Don Newton
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| Don Newton | |
| Born | November 12, 1934 St. Charles, Virginia |
| Died | August 19, 1984 (aged 49) Phoenix, Arizona |
| Nationality |
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| Area(s) | Penciller |
Don Newton (born November 12, 1934 in St. Charles, Virginia and died August 19, 1984 in Phoenix, Arizona) was an American comic book artist. During his career, he worked on for a number of comic book publishers, including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Charlton Comics. He is best known for his work on The Phantom, Aquaman, and Batman. Newton also drew several Captain Marvel/Marvel Family stories, and was a fan of the character, having studied under Captain Marvel co-creator C. C. Beck.
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[edit] Biography
Newton was born in the small coal mining town of St. Charles, Virginia and at the age of four Don developed asthma. The family doctor advised the Newtons to move out west. The family traveled about for a time, living in New Mexico, Arizona, California and Colorado before finally settling down in Arizona. Newton grew up and spent most of his life in the Phoenix/Scottsdale/Mesa Arizona area
[edit] Early Years
Growing up in Mesa Arizona in the 1940s, Don Newton was a big comic book fan. He began drawing when he was only a young boy, with comics being a big influence on his artwork from a very early age. He collected Captain Marvel, Whiz, Batman, Daredevil, Planet, and All Star, among other comic books of the time. He was a big fan of Batman and Daredevil, and an even bigger Captain Marvel fan. As a budding artist, Newton created a host of characters of his own and devoured anything that involved Captain Marvel, his favorite character.
Newton was a serious collector of comics, but by the time he had reached his high school years, he had already dumped his comic book collection in the garbage can. Don threw away almost complete runs of both Captain Marvel and Whiz worth a small fortune in today’s market. A growing attraction to the opposite sex, as well as to weight lifting and potential competition in that arena, had reduced his available time for comics to practically nothing, and he felt that it was time to explore other interests. Newton thought he was done with comics.
[edit] Newton Finds Comics Fandom
By the mid 1960s, Don Newton was a successful artist and art teacher at Mountain View Elementary School in Phoenix. He also worked part time as a student art reviewer for the mail order "Master Artist's Painting Course," but something was missing. Newton could not shake his interest in comics.
Newton eventually discovered comic book fandom, while searching for a source to purchase old comics. A friend gave him a copy of the Rocket’s Blast Comicollector (the RBCC). Don sent the publisher, Gordon (G.B.) Love, a sample of his work which eventually saw print as the back cover to The Golden Age #3, another fanzine Love published under the auspices of the Science Fiction and Comics Association (SFCA). Excited about seeing his artwork in print and having found an outlet for that work through which he could express his rekindled love of comic books, Newton was hooked on comic fandom.
[edit] The SFCA Years
Newton became an artistic staple of all the SFCA publications during this period. He produced almost two-dozen covers for the RBCC, and between 1968 and 1973, it was difficult to find an SFCA publication that did not feature something by Newton: artwork, a letter, a photo or an article about or written by Newton. Newton did not limit himself exclusively to the SFCA; he also worked for most of the major fanzines during these years.
Newton was a huge Captain Marvel fan. Newton made himself several Captain Marvel costumes that he would wear to comic conventions. His wife made herself a Mary Marvel costume as well.
Newton did one major strip during this time, which ran for more than a year in the RBCC called The Savage Earth. He had been doing illustrations for the RBCC for a while when G.B. Love presented the story idea for The Savage Earth to him. Over a period stretching from 1968 to 1970 the 11-chapter, 18-page, original science fiction strip appeared in issues 60-70 of the RBCC' and was reprinted in The Fandom Annual #2. Issue #65 of the RBCC sported a Newton Savage Earth painting as its cover.
Newton’s work also appeared in All Dynamic #5-7; Collage; Comic Crusader #8-12 and 14-15; Fandom Media #3-4; Fantastic Fanzine #12-13; Fantasy Soundtrack #1; Fulcrum #1; Grave Tales #1; The Illustrated Comic Collector Handbook #4; Nebulous #1; The Newton Portfolio; Omnivore #1; Paragon #4-5; Paragon Golden Age Greats #1; Phantasy Review #1; Radion #7; Rocket’s Blast Special #8; Sense of Wonder #11 and 12; Styx #2; Sword and Fantasy #1; The Collector #16-17, 19, 21-14, 26-28; The Golden Age 3-5, 7; The Golden Age Collector #1-3, Titan Comics #2,4, 6-7; and Venture #4. Over 100 fanzines contained the art of Don Newton.
