Cult director Lucio Fulci's entry into the sword-and-sorcery subgenre gets new life via the Blue Underground label, which specializes in preserving grindhouse cult faves from the peak 60s-80s era. Unusual film features monsters, mayhem, and plenty of the red stuff...

1970; Thongor fights the Pirates of Tarakus by Lin Carter. unknown Artist Jeff Jones

1976 reprint; The Land Leviathan by Michael Moorcock. Cover art by Chris Achilleos. Published by Quartet Books London.

The Hand of Kane, by Robert E. Howard

Centaur Press, 1970

Cover art by Jeff Jones

Contents:

The Hills of the Dead

Hawk of Basti (unfinished)

Wings in the Night

The Children of Asshur (unfinished)

Skorpio Raccolta / Heft-Reihe

Mills: Slaine (art: Bisley)

Eura Editoriale S.p.A.

(Rom / Italien; 1992)

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/804740/

The Savage Sword of Conan / Magazin-Reihe

art: Ed Davis

Marvel Comics Group

(N.Y. / USA; 1977)

ex libris MTP

The Savage Sword of Conan / Magazin-Reihe

> Conan / Jewels of Gwahlur

> Solomon Kane / The Cold Hands of Death

Cover: Brian Moore

Marvel Comics Group

(N.Y. / USA; 1977)

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/31748/

Conan The Barbarian / Heft-Reihe

Talons of the Man-Tiger

art: John Buscema, Yong Montano

Marvel Comics Group / USA 1976

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/30306/

Conan The Barbarian / Heft-Reihe

The Devourer of the Dead

art: John Buscema, Ernie Chan

Marvel Comics Group / USA 1978

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/32235/

The Tritonian Ring, by L. Sprague de Camp

Paperback Library 53-618, 1968

Cover art by Frank Frazetta

1969 PBO; The Planet Wizard by John Jakes. Cover art by Jeff Jones. Published by Ace Books.

1976; Moorcock's Book of Martyrs by Michael Moorcock. Cover art by Chris Achilleos. Published by Quartet Books London.

Solomon Kane, by Robert E. Howard

Centaur Press, 1971

Cover art by Jeff Jones

Kavin's World, by David Mason

Lancer 74-564, 1969 PBO

Cover art by Frank Frazetta

“Bloodstar” is an adaptation of Robert E.Howard’s original short story “The Valley of the Worm,” which appeared for the first time in Weird Tales (Feb. 1934). It is a post-apocalyptic sword and sorcery tale of the life of a mythical hero and his heritage. It combines Greek and Norse mythologies with science fiction and presents a fantastic array of repulsive-looking monsters, incredibly muscled heroes and impossibly big-busted maidens (a Richard Corben specialty). It is illustrated in black and white in mixed media in startlingly three-dimensional looking images. Corben took about nine months to complete the artwork, and according to Berni Wrightson, he painted the cover in less than 24 hours while Wrightson visited him in Kansas City.

Some writers consider “Bloodstar” to be the most successful adaptation of a Robert E. Howard story. It is possibly the first graphic novel to call itself a “graphic novel” in print (in its introduction and dust jacket) and it was first published in 1976 by The Morning Star Press in a limited edition. [Source: Wikipedia]

Creatures on the Loose / Heft-Reihe

featuring Thongor, Warrior of Lost Lemuria

Day of the Dragon Kings!

cover: Gil Kane, Ernie Chan

> Lord of Chaos!

(art: Vincente Alcazar)

Marvel Comics Group / USA 1974

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/27391/?

The Savage Sword of Conan / Magazin-Reihe

> Solomon Kane / Retribution in Blood

art: David Wenzel, Marilitz

Marvel Comics Group

(N.Y. / USA; 1978)

ex libris MTP

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Kane_(comics)

The Adventurers / Heft-Reihe

Shadolok

cover: Peter Hsu

Adventure Publications / USA 1986

Reprint: Comic-Club NK 2010

ex libris MTP

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_Publications

Thanks to Internet Archive

Kull, The Destroyer / Heft-Reihe

To Sit the Topaz Throne!

art: Ernie Chan, Ricardo Villamonte

Marvel Comics Group / USA 1978

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/32697/

Author John Jakes gained widespread popularity with the publication of his Kent Family Chronicles, which became a bestselling American Bicentennial Series of books in the mid to late 1970s, selling 55 million copies. He has since published several more popular works of historical fiction, most dealing with American history, including the North and South trilogy about the U.S. Civil War, which sold 10 million copies and was adapted as an ABC-TV miniseries.

