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| Characters copyright CPI |
You may remember me telling you about a pal, to whom I used to give loads of comics whenever I was making some space for new ones. Occasionally, I'd regret having parted with an odd comic or two (usually when re-reading them in his house) and ask if he'd mind terribly much relinquishing them back into my possession. I know what you're thinking - Indian-giver! (Is that considered racist these days?) However, it was only a handful in total, so he still came out well ahead in the long-run.
One such ish was CONAN The BARBARIAN #57 - "INCIDENT In ARGOS!" There was just something about that wonderful MIKE PLOOG splash page that so evocatively conjured up the smell of the sea, the heat of the sun, the hustle and bustle of the busy port of Argos - sang to me, in fact, and practically transported me to that enchanted time between the sinking of ATLANTIS and the dawn of recorded history that is the legendary HYBORIAN AGE.
I've still got that very same issue from 1975 and it still resonates with me in the exact same way even after all these years. Being the kind and generous person I am, I thought I'd share a few pages with you here. If you're smart, you'll get straight over to eBay and try and track down a copy of this classic issue for yourself. Just look at that splash page again. I swear I can almost hear the cry of the gulls swirling in the sky above, calling to me not only across the years from the '70s, but also from centuries ago when the tale is supposed to have first taken place.
Go on - grab yourself a copy as soon as you can! And just so you know exactly what you're looking for, below is a picture of the cover in question - by GIL KANE, no less! Excelsior, by CROM!
Tara the hoyden acrobat, in her jester outfit, is one of my favourite members of Conan's supporting cast. But then she was shuffled offstage with her colourless soldier boyfriend to make way for years of the self-obsessed, amoral Belit.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, Tara was the name of our first German Shepherd. (Zara was her successor.) However, I don't recall that character, Dougie - although I do remember Belit. I'll have to replace some of my Buscema colour Conan comics - they were pretty nifty.
ReplyDeleteGot my copy after I read this, it's a bit yellower than yours though and the print quality is a bit smudgy in comparison. It's got a US price label, I don't know if that means it was the tail end of a longer run or something. Still a great comic though, thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it, Spider. My copy might not be that much better than yours, quality-wise. I give the images a boost when I post them.
ReplyDelete******
Dougie, when I published the post, I hadn't read the issue in some time. I re-read it just after replying to your comment and noticed that the Tara you mention is in the tale. I remember her now.