Tagged: Conan the Barbarian

Grind Pulp Podcast Ep06 – The Epic Conan of Cimmeria Episode!

BY CROM!!!

In the latest episode of the Grind Pulp Podcast, the team discuss three Conan stories and three Conan movies. Things start slow but soon escalate as we get deeper into the stories and dive headlong into the Conan films. The Howard stories have become public domain and are available for free. This episode includes a special appearance of a Warlock and is the most epic Conan podcast ever!

Stories:
1. “The People of the Black Circle” (1934) by Robert E. Howard
2. “Legions of the Dead” (1978) by Lin Carter and Sprague de Camp
3. “The Tower of the Elephant” (1933) by Robert E. Howard

Movies:

1. “Conan the Barbarian” (1982) – directed by John Milus. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, and Max Von Sydow.
2. “Conan the Destroyer” (1984) – directed by Richard Fleischer. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones, and Wilt Chamberlain.
3. “Conan the Barbarian” (2011) – directed by Marcus Nispel. Starring Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, and Rose McGowan

This Epic Conan Episode clocks in at an hour-and-a-half, and we didn’t even scratch the surface. That adventure will be up to you.

You can listen to Grind Pulp Podcast Episode 06: Conan of Cimmeria aka The Epic Conan Episode here or via itunes.

Eisner Awards Presented at Comic Con

  • News
  • July 21, 2013
eisnerawards2013_25logo-6981902

All Pulp congratulates the winners of the 2013 EISNER Awards.

PRESS RELEASE:

The winners of the 2013 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards were announced at a gala ceremony held during Comic-Con International: San Diego, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, on Friday, July 19.

Best Short Story: “Moon 1969: The True Story of the 1969 Moon Launch,” by Michael Kupperman, in Tales Designed to Thrizzle #8 (Fantagraphics)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot): The Mire, by Becky Cloonan (self-published)

Best Continuing Series: Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Best New Series: Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7): Babymouse for President, by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 8–12): Adventure Time, by Ryan North, Shelli Paroline, and Braden Lamb (kaboom!)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13–17): A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, adapted by Hope Larson (FSG)

Best Humor Publication: Darth Vader and Son, by Jeffrey Brown (Chronicle)

Best Digital Comic: Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain)

Best Anthology: Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)

Best Reality-Based Work (tie): Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller, by Joseph Lambert (Center for Cartoon Studies/Disney Hyperion); The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song, by Frank M. Young and David Lasky (Abrams ComicArts)

Best Graphic Album—New: Building Stories, by Chris Ware (Pantheon)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium: Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint: King City, by Brandon Graham (TokyoPop/Image)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips: Pogo, vol. 2: Bona Fide Balderdash, by Walt Kelly, edited by Carolyn Kelly and Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books: David Mazzucchelli’s Daredevil Born Again: Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW

Best U.S. Edition of International Material: Blacksad: Silent Hell, by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (Dark Horse)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia: Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)

Best Writer: Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image)

Best Writer/Artist: Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon)

Best Penciler/Inker (tie): David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel), Chris Samnee, Daredevil (Marvel); Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom (IDW)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art): Juanjo Guarnido, Blacksad (Dark Horse)

Best Cover Artist: David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel)

Best Coloring: Dave Stewart, Batwoman (DC); Fatale (Image); BPRD, Conan the Barbarian, Hellboy in Hell, Lobster Johnson, The Massive (Dark Horse)

Best Lettering: Chris Ware, Building Stories (Pantheon)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism: The Comics Reporter, edited by Tom Spurgeon, www.comicsreporter.com

Best Comics-Related Book: Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, by Sean Howe (HarperCollins)

Best Educational/Academic Work: Lynda Barry: Girlhood Through the Looking Glass, by Susan E. Kirtley (University Press of Mississippi)

Best Publication Design: Building Stories, designed by Chris Ware (Pantheon)

Hall of Fame: Lee Falk, Al Jaffee, Mort Meskin, Trina Robbins, Spain Rodriguez, Joe Sinnott

Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award: Russel Roehling

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award: Chris Sparks and Team Cul deSac

Bill Finger Excellence in Comic Book Writing Award: Steve Gerber, Don Rosa

Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award: Challengers Comics + Conversation, Chicago, IL

See more at http://www.comic-con.org/awards/eisners-current-info#sthash.7hRCavEx.dpuf

eisners_seal_sm-3297471

CONAN TURNS 80!

  • Uncategorized
  • December 6, 2012

Robert E. Howard’s famous barbarian, Conan celebrates 80 years. Join the celebration at www.conan.com.

New Pulp Author Ed Erdelac wrote a nice blog on appreciating Conan at http://emerdelac.wordpress.com/2012/12/02/happy-80th-birthday-conan-the-cimmerian/

All Pulp wishes Conan a happy 80th Birthday. Here’s looking at the next 80.