Newton tried for years to leverage his connections in fandom into work at DC Comics or Marvel Comics, but he was at a distinct disadvantage, living in Arizona. Marvel in particular wanted their artists close at hand. Newton finally set his sights a little lower and sent some sample pages to Nicola Cuti at Charlton Comics. Where the big publishers passed on Newton, the little one took the bait at once.
[edit] Charlton Comics
Newton did his first professional work at Charlton Comics in 1974. Their colors were never up to industry standards and at times the blacks were washed out and ugly, but it was professional work. Charlton was also the home of some of the industries biggest talent, like Steve Ditko, Jim Aparo, Dick Giordano, Joe Staton, John Byrne, and now Don Newton.
[edit] The Horror Comics
Newton's first work for Charlton was a seven-page horror story in Ghost Manor #18, March, 1974 called "The Empty Room." The next issue of Ghost Manor, #19, June 1974 had two one-page features. The first introduced the character of Baron Weirwulf and his mysterious library from which he would read facts about "vampires, werewolves, monsters, UFO's and magic." These would appear in the pages of many Charlton comics.
Newton continued doing horror stories for Charlton, and in 1975 he began painting covers for their horror and romance books. September of 1975 saw the last of the new horror work that Newton would do for Charlton and it appeared in Midnight Tales #14.
[edit] The Phantom
In October 1975 Newton's first issue of the Phantom, #67, was published. Newton was stylistically reinventing the character, and his first work on the character just happened to be a retelling of the Phantom's origin, written by Joe Gill. Newton provided the cover painting and 23 pages of art and some reworking of the script.
Although the story, "Triumph of Evil!," is attributed to Joe Gill, Newton would later claim that he "re-wrote 50% of [the] #67 script." Within a few months, Newton would have even more control over the character.
Newton would pencil and ink all of his Phantom work and would supply a cover painting for every issue he drew. Newton rewrote and drew issue #68, but issue #69 only featured a cover painting by Newton. There was much confusion at Charlton over who would write and control the book. The fallout from this was a late script for issue #69, Newton having a hand in all future stories, and Bill Pearson being hired to color the interiors of the Phantom.
During the rest of Newton’s short run on the book, he basically wrote, penciled, inked and painted covers for issues #70-74. This run featured two classic Newton pieces at Charlton. Issue #70 of The Phantom is known far and wide as the "Bogart" issue, as the story stars Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Claude Rains and is a mixture of Casablanca, The African Queen, The Maltese Falcon, and Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
Newton’s swan song on the book, issue #74, features the Phantom of 1776 meeting Ben Franklin. It has Newton’s most striking Phantom cover, the Phantom of 1776, sword in one hand, flintlock pistol in the other in front of a smoky background of the Declaration of Independence and a tattered 13-star American flag.
[edit] The Death of Charlton
In the midst of Newton’s artistic success, things were not going well for Charlton. First they cancelled the Phantom, and then a month later they folded (for what would be the first of many times).
Newton had always seen Charlton as a stepping-stone to Marvel Comics. While still working for Charlton, Newton did do work on the Giant-Size Defenders #3, January 1975. This work came through friend Dan Adkins. Dan Adkins had been given the 32-page story to pencil and ink over Jim Starlin's layouts and was way behind schedule. With about 10 days left to complete the strip, Adkins had only completed 4 pages and asked for Newton's help. Newton, who had tried unsuccessfully for years to get work at Marvel, said he would do the work, but only if he got a credit line. Marvel agreed and Newton went to work. In all he penciled 12 full pages and also penciled or inked panels on two other pages. Although he was supposed to follow Jim Starlin's layouts, Newton once said he "wound up erasing 90% of his [Starlin's] stuff."
Through Adkins, Newton also did some small uncredited inking on a few of the Kung Fu books and a frontispiece for the Savage Sword of Conan #6, June 1975.
In early 1976, Newton did a single painting for Roy Thomas, which became the cover of Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction Annual #1.
Newton inked the April 1977 issue of Ghost Rider, #23. The book had pencils by Don Heck. Newton left Heck's pencils alone, so that the result is more Heck than Newton. After this job, the work from Marvel dried up and Charlton was gone.
[edit] DC Comics
Newton was concerned about his career but within a few months he got his first assignment from DC Comics. Newton began his career at DC with DC Special #28, July 1977. Newton contributed the pencils on a 12-page Aquaman strip, "A Creature of Death and Darkness!" inked by his old friend Dan Adkins. Newton would draw Aquaman off and on for the next three years.
[edit] The New Gods
Later that same month saw the release of Newton's first series at DC, The New Gods #12. Like his first Aquaman story, Dan Adkins inked most of his work on the New Gods. Newton had a great love of science fiction and the New Gods had a lot of SF leanings. Don was still working as a junior high school art teacher, yet managed to pencil the book in his "spare time." Newton did eight issues of the New Gods, issues 12-19 and two more New Gods stories that appeared in Adventure Comics.
