Back Issue #121 by TwoMorrows Publishing

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Sept. 2020

No.121

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Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of ROY THOMAS & BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH’s

Conan the Barbarian #1!

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Conan at Marvel • Marvel’s “B” Barbarians • Conan at Dark Horse • Arak, Son of Thunder • plus more savage heroes and superstar creators

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Volume 1, Number 121 September 2020 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTIST Barry Windsor-Smith (unused Marvel Comics Conan the Barbarian #9 cover art, courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions) COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg COVER COLORIST Glenn Whitmore PROOFREADER Rob Smentek SPECIAL THANKS Val Mayerik Jerry Boyd Ian Millsted Kurt Busiek Doug Moench Marc Buxton Cabinet Licensing Richard Morgan Cary Nord LLC Luigi Novi Dewey Cassell Brian Peck Drew Clark Ron Randall Conan Properties International LLC David Scroggy Dann Thomas Jon B. Cooke Dark Horse Comics Steven Thompson Fred Van Lente Thulsa Doom Rick Welch Nick Fatica Mark Wheatley Stephan Friedt Barry Windsor-Smith Tomas Giorello Marv Wolfman Grand Comics Thomas Yeates Database Mike Grell Heritage Comics VERY SPECIAL THANKS Auctions Roy Thomas Jim and Ruth Keegan James Heath Lantz DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF Andy Mangels Ernie Colón Marvel Comics

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IN MEMORIAM: Ernie Colón. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 FLASHBACK: Conan Goes to Adventure Town. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Top 50 Bronze Age Conan comic stories BEYOND CAPES: “B” is for Barbarian: Marvel’s Not-Quite Conans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 From Kull to Skull, the House of Ideas’ ’70s sword-slingers FLASHBACK: DC’s Bronze Age Barbarian Boom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 The Distinguished Competition’s answers to Conan’s popularity TIMELINE: In Conan’s Sandalsteps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Behold, more Bronze Age barbarians clawing their way onto the stands FLASHBACK: Conan the Syndicated Barbarian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 The Cimmerian invades the ink-splattered realm of newspaper comic strips BEYOND CAPES: Arak, Son of Thunder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Roy and Dann Thomas’ DC Comics barbarian series THE TOY BOX: Enter the Lost World of the Warlord Action Figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 How Mike Grell’s sword-and-sorcery star got He-Manned onto toy shelves BEYOND CAPES: Gray Morrow’s Edge of Chaos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 A time-displaced man becomes Hercules in this Pacific Comics miniseries FLASHBACK: Ride a Dark Horse: Conan at Dark Horse Comics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 A new generation of Conan comics stories and creators BACK TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Reader reactions, plus Wheatley and Hempel’s Breathtaker turns 30

BACK ISSUE™ is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 112 Fairmount Way, New Bern, NC 28562. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Eight-issue subscriptions: $89 Economy US, $135 International, $36 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover art by Barry Windsor-Smith. Conan the Barbarian TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2020 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows. ISSN 1932-6904. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING.

Conan and the Barbarians • BACK ISSUE • 1

In Memoriam

ERNIE COLÓN (1931–2019)

Marvel Wikia.

Amethyst, Arak, Batman, Secrets of Haunted House, Wonder Woman © DC Comics. Damage Control © Marvel. Richie Rich, Timmy Time © Classic Media, LLC. Grim Ghost © SP Media Group. New Kids on the Block © New Kids on the Block.

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by S

teven Thompson

There is a concept in television programming known unofficially as “Adventure Town.” It specifically refers to the type of TV series whose protagonist moves from one place to another every week, allowing for a mostly new cast of characters, a new setting, and no need for standing sets. Essentially, it’s a brilliant way to create an anthology series (which the public never much cared for) yet with a continuing character or two (which the public always loves). Classic shows that fit the trope include The Fugitive, with its protagonist on the run from week to week; Route 66, with its stars working their way cross-country with new jobs in a new town every week; Then Came Bronson, with its motorcyclist hero trying to find himself; and, of course, Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk, which saw Jekyll/ Hyde scientist David Banner packing up and leaving every time his green-skinned alter ego tore up a new place. In 1970, Marvel Comics sent a certain Cimmerian to Adventure Town, and it turned out that the idea worked just as well in comic books. Robert E. Howard created that Cimmerian, Conan, in 1932. Howard also created Conan’s entire world, the non-existent Hyborian Age, said to be between the sinking of Atlantis and the Roman Empire. In his brief lifetime, the young author published a scant 17 stories of Conan, all in issues of the pulp magazine, Weird Tales. Howard committed suicide in 1936 at the age of only 30, leaving behind four unpublished tales of his most famous character as well as quite a few unfinished story fragments. Conan’s journey to comic books has been well documented numerous times in TwoMorrows mags and elsewhere. Roy Thomas has even written books about his Conan comics and how they came to be. We aren’t going to rehash all of that here except to remind the reader that Robert E. Howard’s tales of a brutish adventurer in a lost age had been revived, republished, and then rebooted by other writers as strong-selling massmarket paperbacks in the mid-1960s and that their success was due in large part to Frank Frazetta’s attention-getting (and now iconic) cover paintings. At the end of the decade, Roy Thomas convinced a reluctant Stan Lee to give Comics Code-pushing, sword-and-sorcery comics a try, and Marvel Comics’ Conan the Barbarian #1 (Oct. 1970) was born. Conan the Barbarian was far from the first sword-and-sorcery comic book. Artist John Giunta had drawn several stories of Crom the Barbarian in Strange Worlds in the early 1950s; Wallace Wood and Al Williamson collaborated on Clawfang the Barbarian for Harvey Comics in the 1960s; and DC offered up Nightmaster with early Berni(e) Wrightson art. Believe it or not, there had even been a black-and-white Conan comic-book adaptation in Mexico in the 1950s! Perhaps testing the waters, earlier in 1970 the future Conan team of Roy Thomas and John Buscema had introduced the other-dimensional barbarian king, Arkon, into several issues of The Avengers. It is by no means an understatement to say that Conan the Barbarian #1 was as much a game changer as Fantastic Four #1 had been nearly a decade earlier. Howard’s mythmaking Conan tales had incited the imagination of many future creators, some of whom—like the team of L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter—contributed their own stories and novels to the canon, others of whom had their own similar heroes and anti-heroes such as Carter’s Thongor, Gardner Fox’s Kothar, and John Jakes’ Brak. About as far from your typical comic-book hero of the times as you could ever possibly get, Conan was a thief, a soldier, a reaver, a pirate, a serial killer in a way, and you don’t even want to think too much about his attitude toward women! He was uncouth, unclean, uneducated, and for the most part, unclothed. Yes, not only did Conan not have a super-suit like all the really cool characters from Deadman to Black Bolt to Herbie the Fat Fury, Conan practically wore almost nothing at all most of the time! I have no doubt that the folks at the Comics Code, after more than 15 years of pretty much absolute power when it came to American comic books, were having conniptions over Conan on a regular basis.

Then Came Conan Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian, as rendered by Big John Buscema for the cover of the 1980 Conan Portfolio from S. Q. Publications. Original art courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). Conan TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

By 1970, Roy Thomas—himself a fanboy living the dream—had been at Marvel for five years. Although he had quickly developed a reputation as Stan Lee’s right-hand man, he had also progressed from writing Millie the Model stories to writing, amongst many others, a long and highly praised run on The Avengers. In other words, in that relatively short period of time, Roy had established himself as a major player. For the artist on the new title, John Buscema was chosen. In retrospect, a seemingly perfect choice, Buscema having been Roy’s longtime artistic collaborator on The Avengers. Fate being what it is,

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Sword and Sorcery B.C. (Before Conan) (top left) Gardner Fox and John Giunta’s Crom the Barbarian dates back to the early 1950s. (top right) Writer Wally Wood and artist Al Williamson’s Clawfang the Barbarian had a short mid-1960s run in Harvey’s Thrill-O-Rama. (inset) Scribe Denny O’Neil introduced Nightmaster in 1969 in DC’s Showcase. (bottom) These dossiers of Conan the Barbarian creative team Roy Thomas and Barry Smith appeared in Marvel’s Savage Tales #3. Crom and Clawfang © the respective copyright holder. Nightmaster TM & © DC Comics. Savage Tales TM & © Marvel.

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however, the veteran artist had to pass… for the moment. The book was tossed to relative newcomer Barry Smith (later known as Barry Windsor-Smith), whose early Kirby swipes quickly gave way to a unique and beautiful elegance. He was about to become a superstar. Fifty years ago, the debut of Marvel’s Conan comic book coincided with what is generally considered the beginning of comics’ Bronze Age. Herewith, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Marvel’s Conan, we take a look at 50 Conan stories from those early days, celebrating the half-century since Conan first hit the four-color comic-book pages. Fifty best? No, just 50 favorites. Whose favorites? Mine, for one. And maybe yours. I polled some online Conan and Robert E. Howard groups as to what their favorite Marvel Conan stories might be, and they largely coincided with the list I had already pulled together (although one commenter opined that they were all terrible. Sigh… One in every crowd.). Besides having no regular setting, in the Adventure Town tradition, the Conan stories also tended to skip around in the character’s timeline, sharing tales ranging from teenage Conan to Social Security-age King Conan, but rarely in any type of order for more than a handful of issues at a time. This list can be regarded much the same way.

Top 50 Bronze Age Conan Favorites 50. “The Coming of Conan” (Conan the Barbarian #1, Oct. 1970) “The Coming of Conan” (Savage Sword of Conan #222, June 1994) The cover of Conan’s first Marvel appearance, signed by Barry Smith and John Verpoorten, was a busy piece of art, indeed. In front of a background of fire, smoke, and ersatz Kirby Krackle, winged green demons, and wild-looking humans and sub-humans fighting and seemingly killing each other, we catch our first look at our helmeted but otherwise unprotected hero, a sword in his right hand and a spiked spear in his left. In the tradition of the paperback covers, there’s a woman lying at his feet. “Off-screen,” there are the hands of a man holding what might be a magical staff. Surprisingly, the cover is not symbolic. Inside, the young Conan is already a mercenary, fighting on the side of the Aesir against the Vanir for gold. He is captured by the demons for a shaman, who proceeds to show—more for the benefit of the reader than any of the characters—just where the Cimmerian fits into the grand scheme of things. We see the past (including an early cameo by King Kull), the future (including the initial prediction of Conan becoming king someday), and even the far future. Scenes of astronauts in space seem rather jarring but help place Conan’s Age in contest. A far cry from Stan Lee’s enjoyable second-hand Shakespeare, Roy’s writing here is perfectly pulpy and Barry’s pencils (with Sal Buscema’s inks) still raw and undeveloped. The second version, 24 years later, uses an expansion of that same script to allow John Buscema—ultimately the strip’s main artist— to illustrate the tale he had to pass on back in the proverbial day.

49. “Night of the Wolf” (Conan the Barbarian #158, May 1984) John Buscema is credited with plotting this tale, inked beautifully by Rudy Nebres, with dialogue by Michael Fleisher. Conan slaughters two kidnappers in the desert in order to rescue a woman in a box. A celebratory feast given by her father is interrupted by a monster and the daughter is again tied and taken away. In the end, Conan finds that it’s the girl herself who is the monster, a werewolf, and only her father can bring her torture to an end.

47. “The Witch of the Mists” (King Conan #1, Mar. 1980) “The Black Sphinx of Nebthu” (King Conan #2 June 1980) “Red Moon of Zembabwei” (King Conan #3, Sept. 1980) “Shadows in the Skull” (King Conan #4, Dec. 1980) The stories where Conan is king of Aquilonia have an entirely different feel to them. So much so that at one point, Marvel gave them their own series. Initially entitled King Conan, the double-sized, quarterly comic series was retitled Conan the King with its 20th issue (Jan. 1984), presumably in order to have it listed on comic-shop order forms next to the regular Conan title. From the beginning, we knew these stories were coming. Once Conan learns the prophecy, or prediction, he truly believes it and knows it to be just a matter of time. It can be argued that one of the reasons he is fearless throughout his many dangerous adventures with soldiers, corsairs, monsters, mages, and (most of all) strong women, is that he knows he can’t be killed because the prophecy has not yet come to pass. For the first time ever in Conan comics, there’s a regular supporting cast consisting of Conan’s queen, Zenobia, their several sons, one daughter, and various members of the royal court. In fact, many of the adventures herein center around young Prince Conn, a.k.a. Conan the Second. He even shares the corner box after a while. Having been raised in an entirely different, decidedly more civilized environment, Conn is anything but his father’s second coming. Conan dotes on Conn, his favorite son, but he’s far from an ideal father. Ruler though he may be, and approaching 60 in the early issues according to Roy, Conan simply can’t resist the urge to fall back into his old habits now and again… and again. These first four issues of King Conan—by the regular crew of Thomas, Buscema, and Ernie Chan (the latter replaced by Danny Bulanadi for the concluding chapter)—tell the tale of Conan’s supposedly ultimate encounter with his old foe, the sorcerous ThothAmon. (Spoiler: Thoth comes back in a later storyline.) Unlike the Conan of old who just needed a sword and a swift steed, King Conan takes along an army, a sorcerer of his own, some magic talismans, and his heir, Prince Conn, to track down and defeat his foe. The stories in this series overall grew to be a mix of Tales of Asgard, Italian Peplum movies, big-screen swashbucklers, and As the World Turns. They’re filled with court intrigue, backstabbing viziers, border disputes, politics, and at the heart of it all, family secrets. With all its druids and armored soldiers, the Hyborian Age in King Conan/ Conan the King is certainly entertaining, but looks more like where one might be expected to find Asterix and Obelix than our once freewheeling Conan.

46. “The Fall of Acheron” (Conan the Barbarian #200, Nov. 1987)

48. “Conan the Destroyer” (Marvel Super Special #35, 1984) Conan the Destroyer, the second Conan movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was not as well received as the first, nor is it as well remembered. Its comics adaptation by Michael Fleisher, drawn by John Buscema, actually fares better than the film itself. Its main problem is that Conan is inexplicably drawn to look more like a Native American than either a barbarian or the future Terminator.

Jim Owsley, the writer later known as Priest or Christopher Priest, contributed greatly to the Conan comics canon. Although more or less self-contained, this apocalyptic little gem with art from Val Semeiks continues from Savage Sword and has Conan, Red Sonja, and friends face-to-face with the almost Galactus-like Devourer of Souls. The latter is dealt a setback and takes on human form that changes some of his perspective.

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45. “What If Conan the Barbarian Walked the Earth Today?” (What If? #13, Feb. 1979) The regular Conan team of Thomas, Buscema, and Chan imagines what might happen if Conan, via a sorcerous accident, ended up in the present day (well, 1977). Conan, of course, neither speaks nor understands English, leading to misunderstandings and a comedy of errors as he tries to pause long enough to figure out what he should do next. Befriended by a tough New York lady cabbie [based upon Roy Thomas’ ladylove, Dann—ed.], Conan finds himself dealing with looters in a blackout, armed burglars in a museum, and the constant hounding of the NYPD. In the end, he manages to find a way back home. This could have been played just for laughs, but with Roy behind both titles, it comes off as a good mix with Conan remaining in character. The closest thing to a superhero is a cameo from Peter Parker.

44. “The Curse of the Conjurer (Conan the Barbarian #46–51, Jan.–June 1974) This six-issue epic is freely adapted by Thomas from Gardner Fox’s Kothar and the Conjurer’s Curse, with Conan taking the place of Fox’s own Howard-inspired hero. It opens quietly, with Conan once again in the middle of a desert, but the calmness ends quickly. Encountering a strangely jolly magician who feeds him, he agrees to be hired to deliver the Amulet of Blue Fire for him to the regent of the city of Phalkar. Sounds simple enough. As he passes through a merchant town, though, Conan does what Conan always seems to do—he gets involved with local issues. In this case, that amounts to rescuing a young woman named Stefanya who is about to be burned as a witch. She tells her rescuer that she carries a curse and drafts him into helping her find the wizard who put it there. The relationship between Conan and Stefanya is given great chemistry via her dialogue and poses. On their journey, they meet and defeat a magic guardian made entirely of a thousand colorful—and undoubtedly tough to draw— stones. Other developments in this run include a Code-pushing flashback to the young Conan losing his virginity! Less enjoyable encounters involve goblins, dangerous plants, Unos with his laser eyes, and Conan being tied to the ground and beset with hungry rats. But there’s also Lupalina the wolfmistress, a.k.a. Samandra the Wise Woman. In the end, though, it’s Conan who manages to defeat all the monsters and bad guys, save Stefanya, and save the day, all thanks to the Amulet of Blue Fire. All of this has better than average art by Buscema as inked by several other legends of the period—Dick Giordano, Dan Adkins, and Joe Sinnott.

flying carpets, but he starts out with a return to the icy wastes of his homeland, where he is reunited with a childhood friend, only to witness him captured by flying bird people in service to a demon lord. Along the way to rescue his host, Conan takes the man’s wife and child to the library, where we’re treated to a rousing… game of chess. Lovely, spare art from Gil Kane is the real treat here.

42. “Dark Night of the White Queen” (Conan Annual #8, 1984) Val Mayerik is the artist on this rather different Jim Owsley (Priest) story. It’s different for several reasons, the first of which is that the first eight pages are an interlude with King Kull from a thousand years earlier. Kull is there for the birth of a set of cursed twins, and it’s that enchanted boy and girl, grown to adulthood, who are the real stars of this story, with Conan almost shoehorned into the middle of their centuries-old mystic fight, but as usual, saving the day.

41. “The Secret of Skull River” (Savage Tales #5, July 1974) Conan is between Turan and Shadizar in this beautifully designed one-off tale drawn by the popular “Gemini” team of Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom. A brutish giant, a blind seer, a beautiful girl, the inevitable evil sorcerer, lots of swordplay, and a fun ending make this one a pure joy.

40. “Night of the Gargoyle” (Conan the Barbarian #42 Sept. 1974) On the one hand nothing special, on the other this is a quintessential Conan story. Our hero is just passing through the City of Thieves when he gets caught up in local intrigue. There’s a conniving baron, a beautiful but suicidal girl, an evil dwarf, a Fu Manchustyle villain, and a menacing gargoyle statue that comes to life. The very definition of sword and sorcery.

43. “And Life Sprang Forth from These” (Conan the Barbarian #128, Nov. 1981) “The Creation Quest” (Conan the Barbarian #129, Dec. 1981) “The Quest Ends” (Conan the Barbarian #130, Jan. 1981)

In this three-issue J. M. DeMatteis-written story, Conan visits the prehistoric Middle East, complete with 6 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

39. “The Forever Phial” (Savage Sword of Conan #8, Oct. 1975) Tim Conrad was one of the only artists to be majorly inspired by Barry WindsorSmith, the way Bill Sienkiewicz was inspired by Neal Adams. Many fans hoped that Conrad would be able to take on Conan regularly if Smith chose not to return. The problem, of course, as it is in all cases where a new artist

Drawing Inspiration Artist Tim Conrad’s Barry Smith influences are evident on this startling splash from Savage Sword of Conan #8 (Oct. 1975). TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

learns his trade by emulating an earlier artist, was that Conrad was not Smith. On the surface, he had the angles, the poses, the opulence, but none of it seemed truly original. “The Forever Phial” was his best and most successful shot, though. Conan is said to be about 30 here in the kingdom of Khauran. Conan tells someone, “I always try to avoid sorcerers… when I can.” As in this story, he failed a lot at that.

38. “Swords of Sukhmet” (The Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian #225, Sept. 1994) This late entry serves as a prequel to the classic “Red Nails.” Drawn solo by returning artist Buscema, his work now more stylized after 20 years in the Hyborian Age, it tells of encounters with mercenaries and cannibals before Valeria of the Red Brotherhood—one of Conan’s most fascinating female opposites— rides off unsuspectingly toward a meeting with a dragon, with Conan following silently behind her. But that’s another story… literally. (See #1)

37. “Cry Kozak!” (Conan the Barbarian #275, Dec. 1993) Conan passes through Zamora a number of times in the chronicles. This one, though, was his last in the original Marvel run because it’s from the final issue. Thomas returns to see his barbarian friend off. The regular artist at that time, Mike Docherty, is aided and abetted by veteran Conan inkers Ricardo Villagran, Ernie Chan, and Alfredo Alcala to tell the double-length story of Conan’s reunions with a number of old acquaintances—both friends and foes— as well as what I believe was the only time Conan grows a beard. The story ends on a cliffhanger, which was later followed up in Savage Sword.

36. “The Oracle of Ophir” (Conan the Barbarian #54, Sept. 1975) Artist John Buscema reteams here with one of his best embellishers, Tom Palmer. Conan actually does seem to have a superhero-style costume during this period, consisting of a blue-armored tunic, a red cape, and a helmet with long side-horns, all amended to his more typical fur shorts. Leading a band to consult an oracle with a very high price, Conan has to use his considerable wits to defeat the literal dark side of himself.

35. “Sword of Skelos” (Savage Sword of Conan #56–58, Sept.–Nov. 1980)

Sci-fi, fantasy, and erotica author Andrew J. Offutt was a massive fan of the works of Robert E. Howard and, when given the chance, anxiously contributed “The Sword of Skelos” (and other stories) to the Conan canon. Just as anxiously, Roy Thomas adapted same within a year of its 1979 publication as a three-parter in Savage Sword, with art by Buscema and Tony DeZuniga. In this epic tale, our young Cimmerian has stolen a mystical amulet and is pursued by the lady thief from whom he stole it in the first place. Even though Isparana’s men murder his partner-in-crime—even as Conan murders them—he and the woman become partners and lovers. Much of the rest of the story has the pair on the run in a corrupt city ruled by a powerhungry leader who wants to add the mystic amulet to his collection of sorcerous objects. There’s much more nudity and implied sex than usual in this story but at the same time, Conan has a long sequence where, as a disguise, he wears more clothes than before or since!

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34. “The Thing in the Crypt” (Conan the Barbarian #92, Nov. 1978) While other writers told good Conan stories, it’s clear by the late 1970s that Roy Thomas understood the character perhaps even better than his creator. This one-off return to Conan’s teenage years is essentially a one-man show. Although another de Camp/Carter adaptation, it’s Roy’s deep understanding of the character that assures us every step of the way that this is, indeed, Conan. The young lad ducks into a cave whilst on the run through the snow from some wolves. The cave turns out to be an ancient crypt, with the giant skeletal remains of a long-dead warrior… who isn’t as dead as he first seems. Early inker Sal Buscema guests on pencils but his art is overwhelmed by Ernie Chan’s inking… and that’s not a bad thing. The art looks great.

31. “The Slithering Shadow” (Savage Sword of Conan #20, July 1977) Fleeing a war, Conan and his lovely companion Natala chance upon the mysterious city of Xuthal. Thalis, a woman they find there, desires Conan to the point where she attempts to murder Natala by feeding her to the captive god, Thog, a giant, misshapen creature. As Conan attempts to rescue her, the sleeping citizens of the city awaken and attempt to stop him. In the end, Conan prevails, of course, but not before uncharacteristically looking like he’s taken a real-life beating in a boxing ring!

33. “Barbarians of the Border” (Savage Sword of Conan #200, Aug. 1992) For this celebration issue, Roy, John, and Ernie present a one-off classic in which a certain barbarian meets his maker. The reader gets a Conan adventure, but at the same time it’s juxtaposed with a story of writer Robert E. Howard on vacation in Texas in the 1930s, being subtly influenced by a character he hasn’t even created yet but who’s bouncing around in his brain. The art has an unusual look due to a new, unusual style of inking from Chan as well as a heavy use of various types of screen effects.

32. “The Curse of the Monolith” (Savage Sword of Conan #33, Sept. 1978) An atmospheric adaptation of a de Camp/ Carter story, there are some similarities to the classic “Conan crucified” motif as, here, Conan, a troop captain, is tricked by a deceptive Far-Eastern duke into wearing full armor in the presence of a magnetic stone monolith that holds him tightly captive for long pages as a disgusting blob-like creature presumes to devour him. Using only his wits and what little information the duke has given him, he is able to turn the tables and save his troops as well. The great Gene Colan takes a rare turn at the Cimmerian on pencils with Pablo Marcos, known for his many successes in black-andwhite mags, as embellisher.

Monolithic Art Gene Colan might not be an artist generally associated with our favorite Cimmerian, but he ably rose to the occasion to pencil Savage Sword of Conan #33 (Sept. 1978). Inks by Pablo Marcos. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

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30. “King of the Forgotten People” (Conan Annual #6, 1981) Thomas and Kane always worked well together, and this one features pure Kane, inking his own pencils (albeit with a few obvious assists from Jack Abel and others). The first half of this long story has Conan again fleeing pursuing soldiers through the desert on horseback. The latter half consists largely of a one-on-one with the wizard

Barlonius, whose wife sent Conan to find him. The two men discuss and debate history, philosophy, religion, and life. It’s all surprisingly sophisticated and civilized until Conan realizes the utter madness that has taken the wizard. Imprisoned, he is rescued by his new foe’s concubine, Lala, tortured by Barlonius’s mind tricks, and finally has to rescue his rescuer as demons both real and imagined overtake her lover once and for all.

29. “Crawler in the Mists” (Conan the Barbarian Book and Record PR-31, 1974) This one was originally done to be read-along with a children’s record from Power Records, a company that did many similar comic-andrecord releases in the 1970s. Most were reprints, but this one was all new. It offers up a fairly simple story by Len Wein that starts with Conan finding himself chained to a slave trader and on his way to market through the desert on a camel. The real attraction here is the art, with pencils by John Buscema and inks by Neal Adams. It’s a combination that works stunningly well and makes one long for more than just this rare collaboration. Conan never looked better or stronger. The short length of the tale makes it seem a bit strange when Conan says he’s grown attached to the slave trader as he attempts to rescue him from a giant worm that roams a desert city’s streets. He really hadn’t had time to grow attached to him. In a weird twist, the worm turns out to be a sort of god that takes the slave trader to paradise in spite of his profession but won’t allow Conan in. A few years later, the story was reprinted as a fill-in in Conan the Barbarian #116 (Nov. 1989), with three new pages by J.M. DeMatteis and Buscema. The contrast stands out as, even with the lesser quality printing in the regular comic, the Buscema/ Adams combo shines through.

28. “The Hour of the Dragon” (Giant-Size Conan #1–4, Sept. 1974–June 1975) While all of Marvel’s Giant-Size series attempted to “super-size” the stories to give the reader more than just a longer comic, Roy Thomas was at his most ambitious with this one. At four oversized issues and two concluding chapters in Savage Sword, this adaptation of Howard’s last-published Conan tale—a.k.a. Conan the Conqueror—is sword and sorcery on a grand scale. The stories of Conan as King always try to present a more mature version of the character, but sometimes that inadvertently comes across as a somewhat watered-down Conan instead. Not here. Gil Kane at his most inspired handles the art until the concluding chapter. Tom Sutton’s wild inks on most of the chapters serve as an unexpectedly perfect complement to Kane, whose fabled grasp of human anatomy is in good form here, indeed. The story deals with a conspiracy to oust King Conan of Aquilonia via supernatural means. Its highlight is the introduction of the slave girl Zenobia, who frees the captured monarch. He promises he will return for her and make her his queen, which, eventually, elsewhere, he does. The whole thing runs at a frenetic pace through the color Giant-Size issues before petering out considerably in the black-and-white final chapters (which you’ll notice I’ve not included here) and ending with an oddly dull chapter drawn by John Buscema.

27. “The Gods of Bal-Sagoth” (Conan the Barbarian #17, Aug. 1972) “The Thing in the Temple” (Conan the Barbarian #18, Sept. 1972) Gil Kane at his best, inked by Ralph Reese and Dan Adkins, carries this action-packed two-parter as Conan reluctantly teams with the Viking-like Fafnir. The pair and the scantily-clad princess they rescue run the gauntlet of a shipwreck, a killer shark, a dinosaur, an evil priest and his ghostly armored warrior, a monster, a giant bat, an earthquake, and a volcano!

26. “Hawks from the Sea!” (Conan the Barbarian #19, Oct. 1972) This issue marked another major step in the growth of Smith’s art and layouts. Conan’s one-man war against a skeletal army should have been the story’s highlight, but instead Barry’s needlessly detailed backgrounds, the highly detailed ships, the awe-inspiring cityscape, and the increasingly cinematic layouts steal the show from the story itself.

25. “Black Colossus” (Savage Sword of Conan #2, Oct. 1974) In this REH adaptation, Conan is a mercenary soldier in the kingdom of Khoraja, drafted by its haunted princess to be commander of her armies and protect her from an ancient sorcerer attempting to control her and steal her throne. A typically exciting adventure, “Black Colossus” here serves also as perhaps the best US showcase for the masterful and incredible linework of inker Alfredo Alcala, overwhelming John Buscema’s art beneath it to more than make the panels his own. One panel on one page has literally thousands of measured and varied lines just to create a shine on a marbled floor! A decade earlier, in his native Philippines, Alcala had created a Conan-like character, Voltar.

24. “Shadows in Zamboula” (Savage Sword of Conan #14, Sept. 1976) Neal Adams pencils, inked by Tony DeZuniga’s handpicked “Tribe,” give the reader 39 pages of some of the best illustrative art in the history of Conan comics in this Howard adaptation. Cannibals roam the streets and once again Conan can’t help assisting a duplicitous woman in need, no matter what trouble it lands him in.

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22. “Beyond the Black River” (Savage Sword of Conan #26, Jan. 1978) “The Children of Jhebbal Sag” (Savage Sword of Conan #27, Mar. 1978)

This well-paced two-parter features great art as usual from Buscema and DeZuniga but plays like an old-fashioned Western movie plot: Middle-aged, jaded Conan is the lone scout from a nearby fort who rescues a settler from a savage Indian deep in the forest and, with the help of a band of soldiers from the fort—as well as his loyal horse, Slasher (a dog in this story)—ventures downriver tasked with killing the head of the enemy tribe to protect the new frontier. There’s a little bit of magic, a demon, and a giant snake, sure but still, Joel McCrea would’ve been great in a movie like this in the 1950s.

21. “Iron Shadows in the Moon” (Savage Sword of Conan #4, Feb. 1975) Looking at it from a modern perspective, this Howard adaptation is filled with tropes from Conan’s career. There’s rapist soldiers, a rescued girl, pirates, a tower, statues that come to life, a murderous ape, and Conan himself taken captive. All with gorgeous Buscema/Alcala art. Perhaps the ultimate Conan tale.

20. “Wrath of the Shambling God” (Conan Annual #9, 1984)

A Nomad and a Tribe Neal Adams, as inked by Tony DeZuniga and friends, on Roy Thomas’ tale in Savage Sword of Conan #14 (Sept. 1976). Original art courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

23. “Trail of the Bloodstained God” (Marvel Super Special #9, 1978)

This one features Conan the pirate. Sumptuously drawn by Ernie Chan with script credited to Michael Fleisher, the story begins with Conan and his fellow cutthroats getting shipwrecked in an icy kingdom. While his own crew plots against him, Conan has to first take on a giant mastodon, and then an equally giant living stone idol.

This one is in Marvel’s magazine format but was an early use of color in their mags. Its production wasn’t perfect yet— a little murky—but the painted color gave a never-before-seen look to the Buscema/ DeZuniga artwork, with shadow and light amplified in new and different ways. Adapted by Roy Thomas from one of the de Camp/Howard continuations, being outside the Code allowed for more explicit violence than usual. Here we have on the one hand a more mature, thoughtful Conan, meticulously searching for a legendary jeweled idol yet all the while slaughtering all in his way along its trail. When he finally finds the idol, it finds him, too! 10 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

19. “The Dweller in the Dark” (Conan the Barbarian #12, Dec. 1971) This shorter-than-normal story [16 pages] was intended for the second issue of Savage Tales, which was cancelled earlier in the year after a single issue. Marvel, having no way of knowing ST would return two years later, this alreadypaid-for piece, both drawn and inked by Barry Smith, was burned off in the color comic.

18. “The Twilight of the Grim Grey God” (Conan the Barbarian #3, Feb. 1971) This one finds Roy in especially good form as he adds immeasurably to this free adaptation of a Howard original, ramping up the sheer poetry and epic feel of the story’s events. Fleeing captivity, the young Conan happens upon a man who speaks ominously and knowingly of war and death and then seems to engulf the skies. The Cimmerian tries to shrug it off as a lightheaded vision as he finds a ride into the nearest town and learns that the war is very real. Conan is welcomed to the soldiers’ ranks but struggles to understand the people’s more “civilized” ways of war. Throughout this story, Conan acts more as a witness than the main character, observing and questioning all around him. At the climax, the kings of the two warring factions face down each other and, as with all wars, everyone loses in the end. Then Conan once again sees the man he met at the beginning and finally understands that, “…even the gods must die, when their altars crumble and their worshippers all are fallen.”