Conan Shines In New Dark Horse Series

  • News
  • April 22, 2012
Review by Joshua Pantalleresco
I eagerly awaited Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan on Conan.  I’ve been a big fan of Brian’s since he released Channel Zero way back in the mid nineties.  It was angry, rebellious and thoughtful.   Ever since, he has done a number of excellent books including Demo, Local, Northlanders and DMZ.    I’m happy to say so far Conan continues that trend.
This Conan series is a direct adaptation of the story Queen of the Black Coast and deals with Conan’s first serious romantic relationship with the character Belit.  The story begins with Conan’s retreat from the city of argos as he forces himself on board the trade ship Argus.  After a brief and abrupt negotiation, Conan finds himself acquiring passage. 
My favorite part of the story is Conan’s story about how he found himself running for his life.  You get a real glimpse with how he found himself running for his life.  Here is where you get a real good glimpse into Conan’s character and I think this in particular is where Brian Wood shines.  Conan’s run in with the law shows that while he is still young and very brash, yet you understand exactly where he is coming from with his actions. 
He quickly befriends the ships captain Titus who tells him about the dangerous and beautiful Belit, the fierce queen of the black coast who terrorizes trade ships with her cunning and ruthlessness aboard her ship the tigress.  Conan is enticed by the story as her description matches the stories of the winged goddesses of the north that as a youth he dreamed about.
Finding themselves in her waters, and unable to go back to Argos because of Conan, they press on.  Shortly thereafter Belit enters the book right at the end with her and Conan looking eye to eye.
Issue two is the battle between the Argus and the Tigress.  Another great little touch in this book is Conan firing arrow after arrow into the Tigress’ crew as the ship approaches.  He has the opportunity to perhaps hit Belit and waivers.  He says crom as he fires.  Did he want to miss?  Or was he regretful that he was about to kill her? 
The battle intensifies and Conan witnesses the death of Titus and vows to go down swinging.  He becomes an angel of death and proceeds to cut down anything in his path.  In the end it’s Conan facing down the whole crew by himself.  That fight is interrupted by Belit, who views Conan in much the same way he does her; a myth made real.  She makes an offer that catches him completely by surprise and ends the second issue right there.
This review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Becky Cloonan.  Her Conan is devious, young and clever.  Her Conan isn’t the muscular Arnold Schwarzenegger type.  He looks like a lean and capable warrior, which is probably a lot more realistic.  And she nails the character perfectly.  Those splash pages on page two and three of issue one is perfect.  My other favorite conan is him standing definitely aboard the tigress just daring them to come at him, outnumbered and outgunned.  She gets Conan and manages to mix honor and brashness into his demeanor. 
Belit is beautiful, bold and clever.  Page 1 she looks absolutely fierce and as defiant as Conan is later in the issue.  She hasn’t been featured in the book as much as Conan as of yet but I know that will change from here on out.     When she has been on screen she has been able to captivate the pages she has graced herself into.  All in all, you have two very strong and clearly defined characters.  It’s a strong start and worth a read.
Issue three is out now.  I suggest you go and pick it up along with the first two issues.  You won’t be disappointed.  I can’t recommend this book enough. 

