This John Severin pin-up of King Kull standing by his army appeared in Kull and the Barbarians #1, 1975. Severin helped launch the King Kull color comic, and most notably worked on the Sgt Fury and Hulk. Nuff Said!
Also in this series:
King Kull, Red Sonja, Solomon Kane by Neal Adams
Barry Windsor-Smith first bid Marvel adieu in the 1970s after he left the Conan series. But he returned from time to time, working on special projects, such as his contributions to Epic Illustrated.
This particular cover for the August 1981 issue, featuring a warrior about to enter a walled city, shows that Smith still retained his mastery over all things sword and sorcery.
The February 1983 cover depicts an "epic" crash landing in a lush pond and surrounding forest.
Epic Illustrated was the Marvel Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, edited by the late legendary Archie Goodwin. While Epic featured occasional stories of Marvel characters like Galactus and the Silver Surfer, it featured independent work by creators. It was a first for Marvel, to publish stories where creators retained the ownership and copyright. This paved the way for Goodwin to start the Epic line of comics, where an incredible array of creator-owned comics were published--Dreadstar, Coyote, Moonshadow, Groo, and many others. Nuff Said!
This Solomon Kane pinup, by Berni Wrightson, appeared in Kull and the Barbarians #2 in 1975.
As usual, Wrightson works wonders with Kane fighting a monster in the shadows on a moonlit night. Too bad we never got to see Wrightson draw a full length Robert E Howard story!
One thing I always think about when looking at Wrightson and Barry Smith. In addition to everything else, they are great at drawing natural scenery, such as grass, weeds, plants, and trees. Nuff said!
This Red Sonja pinup, by Howard Chaykin, appeared in Kull and the Barbarians #3 in 1975.
Chaykin drew a number of Sonja stories for Marvel, including her origin story. I always thought there was something great about Chaykin's style applied to swords and sorcery.
Neal Adams did great work on Savage Tales covers featuring Conan, but did you know about this piece featuring Robert E. Howard's other heroes? It was published in a Marvel black and white magazine called Kull and the Barbarians (issue #1, 1975).
King Kull and Red Sonja. Kull's tiger totem rages in the background, while Sonja looks rather shyly toward the viewer. It was an interesting choice to depict Sonja this way rather than baring her sword and looking feisty.
The Roman era Bran Mak Morn and the puritanical Solomon Kane. Adams and his Crusty Bunkers crew also inked a couple of Kane stories. By now you can tell these two images are connected together, with the fallen tree connecting all these characters together.
Neal Adams did a great job here. Every time I look at these Robert E Howard characters, I also think that Roy Thomas is the man responsible for their popularity. I can't believe there is a Solomon Kane movie on the horizon in 2010. Nuff said!
One of my favorite Marvel magazines of all time was Savage Tales #2, featuring Barry Smith's Red Nails adaption. I blogged about that giant-size wonder earlier this year. Apparently Red Nails made Savage Tales a hit, and editor Roy Thomas commissioned Neal Adams to do three covers that would spin the magazine in a different direction.
Savage Tales #3 (1974) features Conan going berserk, about to behead another barbarian before he can defile that babe in the metal bikini. I think it's terrific; Adams always excelled at portraying characters losing themselves in rage. A painting like this could sell a comic, regardless of the content inside (which happened to be quite good in this case). Adams also did a series of paintings for a line of Tarzan paperbacks, which again, were quite irresistible.
The baton was passed from Conan to Ka-Zar in Savage Tales #4 (1974). If one barbarian magazine was successful, why not two? (If one Deadpool book is successful, if one Wolverine book is successful, if one X-Men book...you get the idea.) This was Conan's last appearance in Savage Tales before Roy Thomas spun him off in his own super-giant magazine, Savage Sword of Conan. It would be up to Ka-Zar and Zabu to carry ST forward. Zabu looks very intimidating here, doesn't he?
This cover always made me think that a time travelling team-up between Conan and Ka-Zar would have been a nifty idea.
Ka-Zar took cover the masthead in Savage Tales #5 (1974), with another rip-roaring cover. Within this painting, Adams captured all the elements that should make Ka-Zar a fantastic series. He's surrounded by prehistoric creatures, about to get his chest ripped to shreds, with Zabu the Sabretooth Tiger as his backup. And the requisite modern babe in the foreground waiting to be rescued. Shanna the She-Devil and SHIELD agent Bobbi Morse (who later became Mockingbird) joined Ka-Zar in subsequent issues.
Notice also that the figures of Ka-Zar and Zabu from issue #4 were used on the corner masthead. Nuff said.
John Byrne drew this pinup of Red Sonja in 1975. I thought he captured everything great about this character in a single pinup. Beyond her beauty, the way she carries that sword would make you think twice about propositioning her!
Red Sonja graduated from the pages of Conan to her own series, beginning in Marvel Feature #1, also circa 1975. This title, written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Frank Thorne, lasted seven issues. You can see from this cover to issue #6 that Mr. Thorne had an unmistakable art style.
Dave Cockrum drew this great pinup featuring Storm and Red Sonja, where they swap costumes. It’s hilarious to see Storm wearing Sonja’s metal bikini, and her thought balloon says Good Lord—This bra is enormous! It’s cold too! Near Cockrum’s signature he says Heh Sorry, Ladies. I think we all celebrate Cockrum’s art and design, but let’s not forget his fantastic sense of humor!
If you’re in the mood for more laughter, check out Storm critiquing Ms. Marvel’s costume. Nuff said.
Jim Steranko's two volume History of Comics was my favorite history book ever. I read it as a kid and learned about the origins of comic books, which actually started before comics were even published--in the Pulp Magazines. Magazines like Weird Tales, where Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian appeared, had great cover paintings.
Steranko's barbarian covers recall the glory of the pulp covers, but add his own inimitable style.
Creatures on the Loose #1 featured Gulliver Jones standing over a princess he's just rescued, right after he slaughtered an entire army. Pulp covers often portrayed men in their grittiest moments, while the woman on the cover was left in pristine form. I love the color scheme on this cover. The dead warriors in the foreground are red, the planet in the background is blue. Was Steranko drawing Gulliver Jones or John Carter?
Thongor made his first appearance in the next issue, Creatures on the Loose #22--another way for Marvel to cash-in on the barbarian craze that Conan had ignited. The pulpish influence can be seen in the form of the woman on the steps--lying unconscious, with her backside facing the reader. I swear I've seen that same pose in either a pulp magazine or a Frazetta cover. Again, the hero is standing above the heroine, ready to hack and slash anything that comes to attack her.
Great covers! Steranko advertised his own creation, Talon, in his magazine ComicsScene. I was really excited about that, but if I recall correctly, it was never published. Please tell me if I am wrong. Nuff said.
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