Conan: Returning to Marvel

[MRP]

Don't they keep the trademark through the reprint collections?

In any way, at least they could have made "Savage Sword" a b&w anthology title. And if they didn't feel confident enough in that format, they could have easily tested it as a quarterly title, first.

My point is that the title "Savage Sword of Conan" has such a specific format associated with it that using it for another, more common format, lessens the value of that title, in my opinion. I can't be the only fan who got their hopes up when the title was announced, and to be quite honest, in the first few moments after realizing that it was basically the same as "Conan the Barbarian" with a different creative team, I considered whether I am going to buy it then.

B&W does not sell in the modern mainstream comic market and anthologies do not do well either. When you add licensing fees on top of other production costs, you are only going to do formats that generate enough revenue to make it worth your while-i.e. color books telling single stories. Savage Sword may end up being a rotating creative crew anthology, all we saw was the creators for the first issue, it may change from arc to arc. But a b&w anthology format books i snot a good seller in the mainstream market in the comic book marketplace of 2018, and when even your top tier books strugle to sell between 50K-100K, you are not going to do formats that are going to limit potential sales on a big new license. Savage sword is a brand and an IP to Paradox. They don't care about what sold well or what the tradition is, they only care about what will put money in their pockets now. They went with DH when no one else wanted the license and when sales trickled to a point where it was starting not to be worth DH's while to keep the license, they shopped around for another liscensee to keep their brands and IP active, but all Paradox has been interested in with the Conan IP is trying to get another Arnie movie off the ground. If you know anything at all about Paradox, you never get your hopes up about anything they are part of until you see what is actually delivered. It has been that way since they acquired Conan properties.

-M

[Hush]

Sneak peek at Savage Sword of Conan by Ron Garney:



Source: https://twitter.com/RonGarney/status...12928101388293

[Digifiend]

They (or Paradox actually who Marvel licenses it from) need to keep the trademark on the name Savage Sword of Conan active, same with Age of Conan, as it has been a few years since either saw use in the printed periodical field. I am sure it was Paradox dictating which titles had to be used as part of the licensing decision/agreement. Paradox is all about exploiting IP and protecting it, and not the legacy of Howard's works.

-M

Panini UK could've taken care of that. They have a line of seven Marvel Collectors Editions. It would be eight, but they're not allowed to do Star Wars because another publisher has the UK licence (and has done for years - probably predates Disney buying Lucasfilm). I would certainly expect them to use the Savage Sword of Conan name for their Conan reprint mag (I assume they'll be doing one), as it was the name of an anthology back in the 70s and 80s.

[Devaishwarya]

Sneak peek at Savage Sword of Conan by Ron Garney:



Source: https://twitter.com/RonGarney/status...12928101388293

Seeing as how nothing new and interesting are happening over in the X-books for the foreseeable future, I just might give this a shot. I Love Garney's work.

The main concern I have is if Garney and Asrar are only on the books for the first 5-6 issues before Editorial pulls them away to do other "high-profile" books. I learnt my lesson my lesson with X-MEN:REd, I'm not supporting any book that is going to be visually inconsistent (yes, I know this leaves lest than a handful of existing Marvel books but still...)

[Hush]

Seeing as how nothing new and interesting are happening over in the X-books for the foreseeable future, I just might give this a shot. I Love Garney's work.

The main concern I have is if Garney and Asrar are only on the books for the first 5-6 issues before Editorial pulls them away to do other "high-profile" books. I learnt my lesson my lesson with X-MEN:REd, I'm not supporting any book that is going to be visually inconsistent (yes, I know this leaves lest than a handful of existing Marvel books but still...)

I have to agree, I'm not really impressed with what was announced for the X-Books at NYCC, I just hope the january sollicits will be a little more exciting for the mutants.


Some new art from the first issue of Conan the Barbarian shown at NYCC:




Conan the Barbarian novellas will launch with the release of the first issue of Aaron's Conan's series:



source: https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/10...g-thing-panel/


The cover of the first issue of Savage Sword of Conan by Alex Ross:




And finally the official announcement about the Savage Sword of Conan series and some new info from Duggan:

https://www.marvel.com/articles/comi...sword-of-conan

The first issue of this new series will be released in February.


Now if I'm not mistaken Marvel said there will be 3 Conan series right? If so, who do you want to see on the third title?

[dimo1]

OK, art looks promising.
By the way, over here in Europe we also get some adapations from various artist, too.

[Carabas]

The cover of the first issue of Savage Sword of Conan by Alex Ross:

Looks like Ross needs a beginner's course in bronze age cutlery.

[MRP]

Looks like Ross needs a beginner's course in bronze age cutlery.

well the Hyborian Age predates the Bronze Age by several centuries, and they had steel (Hykranian steel as Howard put it was the best) in the Hyborian Age, so it was more advanced than the Bronze Age was, so using Bronze Age reference for the Hyborian Age would be a mistake and using it as a standard for art set in the Hyborian Age is misguided. That said, Ross' weaponry looks more decorative than functional.

-M

[Carabas]

well the Hyborian Age predates the Bronze Age by several centuries, and they had steel (Hykranian steel as Howard put it was the best) in the Hyborian Age, so it was more advanced than the Bronze Age was, so using Bronze Age reference for the Hyborian Age would be a mistake and using it as a standard for art set in the Hyborian Age is misguided. That said, Ross' weaponry looks more decorative than functional.

-M

What I meant was, the book isn't called Savage Axe Of Conan.

[Winterboy]

I really would like to see Sebastian Fiumara drawing Conan.



seba fiumara 2.jpg
seba fiumara.jpg

[Ptrvc]

What I meant was, the book isn't called Savage Axe Of Conan.

Conan uses all sorts of weapons. He used an axe in his first story after his sword broke.

Similar to the armor Conan uses whatever the most appropriate weapon is that he can get ahold of in any situation.

Edit: That is a goofy nonsense fantasy axe I'll grant you that.

[Devaishwarya]

I have to agree, I'm not really impressed with what was announced for the X-Books at NYCC, I just hope the january sollicits will be a little more exciting for the mutants.


Some new art from the first issue of Conan the Barbarian shown at NYCC:



Now if I'm not mistaken Marvel said there will be 3 Conan series right? If so, who do you want to see on the third title?

Asrar's art looks really good, there.

To answer your question...Barry Windsor-Smith. (I can dream the impossible, can't I?)

[Carabas]

Now if I'm not mistaken Marvel said there will be 3 Conan series right? If so, who do you want to see on the third title?

Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso would be nice...

[MRP]

As to who I would like to see...Tom Grindberg did some beautiful work on Tarzan and was working on a Conan project with Ro Thomas for Dark Horse that fell through. He posted a bunch of Conan samples on his FB feed that were simply magnificent. I would love to see him do an arc or a book for Marvel's Conan.

Here's a couple sample Grindberg Conan images...





and a sample of he and Thomas' Tarzan to see some sequential (though it is a Sunday strip not a comic book)



I'd also welcome back Cary Nord if he ever wanted to do more Conan.

Another artist I think might do a good Conan is Chris Mooneyham, who did Five Ghosts at Image.

-M

[Kai "the spy"]

Mark Schultz. But I doubt he'd be up for a long stint.