Conan the Barbarian

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This article is about the character. For other uses, see Conan the Barbarian (disambiguation).

"Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet."
-- Robert E. Howard, The Phoenix on the Sword, 1932.
Illustration by Mark Schultz.

Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian, from the name of his homeland, Cimmeria) is a fictional character and an iconic figure in modern day popular culture often associated with the sword and sorcery subgenre. Created by American writer Robert E. Howard in 1932 via a series of fantasy pulp stories sold to Weird Tales magazine, the character has since appeared in licensed books, comics, films, television programs and video games, contributing to his long-standing popularity.

Conan the Barbarian is also the name of a Gnome Press collection of stories published in 1954, a comic published by Marvel Comics beginning in 1970, a film and its novelisation in 1982.

1 Setting
2 Characteristics
3 Appearance
4 Abilities
5 Influences
6 Original Robert E. Howard Conan stories
7 Conan Chronologies
8 Book editions
9 Other media
10 Characters
11 Trivia
12 External links

[edit] Setting

Main article: Hyborian Age

The Conan stories take place on Earth, but in the mythical (created by Howard) "Hyborian Age," between the time of the sinking of Atlantis and the rise of the known ancient civilizations. According to Howard himself (in The Phoenix on the Sword): "...between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas..."

[edit] Characteristics

Conan is a Cimmerian (not to be confused with the historical Cimmerians), a barbarian of the far north; like Genghis Khan, he was born on a battlefield and is the son of a blacksmith. He grew up fast: by age fifteen he was already a respected warrior, participating in the destruction of the Aquilonian outpost of Venarium. After this he was struck by wanderlust and began the colorful and exciting adventures chronicled by Howard (and subsequently, after Howard's death, by others), encountering fabulous monsters, evil wizards, and beautiful wenches and princesses - he has travelled throughout the world and been a thief and outlaw, a mercenary and commander of a mercenary company, and a pirate. He begins building larger units of men, aiming for greater territorial ambitions, though his efforts are repeatedly thwarted - usually by the total massacre of his force except himself. But in his forties he finally succeeds, becoming king of Aquilonia, the most powerful kingdom of the age, having strangled the previous ruler on the steps of the throne. Although Conan's adventures often result in him performing heroic feats, his motive is more than often his own survival, enrichment or rise to power and he thus displays many of the characteristics of an anti-hero.

[edit] Appearance

Conan has "sullen blue eyes" and long black hair. Howard describes him as having a hairy chest, and while popular imagination tends to portray Conan as wearing a loincloth or other minimalist clothing, he actually typically dons whatever garb is typical for the land and culture he finds himself among. Though Howard never gave a strict height or weight for Conan in a story, only describing him in loose terms like "giant" and "massive," he did once state that Conan and Cormac Fitzgeoffrey, one of Howard's own favorite athletes, were "physical doubles" at 6'2" and 210 lbs. In the tales no human is ever described as stronger than Conan, although several are mentioned as taller (such as the strangler Baal-pteor) or of larger bulk. Although Conan is muscular, Howard frequently compares his agility and way of moving to that of a panther (see for instance Jewels of Gwahlur, Beyond the Black River or Rogues in the House). His skin is frequently characterised as bronzed from constant exposure to the sun. In his younger years, he is often depicted wearing a light chain shirt and a horned helmet, though appearances vary with different artists.

During his reign as King of Aquilonia, Conan was "... a tall man, mightily shouldered and deep of chest, with a massive corded neck and heavily muscled limbs. He was clad in silk and velvet, with the royal lions of Aquilonia worked in gold upon his rich jupon, and the crown of Aquilonia shone on his square-cut black mane; but the great sword at his side seemed more natural to him than the regal accouterments. His brow was low and broad, his eyes a volcanic blue that smoldered as if with some inner fire. His dark, scarred, almost sinister face was that of a fighting-man, and his velvet garments could not conceal the hard, dangerous lines of his limbs." (The Hour of the Dragon which can be found in the anthology The Bloody Crown of Conan, pg. 89-90). He loses none of his vigour with age with the above description coming when he is in his mid-forties.