Conan The Barbarian (1982) Movie Review

  • News
  • November 26, 2011
conan_the_barbarian-4149648

1982
Universal Pictures
Directed by John Milius
Produced by Buzz Feitshans and Raffaella De Laurentiis
Written by John Milius and Oliver Stone
Based on the character/stories created and written by Robert E. Howard
I knew that director John Milius and his screenplay co-writer Oliver Stone got the character of Conan five minutes into the movie.  During the opening credits we see Conan’s father (William Smith) forging a mighty sword.  He then takes the young Conan (Jorge Sanz) to the top of a mountain.  He explains how The Riddle of Steel was stolen from Crom, the god of Cimmeria and that Conan must learn The Riddle of Steel for himself because as his dad succinctly sums up: “For no one in the world can you trust.  Not men, not women, not beasts.  But this-“ and he holds up the gleaming sword.  “-this you can trust.”
It’s not long after this that Conan’s parents, along with all the other adults in his village are slaughtered by the servants of Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones) a powerful sorcerer who is also the leader of a cult that worships the snake god Set.  Conan, along with other children are taken as slaves and chained to The Wheel of Pain, a gigantic mill which they push night and day, through weather fair and foul.  It’s torturous work but it has its benefits.  The young Conan grows up into Arnold Schwarzenegger as pushing that damn thing has built up muscles of Herculean proportions.  He’s bought by The Hyborian Age’s version of a fight promoter and wins fame as a gladiator.  He’s freed by his master and after meeting up with the master thief and archer Subotai (Gerry Lopez) takes up a career as a thief himself.
It’s during their attempt to infiltrate The Tower of The Serpent and steal The Eye of The Serpent that Conan meets swordswoman and thief Valeria (Sandahl Bergman) who will become the great love of his life.  It’s their successful and daring theft that brings them to the attention of King Osric (Max von Sydow) who hires the trio to rescue his daughter from The Cult of Set.  While Valeria and Subotai see this as a chance for a really big payday, Conan has his sights on taking the head of Thulsa Doom.
Now, you can say whatever you want about CONAN THE BARBARIAN but it won’t faze me because if nothing else, John Milius and Oliver Stone respected Robert E. Howard’s enough that they obviously not only read his stories but incorporated elements of some of those stories into the movie including what is probably the most famous scene in any Conan story; his crucifixion and his killing of a vulture pecking at his flesh with nothing but his bare teeth. 
This movie, along with “The Terminator” launched Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career and it’s easy to see why.  Schwarzenegger at that time looked like he was designed by Frank Frazetta and he inhabits the role as well as Sean Connery did with James Bond or Michael Keaton did with Batman.  For those who claim that Schwarzenegger can’t act, I point out a terrific scene where Conan, Valeria and Subotai plan their assault on Doom’s stronghold.  While Bergman and Lopez have all the dialog, Schwarzenegger says far more than they do in the way he’s sharpening his sword.  And even though Schwarzenegger gets a lot of mocking for his dialog and accent in this movie, I like it.  I mean, the guy does sound like a barbarian from pre-history.   In fact, I like it that 90% of the characters have accents in this movie as they do sound as if they come from another age rather than modern day Californians playing dress up.
The supporting cast is outstanding.  James Earl Jones infuses Thulsa Doom with enormous presence and a true sense of not being entirely human.  His henchmen, played by Sven-Ole Thorson and Ben Davison are suitably impressive.   Bergman and Lopez back up Schwarzenegger well and create their own characters in some really wonderful intimate moments such as the one where Subotai tells the wizard Akiro (Mako) that since Conan, as a Cimmerian will not cry to show grief, Subotai must do it for him.  Mako contributes comedy relief without being buffoonish or degrading his own character.  But that’s to be expected because Mako is epic in everything he does.
And speaking of epic, the musical score by Basil Poledouris has become respected as one of the finest musical scores ever and rightly so.  A large part of the enjoyment of watching CONAN THE BARBARIAN comes from the sheer power of the score.  Poledouris also has done the scores for “Quigley Down Under” and “Lonesome Dove” that are easily as epic as the one for this movie.
So should you see CONAN THE BARBARIAN? No doubt you already have.  It’s one of those movies that everybody and their mother has seen, it seems.  Even chicks who normally shun this type of movie like it was the Ebola virus have seen CONAN THE BARBARIAN.  It’s violent, it’s raw, it’s sexy, and it’s fun.   There’s an excellent reason why CONAN THE BARBARIAN is rightly regarded as a classic.  It truly is inspired by the spirit of Robert E. Howard in a way that the recent remake never even comes close to.  If you’ve seen it, what the hell…watch it again.  And if you haven’t, I envy you discovering it for the first time.  Enjoy.
129 minutes
Rated R

New Conan Creative Team Adapts Robert E. Howard’s "Queen of the Black Coast"

  • News
  • October 15, 2011
Conan Art: Becky Cloonan

At this weekend’s New York Comic Con, Dark Horse Comics announced a new Conan the Barbarian comic book series by the DEMO creative team of writer Brian Wood and artist Becky Cloonan that will be in stores beginning on February 8, 2012.

The first story arc will adapt Robert E. Howard’s “Queen of the Black Coast,” in which Conan turns his back on the civilized world and takes to the high seas alongside the pirate queen Belit.

For more information on Conan and Dark Horse Comics other pulpy offerings, visit them at http://www.darkhorse.com/.

Is this the new Conan comic book creative team?

  • News
  • October 4, 2011
Art: Becky Cloonan

Art: Becky Cloonan

Rumor of the Day: Are writer Brian Wood and artist Becky Cloonan the new creators of Conan’s comic book adventures for Dark Horse Comics?

Bleeding Cool seems to think so. Check out the article and artwork at http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/10/03/conan-by-brian-wood-and-becky-cloonan/ and judge for yourself.

Is this rumor true? Place your bets.

NTSF:SD:SUV Hits The Target


NTSF:SD:SUV comes from the mind of comedian Paul Sheer, and targets all those cop shows we’ve loved for so long. we talk to Paul and the show’s cast on how it all came to be – plus DC’s NEW 52 sells big and Stan Lee (in name only) drags Conan to court.

The Point Radio is on the air right now – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or mobile device– and please check us out on Facebook right here & toss us a “like” or follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

Fortier takes on CONAN THE BARBARIAN and Survives!!!

