Getting into Conan, The Barbarian; have questions

[shaxper]

Couldn't wait until my Complete Chronicles of Conan arrived, so I went to the library and borrowed the Del Rey collections. I read Howard's Hyborean Age essay first tonight. It was a little tiresome, but I absolutely appreciated all the thought he'd clearly put into his universe, as well as how utterly believable so much of the history was.

Next up is the Cimmeria poem, and then I start reading the actual stories.

[berk]

Another thing - those who enjoy Barry (Windsor-)Smith's artwork in the early issues of Conan would be well advised to check out his Ka-Zar stories in Astonishing Tales. The first two issues had Ka-Zar by Jack Kirby just before he left Marvel. Barry took over with issue #3, whose cover date was the same as Conan #2's. He did four consecutive issues, #3-6, the last coming out the same month as Conan #6. Then Barry came back to draw a full-length story in AT #10, which is dated between Conan #13 and #14. Very interesting work, not often reprinted or remarked on.

Yes, I remember reading those Astonishing Tales issues at the time and you're right, (Windsor-)Smith's artwork was remarkable. I was a very young reader at the time, but was still very struck by how different his style was from everyone else's, and how effective.

In December. If the production values are anything like Creepy Presents Richard Corben, it's going to be a lovely HC indeed.

Looking forward to it even more now. Next time I get a free day I'll have to try to get a look at the Corben one in a bookstore somewhere.

Couldn't wait until my Complete Chronicles of Conan arrived, so I went to the library and borrowed the Del Rey collections. I read Howard's Hyborean Age essay first tonight. It was a little tiresome, but I absolutely appreciated all the thought he'd clearly put into his universe, as well as how utterly believable so much of the history was.

Next up is the Cimmeria poem, and then I start reading the actual stories.

I think the Hyborean essay is more interesting to read after you immerse yourself a bit in the stories rather than beforehand. Is that the same piece Walt Simonson illustrated in SSoC way back? I remember really liking that - still think it's one of the best things Simonson's ever done.

[CromagnonMan]

I read Howard's Hyborean Age essay first tonight. It was a little tiresome, but I absolutely appreciated all the thought he'd clearly put into his universe, as well as how utterly believable so much of the history was.

You've actually read that all the way through? You did better than me

[Roquefort Raider]

Blasphemy, by Crom!

[shaxper]

You've actually read that all the way through? You did better than me

It's actually pretty cool, towards the end, when he attempts to connect all the races of the Hyborean Age to the races of today. The Cimmerians end up being the Mongols.

[FanboyStranger]

Owsley did a couple of great annuals on CtB with Ernie Chan and I thoroughly enjoyed his Spider Man vs. Wolverine one-shot. Props to a solid writer who doesn't get mentioned enough.

He changed his name to Christopher Priest in the early '90s, and he's had acclaimed runs on Quantum and Woody (his own title) and Black Panther. No fantasy stuff, though.

[Jezebel Bond]

Although I'm not the biggest fan of Conan per se, I do have a sprinkling of issues. However, what has caught my eye a couple of times is the cover to Marvel Treasury 15. It's one of those books I'd buy initially for its eyecatching cover if nothing else.



Is this a reprint of selected issues, or original material?

[MRP]

I believe all the Treasury Editions were reprints. I don't have that one, but I do have #4 which features all Conan reprints. The other treasuries I have are reprint collections as well.

-M

[Rob Allen]

I believe all the Treasury Editions were reprints.

Not so! Many were reprints, but many were mostly or all original, like the Superman vs. Spider-Man Treasury that started the whole category.

That Conan Treasury is reprints except for three pages of pinups and the front & back covers: http://www.comics.org/issue/30603/

[An Ear In The Fireplace]

I bought Marvel Treasury Edition 15 when it came out. It reprinted three Conan stories that I didn't have--Conan 24, featuring "The Song of Red Sonja" (art by BWS); Savage Tales 4, "Night of the Dark God" (art by Kane & Adams), first time in colour; Savage Sword of Conan 2, "Black Colossus" (art by JB & Alcala), first time in colour--all stories by RT.

[destro]

I read the original Conan REH stories when I was 11 or 12 years old. I loved them in then started to seek out the Conan comic and SSOC magazine.

I collected the comics on and off for a few years, but it never quite clicked with me. The adaptations were okay, but neutered. The non adaptations were kind of all over the place in quality.

I'm not usually a big fan of more sex and graphic violence in comics, but Conan is actually one character that needs that and for obvious reasons Marvel could only go so far with that sort of thing.

I just never came across any Marvel Conan stories that could come close to the originals in quality or entertainment for me. Not to say I didn't enjoy some of them, but the series never lived up to what I wished it would be. The main enjoyment I got from them was the John Buscema artwork.

[berk]

Although I'm not the biggest fan of Conan per se, I do have a sprinkling of issues. However, what has caught my eye a couple of times is the cover to Marvel Treasury 15. It's one of those books I'd buy initially for its eyecatching cover if nothing else.



Is this a reprint of selected issues, or original material?

It's reprints, but worth getting because at least one story appears here in colour for the only time - it was one of those Buscema/Alcala stories from the black and white Savage Sword of Conan. I probably prefer the original b&w version, but it's interesting to see it in colour and this version does have its own appeal.

[Roquefort Raider]

It's actually pretty cool, towards the end, when he attempts to connect all the races of the Hyborean Age to the races of today. The Cimmerians end up being the Mongols.

Ah, I beg to differ but they weren't connected to the Mongols; they turned out to be the historical Cimmerians, who dwelt in Anatolia and are mentioned in Herodotus' histories. They're referred to as "Gomer" in the Bible. The closest we have to the Mongols' forebears in Howard's essay are the Turanians, whose descendents were the Turko-Mongol tribes of Asia.

You can take the nerd out of The Hyborian age, but you can't take the Hyborian age out of the nerd!

[LEADER DESSLOK]

Some CONAN goodies:

WHAT IF #13-What IF Conan Walked The Earth Today?

WHAT IF #43- What if Conan Was trapped in the 20th Century? (Sequel. See the shock of Gang-Leader Conan when Captain America TOSSES his shield at him!)

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN VOLS. 1-5 (Dark Horse; Roy Thomas era)

THE COMING OF CONAN THE CIMMERIAN (REH stories under one cover. Circa 2008)

QUESTION: How many volumes are in the most recent series reprinting of the Thomas\Windsor-Smith material and what is the precise title?

Also, I'm surprised no one mentioned Mike Grell's WARLORD series, which I've been hunting down or DC's "faux Conan" series CLAW which I believe was drawn by Ernie Chan!

[shaxper]

THE COMING OF CONAN THE CIMMERIAN (REH stories under one cover. Circa 2008)

If you're talking about the Del Rey volume, it's only volume 1 of 3.

QUESTION: How many volumes are in the most recent series reprinting of the Thomas\Windsor-Smith material and what is the precise title?

It's the Barry Windsor-Smith Conan Archives. They've only done two volumes (volume 1 stops at #11, volume 2 contains ten more issues, but I believe it skips one). I keep waiting to see if they'll do a third since I prefer that format to the Chronicles of Conan editions, but I find it problematic that they named it the Barry Windsor Smith Conan Archives. That means the volumes can't go further than the point when BWS leaves (when does that happen, anyway?).