Thomas F. Sutton (April 15, 1937 – May 1, 2002)Thomas F. Sutton
at the

Social Security Death Index The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) was a database of death records created from the Social Security Administration, United States Social Security Administration's Death Master File until 2014. Since 2014, public access to the updated Death Mas ...

. Retrieved on September 20, 2012. was an American

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

artist who sometimes used the pseudonyms Sean Todd and Dementia. He is best known for his contributions to

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

and

Warren Publishing Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren (publisher), James Warren, who published his first magazines in 1957 and continued in the business for decades. Magazines published by Warren include ''After Hours (magazin ...

's line of black-and-white horror-

comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

magazines, particularly as the first story-artist of the popular character

Vampirella Vampirella () is a fictional vampire superheroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine ''Vampirella'' #1 (Sept. 1969), a sister publication of ''Creepy'' ...

Biography

Early life and career

Tom Sutton was born and raised in

North Adams, Massachusetts North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 12,961 as of the 2020 census. Best known as the ...

, where father Harry was a

plumbing Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses pipes, valves, plumbing fixtures, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. Heating and cooling (HVAC), waste removal, and potable water delivery ...

, heating and

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

shopkeeper, and a machinist and

gunsmith A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. The occupation differs from an armorer, who usually replaces only worn parts in standard firearms. Gunsmiths do modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very h ...

for

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...

and others. He had a half-sister "seven or eight years older than I am" from his widower father's first marriage. Influenced by

EC Comics Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books, which specialized in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction, dark fantasy, and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-195 ...

and the

comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...

art of

Milton Caniff Milton Arthur Paul Caniff (; February 28, 1907 – April 3, 1988) was an People of the United States, American cartoonist famous for the ''Terry and the Pirates (comic strip), Terry and the Pirates'' and ''Steve Canyon'' comic strips. Biography ...

Alex Raymond Alexander Gillespie Raymond Jr. (October 2, 1909 – September 6, 1956) was an American cartoonist who was best known for creating the ''Flash Gordon'' comic strip for King Features Syndicate in 1934. The strip was subsequently adapted into many ...

and

Hal Foster Harold Rudolf Foster, FRSA (August 16, 1892 – July 25, 1982) was a Canadian-American comic strip artist and writer best known as the creator of the comic strip '' Prince Valiant''. His drawing style is noted for its high level of draftsmanship ...

, Sutton drew nude art for paying schoolyard classmates.--> He enlisted in the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

after graduating from high school in 1955, and worked on art projects while stationed at

Fort Francis E. Warren Fort D. A. Russell, also known as Fort Francis E. Warren, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base and Fort David A. Russell, was a post and base of operations for the United States Army, and later the U.S. Air Force, Air Force, located in Cheyenne, Wyom ...

, near

Laramie, Wyoming Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was estimated 32,711 in 2019, making it the third-largest city in Wyoming after Cheyenne and Casper. Located on the Laramie River in southeastern ...

. Later, stationed at

Itami 270px, Gogadzuka Kofun 270px, Aerial view of Itami city center 270px, Konoike inari shihi 270px, Arioka Castle ruins ) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 197,215 in 83580 households and a ...

base in Japan, Sutton created the Caniff-style adventure strip ''F.E.A.F Dragon'' for a base publication. Sutton's first professional comics work, it led to a long-hoped-for placement on the military's '' Stars and Stripes'' newspaper. At the Tokyo office of ''Stars and Stripes'', he drew the comic strip ''Johnny Craig'', a character name inspired by the EC artist

Johnny Craig John Thomas Alexis Craig (April 25, 1926 – September 13, 2001),John T. Craig
at the ...

. Sutton recalled that he worked on this strip "for two years and some odd months. I did it seven days a week, I think. It was all stupid. It was a kind of cheap version of ''Johnny Hazard'', I think it was". On his return to civilian life in 1959, Sutton lived and worked in San Francisco, where, he said, "There were some publications ... that I sold or gave artwork to." After six months he moved to

Jacksonville, Vermont Jacksonville is a village in the town of Whitingham, Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 213 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.2 square mile ...

