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| CONAN characters copyright CPI |
Still on the theme of Conan, thought I'd show you some images from the latest issue, newly arrived today, Crivvies. This was a difficult ish to procure for some reason, as the first seller I advance-ordered it from eventually said his source wasn't able to supply him with sufficient numbers to fulfil his orders, so I had to buy it from elsewhere. Regarding the cover (variant B), I've had a poster of this Neal Adams illo on one of my walls since around 1975*, which came free in #1 of the UK weekly SSOC (not to be confused with the later UK monthly edition). I may well call it quits with this issue, given the difficulty in obtaining it, though it's a real treat to see these formerly b&w tales sensitively coloured for a new (and not-so-new) readership.
If you have any thoughts on these images being 'colourised' then feel free to share. After all, it's always good to get 'mail'. (McS - did you hear? I said Neal Adams!)
(*To be more precise, it's a replacement I acquired around '84 or '85, my first one being damaged in '83, though it's still an original UK poster from '75.)
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I really like the colour in these stories which compliment the original black and white tales. I haven't read issue 3 yet as I started travelling around that time but plan to look at that issue soon to take in the wonderful Adams art in full colour. The issue 4 story, Black Colossus is one of my very favourite Conan stories so I will be picking this up on my next visit to Forbidden Planet
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I'll have read the tale at some point in my life, McS, but it would've been decades ago, so I'm looking forward to getting a moment to sit down with a cuppa and reading it again, hopefully tonight or tomorrow. The colouring is subtle and not over-the-top and gives the art a whole new dimension.
DeleteI saw this cover a long time ago & really liked Neal Adams artistry.
ReplyDeleteI also thought that Tim Conrad's style was reminiscent of later Barry Windsor Smith's.
I used to have the the 3 issues of Marvel's Kull & the Barbarians, which was a similar publication to Savage Sword of Conan. It covered some of Robert E. Howard's other characters. (Bran Mak Morn, King Kull, Solomon Kane). Tim Conrad contributed some art to this publication. Did you get this publication in your country?
I'm not familiar with Tim Conrad's style, or even his name, come to that, JC, and I don't know whether Marvel's Kull & The Barbarians was ever available in the UK or not, but I don;t remember ever seeing it. Having said that, I can see no reason why it wouldn't have been sold here, so perhaps it was. Any Crivvies know for sure?
DeleteSilly me, I just noticed the fourth image is by Tim Conrad, JC, and you're right - his style is similar to BWS's when he was at the height of his powers.
DeleteJeffrey, yes we got the Kull and the Barbarians mag in the UK. I picked up the first issue and issue 3 back in the day .
DeleteThere you go then, JC, and it's even possible I bought one of them but just forgot.
DeleteI remember that cover from the UK Conan monthly around late 1978 but I didn't know it had been a poster in #1 of the Conan weekly because my first issue of that comic was #2 - in fact I only bought two issues out of the entire 18-issue run, #2 and one near the end of the run.
ReplyDeleteYou missed out on quite a few Marvel UK number ones, didn't you, CJ? Write out 100 lines - "I must pay more attention to what Marvel UK (now Panini) is publishing,"
DeleteI did try to get The Titans #1, Kid, but it wasn't available. My first #1 issue was Captain Britain.
ReplyDeleteAll the Marvel UK #1s are awaiting you on eBay, CJ. It's not too late. Go on, take up a hobby before you croak.
DeleteToday is David Attenborough's 100th birthday!
ReplyDeleteGiven the amount of times it's been mentioned in the media over the last couple or so months, CJ, I doubt there's anyone in the country who doesn't know it's DA's 100th birthday today. (He'll soon be as old as you.)
DeleteToday is also the first anniversary of Pope Leo's election - did you know THAT, Kid?
ReplyDeleteCan't remember whether I read about it or not, CJ, but it's not the sort of thing I'd bother about anyway. Why do you fill your head with such pointless facts, old yin?
DeleteFacts are never pointless, Kid!
ReplyDeleteWrong! Facts can often be pointless, CJ. Keir Starmer is a fact - and he's certainly pointless.
DeleteFinally picked up a copy of Reforged #4, Kid. You're right that the colours have been applied very sympathetically indeed. Would have liked to have seen information identifying where the stories first appeared. Also a strange typo that the inking credit for Alfredo Alcala just reads "ALFREDO". Seems the book is missing a good copy editor.
ReplyDeleteI thought that myself with a couple of issues, B. but if any mistakes were in the original printings, perhaps they just decided to keep them as they were/are. Did you get the issue with the Adams cover?
DeleteYes - I got the issue with the Adams cover. One of Adams' iconic images. I had the poster of the cover from the UK Conan Weekly #1 affixed to my bedroom wall with blu-tack back in 1975. No idea what happened to it. I do have the US Savage Sword of Conan #2 with the Adams cover. I'll have to compare the colour and B&W versions of Black Colossus.
ReplyDeleteThat poster currently resides on my wall at the mo, B, though it's an '84/'85 replacement for my original, which got damaged in 1983 when moving house. The replacement has now been with me for 40-odd years, far longer than the original. Thing is, I bought two copies of SSOC in '75, which I still have, one for the poster to hang on my wall, the other to keep untouched with poster intact. However, I wasn't going to extract the poster from my other copy to put on the wall so it's slept in its comic for 50-plus years. Still in pristine condition too. I bought another spare copy of the poster via eBay a few short years ago, just in case it's ever needed, as well as the poster from the first ish of the UK monthly of SSOC..
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