(December 1976)

Marvel, 1974 Series
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Volume
1
Price
1.00 USD
Pages
76
Indicia Frequency
seven times a year
On-sale Date
1976-10-12
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Magazine Management Co. Inc.
Barcode
0714860292912
Printer
Printed in the United States of America
Editing
Roy Thomas (editor); Archie Goodwin (consulting editor); John Warner (credited as John David Warner) (consulting editor)

Issue Notes

Pre-standard barcode.
On sale date from the Comic Reader #136.
Parts of this issue are reprinted:

Wizards of the Black Circle (Table of Contents)

Conan / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Earl Norem (credited) (signed as Norem) (painting)
Inks
Earl Norem (credited) (signed as Norem) (painting)
Colors
Earl Norem (credited) (signed as Norem) (painting)
Letters
typeset

Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Conan
Reprints

[Frontispiece] (Table of Contents: 1)

Conan / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Mike Zeck (credited)
Inks
Mike Zeck (credited)

Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Conan
Reprints

Table of Contents (Table of Contents: 2)

table of contents / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
John Buscema (illustration)
Inks
Alfredo Alcala (illustration)
Letters
typeset

Characters
Conan; Yasmina
Reprints

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

foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Conan manages to build up the kozacs
Reprints

The People of the Black Circle [Chapter 1, Part I] (Table of Contents: 4)

Conan / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Roy Thomas (credited)
Pencils
John Buscema (credited)
Inks
Alfredo Alcala (credited)
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Thru the hot stifling night the temple gongs boom, and the conches roar.
Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Conan; Yasmina; Bhunda Chand; Kerim Shah; Khemsa
Synopsis
Sorcerers are killing Yasmina's brother, Bhunda Chand, the King of Vendhya.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Adapted from the short story "People of the Black Circle" by Robert E. Howard.

[The People of the Black Circle, Chapter 1] Part II: A Barbarian from the Hills (Table of Contents: 5)

Conan / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Roy Thomas (credited)
Pencils
John Buscema (credited)
Inks
Alfredo Alcala (credited)
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Chunder Shan, governor of Peshkhauri, has ruled this northern province of Vendhya for so long...
Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Conan; Chunder Shan; Yasmina; Gitara
Synopsis
Conan kidnaps Yasmina.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Adapted from the short story "People of the Black Circle" by Robert E. Howard.

[The People of the Black Circle, Chapter 1] Part III: The Sorcery of Khemsa (Table of Contents: 6)

Conan / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Roy Thomas (credited)
Pencils
John Buscema (credited)
Inks
Alfredo Alcala (credited)
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
In the reigning confusion, no one notices that the devi's attendant Gitara...
Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Gitara; Khemsa; Kerim Shah
Synopsis
Gitara and Khemsa betray Kerim Shah and plan to use the information of the kidnapped Yasmina to their own ends.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Adapted from the short story "People of the Black Circle" by Robert E. Howard.

[The People of the Black Circle, Chapter 1] Part IV: Reavers of the Hills (Table of Contents: 7)

Conan / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Roy Thomas (credited)
Pencils
John Buscema (credited)
Inks
Alfredo Alcala (credited)
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
In days to come, Yasmina will never be able to clearly remember the details of her mad abduction.
Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Conan; Yasmina; Yar Afzal
Synopsis
Conan and Yasmina reach the Zhaibar Pass and meet up with Yar Afzal.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Adapted from the short story "People of the Black Circle" by Robert E. Howard.
Story continues next issue.

A Probable Outline of Conan's Career (Table of Contents: 8)

Conan / text article / 7 pages (report information)

Script
John D. Clark (credited); P. Schuyler Miller (credited)
Pencils
Pat Broderick (signed as Broderick) (illustration); Frank Thorne (signed as Frank Thorne) (illustration); Jim Wilcox (signed as Jayem Wilcox) (illustrations); Hugh Rankin (signed as Hugh Rankin) (illustrations)
Inks
Pat Broderick (signed as Broderick) (illustration); Frank Thorne (signed as Frank Thorne) (illustration); Jim Wilcox (signed as Jayem Wilcox) (illustrations); Hugh Rankin (signed as Hugh Rankin) (illustrations)
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
The career of Conan, the Cimmerian adventurer, as described in the published chronicles dealing with his adventures...
Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Conan; Red Sonja
Reprints

Indexer Notes

This article first appeared in a fanzine called "The Hyborian Age", published in 1938. The Wilcox and Rankin illustrations appear to be taken from issues of Weird Tales. The Wilcox illustrations would be from "Black Colossus" (Weird Tales, June 1933) and "The Scarlet Citadel" (Weird Tales, January 1933).

A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard (Table of Contents: 9)

Conan / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Frank Giacoia (signed as F. Giacoia)
Inks
Frank Giacoia (signed as F. Giacoia)
Letters
typeset

Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Conan; Jenna
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Recreation of a scene featuring Conan, Jenna, and Corinthian guardsmen from Conan the Barbarian (Marvel, 1970 series) #11.

A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard (Table of Contents: 10)

Conan / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Gene Day (signed as Gene Day)
Inks
Gene Day (signed as Gene Day)
Letters
typeset

Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Conan
Reprints

A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard (Table of Contents: 11)

Conan / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
John Buscema (credited)
Inks
Tim Conrad (credited)
Letters
typeset

Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Bêlit; Conan
Reprints

Indexer Notes

An unused page from Conan the Barbarian (Marvel, 1970 series) #66.

