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Conan #24 Cover Nudity

Started by drice6900,

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drice6900

drice6900

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From Newsarama:

 

DARK HORSE CLEARS UP CONAN'S NAKED COVER ISSUE

Funny story about a comic book cover…

 

Well, not exactly.

 

With January’s issue #24, Tony (Ex Machina, Starman) Harris joins Dark Horse’s Conan as the permanent cover artist. One of the first pieces Harris submitted to Conan editor Scott Allie was a…different version of the cover of issue #24 as an in-joke between the artist and editor, and featured the female on the cover fully nude. Knowing that the naked version wasn’t going to make it the actual cover of Conan, Allie opted to put it in the back of Conan and the Demons of Khitai #3 as a blurb for Conan #24, under Allie’s announcement of Harris as the new cover artist. A modified version of the image, which has the woman moderately dressed in lingerie, will be the final cover for the issue.

 

Newsarama Note: Being an all-ages and work-safe site (as best we’re able), we’re not going to show the full naked cover.

 

To date, Conan has had some (very infrequent) minor nudity in it, and that has brought some negative feedback from retailers, but this image was a little more than what had previously been seen. Dark Horse received complaints from retailers, who told the publisher that they would’ve liked to have known in advance that an issue of a mature-skewing, but otherwise general readers miniseries had such an image in the back.

 

While it’s clear to see how the art could easily have made it by Dark Horse with a wink and a nudge, the comics industry is currently in the middle of a case where a retailer, Gordon Lee, was arrested for distributing obscenity to a minor after a copy of a free comic book made its way into the hands of a minor. That point was at the crux of the complaints from retailers.

 

We asked Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Charles Brownstein for his take on the cover and the possible problems retailers could face.

 

First off, the art, legally, isn’t a problem. “The art, in and of itself, is neither obscene nor harmful to minors under the guidelines that the courts have established,” Brownstein said. “The courts have established that mere nudity is not obscene and not harmful, even as to minors. I do not believe there would be any way that a retailer could be convicted on either issue.”

 

But, Brownstein then pointed out, being accused, arrested, and reported on by the local media are far different things than being convicted in court. “The real issue is that it wouldn't need to go to court to be a problem for a retailer,” Brownstein continued. “As such, retailers should be aware, and as should be common practice anyway, should monitor who they're selling it to, and alert parents that there is nudity in this book. But they don't need to pull it from their shelves. Constitutionally, they are protected on this issue, but this, like all matters, is a case for responsible retailing. Now that they are aware of the content of the book, they need to keep a watch on how they're selling it.”

 

For their part, Dark Horse is responding to retailer complaints on two fronts. First, it is going back to print on Demons of Khitai #3, this time, with the actual cover from Conan #24 in the back of the issue. According to a source at Dark Horse, while the original cover to Demons of Khitai #3 had a red logo; the new printing will have a black logo, outlined by a thin green key line. The indicia inside the front cover will note that it is the Second Printing of the issue. This will be available to European retailers unable to get their original orders because of the customs trouble, or any retailer wanting to swap his or her "naughty" issues for clean ones.

 

Additionally, the original cover by Harris will find its way on to Conan #24. While the clothed version has always been the primary version of the cover (and the issue has always been solicited showing that cover), the naked version will be made available to retailers through Diamond Dateline. Limited to a print run of 4,000, the variant cover editions will be shrink-wrapped in black plastic. Again, according to Dark Horse, if orders are greater than the 4,000 copies, the variant cover editions will be allocated.

 

And finally, keeping things in perspective, while the nudity was what raised the caution flags of some retailers (who were reflecting the standards of their respective communities), Demons of Khitai #3 was a Conan story, and while it showed one fully nude female in a roughly 3” x 4” image on the last page, the issue’s story featured graphic images of: Conan slicing a humanoid creature in half (first page); a woman stabbing another humanoid creature in the eyes, and the aftermath; a morningstar to the head; decapitation of a humanoid creature; a deep torso cut; decapitation of a tiger; evisceration of another tiger; a stabbing wound to an elephant meant to kill; a decapitated human head; a sword being thrust through the chest of a woman from behind; another view of the decapitated human; and another of the same; and warriors smearing the blood of their fallen enemies on their faces. No one, according to Dark Horse, complained about the violence in the issue.

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blutobc

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Okay, other than to fulfilled the artist's desire to include full frontal nudity...what does it do to enhance the panel art?

 

She looks nice, sure...but even still, Conan isn't giving her any kind of a glance at all. It doesn't seem to contribute much, unless it is saying that Conan will take the cash jewels over the female jewels. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

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drice6900

drice6900

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Okay, other than to fulfilled the artist's desire to include full frontal nudity...what does it do to enhance the panel art?

 

She looks nice, sure...but even still, Conan isn't giving her any kind of a glance at all. It doesn't seem to contribute much, unless it is saying that Conan will take the cash jewels over the female jewels. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

Actually, I see it as Conan has already had his way with her, and is now exiting post-haste to avoid an unsavory confrontation with her significant other 893whatthe.gif

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blutobc

blutobc

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Okay, other than to fulfilled the artist's desire to include full frontal nudity...what does it do to enhance the panel art?

 

She looks nice, sure...but even still, Conan isn't giving her any kind of a glance at all. It doesn't seem to contribute much, unless it is saying that Conan will take the cash jewels over the female jewels. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

Actually, I see it as Conan has already had his way with her, and is now exiting post-haste to avoid an unsavory confrontation with her significant other 893whatthe.gif

 

 

Wouldn't you think he'd have a happier face if that was the case.

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drice6900

drice6900

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Okay, other than to fulfilled the artist's desire to include full frontal nudity...what does it do to enhance the panel art?

 

She looks nice, sure...but even still, Conan isn't giving her any kind of a glance at all. It doesn't seem to contribute much, unless it is saying that Conan will take the cash jewels over the female jewels. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

Actually, I see it as Conan has already had his way with her, and is now exiting post-haste to avoid an unsavory confrontation with her significant other 893whatthe.gif

 

Wouldn't you think he'd have a happier face if that was the case.

 

Dunno, depends on who or what is coming wink.gif She looks like she enjoyed it though...

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joe_collector

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Additionally, the original cover by Harris will find its way on to Conan #24. While the clothed version has always been the primary version of the cover (and the issue has always been solicited showing that cover), the naked version will be made available to retailers through Diamond Dateline. Limited to a print run of 4,000, the variant cover editions will be shrink-wrapped in black plastic. Again, according to Dark Horse, if orders are greater than the 4,000 copies, the variant cover editions will be allocated.

 

I just KNEW there was a reason for this press release. Christo_pull_hair.gif

 

Variant cover madness is gonna sink this industry again, but this time it won't be coming back.

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drice6900

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This is just an all time low for variants in my opinion.

 

As much as I love the Conan series, I kind of agree. This really comes off as Dark Horse creating a controversy in order to gain attention (who ARE those dealers making complaints anyhow?), and then pumping out some variants to get the extra cash.

 

Sad... frown.gif

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