Conan the Barbarian (comics)

Conan the Barbarian
The cover to Conan the Barbarian #1 (Oct. 1970), by Barry Smith and John Verpoorten.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Publication date	Oct. 1970 – Dec. 1993
Number of issues	275
Main character(s)	Conan
Creative team
Writer(s)	Roy Thomas, et al.
Penciller(s)	Barry Smith, John Buscema, et al.
Editor(s)	Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, et al.

Conan the Barbarian was a Marvel Comics title starring the sword-and-sorcery character created by Robert E. Howard. It debuted in Oct. 1970 and ran for 275 issues until Dec. 1993.

The book was noted for the long stints of its writer Roy Thomas, who penned issues #1-115 and then #241-253; as well as pencillers Barry Smith (who drew most issues between #1-#24) and John Buscema (who drew the vast bulk of issues #25-190). Later writers included J.M. DeMatteis, Bruce Jones, Michael Fleisher, Doug Moench, Jim Owsley, Alan Zelenetz, Chuck Dixon, and Don Kraar.

Publication history

Buscema, in a 1994 interview, spoke of being Marvel's first-choice for Conan artist:

“

I was approached by Roy Thomas with the project to do Conan. He mailed a couple of the paperbacks to me and I read 'em and I loved 'em. I told Roy, 'This is what I want, something that I can really sink my teeth into. . . .' [A]t the time, Marvel was owned by Martin Goodman, and he felt that my rate was too high to take a gamble [with] on some new kind of [project]. It wasn't a superhero or anything that had been done before. The closest thing to that would be Tarzan. Anyway, he had no confidence in spending too much money on the book, and that's where Barry Smith came in — [he was] very cheap. I know what he got paid, and I'd be embarrassed to tell you how much it was, because I'd be embarrassed for Marvel.[1]

”

Thomas recalled in 2007 that when Marvel decided to published a licensed fantasy character, author Lin Carter's barbarian hero Thongor had been the company's first choice rather than Conan. Goodman "authorized us to go after a character. I first went after Lin Carter's Thongor, who was a quasi-Conan with elements of John Carter of Mars, partly because editor-in-chief Stan Lee liked that name the most. . . . 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. Later, following on the success of the Conan series, Lin Carter allowed Marvel to publish a Thongor comic, which appeared as a miniseries in Creatures on the Loose."^[2]

Comic book

Creative teams

Conan

Roy Thomas (writer, #1-115 and #241-253)

Barry Smith (artist, #1-#24)

John Buscema (artist, #25-190)

Issues

I/E stands for Inker/Embellisher. Abbreviations for artists are as follows: CB = The Crusty Bunkers, DH = Diverse hands, TR = The Tribe, NA = Neal Adams, DA = Dan Adkins, VA = Vincente Alcazar, RB = Rich Buckler, DB = Danny Bulanadi, JB = John Buscema, SB = Sal Buscema, HC = Howard Chaykin, EC = Ernie Chua aka Ernie Chan, SD = Steve Ditko, SG = Steve Gan, FG = Frank Giacoia, AG = Armando Gil, DG = Dick Giordano, PM = Pablo Marcos, VM = Val Mayerik, AM = Al Milgrom, YM = Yong Montano, TP = Tom Palmer, MP = Mike Ploog, CR = Craig Russell, RR = Ralph Reese, BS = Barry Smith, JS = John Severin, SI = Joe Sinnott, FS = Frank Springer, JT = Jim Starlin, ST = Stone, TS = Tom Sutton, RV = Ricardo Villamonte, WW = Wallace Wood, TdZ = Tony deZuniga