17. “Tower of Blood” (Conan the Barbarian #43, Oct. 1974) “Of Flame and the Fiend” (Conan the Barbarian #44, Nov. 1974)

While being chased from the City of Thieves, which often happened in the chronicles, Conan and his sometime-companion Red Sonja encounter and are entombed by a brother-sister team of sorcerers. The main appeal here is the interplay of Conan and his pal, “Son-ya.” The “She-Devil with a Sword” is pretty well established by this point—sharp, quick-witted, wily, fearless, without conscience, and not a big fan of men in general. To her, Conan is a useful big dumb lug. But underneath it all, they develop a kind of mutual respect.

16. “A Sword Called Stormbringer” (Conan the Barbarian #14, Mar. 1972) “The Green Empress of Melniboné” (Conan the Barbarian #15, May 1972) Michael Moorcock’s Elric has proven over time to be just as influential as Howard’s Conan. Here in these early issues, plotted by Moorcock’s sidekick and collaborator James Cawthorn (with at least some input from Moorcock himself), Elric, the Eternal Warrior, the albino wizardking who wields the soul-eating ebon sword, Stormbringer, quests to Conan’s dimension and ends up having to help Conan and the wizard Zukala’s daughter (last seen in Conan the Barbarian #5, May 1971) fight off a horde of armored demon soldiers seeking magic to please their green-skinned sorceress. Elric has popped up in comics from a number of companies in the decades since, as well as in a long-running and hilarious version in Dave Sim’s Cerebus that specifically parodied the Barry Smith visualization of the character, albeit mixed with the voice and attitude of the Warner Bros. cartoon character, Foghorn Leghorn.

15. “Bride of the Conqueror” (Conan Annual #5, 1979) This one, another classic by Thomas, Buscema, and Chan, has a sort of Prince Valiant feel to it. A weary King Conan deals with court intrigue and potential assassinations building up to his wedding to his chosen bride, Zenobia, who had rescued him from captivity years before. Unbeknownst to him, the real Zenobia has been replaced by a she-demon. When finally revealed, Conan has to fight to save his true bride-to-be before being finally wed by a priest of Mitra. Conan actually manages to stay almost fully clothed for most of this one!

14. “Daggers and Death Gods” (Conan the Barbarian #66, Sept. 1976) “Talons of the Man-Tiger” (Conan the Barbarian #67, Oct. 1976) “Of Once and Future Kings” (Conan the Barbarian #68, Nov. 1976)

Red Sonja rides with Conan and his mate, Belit, on a dangerous quest that ends with Conan having a battle with a time-displaced King Kull the Conquerer. Before they even get to Kull, the trio has to deal with a hypnotic priest, a couple of giant god statues brought to life, and a were-cat.

13. “Night of the Dark God” (Savage Tales #4, May 1974)

A little muddled in its original black-andwhite printing, thankfully this exciting story is reprinted in color in Marvel Treasury Edition #15 (1977), which is great since it’s another tour-de-force for the artwork: Gil Kane and Neal Adams, with assists from Vince Colletta, Frank McLaughlin, and Pablo Marcos. Visiting his homeland, Conan looks up his first love, only to find she has lately been kidnapped by the Vanir. Determined to revisit some of his lost innocence, he follows, but first encounters a mysterious black statue that he drags along with him. But death is everywhere along the way, including, sadly, at the end of his quest. Only he, and the dark statue who has observed it all, survive.

12. “Tower of the Elephant” (Conan the Barbarian #4, Apr. 1971) “Tower of the Elephant” (Savage Sword of Conan #26, Nov. 1977)

Arguably the most well-known Conan story, Marvel adapted it twice in the Bronze Age

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11. “The Phoenix on the Sword” (Conan the Barbarian Annual #2, 1976) Conan here is the monarch of the rich civilized kingdom of Aquilonia, but he is not yet respected, accepted, or beloved as he would become. No, sinister forces from all sides plot against him, among them the hopeful usurper Ascalante and his Stygian body slave, the down-on-his-luck former sorcerer Thoth-Amon, destined to become Conan’s true archenemy (although they don’t even meet in this comic). Howard’s original story first starred Kull but was rewritten to feature Conan, so it isn’t surprising to see Conan waving an axe around as he defends his life and his throne against the growing hordes of plotters as well as an oversized beast. Roy even goes out of his way in a couple spots to emphasize the Kull tie-in. The very detailed art throughout is provided by Vicente Alcazar with Yong Montano.

10. “The Song of Red Sonja” (Conan the Barbarian #24, Mar. 1973)

The Elephant Man Original Smith cover art (courtesy of Heritage) from the “Tower of the Elephant” adaptation, Conan the Barbarian #4 (Apr. 1971). TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

(and Dark Horse yet again later on). Roy Thomas’ script is expanded upon for the second telling, but it remains largely a well-done adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s short story from more than three decades earlier. Hearing of a fabulous gem kept in a place called the Tower of the Elephant, the young Cimmerian thief teams with another man of ill-repute to break in and make it their own. The opulent tower is, in fact, filled with treasure but also guarded by a lion and a giant spider. The partner doesn’t survive the entry but Conan does and encounters Yag-Kosha, the reason the tower is named as it is. Yag-Kosha is the most tragic figure in all of Howard’s writings, a literal green space alien, blind, broken, and with the head of an elephant, marooned on Earth centuries earlier, captured and tortured by yet another evil wizard. Conan instantly pities the poor prisoner as Yag-Kosha pours out his history and begs Conan to help him both escape his fate and exact his long-dreamt-of vengeance. With essentially the same script, both versions are excellent, and your favorite comes down to whether you prefer the colorful Barry Smith art or John Buscema’s moody black-and-white illustrative work, greatly enhanced by Alfredo Alcala, who in my opinion was never paid enough for all the work he obviously put into his inking.

Red Sonja was an actual character created by Robert E. Howard, but her comics incarnation was considerably redefined by Roy Thomas and Barry Smith, and later refined even more, eventually leading to a relatively brief cult phenomenon all her own including early cosplay and a feature film. It all started here. Well, actually the issue before, but this one is her showcase. Not yet attired in her familiar chain-mail bikini, Sonja is no less herself. The fiery, redheaded swordswoman parties with Conan and then cajoles him into assisting her in looting a portion of an enchanted treasure held in a colorful tower only to spurn him and escape as Conan vows they will meet again…which, of course, they did. Although his name would remain associated with the character of Conan in various ways, this was Barry Smith’s final issue. His now-deeply detailed pencils, inks, and coloring had reached an early peak and it was time for him to move on.

9. “Death on the Black Coast” (Conan the Barbarian #100, July 1979) After teaming with his soulmate, the pirate queen, Belit, some three years earlier, nearly all of Conan’s adventures were set at sea or on the Dark Continent. That all came to an end here. Unlike many 100th-issue celebrations that offer special upbeat stories, this one was a downer to the extreme. What starts as an almost routine looting of an amazing treasure ends with the very sudden slaughter of the entire crew of Conan and Belit’s Tigress. Belit herself, fearless and seemingly un-killable, is found hanging from the rigging of her own precious ship. In a matter of minutes, Conan, who had found a family of sorts, was again alone, his soul broken. As he attempts to process it all, he is set upon first by rabid jackals, and then by a vicious winged ape, the creature that had murdered his crew and his mate. He himself is about to be

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killed by the beast when what seems to be the ghost of Belit arrives to buy him enough time to kill the evil creature. The last few pages are heart-rending as Conan says goodbye to the Queen of the Black Coast—his queen.

8. “Citadel at the Center of Time” (Savage Sword of Conan #7, Aug. 1975) This is the original out of which grew the first Conan What If? issue. In this version, though, rather than getting tossed into the far future by the Well at the Center of Time, the sword-wielding Cimmerian has to defend his own world from Neanderthals and a Tyrannosaurus Rex brought forward from their own long-faded ages.

7. “When Madness Wears the Crown” (Savage Sword of Conan #49, Feb. 1980) “Swords Across the Alimane” (Savage Sword of Conan #50, Mar. 1980) “Satyr’s Blood” (Savage Sword of Conan #51, Apr. 1980) “Conan the Liberator” (Savage Sword of Conan #52, May 1980)

This multi-part adaptation of de Camp and Carter’s Conan the Liberator is the seminal epic adventure in which Conan finally finds the crown he’s awaited nearly his whole life. A middle-aged soldier at the start, our hero finds himself rising in the ranks of the army of rebellion in the great civilized kingdom of Aquilonia. Expertly paced throughout all four chapters, it’s the last part that’s riveting as we see the rising madness of King Numedides, a ruthless and power-mad narcissist who has become convinced he is an immortal god. After all that’s occurred in the preceding chapters, when Conan finally encounters him directly, he’s having none of it, and assassinates the king on the spot. As others arrive to see their mad liege in defeat and death, Conan takes the crown and places it on his own head, fulfilling the prediction at long last. It is a massively climactic moment in the mythos, marking an end and a beginning.

6. “The Frost Giant’s Daughter” (Savage Tales #1, May 1971) Specifically planned as a slightly more adult Conan tale for the false start of Marvel’s black-and-white companion magazine, this much-reprinted story adapted from REH is more an interlude, really, and one of the earliest indications of Barry Smith’s growing sense of cinematic inventiveness. Unlike the regular color comic, Smith here inks his own work, and the difference is staggering. The young Conan is wounded in a skirmish in the snow-covered mountains of his homeland. He is found by a naked, seductive young woman who is unaffected by the icy cold. She runs away and he pursues her

across the wasteland, only to find she has lured him to her giant brothers who are determined to kill him. Instead, Conan kills them and intends on having his way with the conniving girl who served as bait. But she disappears and Conan is found by his own people. Did it really happen at all? The story also looked great in color when it was reprinted a year later (with some slight text and art changes to appease the Comics Code) in Conan the Barbarian #16 (July 1972).

5. “Queen of the Black Coast” (Conan the Barbarian #58, Jan. 1976) “The Ballad of Belit” (Conan the Barbarian #59, Feb. 1976)

Another of the best-known Howard stories, “Queen of the Black Coast” introduces Conan’s great love, Belit, a bloodthirsty match for him in every way. Conan, fleeing Messantia, jumps on a ship bound for Kush (said to be modern-day Africa). At sea, they are beset by the infamous pirate queen, Belit, worshipped as a white goddess by her “savage” crew. Impressed by Conan’s attempts to overwhelm them, she chooses him on the spot to be her mate, and Conan goes along. The following issue is Roy doing what Roy does best—coming up with a backstory for characters who had no backstory. Belit is given the origin that Howard had never given her, setting up a long and popular run of the adventures of Conan and Belit before her tragic death (see #9 on this list).

4. “The Curse of the Golden Skull” (Conan the Barbarian #37, Apr. 1974) This tale reunites the Roy Thomas/Neal Adams team that had given us the fan-favorite X-Men and Avengers issues of a couple of years earlier, here on a Howard adaption that also incorporates Juma the Black, a character from Lin Carter and L. Sprague de Camp’s continuations. Neal is arguably at the very peak of his best period in comics, taking us on a roller-coaster ride with a princess, a wizard, and Conan’s battles with a vicious ape, a dragon, and a giant slug-monster.

3. “People of the Dark” (Savage Sword of Conan #6, June 1975) Howard’s original wasn’t quite a Conan story and neither is Roy’s adaptation, done with the eccentric, off-the-wall illustration design of the great Alex Nino. The original was considered part of the shared world Cthulhu Mythos of Howard’s contemporary, H. P. Lovecraft. The plot is hard to describe, beginning and ending in modern day, with Conan fighting soldiers and demons in between back in his own time. It’s a bit hard to keep up with, but the truly amazing Nino art makes you want to read through it slowly anyway. There’s no other Conan tale remotely like it.

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2. “A Witch Shall Be Born” (Savage Sword of Conan #5, Apr. 1975) Perhaps the most iconic image of our barbarian friend is of a defiant Conan crucified in the desert. This story is where that image originated. Howard’s original is considered one of his lesser works in spite of over-the-top mayhem involving a beautiful queen and her evil lookalike sister, and a particularly ugly monster, but most experts agree that one scene shows more than anything else what makes Conan an interesting character and not just a serial killer with a sword. Left by a cruel rival and nailed to a cross to die, Conan marshals all his fortitude and survival instincts, channeling his hatred for the soldier who did this to him. Eventually, he is rescued by outlaws and works his way up through the ranks, determined to find his rival and give him the fate he had meant for Conan. It’s a powerful sequence in any format, and the comics version is aided by one of Buscema’s best art jobs, with DeZuniga’s ad hoc crew, the Tribe, adding great detail in the inking. The women are gorgeous, Conan is steely eyed, and the 55-page story is paced just right. If anything, Roy improved on the original here.

1. “Red Nails” (Savage Tales #2–3, Oct. 1973–Feb. 1974) Marvel Treasury Edition #4 (1975) By the time the first chapter of “Red Nails” appeared in Savage Tales #2, there was little doubt that Barry was too good for the room (see above right). It was clear that this was no longer a student struggling to find his own way. This was a master showing how it was done. And Roy seemed equally inspired, making the two segments of “Red Nails,” an adventure with Conan and Valeria of the Red Brotherhood, an easy choice for number one on the list of great Bronze Age Marvel Conan stories. Although originally printed in black and white, my favorite version of “Red Nails” is actually the color version. It was printed oversized and slightly retouched in spots in the first-ever Conan issue of Marvel Treasury Edition (#4, 1975). Barry is actually credited with doing the color himself, along with Linda Lessman. Based on one of Howard’s best-known stories, “Red Nails” stars Valeria, one of several strong female characters in Conan’s world. It was the first time we readers had met her in the comics, although clearly not the first time Conan had. Unlike Sonja, or Belit, Valeria seems more… civilized, more intelligent. Soon enough, though, we learn she can take care of herself. She’s a blonde pirate with a long history of blood on her not-so-delicate hands. As our story begins, she finds herself almost literally in the middle of nowhere when Conan suddenly sneaks up and surprises her, following her from an adventure that wouldn’t even be told for another 19 years (see #38 on this list). The pair best a very hungry dragon before setting off toward an ominously quiet walled city in the middle of a desert. There they find two thinning tribes at war for 50 years, a horny prince, and a magical princess who needs new blood to live forever. There are also torture devices, a half-dead wizard with a laser-beam wand, a sacrificial altar, and a wall of human heads. Throw in lots of swordfighting, and what’s not to like? Although at its heart a typical Conan story, its length allows for more character development and more plot development from Roy. The at-times astonishingly ornate art and coloring of Smith, combined with his now-mature sequential storytelling skills, is just a joy. There’s even a happy ending! Well… with lots of gore and corpses but, hey, Conan does get the girl in the end, and willingly at that!

That first issue of Conan the Barbarian way back when was not just another comic book. It was a revolution, spawning a genre within the field that continues to this day. The Conan books would continue to sell throughout the 1980s, ’90s, and beyond, the comics and mags expanded to multiple titles, and other Robert E. Howard characters like Kull and Solomon Kane also gained new lives and new fans. At Marvel, DC, and elsewhere, all-new characters followed in Conan’s footsteps. Eventually, Marvel lost the license to the Robert E. Howard characters, but Conan continued to thrive at Dark Horse for a number of years [as explored later in this issue—ed.]. The new comics were more explicitly violent and sexual but they often retold the same stories, sometimes even written by Roy Thomas himself. The swords were just as sharp as ever, but in spite of all the wizards and magicians, they were somehow missing the sorcery. They retold the myth but somehow missed much of the magic. And now Marvel has the Conan license back, and once again they’re publishing some rousing sword-and-sorcery adventures. Conan has even joined the Avengers! It’s unlikely any of these modern renditions will topple the memories of those heady Bronze Age beginnings, but one never knows. The whole original Marvel run, with all its spin-offs and tie-ins, is really just an embarrassment of storytelling riches, even after Roy Thomas moves on. I hope you’ve enjoyed this look back at 50 great Conan issues and storylines as Robert E. Howard’s legacy in comics reaches its 50th year. Your own list might be different. I’d love to see it. But by Crom and Mitra, there’s no denying these are some of the best-written and -drawn comic-book stories of all time! By this point, one thing becomes clear. The old shaman’s prophecy was correct. After countless action-filled life-or-death adventures chronicled in multiple media for nearly a full century now, Conan of Cimmeria has indeed become, in his own way, very much a king! STEVEN THOMPSON is Booksteve of Booksteve’s Library (http://booksteveslibrary.blogspot.com) and a dozen other blogs. He has written for Fantagraphics, TwoMorrows, Yoe Books, Bear Manor Media, and Time Capsule Productions.

14 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

by M a r c

Buxton

Know, O Prince, that between the years when the Silver Age began in the gleaming city of York the New, and the years of the rise of Bronze Age wond ers, there was an Age undreamed of, when many industry-changing genres lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars. Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen -eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth to tread the jeweled thrones of fandom under his sandaled feet. And Conan madeth money; so his handlers, the many brilliant artists and writers who dwell ed in the immortal Valhalla-like region known as Marvel Comics, decided to cash in on Conan. Marv el tried to find other barbarians, swordsmen (and in one case, a swordswoman), slayers, and bash ers of skulls to stand side-by-side with Conan on the battlefield of the newsstands and candy stores of the Age known as Bronze. This is the story of the Marvel barbarians who were not Conan. See their fury and tremble, O Prince, for their numbers were many, their appearanc es were sporadic, and their tales were fascinating. Hear now; attend, as I open the pages of the tomes of comicbook history and journey into a time where these barbarians and blood-drunk dogs of war attem pted to challenge superheroes for comic-book supre macy.

Detail from Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian #57 (Dec. 1975). Art by Gil Kane and Vince Colletta. Conan TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 15

KULL

Here Comes King Kull! (top) The legend of Kull is referenced in Thomas and Smith’s Conan the Barbarian #1 (Oct. 1970). (bottom left) Kull stars in Creatures on the Loose #10 (Mar. 1971). Cover by Herb Trimpe and Marie Severin. (bottom right) More Marvel Kull.

It’s ironic that the barbarian, warrior, and king known as Kull would follow the blood-soaked path forged by Conan into Marvel lore because in the days of yore, Conan followed Kull into the world of prose. In the world of pulp fiction, Kull first appeared in the Robert E. Howard-penned “The Shadow Kingdom,” published in Weird Tales’ August 1929 edition. Three other Kull stories were published in Howard’s lifetime, but he penned a fourth, entitled “By This Axe I Rule!,” which was rejected for publication by Weird Tales’ editorial steward. Instead of abandoning his Kull tale, Howard rewrote the tale and replaced Kull with a new barbarian character named Conan. The powers-that-be operating Weird Tales liked the Conan robert e. howard version of this bloody yarn better than Kull… and the rest is history. The reengineered Kull story was now titled “The Phoenix on the Sword” and appeared in the December 1932 issue of Weird Tales. Fantasy fiction would never be the same again. (It should be noted that a character named Conan was named in brief appearances in separate narratives and poetry before the reworked Kull story, before the actual Conan made his proper debut in late 1932.) Other Howard-written Kull stories would be published after the author’s death, but the character would forever play second fiddle to Conan. It is the whim of history, is it not, O Prince, that after Conan created such a storm of success for Marvel, the door was opened for Kull, the character Conan replaced, to forge his own comic-book legend? Kull would actually make his first Marvel appearance in Conan the Barbarian #1 (Oct. 1970) during a vision sequence linking Conan to the primordial past of the world the two Howard warriors shared. This brief appearance was a signal to fantasy readers that Marvel was not only going whole-hog on Conan, but it was evident that other Howard creations were in play as well. That promise came to fruition when Kull made his first full-fledged appearance in Marvel’s Creatures on the Loose #10 (Mar. 1971) in the Roy Thomas-written, Bernie Wrightson-drawn “The Skull of Silence!” O Prince, what mighty a pair of creators that were chosen to bring Kull to four-color life! Thomas was a no-brainer, but a young Wrightson, arguably one of the greatest genre artists of the 20th Century? Truly, the stuff of legends. The differences between Kull and Conan were evident from the opening pages of Kull’s Marvel debut. Kull begins his premiere Marvel adventure lamenting that he could no longer be, as Thomas writes, a “wild-maned barbarian.” Kull now has the weight of the crown of the realm of Valusia and must bear the responsibilities of a kingdom. Kull’s monarchial responsibilities instantly set Kull apart

Conan TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC. Kull TM & © Kull Productions, Inc.

16 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

from Conan, and in an interview published in Alter Ego #70 (July 2007), conducted by Jim Amash and transcribed by Brian K. Morris, Thomas remembered, “It’s harder to have a king in the same kind of action as a young barbarian just coming down from the hills. We didn’t start, after all, with King Conan when we did his comic, even though Howard had started that way.” In Kull’s first appearance, Thomas got to explore the weight a crown has on a king, a far cry from the freewheeling yarns starring Conan. In his first Marvel adventure, Kull must spring into action against the cosmic horror of the castle known as the Skull of Silence, but he also has the kingly responsibility to lead his Pict subjects to safety. In Alter Ego #70, Thomas recalled Kull as much more introspective than Conan: “Kull was given more to thinking than Conan was. He was the kind of guy who could lose himself looking into the mirrors.” Of course, the setting of ancient Atlantis set centuries before Conan was splitting skulls and quaffing ale also provides a contrast between Kull and Conan. Magic is more common in Kull’s world, and Thomas makes the early Kull comics a showcase of the pulpish weird tales that Howard and authors like H. P. Lovecraft made famous. Conan faced his share of cosmic horrors, but this type of stygian nightmare is Kull’s stock and trade. Another difference between Kull and the more renowned Conan is Kull’s connection to the Marvel Universe. Elements that were birthed in the Kull comic have appeared in the Marvel Universe proper as Thomas takes a number of opportunities to connect Kull’s ancient Atlantis to the underwater realms of Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Heck, King Kull even (sort of) teams up with Spider-Man in Marvel Team-Up #112 (Dec. 1981). In addition, a villain more commonly associated with Conan first appeared in a Kull feature. Thulsa Doom made his first appearance in the second Marvel title to feature Kull, Monsters on the Prowl #16 (Apr. 1972), by Thomas, Marie Severin, and John Severin. Thulsa Doom, an immortal sorcerer who would be resurrected throughout the ages, would later face Conan in both print and in film, becoming one of the few common elements to bridge both barbarians’ time periods. All in all, while Conan became the greatest comic-book barbarian legend of all, Kull forged his own path to Marvel greatness. At times, according to Thomas, it seemed that Marvel did not provide enough distinction between the two Howard barbarians. “Kull, as written by REH, is more cerebral than Conan,” Thomas confesses today to BACK ISSUE. “Although when we did the comics stories, I’m not sure that really came about and Kull just seemed like Conan done by other hands.” However, this similarity to Conan despite the intrinsic differences in the characters did not stop Kull from finding comic-book success of his own. The King of Valusia appeared in his own magazine soon after his Creatures on the Loose debut. The title began as Kull the Conqueror with issue #1 (June 1971) and ended with the name-changed Kull the Destroyer #29 (Oct. 1978). Kull appeared in myriad backups featured in The Savage Sword of Conan and was even featured in his own black-and-white magazine entitled Kull and the Barbarians, the first issue cover-dated May 1975. This oversized mag only lasted three issues [see BACK ISSUE #88]; however, the short-lived title’s existence makes Kull Marvel’s only fantasy character besides Conan to carry his own black-and-white magazine. Kull would return in 1982 with a second volume of Kull the Destroyer. This time fantasy-comics legend John Buscema would be featured on art, making the popular Conan the Barbarian artist “Big” John another commonality between Kull and Conan. Kull might not have been as prolific as his Cimmerian counterpart, but Marvel certainly took every opportunity to feature the Howard character that inspired the creation of the more famous Conan, and like the Crom-worshipping Conan, Kull’s various titles featured some of the best fantasy artists of the Bronze Age. So all hail the King of Valusia, the mighty barbarian king who continued the barbarian tradition at Marvel.

Spider-Man the Barbarian (top left) What could be weirder than a Spidey/Kull adventure? (top right) How ’bout this? Marvel Team-Up #112 (Dec. 1981) cover by Marie Severin and Terry Austin. MTU #79 (Mar. 1979) cover by John Byrne and Austin. MTU and Spider-Man TM & © Marvel. Kull TM & © Kull Productions, Inc. Red Sonja TM & © Red Sonja, LLC.

Comeback King Kull returns, in Monsters on the Prowl #16 (Apr. 1972). Original cover art by John Severin. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). Kull TM & © Kull Productions, Inc. Monsters on the Prowl TM & © Marvel.

Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 17

ELRIC

legendary fantasy artist Barry (Windsor-)Smith to present the first We continue our journey with a character that, in some literary circles, meeting of pulp fantasy’s greatest heroes. This team-up is one of the is arguably even more renowned than Conan. Let us turn our attention greatest what-could-have-beens of the early Bronze Age as Elric would to Elric of Melniboné, the protagonist of legendary fantasy writer not make another Marvel appearance for many years. Imagine a regular Michael Moorcock’s fabled Elric saga. Elric series from Thomas and Smith. Verily, O Prince, the mind doth boggle. Elric first appeared in the novella The Dreaming City (Science The story begins with Conan sent on a quest to find Moorcock’s Fantasy #47, June 1961), and since the albino eternal champion’s deity Terhali, the Green Empress. Along the way, Conan runs into initial appearance, Elric has become one of the most recognizable Elric and, of course, the two do battle. At this thunderous moment, sword-and-sorcery heroes in all of literature. Now, almost everyone is the contrasting dichotomy of Conan and Elric is on full display. As aware of Marvel’s long and storied history of the pulp classic Conan rendered by Smith, Elric is gaunt and sallow, but stands toe-to-toe with the Cimmerian, prompting Conan to cry to Elric, “My forearm the Barbarian, but some might be surprised to learn that Conan can make two of yours… yet your grip is mighty as my own.” once shared comic pages with Elric. Indeed, the two warriors fight to a draw, but Elric Elric is a fascinating character to join with Conan at is not the only Moorcockian legend to appear in the Marvel because, well, think about it, O Prince, Elric is really the anti-Conan. Where Conan is bronzed and pages of this crossover. The Queen of the Chaos Swords ripped to shreds (in modern parlance), Elric is gaunt Xiombarg and the immortal warrior Prince Gaynor also and stricken with albinism. Where Conan fears and seek to find the Green Empress, and the clash of combats magic at every turn, Elric embraces magic Howard and Moorcock begins. Also along for the ride and uses mystical and ancient means to smite his is Kulan Gath, the legendary evil wizard of Howard enemies. Where Conan uses a sword to achieve lore, a villain who would appear in the Marvel Universe his violent ends, Elric is used by his vampiric sword proper as a foe of the X-Men; so, yes, if we play six Stormbringer to achieve its nefarious goals. Where degrees of separation, Elric and the heroes of the Conan is a man of natural talents connected with the Marvel Universe exist side-by-side. The epic continues in Conan the Barbarian #15 land, Elric employs magic herbs to extend his own michael moorcock life. Where Conan is a man of gigantic mirth and (May 1972), where Elric and Conan basically play gigantic melancholies, Elric is a distressed soul who observer to the Melniboné madness that has descendsuffers from a poetic ennui that has enthralled readers for decades. ed on Conan’s world. As the battle for the Green Empress plays out, Yes, the two fantasy icons are profoundly different, but in the early Elric and Conan engage in a verbal conflict over Elric’s preoccupation days of Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian series, the two crossed paths and with sorcery. The whole thing takes on a bit of a meta feel as the two differing fantasy genres are mashed up. The high fantasy of Elric and his crossed swords. In the 14th issue of Conan the Barbarian (Mar. 1972), plotters Moorcock pantheon of gods of law and order versus the primordial, simple world and James Cawthorn join with regular Conan writer Roy Thomas and of sword and sandal provide the chorus for the bloodletting as Howard and Moorcock characters weave in and out of this fantasy team-up. One would presume, O Prince, that this Conan/Elric epic could have led to Elric coming to Marvel on a more consistent basis.

Clash of the Titans (left) Elric arrives in the Cimmerian’s world on this astounding original page from Conan the Barbarian #14 (Mar. 1972). Original Barry Windsor-Smith art courtesy of Heritage. (bottom left) Roy Thomas brings Michael Moorcock’s Elric into the pages of Conan #14 (Mar. 1972). Cover by Smith. (bottom right) P. Craig Russell’s stunning adaptation of The Dreaming City, in Marvel Graphic Novel #2 (1982). Conan TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC. Elric TM & © Michael Moorcock.

18 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

Men on Mars (left) Marvel brought Edwin L. Arnold’s Gullivar Jones, Warrior of Mars to comics beginning in Creatures on the Loose #16 (Mar. 1972). (right) Months later, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter, Warlord of Mars graduated from Tarzan’s back pages to a spot in the newly launched Weird Worlds. Issue #1 (Aug.–Sept. 1972) cover by Joe Kubert. Gullivar Jones © the respective copyright holder. Tarzan, John Carter, and David Innes TM & © ERB, Inc.

After all, Robert E. Howard’s famed barbarian led to great success for The novel Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation, written by famed author Marvel. Shouldn’t Elric, famed protagonist of high fantasy, mean the Edwin Lester Arnold, was published in 1905. The novel combined elesame? When asked if Moorcock and Marvel had future Elric plans in ments of fantasy with the sweeping vistas and swashbuckling adventure mind, Roy Thomas tells BACK ISSUE, “I don’t believe there were. that would morph into the sword-and-planet genre later in the decade. Arnold’s novel tells the tale of Gullivar Jones, an Army officer who Certainly it wouldn’t have been a bad idea… I just must not have thought of it.” There would be more Elric comics from Thomas, wishes to escape the drudgery of the bureaucracy of the modern world. but Marvel fans would have to wait over a decade. Jones is swept by a magic carpet off to Mars and, on the red planet, Even though the first meeting between Elric and Conan was a the military man gains super-strength and uses his newfound ability watershed fantasy moment, their meeting did not present to help a half-naked princess survive a violent Martian conflict. Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation was met with a lukewarm an Elric that embodied the potent elements of Moorcock’s prose fiction. Marvel’s Elric was not nearly as selfreception by readers and critics who just weren’t ready for reflective as his prose counterpoint, and then there’s this type of speculative fiction. Due to this rejection, that weird, conical, pope hat. That being said, Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation would be Arnold’s Thomas and Marvel did get to return to the world last novel, but despite the fact that fans of Arnold’s of Melniboné in 1981 in Marvel Graphic Novel #2: era turned up their collective noses at Jones and his Elric and the Dreaming City. This time, Thomas, adventures, the novel would have resonance. Fans and paired with famed fantasy artist P. Craig Russell, critics would be prepared for scantily clad Martian delivered the full Elric to Marvel. With lush landscapes, princesses, an Earth soldier swept into a Martian conflict, an epic and complex story, and the pathos that made and the sword-and-planet genre in general when, Elric famous (and no pointy hat), this graphic a decade later, inspired by Arnold and Gullivar Jones, novel brings the world of Moorcock to sumptuous Edgar Rice Burroughs would create John Carter of life. Elric’s contrast with Conan is on full display Mars and change fiction forever. edwin lester arnold as Elric cuts his way through his enemies while In fact, it was Burroughs who inspired Roy Thomas lamenting his vampiric existence. Sadly, this tale and Marvel Comics to explore Gullivar Jones. Thomas was the last for Elric at Marvel, and fantasy fans can only dream informs BACK ISSUE, “DC had ERB’s John Carter and Carson of Venus, of what Marvel and Thomas could have done with the fantasy so I hoped Marvel could ‘build its own’ John Carter type, since… the legend if the fates had other plans for the albino eternal champion Gullivar Jones book was a precursor of [John Carter in] A Princess of over at the House of Ideas. Mars.” In the world of prose, Jones inspired John Carter, and in turn, [Editor’s note: See BACK ISSUE #53 for more on Elric in comic books, DC’s adaptation of John Carter inspired Marvel to bring Gullivar Jones to the House of Ideas. It can also be said, O Prince, that during the including a Michael Moorcock interview.] Bronze Age, a very different type of fantasy hero named Conan could GULLIVAR JONES: WARRIOR OF MARS have also been the catalyst for Gullivar Jones arriving at Marvel Comics. Know, O Prince, that these Conan-inspired warriors of yore were Gullivar Jones may have been an influential novel when it comes to not confined to the soils of this earthly plain, for as Conan began sci-fi, but the warrior of Mars’ comic-book feature remains one of the to surge in popularity, Marvel looked to the stars to find a new more eclectic additions to the Bronze Age of Marvel. Despite this, barbarian champion. You have heard the tales of John Carter, O Prince, the “Gullivar Jones: Warrior of Mars” feature in Creatures on the Loose but that is not whom we are about to discuss. Instead, let us look attracted some of the most talented creators of the era. Plus, getting the at a barbarian champion that inspired John Carter—Gullivar Jones: rights to Gullivar Jones was easy because, as Thomas stated in Alter Ego Warriors of Mars! #70, Gullivar Jones “was in the public domain.” In addition, according Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 19

to Thomas, Marvel also went after Jones because of “the fact that the original property had been published before the ERB book,” making Gullivar Jones a groundbreaking property in adventure fiction. In Creatures on the Loose #16 (Mar. 1972), Thomas joined with artist Gil Kane and inker Bill Everett to present the first Marvel Gullivar Jones adventure, and it was as Bronze Age pulpy as it gets, O Prince. Sadly, one thing that Gullivar Jones and Conan didn’t have in common was Marvel’s confidence. Gullivar Jones’ adventures were limited to ten pages of Creatures on the Loose; so, really, only the titular hero got story space to develop, leaving Gullivar’s companions, love interest, and adversaries kind of flat. In contrast, Conan was always surrounded by well-developed supporting characters. By the second page of his first issue, Gullivar Jones has been transported to Mars thanks to a mysterious amulet given to him by a floating yellow Martian named Lu-Pov. By page four, Jones was already shirtless and tussling with a gaggle of red-skinned, barbarian-looking Martians. Also by page four, Jones had rescued a metal-bikini-clad princess of Mars named Heru. While Gullivar Jones’ adventures have more in common with Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, Gil Kane utilizes a style and designs reminiscent of the pulp fantasy world of Conan.

