Monday, August 17, 2009

Making A Splash: Barry (Windsor-) Smith's Conan the Barbarian Round One

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Would you like to dig on a dazzling dozen of Barry (pre-Windsor) Smith's Conan the Barbarian splashes? I thought ya would!


Before I sign off for the day, I have'ta send a big "t'anks, man!" to my pal Mighty Joe at Grantbridge Street for the awesome Blog Lovin' Award you see emblazoned over in the upper-right corner of this blog. In return, I need to nominate some of my faves. So, Two Girls, a Guy, and Some Comics, His Name Is..., Matching Dragoons, and QuasarDragon, come get yours! Any of you Groove-ophiles who haven't stopped by these bodacious blogs, get thee hence! Two Girls, a Guy, and Some Comics gives some of the best in-depth analysis of any comicbook blog I've ever seen (and their love of the Bronze Age in general and the Avengers in particular makes 'em all the more awesome). His Name Is... is another of Mighty Joe's blogs, this one focuses completely on the one and only Gil Kane, so what more do ya need to know? Matching Dragoons covers every issue of another of Ol' Groove's all-time fave comics, Jonah Hex, along with other fun features. And finally, QuasarDragon scours the entire Internet for the best in watching, listening, and reading pleasure--sci-fi/fantasy/horror style. (And congrats to other Blog Lovin' Award winners whom I'd have passed this award to if they hadn't already gotten one: Silver Age Comics, Grantbridge Street, Bronze Age of Blogs, Bob Mitchell in the 21st Century, and Aparofan's World of Comics!) Pax!

6 comments:

  1. Hey Groovy one!
    Thanks for posting these beautiful splashs by Barry Windsor Smith! Man I remember buying these off the rack at my locale corner grocery store. I just recently rebought the entire run reprinted by Dark Horse Comics in graphic novel form. It might not have the cool letter pages & the ads & Stan's soap box/check list. But the quality & coloring is even better than the original!! It really makes Barry's art look even more beautiful!My only small complain is the covers are reprinted but only as tiny pictures. Other than that, if you can't afford the originals any longer. Or want to keep yours in great shape. Then I highly recommend buying the trades. I just wish Barry had done alot more comics. Especially say Thor, Hercules & even Dc's Captain Marvel/Shazam featuring the gods! Also Darkseid & the New Gods also. Congradulations on your blog award as well.

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  2. Hey Groovy one!!
    I sent Roy, as in Roy Thomas a e-mail. About this great post & your Marvelous website! Hope you hear from him, keep up the excellent work! Mike

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  3. So many classics. Zukala's Daughter is my favourite Conan ever. Oh no wait, it's Dweller in The Dark. No, It's Keepers Of The Crypt. No, it's Tower Of The Elephant. No, it's......

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    1. Tower Of The Elephant is the one and Smith's is the best,Sorry Big John and others.It's the one hooked on Conan.And desite a shitty run in with Mister Smith in the 1970s,I still like his art.

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  4. Oh, yeah, Ol' Groove's got those Dark Horse trades, Mike! I agree with you 100% on both the pros and cons you list. I'll have to post some Barry Smith Ka-Zar stories one'a these fine days.

    That's cool you e-mailed Roy Thomas. I'd love it if he stopped by!

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  5. Hey there!
    I guess Roy's been too busy? I know he's working on a all new Conan story for darkhorse next year. I believe it's going to be a new mini or on going series. Celebrating Marvel's Conan comic series 40th Anniversary. Who is drawing it, I have no idea, we can only hope it'll be Barry Windsor Smith. I know he's been working on a book called Monsters but that's all I know.

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Special thanks to Mike's Amazing World of Comics and Grand Comics Database for being such fantastic resources for covers, dates, creator info, etc. Thou art treasures true!


Note to "The Man": All images are presumed copyright by the respective copyright holders and are presented here as fair use under applicable laws, man! If you hold the copyright to a work I've posted and would like me to remove it, just drop me an e-mail and it's gone, baby, gone.


All other commentary and insanity copyright GroovyAge, Ltd.

As for the rest of ya, the purpose of this blog is to (re)introduce you to the great comics of the 1970s. If you like what you see, do what I do--go to a comics shop, bookstore, e-Bay or whatever and BUY YOUR OWN!