A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard (Table of Contents: 12)

Conan; Red Sonja / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
John Allison (credited)
Inks
John Allison (credited)
Letters
typeset

Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Conan; Red Sonja
Reprints

A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard (Table of Contents: 13)

Conan / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Virgil Finlay (credited)
Inks
Virgil Finlay (credited)
Letters
typeset

Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Conan

Indexer Notes

Sketch for a proposed Conan book-cover. With special thanks to Doug Murray.

A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard (Table of Contents: 14)

Conan / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Richard Corben (credited) (signed as Corben)
Inks
Richard Corben (credited) (signed as Corben)
Letters
typeset

Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Conan
Reprints

Indexer Notes

A scene from the short story "Curse of the Monolith" by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter.

A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard (Table of Contents: 15)

Kull / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Roy Krenkel (credited as Roy G. Krenkel) (signed as RGK)
Inks
Roy Krenkel (credited as Roy G. Krenkel) (signed as RGK)
Letters
typeset

Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Kull
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Sketch from Infinity Three magazine.

Chapter 5: Fire and Slaughter (Table of Contents: 16)

The Hyborian Age / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Roy Thomas (credited)
Pencils
Walter Simonson (credited as Walt Simonson) (signed as Simonson)
Inks
Walter Simonson (credited as Walt Simonson) (signed as Simonson)
Letters
Walter Simonson

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Arus, priest of Mitra, had instilled in Gorm, the Pictish chief, a desire to see the Civilized Lands.
Genre
sword and sorcery
Characters
Arus; Gorm
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Robert E. Howard adaptation. Letters credit from Walt Simonson via GCD Errors list, October 2009.

Worms of the Earth [Part I] (Table of Contents: 17)

Bran Mak Morn / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script
Robert E. Howard (credited) (original story); Roy Thomas (credited) (adaptation)
Pencils
Barry Windsor-Smith (complete first few and partial on the rest); Tim Conrad (credited) (finishes)
Inks
Tim Conrad (credited)
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
The scene is a common enough one.
Genre
historical; sword and sorcery
Characters
Bran Mak Morn (as Partha Mac Othna); Valerius; Titus Sulla; Centurious Publius; Grom; Cormac na Connacht (mentioned only)
Synopsis
Bran Mak Morn (pretending to be the Irish chieftain Partha Mac Othna) witnesses one of his people being crucified by the Romans.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Credits from Tim Conrad interview in Collector's Dream (G&T Enterprises) #1/ 1977? and from Tim Conrad interview in Worms of the Earth (Cross Plains Comics; Wandering Star, 2000 Series) #[nn].
Adapted from the short story "Worms of the Earth" by Robert E. Howard.

[Worms of the Earth] Part II: A Ghost in the Night (Table of Contents: 18)

Bran Mak Morn / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Robert E. Howard (credited) (original story); Roy Thomas (credited) (adaptation)
Pencils
Tim Conrad (credited)
Inks
Tim Conrad (credited)
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Later, in an inner chamber of Eboracum...
Genre
historical; sword and sorcery
Characters
Bran Mak Morn (as Partha Mac Othna); Grom; Gonar; Valerius
Synopsis
Bran Mak Morn plans his revenge against the Romans.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Adapted from the short story "Worms of the Earth" by Robert E. Howard.

[Subscribe!] (Table of Contents: 19)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.34 page (report information)

Letters
typeset

Indexer Notes

Subscription ad for various Marvel black and white magazines.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 20)

advertisement / 0.66 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Letters
typeset

Indexer Notes

Various ads for Muscle Builders, Be Taller, Poems Wanted, and Fight MS.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 21)

Swords and Scrolls / letters page / 2 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
? (photograph); ?
Inks
? (photograph); ?
Letters
typeset

Characters
Conan
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Letters from Maureen Wise, I. Roman, and Glenn Rowsam.

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. Wizards of the Black Circle
    Conan
  2. 1. [Frontispiece]
    Conan
  3. 2. Table of Contents
  4. 3. ["Conan manages to build up the kozacs"]
  5. 4. The People of the Black Circle [Chapter 1, Part I]
    Conan
  6. 5. [The People of the Black Circle, Chapter 1] Part II: A Barbarian from the Hills
    Conan
  7. 6. [The People of the Black Circle, Chapter 1] Part III: The Sorcery of Khemsa
    Conan
  8. 7. [The People of the Black Circle, Chapter 1] Part IV: Reavers of the Hills
    Conan
  9. 8. A Probable Outline of Conan's Career
    Conan
  10. 9. A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard
    Conan
  11. 10. A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard
    Conan
  12. 11. A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard
    Conan
  13. 12. A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard
    Conan; Red Sonja
  14. 13. A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard
    Conan
  15. 14. A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard
    Conan
  16. 15. A Portfolio of Robert E. Howard
    Kull
  17. 16. Chapter 5: Fire and Slaughter
    The Hyborian Age
  18. 17. Worms of the Earth [Part I]
    Bran Mak Morn
  19. 18. [Worms of the Earth] Part II: A Ghost in the Night
    Bran Mak Morn
  20. 19. [Subscribe!]
  21. 20. [no title indexed]
  22. 21. [no title indexed]
    Swords and Scrolls
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Steve Belknap
  • Steve Dasinger
  • Lionel English
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Michael Hoskin
  • Felix Lopez
  • Darrel McCann
  • Nuno Miranda
  • Keith Alan Morgan
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Mark Q
  • Tony R. Rose
  • Jim Van Dore