From the tented bazaar, to the plate-mail lingerie, to the constant swordplay, it is clear the Marvel’s Gullivar Jones was trying to, at least on the surface, scratch that itch created by Conan. The narrative was pure sword-and-planet, with Gullivar Jones getting super-strength from the Martian atmosphere, rescuing his fair maiden, and battling beasts such as spider-bat hybrids and primordial gods like the fish monster Phra. By Creatures on the Loose #18 (July 1972), writers George Effinger and Gerry Conway and artists Ross Andru and Sam Grainger replaced Thomas and Kane. One could see the Conan tropes as, visually, the book pushed the same fantasy buttons, but between the modern vernacular spoken by the titular hero and the interplanetary setting, there were enough difference between Jones and Conan to keep the Creatures strip unique. Jones was flippant and made many modern references (well, World War I-era modern); he did not seek adventure, but adventure found him just the same. Jones was a swordsman and warrior swept up into a world he didn’t understand, while Conan forged the world around him into his own barbaric image. But, O Prince, it can be postulated that the Gullivar Jones strip in Creatures on the Loose owes its existence to Conan. In Creatures on Loose #19 (Sept. 1972), the cover blurb reads, “The Red Barbarian of Mars” and features a shirtless Jones hacking into the aforementioned red barbarian while protecting his plate-bra-wearing, yellow-skinned princess. Very Bronze Age. Very Conan. This issue saw another creative shift with Gil Kane sharing art chores with Wayne Boring and Jim Mooney. “Gullivar Jones: Warrior of Mars” may have featured an inconstant bevy of artists, but like Conan the Barbarian, Jones’ short-lived series truly attracted some master draftsmen, worthy of any art guild, my prince! Gray Morrow would take up the art chores of the final two Gullivar Jones stories in Creatures on the Loose, issues #20–21 (Nov. 1972– Jan. 1973), before Gullivar and his interplanetary adventures were shunted off to the black-and-white magazine Monsters Unleashed in issues #4 (Feb. 1974) and 8 (Oct. 1974), where the likes of Tony Isabella and Dave Cockrum would handle the creative duties for MU #4 and Isabella, Doug Moench, and George Pérez would visit Mars for Gullivar’s final Marvel appearance in MU #8. All in all, Gullivar Jones was a victim a miniscule page count and inconsistent creative visions, but he is a worthy addition to our sword-and-sandal set. Even if those sandals left footprints on a faraway planet.

THONGOR

Two Worlds to Win, One Book to Lose Character OuT of Luck? COTL #21 might have been Gullivar Jones’ last issue as a Marvel cover star, but he went out with a bang with this incredible Steranko cover. Original art courtesy of Heritage. © the respective copyright holder. Creatures on the Loose TM & © Marvel.

1973 was certainly the year of the barbarian at Marvel. Gullivar Jones may have ended his run, but other literary sword and sandal warriors were on their way to the House of Ideas, with one, Thongor of Lost Lemuria, holding a very fascinating place in Marvel barbarian lore. You see, O Prince, back in the early ’70s, Stan Lee and Roy Thomas knew that barbarians were a hot literary commodity. At the time, the Lancer paperback series of Conan novel reprints were a hit thanks to the eye-popping and head-lopping Frank Frazetta painted covers. Barbarians were in the zeitgeist and Lee and Thomas were curious. The problem was that Thomas did not believe that the famously frugal Marvel publisher Martin Goodman would pony up the cash to purchase Conan, so Thomas turned his attention to author Lin Carter and the barbarian known as Thongor. A major reason Thomas set his sights on Thongor was, as Thomas revealed in the aforementioned issue of Alter Ego, “because Stan liked that name the most.” However, history would be fickle when it came to Thongor making a splash at Marvel Comics, as Thomas revealed in an interview in Alter Ego #70: “I soon got stalled by Lin Carter’s agent on Thongor (he was hoping I’d offer more than the $150 per issue I was authorized to offer), and I got a sudden impulse to go after Conan.” The rest is history. But the potential for Thongor was not dead at Marvel. Indeed not, O Prince. At the time that Carter’s work drew Marvel’s attention, Thongor was a known property; the barbarian hero starred in six books penned by Carter, beginning with Thongor of Lemuria (1965). Thongor was indeed a Howard and Edgar Rice Burroughs pastiche, a tribute to the lost city and sword-and-sorcery genres which features plenty of blood, skin, and violence to keep any reader hungry for fantasy satiated. Thomas was a fan of Carter’s Thongor, and in the interview published in Alter Ego #70, Roy revealed, “Thongor and the City of Magicians is the first sword-[and]-sorcery novel I ever read, and I later owned Frank Frazetta’s cover painting for that novel, the one with the hero

20 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

riding on a giant pterodactyl above flowing lava on a black background, for ten or 15 years.” While not as renowned as Conan, Thongor had a literary following and Marvel was interested. Conan became a hit, but imagine, O Prince, just imagine, what might comic-book history have become if Lin Carter had accepted Marvel’s offer and Thongor had come to Marvel before Conan? Would Barry Windsor-Smith have become known as the Thongor artist? Would Arnold Schwarzenegger have made a Hollywood blockbuster Thongor film? We will never know. Despite earlier negotiations falling apart with Lin Carter, the ambassadorial Roy Thomas wanted to keep things cordial with the novelist. “I was happy to make a deal with Lin for Thongor,” Thomas said in Alter Ego #70, “because I didn’t want him to think we’d abandoned him. Earlier, he had relented and actually let us adapt his one Conan story.” Indeed, Marvel and Carter came to a deal to bring the Warrior of Lost Lemuria to Marvel. As to why Marvel once again approached Lin Carter after earlier negotiations fell apart, Thomas reveals to BACK ISSUE, “I felt bad about our not doing Thongor since I knew Lin Carter had really liked the idea, so I thought we should give it a try later… and somehow, either Lin’s agent Henry Morrison went along with our offer this time (maybe having his arm twisted by Lin) or else Lin handled it himself without bothering with an agent. I can’t remember which.” This time things between Marvel and Carter worked out, and “Thongor: Warrior of Lost Lemuria” replaced “Gullivar Jones: Warrior of Mars” beginning in Creatures on the Loose #22 (Mar. 1973). It seems, O Prince, that Creatures on the Loose lin carter was indeed the place where Marvel liked to try out its Conan wannabes. Thongor’s debut issue sports a breathtaking cover by the great Jim Steranko, while the insides feature an adaptation of Lin Carter’s short story “Thieves of Zangabal.” George Alec Effinger makes the jump from Mars to Lemuria as the writer transitioned from Gullivar Jones to Thongor in the Creatures on the Loose mag. The art features Val Mayerik, a renowned artist who made his Marvel debut on Thongor. Mayerik fondly recalls to BACK ISSUE what Thongor meant to him. “This was my first book for Marvel, actually my first major assignment. I had wanted to draw Conan, but Barry Smith was already on that book and Roy Thomas was not about to replace him.” If anything, it was his world that sets Thongor apart from Conan. According to the novels of Lin Carter, ancient Lemuria is set thousands of years before the age when either Kull or Conan walked the world. When Thongor quested across Lemuria, Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal fought for survival on the rest of the continents. Thongor’s adventures also had a more cosmic/horror focus even though those ideas did not infuse the Marvel version of Thongor until later in the series. Lemuria also had a unique insertion of technology that we will examine in a moment. In the first issue, Effinger and Mayerik present Carter’s hero, the last member of his tribe, who uses his sword and particular sense of honor to survive the violent world of Lemuria. Like Conan, Thongor is a pirate, thief, assassin, and mercenary. He lusts after riches and adventure and is quick to strike and slow to smile. The first Marvel Thongor adventure concludes in Creatures on the Loose #23 (May 1972), and in truth, while still a pure Bronze Age bit of sword and sorcery, one can insert Conan into the story and the tale would remain the same. “At the time I discerned very little difference in the two characters,” Mayerik reveals to BACK ISSUE. “Conan seemed to have a different mission overall and Thongor carried a bigger sword.” Creatures on the Loose #24 (July 1973) began to create some separation between Conan and Thongor—not so much between the two savage heroes, but between the types of technology that exists in their worlds. This issue began an adaptation of the very first Thongor novel, The Wizard of Lemuria (1965), and during the course of Thongor’s second Marvel adventure, while escaping pursuit by hostile forces, Thongor steals a propellerdriven flying craft called a “floater.” And yes, O Prince, there was an attempt to explain how a piece of industrial technology exists in the primordial world of Thongor—something about an element called urlium and “four spring-powered rotors.” However, the near-steampunk-like tech inserted into Lin Carter’s anachronistic setting is quite jarring. In Creatures on the Loose #25 (Sept. 1973), writer Tony Isabella joins Effinger and another subtle difference is added to Thongor to set the warrior apart from his more well-known Cimmerian barbarian brethren: Thongor’s hair mysteriously becomes a dark red. In the previous issue, Thongor sports a do identical to Conan’s black tresses. But between the events of issues #24 and 25, Thongor must have visited a Lemurian hairdresser because he is now rocking the crimson locks. At this point, it seems that it was a priority to try and make Thongor stand out and not just a Conan carbon copy. Mayerik remembers, “My only job was to make sure he didn’t look too much like Conan.” To do so, Mayerik added some facial differences and always changed up Thongor’s garb, but these are all surface details, and despite the attempts to differentiate Thongor from Conan, Marvel took every opportunity to attract Conan readers to Creatures on the Loose. The cover blurb of Creatures on the Loose #27 (Jan. 1974) reads: “Sword vs. sorcery… in the great tradition of Conan!” and, despite the red hair and Mayerik’s best efforts, indeed it was, O Prince, indeed it was.

From Lemuria to Marvel Stan “The Man” Lee loved the name “Thongor” (it would’ve made a good Marvel Monster in the Atlas era)! Notice the Conan and Kull blurbs on these covers to Creatures on the Loose #22 (Mar. 1973, another Steranko beauty) and 27 (Jan. 1974, cover by Vincente Alcazar). TM & © Lin Carter Properties.

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As to why barbarian tales had made such a big splash on comics, Mayerik postulates, “The barbarian genre was coming to the fore and barbarian/warrior type characters began appearing in publications other than Marvel. I think it appealed to the hippie readership at the time.” Whatever the case, the barbarian trend certainly allowed some fascinating literary characters like Thongor to pop at Marvel Comics, characters that may have not appeared if Conan wasn’t such a bloody success. But to Mayerik, Thongor meant more to him than just another comic-book barbarian. “My most significant memory is, of course, that I was illustrating a barbarian character for a major publisher,” Mayerik says. “It doesn’t get much better than that for a neophyte artist.” Mayerik had some truly great scribes helping him guide the somewhat derivative but still very cool adventures of Thongor. In Creatures on the Loose #26–27 (Nov. 1973–Jan. 1974), the great Gardner Fox came onboard to pick up the scripting on Marvel’s adaptation of The Wizard of Lemuria. Conan may have had the spotlight, but the Cimmerian legend never had Gardner Fox! Fox’s classical pacing and genre sensibilities were a delight, and even though Thongor remains a mostly overlooked part of Marvel lore, the Warrior of Lost Lemuria’s few Marvel adventures stand out. “Fox was easy to work with,” Mayerik recalls. “His scripts were straightforward.” Speaking of scripting, Steve Gerber took on scripting chores in Creatures on the Loose #28–29 (Mar.–May 1974) and joined with artist Vincente Alcazar to finish off Marvel’s adaptation of The Wizard of Lemuria, bringing the creative total to three writers with two artists to adapt one novel. Sadly,

val mayerik Comicvine.

Valiant Debut Marvel readers got an eyeful of then-newcomer Val Mayerik with his dynamic Thongor pencils in COTL #22. Story by George Alec Effinger, inks by Vince Colletta. Original art courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Lin Carter Properties.

after the adaptation of the first Thongor novel, Marvel never got to publish an original Thongor tale. “I have no recollection as to why Marvel did no original stories,” Mayerik admits. “It may have been an agreement with Carter, or maybe it was just easier to do adaptations.” But after just one full novel adaptation, Thongor departed Marvel just as quickly as the Warrior of Lost Lemuria had arrived. Perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be for Thongor at Marvel. After all, Marvel almost grabbed the rights to Thongor before Roy Thomas ponied up the gold coins for Conan and forever changed comic-book history. Once Thongor finally arrived at Marvel, even with the flying machines and even-more-ancient-than-Conan setting, it was hard for the bevvy of creators to keep Thongor from being a Conan derivative. But these creators tried, O Prince, they tried, making Thongor of Lost Lemuria a feature worthy of a revisit for all barbarian aficionados.

RED SONJA

Ironically, the barbarian warrior who, on the surface, seems to have the least in common with Conan actually shares many characteristics with the head-lopping barbarian. Red Sonja, the archetype of the warrior woman, was created by Roy Thomas and Barry Smith and first appeared in Conan the Barbarian #23 (Feb. 1973). Red Sonja is, ironically, arguably, the most well known character other than Conan to dwell in the worlds of Robert E. Howard. Yet, the SheDevil with a Sword was not created by Howard. No, O Prince, she was created by two of the other greatest creative comic-book minds to work on Conan. Red Sonja is a pastiche of two classic characters created by Howard: Red Sonya of Rogatino and Dark Agnes de Chastillon. Red Sonya first appeared in a short story penned by Howard entitled “The Shadow of the Vulture,” first published in The Magic Carpet Magazine (Jan. 1934). This version of Red Sonya (with that all important “y”) was a Renaissance-era, pistolpacking warrior woman of Polish-Ukrainian origin. When Roy Thomas was building the world of Marvel’s Conan, he took the red hair and fiery temper of Red Sonya and transposed her into the Hyborian Age. “Shadow of the Vulture” itself was adapted in Marvel’s Red Sonja’s first appearance in Conan the Barbarian #23. The other Howard created inspiration for Marvel’s Red Sonja was Dark Agnes de Chastillon (also known as Agnes de Chastillon, Dark Agnes, Agnes de la Fere, and the Sword Woman). She first appeared years after Howard’s death in a short story entitled “Sword Woman” in REH: Lone Star Finctioneer #2 (Summer 1975). Where Marvel’s She-Devil with a Sword got her name from Howard’s Red Sonya, Roy Thomas’ creation

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Chain Reaction (left) Thomas and Smith made their Red Sonja a sensation in Conan the Barbarian #24 (Mar. 1973). (middle) The She-Devil with a Sword cut loose in her own series in Marvel Feature vol. 2 #1 (Nov. 1975). Cover by Gil Kane and John Romita, Sr. (right) Marvel’s Red Sonja strip made artist Frank Thorne a fan-favorite, and it’s easy to see why with this powerful cover to Marvel Feature #6 (Sept. 1976). Courtesy of Heritage. (inset) Despite Thorne’s wizardry, some alterations to Sonja’s face, hands, and weapons were made to the published version of the cover. TM & © Red Sonja, LLC. Conan TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC. Marvel Feature TM & © Marvel.

got her attitude and fiery temper from Dark Agnes. Agnes’ tales were origin. For one, unlike Conan, who honed his body and skills to peak set in 16th-Century France and her story began when she is forced perfection, Sonja is granted her skills to magically “explain away” into an arranged marriage by her abusive father. Agnes kills her how a woman can match Conan. The rape aspects of the origin betrothed and begins her training in swordplay. Howard penned three translate poorly to modern retellings and have been retconned out of the origin in contemporary Red Sonja tales. Dark Agnes tales, all published posthumously and all of which inspired Roy Thomas to bring the majesty and might of Dark The magical aspects of Sonja’s origins differentiate her Agnes into the comic world of Hyboria. beginnings from the magic-hating Conan. But, O Prince, Most fans are familiar with Red Sonja and her it is her countenance and attitude that makes the motivations. She is a fierce and independent woman red-tressed She-Devil so much like Conan. She is quick who will not submit to any male lover lest they first witted, quick tempered, gold hungry, adventure thirsty, defeat her in battler, something not even Conan was and carries her own sense of justice. It is a common sight to see both Conan and Sonja gnawing on a leg ever really able to do. After appearances in Conan the of mutton while swilling ale in some raunchy tavern. Barbarian and Savage Sword of Conan, Red Sonja was They both have a fierce honor and a loyalty to their given her own feature in 1975 in the pages of a newly rebooted Marvel Feature. Sonja proved popular enough friends. They both dislike and mistrust wizards and to spring into her own series as well as appearing magic (even though Sonja, or the early Sonja, was powered alongside Conan in many bloody barbarian yarns. by magic), and both will leap into any fray to satisfy Oddly enough, many of the barbarians on our their need for adventure. mighty list have physical aspects in common with The major difference between the two is that frank thorne Conan but differ in temperament, humor, motivation, Conan embraces his sexuality to a James Bondian and location, but Red Sonja, a character whose ZXL. level while Red Sonja must repress it. This probably appearance is uniquely her own, has more in common with her male speaks to the time in which Red Sonja was created, but it is a fascinating barbarian counterpart than the other Marvel barbarian champions. treatise on gender disparity in late 20th-Century fantasy. Conan was Like Conan, Red Sonja comes from tragedy. She lived in a humble frequently seen bedding down with multiple partners, while Red Sonja home in the Hyrkanian steppes with her parents and her brother. must walk away from any sexual liaison. It seems the major difference One tragic day, a band of reavers attack, killing her family and burning between Conan and Red Sonja comes from the social mores of the era her home. Sonja is unable to lift her brother’s sword and suffers rape more so than any character differences. As we’re talking about barbarian ladies, O Prince, one has to wonder at the hands of the attackers. After, the goddess Scáthach appears before Sonja and gifts her with unmatched fighting skills in exchange why the other iconic ladies in Conan’s life like Valeria and Belit never got for the promise that she will never have relations with another unless Marvel solo features. We posed the question to Thomas, who answers, they defeat her. Now, there are some modern problems with this “Valeria was in Conan’s future so far as Conan the Barbarian was Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 23

Barbarians Bound (left) Red Sonja, Belit, and our favorite Cimmerian imperiled by horrific harpies in a 1977 illo by Pablo Marcos. From a 1977 San Francisco comic-con program, courtesy of Jazzy Jerry Boyd. (right) Culled from Heritage’s archives, an unused page of Neal Adams penciled art from the first “Killraven: War of the Worlds” installment in Amazing Adventures vol. 2 #18 (May 1973). Red Sonja © Red Sonja, LLC. Conan and Belit TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC. Killraven TM & © Marvel.

concerned, so I thought it might’ve been confusing to readers to have a Valeria comic. And Belit’s death was well known, so while we could have done such a series as flashback, I had no real interest in doing it.” So it was Red Sonja who became Marvel’s leading warrior woman as the She-Devil with a Sword became the second most popular barbarian in comics and is forever interconnected with the worlds of Robert E. Howard… even though REH really only inspired her creation. This iconic character status speaks to the enduring work of Thomas and all the great artists like Frank Thorne and Barry Windsor-Smith, creators who all defined fantasy’s greatest warrior woman in an age where barbarians ruled the comic racks. [Editor’s note: Red Sonja fans, see BACK ISSUE #43 and 118 for more of the She-Devil with a Sword.]

a direct adaptation of the Wells classic, Marvel set its Wells exploration in the far future and chose a Conanlike barbarian as a protagonist. Thomas, Adams, and Conway may have created Killraven, but it was the great scribe Don McGregor who truly transformed Killraven into one of the most acclaimed titles of the Bronze Age. McGregor infused the strip with lyrical pathos and made sure that Killraven was viewed as more than just another barbarian. Real name Jonathan Raven, Killraven was born into a world already conquered by the Wells Martians. One of the fascinating aspects of the “Killraven: War of the Worlds” strip was the fact that this wasn’t the world of Wells’ novel or the modern world of the early 1970s. Killraven was set in the far-flung future of the Marvel Universe. So in this timeline, Wells’ h. g. wells Martian invaders not only conquered KILLRAVEN Earth, they did so by taking out the Killraven is probably the most unique addition to Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Spider-Man, and the our list, O Prince. While Conan, Kull, Gullivar Jones, rest of Marvel’s colorful champions. Only Killraven Thongor, and Elric all come from the world of prose was left, a long-haired, very barbarian-looking fiction, Killraven was an original Marvel creation character, deft with sword and fist, and on the surface, inserted into an original prose narrative. Created by another reaction to the barbarian craze that Marvel Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, and Gerry Conway, and began with Conan. first appearing in Amazing Adventures #18 (May 1973), Think about it, O Prince. Marvel could have Killraven was the protagonist of Marvel’s version of chosen any genre type for its War of the Worlds H. G. Wells’ War of the Worlds, but instead of doing protagonist. It could have been a new or retooled

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superhero, it could have been a Doc Savage-type adventurer, or it could have been an enhanced everyman, but no, to battle the tripod Martians, Marvel had a sword-wielding, heavily muscled, flowing-haired barbarian type. This is further proof that barbarians ruled the Bronze Age. Roy Thomas, the father of Marvel barbarians, confirms that Conan’s success inspired the creation of Killraven. Thomas reveals to BACK ISSUE, “Yes, we were looking to try something that was completely different and yet somehow similar. Of course, the differences between Conan and Killraven were greater than the similarity,” but Marvel still looked to a Conan archetype to fight the War of the Worlds Martian menace. But other than surface appearance, this is where Killraven’s similarities to Conan end. Killraven is an introspective and reluctant hero while Conan is a hero driven by his need for adventure and his appetites. Yes, they both spent time and were honed to killing perfection at a young age in a gladiator arena, but where Conan shuns society until he becomes a king later in life, Killraven, upon his escape from the Martian fighting pits, becomes the leader of the Freemen resistance group and dedicates himself to finding his lost brother and freeing humanity from the tripod evil. Killraven longs for a better tomorrow, and while the dystopian future invites barbarian comparisons to the worlds of Burroughs and Howard, Killraven has the sensibilities of a modern man trying to restore the world he lost. But through it all, the barbarian trappings are there with beasts, scantily clad maidens, and swordplay aplenty. In addition, Killraven was socially aware and very ahead of its time. The book featured the first-ever interracial kiss in mainstream comics as McGregor juggled genres from space adventure, to superhero, to horror, and to high fantasy. But there was always that barbarian seed at the center of Killraven as the character, at least visually, never strayed too far from the basics of the Howard template. Killraven was truly a character with toes in many genre waters and remains an unforgettable and enduring byproduct of the barbarian craze. With his ties to the Marvel Universe and classic sci-fi, Killraven strayed very far from his barbarian roots, but without Conan, perhaps Marvel’s War of the Worlds would have featured a very different kind of hero. [Editor’s note: Killraven’s amazing adventures were explored at length in BACK ISSUE #14.]

SOLOMON KANE

And now, O Prince, we come to the last of our Robert E. Howardcreated Marvel barbarian adventurers—this one, the darkest and direst of them all. Historically, the Puritan demon hunter Solomon Kane first appeared in Howard’s short pulp tale entitled “Red Shadows,” published in Weird Tales’ August 1928 edition. Solomon Kane predated Conan and allowed Howard to fully establish his talent in Weird Tales. Other Kane tales would follow as Howard unleashed holy fury across the continents with his Puritan warrior. Yes, Howard’s Solomon Kane tales were infused with a sense of imperialism as Kane was dedicated to “cleansing” Africa and the Middle East, and some of the early stories are quite troubling to modern sensibilities. But from a historical perspective, Howard was honing his craft and his imagination with Kane in the years before the writer sprung Conan on the world. Solomon Kane fought demons and darkness in the 16th and 17th Centuries. He frequently fought African tribesmen, vampires, Barbary pirates, and demons in his quest to rid the world of evil. He was armed with a gun, a sword, a Bible, and a fierce righteousness that leaves the anachronistic hero teetering between xenophobic anti-hero and dark-

Sci-Fi Swordplay Killraven never had a moment’s rest in his Amazing Adventures run. TM & © Marvel.

fantasy adventurer. The Solomon Kane tales are also some of Howard’s best-written pieces and certainly must be studied by any Howard aficionado. When Conan proved to be a success, Roy Thomas and company brought Kane and his pulpit to Marvel. Kane first appeared in the black-and white Monsters Unleashed #1 (Aug. 1973) in a story by Thomas and artist Ralph Reese, and like his prose counterpart, Marvel’s Kane wandered in search of battle. Kane also wandered Marvel’s publishing schedule in search of a home, appearing in Marvel magazines Dracula Lives!, Kull and the Barbarians, and Marvel Preview before finding a home in many backup features in Savage Sword of Conan. Kane came to Marvel’s color line in the pages of Marvel Premiere #33–34 (Dec. 1976– Feb. 1977) and in the 1985–1986 miniseries The Sword of Solomon Kane, which featured various artists adapting a number of Howard works and two original stories by Ralph Macchio. In these various and sundry features, Kane traversed the globe to spread his gospel and his might, encountering all sorts of demons and undead fiends. Marvel’s Solomon Kane was less xenophobic than Howard’s pulp warrior, but the holy righteousness of the character still differentiated the preaching monster-slayer, not only from most comicbook heroes, but also from the not-very-pious-at-all Conan. In remembering his time on Solomon Kane, Thomas says, “I cared less about Solomon Kane than I did about the other Howard heroes I wrote. Perhaps he did work best in black-and-white, but I think the Puritan background, the wiriness, etc., all kind of worked against him.” Despite Kane’s untraditional religious zealotry and his gaunt appearance, Thomas and Marvel created many memorable Solomon Kane tales that helped spread the Howard legacy further into the world of comics. So, what could a 16th-Century preacher have in common with a barbarian from ancient times? The answer is Robert E. Howard. Marvel infused its Solomon Kane with the pathos, melancholy, and fierceness that Howard infused his own creations with. Like Conan, Kane saved the maiden and slayed the beast no matter what (although the pious Kane left his rescued maidens after saving them while Conan certainly enjoyed his dalliances). Conan and Kane were both the archetype of the lone warrior wandering the world to find adventure and smite evil. They both despised magic, even if Kane’s hatred of sorcery stemmed from his devotion to God while Conan’s was based off deeply held Cimmerian superstition and harsh experience. Even though Kane’s xenophobia is troubling, he was portrayed as a man driven to shed light into a world being invaded by evil forces from the nether-realms. And you know what Kane did that Conan never did? Solomon Kane fought Dracula! That’s correct, O Prince, in the pages of Dracula Lives! #3 (Oct. 1973), by Thomas and artist Alan Weiss, and Savage Sword of Conan #27, by writer Don Glut and penciler David Wenzel, Howard’s holy hellraiser went sword-to-fang with the Lord of the Vampires in one of the most sensational Bronze Age monster mashes anyone can imagine. Kane’s setting and time frame allowed Marvel to tell very different stories with more modern trappings, while Conan was removed from these types of adventures that involved world religions and imperialism.

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In short, of all of Marvel’s barbarians, Solomon Kane was infused with the most real-world history. He dresses as a Puritan, encounters a sword- and pistol-wielding Cotton Mather, and exists in a more modern age of budding industrialization and exploration. Yes, Kane shares some literary DNA with Conan, but Solomon’s mission and environment set the Howard creations apart. Despite that, Kane was a mainstay in the back pages of most of Marvel’s sword-and-sandal publications and became synonymous with Conan thanks to the Puritan’s Marvel appearances throughout the Bronze Age. Solomon Kane allowed the creators of Marvel to explore the darker-thandark corners of Robert E. Howard’s imaginations, and Marvel presented some truly harrowing, if somewhat morally troubling, tales of a character driven to enlighten the world… whether the world wanted it or not.

SKULL THE SLAYER

And now, O Prince, we come to our final Conan-inspired Marvel hero. Skull the Slayer is a fascinating study in Bronze Age esoterica. Skull has some visual trappings in common with Conan, but he differs from the famed Cimmerian in many ways. The most distinct difference is the potential left on the table with Skull. The character that first debuted in Skull the Slayer #1 (Aug. 1975) and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Steve Gan was a victim of inconsistent vision and chaotic creator changes that left Skull a victim of shifting directions and genres. Conan and the other barbarians on our list all remained rock solid in their narrative worlds. Yes, O Prince, characters like Killraven and Gullivar Jones combined genres, but once a narrative vision was established, that’s where the character stayed. Not so for Skull the Slayer, O Prince, not so at all. In fact, as Wolfman tells BACK ISSUE, his vision for Skull the Slayer dramatically changed even before the book was published. “I pitched a very different series to Marvel,” Wolfman recalls. “Mine was that an apartment building in the present suddenly found itself sent back to prehistoric times. The idea was to explore the tenants’ very different reactions to what happened. [Then-Marvel editor-in-chief] Roy Thomas realized that was not a Marvel idea—Marvel centered on continued heroes, not one-shot ideas. So I came up with Skull instead.” Wolfman’s original concept sounds intriguing, and different from the barbarian-like Skull that was eventually published. “The idea was what I was selling,” Wolfman tells BACK ISSUE. “I hadn’t worked out stories yet. But the idea was to see how modern, civilized people who happen to live in the same apartment house would act if they found themselves thrust into the age of dinosaurs. It was really a character story, not an action concept.” One might imagine that in an era where Conan and his barbarian ilk ruled, Marvel wanted another swordsman rather than a concept to anchor a new book. One could see Skull the Slayer existing on the comic racks alongside Conan the Barbarian and Red Sonja but has a hard time imaging Prehistoric Apartment finding traction on the Bronze Age comic racks. But who is Skull the Slayer, O Prince? Skull the Slayer is former Vietnam POW Jim Scully, who is unjustly arrested for the murder of his brother. While being escorted to prison by the military, Scully’s plane crashes and he finds himself trapped on a mysterious island in the Bermuda Triangle.

Testify! (top) Roy Thomas adapted REH’s Solomon Kane tale “Skulls in the Stars” in the black-and-white mag Monsters Unleashed #1 (Aug. 1973). Original Ralph Reese art courtesy of Heritage. (inset) Solomon Kane made the color Marvel scene in Marvel Premiere #33 (Dec. 1976). Cover by Howard Chaykin and Klaus Janson. (bottom) Kane vs. Vlad in Dracula Lives! #3 (Oct. 1973), by Thomas, Alan Weiss, and the Crusty Bunkers. Solomon Kane TM & © Solomon Kane, Inc. Marvel Premiere and Dracula Lives! TM & © Marvel.

