwhile experience. Just pay attention to the pacing and overall flow, as well as the body language and facial expressions here in this story

from BURIED TREASURE #2, 1986




I really get impressed here on page three in the first panel. By just barely shifting from true realism into caricature, he totally nails the emotion that's needed to be shown.




In a complete reversal of what he did earlier, he captures the necessary emotion in the last panel of page four with just slightly curved eyebrows and two wavy lines on the forehead of our protagonist.





I love the little added touches he uses here with the swashbuckler, the musical notes, and roulette wheel. Besides his impressive linework with character's faces, Toth was no slouch at using visual metaphors, either.




Once again, with Lydia's expression as she walks away. He maximizes the emotions by minimizing the actual lines drawn. This, and the eyeball close-up on the last page really knock me out.



I'm not even sure how he worked the eyeball panel. Even without the teardrops, you could still see the sadness in the eye. A lot of artists should be really jealous right now.

To learn more about Alex Toth, visit the official website.
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