, where his parents were at the time. In about 1960 he began attending the

School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (Museum School, SMFA at Tufts, or SMFA; formerly the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) is the art school of Tufts University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusett ...

on either a scholarship or the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

– Sutton was unclear on this in a 2001 interview – and studied there for two-and-a-half years while freelancing in

commercial art Commercial art is the art of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarily advertising. Commercial art uses a variety of platforms (magazines, websites, apps, television, etc.) for viewers with the intent of promo ...

for the likes of small ad agencies. Sutton became an

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

at a company called AVP, and was the animation director for Transradio Productions, among many other jobs that included graphics work on a

Radio Shack RadioShack, formerly RadioShack Corporation, is an American retailer founded in 1921. At its peak in 1999, RadioShack operated over 8,000 worldwide stores named RadioShack or Tandy Electronics in the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Austra ...

catalog. He married his first wife, Beverly, in the early 1960s and his two sons were born soon thereafter; the marriage lasted approximately five years.Sutton interview, ''The Comics Journal'', p
3
of online version. After the divorce his wife remarried and Sutton lost contact with his sons; he later reconnected with one of them, Todd.Sutton interview, ''The Comics Journal'', p
4
of online version. During the late 1960s, Sutton was living in Boston's North End. He married second wife Donna and in 1970 they moved to

Newburyport, Massachusetts Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, northeast of Boston. The population was 18,289 at the 2020 census. A historic seaport with vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mo ...

. Later Sutton lived in Newburyport with his third wife, Charlotte, who ran a

Montessori school The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...

for little people in the first floor of their

Victorian house In Great Britain and former British colonies, a Victorian house generally means any house built during the reign of Queen Victoria. During the Industrial Revolution, successive housing booms resulted in the building of many millions of Victorian ...

.Sutton interview, ''The Comics Journal'', p
8
of online version. In the 1990s, he moved to

Amesbury, Massachusetts Amesbury is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the left bank of the Merrimack River near its mouth, upstream from Salisbury and across the river from Newburyport and West Newbury. The population was 17,366 at the 2020 ...

Warren and Marvel

Sutton's first two comic-book stories appeared the same month. His first sale, "The Monster from One Billion B.C.", was published in

's black-and-white

horror-comics Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the ...

magazine ''

Eerie ''Eerie'' was an American magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing. Like '' Mad'', it was a black-and-white magazine intended for newsstand distribution and did not submit its stories to the comic book industry's voluntar ...

'' #11 (Sept. 1967), though it was originally commissioned for ''

Famous Monsters of Filmland ''Famous Monsters of Filmland'' is an American genre-specific film magazine, started in 1958 by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman. ''Famous Monsters of Filmland'' directly inspired the creation of many other similar publicat ...

'' (where it was reprinted four months later). He also illustrated the five-page anthological

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

story "The Wild Ones", written by

Sol Brodsky Soloman Brodsky (April 22, 1923 – June 4, 1984) was an American comic book artist who, as Marvel Comics' Silver Age production manager, was one of the key architects of the small company's expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate. He ...

, in Marvel's ''

Kid Colt, Outlaw ''Kid Colt, Outlaw'' is a comic book title featuring the character Kid Colt originally published by Atlas Comics beginning in 1948 and later Marvel Comics. Publication history Kid Colt and his horse Steel first appeared in ''Kid Colt'' #1 (Augu ...

'' #137 (Sept. 1967). It was one of many Westerns he drew for the company, including the introduction of the short-lived feature "Renegades"—'' The Fugitive'' times four, in the Old West—in ''

Western Gunfighters ''Western Gunfighters'' is the name of two American Western-anthology comic book series published by Marvel Comics and its 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics. That initial Atlas series ran eight issues, from 1956 to 1957, and featured artists includi ...

'' #1 (Aug. 1970). As Sutton recalled his breaking into Marvel, editor-in-chief

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...

Sutton soon developed a trademark frantic, cartoony style that, when juxtaposed on dramatic narratives, gave his work a vibrant, quirky dynamism. That distinctive style helped establish the popular supernatural character Vampirella from her first story, "Vampirella of Draculona", written by

Forrest J Ackerman Forrest James Ackerman (November 24, 1916 – December 4, 2008) was an American magazine editor; science fiction authors, science fiction writer and literary agent; a founder of science fiction fandom; a leading expert on science fiction, horror ...

, with costume design by artist

Trina Robbins Trina Robbins (born Trina Perlson; August 17, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American cartoonist. She was an early participant in the underground comix movement, and one of the first female artists in that movement. In the 1980s, Robbins beca ...