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Along with Scully, Wolfman builds himself a supporting cast with physicist named Dr. Raymond Corey, Corey’s assistant Ann Reynolds, and a senator’s son named Jeff Turner. Scully and his newfound crew must learn to trust each other in order to survive an island inhabited by prehistoric beasts and other time-lost denizens of world history. Scully and his new companions battle cave people and numerous prehistoric beasts. The premise is simple and wonderful as the cynical Scully finds an unexpected family while lost in the most savage of settings. Scully’s cynicism and fighting spirit parallel Conan’s own attitude and battle prowess, but in truth, Scully has more in common with the heroes of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ hidden-world adventures than any of Howard’s mighty warriors. But one has to wonder if Wolfman’s original pitch of a time-lost apartment was nixed due to Marvel’s desire to have more Conan-inspired characters. Steve Englehart comes on to script Skull the Slayer #4 (Mar. 1976), and in an attempt shake up the title discards its entire supporting cast in one fell swoop. Skull decides to save his own skin and abandons his companions, leaving them to a violent death. All of a sudden, the abrasive and sarcastic Skull has become even more mercenary than Conan. Englehart also jettisons the sword-and-sandal feel of the story and introduces space-alien and time-travel elements. All of a sudden, the fantasy-laden Skull the Slayer became a whole new book as the titular character begins to vacillate between a Conan type and a John Carter type, with a whole lot of selfishness thrown in. This isn’t to say that the Englehart issue was bad, but it certainly did not jibe with the swashbuckling feel of the first three issues. This issue did feature a guest appearance by Marvel’s original Black Knight, Sir Percy of Scandia, so that is a unique bit of Marvel lore as Skull the Slayer presents a return of one of Marvel’s earliest fantasy-influenced heroes. You really cannot tell the tale of Marvel’s fantasy warriors without including the Black Knight of yesteryear, can you, O Prince? If you are excited to witness the return of the original Black Knight, well, I’m afraid you’re in for a bit of a disappointment. When writer Bill Mantlo arrives in Skull the Slayer #5 (May 1976), he resurrects Skull’s supporting cast. The aliens and Black Knight are all revealed to be robots, and Englehart’s direction for the title is jettisoned as quickly as it arrived. To Mantlo, it seems there was some Howard influence on his Skull. In the text piece in issue #5, Mantlo penned, “I’ve always wanted to do a dinosaur strip, a kind of Conanesque science-fantasy, other-worlds, other-times… Skull the Slayer seems to be the perfect vehicle for it…” To Mantlo, the Howard fantasy elements were integral to Skull. In the text piece in issue #6 (July 1976), Mantlo mused that if he was to agree to write the title, “It’s gotta go back to dinosaurs, caveman… lost civilizations—all the stuff that was promised in the first few issues.” And that is exactly what Mantlo did with artists Sal Buscema and Steve Gan. But it didn’t last long as Skull the Slayer was cancelled with issue #8 (Nov. 1976). Marv Wolfman returns to finish what he started, concluding the Skull the Slayer saga in Marvel Two-in-One #35–36 (Jan.–Feb. 1978) as the Thing and Mister Fantastic arrive at

Marvel’s Dinosaur Hunter This powerful Gil Kane/Al Milgrom cover launched Marv Wolfman’s ambitious, but short-lived, Skull the Slayer. Issue #1 (Aug. 1975). TM & © Marvel.

Before we close this tome of barbarian history, O Prince, we must look at one more Marvel barbarian, this one perhaps the strangest of them all: Apeslayer. Monkey fighter. Barbarian. Warrior. Killraven! Wait… what? In 1975, Planet of the Apes ruled the world. Ape-mania was everywhere, including the United Kingdom. Marvel UK’s Planet of the Apes was one of Marvel’s bestselling mags, so popular that after Marvel’s US-based Planet of the Apes series was cancelled, the UK version kept going. The Brits needed more POTA tales and they needed them quickly. So, as Marv Wolfman dutifully shares with BACK ISSUE, “We needed to find more material to be printed in the British Apes comics, and it was easier to tamper with ‘Killraven’ and get a few new stories done than start from scratch.” Indeed, Marvel UK repurposed Amazing Adventures’ “Killraven: War of the Worlds” strips as Planet of the Apes adventures. Marvel UK darkened Killraven’s hair, redrew all the antagonists as apes, and redid Planet of the Apes content with a barbarian focus. Dubbing the new strip “Apeslayer” (alternately “Ape-slayer”), Marvel UK produced eight of these aped (see what I did there, O Prince?) Killraven productions. Apeslayer first appeared in Marvel UK’s Planet of the Apes #23 (Mar. 29, 1975). The whole thing was set in an alternative future where a species of apes from Mars attacks Earth and plunges the world into a nuclear wasteland. The apes use the familiar H. G. Wells tripods as former gladiator Jonathan Dozer, a.k.a. Apeslayer, leads his team of anti-simian rebels against the Martian monkeys. Along the way, Apeslayer becomes the most oddly focused Marvel barbarian. Really, O Prince, the whole thing was just bananas. Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 27

Apeslayer and art © Marvel. Planet of the Apes TM & © 20th Century Fox.

APESLAYER

Kirby Klose-Out From Marie Severin’s sketch to Jack Kirby’s pencils to Frank Giacoia’s inks to the published version, the art progression for the cover of Scully’s last issue, Skull the Slayer #8 (Jan. 1976). Original art courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel.

Skull’s lost world and help rescue the four missing travelers. It was a quick wrap-up, with Wolfman filling in backstory through captions, but it allowed artist Ernie Chan to draw savagely awesome dinosaurs. And it allowed Wolfman to close the circle he started when he created Marvel’s latest barbarian-adjacent champion. The covers of Skull the Slayer were very Conan-esque (the first issue featured a beautiful Gil Kane/Al Milgrom piece). There was potential in Skull the Slayer, but it was quickly lost in a chaotic shuffle of creator shakeups and start-and-stop story directions. As to Conan’s influence on Skull, Wolfman tells BACK ISSUE, “I don’t think any Conan is in Skull. Never thought so. I wanted to do the apartment house idea and that was a pure people series. Skull might conceptually be more similar to Turok, Son of Stone than Conan, but since I had never read Turok I don’t know if there are similarities aside from people fighting dinosaurs. Conan may not have influenced Wolfman’s writing, but it can be argued that Conan and his savage success provided the impetus for more lostworld, sword-and-sorcery characters, and Skull the Slayer—with his sword-wielding, dinosaur-fighting, shirtless self, certainly fit that marquee… at least for a little while. And there you have it, O Prince, worthy companions to Conan all. Between the Howard renaissance at Marvel with Kull and Solomon Kane, the mostly original creation of Red Sonja, the coming of Thongor, the sword-and-planet adventures of Gullivar Jones and Killraven, and the time-lost adventures of Skull the Slayer, Marvel was certainly a place for experimentation, nostalgia, and innovation during the storied days of the Bronze Age. Most fans think of superheroes when they think of Marvel in the 1970s and early 1980s, but, O Prince, we know there were shirtless, wild-haired, sword-bearing, snarling barbarians that made a huge impact on this era of comics. Some of these savages may have fought on other planets and some may be virtually forgotten, but it cannot be denied that for a period of comic-book history, these barbarians stabbed, bludgeoned, slaughtered, stomped, smashed, and conquered their way into readers’ hearts. So let us raise a golden draught of our finest ale to all these barbarians and toast their place in comicdom. MARC BUXTON is a proud contributor to websites like Comic Book Resources and Den of Geek US. He is an English teacher, and Marc’s loving wife thinks he owns way too many comic books. Marc has been reading comics since the dawn of time and is still deeply in love with every era of the great medium.

28 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

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30 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

ichael Eury

TM & © DC Comics.

During the Bronze Age and beyond, DC Comics was often late to the party. An example: Competitor Marvel Comics wasted no time exploiting the martial-arts craze of the 1970s by releasing Master of Kung Fu in 1973, soon followed by Iron Fist, the black-and-white magazine Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, and a few random characters that bowed to the genre. DC’s kick-offs into that market, 1975’s Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter and 1976’s Karate Kid, strolled onto the stands after the fad had peaked. One might make the same accusation about DC’s slow response to the success of Conan the Barbarian, as Marvel’s Distinguished Competition’s main output of similar titles, branded as its “adventure line,” wasn’t rolled out until 1975. But before you get your chain-mailed britches in a bunch, at the time Conan #1 was released, DC had recently preceded Marvel in the Bronze Age sword-and-sorcery game! Well over a year before a certain Cimmerian joined the Mighty Marvel lineup, writer Denny O’Neil unsheathed the sword-wielding Nightmaster for a three-issue run in Showcase, beginning with issue #82 (cover-dated May 1969). Billed on that cover as a “great new sword and sorcery saga,” the feature’s star is actually rock singer Jim Rook, who is transported to another dimension where he reconnects with his heritage of supernatural swordplay. Despite dynamite Joe Kubert covers on all three issues and beautiful Bernie Wrightson art on the character’s second and third installments, Nightmaster failed to find an audience during these waning days of the Silver Age (although in more recent years he’s been co-opted into the mystic team Shadowpact and used elsewhere in the DC Universe). One year earlier, cartoonist Howie Post had premiered the humor-laced, coming-of-(Stone) Age saga “Anthro” in DC’s Showcase #74 (May 1968), followed by a short-lived Anthro series. While not a sword-and-sorcery comic in the strictest sense, Anthro employed some of the genre’s notable elements including primitive heroes fighting gigantic beasts. Of course, when blowing the dust off the DC vault and squinting inside, you’ll realize that long before Anthro and Nightmaster, the publisher already had a number of “high adventure” characters like the Viking Prince, the Golden Gladiator, and the Shining Knight (and shortly, Robin Hood), swashbucklers cut more from the Errol Flynn cloth than Robert E. Howard’s but sword-fighters (who sometimes encountered sorcery) nonetheless. They burst onto the stands in The Brave and the Bold #1 (Aug.–Sept. 1955), an anthology that later became famous as the launch pad for the Justice League of America, Silver Age Hawkman, and Teen Titans as well as a Batman team-up comic. However, by the time B&B #1 went on sale, Marvel (then Atlas) had already published three issues of its Black Knight series, the American Comics Group had introduced its own galahads like Roger of Sherwood Forest and Prince Athel in the Young Heroes title, and as noted in this issue’s lead article, Avon’s Crom the Barbarian had beaten them all to the punch. Such fable-fueled funnybooks were then rare, though, easily lost amid a 1950s stampede of Western comics starring both Hollywood-licensed and original cowboys.

As the Silver Age evolved, throughout the 1960s a few protobarbarians and savage heroes staked their claim amid market mania over Batman and the burgeoning Marvel Age of Comics. Charlton’s Hercules, Gold Key’s Mighty Samson and Turok, Son of Stone, and Harvey’s Clawfang the Barbarian catered to those readers who enjoyed rough-edged heroes in something other than spandex, as did Saturday morning cartoons The Mighty Mightor and Dino Boy, both of whom also made appearances in comic books in Gold Key’s Hanna-Barbera Super TV Heroes anthology. If you enjoy a good debate you might even argue that Marvel’s The Mighty Thor was a sword-and-sorcery comic masquerading as a superhero one. During the ’60s, DC mostly eschewed swords and savages for science as it grew its superhero line, although toward the end of the decade the company released a Bomba the Jungle Boy TV tie-in comic as well as its aforementioned Anthro and Nightmaster entries. Behold, 1970 and the dawn of the Bronze Age! Once Marvel’s Conan survived a shaky start and sliced its way to the top of the sales heap, DC took notice and released a succession of savage series all its own. While the majority of these comic-book titles have previously been explored in BACK ISSUE’s pages, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian, what follows is a round-up of DC’s entries into the Bronze Age barbarian market, with handy notations to previous BI articles containing further details.

Hard-Rockin’ Swordsman Signed Bernie Wrightson original art from Nightmaster’s second appearance, in Showcase #83 (June 1969). TM & © DC Comics.

Barbarians At the Gate (opposite) Masters of swordplay, spears, maces, clubs, lasers, you name it… DC’s Savage Stars of the 1970s and 1980s (pre-Crisis). All characters TM & © DC Comics, except: Tarzan, Korak, John Carter of Mars, Pellucidar, Carson of Venus © ERB, Inc. Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser © Fritz Leiber Estate. Tor © Joe Kubert Estate. Masters of the Universe © Mattel. Camelot 3000 © Michael W. Barr and Brian Bolland. Ronin © Frank Miller. Warlords © Steve Skeates and David Wenzel. Lords of the Ultra-Realm © Doug Moench and Pat Broderick.

Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 31

The Viking Prince in DC Special #12 (May–June 1971) A 64-page collection of swashbuckling tales (also featuring the Shining Knight and Robin Hood) issued during year two of Marvel’s Conan. Tarzan of the Apes #207 (Apr. 1972) Works of the Master of Adventure, Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB), begin at DC under the editorial and creative leadership of Joe Kubert. This issue also launches the “John Carter of Mars” backup. (See BACK ISSUE #1 for more info.) Korak, Son of Tarzan #56 (May–June 1972) More Burroughs adaptations, including backups “Pellucidar” and “Carson of Venus.” This series is fondly remembered for its artwork, with Frank Thorne on Korak, Alan Weiss on Pellucidar, and Michael Kaluta on Carson of Venus. (See BI #89 for more on Korak.) Fafhrd the Barbarian and the Gray Mouser in Wonder Woman #202 (Sept.–Oct. 1972) Fantasy scribe Fritz Leiber’s flawed, comical buddies Fafhrd, a brutish, vocalizing barbarian, and the Gray Mouser, a scrappy bandit with minor magical abilities, jumped to the pages of DC Comics in—of all places!—this offbeat, off-world issue of Wonder Woman, during the title’s powerless “Diana Prince” phase. (See BI #17 for more on the Diana Prince–Wonder Woman era.) Sword of Sorcery #1 (Feb.–Mar. 1973) Leiber’s Fafhrd and Gray Mouser soon spun off into their own comic, bearing the “Sword of Sorcery” title, under the guidance of writer Denny O’Neil. Its five-issue run is fondly remembered for its excellent

Fafhrd the Barbarian and the Gray Mouser Fantasy illustrator Jeff Jones’ astounding alternate, unpublished cover for DC’s Sword of Sorcery #1 (Feb.–Mar. 1973) lost out to the Michael Kaluta version of the cover that saw print. We thank our friends at Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com) for sharing this rarely seen masterpiece with BI readers. © Fritz Leiber Estate.

Conan’s success may or may not have been an inspiring factor, but DC’s Man of Tomorrow and World’s Greatest Superheroes tangled with savages in the sword-swinging ’70s. (left) In Superman #260 (Jan. 1973), Big Blue ventures to “a land where time stood still!” (sounds like it could be cover copy for a Burroughs book) to tangle with Valdemar of the Flame. (right) The brutish beastman called King Kull (with apologies to REH), one of the Golden Age foes of Fawcett Comics’ original Captain Marvel, is revived in Justice League of America #135 (Oct. 1976) in the first part of the three-part annual crossover between the JLA and Justice Society, this time including Shazam’s Squadron of Justice. King Kull later resurfaces in Shazam! #35.

32 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

TM & © DC Comics.

SUPERHEROES VS. SUPER-BARBARIANS!

art from the likes of Howard Chaykin and the Crusty Bunkers, and Walter Simonson. (This series has yet to be examined in detail in BACK ISSUE.) The Demon #1 (Aug.–Sept. 1972) and Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth #1 (Oct. 1972) In 1972 Jack Kirby followed his newsmaking and revolutionary Fourth World franchise with this one-two punch, introducing a pair of concepts that have been frequently revisited by creators other than “the King.” Of the two, Kirby’s Demon employs numerous swordand-sorcery tropes while maintaining additional connections to the horror and superhero genres, while Kamandi thrusts a modernized teen into a post-apocalyptic landscape of mutated beasts, some of whom might’ve easily challenged Howard’s Conan in a different reality. (See BI #15 for Matt Wagner’s Demon miniseries and the forthcoming #124 for a Bronze Age Demon history. See BI #14 for more on Kamandi.) Weird Worlds #1 (Aug.–Sept. 1972) A format change squeezed ERB’s John Carter, Pellucidar, and Carson of Venus features out of the back pages of Tarzan and Korak and into this new anthology. (See BI #55 for more on the ERB heroes.) Captain Fear in Adventure Comics #425 (Dec. 1972–Jan. 1973) In late 1972, editor Joe Orlando revamped Adventure Comics, previously the home of Supergirl, into a fantasyadventure anthology with this issue. This experiment was short-lived, soon giving way to dark superheroes Black Orchid and the Spectre taking over the book, but it allowed a home for a handful of short stories starring Captain Fear, a.k.a. Fero, the pirate chief of the Caribbean. Alex Nino’s art on this feature was superb. (See BI #78 for more on this “weird” era of Adventure Comics.) Ironwolf in Weird Worlds #8 (Nov.–Dec. 1973) After seven issues the ERB characters vacated this title, and plotter/artist Howard Chaykin (abetted by scripter Denny O’Neil) introduced this futuristic fantasy hero, a sword-wielding nobleman who renounces his privilege to rebel against an intergalactic empire (a few years before Star Wars, by the way). Ironwolf (originally Iron-Wolf) starred in the final three issues of Weird Worlds and was revived by Chaykin, with co-writer John Francis Moore and artists Mike Mignola and P. Craig Russell, for the 1992 graphic novel Ironwolf: Fires of the Revolution. (See BI #78 for more info.) Rima, the Jungle Girl #1 (Apr.–May 1974) Predating ERB’s Tarzan of the Apes by eight years, the ethereal jungle beauty Rima, introduced in W. H. Hudson’s 1904 novel Green Mansions, scored her own DC title (and cartoon appearances on TV’s Super Friends) for a seven-issue run best remembered for its stunning interior art by the Nestor Redondo studios (working over Joe Kubert layouts). (See BI #43 for more info.) Atlas in 1st Issue Special #1 (Apr. 1975) DC publisher Carmine Infantino turned to superstar Jack Kirby to launch the company’s new title that was, essentially, an ongoing monthly series of “first issues.” Kirby went old school—actually, Old Testament—pulling from the book of Genesis and its mention of “giants in those days” to introduce the shoulder-shrugging powerhouse Atlas, who is joined by his elderly companion Chagra in a conflict against the warlord Hyssa. (See BI #71 for more on 1st Issue Special.)

Beowulf #1 (Apr.–May 1975) Before he became an executive producer of the Batman movie franchise, Michael Uslan wrote the six-issue run of this DC title turning the champion of epic lore into a sword-and-sorcery comic star. With feisty (and scantily clothed) beauty Nan-Zee by his side, Beowulf battled Grendel, a minotaur, and a flying saucer (!) in this comic nicely rendered by Ricardo Villamonte. A four-part Beowulf backup series appeared in the 2012 reboot of Sword of Sorcery, starring Amethyst. (See BI #43 for more info.) Claw the Unconquered #1 (May–June 1975) The closest in appearance to Conan the Barbarian of all of DC’s savage heroes (with an “iron fist” all his own thrown in for good measure), Claw the Unconquered, the warrior with the tin-talon hand, bravely brandished swords and maces into the flesh of foes and freaks alike for a 12-issue run. David Michelinie wrote the entire run, with art by Ernie Chua, Keith Giffen, and others. (See BI #43 for more info.)

Pirates of the Caribbean From the Heritage archives, original art to the opening page of the first Captain Fear story, from Adventure Comics #425 (Dec. 1972– Jan. 1973). Art by Alex Nino, story by Bob Kanigher. TM & © DC Comics.

Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 33

Tor #1 (May–June 1975) Repurposing story material from his 1950s comic of the same name, editor/ artist Joe Kubert resurrected his caveman Tor for a six-issue DC run as part of the publisher’s “adventure” initiative. Typical Tor tales featured the prehistoric hero and his monkey sidekick Chee-Chee battling dinosaurs, giants, and ginormous animals. (See my book Comics Gone Ape for an interview with Joe Kubert about Tor.) Kong the Untamed #1 (June–July 1975) More “spears and savagery” than “swords and sorcery,” Kong was DC’s “Anthro: The Next Generation” minus Anthro’s sense of humor. The book launched with great promise, as writer Jack Oleck and artist Alfredo Alcala, with cover artist Bernie Wrightson, introduce the title star, a caveboy banished from his tribe who hunts the Beast-Men that slaughtered his mother, facing dinosaurs and other threats along the way. Kong quickly lost its momentum and replacement writer Gerry Conway and artist David Wenzel mopped up the series’ final two issues, ending at #5, although a sixth issue was written, penciled, and lettered but pulled from publication. (This series has yet to be examined in detail in BACK ISSUE.)

Stalker #1 (June–July 1975) Stalker chronicles the tribulations of a man who swaps his soul for warrior skills, then journeys to Hell itself to attempt to reclaim his soul from the demon Dgrth. Running four issues, writer Paul Levitz’s Stalker featured spectacular art by Steve Ditko and Wally Wood. A four-part Stalker backup series appeared in the 2012 reboot of Sword of Sorcery, starring Amethyst. (See BI #78 for more info.) Hercules Unbound #1 (Oct.–Nov. 1975) During the Golden and Silver Ages, the Greek hero Hercules appeared in Wonder Woman’s continuity as well as Superman’s. With this title in 1975, writer Gerry Conway catapulted the brawling strongman to a dystopian future, picking up on story elements seen in previous DC lore including Kamandi and the Atomic Knights. Coincidentally, while the mythical Hercules completed 12 labors, Hercules Unbound ran 12 issues, with some spectacular art along the way from the likes of José Luis García-López, Wally Wood, and Walter Simonson. As mentioned elsewhere in this issue, this version of Hercules was also part of the Warlord action figure line. (See BI #14 for more info.) The Warlord in 1st Issue Special #8 (Nov. 1975) Originally envisioned as a strip titled The Savage Empire, Mike Grell’s The Warlord is the saga of Lt. Col. Travis Morgan, whose crippled plane takes a bizarre detour to Skartaris, a primitive, lost world at the Earth’s core. There he encounters the fetching Tara and deadly Deimos, and begins his long-running DC series with a first issue cover-dated January–February 1976. (See BI #25, 46, and 69 for more info.) 3 Musketeers in DC Special #22 (June–July 1976) Formerly a reprint title, with issue #22 DC Special began to spotlight new headlining features. DC Special #22– 25 tested the market for interest in the revival of high-adventure characters with four consecutive issues starring the 3 Musketeers (the co-billed Robin Hood appeared in reprints culled from ’50s issues of Brave and Bold). Creative teams zipped through the series faster than D’Artangnan’s blade, dulling the Musketeers’ appeal and quickly bringing their run to a close. (See BI #81 for more info on DC Special.) Starfire #1 (Aug.–Sept. 1976) David Michelinie and Mike Vosburg’s Starfire was an ambitious project for DC: a book starring a female character when such a thing was rare in comics, featuring a mixed-race protagonist. The “Siren of Sword and Science” is a liberated slave hailing from a planet where two cultures are perpetually at war. With her blade and other weapons, Starfire sliced through eight issues of her title and has since made scattered appearances in random DC books. (See BI #54 for more info.)

Kong Gets Gonged Lettered, uninked splash page to the unpublished Kong the Untamed #6, courtesy of Heritage. Pencils by David Wenzel. TM & © DC Comics.

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Arak, Son of Thunder #1 (Sept. 1981) Conan the Barbarian’s own Roy Thomas, having relocated from the House of Ideas to DC Comics, introduces his new sword-and-sorcery comic, co-written with his wife Dann and originally illustrated by Ernie Colón. One month before the Son of Thunder’s premiere issue, Arak was previewed in a special insert comic appearing in The Warlord #48. (See Arak article later in this issue for more details.) Arion, Lord of Atlantis #1 (Nov. 1982) Arion, an immortal mystic and Lord of Order, battles his twin brother Garn Daanuth in this fantasy concept co-created by writer Paul Kupperberg and artist Jan

The Line of DC Adventure-Stars With art cannibalized from numerous sources, this house ad appearing in September 1975 cover-dated DC mags promoted the publisher’s new adventure franchise. (See BI #47 for more info on Justice, Inc., DC’s short-lived adaptation of pulp novels starring The Avenger.) TM & © DC Comics, except: The Avenger/Justice, Inc. © Condé Nast. Tor © Joe Kubert Estate.

Duursema. Joining Arion in his struggles against his sinister sibling and the Lords of Chaos are his guards Lady Chian and Wyynde and the shapeshifting Mara. Arion premiered in 1982 as a backup in The Warlord before graduating to his own series, which ran 35 issues. Post-Crisis, the Lord of Atlantis has been retconned into the backstories of Power Girl and Aquaman and has also made additional appearances in DC lore. (See BI #27 for more info.) Superman and the Masters of the Universe in DC Comics Presents #47 (July 1982) Prince Adam, upon grasping aloft his Power Sword and exclaiming, “By the power of Grayskull,” is transmogrified into He-Man, the husky protector of Eternia and enemy of the diabolical Skeletor. Based upon Mattel’s popular 1982 action figures and tie-in animated TV series, Masters of the Universe mini-comics were originally produced for insertion into Mattel’s toy products, with DC soon licensing the concept for mainstream comics. First up was this oddball team-up with the Man of Steel in DCCP #47, where writer Paul Kupperberg and penciler Curt Swan pit Supie and He-Man against each other, then against Skeletor. A few months later, DC’s three-issue Masters of the Universe miniseries debuts, with Kupperberg scripting and George Tuska penciling. (See BI #16 for more info.) Camelot 3000 #1 (Dec. 1982) Mike W. Barr and Brian Bolland’s 12-issue epic Camelot 3000, one of the first comic books to be produced exclusively for the direct market, resurrects the Arthurian legend in a futuristic setting, adding an alien invasion to the traditional Arthur/Morgan Le Fay conflict. (See BI #27 for more info.)

CAMELOT 1975

TM & © DC Comics.

As announced in house ads in DC books cover-dated September 1975, writer Gerry Conway and artist Nestor Redondo were poised to co-produce The Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table as a four-issue miniseries, to be published in DC’s touted “Super-Size” (its Limited Collector’s Edition/All-New Collector’s Edition tabloids). Changing market conditions and other factors shelved the project early in its production. (See BI #11 for more info, including exquisite original art pages by Redondo.)

Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 35

DC’s war/mystery mash-up title Weird War Tales sometimes explored the primitive battlefields of past conflicts, but “Between Flash and Fantasy” in issue #95 (Jan. 1981) is perhaps the series’ most bizarre genre merger. If it weren’t for its logo, the book’s cover might confuse a potential reader: Is this a battle comic or a barbarian comic? J. M. DeMatteis and Noly Zamora’s seven-pager is both, a Twilight Zone-ish detour for a World War II serviceman named Becker into the savage reality of Nokka, the bestial star of his favorite pulp magazine, Unbelievable Tales. This sly wink to the work and most famous creation of Robert E. Howard is a lot of fun.

TM & © DC Comics.

NOKKA THE BARBARIAN

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld #1 (May 1983) Premiering in a special preview in Legion of Super-Heroes #298 (Apr. 1983), Amethyst, the brainchild of co-creators Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn (writers) and Ernie Colón (artist), is teenager Amy Winston, who learns that she is actually Amethyst, the rightful leader of the jewel-themed mystical land of Gemworld. Warring against the realm’s despotic ruler, Dark Opal, her adventures continued in the 12-issue maxiseries Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, with other Amethyst one-shots and series following. In more recent years Amethyst has re-emerged in DC continuity, even starring in a rebooted Sword of Sorcery title. (See BI #24 for more info.) Ronin #1 (July 1983) Hot off the pages of Marvel’s Daredevil, writer/artist Frank Miller launches this deluxe format limited series featuring a young samurai. While branded mainly as a martial-arts series, Ronin’s use of a magic sword and demon adversary (Agat) echoes popular sword-and-sorcery themes. (This series has yet to be examined in detail in BACK ISSUE.) Sword of the Atom #1 (Sept. 1983) As outlandish as this concept sounds, writer Jan Strnad and artist Gil Kane’s Sword of the Atom four-issue miniseries, reinventing the World’s Smallest Superhero as the bladebrandishing protector of the yellow-hued, Lilliputian-sized Morlaidhans, clicked with readers and spawned a trio of follow-up specials. (See BI #76 for more info.) DC Graphic Novel #2: Warlords (1984) The second issue of DC’s then-new graphic novel initiative stars a troll named Dwayne who is swept into a battle between warring mages and royalty. Warlords was written by Steve Skeates and illustrated by David Wenzel. (This project has yet to be examined in detail in BACK ISSUE.) Conqueror of the Barren Earth #1 (Feb. 1985) Writer Gary Cohn and artist Ron Randall’s Mad Max-ish backup from the pages of The Warlord graduates to its own four-issue miniseries about a post-apocalyptic planet. Picking up where the backups left off, Barren Earth stars freedom fighter Jinal Né Comarr and her ragtag band in a struggle with reluctant sages called the Old Ones of D’Roz and global domination by the aliens Qlov. (This series has yet to be examined in detail in BACK ISSUE.)

World’s Smallest Barbarian Unpublished 1984 Sword of the Atom cover art by Gil Kane, courtesy of Heritage. TM & © DC Comics.

Lords of the Ultra-Realm #1 (June 1986) This six-issue miniseries from Doug Moench and Pat Broderick launches here, touted in DC house ads as “The Ultimate Battle of Good versus Evil.” It stars a Vietnam vet, Michael Savage, who merges with the Lord of Bliss, Falkon, for a conflict with the evil Maurkon. (This series has yet to be examined in detail in BACK ISSUE.)

36 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

Know, O Prince, that during the heralded Bronze Age, other ferocious fighters plied sinew, steel, and sweat against mages, monsters, and madmen, among them: compiled by M i c h a e l

Gil Kane (with uncredited scripter Archie Goodwin) produced this early graphic novel, released in paperback from Bantam Books.

Bronze Age reprint series begins re-presenting writer Gaylor DuBois’ former backup feature from Gold Key’s Tarzan of the Apes.

During the age of Women’s Lib, Mighty Marvel introduces a new Jungle Queen with a thoroughly modern attitude. (See BI #43 for more info.)

Ka-Zar Returns

Pat Boyetteproduced Charlton adaptation of the Saturday morning live-action series from HannaBarbera Productions.

Wulf the Barbarian

Marvel’s he-man from the Savage Land gets another shot at stardom in this Bronze Age reboot, featuring a Shanna cameo.

Demon Hunter

Larry Hama created, wrote, and illustrated this short-lived Atlas/Seaboard title. (See BI #43 for more info.)

Shanna the She-Devil

Atlas/Seaboard’s first entry into sword and sorcery premiered with this amazing Neal Adams cover.

Robert E. Howard’s James Allison, the Texan who lived past lives as heroes of yesteryear, adapted by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane.

Korg: 70,000 B.C.

Brothers of the Spear

Ironjaw Valley of the Worm © REH Properties. Supernatural Thrillers TM & © Marvel.

Demons and rogue gods learn to fear the defiant sword-wielder in Gold Key’s Bronze Age barbarian comic from Don Glut and Jesse Santos.

Blackmark

Valley of the Worm

Barry WindsorSmith moonlighted from Conan to draw Sean Kelly’s parody of essayist/political activist Norman Mailer in National Lampoon’s May 1972 issue.

Two months before Conan #1, Marvel’s Lord of the Jungle headlines both a new series in Astonishing Tales and a short-lived reprint giant.

Dagar the Invincible

Norman the Barbarian

Ka-Zar

Eury

Rich Buckler and David Anthony Kraft later reinvented this superhero/swordand-sorcery hybrid as Marvel’s Devil-Slayer. (See BI #71 for more info.)

Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 37

Marv Wolfman and Gil Kane whisk Marvel readers to the far-flung world of Barsoom. (See BI #55 for more info.)

Gil Kane’s 1971 graphic novel Blackmark gets a sequel years later in Marvel Preview #17 (Winter 1979).

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Bruce Jones and Brent Anderson make the Ka-Zar/Shanna the She-Devil duo an ’80s fan-favorite series. (See BI #43 for more info.)

The big-budget Paramount Pictures/ Walt Disney co-production gets the Marvel treatment. (See BI #89 for more info.)

Clash of the Titans

Starslayer

Western Publishing’s magazine-sized adaptation of the 1981 star-studded fantasy film, with artwork by Dan Spiegle.

Animation house RubySpears brings sword and sorcery to Saturday morning cartoons. (See BI #31 for more info.)

Dragonslayer

Thundarr the Barbarian Blackmark © Gil Kane Estate. Marvel Preview TM & © Marvel.

Blackmark Returns

Writer/artist Dave Sim’s revolutionary, long-running magnum opus begins as a Conan pastiche. (See BI #75 for more info.)

Ka-Zar Returns Again

Frank Thorne’s other she-devil with a sword begins her adventures in the Warren magazine 1984 #7 (Aug. 1979).

Wendy and Richard Pini’s popular series premieres in Fantasy Quarterly #1 (Spring 1978). (See BI #75 for more info.)

