The Savage Sword of Conan #1 Curse Of The Undead-Man
Cover Date: August, 1974
The issue features the story `Curse Of The Undead-Man` - an adaptation of R.E. Howard`s `Mistress Of Death`... Shadizar, Zamora: Red Sonja witnesses a public execution in the city square - the sorceror,Costranno,is sentenced to death. Before his dismembe ...
Issue Description
The issue features the story `Curse Of The Undead-Man` - an adaptation of R.E. Howard`s `Mistress Of Death`...
Shadizar, Zamora:
Red Sonja witnesses a public execution in the city square - the sorceror,Costranno,is sentenced to death. Before his dismemberment he shouts a curse at Berthilda,the woman responsible for severing his ring-finger,the source of his magic...
Whilst drinking,Red Sonya has a confrontation with a harlot and knocks her down...
Costranno, back from death aided by necromantic powers of his ring, is also frquenting the bar and enquiring the wherabouts of the woman Berthilda to enact his revenge...
As the undead wizard leaves,Conan notices the jeweled ring - from the very same severed hand he left in the alley! Before they can leave,a squad of city-gaurds arrive to arrest Sonya and Conan having been alerted by the assaulted harlot.
Once again,a fight ensues but Conan and Sonya manage to slip out and escape in the streets...
Conan`s curiosity is aroused and they seek out the house of Berthilda. Entering,they find Costranno and an acolyte preparing to sacrifice Berthilda...
Conan attacks the undead wizard, but his blows prove useless against Costranno`s animated body.... Sonya dispatches the acolyte but is grabbed by some monstrosity that reaches out from a smoking pit in the room`s centre...
Severing Costranno`s hand at the wrist, the wizard collapses, dead again when detached from the sorcerous ring. Before hurling the corpse in, Conan winches a cover down to seal the pit.
Sonya and Conan leave with the revived Berthilda,who is less than thankful at her rescue and returns to the pit-chamber, Sonya and Conan realise Costranno may well have returned from the dead once more if he has found the ring - as a scream sounds from the house...
Conan and Sonya turn away....
This issue contains:
Curse of the Undead-Man by Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Pablo Marcos
Red Sonja by Roy Thomas, Esteban Maroto, Neal Adams and Ernie Chua
The Birth of Blackmark by Gil Kane
Robert E. Howard's The Frost Giant's Daughter adapted by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith
Conan's Women Warriors an article by Fred Blosser
An Atlantean in Aquilonia an article on the history of Howard's characters in publication by Glen Lord.
The Savage Sword of Conan
- Publisher
- Marvel
Volume Description
The Savage Sword of Conan was a black and white magazine sized comic anthology which was published by Marvel Comics imprint Curtis Magazines beginning in 1974. As a magazine it was exempt from the Comics Code Authority. This made it attractive to many creators and over it's long publication run it attracted many now legendary comics creators.
Savage Sword featured properties related to the writer Robert E. Howard such as Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane and the Roy Thomas/Robert E. Howard amalgamation Red Sonja keeping these characters fresh and introducing them to new generations of readers. It also showcased many of Howard's lesser known characters and poetry.
Savage Sword also featured the creations of some of it's writers and artists such as Gil Kane's Blackmark and John Buscema's Bront.
Also contained within it's pages were articles on background elements of the Hyborian World, book reviews of Howard properties and fanzines, articles on Historical Reenactment Societies as well as what must be some of the earliest forms of cosplay complete with photos.
Perhaps the greatest contribution of the Savage Sword of Conan was as a feature for artists both established and up-and-coming. Full page pin-ups were featured in nearly every issue and the cover art is truly amazing.
A spin off magazine titled Conan the Savage ran for 10 issues and followed the same format.
Also the series has been reprinted (in varying order) in the magazine Conan Saga.
Savage Sword of Conan has recently been reprinted by Dark Horse Comics into nice digest sized collections.
There has also been a reprint series of Savage Sword of Conan in the United Kingdom.
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