, in ''Vampirella'' #1 (Sept. 1969). Later, with writer Archie Goodwin, Sutton helped transition Vampi from cheeky horror hostess to serious dramatic character in the 21-page story "Who Serves the Cause of Chaos?" in issue #8 (Nov. 1970, reprinted in color in

Harris Comics Harris Publications Inc. was an American special interest media company, operating over 75 brands with print, digital, mobile and live event platforms prior to its sale to Athlon Media in 2016. It produced magazines that educate, entertain, inf ...

' 1995 ''Vampirella Classics'' series). Though well-suited to horror stories, Sutton was also admired for his work on such science fiction series as Marvel's ''

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...

'' magazine and

First Comics First Comics was an American comic book publisher that was active from 1983 to 1991, known for titles like ''American Flagg!'', ''Grimjack'', ''Nexus'', ''Badger'', ''Dreadstar'', and ''Jon Sable''. Along with competitors like Pacific Comics and ...

' ''

Grimjack Grimjack is the main character of a comic book originally published by the American company First Comics. John Ostrander and Timothy Truman are credited as co-creators of the character, although Ostrander had been developing Grimjack with artist L ...

'' and ''

Squalor Squalor refers to filthiness and degradation, as from neglect or poverty. Squalor may also refer to: * ''Squalor'' (comic), a limited series by Stefan Petrucha and Tom Sutton * Student squalor, various situations of student housing * Senile S ...

'', and for the humor title ''

Not Brand Echh ''Not Brand Echh'' is a satiric comic book series published by Marvel Comics that parodied its own superhero stories as well as those of other comics publishers. Running for 13 issues (cover-dated Aug. 1967 to May 1969), it included among its co ...

'', on which he appeared in nearly every issue with parodies of Marvel's own characters. He was not especially equipped to do

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

es, either by art style or temperament, once calling them "fascist". While he lent a hand very occasionally, Sutton stayed mostly on Marvel's supernatural heroes:

Werewolf by Night The Werewolf by Night (usually referred to by other characters simply as the Werewolf) is the name applied to two fictional characters who are werewolves appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first incarnation of W ...

Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider. The first s ...

, and

Doctor Strange Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...

(in the 1970s series, plus

Baron Mordo Baron Karl Amadeus Mordo (known as Baron Mordo) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted commonly as an adversary of Doctor Strange. The character was created by writer St ...

backup stories in the 1980s ''Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme''). With writer

Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early li ...

, penciler Sutton introduced the new furrily transformed ''

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...

'' character the Beast, who starred in a superhero feature in ''

Amazing Adventures ''Amazing Adventures'' is the name of several anthology comic book series, all but one published by Marvel Comics. The earliest Marvel series of that name introduced the company's first superhero of the late-1950s to early-1960s period fans and h ...

'' #11–15 (March–Sept. 1972). A series in the 1970s black-and-white comics magazine ''Planet of the Apes'', a licensed spin-off of the

movie series A film series or movie series (also referred to as a film franchise or movie franchise) is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. This article explains what film series are ...

, done with writer

Doug Moench Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948) is an American comic book writer notable for his ''Batman'' work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, ''Electric Warrior'' and ''Six from Sirius''. He is also known for his critically ...

, was "recognized by many as Sutton's best", said comics historian and columnist

Tom Spurgeon Thomas Martin Spurgeon (December 16, 1968 – November 13, 2019) was an American writer, historian, critic, and editor in the field of comics, notable for his five-year run as editor of ''The Comics Journal'' and his blog ''The Comics Reporter''. ...

: For the horror-oriented Warren, Sutton drew dozens of stories early in his career. He moonlighted for Warren competitor

Skywald Publications Skywald Publications was an American publisher of black-and-white comics magazines, primarily the horror anthologies ''Nightmare'', ''Psycho'', and ''Scream''. It also published a small line of comic books and other genre magazines. Skywald's or ...

, drawing the ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...

''-novel sequel "Frankenstein, Book II" (serialized in ''Psycho'' magazine #3–6, May, 1971 – May 1972)—using the pseudonym "Sean Todd" (writer-

penciler A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations, usually in collaboration with other artists, who provide inks, colors ...

