Education
Born in Buffalo, Todd studied art at Syracuse University and then created comics for Galaxy Science Fiction.
Born in Buffalo, Todd studied art at Syracuse University and then created comics for Galaxy Science Fiction.
He collaborated with Vaughn Bodé for a series of cover paintings for Galaxy and Warren Publishing. Doctor Atomic After a brief period in New York, Todd moved in 1971 to San Francisco, where he created Doctor Atomic, initially for The Sunday Paper and then as a comic book series published by Last Gasp. Comics historian Don Markstein described the character: He first appeared in some of the transient underground newspapers of the early 1970s, where his first task was to build his robot assistant.
. The character"s back story included having been a lieutenant in the Luftwaffe in 1941, which would make him a good deal older than most of his 20-something readers. (Another clue was his bald head and thick, white beard) Still, he had more in common with Billy Kropotkin, the dope-smoking hippie next door, than with Hank the heavily armed redneck next door on the other side. Billy and Doctor Atomic had one drug-addled sci-fi adventure after another, for six issues.
The last came out in 1981.
There were also T-shirts and suchlike—no lunch boxes or Underoos, of course, but one spun-off product was absolutely unique. Doctor Atomic"s Marijuana Multiplier, which was published in 1974, provided instructions for a chemical process that allegedly enhanced cheap, low-quality pot.
The chemicals are said by others to have been fairly dangerous if handled by non-professionals. Nonetheless, people bought a great many copies, and it"s still in print.
Other work.