Conan the Barbarian #21 [Regular Edition]

(December 1972)

The Monster of the Monoliths! (Table of Contents: 1)

Conan / comic story / 20 pages (report information)

Script

Roy Thomas (credited)

Pencils

Barry Windsor-Smith (credited as Barry Smith) (layout); P. Craig Russell (credited as Craig Russell) (penciller); Val Mayerik (credited) (penciller)

Inks

Dan Adkins (credited); Sal Buscema (credited); P. Craig Russell (credited as Craig Russell); Val Mayerik (credited); Mark Kersey (see notes)

Colors

George Roussos

Letters

Artie Simek (credited)

Feature Logo

Conan the Barbarian [splash page masthead, curved letters]

Genre

fantasy-supernatural; sword and sorcery

Characters

Conan; Melissandra; Kharam-Akkad; Yezdigerd; Balthaz; King Eannatum (introduction); Khurusan (introduction, death); Justin the Blind Hermit (introduction, death); Xuthltan

Synopsis

Setting: Makkalet. Conan is taken captive in Makkalet when he defects from the Turanian army. Conan joins and is betrayed by Makkalet forces. Conan fights giant toad-god.

Reprints

• in Conan (Semic, 1973 series) #2/1975
• in Conan (Condor, 1979 series) #2
• in Conan le Barbare (Les Humanoïdes Associés, 1976 series) #[2] - Les Faucons des Mers (avril 1977) [Noir & Blanc [Black & White]]
• in Conan (Arédit-Artima, 1977 series) #2 (1er trimestre 1978) [Noir & Blanc et remonté [Black & White and reframed]]
• in Conan de barbaar (Oberon, 1979 series) #2 (1979)
• in Conan el Bárbaro (Planeta DeAgostini, 1983 series) #79 ([enero 1986])
• in Conan Saga (Marvel, 1987 series) #7 (November 1987) [black and white]
• in Espada Selvagem de Conan em Cores (Editora Abril, 1987 series) #5 (Dezembro de 1989) [recolored]
• in Conan (Bladkompaniet / Schibsted, 1990 series) #8/1991 ([august] 1991)
which is reprinted
• in Conan Maxi (Bladkompaniet / Schibsted, 2002 series) #3 - Frostgudens datter ([juli] 2003) [bearbeidet oversettelse]
which is reprinted
• in Conan (Bladkompaniet / Schibsted, 1990 series) #2/2007 ([mars] 2007)
• in Conan Maxipocket (Bladkompaniet / Schibsted, 2011 series) #3 - Frostgudens datter ([august] 2012)
• in Conan Le Barbare (Semic S.A., 1990 series) #36 (avril 1993)
• in Conan Saga (Comic Art, 1993 series) #4 (Marzo 1994)
• in Essential Conan (Marvel, 2000 series) #1 (July 2000) [black and white]
• in The Chronicles of Conan (Dark Horse, 2003 series) #3 - The Monster of the Monoliths and Other Stories (2003)
• in The Barry Windsor-Smith Conan Archives (Dark Horse, 2010 series) #2 (May 2010)
• in Conan el Bárbaro. Edición 35 Aniversario (Planeta DeAgostini, 2017 series) (Marzo 2017)
• in Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus (Marvel, 2018 series) #1 (2018)

Indexer Notes

Inspired by Robert E Howard story 'The Black Stone'. Smith credit changed from sketches to layout, based on splash page credits and info derived from letters pages.

According to an interview with Craig Russell in Conan: The Jewels of Gwahlur, only the first page and a couple of separate panels were fully drawn by Barry Smith, Val Mayerik completed figure work and Russell backgrounds. Inker Dan Adkins fell behind and called on them to do finished inks. In Back Issue #67 Russell stated he along with Val Mayerik did the finished pencil work, with Russell, Mayerik and Mark Kersey completing the inking.

Roussos coloring credit per Roy Thomas (2018, 116).
_________
Reference:

Thomas, Roy. 2018. Barbarian Life: A Literary Biography of Conan the Barbarian, Volume One. N.p.: Pulp Hero Press.

Dramatic Data, Dynamic Dispatches, and Death-Defying Declarations of Decidedly Dubious Distinction! (Table of Contents: 2) (Expand) /

Bullpen Bulletins / in-house column / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 3)

The Hyborian Page / letters page / 1 page (report information)

Script

Roy Thomas

Letters

typeset

Feature Logo

The Hyborian Page

Reprints

• in Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus (Marvel, 2018 series) #1 (2018)

Indexer Notes

Letters from Dean Mullaney, James Edward Smith, Scott Olsen, Duffy Vohland, Gary Oppenhuis, David Randolph III, John Kozak, Gary L. Robinson, and Danny G. Daniels.