In the early 1970s, Jakes was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), a loose-knit group of heroic fantasy authors founded in the 1960s and led by Lin Carter. The eight original members were self-selected by fantasy credentials alone. They sought to promote the popularity and respectability of the "Sword and Sorcery" subgenre (such as Brak the Barbarian stories by Jakes).

1975; Lankar of Callisto by Lin Carter. Cover art by Foster Vincent Difate.

© 2008 M. Kuiri.

This is the one of the first images in a series I'll be undertaking over the rest of the year at least. Big image has more tone, this seems to have reproduced a bit dark. One halogen light and bounced flash. Couldn't get offboard flash to work for some reason so I bounced the big flash from the camera and used the new halogen floodlight as the main. Bumped ISO up and got this!

I had a female and male model set up. Then I lost the girl to a work committment. Found another and lost her. Was just going to do a solo shoot with the guy, but then the girl who was going to do hair heard that I couldn't find another model who had the right wardrobe, she grabbed some stuff and came right over.

Turns our the guy who had arranged to come for the shoot was a no-show. Will be interesting to see what the explanation will be.

Mai Ly was MUA: www.makeupartistryinc.com/

Elise did her own hair: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=617542358

Thanks to Internet Archive

The cult genre-mashup "Return of the Killer Tomatoes" (1988), featuring an early-career George Clooney, hit the Korean rental racks courtesy of the B-movie wellspring Ajoo Production. The well-regarded Disney fantasy "Dragonslayer" (1981) was, via anecdote, inexplicably rare even during Korea's peak rental era.

A Conyn the Barbarian story.

Conyn survives the slaughter of her pirate colleagues and finds a man to fire her blood. Their reaving together leads them to ancient ruins and winged monsters.

A Gender Switch Adventure.

www.smashwords.com/books/view/18035

Artwork by Robert Rizzato

www.flickr.com/photos/rizzato/3254531364/in/faves-jekkara...

creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en

Conan The Barbarian / Heft-Reihe

Riders of the River-Dragons!

art: John Buscema, Steve Gan

Marvel Comics Group / USA 1976

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/29645/

Master of the Etrax, by Robert Lory

Dell 5523, 1970

Cover art by Jeff Jones

Suspended Animation Classic #821 First published September 19, 2004 (#37) (Dates are approximate)

Ezra; Kade

By Michael Vance

Ezra is a beautiful female warrior who, like all of her battling Sword and Sorcery sisters, bares no scars and lots of skin. So what separates her from her competition? Ezra is well drawn and written.

Although her debut is more an event than a story, Ezra talks and acts like a human being with calluses on her soul as well as her fingers. As she thwarts her attempted rape and fights to escape her captors, Ezra becomes a believable and interesting personality.

I say hurray that she does it without the use of the profanity that debases too many comic book titles today. Dynamic and not overly gory, a second hurray is offered because Ezra is at least drawn less nude than most other gals that hop around this genre.

Ezra #1 is recommended for readers who enjoy super-models with swords. Ezra #1/28 pgs. and $2.95 from Acrana/story by Sean O'Reilly, art by Alfonso Ruiz/ available at comics shops.

-0-

Kade #s 1-3/28 pages and $2.95 each, Arcana/story: Sean O’Reilly/available at comics shops.

A Sword and Sorcery tale filtered through Japanese Manga, Kade is about a warrior who wars a domino mask to protect an identity known by all.

If you are unfamiliar with the terms Sword and Sorcery and Manga, imagine Conan the Barbarian as a warrior in Japan.

Kade seeks revenge on an evil Dark Lord and, to accomplish his heroic goal, kills lots of people and monsters with a gigantic sword.

Well drawn by Eduuardo Garcia (issues #s 1 & 2) and Allen Otero (#3), this series needs the strong hand of an editor or writer who knows the rules of grammar and visual storytelling.

Scene changes are often confusing, dialog is occasionally overblown, and the writer has trouble matching past, present, and future tenses in the same sentence.

Quality paper and interesting coloring won’t help Kade stand out on crowded newsstands.

