Conan the Barbarian

Modern works and revisions

Books

The character of Conan has proven durably popular, resulting in pastiche Conan stories being assembled by later writers such as Lin Carter, L. Sprague de Camp, Karl Edward Wagner, John Maddox Roberts, Andrew Offut, J. Ramsey Campbell, Poul Anderson, Richard A. Lupoff, Björn Nyberg, Robert Jordan, Steve Perry, Leonard Carpenter and John C. Hocking from Howard's notes and by rewriting his stories of other similar heroes. Ten novels and over sixty shorter Conan tales have been written. Conan has also appeared in comic books (the latest issues are written by Kurt Busiek and published by Dark Horse Comics, in films played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and in TV series played by Ralf Moeller.

Related Topics:
Lin Carter - L. Sprague de Camp - Karl Edward Wagner - John Maddox Roberts - Andrew Offut - J. Ramsey Campbell - Poul Anderson - Richard A. Lupoff - Björn Nyberg - Robert Jordan - Steve Perry - Leonard Carpenter - John C. Hocking - Comic books - Kurt Busiek - Films - Arnold Schwarzenegger - TV series - Ralf Moeller

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In 2003, a British publisher named Wandering Star made an effort to both restore Howard's original manuscripts and to provide a more scholarly and historical view of the Conan stories. They published deluxe hardcover editions in England, which are being republished in the USA by the Del Rey imprint of Ballantine Books. The first book, Conan of Cimmeria: Volume One (1932-1933) (2003; vt The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian 2003 US) includes Howard's notes on the fictional setting, as well as letters and poems concerning the genesis of his ideas. It also includes the first thirteen Conan short stories Howard wrote, published between 1932 and 1934. This volume has been followed by Conan of Cimmeria: Volume Two (1934) (2004; vt The Bloody Crown of Conan (2005 US), with the final title forthcoming in fall 2005: Conan of Cimmeria: Volume Three (1935-1936) (2005; vt The Conquering Sword of Conan 2005 US). Between the three books, readers will finally have all of the original unedited Robert E. Howard stories available for the first time.

Related Topics:
2003 - Ballantine Books - 1932 - 1934

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Movies

The film Conan the Barbarian (1982) was written by the unlikely pairing of Oliver Stone and John Milius. The script draws material from a number of stories. It tells the story of Conan rising up in slavery and finally taking revenge on Thulsa Doom, the ruthless warlord who was responsible for the genocide of his parents and his people. Later Thulsa Doom turns into a devious cult leader, who runs a fallacious, evil religion. The intrepid, vengeful Conan, the archer Subotai, and the ravishing thief Valeria set out on a quest to save a beautiful princess and negate the power-hungry megalomaniac. The film was directed by John Milius and produced by Dino DeLaurentis. The title role was played by Arnold Schwarzenegger and was his break-through as an actor. A sequel, Conan the Destroyer (1984) was also made. The originator of the Conan movie project and its Associate Producer, Edward Summer had originally planned for there to be a series of Schwarzenegger Conan films much like the James Bond series. Summer outlined six stories for this film series, but none were ever made. Elements from the original screenplay by Summer and Roy Thomas were utilized, but their much more authentic screen story has never been filmed in total.

Related Topics:
Oliver Stone - John Milius - Megalomaniac - Dino DeLaurentis - Arnold Schwarzenegger - Conan the Destroyer - Edward Summer - James Bond - Roy Thomas