Though several later authors have referred to Conan as "Germanic-looking," Howard imagined the Cimmerians as a proto-Celtic people with mostly dark hair and blue or grey eyes. Racially the Cimmerians to which Conan belongs are descendants of the Atlanteans, though they do not remember their ancestry. In his pseudo-historical essay The Hyborian Age, Howard describes how the people of Atlantis (the land where his character King Kull originated) had to move east after a great cataclysm changed the face of the world and sank their island, settling where northern Scotland and Norway would eventually be located. In the same work, Howard also described how the Cimmerians eventually moved south and east after the age of Conan (presumably in the vicinity of the Black Sea, where the historical Cimmerians dwelt).

[edit] Abilities

Despite his brutish appearance, Conan uses his brain as well as his brawn. The Cimmerian is a talented fighter, but due to his travels abroad, he also has vast experience in other trades, especially the thiefly one; he is also a talented commander, tactician and strategist, as well as a born leader. In addition, Conan speaks many languages, including advanced reading and writing abilities: in certain stories, he's able to recognize, or even decipher, certain ancient or secret signs and writings (like when he uses the sign of Jhebbal Sag in Beyond the Black River) (but noticeably, he apparently is never shown by Howard reading Stygian, though he can speak it), and his very first appearance (in The Phoenix on the Sword) shows him busy writing.

Another noticeable trait is his sense of humour, largely absent in the comics and movies, but very much a part of Howard's original vision of the character, particularly apparent in Xuthal of the Dusk also known as The Slithering Shadow. He is a loyal friend to those true to him with a barbaric code of honour and chivalry that often marks him as more civilized than those more sophisticated people he meets in his travels. Indeed his straighforward nature and barbarism are constants in all the tales.

One fact that is often emphasized is that Conan is very difficult to defeat in hand-to-hand combat. Conan needs only to have his back to the wall so that he cannot be surrounded, and then is capable of engaging and killing opponents by the score. This is seen in several stories, such as Queen of the Black Coast, The Scarlet Citadel and A Witch Shall be Born. Conan is not superhuman, though: he did need the providential help of Zelata's wolf to defeat four Nemedian soldiers in the story The Hour of the Dragon. Some of his hardest victories have come from fighting single opponents, but ones of inhuman strength: one such as Thak, the ape man from Rogues in the House, or the strangler Baal-Pteor in Shadows in Zamboula. Conan is far from untouchable and has been captured several times (knocking himself out running into a wall drunk after being betrayed, although he still slays the people initially sent to arrest him, a fall from a wounded horse, by magical means) but never as a result of martial failings.

[edit] Influences

Main article: Robert E. Howard

Howard corresponded with H. P. Lovecraft, and the two would sometimes insert references to elements of each others' settings in their works. Modern editors have since reworked many of the original Conan stories, however, diluting this connection.^{[citation needed]}

The Conan stories are informed by the popular interest of the time in ideas on evolution and social Darwinism. Are some peoples destined to rule over others? Are our physical and mental characteristics the result of our experiences or our inheritance from our ancestors? Is human civilization a natural or unnatural development? As Conan remarks in one story:

Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing. (Howard, The Tower of the Elephant, Weird Tales, March 1933)

Additionally, some fans such as comic book artist Mark Schultz have concluded that Conan was an idealized alter ego for Howard. Unlike the modern, stereotypical view of a brainless barbarian, Howard originally created Conan as a thoughtful but melancholic figure who often battled with depression, much like Howard himself (the writer eventually committed suicide). However, Howard's Conan is unaffected by such feelings:

Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is an illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and I am content. (Howard, Queen of the Black Coast, Weird Tales, May 1934).

[edit] Original Robert E. Howard Conan stories

Cover of Weird Tales issue May 1934 featuring Conan and Bêlit from Queen of the Black Coast, one of Robert E. Howard's original Conan stories.

