@@comixcrush I just meant to say that the stories about Toth working long and late and being at his desk all the time are also a painful statement about the effects of low payment in actual households. We 'know' that comics have never been wellpaid, but we don't always get an insight what that meant to artists and their families at home. I guess I used the phrase "don't forget" because we as a society sometimes forget how much our standard of living has gone up.
@@gerapeldoorn8283 Gotcha. Rates weren't great back then, guys like Alex and Jack had to churn to earn. Likely a reason Alex was drawn to TV animation. This is a topic ever present in classrooms at MCAD with Comics majors. Still, many go there with eyes open for the love of it. I'm back at comics myself now that I can, after working in commercial art for decades. No doubt rates have stagnated, or are lower, yet I do have friends in Comics who are busy and thriving.
@@comixcrush yes absolutely, but it would be in that case just a standard artist, there’s ton of that ones, we don’t remember them much, we don’t study their work all around the world or create a TH-cam channel just to talk about them. He was not a standard comic book artist that excel. It had the gift or the curse or whatever you want to call that. The spark. All geniuses have this same problem, they need to isolate to produce his art. All that life energy that he put in his art, It’s the life he didn’t live with others. Evidently he couldn’t choose, he has to do it that way even knowing the high cost… to be the boss.
@@DJhSnn Certainly true of other creative heroes of mine like Welles, F L Wright, etc. But I guess I don't completely buy in to the notion that one must suffer or neglect one's personal relationships to reach the top. I cover Alex Toth to this extent 'cause I think he had a special touch, which was evident before he even had kids. No doubt he developed it further over long time due to being to dedicated/focused. I could cite plenty of genius creative types who seemed balanced/well adjusted.
@@comixcrush I understand, but I am not saying that in order to reach the top yo must do that. I am saying that those things are consequence of the genius that makes you reach the top, you can’t avoid it. It doesn’t mean that they are bad persons or that they are incapable to have families, love etc, simply their task and art it’s more important, it’s like being possessed by it. Later you realize that while you were immerse in your passion your kids grow up etc. On the other hand , I don’t remember a real genius -not a good artist…- a genius, that doesn’t have the same behavior as Toth at some point. I don’t remember really good art coming from a happy family man. You need isolation and concentration and it’s time that hurts your relations.
@@DJhSnn I could name plenty, but we could around and around on this forever, so I'll spare you the list. And we're into semantics considering the definition of "genius," which I usually reserve for only a few.
Amazing interview, great as always, but loved the different perspective on Toth this one offered.
Great interview !!!
Dana your Royal to us
" Tothians " 📯🌟👑🌟📯
Fantastic interview indeed, thanks to both!
Thanks, Marco
Great & moving interview. Thank you for sharing Paul and to Dana for sharing and being so open.
Pleased you enjoyed it, thanks, Keith.
Phenomenal. Sharing with the family.
Sweet!
Don't forget that comic book artists just didn't get paid a lot. Still don't.
Who forgot?!
@@comixcrush I just meant to say that the stories about Toth working long and late and being at his desk all the time are also a painful statement about the effects of low payment in actual households. We 'know' that comics have never been wellpaid, but we don't always get an insight what that meant to artists and their families at home. I guess I used the phrase "don't forget" because we as a society sometimes forget how much our standard of living has gone up.
@@gerapeldoorn8283 Gotcha. Rates weren't great back then, guys like Alex and Jack had to churn to earn. Likely a reason Alex was drawn to TV animation. This is a topic ever present in classrooms at MCAD with Comics majors. Still, many go there with eyes open for the love of it. I'm back at comics myself now that I can, after working in commercial art for decades. No doubt rates have stagnated, or are lower, yet I do have friends in Comics who are busy and thriving.
He pay the cost to be the boss.
One would hope one could excel in one's field while living a healthy and balanced life.
@@comixcrush yes absolutely, but it would be in that case just a standard artist, there’s ton of that ones, we don’t remember them much, we don’t study their work all around the world or create a TH-cam channel just to talk about them. He was not a standard comic book artist that excel. It had the gift or the curse or whatever you want to call that. The spark. All geniuses have this same problem, they need to isolate to produce his art. All that life energy that he put in his art, It’s the life he didn’t live with others. Evidently he couldn’t choose, he has to do it that way even knowing the high cost… to be the boss.
@@DJhSnn Certainly true of other creative heroes of mine like Welles, F L Wright, etc. But I guess I don't completely buy in to the notion that one must suffer or neglect one's personal relationships to reach the top. I cover Alex Toth to this extent 'cause I think he had a special touch, which was evident before he even had kids. No doubt he developed it further over long time due to being to dedicated/focused. I could cite plenty of genius creative types who seemed balanced/well adjusted.
@@comixcrush I understand, but I am not saying that in order to reach the top yo must do that.
I am saying that those things are consequence of the genius that makes you reach the top, you can’t avoid it.
It doesn’t mean that they are bad persons or that they are incapable to have families, love etc, simply their task and art it’s more important, it’s like being possessed by it. Later you realize that while you were immerse in your passion your kids grow up etc.
On the other hand , I don’t remember a real genius -not a good artist…- a genius, that doesn’t have the same behavior as Toth at some point. I don’t remember really good art coming from a happy family man. You need isolation and concentration and it’s time that hurts your relations.
@@DJhSnn I could name plenty, but we could around and around on this forever, so I'll spare you the list. And we're into semantics considering the definition of "genius," which I usually reserve for only a few.