Issue	Title	Writer	Penciller	I/E	Cover	Notes
#1 1970	"The Coming of Conan"	Roy Thomas	Barry Smith	DAe	Barry Smith	[3]
#2	"Lair of the Beast-Men"			SBi		[4]
#3 1971	"The Twilight of the Grim Grey God"			SAe		[5]
#4	"The Tower of the Elephant"			SBi		[6][7]
#5	"Zukala's Daughter"			FGi		[8]
#6	"Devil-Wings over Shadizar"			SBi
#7	"The Lurker within"			DAe, SBe		[9]
#8	"The Keepers of the Crypt"			TSi, TPi		[10]
#9	"The Garden of Fear"			SBe		[11]
#10	"Beware the Wrath of Anu"			SBi
#11	"Rogues in the House" #1 & #2: "The Talons of Thak"			SBe		[12]
#12	"The Dweller in the Dark"			SBi
	"The Blood of the Dragon!"		Gil Kane	DHe		[13][14]
#13 1972	"Web of the Spider-God"		Barry Smith	SBi		[15]
#14	"A Sword Called Stormbringer"			SBe		[16]
#15	"The Green Empress of Melniboné"			SBi, BSi
#16	"The Frost Giant's Daughter"			BSi		[17]
	"The Sword and the Sorcerers"
#17	"The Gods of Bal-Sagoth"		Gil Kane	RRi	Gil Kane, Frank Brunner	[18]
#18	The Gods of Bal-Sagoth #2: "The Thing in the Temple"			DAe
#19	"Hawks from the Sea"		Barry Smith		Barry Smith
#20	"The Black Hound of Vengeange"
#21	"Monster of the Monoliths"		Barry Smith, Dan Adkins	CRe, VMe, SBe		[19]
#22 1973	"The Coming of Conan" Re: #1		Barry Smith	DAe		[3]
#23	"The Shadow of the Vulture"			SBi, DAi, STi	Gil Kane	[20][21]
#24	"The Song of Red Sonja" 3 parts			BSi	Barry Smith	[21][22]
#25	"The Mirrors of Kharam Akkad"		John Buscema	SBe, JSe		[23]
#26	"The Hour of the Griffin"			ECi	John Buscema, Ernie Chua
#27	"The Blood of Bel-Hissar"					[24]
#28	"Moon of Zembabwei"					[25]
#29	"Two Against Turan"		John Buscema, Ernie Chua	JBi, ECi		[26]
#30	"The Hand of Nergal"					[27]
#31	"The Shadow in the Tomb"
#32	"Flame Winds of Lost Khitai"					[28]
#33	Flame Winds #2: "Death and 7 Wizards"		John Buscema	ECi	Herb Trimpe
#34 1974	Flame Winds #3: "The Temptress in the Tower of Flame"
#35	"The Hell Spawn of Kara-Shehr"					[29]
#36	"Beware the Hyrkanians Bearing Gifts..."
#37	"The Curse of the Golden Skull"		Neal Adams	NAi	Neal Adams	[30][31]
#38	"The Warrior and the Were-Woman"		John Buscema	JBi		[32]
#39	"The Dragon from the Inland Sea"
#40	"The Fiend from the Forgotten City"		Rich Buckler, Ernie Chua	RBi, ECi		[33]
	"The Changeling"	Stan Lee	Steve Ditko	SDi		[34]
#41	"The Garden of Death and Life"	Roy Thomas	John Buscema	ECi	Gil Kane	[35]
#42	"Night of the Gargoyle"					[36]
#43	"Tower of Blood"		John Buscema, Ernie Chua	JBi, ECi	Gil Kane	[21][37]
#44	Tower of Blood #2: "Of Flame and the Fiend"		John Buscema, The Crusty Bunkers	JBi, CBi
#45	"The Last Ballad of Laza-Lanti"		John Buscema	CBe	Neal Adams	[38]
#46 1975	"The Curse of the Conjurer"		John Buscema, Joe Sinnott	JBi, SIi		[39]
#47	The Curse of the Conjurer #2: Goblins in the Moonlight"		John Buscema, Dan Adkins	JBi, DAi
	"Sanctuary"	Wally Wood	Wally Wood	WWi		[40]
#48	The Curse of the Conjurer #3: "The Rats Dance at Ravengard"	Roy Thomas	John Buscema	DGe, DAe		[39]
	"Episode"		John Buscema, Dick Giordano	JBi, DGi		[41]
#49	The Curse of the Conjurer #4: "Wolf-Woman"					[39]
#50	The Curse of the Conjurer #5: "The Dweller in the Pool"				Gil Kane, Klaus Janson
#51	The Curse of the Conjurer #6: "Man Born of Demon"				Gil Kane