[edit] Conan stories published in Weird Tales

"The Phoenix on the Sword" (novelette; WT 20 6, Dec 1932)
"The Scarlet Citadel" (novelette; WT 21 1, Jan 1933)
"The Tower of the Elephant" (novelette; WT 21 3, Mar 1933)
"Black Colossus" (novelette; WT 21 6, Jun 1933)
"Xuthal of the Dusk" (novelette; WT 22 3, Sep 1933, as "The Slithering Shadow")
"The Pool of the Black One" (novelette; WT 22 4, Oct 1933)
"Rogues in the House" (novelette; WT 23 1, Jan 1934)
"Iron Shadows in the Moon" (novelette; WT 23 4, Apr 1934, as "Shadows in the Moonlight")
"Queen of the Black Coast" (novelette; WT 23 5, May 1934)
"The Devil in Iron" (novelette; WT 24 2, Aug 1934)
"The People of the Black Circle" (novella; WT 24 3-5, Sep/Oct/Nov 1934)
"A Witch Shall be Born" (novelette; WT 24 6, Dec 1934)
"Jewels of Gwahlur" (novelette; WT 25 3, Mar 1935)
"Beyond the Black River" (novella; WT 25 5-6, May/Jun 1935)
"Man-Eaters of Zamboula" (novelette; WT 26 5, Nov 1935, as "Shadows in Zamboula")
The Hour of the Dragon (novel; WT 26 6 & 25 1-4, Dec 35/Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr 1936)
"Red Nails" (novella; WT 28 1-3, Jul/Aug-Sep/Oct 1936)

[edit] Conan stories by Howard not published in his lifetime

"The Frost Giant's Daughter". Originally a Conan story, but after being rejected, Howard revised it. Retitled as The Gods of the North, the main character's name changed to "Amra of Akbitana." The original version has been published in 2003 in The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian.
"The God in the Bowl". Published in 2003 in The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian.
"The Vale of Lost Women". Published in 2003 in The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian.
"The Black Stranger". Rewritten by L. Sprague de Camp as "The Treasure of Tranicos". Howard's version published in 1987 in Echoes of Valor.

[edit] Unfinished Conan stories by Howard

"The Snout in the Dark". Fragment.
"Drums of Tombalku". Fragment.
"The Hall of the Dead". Synopsis only.
"The Hand of Nergal". Fragment.
There also exist a number of untitled synopses of Conan stories.

[edit] Other Conan-related material by Howard

"Wolves Beyond the Border" — a non-Conan story set in Conan's world. Fragment.
"The Hyborian Age" — an essay on the Hyborian Age, the fictional setting of the Conan stories. Published in 2003 in The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian.
"Cimmeria" — a poem written by Howard in 1932. Published in 2003 in The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian.

[edit] Textual history

Following Howard's death, the copyright of the Conan stories passed through several hands. Eventually, under the guidance of L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, the stories were expurgated, revised, and (in some cases) completely rewritten. For about forty years, the original versions of Howard's Conan stories remained out of print. Only with the Berkley editions in 1977 was an attempt made to return to the earliest published (Weird Tales) form of the texts, but these failed to displace the then standard versions. In the 1980s and 1990s, the copyright holders let Howard's stories go out of print entirely, while continuing to sell Conan works by other authors (see below).

Then, in 2000, Gollancz Science Fiction, a British publisher, issued a two-volume, complete edition of Howard's Conan stories as part of their Fantasy Masterworks imprint (including several stories which had never seen print in their original form). Gollancz' edition used the original versions of the stories as published in Weird Tales.

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) and Conan of Cimmeria: Volume Three (1935-1936) (2005; vt The Conquering Sword of Conan 2005 US). Between the three books, all of the original unedited Robert E. Howard stories are finally available to readers for the first time.

Some fans and those producing new material often call them "pastiches", an erroneous use of the word.

[edit] Conan Chronologies

Main article: Conan Chronologies

[edit] The Miller/Clark Chronology

A Probable Outline of Conan's Career (1936) was the earliest effort to put the tales in chronological order. Completed during Howard's lifetime by P. Schuyler Miller and John D. Clark, it was said by Howard to follow his vision "pretty closely." It was subsequently revised by Clark and L. Sprague de Camp as An Informal Biography of Conan the Cimmerian (1952), used to bridge stories in the Gnome Press run, and subsequently revised on a number of occasions by de Camp. His last version was Conan the Indestructible (1986), which included all non-Howard material published through the time of the revision, as well as versions of Howard stories rewritten by de Camp to fit his view of the chronology.

[edit] The Robert Jordan Chronology

A Conan Chronology by Robert Jordan (1987) was a new chronology written by Conan writer Robert Jordan that included all written Conan material up to that point. It was heavily influenced by the Miller/Clark/de Camp chronologies, though it departed from them in a number of idiosyncratic instances.

[edit] The Dale Rippke Chronology

The Darkstorm Conan Chronology (2003) was a completely revised and heavily researched chronology, radically repositioning a number of stories and including only those stories written (or devised) by Howard. The Dark Horse comic series follows this chronology.