Sutton and

inkers The inker (sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher) is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production. The penciller creates a drawing, the inker outlines, interprets, finalizes, retraces this drawing by using a pencil ...

Dan Adkins Danny L. AdkinsDanny L. Adkins
at the Social Security Death Index via FamilySearch.org. Retrieved December ...

Jack Abel Jack Abel (July 15, 1927 – March 6, 1996)
at the Lambiek Comiclopedia. November 24, 2009. was an United States of Amer ...

and Sutton himself), to avoid the wrath of publisher James Warren. A separate story in ''Psycho'' #4, written by Sutton and drawn by him and

Syd Shores Sydney Shores (1916 – June 3, 1973) was an American comic book artist known for his work on Captain America both during the 1940s, in what fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books, and during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books. Bi ...

, was credited as "Larry Todd" (writer) and "David Cook" (art). This was the result of someone having inadvertently inserted the name of real-life writer Larry Todd rather than usual pseudonym Sean Todd. For Skywald's short-lived line of color comics, Sutton wrote and drew stories for the

title ''Butch Cassidy'' and the horror title ''The Heap'' (no relation to the 1940s–50s

Hillman Periodicals Hillman Periodicals, Inc., was an American magazine and comic book publishing company founded in 1938 by Alex L. Hillman, a former New York City book publisher. It is best known for its true confession and true crime magazines; for the long-runni ...

character later revived by

Eclipse Comics Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market. It was ...

). He drew Marvel's similar muck-monster

Man-Thing The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ''S ...

as eight-page installments in the omnibus series ''

Marvel Comics Presents ''Marvel Comics Presents'' was an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics originally from 1988 to 1995. It returned for a second volume in 2007–2008, and a third volume that started in 2019. Volume 1 The first volume ...

'' during the late 1980s.

Later life and career

Living in

Mystic, Connecticut Mystic is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in Groton, Connecticut, Groton and Stonington, Connecticut, United States. Historically, Mystic was a significant Connecticut seaport with more than 600 ships built over 135 years starting in ...

, at some point, Sutton in the mid-1970s to early 1980s wrote and drew horror stories for the

Derby, Connecticut Derby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, approximately 8 miles west-northwest of New Haven. It is located in southwest Connecticut at the confluence of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers. It borders the cities of Ansoni ...

-based

Charlton Comics Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T.W.O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line was a division of Charlton ...

, including for such titles as ''

Ghost Manor ''Ghost Manor'' is a horror video game that was released by Xonox in 1983 for the Atari 2600 and VIC-20. It was generally packaged in a double ended cartridge and a cassette tape along with one of three other games in an effort to appeal to ...

'', ''

Midnight Tales ''Midnight Tales'' was an American horror-suspense anthology comic book series created by Wayne Howard and published by Charlton Comics from 1972 to 1976. The book was "hosted" by Professor Coffin (a.k.a. the Midnight Philosopher) and his niece Ar ...

'', ''Monster Hunters'' and ''

The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves ''The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves'' was an American supernatural- anthology comic book published by Charlton Comics, often featuring stories by writer-artist Steve Ditko. The eponymous Dr. M. T. Graves was a fictional character who hosted the sto ...

'', also painting covers for some of these titles. He drew ''

Marvel Premiere ''Marvel Premiere'' is an American comic book anthology series that was published by Marvel Comics. In concept it was a tryout book, intended to determine if a character or concept could attract enough readers to justify launching their own seri ...

'' #50 (Oct. 1979) which featured rock musician

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

as a comics character. In the mid-1980s, Sutton drew suspense stories for

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

' '' House of Secrets'' and ''

House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror, fantasy, and mystery Comics anthologies published by DC Comics. It had a companion series, ''The House of Secrets''. It is also the name of the titular setting of the series. First serie ...

'' which included the " I…Vampire" feature with writer

J. M. DeMatteis John Marc DeMatteis (; born December 15, 1953) is an American writer of comic books, television and novels. Biography Early career J. M. DeMatteis's earliest aspirations were to be a rock musician and comic book artist. He began playing in ban ...