[edit] Star Hunters
In the middle of Newton's run on The New Gods, he did the designs and first two appearances of a new DC strip, the Star Hunters. They premiered in DC Super-Stars #16, October 1977 in a 34-page origin written by David Michelinie and inked by Bob Layton. Newton did all of the character and hardware designs for the series. He also penciled the cover. Star Hunters #1 followed the next month with a 17-page story by Adkins, Newton, and Bob Layton. Dissatisfied with Layton's inking of his pencils, Newton dropped the Star Hunters book after this single issue.
[edit] Aquaman
DC revived the Aquaman title with issue #57 in September 1977 and Newton took over as the regular penciler with issue #60. This is around the time that Newton gave up his job as a teacher to take on comics as his career.
May 1978, in Aquaman #61, Newton got his first chance to draw Batman professionally. The story by Michelinie was a continuation from the previous issue featuring Kobra as the villain, but this issue guest-starred Batman and Green Lantern.
Newton's four issues marked the end of the book although he would continue drawing the character in Adventure Comics for the next year or so, alternating issues with Don Heck.
[edit] Shazam!
One of Newton’s life-long ambitions was to draw Captain Marvel and he fullfilled this desire in 1978 when he was signed as the new penciler for the Shazam! Book. Newton wrote friends of his excitement at being given the opportunity to visually “redefine" the character of Captain Marvel.
His first effort was in issue #35 of Shazam!, which also ended up being the final issue of the book. Don penciled the 17-page story, "Backward, Turn Backward, O Time in Your Flight!", which was written by E. Nelson Bridwell and inked by Kurt Schaffenberger.
Although the Shazam! book was cancelled, the Shazam! feature was quickly moved into World's Finest Comics, which, at the time, was a big Dollar Comic featuring 68 pages of new stories and art. His first Worlds Finest issue, #253, is dated November 1978. Don would draw Shazam in 28 issues of World’s Finest, ending his run in July 1982 in issue #281.
After its run in World’s Finest, the Shazam! Strip moved to Adventure Comics. Newton’s last work on Captain Marvel appeared in the September and October 1982 issues of Adventure Comics. These two stories were obviously scheduled for World’s Finest, but it had reverted back to a standard comic featuring the Superman-Batman team. During this time-period, Adventure was a 5”x7” digest book and the diminutive size of the printed artwork took its toll on the art’s impact.
[edit] Batman
Since joining DC, Newton had been pressing for an opportunity to draw a Batman strip and finally he got his chance. Batman #305, November 1978 featured an 8-page Batman back-up strip, “With This Ring – Find Me Dead!” inked by Dave Hunt. The same month Don was the “Guest Penciler” on the Batman strip in Detective Comics #480. Newton followed it up with another back-up story in the very next issue of Batman.
Within six months Don became the regular penciler of Detective Comics. Newton would also do back-up stories in Batman, featuring Batman or Robin or Catwoman for the next two years before beginning a two-year stint on the main Batman strip beginning in late 1982. Newton also did a couple of issues of the Brave and the Bold, starring Batman. In total, Newton did 79 stories featuring Batman or members of the Batman family during his tenure at DC. Newton was a prolific Batman artist.
The Newton Batman harkened back to the days of Dick Sprang. Though it was never considered to be the “definitive” Batman because many others had mined that field before him, Newton did add to the Batman legend. Newton brought a level of humanity to the characters that others did not or could not. What was “definitive” about Newton’s Batman work was the supporting cast. This was Newton’s talent; this is what set him apart from every other penciler.
Although many inkers worked with Newton on his Batman pages, two stand out above the rest. His old friend, Dan Adkins, inked the vast majority of Newton’s Batman pages and the late Alfredo Alcala inked the majority of his Detective pages. These men embody completely different inking styles, but both added to the richness of Newton’s pencils.
[edit] Marvel Comics
Early in Newton’s career he had looked at getting work at Marvel as his major goal, but over time Newton became disillusioned with Marvel. Not only did he like the DC characters better, but also he found the "style" of the two companies to be almost direct opposites. While DC relied on characterization to drive their plots, Newton thought Marvel seemed to focus on fight scenes, so he was quite satisfied with working at DC. In 1979 however, he returned to Marvel to produce his best work there.
Newton wanted to draw Captain America at Marvel, but John Byrne was doing Cap at the time and The Avengers was the best they could do to fulfill that request. Newton wasn't thrilled about doing a team book, but took the assignment anyway when he was promised Joe Rubinstein as his permanent inker on the book. Newton had loved the inks that Joe had done on The New Gods #16 years earlier and jumped at the opportunity to work with Rubinstein again.