[edit] Book editions

The character of Conan has proven durably popular, resulting in Conan stories being assembled by later writers such as Lin Carter, L. Sprague de Camp, Karl Edward Wagner, John Maddox Roberts, Andrew J. Offutt, J. Ramsey Campbell, Poul Anderson, Richard A. Lupoff, Björn Nyberg, Robert Jordan, Steve Perry, Leonard Carpenter, John C. Hocking, and Harry Turtledove. Some of these writers have finished incomplete Conan manuscripts by Howard (listed above). Others were created by rewriting Howard stories which originally featured entirely different characters from entirely different milieus. Most, however, are completely original works. In total, more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories featuring the Conan character have been written by authors other than Howard. The notable book editions of the Conan stories are:

[edit] The Gnome Press editions, 1950-1957

The Gnome Press edition of Conan was the first hardcover collection of Howard's Conan stories, including all the original Howard material known to exist at the time, some left unpublished in his lifetime. The later volumes contain some stories rewritten by L. Sprague de Camp (like "The Treasure of Tranicos"), including several non-Conan Howard stories, mostly historical exotica situated in the Levant at the time of the crusades, which he turned into Conan yarns. The Gnome edition also issued the first Conan story written by an author other than Howard — the final volume published, which is by Björn Nyberg and revised by de Camp.

The Coming of Conan (1953)
Conan the Barbarian (1954)
The Sword of Conan (1952)
King Conan (1953)
Conan the Conqueror (AKA The Hour of the Dragon) (1950)
The Return of Conan (1957) (by Björn Nyberg and L. Sprague de Camp)
Tales of Conan (1955) (originally non-Conan Howard stories rewritten as Conan stories by L. Sprague de Camp)

[edit] The Lancer/Ace paperback editions, 1966-1977

The cover of Conan the Usurper (1967) by Frank Frazetta (artist).

The first comprehensive paperback edition, which compiled the existing Howard and non-Howard stories together with new non-Howard stories in chronological order, to form a complete account of Conan's life. Lancer Books went out of business before bringing out the entire series, the publication of which was completed by Ace Books. This version of the stories was the one that introduced Conan into popular culture. Its covers featured dynamic images by Frank Frazetta that, for many fans, presented the "definitive" impression of Conan and his world. For decades to come, most other portrayals of the Cimmerian and his imitators were heavily influenced by the cover paintings of this series.

Undertaken under the direction of De Camp and Carter, this edition includes all the original Howard material, including that left unpublished in his lifetime and fragments and outlines. De Camp and Carter edited much of the material and completed the stories that were not in finished form. New stories written entirely by themselves were added as well. In the following list, volumes 6 and 11–12 do not contain any material by Howard. Of the thirty-five stories in the other eight volumes, nineteen were published or completed by Howard during his lifetime, ten are rewritten or completed from his manuscripts, fragments or synopses, and six are the sole work of De Camp and Carter.

While the Lancer edition has been criticized from a scholarly perspective for failing to present a pure version of the Howard tales, untampered with by other hands, the interest of those who oversaw it was not so much so much purist as practical; to popularize the corpus ensure that it sold. That it has endured to become the subject of scholarly attention is ample evidence of their success.

Conan (1968) (by Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp, and Lin Carter)
Conan of Cimmeria (1969) (by Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp, and Lin Carter)
Conan the Freebooter (1968) (by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp)
Conan the Wanderer (1968) (by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp)
Conan the Adventurer (1966) (by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp)
Conan the Buccaneer (1971) (by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)
Conan the Warrior (1967) (by Robert E. Howard)
Conan the Usurper (1967) (by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp)
Conan the Conqueror (AKA The Hour of the Dragon) (1967) (by Robert E. Howard)
Conan the Avenger (AKA The Return of Conan) (1968) (by Björn Nyberg and L. Sprague de Camp)
Conan of Aquilonia (1977) (by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)
Conan of the Isles (1968) (by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)

[edit] The Donald M. Grant editions, 1974-1989

A series of illustrated limited editions of the Howard Conan stories only, containing one or two stories per volume. The series ran out of steam before publishing the last five of the stories and three of the fragments.