. DeMatteis stated in a 2017 interview that he "thought uttonwas perfect for the series. His work dripped with mood and mystery. And he was a rock–solid storyteller." Sutton was one of the artists on ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

'' #400 (Oct. 1986) and he penciled virtually all 56 issues of DC's

licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

series ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' (1984–1988), a period in which, he said, "I know I was becoming an alcoholic."Sutton interview, ''The Comics Journal'', p
9
of online version. The desire to continue drawing, he said, overcame the urge to drink: Late in life, Sutton did commercial art for New England

advertising agencies An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generally ...

, and under his "Dementia" pseudonym, which he adopted in 1994, he drew for

Fantagraphics Books Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint. History Founding Fantagraphics was found ...

Eros Comix Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint. History Founding Fantagraphics was founde ...

line of adult comics. He was also a painter who had gallery showings of his bar-scene canvases. A limited-edition portfolio of six H. P. Lovecraft-inspired fantasy prints, ''The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath'', was produced in 1978 and reprinted in the 2002 book ''Graphic Classics: H. P. Lovecraft''. Police found Sutton dead of an apparent heart attack in his Amesbury apartment on May 3, 2002; it is unclear whether a medical examiner's determination of time or date of death was reported; the

confirms his death as May 1, 2002. Eros' ''Dementia's Dirty Girls'' #1 (May 2002) included a tribute by Bill Pearson.

Bibliography

Atlas/Seaboard Comics

* ''Tales of Evil'' #2 (1975)

Charlton Comics

* ''Attack'' #9–10, 13, 35 (1972–1982) * ''Battlefield Action'' #72, 78 (1981–1982) * ''Beyond the Grave'' #9, 14 (1983–1984) * ''

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...

'' #111, 130 (1975–1979) * ''Charlton Classics'' #8 (1981) * ''Creepy Things'' #1–6 (1975–1976) * ''

E-Man E-Man is a comic-book character, a superhero created by writer Nicola Cuti and artist Joe Staton for the American company Charlton Comics in 1973. Although the character's original series was short-lived, the lightly humorous hero has become a cu ...

'' #1 (1973) * ''

Fightin' Army ''Fightin' Army'' was a bimonthly war comic published by Charlton Comics from 1956–1984 (though it was primarily a reprint title from 1978 to the end of its run). Telling fictional stories of the United States Army, it was a sister title of the ...

'' #108, 111, 113–114, 117, 126, 128, 137–138, 140, 161 (1973–1982) * ''

Fightin' Marines ''Fightin' Marines'' was a bimonthly war comic magazine published by St. John Publications from 1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time ...

'' #107, 116–117, 119, 134, 141–142, 160, 166 (1972–1982) * ''For Lovers Only'' #83 (1976) * ''

'' #8–9, 17–19, 23, 25, 27–28, 31, 40, 42–43, 45, 47, 50, 61, 67, 71, 76 (1972–1984) * ''

Ghostly Haunts ''Ghostly Haunts'' was an American horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by Charlton Comics from 1971 to 1978. The book was "hosted" by Winnie the Witch, a " moddish" blue-skinned witch. ''Ghostly Haunts'' was part of a wave of ne ...

'' #33, 37–41, 49, 55, 57 (1973–1978) * ''

Ghostly Tales ''Ghostly Tales'' was a horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by Charlton Comics from 1966 to 1984 (though it was primarily a reprint title from 1978 onward). The book was "hosted" by Mr. L. Dedd (later changed to I. M. Dedd), a m ...

'' #100, 105–108, 110–115, 123–124, 127, 130, 135, 138–140, 148, 150, 152, 162–163, 166, 169 (1972–1984) * ''

Haunted Haunted or The Haunted may refer to: Books * ''Haunted'' (Armstrong novel), by Kelley Armstrong, 2005 * ''Haunted'' (Cabot novel), by Meg Cabot, 2004 * ''Haunted'' (Palahniuk novel), by Chuck Palahniuk, 2005 * ''Haunted'' (Angel novel), a 200 ...

'' #10, 15, 17, 20–27, 29, 31, 35–39, 42, 44–45, 52, 54–58, 61–62, 64, 66–68, 70, 73 (1973–1984) * '' Haunted Love'' #1, 3, 5–6, 9–11 (1973–1975) * ''I Love You'' #116, 118 (1976) * ''Love Diary'' #97, 99 (1976) * '' The Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves'' #35, 39, 42, 44–45, 47–50, 52, 54–56, 60–61, 65, 70 (1972–1982) * ''

'' #2–10, 15 (1973–1975) * ''Monster Hunters'' #2–8, 16–18, 20 (1975–1979) * ''

Scary Tales "Scary Tales" refers to several different versions of a Halloween-themed compilation of Walt Disney shorts, as well as an alternate and condensed version of "Disney's Halloween Treat" (1982) by the same name or derivation debuting in different ye ...