#52	"The Altar and the Scorpion"		John Buscema, Tom Palmer	JBe, TPe		[42][43]
#53	"Brothers of the Blade"		John Buscema, Frank Springer	JBi, FSi
#54	"The Oracle of Ophir"		John Buscema	TPe
#55	"Shadow on the Land"
#56	"The Strange High Tower in the Mist"			PMe
#57	"Incident in Argos"		Mike Ploog	MPi		[44]
#58 1976	"Queen of the Black Coast"		John Buscema	SGe	John Buscema, John Romita	[45][46]
#59	"The Ballad of Bêlit"					[46]
#60	"Riders of the River-Dragons"
#61	"On the Track of the She-Pirate"					[46][47]
#62	"Lord of the Lions"				Gil Kane, John Romita	[46]
#63	"Death among the Ruins"					[46][48]
#64	"The Secret of Skull River"		Jim Starlin, Al Milgrom	JSi, AMi	John Buscema, Mike Esposito	[49]
#65	"Fiends of the Feathered Serpent"		John Buscema	TRe		[46][50]
#66	"Daggers and Death-Gods"					[21][46]
#67	"Talons of the Man-Tiger"					[21][46][51]
#68	"Of Once and Future Kings"			JBi	Gil Kane, Pablo Marcos	[21][43][46]
#69	"The Demon out of the Deep"		Val Mayerik, The Tribe	VMi, TRi		[46][52]
#70 1977	"The City in the Storm"		John Buscema	ECe		[46][53]
#71	"The Secret of Ashtoreth"		John Buscema, Ernie Chan	JBi, ECi	Gil Kane, Ernie Chan
#72	"Vengeance in Asgalun"		John Buscema	ECe		[46]
#73	"He Who Waits ...in the Well of Skelos"					[46][54]
#74	"The Battle at the Black Walls"		John Buscema, Ernie Chan	JBi, ECi	Gil Kane	[46]
#75	"The Hawk-Riders of Harahkt"				Ernie Chan
#76	"Swordless in Stygia"				Gil Kane, Ernie Chan
#77	"When Giants Walk the Earth"		John Buscema	ECi
#78	"Curse of the Undead-Man"			PMi	John Buscema	[21]
#79	"The Lost Valley of Iskander"		Howard Chaykin, Ernie Chan	HCi, ECi	John Buscema, Ernie Chan	[46][55]
#80	"Trial by Combat"					[55]
#81	"The Eye of the Serpent"
#82 1978	"The Sorceress of the Swamp"					[56]
#83	"The Dance of the Skull"
#84	"Two against the Hawk-City"		John Buscema	ECe		[46][57]
#85	"Of Swordsmen and Sorcerers"		John Buscema, Ernie Chan	JBi, ECi
#86	"The Devourer of the Dead"
#87	"Demons at the Summit" Re: Savage Sword of Conan #3		Tony deZuniga	TdZi		[58][59]
	"The Hyborian Age"		Ernie Chan	ECi		[60]
#88	"The Queen and the Corsairs"		John Buscema, Ernie Chan	JBi, ECi	John Buscema, Ernie Chan	[46][57]
#89	"The Sword and the Serpent"
#90	"The Diadem of the Giant-Kings"				John Buscema
#91	"Savage Doings in Shem"
#92	"The Thing in the Crypt"		Sal Buscema	ECie	Sal Buscema, Ernie Chan	[61][62][63]
#93	"Of Rage and Revenge"		John Buscema, Ernie Chan	JBi, ECi	John Buscema, Ernie Chan	[46][57]
#94 1979	"The Beast-King of Abombi"
#95	"The Return Of Amra"					[46]
#96	"The Long Night of Fang and Talon", #1
#97	"The Long Night of Fang and Talon", #2
#98	"Sea-Woman"				John Buscema, Bob McLeod	[46][64][65]
#99	"Devil-Crabs of the Dark Cliffs"					[46][66]
#100	"Death on the Black Coast"					[46][67]
#101	"The Devil Has Many Legs"				John Buscema
#102	"The Men Who Drink Blood"				John Buscema, Al Milgrom
#103	"Bride Of The Vampire!"				John Buscema
#104	"The Vale Of Lost Women!"				Ernie Chan
#105	"Whispering Shadows"				John Buscema, Bob Wiacek
#106	"Chaos In The Land Called Kush"				John Buscema, Bob Layton Sr.
#107	"Demon Of The Night!"				John Buscema, Terry Austin
#108	"The Moon-Eaters of Darfar!"				John Buscema