The People of the Black Circle (1974)
The Tower of the Elephant (1975) (also includes The God in the Bowl)
A Witch Shall Be Born (1975)
Red Nails (1975)
The Devil in Iron (1976) (also includes Shadows in Zamboula)
Rogues in the House (1976) (also includes The Frost Giant's Daughter)
Queen of the Black Coast (1978) (also includes The Vale of Lost Women)
Jewels of Gwahlur (1979) (also includes The Snout in the Dark fragment)
Black Colossus (1979) (also includes Shadows in the Moonlight)
Pool of the Black One (1986) (also includes Drums of Tombalku fragment)
The Hour of the Dragon (1989)

[edit] The Berkley editions, 1977

Edited by Karl Edward Wagner, this series, like the Grant edition, included only the Howard Conan stories in their original published form, and included only the Conan stories known at the time to be in the public domain. Wagner's introductions are openly dismissive of the editorial revisions done by de Camp and Carter on the Lancer/Ace editions.

The Hour of the Dragon (Aug. 1977)
The People of the Black Circle (Sep. 1977)
Red Nails (Oct. 1977)

[edit] The Bantam editions, 1978-1982

A series of non-Howard material continuing and supplementing the Lancer/Ace series.

Conan the Swordsman (Aug. 1978) (by L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter, and Bjorn Nyberg)
Conan the Liberator (Feb. 1979) (by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)
Conan: The Sword of Skelos (May 1979) (by Andrew J. Offutt)
Conan: The Road of Kings (Oct. 1979) (by Karl Edward Wagner)
Conan and the Spider God (Dec. 1980) (by L. Sprague de Camp)
Conan the Rebel (Jul. 1980) (by Poul Anderson)
Conan the Barbarian (May 1982) (adaptation by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter of the movie of the same title)

[edit] The Ace Maroto editions, 1978-1981

A series of new material by Andrew J. Offutt and old Howard/de Camp collaborations, all illustrated by Esteban Maroto. The Offutt stories, in combination with his Conan: The Sword of Skelos from the Bantam series, form a linked trilogy.

Conan and the Sorcerer (Oct. 1978) (by Andrew J. Offutt)
The Treasure of Tranicos (Jul. 1980) (by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp)
Conan the Mercenary (Jan. 1981) (by Andrew J. Offutt)
The Flame Knife (Jul. 1981) by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp)

[edit] The Tor editions, 1982-2004

A series of new stories by various hands. Tor has also lately reissued most of the previous non-Howard editions not originally published by Tor.

Conan the Invincible (Jun. 1982) (by Robert Jordan)
Conan the Defender (Dec. 1982) (by Robert Jordan)
Conan the Unconquered (Apr. 1983) (by Robert Jordan)
Conan the Triumphant (Oct. 1983) (by Robert Jordan)
Conan the Magnificent (May 1984) (by Robert Jordan)
Conan the Destroyer (Jul. 1984) (adaptation by Robert Jordan of the movie of the same title)
Conan the Victorious (Nov. 1984) (by Robert Jordan)
Conan the Valorous (Sep. 1985) (by John M. Roberts)
Conan the Fearless (Feb. 1986) (by Steve Perry)
Conan the Renegade (Apr. 1986) (by Leonard Carpenter)
Conan the Raider (Oct. 1986) (by Leonard Carpenter)
Conan the Champion (Apr. 1987) (by John M. Roberts)
Conan the Defiant (Oct. 1987) (by Steve Perry)
Conan the Marauder (Jan. 1988) (by John M. Roberts)
Conan the Warlord (Mar. 1988) (by Leonard Carpenter)
Conan the Valiant (Oct. 1988) (by Roland Green)
Conan the Hero (Feb. 1989) (by Leonard Carpenter)
Conan the Bold (Apr. 1989) (by John M. Roberts)
Conan the Great (Apr. 1989) (by Leonard Carpenter)
Conan the Indomitable (Oct. 1989) (by Steve Perry)
Conan the Freelance (Feb. 1990) (by Steve Perry)
Conan the Formidable (Nov. 1990) (by Steve Perry)
Conan the Guardian (Jan. 1991) (by Roland Green)
Conan the Outcast (Apr. 1991) (by Leonard Carpenter)
Conan the Rogue (Nov. 1991) (by John M. Roberts)
Conan the Relentless (Apr. 1992) (by Roland Green)
Conan the Savage (Nov. 1992) (by Leonard Carpenter)
Conan of the Red Brotherhood (Feb. 1993) (by Leonard Carpenter)
Conan and the Gods of the Mountain (May 1993) (by Roland Green)
Conan and the Treasure of Python (Nov. 1993) (by John M. Roberts)
Conan the Hunter (Jan. 1994) (by Sean A. Moore) ISBN 0-8125-3531-6
Conan, Scourge of the Bloody Coast (Apr. 1994) (by Leonard Carpenter)
Conan and the Manhunters (Oct. 1994) (by John M. Roberts)
Conan at the Demon's Gate (Nov. 1994) (by Roland Green)
Conan the Gladiator (Jan. 1995) (by Leonard Carpenter)
Conan and the Amazon (Apr. 1995) (by John M. Roberts)
Conan and the Mists of Doom (Aug. 1995) (by Roland Green)
Conan and the Emerald Lotus (Nov. 1995) (by John C. Hocking)
Conan and the Shaman's Curse (Jan. 1996) (by Sean A. Moore)
Conan, Lord of the Black River (Apr. 1996) (by Leonard Carpenter)
Conan and The Grim Grey God (Nov. 1996) (by Sean A. Moore)
Conan and the Death Lord of Thanza (Jan. 1997) (by Roland Green)
Conan of Venarium (Jul. 2004) (by Harry Turtledove)