Cerebus the Aardvark

Sword-wielding skeletons and more, in Marvel Spotlight #25’s (Dec. 1975) movie adaptation. (See BI #89 for more info.)

Writer Doug Moench’s Tolkien-esque tiny titan Tyndall stars in Marvel comic books and magazines. (See BI #96 for more info.)

Marvel’s John Carter, Warlord of Mars

Ghita of Alizarr

Step aside, Ka-Zar! Here comes the original Lord of the Jungle, from Conan’s Roy Thomas and John Buscema. (See BI #1 for more info.)

The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad

Elfquest

Adaptation of Amicus Production’s version of the Edgar Rice Burroughs classic. (See BI #89 for more info.)

Weirdworld

Marvel’s Tarzan

The Land That Time Forgot

Mike Grell flips his Warlord premise by sending a primitive man to the future. (See BI #120 for more info.)

Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier’s buffoon barbarian premieres in Destroyer Duck #1 then spins off into the first of many Groo series. (See BI #3 for more info.)

Writer/artist Jerry Bingham’s lushly illustrated adaptation of the epic tale as a graphic novel from First Publishing.

Marvel Super Special #29 adapts the 1984 Christopher Lambert-starring Greystoke movie. Also released in comic form. (See BI #89 for more info.)

Hawkmoon

Bill Mantlo and Butch Guice’s sci-fi/sword-fest premieres in Marvel Graphic Novel #14 then gets its own Epic miniseries.

Fantagraphics Books begins its impressive series of reprint editions collecting Hal Foster’s celebrated newspaper strips.

The Chronicles of Corum

Hawkmoon: Jewel in the Skull #1 (May 1986) launches the first of several series from First featuring Moorcock heroes.

Swords of the Swashbucklers

Time-displaced Medieval voyagers versus a warlock and monstrosities in the world of today in Peter Gross’ charming indie series.

Tarzan of the Apes

Vengeful Ataluma rallies together a band of female furies to challenge cutthroats in this Christy Marx-written Epic miniseries.

Prince Valiant

The 1984 Sheena film starring Tanya Roberts is adapted in Marvel Super Special #34, with Gray Morrow art. (See BI #89 for more info.)

Empire Lanes © Christy Marx and Mike Vosburg.

The Sisterhood of Steel

Chris Claremont and John Bolton’s Medieval-era Black Dragon stars in his own stunning series in Marvel’s upscale Epic Comics imprint.

Beowulf

Groo the Wanderer

Sheena

John Ostrander and Timothy Truman’s sword-for-hire John Gaunt debuts as a Starslayer backup then gets his own title. (See BI #9 for more info.)

Epic Illustrated #10 (Feb. 1982) heralds the premiere of Chris Claremont and John Bolton’s savage swordswoman. (See BI #88 for more info.)

Black Dragon © Chris Claremont and John Bolton.

Grimjack © Chris Claremont and John Bolton. Epic Illustrated TM & © Marvel.

Marada the She-Wolf

The Knight of the Swords, the first of in a series of limited series from First adapting the works of Michael Moorcock.

Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 39

by D

ewey Cassell

Conan of Des Moines From Savage Sword of Conan #34 (Oct. 1978), a Conan Sunday strip promoting the barbarian’s syndicated adventures. By Roy Thomas and John Buscema. Scan courtesy of Dewey Cassell. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

Created in 1932 by Robert E. Howard, Conan the Barbarian conquered virtually every foe he encountered and every format from pulp magazines to books to poetry over the next 46 years. One of the last horizons to cross—save a feature film, which would arrive in 1982—was the newspaper. So it was that the year 1978 marked the debut of a Marvel Comics newspaper strip based on Howard’s legendary barbarian. The Conan newspaper strip followed on the heels of Marvel strips featuring The Amazing Spider-Man, which began in January 1977, and Howard the Duck, which started five months later. Although the Howard the Duck newspaper strip would end the month after the Conan strip began, The Amazing Spider-Man strip continued for 42 years. But the success (or lack thereof) of the previous strips likely wasn’t the only factor in the decision to launch a strip based on Conan. Former Marvel Comics writer and editor-in-chief Roy Thomas explains, “Since it was the Register and Tribune Syndicate that had the [other] strips, it might have been at least partly their idea, or maybe an idea they chose from among a number of possibilities Stan [Lee] gave. Nobody ever told me exactly. It was all done through Stan. There is the fact that, of course, by that time, Conan had become one of Marvel’s two or three bestselling titles at the same period in which they did that medallion. They did three medallions: Spider-Man, Hulk, and Conan. So Conan was a pretty hot property, and it was a way to do something that wasn’t just another superhero like Spider-Man or, to some extent, even the Hulk. They wanted something a little different, and doing Fantastic Four or Daredevil or Thor would not have been as different as doing Conan.” A newspaper strip featuring the Hulk began the month after Conan. Thomas himself may have helped seal the deal with the syndicate when he made a trip to Iowa, as he elaborates, “They never approached me directly. I just happened to meet with them later because, soon after it started, by coincidence, my wife Dann went to Des Moines because

that was where the insurance company that she managed an office for was centered. She went there and I went along, and since the syndicate happened to be there, I got together with one or two of the top people there. We had lunch, sitting around one of those Cinvano umbrellas, as I recall, and talked a little bit. That was the only contact I think I ever had directly with the Register and Tribune Syndicate people. But a lot of times you don’t meet the people you’re working with, especially since the whole thing was being handled through Marvel.” Whether Marvel had to obtain special permission from the Robert E. Howard Estate to do the strip or whether it may have fallen under the existing agreement for the comic book is uncertain. Thomas notes, “I don’t know if they used powers that were inherent, but I’m sure they paid them money. They may have gone to the Howard Estate anyway just to make sure it was okay, because they wouldn’t have wanted a quarrel over it with somebody suddenly saying, ‘You don’t have the right to sell those rights.’ But I imagine Glenn [Lord, literary agent for the Howard properties] was probably just happy to see it go out in the paper and reach some more people. It was always the possibility of casting a wider net to make Conan popular at a time when the studios were trying to get a movie going. It was kind of stalled for a few years.” The same creative team who produced the Conan comic book was slated to create the Conan strip. Thomas recalls the genesis of the strip: “There was no sample. They probably showed some pictures of John [Buscema]’s work, or the Conan comics, and they knew what it was going to look like, because John was originally going to pencil and ink it. And he did, for that one adventure. So there were no samples, they just had us start going. I was paid a flat rate, $100 or $150 a week or something like that, to do it. It wasn’t a big deal, but I thought, well, I’d still kind of like to do it. I liked the idea of doing a newspaper strip. That was a thing that people in comics always wanted to do, and here

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“Other than that, I made up stories. I brought in Red Sonja. was one being handed to me on a platter, so I may as well do it. If it had become a big hit, then maybe we could have talked about more About once a year, for a few weeks I would bring in Sonja, and she and money, but at the time I just thought it’d be all right to do.” Conan would be off after the Amphora of Zarfhaana that I made up, There was no question regarding the commitment of the Register which was this magical vase from Zarfhaana, one of the countries in and Tribune Syndicate. From his meeting with them, “[There’s] one Kull’s time. Thulsa Doom was in a storyline there, and a few other things thing I do remember [about] the young guy who was sort of in charge,” here and there. I had one that had kind of a Japanese feel to it that Thomas recalls. “As we were sitting around having a drink that Alfredo [Alcala] was drawing. One was about a plague. Just whatever afternoon, he was talking about how he felt about Conan. He was happened to occur to me at the time. “I didn’t adapt any of the [Howard] Conan stories until right at the wrong on this, but he felt that Conan was one that was going to last. Maybe Howard [the Duck] was already gone, I don’t remember, but he end, when I began to feel the strip was not going anywhere and it may wasn’t sure that something like the Hulk was really made for a be discontinued sometime. This was about the time I was just about newspaper strip, but he felt like Spider-Man and Conan could really getting ready to leave [Marvel] for DC anyway, and who knew if I’d be make it.” Reflecting that commitment, the syndicate publicized the able to continue on it, so I adapted ‘Tower of the Elephant’ again, new Conan strip. As Thomas notes, “The syndicate sent out some which I had adapted in both Conan the Barbarian and in Savage Sword pretty nice advance materials with color sheets and everything to of Conan before, so I just did it for the strip, too.” [See the sidebar for a complete list of Conan strip storylines.] newspapers, and they gave it a nice push.” Marvel also promoted the strip with a preview in issue However, there was no attempt to maintain any link #27 of Savage Sword of Conan, cover-dated March 1978. or continuity between the Conan newspaper strip The preview included sample strips by Thomas and and the stories appearing in Marvel publications. Buscema from the first week, “which recounts the Thomas recalls, “I tried to make the characters like previous history of Conan and the Hyborian Age,” as Conan and Sonja fairly faithful, but I didn’t really have many characters repeating from one to the well as select strips from the first regular storyline. other, just him and Sonja, and there wasn’t any The accompanying article stated, “The precise attempt to work in where that would exactly fit. starting-date of the strip is not yet set, but Dennis R. I always felt [the strip was] somewhere vaguely in Allen, head of the Register and Tribune Syndicate (which also produces Spidey and Howard), informs us the not-very-far future of where we were in the the it’ll be ‘early in 1978.’ Which means any day now.” comics at the time.” The preview in Savage Sword That optimism proved premature, however, since it of Conan #27 said the strip was “chronicling tales wasn’t until Monday, September 4, 1978 that the of the Cimmerian from a period when Conan is in john buscema his late 20s, some time after the current colorstrip first appeared in newspapers. Timed to coincide comics stories.” with its debut, Savage Sword of Conan #34 included a second preview with additional samples of the strip, noting, There was one unconventional source of material for the Conan “a number of major newspapers have already signed on to carry strip, as Thomas describes. “One other thing I did is I adapted one Conan’s exploits,” followed by a list and encouragement to readers if not a couple of stories that Len Wein had written for the Power Records version of Conan. I was really annoyed at Len, because I to get their newspapers to pick up the strip. When it came to writing the strip, one might imagine that Roy thought, if somebody had come to me and asked, ‘Do you want Thomas would have adapted Conan stories by Robert E. Howard or to do a Power Records adaptation of, say, Swamp Thing,’ I would used the comic-book stories Thomas himself had previously written, never have done it. But Len just did it and didn’t bother to call me but that was not usually the case. “Most of it was new,” he explains. and tell me. It just suddenly pops up. That was when I decided “There were two storylines that were done from non-Conan Howard that Len and I would be friendly forever, but that was the end of stories. One was ‘The Voice of El-Lil,’ a very minor story, which I added any personal feeling for him in my case, because I felt like, if you quite a bit to. And there was another one, the story ‘Wolfshead,’ which do something like that, you’re not really a friend. But I decided, I think was one of the very first stories that Howard ever sold, which is well, I should get some money out of it, so without informing him, basically a werewolf story set in Portuguese Africa, and I turned it into I just took some of those stories and I adapted them into the Conan a Conan story. I think Gerry Conway or somebody had turned it into newspaper strip so that I made money out of them. I always say a Kull story in the comic books. living well is the best revenge.”

Conan the Unseen Unpublished Conan dailies drawn by John Buscema and later used for layouts by Ernie Chan. Courtesy of Brian Peck. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 41

COMPLETE LIST OF STORYLINES (IN ORDER) FROM THE CONAN NEWSPAPER STRIP • “The Coming of Conan,” Roy Thomas and John Buscema (Sept. 4–9, 1978) • “The Wizard’s Daughter,” Roy Thomas and John Buscema (Sept. 10–Oct. 21, 1978) • “Red Sonja,” Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Ernie Chan (Oct. 22–Dec. 24, 1978) • “The Slavers,” Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan (Dec. 25, 1978–Feb. 10, 1979) • “The Stolen City,” Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan (Feb. 11–Mar. 25, 1979) • “The People of the Cataclysm,” Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan (Mar. 26–June 10, 1979) • “The Castle of Vincenzo,” Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan (June 11–Aug. 26, 1979) • “The Rescue of King Sohram,” Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan (Aug. 27–Oct. 28, 1979) • “Bride of the Black Book,” Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan (Oct. 29–Dec. 22, 1979) • “Red Sonja and Thulsa Doom,” Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan (Dec. 23, 1979–Mar. 15, 1980) • “The Jewel of the Ages,” Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan (Mar. 16–Apr. 27, 1980) • “Treasure Ship,” Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan (Apr. 28– June 22, 1980) • “Island Warrior,” Roy Thomas and Ernie Chan (June 23– Aug. 27, 1980) • “The Plague Demon,” Roy Thomas and Alfredo Alcala (Aug. 28–Oct. 19, 1980) • “The Tower of the Elephant,” Roy Thomas, Doug Moench, Rudy Nebres, Pablo Marcos, and Alan Kupperberg (Oct. 20, 1980–Jan. 3, 1981) • “Revenge of the Son of Yara the Wizard Priest,” Roy Thomas, Doug Moench, Alan Kupperberg, Pablo Marcos, and Thomas Yeates (Jan. 4–Apr. 12, 1981) [Source: Wikipedia, cited October 19, 2019] The breakdown by artist is 48 strips by John Buscema, 631 by Ernie Chan, 123 by Alfredo Alcala, 16 by Rudy Nebres with three Sundays, 65 by Pablo Marcos with no Sundays (he’s the only contributor to not have a Sunday), 41 for Alan Kupperberg, and 50 for Thomas Yeates with only 2 Sundays. [Thanks to Drew Clark.]

Dancing Queen (top) Published and (bottom) unpublished versions of the Conan strip of 10-16-78. Art by Ernie Chan. Courtesy of Richard Morgan and Drew Clark. Conan TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC. Red Sonja © Red Sonja, LLC.

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What is perhaps most interesting, however, is Thomas’ approach to writing the strip. For years, Marvel Comics had operated under what was called the “Marvel method,” in which the writer created a short plot—typically one-half page to a full page—and gave it to the artist, who then laid out and drew the entire story based on the plot. The penciled pages were then given back to the writer, who wrote the dialogue for the story, passing it on to the letterer and inker to finish. By contrast, newspaper comic strip writers have traditionally written complete panel-by-panel scripts for the artist to work from. But with the Conan strip, Thomas broke the mold. “It was a strip that was done Marvel-style. John and Ernie [Chan] and whoever, as long as I was doing it, they worked from a plot, and then I did the dialogue, just like in a comic book. I don’t know how Stan did [The Amazing Spider-Man strip], or what Steve [Gerber] did [on the Howard the Duck strip], but nobody ever bothered me. I just said I was going to do it that way, and nobody seemed to care. I never had any complaints about it. You couldn’t really tell. When I look back on it, I wish I had written a few less balloons, but I probably would have written about the same amount whichever way I wrote the script.” Fans have commented that it seemed like Conan talked more in the newspaper strip than he did in the comics. The artwork on the Conan strip was exceptional, thanks to the extremely talented group of artists who worked on the series, beginning with John Buscema. Buscema was not only one of the best artists at Marvel, but his artwork was one of the reasons the Conan comic book had been so successful. As Thomas says, “He was the main artist of the comic book at the time, so he was the natural choice. There really wasn’t any other person even thought of.” And like Thomas, Buscema was attracted by the lure of doing a newspaper strip. But it didn’t take long for the attraction to fade. In his book, John Buscema: Michelangelo of Comics, Brian Peck noted, “At first John was excited to do the newspaper strip, as it was something he had not done before, and he would both pencil and ink it. He figured he would make better money on the strip than with the comic book, but he discovered he was wrong; they paid him the same page rate as his

comic-book work. He wasn’t happy with the format, because the panels were half the size of the standard panel he was used to working on, so he felt limited in what he could do, and it limited his creativity.” As Peck alluded, one of the challenges in creating the Conan newspaper strip was making the vast world of Conan fit into a few small panels every day. And the Conan stories were full of violent battles and scantily clad women, but according to Thomas, there was “never a whisper” of trouble with the syndicate over the content of the strip. Even so, a true Marvel fan couldn’t help but notice that Red Sonja’s scale-mail bikini costume in the strip seemed to provide a bit more coverage than it did in the comics. Another challenge in producing any newspaper strip is the schedule. The syndicate requires the strips be produced well in advance

of publication. With regard to the Conan strip, Thomas recalls, “The thing is, you have to do the Sundays several weeks before the dailies, as you probably know, because they have to be colored and shipped out separately. So that means that if you have the same storyline going in them, as I did, as opposed to many strips that would sometimes have two separate storylines, you had to write the dailies as far ahead as the Sundays. It was at least two to three months before they would come out, especially because of the Sundays.” Buscema drew the introductory week and first two storylines, which spanned seven weeks, after which he departed the strip. Thomas understood why Buscema left. “It’s kind of a restricting style, and there just wasn’t enough money for it. I don’t know what kind of deal he had compared to me, hopefully more, but still it wasn’t very much

Conan in Color Three Thomas/Chan Sunday Conan features, from 12-10-78, 4-8-79, and 5-27-79. Courtesy of Dewey Cassell. Conan TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC. Red Sonja © Red Sonja, LLC.

ernie chan (chua) Comicvine.

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Conan the Flying Barbarian Chan-drawn Conan dailies with (top) Belit, from 6-12-79, and (middle) with Sonja, from 3-4-80. Both, courtesy of Drew Clark. (bottom) Conan goes kiting in this Alfredo Alcala-drawn Sunday from 8-10-80. Courtesy of Richard Morgan. Conan TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC. Red Sonja © Red Sonja, LLC.

money. And he saw that, while there was a chance it might build and make some money, he just wasn’t patient enough to stick around. It was just too much work, so he left. I was sorry to see him go, but, of course, [Buscema’s successor] Ernie Chan could come in and make a fairly seamless transition because, by inking John all that time [in comics], he could draw Conan pretty close to the way John drew him, anyway. Obviously, we’d have rather seen John stick around, but Ernie did a very good job.” Peck noted, “Roy gave Ernie some of John’s unfinished art from the last series of strips he worked on before leaving. These … strips were later used as layout guides for Ernie in a few of the early Conan dailies he drew.” The challenge Chan faced when he started drawing the Conan strip was in putting too much detail into the artwork. Chan’s early strips included complex backgrounds and ink wash that resulted in beautiful art, but it would not have reproduced well and the details would have been lost. Chan had to redraw the first two weeks or so of his Conan strips, rendering them in a simpler style. However, Chan was not discouraged and he enjoyed a long run drawing the syndicated barbarian. Regarding Chan, Thomas continues, “I think eventually maybe he felt, too, that the money wasn’t enough, or other things came along.

But he stuck around for at least about a year, and he certainly did more than anybody else on the strip. Except me, I guess.” Chan was replaced by Alfredo Alcala, who also had experience drawing Conan, though his style was less similar to Buscema. The deadlines occasionally proved challenging for Alcala, as Thomas recalls. “I think Alfredo a couple of times was kind of late and I would have to go down to his place and harangue him a little bit, but nothing that serious. Alfredo was then living just a couple of blocks away from me, so I would just walk back and forth to his place down there to pick up the strips.” Thomas continues, “The only problem was when we lost Ernie, we kind of cast about a little bit. Alfredo was fairly good at it, but then he didn’t stick around for too long, and when you start adding a new artist every adventure or two, that can be kind of bad.” Alcala was succeeded after one storyline by Rudy Nebres and Pablo Marcos, both also Conan artists, and later by Alan Kupperberg and Thomas Yeates. Kupperberg also worked on the Howard the Duck and Incredible Hulk newspaper strips. Yeates, who went on to draw the Prince Valiant strip, was the last artist to draw Conan in the newspaper. Regarding how he got the assignment, Yeates recalls, “I was showing my portfolio to Marvel, DC, and other odd places. Marvel editor Rick Marshall bought some

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spot illustrations from me for the black-and-white books he edited. But by that time, Roy Thomas was no longer associated with the Probably sold my two Savage Sword of Conan illustrations to Roy Conan strip. He explains the circumstances surrounding his departure: Thomas around that time, too, so maybe Roy chose me. My art “When I decided to leave for DC, I got permission from DC—a bit director was John Romita, who I think re-drew one Conan face on a reluctantly, but they gave it to me—for a couple of things that I Sunday. Both of my Sundays were done out of sequence, before the could do under my contract. One was the Elric material and the dailies. Later I found out John Tartaglione inked the two Sundays.” other was that I could continue to write the Conan newspaper strip, Yeates was pleased to get the opportunity to draw the Conan strip, since DC didn’t have a newspaper strip to offer me. So I knew it which was somewhat ironic, as he explains. “I was a big Howard fan. might die anyway, but, on the other hand, I thought it’d be kind of The Marvel comics were very good, too, but I was more into Howard. nice to go on writing it. But [then-Marvel editor-in-chief] Jim Shooter When I first went back east to attend the Kubert School, in the fall of put a stop to that. As soon as I was ready to leave, he decided that, 1976, the other students and I were invited to the Thanksgiving despite the fact that I had made this deal—he managed to sabotage convention in New York City. I sat next to Conan comics artist Barry it. Just another little thing I owe him.” Thomas was replaced by Doug Moench as writer on the Conan Windsor-Smith and his then-wife Linda Lessman. They liked me, and we sat together at a few other shows. The only other time after that I ever strip. In some respects, Moench was the perfect choice for the job, saw Barry was in the elevator going up to Marvel while I was doing the having been a fan of Robert E. Howard since his youth. As Moench Conan strip. He was happy to see me and asked what I was up to. I told recalls, “In Chicago, there was this fan gathering every month of him I was bashing out the Conan strip and we both laughed about that.” science-fiction writers and readers. I can’t remember whose apartment Getting started was fairly easy, but doing the strip was still a it was, but science-fiction writers like Fred Saberhagen and whoever challenge for Yeates, as he notes, “I believe they gave me lived in Chicago at the time would come to these things. I don’t copies of Buscema’s strips and what had been done right know how I found out about it, but I went out there once before, possibly by Pablo Marcos. The challenge was and they welcomed me, so I went back a few more times. getting it done on top of all the other work I suddenly One time they were passing around photocopies of a manuscript by a guy named Robert E. Howard of an had. After two years of struggling for work I started getting scripts from DC as well as that Conan strip.” unpublished story intended for Weird Tales. They gave Nonetheless, Yeates enjoyed his tenure working a copy to everybody, so I read it and I thought, “Oh, on the Conan strip, commenting, “It was actually a that’s really exciting. I wonder why this got rejected.” blast. I think the week of dailies were due on Mondays. And they said, “Oh, you mean you’ve never read a I’d draw what I could on top of everything else over the Conan story?” And I said, “What’s a Conan story?” weekend, and bring the week in half-finished on the last Then they clued me in and let me borrow some Weird bus from New Jersey to New York that would get me Tales magazines. Then Lancer started republishing them in the paperbacks.” there in time. I would then proceed to a little side room devoted to Marvel’s newspaper strips. There I would Moench also had a unique tie to Marvel’s Conan, thomas yeates trade pages with my old friend from the Kubert School, as he explains. “I was the one who suggested to © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. Roy that Marvel Comics do a Conan comic book. Ken Feduniewicz, who lettered it and maybe inked some backgrounds while I finished the art. Also in the room was Frank Giacoia, This is before I worked at Marvel. They’d been printing my fan probably inking the Spider-Man strip. Jack Abel would stop in regularly letters, but I sent him a personal letter, instead of one intended to and joke around with Ken and Frank. Big fun and a great experience for be published in The Amazing Spider-Man letters page, and said, a young artist. Sorry it was so rushed, but glad I got to do it.” “Hey, there’s this thing from the ’30s and ’40s, these pulp stories The cancellation of the Conan strip did not come as a surprise to for Weird Tales by this Robert E. Howard guy, and it’s about this Yeates, who recalls, “Seems like I knew all along. I got the impression barbarian. It’s got monsters in it, and magic in it, and my fondest they just needed someone to finish out the contract and nobody dream would be Marvel Comics’ version of this.” I have the letter at Marvel wanted it so they gave it to the new kid, me.” Ironically, back from Roy. He actually wrote me back and he said he’d check the final strip included a teaser for the next storyline. into it, but it was not the kind of thing that Marvel Comics would

Towering Talents (top) “Tower of the Elephant” daily from 12-30-80, by Doug Moench and Alan Kupperberg. (bottom) A Moench/ Thomas Yeates daily from 4-8-81. Both, courtesy of Drew Clark. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

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Broken Promise The final Conan strip published—this Sunday dated 4-12-81—teases an upcoming storyline that was not published. By Moench and Yeates. Courtesy of Dewey Cassell. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

do. And I think it was less than a year later, I went into the corner people who are doing it, it becomes a thing where [newspaper] editors drugstore and there was Conan #1.” will look at it and say, ‘Drop it.’ So several people felt it might have Moench remembers how he got the assignment to write the had a fatal effect on the strip, which otherwise might have lasted Conan strip. “Sol Brodsky asked me if I would do it and I said yes. longer. If so, I say, good. [laughs] If they weren’t going to let me go I was very taken with the peculiar art of running the newspaper strip on doing the strip, I was glad to see it die.” That said, Thomas enjoyed writing the Conan strip and the creators in a three- or four-panel deal that was kind of satisfying in itself for a one-day thing and it ended with a little tease or a cliffhanger that he worked with. “They were all professionals. They knew what they were made you come back the next day. I really liked Milton Caniff’s doing. At least I was going to get good drawing. I didn’t have to worry Terry and the Pirates, but then I found out it’s one-fifth the size, about that. [The syndicate people] were real happy, especially when John so you physically can’t fit as many words in it, let alone art details. was drawing it. Maybe it hurt a little bit when he left right away, but So it was kind of disappointing that it had been shrunk to then we settled down to a fairly good run, and I think if it had postage stamp-size by the time I got to do a newspaper been handled differently, it could have gone on longer.” strip, but I still sort of enjoyed it, as I recall.” Thomas had plans for future adventures of the famed In taking over the strip, Moench didn’t have any barbarian, had he continued. “I was going to get into preconceived notions. “I had not been following it. some other weird adventures. Something with a Clark I’m not sure I even knew it existed. I was not getting Ashton Smith story utilizing one of the weird lands any newspapers at the time, so I just didn’t know. from his mythology, as the third great writer for I loved newspaper strips, but I would just get the Weird Tales. Red Sonja would have come back just reprint collections. So they gave me all of Roy’s run, about every year or so. Maybe I’d have gotten Kull and I read it, and then picked up literally in the in there. Maybe I’d have found a way to bring in middle of a story. And I’m pretty sure Sol Brodsky some other Howard characters, have him travel to asked me to do full-script.” other times, meet Solomon Kane.” Moench worked with several different artists As it is, Conan fans will have to content themselves on the strip, but he had a special connection to with reprints of the original strip. Thomas comments, doug moench Pablo Marcos. “When I first moved to New York to “It’s been nice to see it reprinted a time or two. Dark Horse printed about half the strips, but they didn’t work for Marvel,” Moench explains, “there was a cocktail party or something at some restaurant or bar, so I went get a really good source for them, so the reproduction didn’t look very and this guy started talking to me, but he couldn’t speak English. good. [The Dark Horse book is also missing a strip from the run.] Spain And he was real earnest, and it was really noisy in the place, and it reprinted the whole thing in some books, and then recently the French was just terrible. He was trying desperately to make me understand [Neofelis] reprinted the first year or thereabouts of the strip. I’m hoping what he was saying with almost no English, and even though I took that somebody will finish them up, including the ones done by others.” high school Spanish, that was no good. I couldn’t understand what Some of the Conan strips were also reprinted in Conan Saga and Marvel the hell he was saying. But he kept giving me a cocktail napkin and Treasury Edition #23, available on the secondary market. a pen.” Fortunately, there was another native-Spanish-speaking So, by Crom, find your favorite reprint of the Conan strips and artist at the party who was more fluent in English and helped him figure it out. Moench continues, “It turned out Pablo was trying to settle down to read about “an age undreamed of, when shining get me to write on the napkin that I am here in New York having a kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue drink with Pablo Marcos, and that I was supposed to sign it. And I mantles beneath the stars.” I think Mr. Howard said, ‘Okay! Why?’ And then the other artist asked him, and it turns himself would have been pleased. out I had just been voted the number one writer in Peru. That’s the only place I’ve ever been voted number one. I always say I must Many thanks to Roy Thomas, Doug Moench, and Thomas Yeates for their invaluable insights into the have had a great translator in Peru.” Roy Thomas believes Moench wasn’t set up for success with the Conan newspaper strip. Thanks also to Drew Clark, Conan strip, explaining something readers may have noticed. “Instead Brian Peck, and Richard Morgan for their help of giving credit to the new writer, Doug Moench, and to another and artwork. artist, as they had given me credit before on the top line, they ended DEWEY CASSELL is the Eisner Award-nominated author up just saying, ‘By Marvel Comics.’ And a couple of people told me of over 40 articles and four books, including Mike that when something like that happens, quite often it becomes an Grell: Life Is Drawing Without An Eraser, available excuse for newspapers to drop a strip. When you suddenly change the from TwoMorrows Publishing. 46 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

Roy Thomas, perhaps more than any other comics writer, is responsible for the dawn of heroic fantasy in 1970 when he and artist Barry Windsor-Smith, and later John Buscema and others, adapted Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian for Marvel Comics. As you’ve been reading elsewhere in this issue, the success of Conan opened the door for other barbarians and swashbucklers to sharpen their blades in the comics pages and allowed Thomas and many more creators to bring other REH characters to the medium. After leaving Marvel to work for DC Comics, Thomas and his wife Dann, with artist Ernie Colón, created a new adventurer that went beyond Howardian lore. Arak, Son of Thunder debuted as a preview in The Warlord #48 (Aug. 1981) before the first of the hero’s 50 issues hit newsstands and comic shops. Draw your swords, O Dear Reader of BACK ISSUE, and prepare yourself for an inside look at the thunderous exploits of Arak that will make He-No proud.

by J a

mes Heath Lantz

By 1981, Roy Thomas had been in the comic business for roughly 16 years, having made a name for himself writing such Marvel titles as X-Men, Sub-Mariner, Avengers, and, of course, Conan the Barbarian. According to Jim Amash’s interview with Thomas in Alter Ego #100, some staff at DC had made it clear that a job was available if Thomas ever became unhappy with Marvel. Creative and contractual disputes led him to leave the House of Ideas for the Distinguished Competition. Arak, Son of Thunder originally was an entirely different idea at first, according to Thomas in AE #100 and discussions with BACK ISSUE. He had initially wanted to pitch for DC to license Robert E. Howard’s Cormac Mac Art. Those stories took place in about 500 A.D., the same period of Arak. However, there weren’t many Cormac stories compared to his Cimmerian brother-in-arms, and there weren’t the splendorous kingdoms like those in Conan’s Hyborian Age. Enter Danette Couto, then-fiancée of Roy Thomas, who would legally changed her name to Dann after their marriage. Dann liked the Dark Ages setting and came up with the idea of a Native American discovering Europe. Roy Thomas took time out of his busy schedule to talk with BACK ISSUE about Arak, Son of Thunder. He began with the process of working with his wife Dann on the book. “Dann and I would get together and discuss stories,” he recalls. “Of course, Arak was on a journey, so that helped shape the stories. First to the court of Charlemagne (Carolus Magnus), then on to Rome and the Near East, etc. “Dann did much more research than I. I think Dann did the first rough draft of the dialogue in many stories, though I don’t recall for which ones. For the first few I probably did the entire script, but of course the plotting had been by both of us.” There have been obvious comparisons of Arak, Son of Thunder to Conan the Barbarian. Both are in the sword and sorcery/heroic fantasy genre. Both characters’ comics have similar artistic visual styles, and Thomas wrote for both adventurers. However, Thomas confirms with BACK ISSUE that the Son of Thunder was not a mere rehashing of Robert E. Howard’s famous Cimmerian. “I was going to DC after my six years of Marvel contracts expired, near the end of 1980, and DC wanted me to do a new sword-andsorcery book for them,” Thomas says. “So Arak, Son of Thunder’s early issues were not Conan stories re-cast with Arak. They just had similar elements because Howard was my primary influence in sword and sorcery, so I just naturally thought that way.”

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THUNDEROUS HISTORY

The Coming of Arak (top) Dann and Roy Thomas in November 2019. Photo by and courtesy of John Cimino. (inset) The Warlord #48 (Aug. 1981). Cover by Mike Grell. (bottom) First page from that issue’s Arak, Son of Thunder preview. By Roy Thomas, Ernie Colón, and Tony DeZuniga. Photo courtesy of Facebook. Arak TM & © DC Comics.