'' #2–4, 9, 13, 29, 33, 35–36, 43, 46 (1975–1984) * ''Secret Romance'' #37 (1976) * ''Secrets of Young Brides'' #4, 6 (1976) * ''Space War'' #30, 33 (1978–1979) * '' Space: 1999'' #1 (1975) * ''Teen Confessions'' #94–95 (1976) * ''Time for Love'' #46 (1976) * ''War'' #3, 5, 14, 16 (1975–1979)

DC Comics

* ''

Animal Man Animal Man (Bernhard "Buddy" Baker) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily "borrow" t ...

'' #60, 71, ''Annual'' #1 (1993–1994) * ''

'' #400 (1986) * ''

DC Special Series ''DC Special Series'' was an umbrella title for one-shots and special issues published by DC Comics between 1977 and 1981. Each issue featured a different character and was often in a different format than the issue before it. ''DC Special Serie ...

'' #12 (1978) * ''

Doctor Fate Doctor Fate (also known as Fate) is the name of multiple superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version of the character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, debuting in ''More F ...

Annual'' #1 (1989) * ''

Doom Patrol Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...

'' vol. 2 #70–72, 74 (1993–1994) * ''

The Hacker Files ''The Hacker Files'' is a twelve issue DC Comics mini-series published from August 1992 to July 1993. It was written by Lewis Shiner and illustrated by Tom Sutton. Publication history The series written by cyberpunk novelist Lewis Shiner is notab ...

'' #1–12 (1992–1993) * ''

Hellblazer ''John Constantine, Hellblazer'' is an American contemporary Horror fiction, horror comic-book series published by DC Comics since January 1988, and subsequently by its Vertigo Comics, Vertigo imprint since March 1993, when the imprint was introd ...

'' #44–45 (1991) * ''

'' #189, 271, 298, 303; " I…Vampire": #290–291, 293, 295, 297, 299, 302, 306–319 (1970-1983) * '' House of Secrets'' #154 (1978) * ''

Mystery in Space ''Mystery in Space'' is the name of two science fiction American comic book series published by DC Comics, and of a standalone Vertigo anthology released in 2012. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 to 1966, with a further seven issues c ...

'' #112 (1980) * ''

Our Fighting Forces ''Our Fighting Forces'' is a war comics anthology series published by DC Comics for 181 issues from 1954–1978. Publication history ''Our Fighting Forces'' began with an October–November 1954 cover date. Writer-editor Robert Kanigher's w ...

'' #144 (1973) * ''

Secrets of Haunted House ''Secrets of Haunted House'' was a horror-suspense comics anthology series published by American company DC Comics from 1975 to 1978 and 1979 to 1982. Publication history The series began in April–May 1975. Like its predecessor ''Secrets of S ...

'' #45 (1982) * ''Star Hunters'' #6–7 (1978) * '' Star Spangled War Stories'' #168 (1973) * ''

'' #1–6, 8–18, 20–27, 29, 31–34, 39–52, 55 (1984–1988) * ''Star Trek Movie Special'' #1–2 (adaptations of '' Star Trek III: The Search for Spock'' and '' Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'') (1984–1987) * ''

Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental List of swamp monsters, creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or mo ...

'' vol. 2 #98 (1990) * ''

Time Warp Time travel is a common theme in fiction, mainly since the late 19th century, and has been depicted in a variety of media, such as literature, television, film, and advertisements. The concept of time travel by mechanical means was popularize ...

'' #1–3 (1979–1980) * ''

Weird War Tales ''Weird War Tales'' was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics. It was published from September–October 1971 to June 1983. Publication history The original title ran for 12 years and 124 issues. It was ...

'' #66, 87, 91–92, 103 (1978–1981) * ''Who's Who in Star Trek'' #1–2 (1987) * ''

Who's Who in the DC Universe ''Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe'' (1985–87), usually referred to simply as ''Who's Who'', is the umbrella title for a number of comic book series which DC Comics published to catalogue the wide variety of fictional cha ...