Conan The Barbarian / Heft-Reihe

The Sword and the Serpent

art: John Buscema, Ernie Chan

Marvel Comics Group / USA 1978

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/32506/

Author John Jakes gained widespread popularity with the publication of his Kent Family Chronicles, which became a bestselling American Bicentennial Series of books in the mid to late 1970s, selling 55 million copies. He has since published several more popular works of historical fiction, most dealing with American history, including the North and South trilogy about the U.S. Civil War, which sold 10 million copies and was adapted as an ABC-TV miniseries.

In the early 1970s, Jakes was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), a loose-knit group of heroic fantasy authors founded in the 1960s and led by Lin Carter. The eight original members were self-selected by fantasy credentials alone. They sought to promote the popularity and respectability of the "Sword and Sorcery" subgenre (such as Brak the Barbarian stories by Jakes).

Calvin's Custom 1/6 one sixth scale custom Thusla Doom, Thorgrim and Rexor from Conan the Barbarian 1982, one off commission works

1976 reprint; The War Lord of the Air by Michael Moorcock. Cover art uncredited. Published by Quartet Books London.

The Sword of Morning Star, by Richard Meade

Signet P3774, 1969

Cover art by Jeff Jones

Supernatural Thrillers / Heft-Reihe

cover: Gil Kane

The Valley of the Worm (art: Gil Kane, Ernie Chan)

(Robert E. Howard / Original Story)

Marvel Comics Group / USA 1974

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/26154/

via Instagram www.instagram.com/p/BPIZkZrAbI_/

Conan - Comic-Taschenbuch / Taschenbuch-Reihe

cover: Gary Hartle, Mike DeCarlo

> Conan stirbt!

Reprints from Conan the Barbarian (Marvel, 1970 series) #238 (November 1990)

> Tanz mit dem Teufel

Reprints from Conan the Barbarian (Marvel, 1970 series) #239 (December 1990)

> Das Ende muss kommen

Reprints from Conan the Barbarian (Marvel, 1970 series) #240 (January 1991)

> Schatten

Reprints from Conan the King (Marvel, 1984 series) #21 (March 1984)

> Rote Sonja / Königin meines Herzens

Reprints from Red Sonja (Marvel, 1983 series) #9 (May 1985)

> Rote Sonja / Unter Fremden

Reprints from Red Sonja (Marvel, 1983 series) #10 (August 1985)

> Rote Sonja / Lebendig begraben

Reprints from Red Sonja (Marvel, 1983 series) #11 (November 1985)

Condor Verlag (Deutschland)

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/650138/?

The Savage Sword of Conan / Magazin-Reihe

> Conan / Beyond the Black River

> Solomon Kane / Retribution in Blood

Cover: Jim Starlin

Marvel Comics Group

(N.Y. / USA; 1978)

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/31883/

Beowulf / Heft-Reihe

cover: Dick Giordano

> Chariots of the Stars! (art: Ricardo Villamonte)

DC Comics / USA 1975

ex libris MTP

www.comics.org/issue/29275/

A Bryn Mak Morn story.

Bryn Mak Morn, under an alias, is forced to watch one of her countrywomen crucified. The Roman consul taunts her during the execution, and barbarian Pict queen Bryn swears dark revenge, enough to horrify her fellows. She seeks a Door into the underworld, so she can make Titia Sulla suffer, by the arts of R’lyeh and the Ring of Dagon.

A Gender Switch Adventure.

www.smashwords.com/books/view/20538

Suspended Animation Classic #402

Originally published September 1, 1996 (#35)

(Dates are approximate)

Mini Miniviews; Barry Windsor-Smith: Storyteller

By Michael Vance

“Eye of the Beholder [NBM]. “Startling revelations” drawn with thick, artsy simplicity like a woodcut. This comic strip takes a brief peep into urban life. A sample insight: a close-up of a beautiful woman reveals an ugly mosquito on her arm. Heavy, man!

“Domain” #1 [Fry Vision]. Dog-headed aliens snarl, grit teeth, and claw one another almost as much as readers who realize they’ve paid $2.50 for this well intentioned but amateur SF comic.

“Spirit of Wonder” #s 1-5 [Dark Horse]. Whimsical humor, story and delightful art weakened by nudity, ‘cutesy’ groping and lots of panties as landlady Miss China contends with deadbeat inventors. Mangled manga.

“Meet Monkeyman and O’Brien”/”Monkeyman and O’Brien” #s 1-3 [Dark Horse]. With a wink and a nod to ‘60s Marvel Comics, artist Arthur Adams turns clichés into homage to artist Jack Kirby through Adam’s own exceptional talent.