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Ernie Colón, who collaborated with Roy Thomas on adaptations of L. Sprague De Camp and Lin Carter’s “Moon of Blood” and Dann Thomas’ “Sea of No Return” in Savage Sword of Conan, co-created Arak, Son of Thunder with the Thomases. It was his first comic for DC. Colón is credited for art on issues #1–14, 31, 37, and Annual #1, including backup stories and pinups. According to Roger Slifer’s interview with Colón published in David Anthony Kraft’s Comics Interview #13, he got the job thanks to Roy Thomas, who liked his Conan art. When Thomas began working for DC Comics, he insisted that Colón show his work to Dick Giordano, DC’s editorial director. Colón had done so without knowing that Thomas had already given copies to Giordano. This led Giordano, Thomas, and Colón to discuss Arak, Son of Thunder. Colón loved the concept, but he eventually felt that Arak didn’t stand out more as a character. Ernie gradually lost interest in Arak, Son of Thunder and went on to other comics. He did, however, keep a copy of his cover image for Arak #12 at the time of the Comics Interview piece. On an interesting sidenote, Ernie Colón also drew the map of Arak’s world that appears at the end of Arak, Son of Thunder #2 (Oct. 1981). Yet, he had mistakenly left out the entire Mediterranean peninsula, where Greece is located. Colón had been embarrassed by the error, and the omission was later corrected in future issues of Arak where the map was printed. Detective Comics’ Bob Smith, Firestorm’s Rodin Rodriguez, and Conan alumni Tony DeZuniga and Alfredo Alcala inked Colón’s pencils until Ernie eventually took on full art chores. Colón discussed these inkers and his views on inking in general in a 2011 interview published in Scarce #77. He stated that he felt his tight pencils in early Arak comics were disregarded by the inker. Perhaps this was due to a belief that they were rough drawings. Whatever the case may be, Colón felt “the more brush strokes, the better” approach obliterated his pencil work to the point the image style didn’t seem like his own. Roy Thomas would later admit that some inks “watered down” Ernie Colón’s unique art style. Colon’s visuals combined the historical concepts with the fantasy elements he had used in the aforementioned Conan tales. Plus, his attention to detail in the early Arak issues gave readers a taste of what was to come from Colón in his later comics such as Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld. Roy Thomas informs BACK ISSUE about the artistic changes in Arak after Ernie Colón’s departure and DC’s attempts to attract Conan fans. “We tried,” he states. “Alfredo Alcala was an example. Other guys did their best, but Arak, from first to last, never really found the right artist.” Names are important for a brand, an artist, or a character. One could make the case that history might be different for Timely Comics, Mortimer Mouse, and David Robert Jones if they had been respectively called something other than Marvel Comics, Mickey Mouse, and David Bowie. Arak had much different moniker in promotional material. The May 1981-dated DC Coming Attractions #54 contained a caption that read Bloodwolf, Son of Thunder. According to Amazing Heroes #1, DC Comics

DC’s She-Devil with a Sword… …other than Katana, that is. Arak’s breakout co-star, Valda, the Iron Maiden, on the Ernie Colón-illo’ed cover of Arak #3 (Nov. 1981). Original cover art courtesy of Hertiage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © DC Comics.

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Written in Stone (left) Unpublished alternate cover to Arak #4, courtesy of Heritage. (right) That issue’s splash, with an Eisner-ish logo as part of the art. TM & © DC Comics.

worried that “Arak” was too similar to the name of Filipino artist Frank Reyes’ 1977 comic The Fantastic World of Arik Kahn (below left) and thus feared some conflict. Thomas had told Amazing Heroes that Bloodwolf would be Arak’s Native-American name. Sigvald the Skull Splitter, leader of the Viking tribe that found Arak, does call him “Little Blood-Wolf” during the raid of the monastery in Arak, Son of Thunder #1, but Thomas later said in Alter Ego #100 that he found Bloodwolf to be too “Purple Prose-y.” Arak, Son of Thunder #33 revealed the title character is actually called Bright-Sky-After-Storm in his tribe of the Quontauka Native Americans. Yet, in the eyes of those who voyaged and fought alongside him, he is called the most important name of all—friend.

ADVENTURES OF THUNDER

A storm has ceased in a world with a history similar to our own. A dragon-prowed ship full of, as Arak’s prolific writer Roy Thomas put it, “dragon proud Vikings” cuts through the pre-dawn fog to cross the seas. Its crew finds a boat carrying a youth with skin red like that of someone burned by the sun. His origins are unknown, his name forgotten. He only recalls the belief that he is the son of one of his people’s gods whose name means “thunder,” and he was born in a land on the other side of the world. He takes the moniker “Arak,” a verbal misunderstanding of Erik. Arak is raised by the Norsemen who found him. While raiding a Christian monastery, Arak, a stranger in a strange land, must battle Angelica, the sorceress princess of White Cathay. Both Arak and Angelica seek Carolus 50 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

Magnus, known also as Charlemagne, ruler of the Franks. Arak has sworn to never raise a weapon against the silver-tressed witch or her brother Argalia since she spared his life. Yet, his oath did not prevent him from using the blunt end of a cross to kill her ocean dragon that slaughtered his adopted kinsmen. With that, Angelica and Argalia disappear, awaiting to bring about whatever dark plans they have in mind. Thus, Arak’s quest to warn the great king about Angelica begins in the introductory issue of Arak, Son of Thunder. Arak #1 (Sept. 1981), while the beginning of the title character’s saga, was not the first appearance. As stated before, Arak, Son of Thunder started as a 16-page preview in Warlord #48, which was later reprinted in Arak #31 (Mar. 1984). It saw Arak, while searching for amber, confront a gripping creature made of the precious material as he saves a mysterious woman who is actually its guardian. According to Arak #24, the events in the Warlord story take place during the Son of Thunder’s youth. Further examination of issue #24’s version of Ernie Colón’s map of Arak’s world place it somewhere in the middle of Arak #1. This is shown with a route of Arak’s voyages at that point in the series. The Warlord insert could fit well after page six of that comic due to connections of what followed even if there could also be a continuity gap between panels two and three of page 13 and panels three and four of page 15. While uncertain of the exact placement of Warlord #48’s preview, Thomas confirms with BACK ISSUE that it does indeed occur amid Arak, Son of Thunder #1.

Joust One of Those Days The sorceress Angelica lords over the “Tournament of Titans” in Arak #5. Detail from the Colón/Dick Giordano cover’s original art, courtesy of Heritage. TM & © DC Comics.

Speaking of the Warlord #48 preview, Arak, Son of Thunder #31 does more than reprint it—its opening and closing pages expand on it. The Ernie Colón-drawn tale shows Arak’s reasons for seeking the amber he found in that story. He needed a piece to win the hand of the Viking leader of leaders Ottar’s slave girl, aptly named Amber. What Warlord #48 does not show is that Arak, upon Dziewona’s seeing in his heart, wins his prize. Yet, it is much too late. Two days before Arak returned to the Norsemen, Ottar died of illness. As is tradition, slaves must go to Valhalla with their masters. It is at that moment Arak knew he must one day leave his adopted kinsmen. Arak’s allies and comrades-at-arms during his adventurous voyages are Malagigi, court magician to Carolus Magnus, and Valda the Iron Maiden, who, like her mother Bradamante, is a warrior knighted by the Frank king. The Son of Thunder first encountered them in issue #2 and 3, respectively. Malagigi was imprisoned by the evil Baledor in a castle of a demon’s consort where once stood Saint Michael’s Monastery. He and Arak both escaped after said consort was literally taken to the fires of Hell in Arak #2’s conclusion. Malagigi and Arak combat the wizard while freeing Valda from the nefarious one’s mind control in #3. In addition to Malagigi and Valda, Arak encounters two beings straight out of mythology. Khiron, last of the Centaurs, becomes a mentor for Arak, albeit a brief one, to aid him in finding his destiny until Byzantine soldiers kill Khiron. This leaves Satyricus, the last Satyr, to fulfill a vow to the Centaur to watch over Arak as he voyages to learn of his fate. Satyricus, however, makes it clear that he’ll also feed his various hungers while doing so. According to Alter Ego #100’s discussion of Arak, Malagigi’s look is based on that of British actor of Rumpole of the Bailey and Ladyhawke fame, Leo McKern. Roy Thomas also discussed supporting characters concepts with BACK ISSUE, stating, “Malagigi was the Merlin of certain myths in a cycle that revolved around Charlemagne in the early 9th Century, the time of our story, so we rung him. Valda was to be the equivalent of Red Sonja and to some extent perhaps Valeria in Arak. Satyricus was to be a combination of comic relief, Sancho Panza, and Robin, I suppose. He also added a touch of magic and myth to the proceedings every time he pranced onstage. We discussed some of those things with Ernie Colón, but I don’t think we really brought him fully into the decision-making process. We respected any suggestions he made, but we were in L.A. and he was in New York City, so it wasn’t practical to get together often and I don’t recall a lot of phone calls between us.” Readers of Arak, Son of Thunder may have noticed the title character, much like the Doctor in Doctor Who and Doctor Sam Beckett in Quantum Leap, encounters fictionalized versions of persons that existed in this world’s history. Carolus Magnus is perhaps the most predominant of those from our distant past. However, Arak encounters the Pope in Rome and Nestorian priest Johannes, also known as Prester John, during his mission to find Malagigi and Angelica. Hannibal, Alexander the Great, and even Jesus Christ are mentioned throughout the series.

While some ink jobs in Arak, Son of Thunder may have diminished Ernie Colón’s detailed art, much can be truly said about his early work on the Last of the Quontauka. His splash pages were among the most dramatic ones in the late Bronze Age, drawing the reader into Arak’s world with a single image. A perfect example of this would be Arak, Son of Thunder #4. The characters are about to enter Carolus Magnus’ kingdom. Their forms at the top and Aix-La-Chapelle at the bottom are dwarfed by the Arak title carved in rock in the center. That issue’s credits are carved above “Arak.” Another such splash can be spotted on page six when Valda, Malagigi, and Arak are before the Assembly of the Twelve Peers, including Carolus Magnus. Colón gives each character in that group their own unique face and voice in their conception and introduction. Ernie Colón left Arak, Son of Thunder as regular artist on the main stories with issue #12 (Aug. 1982) while providing interiors for the first three “Valda, the Iron Maiden” backup features in Arak #12–14. He returned as guest penciler in issue #31 and 37. In Colón’s stead came Alfredo Alcala (#13 and 14) and Adrian Gonzales (#15–25). Alcala would continue to embellish the Son of Thunder’s comics during Gonzales’ stint as artist.

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Arak, seeking revenge on Angelica for the deaths of his Viking brethren, warns Carolus Magnus of the witch of White Cathay’s possible evil intentions toward the kingdom. Magic and mayhem ensue as Malagigi is taken by demons, leading Valda and Arak to go on a quest to find the court mage. Their voyage takes them to White Cathay with the aid of Nestorian priest Johannes—the ousted king of White Cathay—where they fight Angelica, demons and two warring armies—the Gog and Magog—that intend to bring about Armageddon. The cunning of Malagigi, the warrior spirit of Arak, and the use of what historians would later call Greek Fire win the day and save the world form annihilation. Yet, as one adventure ends, another is about to begin for the Last of the Quontauka.

THUNDERING HOME

After the quest for Malagigi, the comic’s title character must go on another voyage with Satyricus. Upon learning that some of the Quontauka may still be alive, Arak must leave Valda, who has grown to love the Quontaukan brave, and Malagigi. Thus began a new direction for Arak, Son of Thunder. With it came new artist and Trekker creator Ron Randall, who started with Arak #26 (Oct. 1983). Randall discusses Arak with BACK ISSUE, beginning by recalling how he got the assignment. “I was drawing a backup series in DC’s Warlord book, a science-fiction story called ‘The Barren Earth,’” Randall says. “The writer, Gary Cohn, and I were trying to create a convincing Edgar Rice Burroughs feel to the world and the civilization we were depicting. Roy Thomas saw some of the work at a time when DC needed a new artist on Arak. He liked the designs I was coming up with for those environments and thought that would work well with what he was doing on Arak. “Getting to work with a writer of Roy’s credentials was an attractive proposition, of course,” Randall continues, “and Dann was bringing some fresh ideas as well. Plus, I’d always been inspired by the classic newspaperadventure strip artists, particularly Hal Foster (Prince Valiant) and Alex Raymond (Flash Gordon), and the 1950s EC comic artists like Wally Wood and Al Williamson, and also Joe Kubert’s brilliant Tarzan comics for DC. A chance to work on a series that was more of a ‘high fantasy adventure’ genre rather that the more common superhero titles was also a big plus.” How did Randall and Thomas collaborate on Arak? “Quite often,” Randall explains, “I’d have a phone call with Roy about different aspects of a story. Roy and Dann were very interested in grounding the series in as much historical context as we could work into an action-adventure book. So, we were as attentive to details of setting and time period as possible. They’d often have done some research and provide me with some reference images or at least what to look for in the library for some visual cues. We had lots of good conversation, and Roy invited my input, though mostly I was happy to follow their lead. They knew what they were after on the series, and apart from maybe a few suggestions for little character bits and such, I just did my best to realize the stories they wrote. “When I began working on Arak, I was the penciler and inker,” Randall continues. “I love doing all the art on projects when possible. Over time, the deadlines required us to bring on an inker, and I was very happy that we got Rick Magyar to come on board. He is a vastly underrated inker and a fine friend as well. Working with Rick, which I have been lucky enough to do several times over my career, is always a treat. He brings class and refinement to the work every time.” During Ron Randall’s stint as Arak artist, the Son of Thunder not only searches for what remains of his tribe, he discovers the thunder god He-No is actually his father as he had believed since his monthly series’ beginnings. His mother Star-of-Dawn was saved from a serpent god’s attack by He-No. She returns to her village pregnant with Arak after a period of living with the Quontaukan thunder god. Her father, the Quontaukan shaman

Arak, Post-Ernie Following Colón on Arak were artists Adrian Gonzales and Alfredo Alcala. (top) Original cover art to Arak #18, by Gonzales and Alcala. (bottom) Photostatted Alcala art on the production-ready (minus DC bullet) cover of issue #24. Both courtesy of Heritage. TM & © DC Comics.

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White-Snow-Owl, had premonitions of Bright-Sky-After-Storm’s future which some might see as ominous. During his voyage to discover his origins, Arak meets Dyanna, twin sister ron randall of Dziewona. The woman whom the Son of He-No encountered in Warlord Ocean Yamaha/ #48 had foretold of Arak crossing paths Wikimedia Commons. with her sibling that would lead to him finding his destiny. This leads Arak to become a shaman like his grandfather, bringing Arak into conflict with the Serpent God whose followers slaughtered much of the Quontauka tribe. Ron Randall’s run on Arak ended with issue #36 (Aug. 1984) and Annual #1. “The backup I was doing “Roy was well known for being a talkative co-creator,” in Warlord at the same time got offered a miniseries Randall says of working with Roy Thomas. “I was titled Conqueror of the Barren Earth,” Randall explains. ‘warned’ that we’d have many long phone conversations. “It wasn’t easy to leave Arak behind, but being able I was ready for it, and good thing too, because that to carry forward a science-fiction series that I’d turned out to be absolutely true. As I said earlier, been co-creator on was too good a chance to pass up. we did have many great talks on the phone. Roy was This is the same reason I’m devoting myself to my own in California, and I was in New Jersey at the time. sci-fi series, Trekker, to this day.” I love talking with comics collaborators, and Roy Yet, Ron Randall maintains strong feelings about certainly made me feel a welcome partner and teammate his time as Arak, Son of Thunder’s artist. “Arak was a chance on the book.” to combine some dynamic, nearly superhero-ish figure drawing with a world that called for textures PSYCHE OF THUNDER and rendering in a more illustrative style. I was a The concept of a stranger in a strange land is nothing young, hard-working artist on Arak. I brought all my new for DC Comics. In fact, it’s been the basis of Superman enthusiasm for comics to those pages and put as since the character’s beginnings in 1938. Yet, as with the much care into the rendering of those stories as I had rest of Arak’s plot elements, there is a more grounded, at my disposal. I look back on those comics and see real-world atmosphere to the Son of Thunder’s saga. Roy and Dann Thomas wrote of Arak’s adapting to a all of that—some raw ability, some pretty refined work, and some awkward passages as well. That’s pretty new world, its customs, and its people. At the same time, common, I suppose, for an artist in the early stages the Son of Thunder was witnessing and experiencing of their career. I always tried to convey the Arak unusual events in his exploits since leaving his adopted character as something of the noble, reflective stranger Viking kinsmen and women. These not only included in a strange land who was also a ferocious fighter the worlds of sorcery and the supernatural. There were and a character of destiny” also some race and religious issues. There were moments

A New Era Begins (left) The Son of Thunder and Satyricus herald the coming of new Arak artist Ron Randall on the cover of issue #26 (Oct. 1983). (right) Dyanna observes as Arak’s in a snaky situation on this powerful Randallrendered cover to Arak #27. Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © DC Comics.

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Men of Honor (top) Arak co-creator Ernie Colón returned to illustrate issue #31 (Mar. 1984), which included (bottom) this scene where the valiant Son of Thunder stands up for the slave Amber. TM & © DC Comics.

in which his skin color or his beliefs came into discussion. The dying monk who made Arak curious of other cultures and faiths believed him to be a demon simply because he was the color of what was thought to be that of Satan. Upon his arrival in the court of the Christian Carolus Magnus, Arak is considered a heathen for wearing an inverted cross as Thunor/Thor’s hammer to honor his adoptive brothers-in-arms. Now, had Conan of Cimmeria been in similar situations, he would have most likely sent said offenders to their gods in the flash of sword’s blade. However, Arak, while accepting the challenge of a duel, states he cannot renounce what he does not believe. Plus, he never said He-No and Thor were better than the Christian God. In Arak’s defense of himself and what the Franks thought of as defiance, the Last of the Quontauka shows tolerance and respect. Arak, in another instance of tolerance, defends the elderly Jewish Josephus, who was sentenced to immortality after gambling for the clothes of the crucified Christ. Christians are about to stone Josephus when the Son of Thunder intervenes. He never truly gives a reason for rescuing the old man, but one could surmise that Arak could not comprehend why ones who profess to be loving Christians would perform such an act of utter hatred. Whatever Arak’s reasons may have been, Josephus returns the favor by leading the Last Quontaukan away from an angry mob who believed him to be responsible for the Pope’s abduction by the Black Pope on Christmas Eve in Arak #7. When asked how tolerance of all types became part of Arak, Son of Thunder, Thomas reveals, “We had no axes to grind one way or the other. Dann and I were just trying to tell an entertaining story, utilizing elements that occurred to us along the way. Religion was naturally a part of things, because Arak had come from one religious background, entered the Christian world, and then the Muslim and Hindu ones in succession.” Now, as shown in his defense of Josephus, Arak does not tolerate bullies or abuse of any kind. This is particularly evident in Arak #31’s framing sequences involving the title character’s first love, the slave girl Amber. When Sigvald manhandles her, the Last of the Quontauka defends her. As a result Amber only wishes to be Arak’s bride or nobody else’s. When Arak returned with the amber to win Amber’s hand only to find her dead, Sigvald disrespectfully says she got her wish, prompting He-No’s son to once again stand up to the skull-splitter. “Be still, Sigvald—if you value your life,” Arak says before funeral fires are lit. Another quality Arak seems to have in abundance is the fact he is a man of his word. Once he makes a vow, he keeps it, even with those who are his foes. This is evident in his confrontations with Angelica. Granted, he gave his own interpretation of his promise to her when they first met in the Christian monastery. However, he did not break his vow to not attack her and her brother. Arak has often shown that he has a code of honor throughout his comic book’s 50-issue run, even with those who loathed him such as the Viking Haakon of Ultima Thule and the leader of the Norse tribe who raised him, Sigvald the Skull-Splitter. The latter does get a shot of Karma for his mistreatment of Arak when Angelica does not free him as she does the Son of He-No. Another example of Arak’s interpretation of a vow is one he makes to the Serpent God. He must bring the flaming sword of the archangel Gabriel to his foe’s throne room to save new friends Alsind and Sharizad in Arak #36 and Arak Annual #1. He does not state what he will do with it, which leads to a clash between the snake deity and the Son of He-No. One promise Arak made was also one of the most difficult for him to keep. Yet, it’s one that also shows his honorable character. After two prayers to He-No are believed to be answered, Arak must journey to the land of his birth to reunite the survivors of the Quontauka tribe. In doing so, Arak must leave Malagigi and Valda as they return to Carolus Magnus’ kingdom. Hearts are broken and goodbyes are said, but Arak must fulfill his vow and his destiny in that moment. Valda and Malagigi reunite with Arak and Satyricus; however, his leaving them left great emptiness in their souls.

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BACKUP THUNDER Throughout various points in Arak, Son of Thunder’s run, backup features appeared in its pages. “Viking Prince” by Robert Kanigher and Jan Duursema (Arak #8–11) was added by DC’s editors, something Roy and Dann Thomas didn’t want in Arak. “Valda” (Arak #12–21, 27–30) and “Young Arak” (Arak #34–36) by the Thomases and various artists were meant to expand the series and showcase more than one artist per issue.

Short Stories Samples of Arak’s three backup series: (top) Viking Prince, from issue #9; (bottom left) Valda, from issue #12; (its cover is top right) and (bottom right) Young Arak, from issue #34. TM & © DC Comics.

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Final Days of Thunder Two Tony DeZuniga covers to close out our feature: (left) Arak #43 (Apr. 1985), and (right) the double-sized finale, Arak #50 (Dec. 1985). TM & © DC Comics.

THE THUNDER ENDS

Late into the 50-issue run of Arak, Son of Thunder, famed scribes JeanMarc and Randy Lofficier, friends of Roy and Dann Thomas, were brought in to script plots by the Thomases. Roy Thomas shares with BACK ISSUE the reasons for the Lofficiers getting involved with Arak. “We let Jean-Marc and Randy co-write several issues of Arak,” Roy recalls, “because by that time [Arak] wasn’t going anywhere and we had partly lost interest in it. I was doing movie scripts through 1984–85, too, and a bit of TV, and lots of Hollywood meetings, so Arak suffered.” Did the celebrated scribe have plans for Arak that were upended by the book’s cancellation with issue #50? “I’ve no idea what would’ve happened beyond #50,” Thomas admits. “We could’ve kept the mag going a bit longer, but we elected, with DC’s encouragement but no hard push, to end it with #50. I was sorry when it was cancelled, though. To me, I’ll admit, it seemed a much more worthwhile comic-book concept than most.” Arak, Son of Thunder may have concluded its run with issue #50, but it wasn’t the end of the Son of He-No and his universe. Arak and Valda appeared in All-Star Squadron #55, and Arak and He-No were in a flashback cameo in Young All-Stars #20 after Arak was cancelled. “It was just a way of keeping Arak and Valda and their world alive,” Thomas comments. “Of course, at the end of the comic itself, they were separating, as he headed on to what would be the west coast of America and she stayed in Japan, if I remember.” Sometime during Arak’s run, a Valda miniseries collaboration between Roy and Dann Thomas and Dick Giordano was discussed in the book’s letters pages. However, nothing came of it. “I don’t recall getting anywhere with a Giordano-drawn Valda series,” Thomas recounts. “However, I do have several pages of a Todd McFarlane-penciled Valda first issue. Arak’s sales did drop after a little while, but I’m not sure what contributed to DC not going ahead with Valda.” Thomas plans to publish the McFarlane Valda art with the Spawn creator’s permission in an upcoming issue of Alter Ego. Also, in 1982, an Arak action figure was produced in conjunction with Remco’s Warlord toy line, as explored in this issue’s “Toy Box” article. The world of Arak, Son of Thunder almost went beyond the comic pages and the Remco action figure. “Gerry Conway and I might have discussed the idea of an Arak movie,” Roy Thomas recalls to BACK ISSUE, “but there was always the problem that such a movie could only be a Warner Bros. film. They were unlikely to do over one or two comics properties at most in a given year, and Arak wasn’t popular enough to rise to the top of that heap. We had no other studios we could go to.

Dann and I made up a sort of Arak-like hero for a novel, but we never did more than do a bit of research and preliminary plotting.” 2015 saw Arak return in DC’s Convergence event with Brainiac turning him into a cyborg called Telos. Several years earlier, Valda appeared in Day of Vengeance Special #1. “Pay no attention to what DC did with Arak’s characters after I left,” Roy Thomas tells BACK ISSUE. “It has all the validity of a Sherlock Holmes story not by Arthur Conan Doyle.” In spite of not being in print since 1985 (crossover events aside), Arak, Son of Thunder has gained a cult following, with some discussions of the title appearing in videos throughout YouTube. “We’d still love to revive Arak and carry out that original plan,” Thomas reveals, “but it doesn’t seem likely that DC would be interested, and I’ve never broached the subject with them.” Although new adventures of Arak, Valda, and the rest of the Son of Thunder’s colorful cast may not be in the works anytime soon, fans of heroic fantasy, historical fiction, and Bronze Age comics can check out the back-issue bins at their local or online comic book shops for Arak, Son of Thunder. It’ll make Malagigi smile. For Segolino, a brave warrior with a heart that matched his courage, and Romero and Jadis, who bring joy, smiles, and endless love to us from the moment they became part of our family. Dedicated to my gorgeous and amazing wife Laura, the Goddess of Love always in my heart; Pupino, Odino, and our four-legged Sons of Thunder who make every god smile; my nephew Kento, who is more magical than Malagigi; and Roy and Dann Thomas, the late Ernie Colón, Ron Randall, and the many others who allowed Arak to travel the world of the Dark Ages. May He-No create a guiding light for you forever. JAMES HEATH LANTZ is a freelance writer who was heavily influenced by television, film, old-time radio shows, and books—especially comic books—growing up in Ohio. He’s co-authored Roy Thomas Presents Captain Video with Roy Thomas. He also wrote the introductions for Pre-Code Classics: Weird Mysteries volumes 1 and 2 and Roy Thomas Presents Sheena – Queen of the Jungle volume 3 (PS Artbooks), self-published his Trilogy of Tales e-book (Smashwords.com and other outlets), and has written about various media for Superman Homepage and Sequart. James currently lives in Italy with his wife Laura and their family of cats, dogs, and humans from Italy, Japan, and the United States.

56 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

by D

You have to be careful what you say about He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. To me, looking back now on the 1980s cartoon, the whole premise seems kind of hokey. But there are fiercely loyal He-Man fans who will swear that the adventures at Castle Grayskull were seminal to their adolescent development. I guess the truth is, each of us has things from our childhood that hold a special place in our hearts. (At least it wasn’t My Little Pony, right?) Now that I have offended a legion of toy collectors, you find yourself wondering, “What does this have to do with the Warlord action figures?” Patience, Travis Morgan fans. All will be made clear in due time. You see, before He-Man was a cartoon, he was an action figure. In the early 1980s, Mattel was looking for a new hit toy, having watched Kenner reap great rewards with their Star Wars line. Mattel had tried making action figures based on licensed properties such as Flash Gordon and Battlestar Galactica, with little success. So they decided to create their own character, something bigger and better than Star Wars. Their designers came up with the idea for He-Man. In what would later prove ironic, Conan Properties International, LLC sued Mattel for copyright infringement, claiming that He-Man bore a striking resemblance to a certain barbarian, whose movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was in theaters at the time. Reportedly, Conan Properties had earlier been in talks with Mattel about producing a Conan action figure. (The contract to produce Conan action figures was awarded to Remco.) Regardless, Mattel won the lawsuit and the He-Man action figure was a hit, spawning cartoons, spinoffs (She-Ra), and comic books. Which brings us to the Warlord, sort of. You see, before Warlord was an action figure, he was a comic book. The Warlord debuted in the pages of DC Comics’ 1st Issue Special #8 (Nov. 1975) before receiving his own title in February of the following year. The Warlord was the brainchild of Mike Grell, who initially wrote, penciled, and inked the stories. The premise was that Air Force pilot Travis Morgan veered off course and passed through an opening in the Earth at the North Pole, finding himself in a land within our own, Skartaris, filled with perpetual sunlight, prehistoric creatures, swords, and sorcery. In short, way more believable than He-Man. Plausibility aside, the Warlord comic book was a hit, becoming one of DC Comics’ top sellers. Remco, which already had a relationship with DC Comics through the Sgt. Rock line of action figures, set its sights on Travis Morgan. In 1982, Remco created a new line of 5½inch action figures under the banner “Lost World of the Warlord” that included not only Morgan and related characters Machiste, Mikola, and the villain Deimos, but also Arak and Hercules [of Hercules Unbound], each with six points of articulation and some real clothing, packaged with a weapon or accessory on a colorful blister card. The character Arak [covered elsewhere in this issue] first appeared in a special insert in Warlord #48, but Hercules had no connection to Warlord, other than also appearing in fantasy-related DC comic books. You might assume that Remco and DC Comics would turn to Warlord creator Mike Grell to help design the action figures. You would be mistaken. I asked Grell about his involvement with the Warlord action figures. The conversation went like this:

ewey Cassell

CASSELL: So tell me how the Remco Warlord action figure came about. GRELL: Are you talking about the one that was done from the models of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, where everybody looks like they’re constipated? CASSELL: Exactly, yes. GRELL: I had nothing to do with that whatsoever.

DC’s He-Men Original art for the comic house ad promoting Remco’s Warlord line. Inks by Mike DeCarlo, penciler unknown. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © DC Comics.

Therein lies a lesson in work-for-hire versus creator-owned properties, which will have to wait for another time. But Grell brings up a common misperception that the Warlord action figures were simply recasts of He-Man. Although both figures share the same general appearance, they are not exactly the same. It was close enough, though, to lead Mattel to sue Remco, filing an appeal in late 1983. The ruling from the appellate court case—Mattel, Inc., a Delaware Corporation, Appellant, v.

Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 57

Masters of the DC Universe (right) All six figures from Remco’s Warlord line. Courtesy of Heritage. (below) He-Man. Warlord TM & © DC Comics. He-Man © Mattel.

Azrak-hamway International, Inc., d/b/a Remco Toys, a New York Corporation, Ezra Hamway, Roland Paris, Andmarvin Azrak, Appellees, 724 F.2d 357 (1983)—sheds some fascinating insight into the Remco Warlord toy line. Regarding the origins of the Warlord action figure, the court finding notes, “Remco gave its sculptor a Mattel doll to show him what kind of doll it wanted, and to insure that Remco’s doll would not appear to be the physically weaker of the two toys. But the district court apparently credited the evidence of Remco’s expert on human anatomy that the Remco doll was not a direct copy of the Mattel doll, but rather was simply another artist’s rendering of the human form with an exaggerated musculature. The artist who sculpted the model for the Remco figure had body-building and comic magazines as well as other material from which he worked.” Regarding the similar appearance of the two action figures, the court finding observes, “The ‘Masters of the Universe’ dolls are a series of dolls with different heads, clothing, and names, but all sharing a common torso, which is a sculptor’s exaggerated rendering of a bodybuilder’s body with shortened legs. Likewise, the Remco series of dolls all share a body with overdeveloped musculature and legs proportionately shorter than the average human being’s. The Remco dolls all have names, heads, feet, hands, and clothing different from the Mattel dolls, with their names and costumes designed so that the dolls represent certain comic-book figures.

The Remco dolls’ bodies also have pectoral, abdominal, and other musculature that differs in minor though significant detail from that of the Mattel dolls. Remco obtained a license from DC Comics, Inc., to model its dolls after their comic book figures ‘Warlord,’ ‘Arak,’ and ‘Hercules Unbound.’ Both the Mattel and the Remco dolls are posed in a similar crouching position that may be likened to the fighting stance of a Neanderthal man or that of a latter-day professional wrestler approaching his opponent. As the district court found, any claim of uniqueness in the pose is ‘frivolous.’” And regarding the slogan that appeared on the Warlord toy packaging, which said, “PLAY WITH ... MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE ... AND OTHER 5 1/2” ACTION FIGURES,” the court ruling comments, “Remco’s purpose in using the ‘Masters of the Universe’ trademark in selling its dolls was to describe to purchasers a use of its own product, and did not constitute a bad faith effort to deceive consumers into thinking they were buying a Mattel toy. Remco has benefited from Mattel’s success in developing a market for 5 ½” action figure toy dolls. Mattel did not demonstrate, however, that Remco was trading on Mattel’s success in any illegal way.” The gist of the appellate court ruling, after you sift through all the legal mumbo-jumbo, was that Warlord was way cooler than He-Man. After all, He-Man rode a kitty cat. Warlord rode a Mighty Stallion. How anyone could confuse the two is beyond me.

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Jon B. Cooke.

