#Frank Borth

[thefugitivesaint]

Frank Borth (1918-2009), ''Asimovs'', Vol. 2, #6, 1978 Source

[tomoleary]

Frank Borth - Phantom Lady vs Killer Dan (dressed as a bunny), page 40 Police Comics #18 (April 1943) and 1989 recreation

[chernobog13]

The Spider Widow, Grandmother of Terror, was one of the stranger heroes to come out of the Golden Age of comics, an era that saw no shortage of bizarre characters.

Created by artist Frank Borth for Quality Comics, Spider Widow was actually a beautiful young socialite (weren't they all?) who somehow - it is never explained how - gained the ability to control black widow spiders. While many people would assume that was an ability more suited for a villain, Borth made her a superhero. And he doubled down by having the beautiful, strawberry blonde Dianne Grayton (the colorist messed up in the panels above) don a hideous mask and witch's outfit as her costume.

Debuting in Feature Comics #57 (June, 1942), an anthology book where she didn't even get a cover mention, the Spider Widow's feature ran until Feature Comics #72 (October, 1943).

During the Spider Widow's short run, she managed to get her own sidekick, and eventual love interest: The Raven. The Raven was Anthony Grey, a guy who just happened to have a thing for the Spider Widow and a bird suit that allowed him to fly. He rescued the Widow from a Nazi trap during his first appearance in Feature Comics #60 (September, 1942), and the two share a kiss at the end. This issue the strip is also re-titled The Spider Widow and The Raven.

Towards the end of the strip the Spider Widow and the Raven meet Phantom Lady (a strip Borth had also drawn for Quality). At first there' is a minor rivalry's a feud between Spider Widow and Phantom Lady for the Raven's affection, but eventually the two women become good friends and work together to fight crime. Their meeting marked Quality's one-and-only crossover between characters, and ran in Feature Comics #69-71 and Police Comics (home of Phantom Lady's strip) #20-22.

Frank Borth was drafted in 1943, which according to many accounts is the reason why the Spider Widow strip ended with Feature Comics #72. In fact, Borth did not draw the story in Feature Comics #71 (the last part of the crossover with Phantom Lady), or Feature Comics #72, wherein the Raven is neither seen nor mentioned. The replacement artist(s) are/were not credited, but whoever it was their work was far inferior to Borth's, so it's a good thing the Spider Widow ended when it did.

DC Comics purchased all of the Quality Comics characters when Quality called it "quits" in the 1950s. To my knowledge, neither the Spider Widow or the Raven have made an appearance in any DC comic books since then, not even in Roy Thomas' All-Star Squadron, which seemed to utilize every Wall-era superhero in DC's stable. The Spider Widow was supposedly the inspiration for a character in the JLA: Destiny Elseworlds mini-series, but I'd have to hunt that down and re-read it to be sure.

Years and years ago I was acquainted with Frank Borth, as he was active in local politics in the town where I was deputy mayor. Even though we were on opposite sides of the political fence, he was always very friendly and jovial when we met. At the time I had absolutely no idea he had been a comic book artist back in the Golden Age (I only found out after he passed away) or I'd've set up residence in his house bugging him for art and reminisces from the old days.

[evilhorse]

Hmmmmmmm this looks like a case for the Phantom Lady, if ever I saw one!

[cryptocollectibles]

Treasure Chest #5 (November 1961) by George A Pflaum

Written and drawn by various.

[wordsmithnikki]

Real Lancashire Accent: The Pike A Poem By Frank Speak, Read In The Lancashire Dialect

Time to honour our gradely hill – The Pike – with a reading by Frank Speak in the local dialect.

Frank Speak of Blackrod reads The Pike poem in Lancashire accent with Lancashire dialect phrases Pikes arrrs Sez womon In Aggy Cwop Horwich Mon Sez think Thee not Jog on Borth sez Belmont lad That hills ars Since me Dars Da Da Da were a Dad All of you Best think on Lord Lever wheezes The Pike is On my map For the Bolton weavers To roll down on Good Friday and Crack their yeds Folks…

[handicappedbuenchico]

Y'all I have to share this image that I just found on Google OH MY FUCKING GOD I'M CRYING 😭😂😂

LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID TO MY BOY CARLOS LIKE DAMN MAN

Apparently, these were character studies done by Frank Borth for Cracked Magazine in preparation for their F.reddy's D.ead: T.he F.inal N.ightmare parody comic "Dreddy's Dead".

Thank you, Frank Borth, for creating these absolute masterpieces. Ngl I really love how everyone else is in a mostly neutral facial expression, but Carlos just has a whole ass nail through his fucking skull and is making a goofy face on top of it.

I'm sorry, I just can't stop laughing at this like--

[jacques-le-fataliste-23]

Frank Borth, The Spider Widow ‘Feature Comics’ #62, November 1942 Via: https://andeverythingelsetoo.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-spider-widow-vs-japanese-spies.html

[originalharmonysalad]

Phantom Lady vs. the Easter Bunny

Police Comics #18 (1943)

Art by Frank Borth

via Raiders of the Lost Tumblr

[gameraboy2]

Phantom Lady vs. the Easter Bunny

Police Comics #18 (1943) Art by Frank Borth 

[alternateworldcomics]

Feature Comics #69 July 1943

Starting in Feature Comics with # 59, Dianne Grayton, The Spider Widow: The Grandmother of Terror was a five-page superheroine. It was written, drawn, and inked by Frank Borth

In issue # 60, while she kept the title of the strip she was joined in fighting crime by Tony Grey a fellow who called himself The Raven and could kind of sort of fly, in issue # 69 they were joined by another Quality Comics character, Sandra Knight The Phantom Lady.

This team-up lasted for the rest of the series.

A lot of costumed crime fighters for just five pages.

Oh yeah, along with these three there is also a mention of the Blackhawks.

This low-wattage super team (along with The Spider Widow and Raven!) seems to have been forgotten today. Perhaps Uncle Sam lost their phone numbers.

[rocket-prose]

Original Frank Borth art: A superb reconstruction of Borth's 1943 splash for a story called "Golden Egg!" (published in Police Comics #18)-- as commissioned for a 1987 issue of the trade journal Cartoonist Profiles.

[thebristolboard]

Original gag strip by Frank Borth from an unknown issue of Cracked. 

[driveintheaterofthemind]

Vintage Comic - Treasure Chest Of Fun And Fact #160 (Vol. 09 #014)

Pencils: Frank Borth Inks: Frank Borth George A. Pflaum (Mar11th1954)

[evilhorse]

Mysterious woman of wonders

[nekasuz]

Find out if Sock Jones and his friends can return to their time!  Will the Okol’s help them? Does TIME Dust exist?! 

Treasure Chest Comic, Vol. 26, November 1970.  Super cover art by Frank Borth (1918-2009).  Read the story!

https://cuislandora.wrlc.org/islandora/object/cuislandora%3A27191/pages