  • News
  • August 3, 2011
ALL PULP REVIEWS-Book Reviews by Ron Fortier

CONAN THE BARBARIAN

By Michael Stackpole

Berkeley Boulevard

Movie Tie-In

292 pages

It appears you just can’t keep a good barbarian down.  Conan the Barbarian is a hero and well known iconic figure in American fantasy. He was created by writer Robert E.Howard in 1932 via a series of fantasy stories sold to Weird Tales Magazine.  Howard was born and raised in Texas and spent most of his life in the town of Cross Plains.  As a boy he dreamed of becoming a writer of adventure fiction but was not successful until the age of twenty-three.

Howard’s Conan is a character whose literary imprint has been compared to such fiction greats as Tarzan, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes and James Bond.  With Conan, Howard created the genre known as sword and sorcery, inspiring a legion of imitators and giving him an influence in the fantasy field rivaled only by J.R.R. Tolkein.  On the eve of publishing his first novel, he committed suicide at the age of thirty. That he remains a highly read author, with his best works continuously reprinted speaks volumes for his place in the ranks of American masters.

As for Conan, he has appeared in hundreds of licensed paperbacks, Marvel comics, films, television programs, video games, roleplaying games, and even a board game.  In 1982 he came to big screen portrayed by bodybuilding champion turned actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger who recreated the role in the sequel several years later.  Producer John Milius had planned a trilogy, but the proposed third film, Conan the Conqueror was never produced.  Now, almost three decades later, the famous Cimmerian warrior from the mythological Hyborian age once again comes to the silver screen in a brand new production from Millenium Films, Lionsgate, and Paradox Entertainment.  And to promote what they hope will be a huge summer blockbuster, their marketing department commissioned a novelization of the screenplay by Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer and Sean Hood.  The writer given the job was Michael Stackpole.

Many book lovers detest such novelizations believing them to be mere carbon copy retellings form the screenplays with nothing new to offer readers who plan on seeing the movie. In many cases, that is exactly all they get. On the other hand, when such a task is given to a true fan of the material, then what results is something much deeper and more complete than the screen treatment.  Stackpole is a gifted professional who clearly knows Conan and his original exploits as chronicled by Howard.  He not only tells the story laid out by the screenplay, but at the same time enriches it scene upon scene with authentic references to the Conan canon which totally elevates the narrative beyond being a mere reflection of the movie.

Born on a battlefield, young Conan grows up amongst the mountain people of Cimmeria and is taught to be a warrior from the day he can hold and wield a sword.  But as he matures, his father relates how his unique birth is regarded by seers as a powerful portent of the fate that awaits Conan. Not only will he be a great fighter amongst his people, but there are signs that he will one day be known throughout the civilized nations as mighty hero of unrivaled strength and daring.

As always, we have to assume that there will be people picking up this book who have absolutely no idea of who Conan is or Robert E.Howard, but have seen the trailers for the movie and are curious about it. For them, this is as good an introduction to Conan as any other that has come along in the past thirty years.  The book is fun and does its job well; it makes you want to go see the film.  So please, save me the aisle seat.

Dylan Dog

I first encountered the legend of Dylan Dog back when I was trying to cover foreign comics while at Comics Scene and then wrote about the film adaptation a while back over at Famous Monster of Filmland. A PI in the world of things that go bump in the night sounded like a lot of fun. That the Italian comic has been running for decades also spoke to its creative spark and the genius of Tiziano Sclavi. Then I saw that this was going to Brandon Routh’s third film based on a comic book and figured he was 1 for 2 so far (entertaining in Scott Pilgrim, not served well by Superman Return’s lousy script) and might improve his average. He had certainly improved as an actor, as witnessed by Fear Itself and his recurring role on Chuck.

The trailers certainly made the movie look lighthearted and wonky, much like the comic source material so there was reason to be encouraged. The movie then opened and closed so fast there was little time to determine what went wrong (and if anything went right). 20th Century Home Entertainment pulled out all the stops (including a fun, interactive Facebook page) to promote the DVD, which arrived last week, making you think maybe this was some sort of overlook gem that just needed better marketing.

Nope. The film is still a creative misfire that pays the barest lip-service to the comics and carved its own niche of awfulness. Set in a supernatural New Orleans, the film features Routh as Dylan Dog, a former PI specializing in monsters but now just down on his luck. He’s lured back in to the world of vampires, werewolves, and zombies by those who wish to keep their existence low key so angry mobs don’t show up on a weekly basis. He’s hired by Elizabeth (Anita Briem), who saw a werewolf murder her father and steal the movie’s McGuffin, the Heart of Belial. Yes, rather than your typical investigation, Dylan immediately gets dragged back into the monster realm in time to prevent the end of the world. (more…)

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