• Warlord action figure • Machiste action figure • Deimos action figure • Mikola action figure (two versions) • Arak action figure (two versions) • Hercules action figure (two versions, plus a custom “Clone Smasher” version for Hercules Computer Technology) • War Team/The Mighty Stallion and Warman (Deimos) with a stand-up cardboard backdrop • War Team/The Mighty Stallion and Warman

(Machiste) with a stand-up cardboard backdrop • War Team/The Mighty Stallion and Warman (Mikola) with a stand-up cardboard backdrop • War Team/The Mighty Stallion and Warman (Warlord) with a stand-up cardboard backdrop • War Team/The Mighty Stallion and Warman (Arak) with a stand-up cardboard backdrop • War Team/The Mighty Stallion and Warman (Hercules) with a stand-up cardboard backdrop

The accessories in the Warlord line were much better than the competition, including the Mighty Stallion and a Warpult—think rolling catapult with Warlord’s helmet on the front—not to mention the Galaxy Racer, Water Gun, and the ultimate Journey Through Time playset. (The fact that most of these things never appeared in the comics is a trivial detail.) There were multiple versions of some action figures and many of the accessories. (See the sidebar for a complete list.) And in another case of sheer coincidence, some of the Warlord action figures also included a 16-page color mini comic book with a story titled, “Battle Beneath the Earth,” written by Joey Cavalieri and illustrated by Mark Texeira. Advertisements for the Remco “Lost World of the Warlord” action figure line appeared in various DC comics, sometimes accompanied by the tagline, “Available at participating K-Mart stores.” The back of the action-figure blister cards also included advertising for other figures and accessories. Remco produced the Warlord line for several years. (The action figures and/or accessories were featured in Remco catalogs through 1985.) But in spite of the companion DC comic book, the Warlord action figures lacked the one thing that propelled He-Man to great success—a TV cartoon—and so their shelf life was ultimately short. Today, the original Warlord action figures are readily available on the secondary market, but the accessories are more difficult to find, the rarest being the Journey Through Time playset (which some have speculated was never manufactured in quantity.) In 2007, the DC Direct First Appearance Series 4 included a seven-inch Warlord action figure that was very faithful to the original Grell comics. And in a final twist of irony, the 2009 DC Universe Justice League Unlimited series, produced by Mattel, featured a four-inch action figure of the Warlord, packaged with Deimos and, for some reason, Supergirl. (Tara would not have been pleased.) Both figures are noteworthy for helping ensure the Warlord character doesn’t fall into obscurity, but neither quite captured the charm of the Remco version. And yes, in case you were curious, the original Warlord action figure would have totally kicked He-Man’s butt. Many thanks to Mike Grell as well as Rick Welch for his exceptional research. Thanks to Jon B. Cooke, Heritage Auctions, and Dewey Cassell for the images. Thanks also to Nick Fatica.

• Warpult (two versions) including a stand-up cardboard backdrop • Galaxy Racer • Arak Water Gun • Hercules Water Gun • Warlord Water Gun • Journey Through Time playset • “Battle Beneath the Earth” mini-comic book (included with some action figures) • Warlord with War Beast (advertised, but possibly never produced) • Mini Warlord with War Beast (advertised, but possibly never produced)

COMPLETE LIST OF REMCO “LOST WORLD OF THE WARLORD” ACTION FIGURES AND ACCESSORIES

Enter the Lost World of Collecting Remco catalog page (1984) featuring Warlord figures and accessories. Courtesy of Jon B. Cooke. TM & © DC Comics.

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s. “Wel come to Gray Morr ow’s Edge of Chao -issue three a of t llmen insta This is the first one of mini-series. Gray Morrow has long been with and ts, talen cted respe most comic art’s a this series he utilizes all his skills to create has Gray ow. Morr pure is that story ing gripp iler, done it ALL on this opus—he is writer, penc many inker, letterer, and colorist. There are not talents who even attempt to carry this load, and even fewe r who are able to pull it off. s Gray Morrow is one of those rare individual who brings all of the components together than into a seamless package that is truly more ts the sum of its parts—an adventure that reflec r. l-clea crysta or creat its of vision the “We knew we were dealing with a talent who ed the had a sense of humor when we first receiv ltuous tumu the ing admir After issue. cover for this iled action scene, we noticed a message penc or into the margin. It wasn’t a coloring note the some other bit of technical direction, but s obser vation that “It looks like happy hour’ the t ghou throu nt prese over!” This humor is ntion script, giving Edge of Chaos a lack of prete very that genre a in hing that is very refres in no often takes itself a mite too seriously. This this of ment excite and n actio the ens way damp saga but adds one more dimension to an already well-rounded yarn.”

With that observation, David Scroggy, editor at Pacific Comics, opened his editorial for the first issue of Edge of Chaos, published in July of 1983. Pacific Comics was an independent comic publisher out of San Diego, California, established by the brothers Steve and William Schanes as an offshoot of their comic shop and distribution business. From 1981–1984, Pacific shared the independent market with fellow publishers Eclipse, First, and others in the new field of direct-market books. They were instrumental in the push for creator-owned titles, sharing profits generously with creators when a title became successful. This attracted several mainstream creators like Jack Kirby, Mike Grell, and Neal Adams. I asked David about the series over lunch with him and William Schanes (publisher, Pacific Comics):

Just Call Me… Hercules Gray Morrow promotional art for Edge of Chaos, which was also used (inset) for the cover of Amazing Heroes #26 (July 1, 1983), which previewed the series. Edge of Chaos © Pocho Morrow. Amazing Heroes © Fantagraphics.

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by S t e p h a n

Friedt

STEPHAN FRIEDT: Did you approach Gray or did he approach Pacific Comics? DAVID SCROGGY: Gray brought it to us, initially through contact with Steve Schanes, the first issue completely done. I didn’t have much contact after that, other than maybe a phone call or two over deadlines with the following issues.

GRAY MATTERS

Dwight Graydon “Gray” Morrow was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on March 7, 1934. Gray got the cartooning bug early, and served as editor of his high school yearbook and supplied it with cartoons and illustrations. In 1954, at the age of 20, Morrow enrolled in the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. He described his two nights a week for three months under the tutelage of Jerry Warshaw as the “total of my entire formal art training.” Gray tried to break into the art business… a brief and unsatisfactory foray with Feldkamp-Malloy Art Studio, and an inspiring meeting with strip artist Allen Saunders, that prompted him to try submitting comic-strip ideas to the syndicates… also unsuccessful. In the winter of 1955, Morrow headed to New York City, where he roomed with Howie O’Donnell, a friend from Chicago. By spring of 1956, he had connected with artists Al Williamson, Angelo Torres, and Wallace “Wally” Wood. Al Williamson has recalled, “Gray had met Wally at the National Cartoonists Society meeting. Wally lived a few blocks from Gray’s apartment in Manhattan. We all met in the park to play baseball. In a way the park became a studio for a group of artists who didn’t share a studio. When we weren’t playing ball or helping each other out doing art, we went to the movies. “I didn’t need to give him any pointers and I definitely gave him no criticism. If I had any part in his early development, it would be from sharing with him some of the knowledge that had been passed down to me from Roy Krenkel—who had turned me on to the great illustrators like Joseph Clement Coll, Arthur Rackham, Frank Goodwin, and others. Gray had his own remarkable talent and a passion for the material from the very start.” Morrow’s association with comicbook artists would lead to his first sale to Toby Press, a romance story that was unfortunately bought just before the company went under, so it was never published. He worked briefly for Western Publishing, but it too collapsed shortly after. He also contributed several stories and covers for EC Comics. Gray continued to do backgrounds and layout for Al and Wally and supplied some stories for Marvel/Atlas that saw print after he was drafted into the US Army in late 1956. He continued to work on his art throughout his service, providing illustrations and paintings for what ever was needed. He was discharged in 1958 and returned to New York. Al Williamson recalled, “Who’d have thought that he could go serve in Korea and come back a better artist? But he did. By the time Gray came back from Korea, he had mastered painting.” Upon Morrow’s return, Angelo Torres connected him with Joe Simon at Hastings Associates for a couple

of stories and with the Gilberton Company. At Gilberton Gray worked regularly and provided numerous art jobs for the Classics Illustrated line. In the 1960s Gray moved to California and continued to work for Gilberton, and illustrated several books for Bobbs-Merrill’s juvenile book series Childhood of Famous Americans. Gray would provide comic art for numerous publishing companies… particularly for the adult-themed black-and-white magazines. He worked for Warren Publishing for three years, as well as providing stories for rival Skywald magazines. At Marvel he co-created the character Man-Thing with Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway for the House of Ideas’ entry into the black-and-white field, Savage Tales #1 (May 1972). [Editor’s note: Join us this fall for our look at the muck-encrusted Man-Thing’s history, coming in BACK ISSUE #124.]

Chariot of the Gods Eric Cleese—whose name seems like a wink to two Monty Python comedians—and the core cast of Edge of Chaos. From Hermes Press’ book, Gray Morrow’s Orion. Edge of Chaos © Pocho Morrow.

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The 1960s also marked Gray’s entry into the world of animation. Wally Wood introduced him to animator Ralph Bakshi and Ralph made him the layout artist for the 1967 TV series Spider-Man. Bakshi liked Morrow to the point that he had him provide a voice (the jet pilot) for a scene in his Fritz the Cat (1972) feature movie. They would also use Gray’s name as one of the incantations in Bakshi’s animated film Wizards (1977). In 1970s’ comic books, Gray Morrow was everywhere! He illustrated a story written by his wife Betty for Wally Wood’s witzend #7. He was illustrating mystery, romance, and superhero stories for DC, including working with Robert Kanigher and co-creating El Diablo for DC’s All-Star Western. He did a smattering of work for Marvel’s color comics as well. During this period he was also a soughtafter paperback book-cover illustrator, doing covers for many science-fiction books and digests, and doing most of the covers for the Perry Rhodan series. In the mid-1970s, Gray served as editor and occasional artist for Archie Comics’ non-teenhumor line of Red Circle titles. And he returned to Marvel’s black-and-white titles, doing covers and interior stories. Gray also spent time as art director for Charlton’s Space: 1999 black-and-white magazine [see last issue—ed.]. And his work still managed to pop up in various independents and fanzines at the same time. Morrow also got his feet wet in the world of newspaper comic strips, working as an assistant on Rip Kirby, Secret Agent X-9, and Big Ben Bolt. He also did a single strip as a tryout for Prince Valiant. In 1979 he became the artist for Buck Rogers.

MORROW’S HERCULEAN MINISERIES

Eric Cleese, Mythmaker? Sans Pacific Comics trade dress, Morrow’s illustrations for the covers of Edge of Chaos #1 and 2. © Pocho Morrow.

His first original series had been Amora for Playboy magazine, which was collected as a single volume in the early 1970s. Morrow’s second original series was Orion, a swashbuckling science-fiction story starring an Errol Flynn lookalike, which started as a story in Wally Wood’s witzend #2 (1967) before it went on to be published by Heavy Metal. But it gave Gray the incentive to dive into the heroic mythology with a Steve “Hercules” Reeves lookalike for his third totally original series, Edge of Chaos, for Pacific Comics. In the dynamic volume Gray Morrow: Visionary (2010), edited by Allan Gross and Mark Wheatley and published by Wheatley’s Insight Studio Group, Gross noted the following in his article “Visions of Life”: “The progressive Heavy Metal, with its roots in the European market, ended up publishing the entire Orion epic in 1978. Now that Gray had a taste of such creative freedom, he began work on another personal epic. “Edge of Chaos was published as a three-part comic-book series in 1983 by Pacific Comics. This was a fast-moving tale of Eric Cleese, a modern-day sailor who goes back in time to assume the role of Hercules. Gray’s story ties together elements of ancient history, mythology, and even modern-day theories of catastrophism as put forth in Immanuel Velikovsky’s controversial book Worlds in Collision. Only Gray could combine such disparate ingredients into a story that was imbued with a solid sense of sexual play and heroic fun….” Late May 1983 saw the release of Edge of Chaos #1, cover-dated July 1983. “There are worlds within worlds within worlds… This, then, is the tale of one of those worlds… Then and now… a world on the EDGE OF CHAOS.” The world of Aviana (or “Olympus,” if you will) sees the return of their current hero delivered in a body bag thanks to the minions of the demon Moloch. Utilizing the “chromosphere,” Zaeus plucks a new hero from our timeline and Eric Cleese, a frustrated executive sailing on his vacation to escape his trials and tribulations in the corporate world, is transported to Aviana, where he is greeted by a semi-nude Deona (or Diana, as she is sometimes called) and whisked off to see Zaeus. Zaeus explains to him how they were a band of alien astronauts exploring the cosmos in their city/ship Aviana who were marooned on Earth. They mingled with humans (in every way possible) and ended up being remembered as gods and devils. Zaeus explains that they dabbled in genetic experiments, and one of their brethren, Moloch, took it to extremes. Moloch lost his mate Althea in the original crash, and it drove him insane. Having finally gotten word back to their homeworld concerning their dilemma, the aliens are told that their rescue and return to their planet is contingent upon them correcting all the interference they created on Earth. Unfortunately, in his zeal to restore his dead wife, Moloch blocks them at every turn, continuing to interfere in the lives of man. They send heroes against him… and subsequently lose them. Eric Cleese is amused at the “Chariots of the Gods” reveal. Morrow also uses him for his occasional light adult humor. For example: Deona wears an off-the-shoulder gown with one bare breast and Eric muses in his thoughts, “Sheesh! Does she have to lean over like that?” Zaeus and Deona ask Eric to help them subdue Moloch and return him to Olympus, where hopefully they can restore his sanity and correct all the wrongs they have done. Doing so would negate all the evil the world had been subjected to; as Zaeus puts it, “Think of it! Your time’s Hitler would remain a simple housepainter!” Zaeus also reveals that Eric’s travel through the time/space warp has changed him… he now has the strength of many men. Eric agrees to the task and Deona proceeds to give him a tour

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of Olympus and its denizens. Along the way he earns a couple of friends, a man-like baboon named Flan and a primitive Neanderthal named Slag who pronounces Eric’s name as “Her-u-leez.” Eric wonders: Could he, a time traveler, be the basis for the Hercules myth? The sidekicks join his quest, and Deona gifts him with a disruptor disguised as a mace and a necklace to protect him from spells. The issue ends with the trio setting out on their adventure. Issue #1 also included the short backup story “The Redeeming Strain” with story and art by Don Lomax. Issue #2 (Nov. 1983) began Pacific Comics’ printing on higher-grade “Baxter” paper. In the story, Eric and his friends explore the world searching for Moloch, encountering myriad “mythical” creatures and denizens. This issue’s backup features include a barbarian tale, “The Rescue,” with story and art by Tim Burgard, and a two-page wordless story called “Scaling the Heights,” by Adam Kubert. Issue #3 (Jan. 1984) added Daryl Issacs to the production as colorist to help out Gray. Eric and cast would venture to Atlantis for the final confrontation with Moloch and his evil rivals. Upon conclusion, Zaeus offers to return Eric to his own timeline, but Eric decides he’d rather continue through history as “Hercules” for what ever adventures might come his way. Issue #3 would close out with a “The World of Zand’or” by Rex Lindsey as the backup. Orion and Edge of Chaos were reprinted together in one volume in 2012 by Hermes Press. Allan Gross further explained: “In 1983 Gray was in great demand, making it impossible for him to concentrate just on his own

creations. Perhaps if it had only been the call of money Gray would have happily continued to spin his own stories with his own characters, but an offer came along that held the promise of fulfillment on a cherished childhood dream. How could he say no when offered the chance to draw the Tarzan syndicated comic strip? He was soon following the footsteps of some of the most honored artists to ever work in the field of adventure strips.” In the 1990s Gray Morrow was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. He had always been very physical and enjoyed the outdoors. When his disease had progress to the point where he couldn’t be as active and couldn’t do his beloved art, it became more than he could handle. Morrow committed suicide at his home on November 6, 2001. For additional info about the artist and his and art, check out the book Gray Morrow: Visionary from Insight Studios Group, edited by Mark Wheatley and Allan Gross (2010).

Man Out of Time (left) Morrow’s work in original art form, from the archives of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). Page 4 of issue #2. (right) 20th Century transplant Eric’s Edge of Chaos cast, from page 1 of issue #3. © Pocho Morrow.

STEPHAN FRIEDT has been around comics for a long, long time. A former columnist for The Buyer’s Guide for Comic Fandom, he has contributed to Alter Ego and the Grand Comics Database and is the senior database administrator for www.comicspriceguide.com. And he still finds time to hold real jobs and be at the beck and call of a wife and two daughters in his secret identity as a resident of the Pacific Northwest.

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Where’s Conan? Look in the middle of this fracas and you’ll find fandom’s favorite barbarian, with an axe to grind. Super-detailed original art by the amazing Geof Darrow to a 2010 wraparound variant cover to Dark Horse’s Conan the Cimmerian #25. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

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by I a

n Millsted

For nearly 15 years, the keeper of the flame of Conan in comic-book form was Dark Horse Comics. With a range of top talent and innovative editorial control, Dark Horse worked some magic with the character and world created by Robert E. Howard. As well as offering a new set of adaptations of original stories, they created a whole new tapestry of linking material. There were also wellpresented reprint collections of much of the Marvel version examined earlier in this issue. Let’s take a look at how Dark Horse created its distinctive vision of Howard’s best-known protagonist.

THE MAN WITH ONE NAME

For many years, prior to picking up the rights to do Conan comic books, Dark Horse had established itself as king of licensed comics. Having produced well-received comics based on film franchises such as Aliens, Predator, The Terminator, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones, and pulp series Doc Savage and The Shadow, Dark Horse was a company well placed to be able to reinvigorate Conan in the comic industry. Towards the end of their time as holders of the Conan comics license, Dark Horse creative personnel seemed unsure of what to do with the character. Where Conan the Barbarian and Savage Sword of Conan had once been among Marvel’s top sellers, by the late 1990s the character had been marginalized to a succession of irregular miniseries while Marvel had concentrated its efforts on its own creations. The time was ripe for Conan to once more take a place of honor on the shelves of the local comic shop. Dark Horse, with title editor Scott Allie, took their time to make sure everything was in place for a strong start for the new launch. This involved an attractive preview issue and getting the right creators. Writer Kurt Busiek came to the series with a strong track record of success including Marvels, Astro City, Thunderbolts, The Avengers, and others. In an interview on the Dark Horse website he explained his interest in the character: “One of the things I like most about Conan is the grand sweep of his life— the way he changes and grows and does different things over time. He’s got no Batcave to return to, no coffeehouse to hang out in—he just keeps moving, encountering new things.” Kurt Busiek explains to BACK ISSUE, in more detail, how he came to be involved with the project. “I had dinner at a San Diego Con with Mike Richardson, the publisher at Dark Horse. I forget what it was we were supposed to be talking about, but Mike was tying up a deal to do Conan, and he told me about it. So we wound up spending most of the dinner talking about how Dark Horse might approach a Conan comic—what had kurt busiek been done right in the past, what had Joshin Yamada. been done wrong, what could be done differently in the present day. It was a lot of fun. “When I got back home, I’d thought of more ideas, so I wrote a letter to Mike suggesting a launch strategy, with a 25-cent preview comic and various other approaches, because I wanted to see the DH Conan series do well. At this point, I wasn’t thinking of myself as writer, I was just enthusiastic about DH doing it, and I wanted to be supportive and help out with a few ideas. “Anyway, Mike liked my suggestions and passed the letter off to Scott Allie, telling him to see if I’d be up to write the book. Scott was under the impression that Mike had offered me the book, and I was under the impression I was just making suggestions from the sidelines, so it took a little while to unsnarl that, but eventually we were on the same page and Scott offered me the book. Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 65

No Comics Code From its bloodsplattered Joseph Michael Linsner cover to this title page depicting a beheading, Dark Horse’s Conan #1 (Feb. 2004) clearly was for a more sophisticated audience than the original Marvel interpretation. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

Which, despite me making all those suggestions, came as a surprise— I wasn’t the kind of writer you’d generally think of for Conan.” And the lead artist was Cary Nord, best known at the time for a run on Marvel’s Daredevil, who brought a whole new style to Conan. Busiek interviewed Nord for the text page of the preview issue, in which Nord revealed how he got the job. “Scott Allie asked if I would do some samples. I did a couple of pinup type drawings that, I guess, were well received because they asked me to do a threepage story sample afterwards, which I did. And that was it as far as sample art went. Then the waiting part began…” Readers first got to see the product of this partnership in the aforementioned preview issue. Dark Horse made the bold move of putting out an issue #0 (Nov. 2003) for only 25 cents and titled, simply, Conan. For that budget price the reader got a 16-page story, a three-page character sketchbook by Nord, and the Busiek/ Nord interview. From Frazetta, [Windsor-]Smith, Buscema, and others onwards, Conan has been a character where artists have been able to showcase their talents and experiment. Cary Nord took the opportunity to show a wholly different approach with the published art using his uninked pencils. Nord explained, “Not having to worry about how it’s going to be inked certainly gives me more artistic liberties. I’m able to flirt with gray tones, which would be impossible to ink. That offers a new dimension to my style. I can’t tell you how great it feels to turn over all of this stuff to an amazing colorist like Dave Stewart who knows exactly what to do with it. The whole idea to skip the inking process came about when everyone saw Dave’s colors over my page with the giant ape. It just looked complete, and this style really suits this particular book. Conan is raw and savage, and he doesn’t play by the rules, and I think the look we’ve created enhances that feeling.” The story in the preview was largely given over to the prince and his Wazir who advises him with the familiar start, “Know, O Prince…” Another shrewd move was to allow a three-month gap between #0 and 1 (Feb. 2004) so that word of mouth could spread and, crucially, comic retailers could understand the potential interest and make appropriate orders for the ongoing series. An addition to the creative team for #1 was cover artist Joseph Michael Linsner, who brought a bold sense of design to the first seven issues. While there was much that was distinctive about the Dark Horse series, it did cary nord share a common approach with the original Marvel comics in as much as they both started with © Luigi Novi/ Wikimedia Commons. Conan aged about 16 or 17, but looking older, and mainly telling the story in chronological order. The nature of Conan’s character was established in the first issue, allowing the creators to move directly, in #2, to one of Howard’s original stories, “The Frost Giant’s Daughter.” This was another brave move. On the one hand, this is a well-known tale among Howard enthusiasts and the Marvel adaptation of the ’70s was popular enough to be reprinted more than once. On the other hand, the subject matter is controversial. It is a not unreasonable reading of the story that Conan follows the beautiful woman of the title with the intention of raping her. The Dark Horse adaptation manages to stay true to the core of the Howard story while giving more dialogue to the woman and emphasizing the extent to which Conan is being manipulated. With #3 (Apr. 2004), Thomas Yeates joins the art team, doing backgrounds and some layouts, and the strong visuals continued. Conan had proven to be a big hit for Dark Horse with early issues being the publisher’s top title each month. However, maintaining the monthly schedule was a challenge for Cary Nord, and the publishers had built in a cleverly planned series of fill-ins right from the outset. With #8 (Sept. 2004), Kurt Busiek was joined by artist Greg Ruth for the first of an occasional series of one-off stories that told episodes of Conan’s childhood. There would be six of these altogether, building up into an effective prequel to the main ongoing storyline. Meanwhile, in the main narrative, Busiek and Nord introduced a new character, Janissa. As with other female characters, the comicbook version of Red Sonja being the best-known example, Janissa

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Ice, Ice, Baby (top) The creative team of Kurt Busiek and Cary Nord beautifully adapted Robert E. Howard’s oft-told “The Frost Giant’s Daughter” in Conan #2. (inset) Its Linsner cover. (bottom) Janissa demonstrates her ill-gotten fighting skills on this Busiek/ Nord page from Conan #8. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

would divide opinion. She was depicted as a warrior woman in skimpy clothing, albeit more practical that the infamous chain-mail bikini. Janissa was a character with agency, acting on her own and for her own reasons, even fighting Conan to a standstill, but some readers took issue with her backstory, which was revealed in #12 (Jan. 2005), wherein we learn that she developed her fighting skills after being repeatedly raped by a demon. The questions raised the point of sexual violence against women being all too prevalent in fiction and why a woman needs this kind of origin to motivate her when it would not be written that way for a male character such as Conan. The debate rumbled in the letters pages for some time. The great John Severin contributed a fill-in issue for #18 (July 2005), which also had a short backup by artist Bruce Timm. A real contrast of artists! Indeed, the title had quickly become one that top-rank artists were happy to contribute. Michael Kaluta came on board for a six-page insert in #22 (Nov. 2005), while Leinil Francis Yu and Cedric Ladronn contributed covers. The arrival of a new cover artist, Tony Harris, brought another controversy, as Harris’ intended cover for #24 (Jan. 2006) included full-frontal nudity. Harris altered the cover to add clothing for publication, while Dark Horse printed the original on the letters page of a spinoff miniseries, Conan and the Demons of Khitai #3 (Dec. 2005). [See below for more on the spinoff series]. More big names followed. Tim Truman drew issues #26 and 27 (Mar. and Apr. 2006) and Eric Powell did the art chores for #28 (May 2006), which was also Kurt Busiek’s last regular issue, although he would return with the remaining fill-in issues of Conan’s childhood. Issue #28 was also special for being a story as much about Robert E. Howard as it is about Conan, acting as an anniversary issues to mark the centenary of Howard’s birth. Asked about his departure, Kurt Busiek shares his reasons with BI. “I had big, long, expansive plans, and would have been happy to write the whole of Conan’s life in comics form. But things happen. In this case, DC offered me a generous exclusive contract, around the same time I was realizing that I had no long-term legal protection on what I was doing with Conan. My deal was with Dark Horse, not with Conan Properties, so if and when DH’s license ended (as it has), I had no guarantee that I’d get any royalties on my work if another publisher reprinted it. Or if they made toys or statues out of new characters I co-created, or used them in movies or TV or games, I had no deal that would get me paid anything for those uses, which soured me a little on the long-term prospects. So, much as I was having fun, it didn’t make sense Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 67

Adventures with Bob and Jim and Ruth One of the real bonus pleasures of nearly every Robert E. Howard title put out by Dark Horse was the presence on the letters page of a Sunday-newspaper-style comic strip about the man himself, affectionately known as Two-Gun Bob. These were the product of a long-term project by Jim and Ruth Keegan, who kindly share some thoughts about their work with BACK ISSUE. IAN MILLSTED: Can you say a little about the genesis of “The Adventures of Two-Gun Bob”? I seem to recall that some episodes appeared in Cross Plains Comics titles prior to the Dark Horse run. JIM AND RUTH KEEGAN: The idea for the strip predated our awareness of Robert E. Howard. We started with the general idea for an “anecdotal biography”—meaning, a biography based exclusively on first-hand anecdotes told by the people who knew the subject, or on letters written by the subject themselves—but we didn’t have a specific person in mind. We thought about a few different historical figures, but it just happened that at that exact moment our friend Jim Van Hise sent us a paperback copy of Howard’s Kull stories. We absolutely loved them, and once we read a little about the author, we knew we’d found our guy. Our goal was to make the strip absolutely factual—no dramatic invention whatsoever, which required years of deep-dive research that still continues to this day. Fortunately, we’ve always had an interest in the period—the [19]teens, ’20s, and ’30s, and a strong awareness of the historical context in which Howard lived. We took several trips out to Cross Plains, Texas, to visit the house and town where he lived, and to travel the roads that he did. We also joined the Robert E. Howard APA [Amateur Press Alliance], REHupa [Robert E. Howard United Press Association], and our earliest experimental strips appeared there between 1997 until the early 2000s. We met enormously knowledgeable Howard scholars in REHupa who generously shared their research with us, building the foundation needed to do the strip. The first public appearance of the strip was in the Wandering Star/Cross Plains Comics co-production, Worms of the Earth, in 2000. Later, it was Gary Gianni who brought the strip to Scott Allie’s attention, and it was Scott who brought us into Dark Horse. We’re both heavily influenced by the old newspaper comic strips and loved the idea of creating a comic strip that would run inside a comic book (like those old Bazooka Joe comics from the gum packages, LOL). MILLSTED: You clearly have an extensive knowledge of Robert E. Howard. How did you each come to be interested in the man and his work? KEEGANS: We came by our interest in his work together while researching the comic strip. Howard was an astonishingly gifted and powerful writer, and his work really connected with both of us—as did his personal story. He’s practically a patron saint for

conducted by Ian Millsted

any young, struggling artist—working alone without any of the usual resources in a place that’s still remote, he created an entire genre of fiction that resonates today, nearly a century later. It was our Two-Gun Bob strips in REHupa that brought our work to the attention of Marcelo Anciano, the publisher of Wandering Star, who offered us the assignment to illustrate several collections of Howard’s stories in the Del Rey series, which later led to us painting the book jackets for numerous volumes of his work. MILLSTED: The strips have the knack of making even quite mundane events feel poignant. Was that something you were intending? KEEGANS: We’re glad you feel that way! That was practically the whole point of the strip. Most biographies tend to focus on big events in the life of the subject, but in doing so, they tend to create a picture of someone who isn’t really human in a way that’s easy to relate to. Our hope is that “The Adventures of Two-Gun Bob” gives the reader a sense of what it was like to be around Robert E. Howard, the brilliant and important writer, yes, but also a three-dimensional person who, when not creating masterpieces of fiction, was filled with all the same doubts, fears, contradictions, joy, and pain, as the rest of us. MILLSTED: How did you select which incidents were to be dramatized? Were you given a free hand by Scott Allie and subsequent editors? KEEGANS: The strips were created in random biographical order, based mostly on the research at hand for the particular incident illustrated. But it was also by design, to force each strip to exist in isolation to the other incidents, preventing us from creating a continuity where we might dramatize something in order to “tell a story.” And thanks to Scott Allie, who established the precedent for our later Dark Horse editors, we always had complete autonomy in creating our strips. Our editors (thankfully) helped proofread our work, but were never involved creatively. MILLSTED: Can you say a little about how you work as a team? KEEGANS: There’s no breakdown of assignments between us; we each do a little of everything—literally passing our work back and forth, each of us drawing, © Jim and Ruth Keegan. inking, coloring, until we’re both happy. It makes us laugh how our artist friends tell us they’d end up killing each other if they worked that way. MILLSTED: Have you considered, or had any offers, for collecting the Adventures in a single volume? KEEGANS: From the very beginning, the intention was to eventually collect all of the strips into a single volume, reorganized into actual biographical order, so that Howard is born in the first strip, and dies in the last. Dark Horse published 252 strips, and the complete biography will be 300 strips. After Dark Horse lost the Howard license, we got busy with other illustration projects, but we work on it in our spare time and still plan to publish the complete biography as soon as we can.

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to stay—if I created new characters at Marvel or DC, I’d have a better deal. Or if I did my own stuff, that I own myself.” Following Busiek’s departure, Mike Mignola wrote the next three issues, #29 (June 2006) to 31 (Aug. 2006), which will appeal to fans of Mignola’s Hellboy or anyone who’s read and enjoyed Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith as well as Howard. Tim Truman returned, this time as the new ongoing writer, with #33 (Oct. 2006), which also contained extra pages to mark the new sequence. Cary Nord continued as the main artist, but with further occasional interludes from guest artists such as Paul Lee for the two-part, out-of-continuity Conan as King story in #35 (Dec. 2006) and 37 (Jan. 2007), as well as #40 (May 2007). Truman and Nord contributed a tribute to Robert E. Howard’s boxing yarns in #37 (Feb. 2007). One of the best artists from the later Marvel years, Rafael Kayanan, did the art for #39 (Apr. 2007). In an interview in #42 (July 2007), Truman explained the appeal of Conan. “Character-wise, I love the paradoxical nature of Conan. He’s heroic and anti-heroic at the same time. He’s a deceptively complex hero. Prose-wise, I’m absolutely in love with the raw, poetic, descriptive nature of most of Howard’s writing—the way he strings phrases together so that you not only see a place but feel it as well.” Cary Nord bowed out as the artist with #44 (Sept. 2007), to be replaced by Tomas Giorello, who had already guested on #43 (Aug. 2007) but who took over as regular artist with #47 (Dec. 2007). Also departing was series editor, Scott Allie, who had clearly done much to make the title a success. Further changes were afoot as Conan finished as an ongoing title with #50 (May 2008).