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It must be noted that, in spite of the title and its qualities, the movie is not a proper Conan yarn. The only three elements properly tying the Conan movie to its literary namesake are 1) being called a Cimmerian and being the son of a blacksmith, 2) the opening speech about "Between the time the Ocean drank Atlantis and the rise of the Son of Aryas" and 3) the crucifixion episode, which is reasonably true to the one happening in A Witch Shall be Born. The rest is only loosely adapted, and many elements introduced by the film are inconsistent with Howard's stories. The episode when Schwarzenegger climbs the tower is obviously inspired from The Tower of the Elephant, Also, while a Valeria appears in Red Nails, that character's attachement to Conan and her coming back from the dead to save him are more akin to the Bêlit of Queen of the Black Coast but otherwise similarities are quite few. Some elements like the Riddle of Steel, the Black Sun Cult of Seth, Conan's having been a mill slave for most of his adolescence, and his having served through the East as a gladiator are apparently from Milius' imagination (Howard's Conan was still with his tribe in Cimmeria around the time he was 15 or 16, since it is about that age that he took part in the sacking of the Aquilonian outpost of Venarium). More disturbingly to Howard fans, certain elements seem to have been borrowed from non-Conan sources: the face changing Snake Folk, as well as Thulsa Doom are loosely inspired by Kull stories (though Howard's Thulsa Doom was a traditional necromancer, not a Serpent man), and Schwarzenegger's encounter with the werewitch bears some similarity with the Bran Mak Morn story Worms of the Earth (which is also evoked by Thulsa Doom's lines about fearing the dark and the night). Moreover, the Conan character portrayed by Schwarzenegger did not display much of the "panther like agility", nor did it have the trademark characteristic "black mane" and "volcanic blue eyes", of Howard's original character.

Related Topics:
A Witch Shall be Born - The Tower of the Elephant - Red Nails - Queen of the Black Coast - Cimmeria - Thulsa Doom - Necromancer - Worms of the Earth

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Despite these discrepencies, it may be fair to call Conan the Barbarian a film inspired by Howard's universe (more than a movie adaption of a specific story or a true depiction of the character created by Howard) and although the changes from the Howard stories turned off many fans, the film to a certain extent reflects the "spirit" of the Hyborian world, and is a richer story than is credited (although the character portrayed in the film is lacking many of the qualities of Howard's original character), with interesting themes and symbols scattered throughout (the special edition DVD has some insightful commentary by the director and Schwarzenegger himself).

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The less-popular sequel, Conan the Destroyer is more of a typical fantasy genre film (again, not very true to Howard's original stories).

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Schwarzenegger also played a muscular sword-fighter (named "Kalidor" due to licensing issues) in the Howard-inspired Red Sonja (1985).

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A fourth film was based on the (pre) Hyborian setting, Kull the Conqueror, starring Kevin Sorbo as Kull, an Atlantean (the ancestor race of Conan's own people, the Cimmerians) who, like Conan, advanced in rank in more civilized lands and became king by force, and now must contend with those who don't like his rule.

Related Topics:
Kull the Conqueror - Kevin Sorbo - Kull - Cimmerians

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TV Series

Conan has appeared in a TV series (1997), played by the German bodybuilder Ralf Moeller.

Related Topics:
German - Ralf Moeller

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This short lived series, "Conan: the Adventurer", featured a more caring Conan, and involved much less blood and gore - with predictable effects on the ratings.

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Cartoons

Two animated series from the early 90's feature a muscle-bound Conan character.

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The first animated series, also called "Conan: the Adventurer" (1992), involved Conan chasing the serpent men across the world in an attempt to release his parents from eternal torture as living statues. It is a typical example of the action-adventure cartoon genre of the time. It should be noted that "Wrath-Amon" is possibly Thoth-Amon renamed and remodeled from the comics.

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The second animated series, "Conan and the Young Warriors" (1994), saw Conan as a mentor to three young adventurers, focusing mainly on the young characters.

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Comics

Conan has appeared in comics nearly non-stop since 1970. These are arguably, apart from the books, the vehicle that has made the greatest influence on the character.

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Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics introduced Conan in 1970 with Conan the Barbarian, written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith. Pencils on the title were later given to John Buscema, while Roy continued to write for many years. Marvel's Conan stories were used as source material for the 1982 and 1984 films, with Thulsa Doom as a reccurring villain. In 2001 Marvel let Conan go as part of a company-wide purge of licensed properties.

Related Topics:
Marvel Comics - Roy Thomas - Barry Windsor-Smith - John Buscema

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;Awards

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• 1971 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards

:Best Continuing Feature. Conan the Barbarian

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• 1971 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards

:Best Writer (Dramatic). Roy Thomas.

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• 1973 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards

:Best Individual Story (Dramatic). Song of Red Sonja.

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• 1974 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards

:Best Continuing Feature. Conan the Barbarian.

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:Best Penciller (Dramatic). John Buscema.

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:Superior Achievement by an Individual. Roy Thomas.