References: Primarily comic books themselves. Except, issues #78, #95, and #101, where reference is Conan the Barbarian at the Comic Book DB. Cover artists were not always clearly documented; Comic Book DB was in great help with them. Some of the clear cover artists were not documented even in Comic Book DB though.

King-Size Annual

Giant-Size Annual since #10 (1986).

Issues

Issue	Title	Writer	Penciller	I/E	Cover	Notes
#1 1973	"Lair of the Beast-Men" Re: Conan the Barbarian #2	Roy Thomas	Barry Smith	SBi	Barry Smith	[4]
	"The Tower of the Elephant" Re: Conan the Barbarian #4					[7]
#2 1976	"Conan the Cimmerian, Prologue"		John Buscema & Yong Montano	JBi, YMi
	"The Phoenix on the Sword", #2: "Ring of Evil"		Vincente Alcazar & Yong Montano	VAi, YMi		[68]
#3 1977	"At the Mountain of the Moon-God", #2: "Where Dark Death Soars" Re: Savage Sword of Conan #3		John Buscema & Pablo Marcos	JBi, PMi	John Buscema & Ernie Chan	[43][69]
	"The Beast from the Abyss" Re: Savage Sword of Conan #2	Steve Englehart	Howard Chaykin & The Crusty Bunkers	HCi, CBi		[70][71]
#4 1978	"The Return of the Conqueror", #2: "The Mark of the Manotaur", #3: "Siege and Slaughter"	Roy Thomas	John Buscema & Ernie Chan	JBi, ECi		[72][73]
#5 1979	"Bride of the Conqueror"				John Buscema
#6 1981	"King of the Forgotten People"		Gil Kane	GKi	Gil Kane	[74]
#7 1982	"Red Shadows and Black Kraken"		John Buscema	DBe, RVe, AGe	John Buscema	[75][76]
#8 1983	"Dark Knight of the White Queen"	Jim Owsley	Val Mayerik	VMi	Val Mayerik
#9 1984	"Wrath of the Shambling God"	Michael Fleisher	Ernie Chan	ECi	Ernie Chan
#10 1986	"Scorched Earth"	Jim Owsley
#11	"Bride of the Oculist"	James C. Owsley
#12 1987	"Legion of the Deah"		Vince Giarrano			[77][43]

References: Primarily comic books themselves. Secondarily Conan the Barbarian at the Comic Book DB

Awards

• 1971 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards

Best Continuing Feature: Conan the Barbarian

• 1971 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards

Best Writer (Dramatic): Roy Thomas

• 1973 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards

Best Individual Story (Dramatic): Song of Red Sonja

• 1974 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards

Best Continuing Feature: Conan the Barbarian

Best Penciller (Dramatic): John Buscema

Superior Achievement by an Individual: Roy Thomas

See also

• Conan (Marvel Comics)
• Conan (comics)