A giant, super-intelligent ape from another dimension and his giant, super-intelligent human babe battle mutated shrews, alien frogs, and galactic conquerors. Great, light fun...

Highly recommended.

“Barry Windsor-Smith: Storyteller” #1 [Dark Horse]. One of comic’s finest turns a pastiche to Robert Howard’s “Conan” (“Freebooters”), Jack Kirby’s “Forever People” (“The Paradoxman”) and “New Gods” (“Young Gods”) into stunning art.

Smith made his fame with Howard’s “Conan”. Smith’s barbarian is a piece of muscled, bumbling fluff in a marvelously detailed fictional city, Shadariza. Fun.

“Paradoxman” is a romp through ‘60s pop art that stumbles into the ancient realm of Marvel’s early monster comic books. Fun.

Kirby also created a race of star-spanning “New Gods” that Smith transforms into new snobs as backgrounds swirl with multi-colored planets or cherubs. Epic exaggerated becomes subtle but epic silliness. More fun.

Several artists and writers have been returning to the simpler, more heroic style of 1960s comics, and no one does it better than Smith.

The Adventurers / Heft-Reihe

Sultar

cover: Peter Hsu

Adventure Publications / USA 1986

Reprint: Comic-Club NK 2010

ex libris MTP

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_Publications

The Return of Kavin, by David Mason

Lancer 75361-095, 1972 PBO

Cover art by Charles Moll

Suspended Animation Classic #1,036

First published October 26, 2008 (#43) (Dates are approximate)

Comics Legend Reed Crandall

by Michael Vance

Comics Legend Reed Crandall [1917-‘82] was among the earliest and most talented and polished artists to work in comic books. An employee of the Eisner and Iger Studio in 1939, Crandall first found fame on Blackhawk, a ‘war’ title from Quality Comics.

Reed Crandall was influenced by earlier magazine illustrators, and his art was characterized by the use of cross-hatching and feathering, the time-consuming technique that adds the illusion of depth and gray tones.

Crandall’s major work included: DC COMICS (’40s-’72) Weird War Tales, various titles; DELL (’58-’61) Frogmen, Gunsmoke, Hercules Unchained, Mystery Tales, Thief of Baghdad;. EC COMICS (’55-’56) Confessions Illustrated, Crime Illustrated, Crime Suspenstories, Crypt of Terror, Extra!, Haunt of Fear, Impact, M.D., Mad, Piracy, Shock Illustrated, Shock Suspenstories, Tales from the Crypt, Terror Illustrated, Two-Fisted Tales, Valor, Vault of Horror, Weird Fantasy, Weird Science-Fantasy;

FICTION HOUSE (’41-’45) Kaanga, Kayo Kirby, Sheena; GIL-BERTON (’57-62) Classics Illustrated: Hunchback of Notre Dame, In Freedom’s Cause, Julius Caesar, Land of the North, Lord Jim, Octopus, Oliver Twist, Reign of Terror, Romeo and Juliet, Three Musketeers; HARVEY (’62-’66) Alarming Adventures, Big Hero Adventures, Captain Freedom, Unearthly Spectaculars; MARVEL (’41-’75) Astonishing Comics, Kid Colt Outlaw and various western titles, Battle, Battlefront, Captain America, Creatures on the Loose, Journey into Mystery, Unknown Worlds, Justice Comics, Love Romances, Marines in Battle, Men’s Adventures, Mystery Tales, Mystic, Mystical Tales, Navy Tales, Quick-Trigger Western, Strange Stories of Suspense, Strange Tales of the Unusual, Strange Tales, Tales of Justice, Tales of Suspense, Uncanny Tales, The Vision; QUALITY (’42-’53) Blackhawk, Military Comics, Buccaneers, Captain Daring, Captain Triumph, Dollman, Espionage, Firebrand, Hercules, Midnight, The Ray, Uncle Sam. T. S. DENISON (’67-’72) Treasure Chest; TOWER (’66-’68) Dynamo, Noman; WARREN (’64-’75) Vampirella, Blazing Combat, Creepy, Eerie; WESTERN (’62-’73) Believe It or Not, Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery, and The Twilight Zone.

Crandall also worked in educational and promotional comics. His art has been extensively reprinted, and receives the highest recommendation.