'' #2 (1990) * ''Who's Who in the DC Universe Update 1993'' #1 (1992) * ''Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe'' #11 (1986)

Paradox Press

* '' The Big Book of Bad'' (1998) * ''The Big Book of Freaks'' (1996) * ''The Big Book of Grimm'' (1999) * ''The Big Book of Hoaxes'' (1996) * ''The Big Book of Little Criminals'' (1996) * ''The Big Book of Losers'' (1997) * ''The Big Book of Martyrs'' (1997) * ''The Big Book of the '70s'' (2000) * ''The Big Book of the Unexplained'' (1997) * ''The Big Book of the Weird Wild West'' (1998) * ''The Big Book of Thugs'' (1996) * ''The Big Book of Vice'' (1999) * ''The Big Book of Weirdos'' (1995)

First Comics

* ''

'' #20–23, 25–28 (1986) * ''

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...

'' #2–3, 5–7 (1984) * ''

'' #1–4 (1989–1990) * ''

Starslayer ''Starslayer: The Log of the Jolly Roger'' was an American comic book series created by Mike Grell. Publication history Grell originally created ''Starslayer'' for DC Comics, but plans to publish it were halted after the mass cancellation of title ...

'' #20–22, 24–27, 29–33 (1984–1985)

Marvel Comics

* ''

'' #11–15 ( Beast) (1972) * ''Arrgh!'' #1–3 (1974–1975) * ''

Astonishing Tales ''Astonishing Tales'' is an American anthology comic book series originally published by Marvel Comics from 1970 to 1976. Its sister publication was ''Amazing Adventures'' (vol. 2). In 2008 and 2009, Marvel produced 11 webcomics starring differ ...

'' #8, 15 (1971–1972) * '' The Avengers'' #99 (1972) * ''

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...

'' #244 (1980) * '' Captain Marvel'' #15 (1969) * ''

Chamber of Darkness ''Chamber of Darkness'' is a horror/fantasy anthology comic book published by the American company Marvel Comics. Under this and a subsequent name, it ran from 1969 to 1974. It featured work by creators such as writer-editor Stan Lee, writers Gerr ...

'' #1, 4, 7 (1969–1970) * ''

Conan the Barbarian Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...

'' #8 (1971) * '' Daredevil Annual'' #6 (1990) * ''

'' vol. 2 #27–31, 33–35 (1978–1979) * ''Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme'' #6–8 (1989) * ''

Dracula Lives ''Dracula Lives!'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 13 issues and one '' Super Annual'' from 1973 to 1975, and starred the Marvel version o ...

'' #12 (1975) * '' Fantastic Four Annual'' #15 (1980) * ''

'' vol. 2 #1, 44, 64–66 (1973–1982) * ''Giant-Size Conan'' #1–3 (1974–1975) * ''Giant-Size

'' #5 (1975) * '' Godzilla, King of the Monsters'' #4–5 (1977) * ''

John Carter, Warlord of Mars ''John Carter, Warlord of Mars'' is a comics series published from 1977 by American company Marvel Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman (writer) and Gil Kane (penciller), it was based on the Barsoom series of Edgar Rice Burroughs and featured the epo ...

'' #7 (1977) * ''

'' #136–137 (1967) * ''

Logan's Run ''Logan's Run'' is a science fiction novel by American writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic Malthusianism future society in which both population and the consumption of resource ...

'' #6–7 (1977) * ''

Man from Atlantis ''Man from Atlantis'' is a short-lived American science fiction/fantasy television series that ran for 13 episodes on the NBC network during the 1977–78 season, following four television films that had aired earlier in 1977. Ratings success by ...

'' #1 (1978) * ''Man-Thing'' #13 (1975) * ''

'' #1–12, 17, 101–105 (1988–1992) * ''

Marvel Fanfare ''Marvel Fanfare'' was an anthology comic book series published by American company Marvel Comics. It was a showcase title featuring a variety of characters from the Marvel universe. Volume one ''Marvel Fanfare'' featured characters and settings ...

'' #36 (1988) * ''

'' #41 (Seeker 3000); #43 (

Paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, where ...

); #50 (

); #61 (

Star-Lord Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) is a fictional character and superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan, first appeared in ''Marvel Preview'' #4 (January 1976) ...

