| Chapter 3: The First Big Wave Unbeknownst to Thaddeus (as he certainly would have disapproved), Clara
Beck had taken a strong interest in romance novels at an early age.
She had become skilled at hiding her ever-increasing collection beneath
the floorboards in her room. In fact, her floor was so full of books
that in 1907 when the house partially collapsed during a windstorm,
it was noted that her room remained in the best shape, presumably due
to the more solid foundation. Clara had also taken an interest in writing and upon reading her father’s
mind-numbing works on barometers and The Best Outhouses in Wisconsin,
she tried her hand at scripting a few comics of her own. Rather than
attempting to be practical, she took a cue from Hollywood and wrote
romance comics “with a little adventure thrown in for good measure.” |
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 young Clara and Aloysius Beck c. 1907 |
As Under Toad Comics began to flounder, she finally got up the courage to show Thaddeus some of these stories. He was appalled and responded by immediately enrolling her in a Cleveland boarding school. This could have been the end of both a prodigious talent and a great comic company if not for one small betrayal on the part of Clara: she also showed her stories to Buck Nautilus. Buck was rightfully stunned and delighted by the prodigal work of the 13-year-old and was determined that they would make the fledgling Under Toad a brilliant success. To avoid the wrath of Thaddeus, Buck signed his name to a script and shot one of the comics himself. Upon completion, he showed it to Thaddeus who remained wary of the subject matter but saw the potential for success among the populace at large. |
This first photo-comic “of the new style” titled Bona Fide Beaus was released in 1910 as an experiment with a limited print run. In spite of Buck’s negligible abilities with a camera, the comic enjoyed considerable success, eventually becoming the young company’s bestseller (after beating out the classic How to Use a Hammer). Thaddeus agreed to change the style of the comics, continuing to take the photos himself while using Buck’s scripts (which of course were being secretly mailed by Clara from school in Cleveland). |
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Under Toad Comics took off in Milwaukee, quickly becoming a staple of the street corner. It soon seemed that all of “Brew City” was caught up in the lives of Clara’s imaginary protagonists. As she honed her craft, her voice became clearer: her characters were loners, but loveable. They were rugged individuals with soft spots, yearning for love and the American dream. Clara’s unique view immediately tapped in to the feelings and hopes of the dominantly immigrant population that the likes of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin would soon take by storm. Keaton, ever the gentlemen, even spoke in 1933 of the debt he owed to a few of these early Under Toad Comics (which he had stumbled upon during a trip to Chicago), stating that “their pathos and spirit were an inspiration”. |
 an image from Lake Michigan Farewell c. 1911 |
The good times looked like they would just keep on rolling until 1915 when the young company was put through its second major crisis. Following Clara’s boarding school graduation and return to Milwaukee, she and Buck announced their intention to marry. Thaddeus utterly disapproved of any union between his 18-year-old daughter and the 72-year-old Buck and refused to consent to the marriage. The couple eloped to New York, returning to find that Thaddeus had closed down the thriving Under Toad Comics out of outrage. He even ran a full page ad in the Milwaukee Sentinel stating, among other things, that “I’ll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I recognize so shameful a bringing-together. I either have to close down Under Toad or kill Buck Nautilus and I’ve decided on the former.” |
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This proved to be an ominously false statement however, because less
than a year later, Thaddeus shot and killed Buck outside his home. He
was brought to trial and sentenced to hang. Clara, though widowed at
the age of 19, would never again marry. In spite of a few high-profile
romances, she stated in her later years that, “Buck is still and
always has been my one true love.” The silver lining to Buck’s unfortunate slaying and Thaddeus’s subsequent state-mandated death was that ownership and control of Under Toad Comics fell to Clara and her brother Aloysius. Together they were destined to bring the company to untold heights of fame, popularity, and artistry, as well as the lowest dregs of scandal, legal difficulties, and general unpleasantries. |
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