Savage Tales featuring Conan the Barbarian #2 (October 1973)
"Cimmeria"
Robert E. Howard/Roy Thomas-Barry Smith
While reading volume 3 of Dark Horse's Savage Sword of Conan reprints, I came across the gem presented today. It was (obviously) too awesome not to share, so it is presented here in its entirety. As a bonus, the unlettered original art will follow below, courtesy of http://barrywindsor-smith.com.
And now, the unlettered original art. It is spectacular!
Great choice for a subject today, Doug! That second issue of Savage Tales is astounding in it's riches. This poem alone would make the issue a 'must buy', but it also included the first half of the adaptation of "Red Nails". So much magnificent artwork, your eyes could go into shock.
ReplyDeleteThanks for including those original pages. I'd loved the piece from the printed page, but seeing those originals is mind-blowing. Barry's work here puts him in the company of art history's finest illustrators. The linework, the crosshatching, the detail; it's almost overwhelming. Those amazingly intricate borders framing each page; wow. The only problem is with smaller reproduction you lose some of the detail. Oh, to see the originals in full size. And those night scenes; the depth of the blacks is a thing to behold. That last panel of page 2, so much depth. And the first panel of page 3, with Conan gazing at the starry skies- stellar (sorry). How anyone could see artwork like this and still question the artistic validity of the comics medium is truly beyond me.
Oh, and incidentally, I love Conan's scowling face holding the book on the cover corner. Wonderful...
There's not a corner box I don't love!
DeleteAnd I agree on Barry Smith's art. This is peak BWS, along with Red Nails as you mentioned. It would be difficult to name another artist whose style evolved so quickly to such a fine result.
Doug
Corner-box Conan looks like he's none too happy with Smith's flowery depictions of him and his adventures. Either that, or he's really angry that he didn't ask for a bigger cut of the royalties...
DeleteThis is indeed a lovely adaptation. I actually have it in color, together with Red Nails, in a special edition reprint book from the early 1980s. I'll readily acknowledge though, that the black and white, esp. the unlettered pages you posted, look much better.
ReplyDeleteSmith's style is amazing, and like Red, I really appreciate the work he puts into details, like on the panel borders. It's reminiscent of the Art Nouveau style in illustration, which I also really love.
I've never seen this before and I'd never heard of the poem "Cimmeria" until I bought a book called 'The Complete Chronicles Of Conan' which featured all of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories, including the poem.
ReplyDeleteBut is Cimmeria pronounced with a hard C or a soft C ? I only ask because the Scottish football club, Celtic, is a soft C even though the word Celtic is usually a hard C. Anyway, I say Cimmeria with a hard C.
I have always assumed Cimmeria is pronounced with an S sound at the beginning. But you raise a great point, Colin. Now I'm trying to wrap my head around Cimmeria with a K at the front...
DeleteDoug