[edit] The Gollancz editions, 2000-2006

A new edition of Howard's original stories purporting to feature all of Howard's Conan fiction in the two volumes, and to present only Howard's writings. Includes all the classic stories, apparently in their unrevised form (The Black Stranger is quite different from its De Camp cognate The Treasure of Tranicos); uncompleted or fragmentary tales have been left in that state. The two parts were put together in 2006 to form one stand alone Centenary Edition to celebrate the 100 years since the birth of Howard.

The Conan Chronicles, 1 (Aug. 2000)
The Conan Chronicles, 2 (2001)
The Complete Chronicles of Conan (2006)

[edit] The Wandering Star/Del Rey editions, 2003-2005

A three volume collection of Howard's original stories, published by Wandering Star in the United Kingdom and Del Rey (a division of Random House) in the United States. These editions contain notes, rough drafts, and other miscellanea by Howard. Each volume is illustrated by Mark Schultz, Gary Gianni, and Greg Manchess, respectively.

Conan of Cimmeria: Volume One (1932-1933) (2003; vt The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian - US, 2003)
Conan of Cimmeria: Volume Two (1934) (2004; vt The Bloody Crown of Conan - US, 2005)
Conan of Cimmeria: Volume Three (1935-1936) (2005; vt The Conquering Sword of Conan - US, 2005)

[edit] Other media

[edit] Film

[edit] Conan movies

Movie poster for Conan the Barbarian (1982).

For detailed information on the individual Conan movies, see Conan the Barbarian (film) and Conan the Destroyer.

The film Conan the Barbarian (1982) was written by the unlikely pairing of Oliver Stone and John Milius. The script, which has next to nothing in common with Howard's original, draws material from a number of stories. It tells the story of Conan rising up in slavery and finally taking revenge on the nefarious Thulsa Doom, the malevolent warlord who was responsible for the slaying of his parents and the genocide of his people. Later, Thulsa Doom turns into a devious cult leader who runs an evil shamanist religion which worships Set, a Snake God. 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 less popular sequel, Conan the Destroyer (1984), was also made, a more typical fantasy-genre film (again, not very true to Howard's stories).

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.

There were rumours of a third Conan movie, Conan: Crown of Iron, although with Arnold Schwarzenegger being Governor of California it seems he will be unable to reprise the role in the near future. Warner Bros has recently (March 30 2006) said as much although they state that as a franchise they are naturally interested in more releases.

On June 15, 2006, Warner Bros hired Boaz Yakin to write and possibly direct a new Conan the Barbarian film. Production will begin early 2007. [1]

[edit] Other

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

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 do not like his rule. In a reverse of Conan's beginnings, when Howard re-wrote a Kull story to become the first Conan story, the Kull movie draws a lot from The Hour of the Dragon.

An animated feature, Conan: Red Nails, based upon the novella of the same name is being made (see Red Nails). Actor Ron Perlman will provide the voice of Conan.

[edit] TV series

Ralf Moeller as Conan.

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

This short-lived series, Conan the Adventurer, featured a more caring Conan, and involved much less blood and gore.

[edit] Cartoons

Main article: Conan the Adventurer

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

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.