He finished the pencils for two issues but did not have the script for a third issue in hand. DC would always fill his time with a backup story or something else in the case of a script delay, so Don never would stop drawing. When this did not happen at Marvel, Newton panicked. Don contacted Paul Levitz at DC and re-upped his contract with them.
Newton's two issues of The Avengers became Avengers Annual #9, half of which was inked by Rubinstein. Joe Rubinstein became Don's favorite inker with his work on the second half of this book. His clean, powerful style, let the details in Newton's work shine through, while adding a "glossiness" to the pencils that other inkers could not. It could have been a great run, but Don was back at DC…but not for good.
In 1981 Don Newton again left DC for Marvel. As was the case the first time, better money was one of the factors that pushed him to Marvel. In addition, Newton began feeling DC was taking him for granted.
Marvel had other artists such as Val Mayerik call Don to entice him into working at Marvel again. Unlike last time, Joe Rubinstein was not part of the deal. The Avengers #204 featured inks by Dan Green. The results were, for the most part, dreadful. Newton's style was completely hidden by the inks and Newton hated the job.
[edit] DC Again
During the time that Newton was drawing this second attempt at The Avengers book, he was contacted by Paul Levitz who promised him some additional advertising artwork, should Don return to DC. After the disastrous Avengers job by Green and again the lack of scheduled work from Marvel, Newton agreed to accept a new contract with DC. He was happy again with DC and never worked for Marvel again.
[edit] Green Lantern
Don opened 1982 with backup stories in Green Lantern #148 and #149. For #148 Don penciled an 8-page Green Lantern Corps story inked by Dan Adkins. This story has a little bit of everything in it: space battles, Guardians, alien civilizations, everything, except humans. The story is the first appearance of Ch'p, the squirrel-like Green Lantern of H'lven, who would later go on to win a measure of fame in the Green Lantern Corps series as well as Green Lantern: Mosaic.
Green Lantern #149 again took us down an unexpected alley. Dan Adkins again handled the inks on an eight-page western entitled "Earth's First Green Lantern." Not only does this story redefine the history of the Green Lanterns on Earth, altering the Earth/Abin Sur timeline, it also features Don's only professional western comic art.
It would be two years later before Don returned to Green Lantern. Green Lantern #181 is the only DC comic Don ever inked, a 6-page Tales of the Green Lantern Corps story "One Night in a Bar on Lawrel-Hardee XI" written by Paul Kupperberg, penciled and inked by Don (lettered by friend John Clark). The inks are lush and brushy like Don’s old Phantom style, but the details, the intricate crosshatching is evocative of his early fandom work, only with a maturity that was never there in the past. In Don’s obituary, which ran in most DC comics for a month, Dick Giordano said of this work, “To my mind, Don's final statement was the Green Lantern Corps story he penciled and inked that appeared in Green Lantern #181. He showed us how to do it right.”
[edit] Infinity Inc.
After six years of drawing Batman, Newton was burned out and looking for a new challenge. In 1983 Newton had worked with Roy Thomas on a proposed re-launching of the Shazam! series featuring a new member of the Marvel Family, Captain Thunder (basically a black Captain Marvel). The new Shazam! book was never “green lighted” by DC, but this did mark the first time that Thomas and Newton would work together, and was the catalyst for Thomas asking Newton to take over the Infinity, Inc. title. Newton had always told DC that other than Batman and Captain Marvel the only book he would like to draw was the All-Star Squadron. Thomas tapped into that interest by proposing that Newton draw Infinity, Inc., featuring the children of the original All-Star characters. Newton jumped at the opportunity. Unfortunately, this collaboration did not last long.
They started with a fill-in issue that was to be used in the future if Newton ever had problems meeting the deadline on the monthly team book. The pencils for this issue went into storage for a rainy day. The first issue scheduled to contain his art was Infinity Inc. #11, February 1985 and Newton penciled a 5-page framing sequence around an 18-page story drawn by George Tuska and Mike Machlan. Newton's pencils are inked by Tony DeZuniga. Newton was to begin penciling the entire book with issue #12, but the letter page in issue #11 told the world that tragedy had already struck. Newton had died in August of 1984.
While Newton lay in the hospital in a coma, his mother had sent in the first three pages of Infinity Inc. #12 to Thomas. Joe Rubinstein was brought in to ink them and Newton’s Phoenix friend John Clark lettered the pages.
Jim Shooter let Rubinstein out of his Spider-Man contract for a month so that he could ink the fill-in issue Newton had done. It became Infinity Inc. #13, April 1985. This was Newton's last published original work, a 23-page story, "A Thorn Grows in Paradise," written by Roy Thomas.
