Monday, March 30, 2009

Conan Online Comic!

Hail Fellow Conan Fans!

I got an e-mail the other day from regular CROM! reader, Robert from Phoenix, AZ, and he tipped me off to this awesome online comic book based on our favorite son of Cimmeria. This is a jam session kind of thing with several artists taking a page from the script and all working together as pencilers, inkers, colorists and letterers to produce one of the best online comics I have ever seen.

No true Conan fan should go without taking a look at this!

Here are some samples...

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Besure to check out the "Extras" section for cool behind-the-scenes sketches and production designs, like the ones below...

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You can see it in all of its gory glory right HERE!

Special thanks again to Robert for showing us this and mad props to the creators and artists of the excellent online Conan comic!

Saturday, March 28, 2009

The Complete Chronicles of Conan by Robert E. Howard

The Complete Chronicles of Conan is now available on Amazon.com, well, depending who who ask. I got an e-mail from Amazon informing me that the book, which collects every single Conan story by Robert E. Howard, will go on sale April 1st (which may be a joke, haha) but the Amazon page itself, says it's available now. Either way, it could soon be yours!

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It's a beautiful hardback running at around a thousand pages and illustrated throughout, including one gorgeous color-plate that you can see here...

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So if you ever wanted every Howard story all in one volume, now's your chance!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Conan Comics Haul!

Hail All! It's been a while since I last posted, but things have been slow in the lands of Hyboria. However, yesterday I found a stack of Conan comics at my local favorite used book store, each one for 25 cents! That leaves me enough gold left over for a flagon of cheap wine, a belly full of hot mutton and a roll or two with a lusty wench!

Check this stack out...

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That'll fill in some gaps in the collection! But the best prize of all with this Giant Size Conan #5, featuring the famous team-up of Conan and Elric!

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Okay, gotta go. I've got some comics to read!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Conan Fighting... Well... EVERYONE!

Hail Fellow Conan Fans!

If you want to see Conan fighting Cobra Commander, cutting off Cthulu's hand, Facing off with Wolverine in an alley, or cutting off Destro's head while riding a My Little Pony and many more, head on over to Bam! Kapow! and let their "Conan Versus Gallery" melt your friggin brain, by Crom!

Here's a taste...

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Conan the Barbarian Autograph Trading Cards!

Found these beauties on eBay, but the seller didn't have a lot of info one them. Looks like you get a series of "autographed" cards from various Conan actors like James Earl Jones, Mako, Sarah Douglas and the dude who played Rexor. Then you get three other cards without autographs, unfortunately, it would be the three autographs I would want the most! Oh well. The seller failed to mention if the autographs are genuine or just printed on. These sets are ringing in at $150 each, so they better be the real deal!

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I found another almost identical set from the same seller that gives you three Conan cards instead of a Subotai and a Valeria.

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Here's a closer look...

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Then, after a little searching, I came across this genuine Arnold autograph card with a price tag on it of a whopping $1,500! CROM!

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I can't lie, having these in the collection would be awesome. Maybe one of you millionaires out there could get them for yourself and then we could all live vicariously through you. ;)

La Reina de la Costa Negra!

For my non-Spanish-speaking amigos, "La Reina de la Costa Negra" translates as "The Queen of the Black Coast" which many of you know is a favorite Conan storyline showcasing the time period in which Conan spent cruising around the coast of Hyboria with his sweetheart, Belit, kicking arse and taking names. Oh, and stealing stuff.

Way back in the 50's, long before we here in the States had our own Conan comic books, Mexico took the Queen of the Black Coast story and ran with it, making La Reina de la Costa Negra, which casted Belit as the star and making Conan a secondary supporting character... and blonde, too!

But they sure turned Belit into a spicy rough-n-tumble go-getter, eh? And take a look at those getaway-sticks!

I would push a toddler off of a cliff to get my hands on some of these!

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Sunday, March 8, 2009

Conan the...Umm... Pocketknife?!

What do Conan fans use when they feel the sudden urge to whittle or cut a small piece of string? They use the official Conan pocketknife, by Crom!

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This is another eBay find. I have no idea how "official" it is. It says Conan the Adventurer on the flip side, making me think that this was in conjunction with the ill-fated TV show. But why the hell is there a cow skull on it?

Friday, March 6, 2009

Conan Comics 3 Pack!

You all remember when you could buy comics sealed up in those bags in sets of three for super cheap? You used to be able to find them in convenience stores or on a rack at truck stops and gas stations. One of my favorite parts about taking a family road trip was when we'd stop at this one "highway oasis" and I'd always get to pick out three or four packs because they were hella cheap, would guarantee my parents several hours of peace and quiet from the back seat, and would add a whopping stack of 12 new comics to my collection.

I always tried to get the cooler ones, usually from comic companies like Dell or Whitman, so I'd scour the racks for titles like The Phantom, Turok the Dinosaur Hunter or the Boris Karloff horror comics. Every now and then, the pickings would be slim and I'd have to settle for some Bugs Bunny or or Donald Duck comics. But I never, never in all my days, saw a three pack of Conan the Barbarian comics, especially one containing the famous Conan #100, which ended the Queen of the Black Coast issues with Belit's tragic demise!

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But it appears that they existed! I found this little treat on eBay and had to post it here. Look at that single color half-tone screened thermographic packaging! (Sorry, I'm a graphic designer and sometimes slip into designer speak.) If I would have found this at the rest stop back then, my parents would have died of embarrassment as I bellowed out, "By Erlik's black beard!" and then held the three-pack up in victory, yowling Cimmerian war cries. ;)