The fact is, Conan the Adventurer was loosely based from the novels. Instead of a Conan who is bloody, a womanizer, thief and so on, he's much more like He-Man: a kind and caring character, an honest fellow who went to fight against the sorcerer Wrath-Amon to free his parents (though they were killed in the original line). In one episode Conan meets "Nanoc" a womanizer and a thief who is wary of magic, much closer to the original that the Conan of the series.

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.

[edit] Comics

Main article: Conan (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.

[edit] Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics introduced a fairly faithful version of Conan in 1970 with Conan the Barbarian, written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith. He was succeeded after several issues by penciller John Buscema, while Thomas continued to write for many years. Later writers included J.M. DeMatteis, Bruce Jones, Michael Fleisher, Doug Moench, Jim Owsley, Alan Zelenetz, Chuck Dixon, and Don Kraar.

[edit] Dark Horse Comics

For more details on this topic, see Conan (Dark Horse comic).

Dark Horse Comics began their take on Conan in 2003. Currently publishing the comic series Conan, originally written by Kurt Busiek and pencilled by Cary Nord, with Tim Truman replacing Busiek when he signed an exclusive contract with DC Comics. This series is a fresh interpretation, or original material and adaptations of the works of Robert E. Howard, with no connection to the large Marvel run (or any of the non-REH stories). Dark Horse Comics is also publishing digitally re-coloured compilations of the 1970s Marvel Comics Conan the Barbarian series in graphic-novel format.

[edit] Games

Age of Conan, a MMORPG, will debut in Q2 2007.

[edit] Computer Games

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

In 1984, Datasoft released Conan: Hall of Volta for the Apple II and Commodore 64.
In 1990 Mindscape released Conan for the Nintendo Entertainment System NES (which was a port of the Commodore 64 game Myth by System 3).
In 1991, Virgin Interactive released Conan: The Cimmerian developed by Synergistic Software, Inc. for Amiga and DOS.
In 2004, TDK Mediactive released Conan: The Dark Axe, a video game developed by Cauldron Ltd.. It is a third-person action game, available for Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox and the GameCube.[2]
In Q2 2007, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) by Funcom, will be launched.

[edit] Collectible Card Games

In 2006, Comic Images released the Conan Collectible Card Game designed by Jason Robinette (with more information available at Comic Images' website).

[edit] 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.

[edit] Play-by-email Games

Hyborian War, hosted by Reality Simulations Incorporated, is a play-by-mail game set in Hyboria.

[edit] Parodies, Pastiches and other references

Conan has partly inspired the character Marv from Sin City, described by creator Frank Miller as "Conan in a trenchcoat".
In a Calvin and Hobbes strip that ran during a storyarc while the family was camping, Calvin's mother, when a question was addressed to her, responded "Go ask Conan the Barbarian."
"Tusk" is a character from the video game Killer Instinct 2, produced by Nintendo and Rare. This character is almost identical to Arnold Schwarzenegger's version of Conan from Conan the Destroyer, wearing only a giant fur loincloth and having stage music that is extremely similar to the main titles of the second movie ("The Riders of Taramis"). His only differences include that he has blond hair and a giant snake tattoo around his chest.
Korgoth of Barbaria, an American animated television series, is officially described by the Cartoon Network as a parody of Conan the Barbarian.
Terry Pratchett has parodied him with the Discworld character "Cohen the Barbarian". (Later he revealed his first name: "Genghiz Cohen.")
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 a 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. Sim further parodied the famous introductory lines "Know, o prince..." in a two-page story featuring "Arnold the Isshurian", in the pages of the magazine Epic Illustrated #16 published by Marvel. The story parodied both Conan and the Little Nemo strip by Winsor McCay.
Another parody is Equine the Uncivilized, a horse.
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 Saga, a coin-op and console game, is an example of these. It even has a "King Conan"-like sequence at the end of the game.
The Eye of Argon, famous as one of the worst fantasy stories ever written, is inspired by Conan.
Dave the Barbarian, was a short-lived Disney cartoon with obvious trappings from Conan and The Flintstones, among others.
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. In addition, the first three songs from their album Gates of Fire are based on the Frost Giant's Daughter.
Thundarr the Barbarian was an early 1980s animated series of a barbarian living on a post-apocalyptic Earth, ala Escape from New York. Thundarr would often spout Conan-reminiscent curses such as "Demon-dogs!" and "Lords of Light!"
In volleyball, an overhand hit with the bottom of both clenched fists is often called a "Conan", ostensibly after the sword-swinging barbarian.
At WrestleMania 22, WWE superstar Triple H's entrance consisted of him sitting on a throne in a Norse king's outfit, reminiscent of Conan.
John Jakes' Mention My Name in Atlantis features "Conax the Chimerical."
A 1992 episode of the ITV children's show Knightmare featured character Sylvester Hands pretending to be 'Coonan the Vegetarian'.
The OpenBSD 3.3 release song Puff the Barbarian (and associated artwork) is influenced by Conan the Barbarian.
There has been much speculation over the years that Conan was the direct influence for the popular cartoon character He-Man, although the company states otherwise.