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;Core appearances

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• Conan the Barbarian, (1970-1993) 275 issues
• Savage Tales, (1971-1975) First 5 issues
• The Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian, (1974-1995) 235 issues
• Conan the Barbarian Annual (1973-1987) 12 issues
• Giant-Size Conan, (1974-1975) 5 issues
• The Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian Annual, (1975) 1 issue
• Newspaper Strip, (1978-19??) ?? strips.
• King Conan/Conan the King, (1980-1989) 55 issues
• Handbook of the Conan Universe, (1985) 1 issue
• Conan the Adventurer, (1994-1995) 14 issues
• Conan, (1995-1996) 11 issues
• Conan the Savage, (1995-1996) 10 issues
• Conan vs Rune, (1995) 1 issue

;Marvel Graphic Novels

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• The Witch Queen of Acheron, (Marvel Graphic Novel (MGN) #19, 1985)
• Conan the Reaver, (MGN #28, 1987)
• Conan of the Isles, (MGN #42, 1988)
• The Skull of Set, (MGN #53, 1989)
• The Horn of Azoth, (MGN #59, 1990)
• Conan the Rogue, (MGN #69, 1991)
• The Ravagers Out of Time, (MGN #73, 1992)

;Marvel Conan the Barbarian Mini-Series

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• Stalker in the Woods, (1997) 3 issues.
• The Usurper, (1997-1998) 3 issues.
• Lord of the Spiders, (1998) 3 issues.
• River of Blood, (1998) 3 issues.
• Return of Styrm, (1998) 3 issues.
• Scarlet Sword, (1998-1999) 3 issues.
• Death Covered in Gold,(1999) 3 issues.
• Flame and the Fiend, (2000) 3 issues.

;Marvel Universe appearances

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• Avengers Forever, #12 (1998).
• Dr. Strange, #11 (volume 3, 19??).
• Dr. Strange, #26 (volume 3, 19??).
• Excaliber, #47 (19??).
• Fantastic Four, #411 (19??).
• Tomb of Dracula, #27 (19??).
• Incomplete Death's Head, #11 (19??).

;Miscellaneous appearances

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• What If...?, issues 13, 39, 43 and 16 (volume 2).
• Conan the Barbarian - Movie Special, (1982) 2 issues.
• Conan the Destroyer - Movie Special, (1985) 2 issues.
• Marvel Age, issues 1, 2, 8 and 13.

;Reprints

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• Conan the Barbarian - Special Edition, (1983) Red Nails.
• Conan Saga, (1987-1995) 97 issues.
• Conan Classic, (1994-1995) 11 issues.
• Marvel Treasury Edition, issues 4, 15, 19 and 23.
• Marvel Super Special, issues 2, 9, 21 and 35.
• Essential Conan, (2000) 1 issue.

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics began their take on Conan 2003. Currently publishing the comic series Conan, written by Kurt Busiek and pencilled by Cary Nord. This series is a fresh interpretation, based solely on the works of Robert E. Howard, with no connection to the large Marvel run. Dark Horse Comics are also publishing digitally re-coloured compilations of the 1970's Marvel Comics Conan the Barbarian series in graphic-novel format. By Roy Thomas (writer), Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema, Ernie Chan (artists) and others.

Related Topics:
Kurt Busiek - Cary Nord

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;Awards

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• 2004 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

:Best Single Issue or One-Shot. Conan #0: The Legend.

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• 2004 Eagle Awards

:Favourite new comicbook. Conan.

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;Core appearances

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• Conan #0: The Legend,, (2003).
• Conan, (2004+). 16+ issues.
• Conan and the Daughters of Midora, (2004). 1 issue.
• Conan and the Jewels of Gwahlur, (2005). 3 issues.

;Collections

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• The Chronicles of Conan
• Volume 1: Tower of the Elephant and Other Stories, (2003). Reprints Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian issues 1-8.
• Volume 2: Rogues in the House and Other Stories, (2003). Reprints Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian issues 9-13,16.
• Volume 3: The Monster of the Monoliths and Other Stories, (2003). Reprints Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian issues 14,15,17-21.
• Volume 4: The Song of Red Sonja and Other Stories, (2004). Reprints Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian issues 23-26 and Red Nails originally published in Savage Tales.
• Volume 5: The Shadow in the Tomb and Other Stories, (2004). Reprints Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian issues 27-34.
• Volume 6: The Curse of the Golden Skull and Other Stories, (2004). Reprints Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian issues 35-42.
• Volume 7: The Dweller in the Pool and Other Stories, (2005). Reprints Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian issues 43-51.
• Volume 8: The Tower of Blood and Other Stories, (2005). Reprints Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian issues 52-60.
• Conan
• Volume 1: The Frost Giant's Daughter and Other Stories (2005). Collects issues 0-6 and fourteen pages from issue 7 of the ongoing series Conan.