Guest Artists Pages from Conan #18 (July 2005), featuring stories by artists (left) John Severin and (right) Bruce Timm. (bottom) Temporary writer Mike Mignola drew this cover for his issue #29. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

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BACK TO HIS ROOTS

Conan the Cimmerian This new title debuted in 2008. Issue #0 cover by Tomas Giorello, and Giorello interior art in pencil form (courtesy of Heritage). TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

In reality, the comic had not really been cancelled. As is the way of the 21st Century industry, a relaunch was in progress. Another promotional issue, this time for the renamed Conan the Cimmerian #0 (June 2008), offered a clever use of Howard’s poem “Cimmeria” as a jumping-on point, with Truman and Giorello still as the creative team. They were joined on Conan the Cimmerian #1 (July 2008) by two very different artists, albeit both with a track record of portraying full-figure women. Frank Cho drew the covers for the first seven issues of the new series, while Richard Corben drew flashback sequences for #1 to 7 (Jan. 2009). Truman and Giorello worked well as a partnership, with only a couple of fill-ins, right up to #25 (Nov. 2010). The stories and art fused well to produce something that felt very, well, Conan. The fill-ins also continued to be well planned, with Joe Kubert stepping in for #14 (Sept. 2009) and Paul Lee returning for #15 (Nov. 2009).

A SCRIBE RETURNS

Conan the Cimmerian ended with #25, to be replaced by Conan: Road of Kings, which continued the ongoing storyline. Indeed, the inside front cover had long since been printing the ongoing series number so that Conan: Road of Kings #1 (Dec. 2010) was also #76 of the overall series. The new title marked the introduction of a new creative team. Roy Thomas, whose work on the character for Marvel is covered elsewhere in this issue, joined as the new writer with penciled art by Mike Hawthorne, inked by John Lucas. While Thomas found the voice of the character and series right away, the new art team was something of a shift from the work of Nord and Giorello, being more in keeping with the cartoony style which had its fans and detractors alike. Either way there was plenty of action and intrigue along the way. After artist Dan Panosian subbed in for #9 (Oct. 2011) and 10 (Nov. 2011), Thomas, Hawthorne, and Lucas completed their run with #12 (Jan. 2012).

YES, HER

Conan the Barbarian #1 (Feb. 2012) announced on its cover the start of timothy truman the “Queen of the Black Coast” serial. This was number #88 in the ongoing series. Marvel had reached a similar point in the career of Conan with its version of Conan the Barbarian #58. For fans of Howard, Conan, or the Marvel Comics, the character of Belit has always been something of a key point, with other stories being referenced as before or after Belit. Her story here, and it was portrayed very much as her story, was brought to fruition by another new creative team of writer Brian Wood and artist Becky Cloonan. Again, the art divided fans. Cloonan had her own approach, but her use of closeups on the

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Truly Truman (top) Conan the Cimmerian writer Timothy Truman also illustrated part of issue #16 (Nov. 2009), including this doublepage spread. Original art courtesy of Heritage. (bottom left) Original Marvel Conan writer Roy Thomas returned to the barbarian to script the series Conan: Road of Kings. Issue #1 cover by Doug Wheatley. (bottom right) Belit guest-stars on Iain McCaig’s cover to Conan the Avenger #1. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

characters’ faces, along with Wood’s writing, allowed for some nuanced character development. However, Cloonan only stayed around for the first three issues and #7 (Aug. 2012). James Harren did the art for #4 (May 2012) through 6 (July 2012), followed by Vasilis Lolos (#8 and 9), Declan Shalvey (#10–12), Mirko Colak (#13 and 14), Andrea Muti (#15), David Gianfelice (#16–18), Paul Azaceta (#19–21), Riccardo Burchielli (#22–24), and Leandro Fernandez (#25, Feb. 2014). The frequent changes of artist affected the flow of the story arc and sales dropped, although it has always been interesting to see different takes on the character. The Belit storyline has been told in far more detail in both the Marvel and Dark Horse continuities than ever it was by Howard, but remains impactful to the reader in any version. Being a tale of a life ended too soon it remains poignant given what we know of the life of Robert E. Howard.

WITH A VENGEANCE

For those wanting a more stable creative team, the next relaunch with Conan the Avenger #1 (Apr. 2014) was just the thing. The new writer, Fred Van Lente, teamed up with Brian Ching on 18 of the next 25 issues. The other artists were Eduardo Francisco and Guiu Vilanova. titles, so I liked mine better. Conan the Avenger #3 (June 2014) Van Lente shares some of his thoughts on taking over the series comprises the entirety of what Howard himself had written with BACK ISSUE: “I think Dark Horse approached me largely because of for that story, the rest is all me. It wasn’t the strongest the work I did on Marvel’s Hercules. But I read a significant story to start a new title on, so I was a little frustrated, chunk of the Howard stories, almost two-thirds. but we were following the Dale Rippke chronology and About a third of the stories are copies of better stories, this was the one that came after ‘Queen of the Black Coast,’ so what are you going to do.” and a third are excellent. Another third are just bad. Van Lente continues, “‘Xuthal of the Dusk,’ a.k.a. I got to do all three of those in my run. ‘The Slithering Shadow,’ is just a terrific horror story “The first story I had to work with was an that was a joy to adapt with Guiu, that was the best uncompleted fragment that [L. Sprague de] Camp Howard work I had in my run. and [Lin] Carter called ‘The Snout in the Dark,’ which is just a godawful name. I wanted to call the story “I wrote my own stories to fill in the connective ‘The Witch-Finder of Kush,’ but [Dark Horse Comics tissue between Howard’s works. ‘Snout’ and publisher] Mike Richardson thought there were too ‘Xuthal’ both had blonde slave girls as Conan’s many ‘witch’ titles, so they came up with ‘Shadows pals, so I just made them sisters. I really liked my fred van lente Over Kush’… but there are also a lot of ‘shadow’ original ‘The Damned Horde’ story, because I got Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 71

to use arch-villain Thoth-Amon and reference ‘Hour of the Dragon,’ the one Conan novel. But fans seem to prefer ‘Blood Oasis,’ which was the link to ‘Witch Should Be Born,’ and explains how Conan came into the service of Khuran. “‘A Witch Shall Be Born’ is one of the more famous stories, with the crucifixion scene that made it into the first Arnold [Schwarzenegger Conan] movie, but it’s not really that great. Conan himself isn’t in the story for long stretches, and Salome and Falcon are kind of boring, generic villains. Queen Taramis, Salome’s twin sister, is the villain in the movie Conan the Destroyer, which is a lot better than people give credit for (but it’s still not good). She’s played by Sarah Douglas, who’s Ursa in Superman II. I love me some Superman II, so I told Brian to model our Taramis and Salome after Douglas, and you can definitely see the influence there. Likewise, when Thaug appears at the very end of ‘Witch,’ we modeled his appearance after Thaug in Conan the Destroyer, which for as cheesy as that movie is, the design of that creature is pretty frickin’ scary.” Conan the Avenger #25 (Apr. 2016) was the last of the Van Lente/Ching run, with another new title coming over the horizon. Dark Horse allowed itself, and the readers, a couple of months’ respite before the launch of Conan the Slayer #1 (July 2016). This was to prove the final run of the ongoing series, which certainly went out in style. Writer Cullen Bunn and artist Sergio Davila had a vibrant run up to #11 (July 2017). Dheeraj Verma was the artist for the final issue, #12 (Aug. 2017), which left the ongoing series on a fairly blood-strewn note.

SWORD STROKES

Throughout the time that Dark Horse held the Conan license they produced many interesting miniseries and one-offs that allowed them to work with a range of creators who might not wish, or be able, to commit to a longer, ongoing series. In some cases, the miniseries acted as a prelude to taking on the main comic book, while in others it was the next project after a longer run. The following are the main examples: • Conan and the Daughters of Midora #1 (one-shot, Oct. 2004). With a cover and art by Mark Texeira that were reminiscent of a 1980s issue of Savage Sword of Conan, except with color, this was a breezy yarn, with Conan aged around 30. The script was by Jimmy Palmiotti, who also inked the artwork.

“The Barbarian” Once More Another new series, bearing a familiar name. (inset top) Issue #1 (Feb. 2012) cover by Massimo Carnevale. (top) From inside issue #1, a Conan facial expression that was a hallmark of artist Becky Cloonan’s style. (botom inset) Ariel Olivetti’s cover to the Fred Van Lentewritten Conan and the People of the Black Circle #1 (Oct. 2013). (bottom) A powerful portrait of our hero from that issue. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

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plenty of detail and background in their comic • Conan and the Jewels of art. Plenty of blood, too! Gwahlur #1–3 (Apr.–June 2005). This was an adaptation • Conan: Island of No Return #1–2 of one of the original Howard (June–July 2011). Ron Marz (script), TOMAS GIORELLO stories, with story and art by Bart Sears (pencils), and Randy Elliott Facebook. (inks) produced this original story of P. Craig Russell. Russell was Conan somewhere in the earlier part of his career. never likely to take on the ongoing series, but every page of this is beautifully laid out and executed. • Conan and the People of the Black Circle #1–4 • Conan and the Demons of Khitai #1–4 (Oct. 2005– (Oct. 2013–Feb. 2014). An adaptation of an original Jan. 2006). A tale of King Conan travelling to the Howard story by writer Fred Van Lente and artist Hyborian era of the Far East. Story by Akira Yoshida Ariel Olivetti. and art by Paul Lee. Van Lente shares some Black Circle background with • Conan: Book of Thoth #1–4 (Mar.–2006). No Conan BACK ISSUE: “They gave me an option of three stories on view, despite the title. This is an origin story for which were in the ‘future’ of the timeline Dark Horse key villain, Thoth-Amon. The script was co-written was following, to not interfere with what Brian Wood by Kurt Busiek and Len Wein (who had written one was doing. I read all three, and ‘Black Circle’ was the or two Conan stories for Marvel some years earlier), clear standout. Having read much of the Howard with suitably moody artwork by Kelley Jones. canon since, I think it is probably the best story overall, • Conan and the Songs of the Dead #1–5 (July–Nov. not the least of which because it has the strongest 2006). It must have been an editors’ dream come female protagonist. Desi Yasmina is neither a pliant true when Joe R. Lansdale and Tim Truman, having slave girl nor a warrior-woman, but a wily ruler in her previously teamed up on Jonah Hex and The Lone own right, a match for Conan’s personality, if not Ranger, signed up for this original story. physically. I also really liked the Afghan/Pakistan/India • Conan and the Midnight God #1–5 (Dec. 2006– milieu a lot. Ariel [Olivetti] is terrific. He has an assistant Apr. 2007). Artist Will Conrad was one of a number lay down the pencils and then he does the finished considered as regular artist for the start of the color art over them.” regular series but, having missed out, got his chance • Conan/Red Sonja #1–4 (Jan.–Apr. 2015). Written by to show his version of Conan here. This is a King Gail Simone and Jim Zub, with art by Randy Green Conan story written by Joshua Dysart. and Rick Ketchum, this was a joint venture with • Conan: The Weight of the Crown #1 (one-shot, Dynamite, which held the license for Red Sonja. Jan. 2010). Art and story by Darick Robertson. Readers can decide for themselves if and where this This should have appealed to those readers seeking fits into the Dark Horse Conan canon.

The Barbarian Who Would Be King (left) 2011 pencil portrait of King Conan by Tomas Giorello. (right) Original art by P. Craig Russell for the hardcover reprint edition of 2005’s Conan and the Jewels of Gwahlur. Both, courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC.

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Killer Cover Gallery Dark Horse’s various Conan series were graced by superb covers drawn by some of the industry’s top talents. Enjoy this gallery of jawdropping artistry! TM & © Conan Properties International, LLC. Red Sonja TM & © Red Sonja, LLC.

A KINGDOM FOR A DARK HORSE

Somewhere between the miniseries and a second ongoing series was the King Conan title. Each story arc started with a fresh #1 but was given ongoing numbers inside. The series-within-a-series were as follows. The creators for all were Tim Truman (writer) and Tomas Giorello (artist). • King Conan: The Scarlet Citadel #1–4 (Feb.–May 2011) • King Conan: The Phoenix on the Sword #1–4 (Jan.–Apr. 2012) • King Conan: The Hour of the Dragon #1–6 (May–Oct. 2013) • King Conan: The Conqueror #1–6 (Feb.–July 2014) • King Conan: Wolves Beyond the Border #1–4 (Dec. 2015–Mar. 2016)

HITHER CAME CONAN

Dark Horse also held the rights for Howard’s other creations, King Kull and Solomon Kane, which fall outside of the remit of this article but will hopefully be explored at some future point in BACK ISSUE. There were also some shorter Conan stories that appeared in Dark Horse’s version of Savage Sword of Conan and the Dark Horse MySpace page. The comic adaptation of the most recent Conan movie is assumed to be outside of the Dark Horse canon. With over 200-plus Conan comic books, Dark Horse Comics published a high-quality body of work with considerable range. Inevitably, not everything pleased everyone, but the publisher

certainly raised the profile of the character at a time when Conan had been underused at Marvel. With the license reverting to Marvel, the Dark Horse canon ended in something of a limbo. It would have been interesting to at least see Dark Horse continue its main ongoing series to the point where it linked up to its King Conan continuity. Most of the work referred to in this article is available in collected editions, originally from Dark Horse and more recently from Marvel. Happy hunting! Final word to Kurt Busiek. “It wouldn’t have been anywhere near the same without the art talent of Cary Nord, Greg Ruth, Dave Stewart, Richard Starkings, and the others who worked on the book, or without Scott Allie as editor. It was a rare chance to work with inspired people who knew what they were doing, and I’m lucky to have been a part of it.” With thanks to Kurt Busiek, Fred Van Lente, Tomas Giorello, and Jim and Ruth Keegan. IAN MILLSTED is a writer and teacher based in Bristol, UK. His most recent fiction can be found in the anthology Airship Shape and Bristol Fashion II from Wizard’s Tower Press.

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EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE

Send your comments to: Email: euryman@gmail.com (subject: BACK ISSUE) Postal mail: Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief • BACK ISSUE 112 Fairmount Way * New Bern, NC 28562

Find BACK ISSUE on

Since my “Backseat Driver” editorial was preempted this issue for our tribute to the late, great artist and all-around good guy Ernie Colón, please indulge me while I conduct a little business here before opening the floor for your letters…

HERE’S TO ROY THOMAS

We extend a BIG thank-you to the one and only Roy Thomas, the Father of the American Sword-and-Sorcery Comic Book (okay, he didn’t originate the genre, but he certainly defined it with Conan the Barbarian and beyond), for his cooperation with this issue. Roy could be retired, you know, but he’s busier than most people half his age with his various writing and editorial projects, including our big-sister publication, Alter Ego, also from TwoMorrows. From agreeing to allow BACK ISSUE to explore his various barbarian series (which are usually reserved for AE) to his assistance in selecting our cover image to his answering writers’ questions for this issue’s articles, Roy has been invaluable. We couldn’t have done it without you, sir!

Chase Darrow is on the run. Both Chase and her mother had this crazy idea that the government should not be in the business of deciding how she should live her life. But now the NSA has set their lead agent on her trail. He is known only as The Man, and his toxic masculinity is as ramped up as his strength and agility. In a way, The Man is a symbol of just how frightened the government is of Chase. They don’t see the nice girl who wants to be left to live her own life. They see someone who is either going to be a threat or an asset. They have given her the code name of Breathtaker. Call Chase Darrow what you want, but whatever the label, the truth is that she is a nice young woman who was born with the power to love a man to death. Chase Darrow might be the only real, living example of a succubus. Breathtaker is part horror story, about a woman with the power to drain men of their very life force… part romance, because her lovers are her willing victims… part crime story, as Chase is on the run from a government that has branded her a criminal… and part superhero story: The Man, in addition to working for the NSA, is a popular television and merchandising figure who also happens to have extraordinary powers and abilities that he is using to hunt down and capture Chase in an effort to boost his sagging Nielsen ratings. Breathtaker is all about Love, Death, Sex, and Power. That’s the pitch for Breathtaker, Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel’s extraordinary, cutting-edge four-issue Prestige Format miniseries published in 1990 by DC Comics. I was a DC editor when this was coming out and recall, as a fan of the Hempel/Wheatley duo on Comico’s Jonny Quest and First’s MARS, being wowed by Breathtaker, a gorgeous, then-risky publication at a time when DC was only beginning to cultivate its mature-readers line. I anxiously awaited each issue.

We considered several different Conan images for this issue’s cover, all of which were by the unparalleled Barry Windsor-Smith, the original artist of Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian. Several were more recent illustrations, but once I discovered the unused version of Barry’s Conan the Barbarian #9 cover, I couldn’t resist due to its historical significance and rarity. Special thanks to Heritage Comics Auctions for providing a scan of the cover art from their archives, to publisher John Morrow for kibitzing with ye ed in concocting the cover concept, and to cover designer Michael Kronenberg for putting it together (and let’s not forget cover colorist Glenn Whitmore, who once again proves his versatility). In retrospect, when comparing the original art to this unpublished version of the cover to the published version of Conan #9’s cover (both presented here), one can see why the revision was deemed necessary, mainly to better emphasize the cover star, who, at the time, had yet to become a household name. The amount of detail Mr. Windsor-Smith put into both versions of the cover is spellbinding, and we’re honored to share the previously unpublished version as our cover this edition.

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

Tom Grindberg’s photo, accompanying his Thor art, on page 44 of BACK ISSUE #117 was misidentified as Pat Olliffe. Our apologies to Mr. Grindberg and Mr. Olliffe for the error. And fans of Tom Grindberg’s art (and really, who isn’t?) should note that he is teaming with this issue’s patron saint, Roy Thomas, for the new strip Thuvia, Maid of Mars, a new addition to ERB, Inc.’s webcomic line. Keep checking edgarriceburroughs.com for details.

COVER STORY

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IN BRIGHTEST DAY…

Thank you so much for BACK ISSUE #117. While I totally enjoyed the entire issue, it was the Green Lantern John Stewart article the made it for me. To say I’m a huge JS fan is an understatement. I was first introduced to him in the pages of Justice League of America #110 (God bless you, Mr. Wein), and I been a fan ever since. So much so I got Green Lantern #87 autographed by Neal Adams, JLA #110 signed by Len Wein, and GL #165 signed by Mike W. Barr (a pure class act). But my all-time favorite was GL #180–200 (a.k.a. Green Lantern Sector 2814 vol. 2 and 3), so much so that I got Mr. Steve Englehart and Mr. Joe Staton to sign not only the two volumes but the individual issues as well. They were so gracious. Answered my every question. I even showed them a letter I wrote praising their run that was published in GL #196. Again, thank you for BACK ISSUE. It’s publications like this that keeps the love of comics alive. – Wayne C. Brooks Thank YOU for being such a loyal reader, Wayne… and for sharing these great photos of Steve and Joe (seen with Wayne himself in the second pic) with your signed comics.

LOOK BACK OR FACE FRONT?

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed the habit of talking to myself. Maybe, partly, it’s because I work from home and there’s no one else to chat with! But I bet it also has a lot to do with that fact that I’ve been reading comics practically my whole life—and, as a kid, barely a page would go by without my favorite character carrying on some thought bubble interior monologue! One of the things I talk to myself about is new comics versus old comics—and I saw some glimmers of this conversation in the BACK ISSUE #117 letters page. When John Shaw says he’s down to four regular series pulls, I know what he means (I’m probably hovering around 12 new comics per month myself, though that counts assorted one-shots and miniseries). Like probably many of the readers here, I spend more money each month on old comics— maybe obviously, because single issues might be a little pricier, but also because of the sheer quantity I take in. And I spend a heckuva lot more time reading older comics— piecing together new-to-me series, filling in gaps and reading a whole run, revisiting favorites. And every issue of BACK ISSUE helps with this: articles that rehash classics with added insights, or that force me to add to my want list! Thinking about new comics versus old comics, today versus yesterday, I sometimes get a little worried. Am I simply indulging in nostalgia? Am I danger of becoming one of those guys who yells at kids to get off his lawn, shaking a cane and whispering to himself about the good old days? Stan always told us to “Face front!” and sometimes I wonder if maybe I’m spending too much time looking back… But here’s where BACK ISSUE provides the answer to all that as well. Every issue helps me uncover something new, gives me new obsessions to track down. And these are comics that I’m not going to re-experience, not things to nostalgically reminisce over. These are comics that—even if they’re older—I’m seeing for the first time, with fresh eyes, today. And it’s lovely. Maybe this is all academic, a thought balloon worry. If you enjoy something, that’s probably all the justification you need to indulge. But sometimes I need to remind myself whether I’m tracking down ’70s barbarian titles (I just finished my Dagar run!) or completing war book spotlights (I’ve finally got all the “Kana the Ninja” stories!), I’m doing something today—not just burrowing in the past but truly mining it for gold. – Nate Pritts TM & © Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel.

My pal Mark Wheatley tells BACK ISSUE that this summer marks Breathtaker’s 30th anniversary! There are several exciting events occurring to commemorate the milestone: a new Hempel/ Wheatley issue of Make Way for The Man (starring Breathtaker’s breakout NSA tough guy) and the remastered Breathtaker hardcover edition. Also, you’ll be able to appreciate the story’s artistry beyond the printed page. Forthcoming is a touring show of Breathtaker original art curated by the Norman Rockwell Museum (www.nrm.org/2016/07/ breathtaker/), opening at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, in August 2020 and running through the end of October 2020. For more information, check out the official Breathtaker website, Breathtaker. co (yes, that’s dot-co, not dot-com). Congratulations, Mark and Marc!

What a thought-provoking letter, Nate. I read very few new comics myself, and most of the new ones I do read have a retro theme or star a long-running character. This I regard as a matter of demographics. I’m simply no longer the demo of most contemporary comic books and their decompressed storytelling. That’s not saying that today’s comics are inferior to the ones of my youth, which I enjoy re-reading— they’re just different. 76 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

“The Last Hideout,” from World’s Finest Comics #259, was featured in that article. That’s it! That’s the story! (Now I just have to acquire a copy, but that will be the easy part—I’ve been wondering what comic it was for decades!) It’s strange… I must have read the entire comic, but it was only the Black Lightning story that stuck with me. In his article, Ed Lute comments that his Black Lightning stories never achieved the stature of Denny O’Neil’s other work. That may be true, but for this comic reader, World’s Finest #259 will always be one of the best comics ever published. Thank you, Denny O’Neil, thank you Tony Isabella, and thanks to Ed Lute and BACK ISSUE! A couple other quick observations on the issue: I really enjoyed the Black Goliath article. I remember him fondly from his appearances in Champions and Marvel-Two-in-One (“The Pegasus Saga”). His death in the “Civil War” storyline seemed wasteful and pointless to me (though I did like some of the ethical issues presented in that story). I think I found an error on page 9 in the Cage Chronology box: The box says his book was titled Power Man up until issue #66, but I’m holding issue #50 in my hands at this moment, and the logo is Power Man and Iron Fist (nice issue, too, I got issues #48– 50 primarily for the Byrne art, but I do love Iron Fist!). I really enjoyed the art in the article on Billy Graham, especially the blackand-white pieces from his Warren days and the Jungle Action splash page. Likewise, with the Miller/ Rubenstein image with Black Goliath from a Daredevil Index (?!)… some great selections for us. Thank you for an excellent issue! – John Shaw John, we’re happy that BACK ISSUE was able to solve that Black Lightning conundrum that’s haunted you since 1978. Are there any Disney comic collectors out there with the answer to John’s Beagle Boys question? Regarding Power Man #66: It’s confusing, but in this case there’s a difference between the comic’s logo and its actual title, the latter of which is reflected in print at the bottom of page 1 in the indicia (the fine print that contains publication info). Despite the logo, once Iron Fist joined the series, the book was still officially titled Power Man until issue #67. You’ll find issue #66’s indicia below as proof. Other instances in the 1970s where a superhero “buddy” comic was co-billed on the cover only: during its “Green Lantern Co-Starring Green Arrow” phase that comic was still officially Green Lantern, as was Captain America during its long “Captain America and the Falcon” era. Similarly, readers in the early ’70s were picking up “Superman Starring the Legion of Super-Heroes,” but if they (like me) read the indicia they saw that the comic was still officially titled Superboy (although in that case, the book was later retitled to co-bill the Legion and even later retitled Legion of Super-Heroes, entirely dumping Superboy from the billing of a magazine that historically was originally his and his alone).

TM & © Marvel.

I’ve been behind on my reading, so I just finished reading BI #114. I just wanted to drop you a note about it, because it has helped me with a personal quest. One of my earliest memories of reading comics was finding my cousin’s stash in his closet and reading them, right there, sitting on the floor of the closet. I think I was about ten years old then. I remember at least three of the stories very clearly, and when I started collecting some years later, I tried to find those stories. I only ever succeeded in finding one of them. The one I found was Peter Parker [The Spectacular Spider-Man] #18 (May 1978), which opened with a splash page of Iceman shooting ice daggers at a fleeing Spider-Man and Angel. I had no idea who Angel and Iceman were back then, but I remember poring over that issue and trying to figure out how they could possibly be dodging all those ice spikes (I’ve never seen Iceman use that technique again, it does seem very villainous). Eventually, I figured out this all occurred after the Champions disbanded, which made the issue relatively easy to find (though I checked out an awful lot of Marvel Team-Up issues first). I think Iceman was defeated when Spider-Man dumped him in a car wash, which seemed improbable to me even back then. The second story I remember was from a Walt Disney comic: Mickey Mouse and others were being robbed by the Beagle Boys, I think? There was a brief exchange that I puzzled over for quite a while, something like this: “Hand over all your valuables!” “Can I keep my watch? It’s only value is sentimental!” “I’m sentimental! Hand it over!” The problem was, I had no idea what “sentimental” meant at that age, so I puzzled over it for quite a while. I’d love to find that story, my vague memories tell me it had very detailed city backgrounds, but how do you even look for an issue with such a vague description? I thought the third story fell into the same category… a Black Lightning story. I remember Black Lightning (and some other nondescript folk) being held a gunpoint in a room. The villain, a woman, was standing so that her legs touched some pipes to an old steam radiator. The hero couldn’t rush her without endangering everyone—he just touched the pipes and sent a shock around the perimeter of the room that knocked her out. I think it resonated with me so strongly because I realized my home had those same type of steam radiators! Obviously, the possibilities were endless (though I have not yet developed any electrical powers, but not from lack of trying). But how do you find that story? Try describing that to the clerk at your comic store and see what he says. I thought it was probably lost to me forever, until I saw the article “Black Lightning: Beyond Isabella.” The first page in that story,

TM & © Marvel.

A PERSONAL QUEST

Conan and the Barbarians Issue • BACK ISSUE • 77

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF STEEL?

I’ve been a Superman fan since the 1970s, having grown up in New York where after school, WPIX Channel 11 used to broadcast Batman, [The Adventures of] Superman, and The Lone Ranger, concluding with the second part of the Adam West Batman cliffhanger from 4 to 6 every weekday afternoon. Boy, was I surprised when my parents got a color TV to discover that Superman’s costume was actually red and blue. The next time I was in a candy store, I saw a cover of Justice League [of America] where Superman was decking Green Lantern with the rest of the JLA cheering him on. That was my first comic. Afterwards I gravitated towards the Curt Swan Superman stories. In recent years, I’ve noticed that although DC has been reprinting plenty of Batman from the ’70s and beyond, there have been very few Superman reprints from the late ’70s to the Byrne era. There have been plenty of good stories by Elliot S! Maggin and Cary Bates that have not been reprinted in the Superman in the ’70s and ’80s trade paperbacks. DC did a terrible job on the “Kryptonite No More” [DC Comics Classics Library] storyline, where I was hoping to see the Swanderson [Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson] team on nice white paper with vibrant colors as opposed to what we got, that looked worse than the originals. We never saw that Superboy tale reprinted from DC Super-Stars [#12, Feb. 1977] where Superboy becomes Superman, a terrific tale by Bates and the Swanderson team. I found that the best stories of that era (where Superman had very little character development or personality and was pretty much impervious to any harm) were where Superman was hurt emotionally, such as “the dying days of Lois and Lana” or where Superman and Superboy switch minds in early 1983. That Superboy story mentioned above where he thought he lost the only girl he truly loved to some wild apes. Like the story in Action Comics #510–512, where Luthor takes a bride and deceives himself before we learn the truth about his diabolical plan to kill Superman. As far as I know, Action Comics #500, Superman’s life story has never been reprinted. Superman #400 in its entirety has never been reprinted. Even where Superman reached the epitome of silliness before John Byrne took over, Paul Kupperberg and. Carmine Infantino did that “imaginary story” where Clark Kent marries Lana Lang (covered in BACK ISSUE recently) hasn’t been reprinted. If DC can print old-time artists like Mike Sekowsky and Dick Dillin, why can’t they reprint those solidly entertaining tales by Bates and Swan? I loved Curt Swan as an artist, although his figures lacked the dynamism of a George Pérez, John Byrne, or Keith Giffen (in his prime), and certainly that of Jack Kirby, John Buscema, or John Romita, Sr. What he lacked in dynamism, he made up in his drawing of humanity. His women were pretty, and attractive without being overly sexualized. I never cared for Dave Hunt’s inking of Curt as I felt that he blacked in all those eyebrows too solidly and we lost details of Swan’s renderings. Any opinion as to why DC has ignored this era of Superman? This was the time right after Superman II and before Superman III, where Superman was on a high, at least to me. I get the feeling that we’ll sooner see Frank Miller’s and John Romita, Jr.’s horrendous

(once again in my opinion) Superman: Year One reprinted than these old-time, solidly crafted entertaining tales. Other neglected tales of this era are Evanier and Spiegel’s classic Blackhawk stories, just as entertaining and well drawn as the popular New Teen Titans of the time. What about the first years of All-Star Squadron by Thomas, Buckler, and Ordway, or Sgt. Rock and Jonah Hex of the late ’70s and ’80s? These titles have been neglected as well. Bat Lash has never been reprinted in color. These stories deserve the hardback or prestige omnibus treatment like all the other material seems to be getting. It’s time to give Curt Swan, Dan Spiegle, and Nestor Redondo, Rich Buckler, Nick Cardy, and Jerry Ordway their due. Does anyone else feel this way? Onto a different topic. Does BACK ISSUE plan to in the near future to have any features on the DC revivals of John Byrne’s Superman, Miller’s Batman, George Pérez’s Wonder Woman, Justice League International, Roger Stern’s Atom, Mike Grell’s Green Arrow, and Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing? DC was probably at its pinnacle at this time, being underdog to mighty Marvel at this point. What about the Moench/Gulacy Batman two-issue story and their Legends of the Dark Knight and Outlaws series? I’m quite surprised that DC hasn’t compiled these tales of the Dark Knight into a book of its own. And last, but not least, I’m still hopeful for a BACK ISSUE focus on the Lone Ranger, Zorro, and other Westerns of the ’70s and ’80s. Topps did quality work on both The Lone Ranger and Zorro in the ’80s and ’90s. The Cary Bates and Russ Heath Ranger newspaper strip is rarely showcased anywhere. When The Lone Ranger was still popular in the late ’70s, Tom Gill’s Ranger was quite popular and well drawn, too. Well, one can always look forward to those days of yesteryear. Thanks as always for putting out such a fine and enjoyable publication. – Yaakov Gerber P.S. I neglected mentioning the Flash and Flash Gordon revivals of that time as well. DC had all of their creative juices flowing. Yaakov, I’d not realized the dearth of reprints of Bronze Age Superman stories until your letter. Readers, if you also feel this way, contact DC and ask for a Bronze Age Superman Omnibus series or some other types of reprints. BTW, according to Grand Comics Database, Action #500’s story has been reprinted in Europe, and once in the US (albeit in edited form), in Tor Books’ 1983 paperback, The Superman Story. Regarding your requests for future BIs: the Bwah-ha-ha Justice League was covered way back in BI #3 in interviews with Giffen, DeMatteis, and Maguire; Justice League International was featured in issue #83; and Grell was interviewed about Green Arrow in #18. Re the other DC reboots of the 1980s: ideally our coverage would include the participation of their creators in interviews, and when we can make that happen, we’ll proceed. The Lone Ranger and Zorro aren’t in our immediate plans. But BI is still going strong after premiering in November 2003, and as your letter suggests there’s still a lot of terrain to explore.

78 • BACK ISSUE • Conan and the Barbarians Issue

Next issue: We celebrate the 40th anniversary of MARV WOLFMAN and GEORGE PÉREZ’s New Teen Titans, featuring a guest editorial by Wolfman and a Pérez tribute and art gallery! Plus: The New Teen Titans’ 40 Greatest Moments, the Titans in the media, hero histories of Raven, Starfire, and the Protector, and more! Featuring a never-before-published Pérez Titans cover from 1981. Don’t ask—just BI it! See you in thirty! Your friendly neighborhood Euryman, Michael Eury, editor-in-chief