As Mrs 1537 has commandeered the stereo to selfishly play her own music this evening, somehow forgetting the fact that it is a man’s prerogative to listen to his own music, on his own stereo at all times, regardless of the wishes of the other residents of the household, I’ve been tucking into a slew of the 1960′ s and 70’s Marvel comics my uncle Jim gave me.
Forgive me if I repeat myself, but I grew up on the Conan books of Robert E. Howard, especially those ably padded out by Lin Carter and L Sprague de Camp* and Michael Moorcock’s books too. Now Moorcock had rock and roll credentials in excelsis via his collaborations with Hawkwind amongst others, but that was all far in the future for the teenage 1537 who was obsessed by his Runestaff books and his Elric of Melnibone ones in particular. Little did I know that two months after I was born Conan and Elric of Melnibone would meet and cross swords in Conan The Barbarian Vol.1 No.14 – 15. Oh yes!
It’s a classic tale of boy-meets-girl, boy-battles-opponent-from-other-series-whom-he-later-befriends, boy-loses-girl-as-she-becomes-magical-avenging-embodiment-of-the-Gods-of-Law. The plot follows the classic time-honoured story arc that all superhero team-ups used to, Conan and Elric meet up, fight, team up against a greater foe, bicker, save each other and then part each a little wiser, hopefully after attracting some new readers. It’s a Conan hack and slash adventure with some layered on, heroes used as puppets by the gods of Law and Chaos, frills. There are some excellent full-page panels by Barry Smith, although I do wish they’d dressed Elric up in the black armour I vaguely remember him wearing rather than that strangely camp party hat/dunce’s cap they insisted on putting him in. Ho-hum.
There’s also an advert featuring a gentleman who’d have further dealings with Mr Conan in the future, yup, it’s the ex-governor of California!
319 Down (still).
*who’s Tritonian Ring series itself was brilliant I remember.
Elric was my fave of Moorcock’s creations. Though I’m currently enjoying the thrid part of Dancers At The End Of Time as holiday reading.
What a strange morsel of synchronicity that I posted this week on a Hawkwind – Moorcock collaboration.
Synchronicity indeed, possibly something to with the alignment of the spheres, or we’re just pawns in the hands of Law and Chaos.
I was more of a Runestaff fan, those books and the ones starring Corum(?) with the silver hand. Great stuff. I never had any time for the Jerry Cornelius ones though.
Fond mammaries… You really are King Cagoule, aren’t ya. (I mean that in a nice way)
I take great offence at that, I am in fact Lord Emporer Cagoule III. All praise!
I bow down to your hoodness. Forgive me. I do not want to be banished to tee-shirt-in-winterland (Newcastle)
Digging Elric’s garden gnome outfit!
I prefer G.G to Garden Gnome, it’s more street.
In the second last panel you’ve presented…his nipples are way too high! How’d they get up there? Wish I could do that with mine.
I suspect it’s the source of his strength
By the Nipples of Conan!
Ha! Perfect, that’s my new war cry.
I always wanted a pair of those X-Ray glasses that were advertised.
For crime-fighting purposes of course, not for looking through girls’ blouses!
I could never quite handle those comic books because the story came and went so quickly, bug Conan? I loved those books. Loved them.
Always loved my comics, it’s in my genes.
Those early Conan stories were amazing, from memory there’s one called Red Nails, which was always my favourite.
Can’t beat living in a fantasy world.