Don Newton (November 12, 1934 – August 19, 1984) was an American comics artist. During his career, he worked for a number of comic book publishers including Charlton Comics, DC Comics, and Marvel 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.

Biography

Newton was born in St. Charles, Virginia, but after being diagnosed with asthma at the age of four, the Newton family moved to Arizona. Newton began drawing at a young age, with comic books being a major influence on his early artwork. He was a big fan of Batman, Daredevil, and Captain Marvel.

By the mid–1960s, Newton was teaching art in Phoenix and worked part-time as a student art reviewer for the mail order "Master Artist's Painting Course."

Comics fandom

Newton eventually discovered comic book fandom, while searching for a source to purchase old comics. Newton became involved with the Science Fiction and Comics Association (SFCA) and became an artistic staple in the organization's publications. Between 1968 and 1973 he produced almost two dozen covers for the Rocket's Blast Comicollector (RBCC).

Newton did one major strip during this time which ran for more than a year in the RBCC, called "The Savage Earth". From 1968 to 1970, the science fiction strip appeared in issues #60–70 of the RBCC. Issue #65 of the RBCC sported a Newton "Savage Earth" painting as its cover.

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 his first professional comic book work was published. and would work on Charlton horror books for the next year and half. Besides drawing for the Charlton horror comics, Newton also began painting covers for their horror and romance books.

thumb|right|180px|Don Newton's cover to The Phantom #74 (Jan. 1977) featuring the Phantom of 1776

In October 1975 Newton's first issue of The Phantom, #67, was published. Dan Adkins inked most of his work on the New Gods.

One of Newton’s lifelong ambitions was to draw Captain Marvel and he fulfilled this desire in 1978 when he was signed as the new penciller for the Shazam! title. O'Neil and Newton produced the story "The Vengeance Vow" in Detective Comics #485 (Aug.–Sept. 1979) in which the original Batwoman is killed by the League of Assassins.

Marvel Comics

In 1979, Newton returned to Marvel. He wanted to draw Captain America, but that title was unavailable at the time and The Avengers was the closest Marvel could do to fulfilling that request. Newton took the assignment when he was promised Joe Rubinstein as his permanent inker on the book. Newton finished the pencils for only two issues before returning to DC. Those two issues of The Avengers became Avengers Annual #9, half of which was inked by Rubinstein, half by Jack Abel. 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. Marvel had other artists, such as Val Mayerik, call Don to entice him into working at Marvel again. Unlike the previous time, Joe Rubinstein was not part of the deal. The Avengers #204 (Feb. 1981) featured inks by Dan Green.

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 Newton return to DC.

He drew the first appearance of Jason Todd in Batman #357 (March 1983), a character who became the second Robin.

Newton had always told DC that the only series he would like to draw other than Batman and Captain Marvel was All-Star Squadron. Editor and writer Roy Thomas tapped into that interest by proposing that Newton draw Infinity, Inc., featuring the children of the original All-Star characters. The first issue scheduled to contain Newton's art was Infinity Inc. #11 featuring a five-page framing sequence by Newton which surrounded a story drawn by George Tuska and Mike Machlan. Newton was to begin penciling the entire book with issue #12, but the letters page in issue #11 told of Newton's death. Newton suffered a massive heart attack in his home, after dealing with months of a debilitating throat ailment. He died three days later on August 19, 1984, in a nearby Mesa hospital.

Death

Newton died on August 19, 1984, after suffering a massive heart attack.

Awards

Newton won the Comic Fan Art Award in 1973 in the category "Favorite Fan Artist".

Bibliography

Comics work (interior pencil art) includes:

Charlton Comics

  • Beyond the Grave #17 (1984)
  • Ghost Manor #18, 20, 22, 48, 64 (1974–1982)
  • Ghostly Haunts #42 (1975)
  • Haunted #50, 59 (1980–1982)
  • Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves #45, 49 (1974–1975)
  • Midnight Tales #11–14 (1975)
  • The Phantom #67–68, 70–71, 73–74 (1975–1977)
  • Scary Tales #31 (1982)

DC Comics

  • Adventure Comics (New Gods) #459–460; (Aquaman) #460–461, 464–466; (Shazam!) #491–492 (1978–1982)
  • All-Star Squadron Annual #3 (three pages only) (1984)
  • Aquaman #60–63 (1978)
  • Batman #305–306, 328, 331, 346, 352–357, 360–372, 374–379; (Catwoman) #332; (Robin) #337–338; (1978–1985)
  • Batman Family (Robin, Batgirl, Man-Bat) #13 (1977)
  • Blackhawk #266 (1984)
  • The Brave and the Bold (Batman and Red Tornado) #153, (Batman and Doctor Fate) #156, (Batman and Man-Bat) #165 (1979–1980)
  • DC Comics Presents (Superman and Green Arrow) #54 (1983)
  • DC Special (Aquaman) #28 (1977)
  • DC Special Series (Lightray) #10 (1978)
  • DC Super Stars (Star Hunters) #16 (1977)
  • Detective Comics (Batman) #480, 483–499, 501–509, 511, 513–516, 518–520, 524, 526, 533, 539; (Robin) #481; (Man-Bat) #481, 485; (Batgirl) #492 (1978–1984)
  • Ghosts #92, 94 (1980)
  • Green Lantern vol. 2 (Green Lantern Corps) #148–149, 181 (1982–1984)
  • House of Mystery #259, 272 (1978–1979)
  • Infinity, Inc. #11–13 (1985)
  • Mystery in Space #117 (1981)
  • New Gods #12–14, 16–19 (1977–1978)
  • Secrets of Haunted House #30 (1980)
  • Shazam! #35 (1978)
  • Star Hunters #1 (1977)
  • Time Warp #1–5 (1979–1980)
  • The Unexpected #204 (1980)
  • Vigilante #4 (1984)
  • Weird War Tales #82, 122 (1979–1983)
  • World's Finest Comics (Shazam!) #253–270, 272–281; (Green Arrow and Hawkman) #259; (Aquaman) #262 (1978–1982)

Marvel Comics

  • Avengers #204 (1981); Annual #9 (1979)
  • Giant-Size Defenders #3 (1975)
  • Ghost Rider #23 (1977)
  • Iron Man Annual #4 (backup story) (1977)

References

  • The Art of Don Newton fansite
  • Don Newton at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
  • Don Newton at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators