Conan (Marvel Comics)

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Marvel Comics introduced a fairly faithful version of Conan the Barbarian in 1970 with Conan the Barbarian, written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith. He was succeeded after several issues by penciller John Buscema, while Thomas continued to write for many years. Later writers included J.M. DeMatteis, Bruce Jones, Michael Fleisher, Doug Moench, Jim Owsley, Alan Zelenetz, Chuck Dixon, and Don Kraar. Although many artists worked on the different Marvel Conan comic-books at one time or the other, only a few apart from Windsor-Smith and Buscema produced more than a handful of stories. The most prolific include Ernie Chan, Alfredo Alcala, Gil Kane, Rafael Kayanan, Mike Docherty, Val Semeiks, and Gary Kwapisz.

John 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 author Lin Carter's barbarian hero Thongor had been the company's first choice when Marvel decided to published a licensed fantasy character, rather than Conan: Publisher Martin 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 like 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]

Contents

[edit] 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

[edit] Core appearances

An interior panel of "The Tower of the Elephant" comic adaptation by Roy Thomas featuring the art of John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. The original short story was written by Robert E. Howard and first appeared in a 1933 issue of Weird Tales magazine.
An interior panel of "The Tower of the Elephant" comic adaptation by Roy Thomas featuring the art of John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala.

The original short story was written by Robert E. Howard and first appeared in a 1933 issue of Weird Tales magazine.
  • Conan the Barbarian (1970–1993), 275 issues
  • Savage Tales (1971–1975), first 5 issues
  • The Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian (1974–1995), 235 issues
  • Conan the Barbarian Annual (1973–1987), 12 issues
  • Giant-Size Conan (1974–1975), 5 issues
  • The Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian Annual (1975), 1 issue
  • Newspaper Strip (September 4 1978-April 12 1981), 16 stories
  • King Conan/Conan the King (1980–1989), 55 issues
  • Handbook of the Conan Universe (1985), 1 issue
  • Conan the Adventurer (1994–1995), 14 issues
  • Conan (1995–1996), 11 issues
  • Conan the Savage (1995–1996), 10 issues

[edit] Comic Strip Stories (Dailies and Sundays)

  1. The Coming of Conan, Roy Thomas & John Buscema
    (Sep 4, 1978 - Sep 9, 1978)
  2. The Wizard's Daughter, Roy Thomas & John Buscema
    (Sep 10, 1978 - Oct 21, 1978)
  3. Red Sonja, Roy Thomas, John Buscema & Ernie Chan
    (Oct 22, 1978 - Dec 24, 1978)
  4. The Slavers, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
    (Dec 25, 1978 - Feb 10, 1979)
  5. The Stolen City, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
    (Feb 11, 1979 - Mar 25, 1979)
  6. The People of the Cataclysm, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
    (Mar 26, 1979 - Jun 10, 1979)
  7. The Castle of Vincenzo, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
    (Jun 11, 1979 - Aug 26, 1979)
  8. The Rescue of King Sohram, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
    (Aug 26, 1979 - Oct 28, 1979)
  9. Bride of the Black Book, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
    (Oct 29, 1979 - Dec 22, 1979)
  10. Red Sonja and Thulsa Doom, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
    (Dec 23, 1979 - Mar 15, 1980)
  11. The Jewel of the Ages, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
    (Mar 16, 1980 - Apr 27, 1980)
  12. Treasure Ship, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
    (Apr 28, 1980 - Jun 22, 1980)
  13. Island Warrior, Roy Thomas & Ernie Chan
    (Jun 23, 1980 - Aug 27, 1980)
  14. The Plague Demon, Roy Thomas & Alfredo Alcala
    (Aug 28, 1980 - Oct 19, 1980)
  15. The Tower of the Elephant, Roy Thomas, Rudy Nebres, Pablo Marcus & Alan Kupperburg
    (Oct 20, 1980 - Jan 3, 1981)
  16. Revenge of the Son of Yara the Wizard Priest, Roy Thomas, Doug Moench, Alan Kupperburg, Pablo Marcus & Tom Yeates
    (Jan 4, 1981 - Apr 12, 1981)