Notes

1. ^ Comic World (UK) #37, March 1995, reprinted in Comic Book Artist #21. August 2002, p.31b. Interview conducted October 2, 1994.
2. ^ Alter Ego vol. 3, #70 (July 2007): "Writing Comics Turned Out to Be What I Really Wanted to Do with My Life" (Roy Thomas interview), p. 5-6
3. ^ ^{a b} Issue #22 reprints the issue #1 story, "The Coming of Conan". The versions are almost identical. A box on page 1 apologies for the rerun. The page numbering from the art pages (except page 4) is removed because in the original version pages 12 & 13 were only halves. The coloring of the last page was altered (added yellow, reduced blue).
4. ^ ^{a b} Conan the Barbarian Annual #1 (1973) reprints Conan the Barbarian #2 (1970) story, "Lair of the Beast-Men". Prints apparently identical, except in the original version pages 12 and 13 are only half of a page. In reprinted version they are printed on same page and page number 13 is changed to 12 (both numbers are left visible). The page numbering of the rest of the pages are reduced with one to keep numbering logical. On the first page of the reprint added, "Nominated for Best Short, 1971, by the Academy of Comic-Book Arts."
5. ^ Freely adapted from Robert E. Howard's story "The Grey God Passes".
6. ^ Adapted from the story "The Tower of the Elephant" by Robert E. Howard.
7. ^ ^{a b} Conan the Barbarian Annual #1 (1973) reprints Conan the Barbarian #4 (1971) story, "The Tower of the Elephant". Prints apparently identical, except on the first page of the reprint added, "Nominated for Best Story, 1972, by the Academy of Comic-Book Arts." Also, reprint version's info box erased from the same page and now you can see more artwork on lowest frame than in the original version. Title's last two figures, "T" and "!", redrawn and added an asterisk at the end of the title (in reprint version).
8. ^ Story inspired by Robert E. Howard's poem "Zukala's Hour".
9. ^ Freely adapted from Robert E. Howard's story "The God in the Bowl".
10. ^ Adapted from the story "The Keepers of the Crypt" by Robert E. Howard.
11. ^ Based on the story "The Garden of Fear" by Robert E. Howard.
12. ^ Adapted from the story "Rogues in the House" by Robert E. Howard.
13. ^ "Tales of the Hyborian Age" (no Conan involved).
14. ^ Gil Kane and Roy Thomas (as they are) hosts of the story.
15. ^ Story plotted by John Jakes (author of "Brak, the Barbarian").
16. ^ Story plotted by Michael Moorcock (creator of Elric of Melniboné) and James Cawthorn.
17. ^ 1974 printed the original B&W version in Savage Sword of Conan #1. During coloring half naked girl overdrawn for less provocative output.
18. ^ Adapted from the story "The Gods of Bal-Sagoth" by Robert E. Howard.
19. ^ Inspired in part by the story "The Black Stone" by Robert E. Howard.
20. ^ Freely adapted from the story "The Shadow of the Vulture" by Robert E. Howard.
21. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Red Sonja involved.
22. ^ Also colors by artist.
23. ^ Inspired in part by the story "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" by Robert E. Howard. Co-plotted by Barry Smith.
24. ^ Freely adapted from the story "The Blood of Belshazzar" by Robert E. Howard.
25. ^ Freely adapted from the story "Moon of Zembabwei" by Robert E. Howard.
26. ^ Freely adapted from the story "Two Against Tyre" by Robert E. Howard.
27. ^ Adapted from the story "The Hand of Nergal" by Robert E. Howard & Lin Carter.
28. ^ Freely adapted from Norvell Page's novel "Flame Winds".
29. ^ Freely adapted from the story "The Fire of Asshurbanipal" by Robert E. Howard.
30. ^ Juma is the creation of L. Sprague de Camp & Lin Carter.
31. ^ Inspired by the short story "The Curse of the Golden Skull" by Robert E. Howard.
