Alex Toth - Fighting Forces Issue 134 SOLDIER'S GRAVE Title Page (1971)

Finally got an Alex Toth page. Been wanting one for a long time and then this came along....

Soldier's Grave is an 8 page story about a soldier, who joined the military to earn wages for his wife and children who were facing starvation. This soldier was falling behind the company yet needed to fight in order to earn his soldier's wage.

He then comes across and begins battling a lone enemy soldier with a jeweled blade and both die in the fray. His last thought was "no one will know that I fought and died...for a few shekels..that I never receive!".

The poor soldier's fellow troops later happen upon the scene and recognize that he fought and died to protect them...the lead soldier takes the jeweled blade, buries our dead soldier honorably, and gives the oath to give "this fine jeweled blade, which took his life, shall insure those of his wife and children."

"Thus ends our tale of one soldier's grave".

This little short story is on many Toth fan's top 10 or personal favorites list. The art is rough and rugged to match the time and theme of the story.

There is marker fade due to Toth's choice of tools but it also made it affordable enough for me to get it.

Everything is art drawn directly on the page including the title text which is pretty impressive.

Thus ends our tale of one collector's quest for a Toth page.

I also now have the end page to this story: https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=2176579