[edit] Marvel graphic novels

  • The Witch Queen of Acheron (Marvel Graphic Novel [MGN] #19, 1985)
  • Conan the Reaver (MGN #28, 1987)
  • Conan of the Isles (MGN #42, 1988)
  • The Skull of Set (MGN #53, 1989)
  • The Horn of Azoth (MGN #59, 1990)
  • Conan the Rogue (MGN #69, 1991)
  • The Ravagers Out of Time (MGN #73, 1992)

[edit] Marvel Conan the Barbarian miniseries

  • Conan the Barbarian vol. 2 (1997), 3 issues
  • Stalker of the Woods (1997), 3 issues
  • The Usurper (1997–1998), 3 issues
  • Lord of the Spiders (1998), 3 issues
  • River of Blood (1998), 3 issues
  • Return of Styrm (1998), 3 issues
  • Scarlet Sword (1998–1999), 3 issues
  • Death Covered in Gold (1999), 3 issues
  • Flame and the Fiend (2000), 3 issues

[edit] Marvel Universe appearances in the modern day

  • What If: Vol. 1 #13 Conan briefly appears in the modern world and walks past Peter Parker and Mary Jane.
  • What If: Vol.1 #43 In the sequel to What If? 13, Conan fights Captain America.
  • What If: Vol.2 #16 Conan fights Wolverine (in his own time) and briefly a Skrull, a Kree, and amidst the death of Jean Grey on the moon, throws a rock at Cyclops' head.
  • Avengers Forever #12 (1998) This was Kurt Busiek's first writing of Conan. The Conan in this comic (1 panel) was the same Conan as the one in What if? #43. he appeared with Doom 2099, Giant Man, Capt. Marvel, Black Panther, Thor, Iron Man, Jocast, Capt. America, Triathlon, She-Hulk and other Avengers.
  • Excalibur #47 with Satyrnine.
  • Fantastic Four #405 fighting Ant-man, Iron Man 2020, and Zarko.
  • Tomb Of Dracula #27 (19??) no info available
  • Incomplete Death's Head #11 where he appears in one panel with Rocket Raccoon, Dr. Doom, Thor, Death's Head, Human Torch and others.
  • Green Goblin #10 What appears to be a robot of Conan fights Green Goblin in Arcade's Murderworld. But the robot acts like the real deal (Conan is pictured on the cover with Hulk, Colossus, Green Goblin, Captain America, the Thing and others).
  • Paradise X:Heralds #1 What may be a reincarnated Conan (and Red Sonja) by Kulan Gath appears (sensu the current Red Sonja/Spiderman series where Gath brings back Red Sonja in Mary Jane) and is apparently killed by Hyperion before issue 2 begins.

The following occur in the Hyborean age:

  • Dr. Strange #11 (volume 3, 19??) versus Varnae
  • Dr. Strange #26 (volume 3, 19??) apparently a panel versus a werewolf
  • Thor Corps 3 Conan appears with an astronaut.
  • What If: Vol.1 #39 with Thor.
  • Conan #249-250 with Red Sonja, he fights Varnae, the first vampire (who has fought Dr. Strange and Thor).
  • Conan vs Rune (1995) Obviously, he fights Rune.
  • Conan #4 (1995) Also fighting Rune.
  • Savage Sword of Conan #?-? with Solomon Kane.

Note: At least some of these appearances (e.g. What if?, Avengers Forever, and Excalibur), if not all, were not of Conan from Earth-616.

[edit] Miscellaneous appearances

[edit] Reprints

  • Conan the Barbarian (1978 to 1979), six paperback-sized books published by Ace Books/Tempo Star. Reprints issues 1–3 (vol. 1); 4–6 (vol. 2); 7–9 (vol. 3); 10–11 (vol. 4); 12 (first story), 13 and 16 (vol. 5); 12 (second story), 14–17 and 87 (second story) (vol. 6).
  • Conan the Barbarian – Special Edition (1983), Red Nails
  • Conan Saga (1987–1995), 97 issues
  • Conan Classic (1994–1995), 11 issues
  • Marvel Treasury Edition, issues 4, 15, 19 and 23
  • Marvel Super Special, issues 2, 9, 21 and 35
  • Essential Conan (2000), 1 issue

[edit] References

  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