32. ^ Freely adapted from the story "The House of Arabu" by Robert E. Howard.
33. ^ Adapted from a plot by Michael Resnick (author of Goddess of Ganymede).
34. ^ Originally presented in Journey into Mystery #45.
35. ^ Bears coincidental recemblance to "Ghoul's Garden" by John Jake printed in Flashing Swords #2.
36. ^ Freely adapted from "The Purple Heart of Erlik" by Robert E. Howard.
37. ^ Freely adapted from a story "Tower of Blood" by David A. English.
38. ^ Verse, 1957, 1972, by Glenn Lord.
39. ^ ^{a b c} Freely adapted from the Belmont novel "Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse" by Gardner F. Fox.
40. ^ Includes "The Dawning" (Conan in his early teens), a pinup by Tim Conrad.
41. ^ Red Sonja solo. No Conan involved.
42. ^ Inspired by the story "The Altar and the Scorpion" by Robert E. Howard.
43. ^ ^{a b c d} King Kull involved.
44. ^ Freely adapted from an episode by Robert E. Howard.
45. ^ Adapted from the story "Queen of the Black Coast" by Robert E. Howard and will be run till issue #100 (visiting on a way into other adaptations as well).
46. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v} Bêlit involved.
47. ^ Red Sonja, Jenna, Amytis, Melissandra and Fatima mentioned with pics.
48. ^ Amra involved.
49. ^ Freely adapted from a plot by John Jakes.
50. ^ Freely adapted from the story "The Thunder Rider" by Robert E. Howard.
51. ^ A sequel for Conan the Barbarian #66 and Red Sonja #6.
52. ^ Freely adapted from the story "Out of the Deep" by Robert E. Howard.
53. ^ Freely adapted from the story "Marchers of Valhalla" by Robert E. Howard.
54. ^ Freely adapted from a plot by Robert E. Howard.
55. ^ ^{a b} Freely adapted from the story "The Lost Valley of Iskander" by Robert E. Howard.
56. ^ Freely adapted from story "Black Canaan" by Robert E. Howard
57. ^ ^{a b c} Zula the swordsman and sorcerer involved.
58. ^ Adapted from the story "Demons at the Summit" by Björn Nyberg.
59. ^ Majority of the story redrawn! Pay attention, the original version is under slightly different name, "Demons of the Summit".
60. ^ A brief look at the time of Conan, from the essay by Robert E. Howard.
61. ^ A tale of young Conan. Story takes place in between issues #2 and #3.
62. ^ Adapted from the story "The Thing in the Crypt" by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter.
63. ^ A part of the scene in Conan the movie was from this story.
64. ^ Poem, "Sea-Woman" copyright 1970 by Glenn Lord.
65. ^ Red Sonja with pict but no name mention, only as a "red haired woman".
66. ^ Freely adapted from the story "The People of the Black Coast".
67. ^ A double-size issue. The conclusion of the adaptation of the story "Queen of the Black Coast" by Robert E. Howard, which started in issue #58.
68. ^ Adapted from the story "The Phoenix on the Sword" by Robert E. Howard.
69. ^ All B&W shades inked black. All negative text boxes relettered and redrawn white with color background.
70. ^ Adapted from the story "Black Abyss" by Robert E. Howard & Lin Carter.
71. ^ During reprint and coloring all screened text boxes relettered and redrawn white with color background.
72. ^ Zenobia involved. Red Sonja, Bêlit and Valeria mentioned with pics.
73. ^ "Bride of the Conqueror" in Annual #5 (1979) is a sequel for "The Return of the Conqueror" in Annual #4 (1978).
74. ^ Adaptation from the story "King of the Forgotten People" by Robert E. Howard.
75. ^ Based on the novel "Conan of the Isles" by L. Sprague de Camp & Lin Carter. A tale of King Conan's latter days. The story is only part of the novel.
76. ^ Includes also pin-ups, "Barbarians", by Franc Reyes.
77. ^ Plot assistant Val Semeiks. Sequel in Conan the Barbarian #200.

References

• Conan the Barbarian at the Comic Book DB