[edit] Characters

The following characters have prominent or recurring roles in the Conan series.

Bêlit, self-styled queen of the Black Coast and captain of the pirate ship "Tigress" (Queen of the Black Coast). Conan's first serious lover. Killed in issue #100 of the Marvel Comics series Conan The Barbarian (Death on the Black Coast).
Prince Conan II, called Conn, first born son of King Conan of Aquilonia by his wife Zenobia. Conn is a creation of L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter. (Witch of the Mists, Black Sphinx of Nebthu, Red Moon of Zembabwei, Shadows in the Skull, Conan of the Isles, as well as the Conan The King comic books).
Fafnir Demonhand (comics only).
Kulan Gath (comics only). Co-created by Roy Thomas and Michael Moorcock during a cross-over with Elric. The character is popular in comics fandom, as writer Chris Claremont used him in two time-travel stories featuring Spider-Man and the X-Men (without Conan appearing), and was later seen in the Avengers.
Red Sonja #1 with art by Michael Turner

Red Sonja, a Hyrkanian warrior. Red Sonja is a character from the Conan comics, and was created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith. She was inspired by a R. E. Howard character, Red Sonya of Rogatino, who appeared in the historical story The Shadow of the Vulture set in the XVI^th century.
Thoth-Amon of the ring, a Stygian wizard of great power and influence. He appeared in the very first Conan story written (The Phoenix on the Sword) and was mentioned in The God in the Bowl and The Hour of the Dragon. L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, in their stories, made Thoth-Amon the most prominent adversary of Conan (The Treasure of Tranicos, Conan the Buccaneer, Witch of the Mists, Black Sphinx of Nebthu, Red Moon of Zembabwei, Shadows in the Skull). In the Marvel comic-book series, Thoth-Amon was also Conan's life-long opponent. He had a striking appearance designed by Barry Windsor-Smith, with a ram-horn ornemental headdress. In the Dark Horse comic-book series, Thoth-Amon is also an important character, but with a more traditional Stygian (Egyptian-looking) appearance.
Thulsa Doom. Originally, he was a wizard, described as a necromancer in the King Kull story Delcardes' Cat. He was a recurring character in the Kull comic books. John Milius used a similarly-named character as the villain in the first Conan movie. He appears as a skull-faced sorcerer with awesome powers.
Valeria of the Red Brotherhood, a female pirate (Red Nails).
Princess Yasmela of Khoraja. She made Conan commander of her country's armies to repel the invasion of a desert horde (Black Colossus).
Yara, evil wizard and adversary to Conan in The Tower of the Elephant
Yasmina, queen (or "devi") of Vendhya. She tried to coerce Conan, then a hill-chieftain, to destroy the Black Seers of Yimsha. Brave and determined, she gained Conan's respect and gruff affection (The People of the Black Circle).
King Yezdigerd of Turan (The People of the Black Circle, The Devil in Iron, Conan the Avenger). Yezdigerd was also prominent in the Conan comics, in which he bears a scar given him by Conan.
Zenobia, whom Conan married and made his queen after she helped him escape the dungeons of king Tarascus of Nemedia (The Hour of the Dragon).
Zephra (comics only).

[edit] Trivia

On the subject of Howard and Conan, L. Sprague de Camp states the following in his book Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy concerning an interview with J. R. R. Tolkien : "We sat in the garage for a couple of hours, smoking pipes, drinking beer, and talking about a variety of things. Practically anything in English literature, from Beowulf down, Tolkien had read and could talk intelligently about. He indicated that he 'rather liked' Howard's Conan stories."

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