Miscellaneous or parody appearances

• National Lampoon, (May 1972).
• Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!, (DC, 1982) issue 7. Written by Roy Thomas.

Games

Computer Games

Four commercial computer and video games were released based on the Conan mythos.

Related Topics:
Computer and video games - Mythos

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• In 1984, Datasoft released ' for the Apple II and Commodore 64.
• In 1990 Minscape released Conan for the Nintendo Entertainment System NES
• In 1991, Virgin Interactive released ' developed by Synergistic Software, Inc. for Amiga and DOS.
• In 2004, TDK Mediactive released Conan, a video game developed by Cauldron Ltd.. It is a third-person action game, available for Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox and the GameCube.http://www.conangame.com/
• In the first half of 2006, Conan will be released in MMORPG form in .

Role-Playing Games

• Two modules for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
• CB1 Conan Unchained! (1984)
• CB2 Conan Against Darkness! (1984)
• Conan Role-Playing Game (1985) by TSR, Inc., and 3 official game adventures:
• CN1 Conan the Buccaneer (1985)
• CN2 Conan the Mercenary (1985)
• CN3 Conan Triumphant (1985)
• GURPS Conan a GURPS version by Steve Jackson Games.
• Conan The Roleplaying Game (2004), an OGL System version by Mongoose Publishing with over a dozen official adventures and supplements.

Parody and other references

• Terry Pratchett has parodied him with the Discworld character "Cohen the Barbarian."
• Thrud the Barbarian is a British comic strip that is an obvious parody of Conan.
• Ator was a character created by Italian director Joe d'Amato to capitalize on the popularity of the Conan movies. Four movies were made which featured the Ator character. One of these films - Cave Dwellers - was later featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000. As a result, the film now enjoys modest success as a cult favorite.
• Numerous "Conan the Librarian" parodies have cropped up, including sketches in "Weird Al" Yankovic's comedy film UHF and on the children's television series Reading Rainbow.
• Additionally short book, Colin the Librarian parodies the genre as a whole - the Conan character replaced by "Krap the Conqueror" and "Colin", a socially disfunctional librarian from Earth.
• Independent comic legend Dave Sim's 'Cerebus the Aardvark' also began as a Conan parody, Sim modelling his early art style on that of Windsor-Smith.
• Yet another popular parody of Conan has been 'Groo the Wanderer' by Sergio Aragones.
• The bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans was nicknamed Conan the Bacterium after the character.
• There are many video games based on the Conan character. Rastan, a coin-op and console game, is an example of these.
• The Eye of Argon, famous as one of the worst fantasy stories ever written, is inspired by Conan.
• He-Man was created when Mattel attempted to create an action-figure line based around the comics and Schwarzenegger film, but later balked when they saw the R-rated footage. After much work already done they tweaked the designs and went on to create a very popular toy line of the 1980s which would inspire the famous cartoon by Filmation. The property made a comback during the nostalgia period in 2003.
• Italian metal band Domine's song The Aquilonia Suite Pt. 1 from their Emperor of the Black Runes album is based on the story told in the movie version of Conan the Barbarian. The song is primarily an original composition, but parts of the film score are woven into the song as well. Since the song is titled part 1, the band presumably plans to continue the Conan story on a later album.
• Stoner rock band Electric Wizard feature Conan in their song Barbarian from their Dopethrone album.
• American heavy metal band Manilla Road did a song based on the Conan story Queen of the Black Coast. The song shares the title of the story, and is found on their Metal album.
• Thundar the Barbarian early 1980's animated series of a barbarian living on a post-apoclytic earth ala "Escape from New York". Thundar would spout Conan reminiscent "swear" such as "Demon-dogs!" and "Lords of Light!"