) (1978–1981) * ''

Marvel Spotlight ''Marvel Spotlight'' is a comic book comics anthology, anthology series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book. It stood out from Marvel's other try-out books in that most of the featured characters made their first appearance in the series. ...

'' #9–11 (Ghost Rider) (1973) * ''Marvel Spotlight'' vol. 2 #6–7 (Star-Lord) (1980) * '' Master of Kung Fu'' #42 (1976) * ''

'' #3–9, 11–13 (1967–1969) * ''

'' #12, 15, 17, 19–20, 23–24, 29 (1975–1977) * ''

Rawhide Kid The Rawhide Kid (real name: Johnny Bart, originally given as Johnny Clay) is a fictional Old West cowboy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A heroic gunfighter of the 19th-century American West who was unjustly wanted a ...

'' #61 (1967) * ''

Supernatural Thrillers ''Supernatural Thrillers'' was an American horror fiction comic book published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s that adapted classic stories of that genre, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson and H. G. Wells, before becoming a vehicle for a sup ...

'' #15 (

N'Kantu, the Living Mummy N'Kantu the Living Mummy is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character's first run was from 1973 to 1975, and was based on the popular undead mummy trope of horror fiction. Publication hist ...

) (1975) * ''

Tales of the Zombie ''Tales of the Zombie'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 10 issues and one '' Super Annual'' from 1973 to 1975, many featuring stories of t ...

'' #10 (1975) * ''

Tower of Shadows ''Tower of Shadows'' is a horror/fantasy anthology comic book published by the American company Marvel Comics under this and a subsequent name from 1969 to 1975. It featured work by writer-artists Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Johnny Craig, and Wa ...

'' #4, 6 (1970) * ''

Vampire Tales ''Vampire Tales'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 11 issues and one annual publication from 1973 to 1975, and featuring vampires as both ...

'' #4, 7 (1974) * ''

Warlock A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft. Etymology and terminology The most commonly accepted etymology derives ''warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver" and was given special applicatio ...

'' #1–8 (1972–1973) * ''

'' #9–11 (1973) * ''

'' vol. 2 #1–2, 4–5 (1970–1971) * '' What If...?'' #2, 18, 28 (1977–1981) * ''

Worlds Unknown ''Worlds Unknown'' was a science-fiction comic book published by American company Marvel Comics in the 1970s, which adapted classic short stories of that genre, including works by Frederik Pohl, Harry Bates, and Theodore Sturgeon. Publication h ...

'' #2 (1973) * ''

'' #106 (1977)

Skywald Publications

* ''Butch Cassidy'' #1 (1971) * ''The Heap'' #1 (1971) * ''Nightmare'' #3–5, 21 (1971–1974) * ''The 1974 Nightmare Yearbook'' #1 (1974) * ''Psycho'' #2–6, 22 (1971–1974) * ''The 1974 Psycho Yearbook'' #1 (1974)

Warren Publishing

* ''

Creepy Creepiness is the state of being wikt:creepy, creepy, or causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or wikt:unease, unease. A person who exhibits creepy behaviour is called a creep. Certain traits or hobbies may make people seem creepy to others. The ...

'' #17, 22–24, 26–28, 30–33, 35–37, 40, 44–47, 53–54, 59, 61, 64, 144, ''Annual'' #1971, #1972 (1967–1983) * ''

'' #11–12, 17–29, 31–32, 34–36, 38–39, 41, 43–47, 53, 57, ''Annual'' #1972, ''Yearbook'' #1970 (1967–1974) * ''

'' #48 (1968) * ''

'' #1–5, 7–12, 14, ''Annual'' #1 (1969–1972) * ''Warren Presents'' #3 (1979) * ''Warren Presents: Future World Comix'' (1978)

References

External links

*
Tom Sutton
at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators * , "SF/F & Publishing News",

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, doing business as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, commonly known as SFWA ( or ) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. While ...

, n.d
Original page
. *Schenk, Ramon, ed
WebCitation archive
*

Biography

Early life and career

Warren and Marvel

Later life and career

Bibliography

Atlas/Seaboard Comics

Charlton Comics

DC Comics

Paradox Press

First Comics

Marvel Comics

Skywald Publications

Warren Publishing

References

External links

Further reading