CGC FORUM TOP BRONZE AGE COVERS - #11

[jbud73]

Just one third place vote away from a Top 10 finish comes the 11th place book in the Poll. I have to admit, this is the one that surprised me in terms popularity, though it is another BWS powerhouse piece, cementing him as one of the Top Artists in the voting.

 

Thanks to namisgr and ComicBookGuy for the nomination and here is namisgr's take on this great cover. I'll be back in the morning with as we enter the TOP 10.

 

Conan Annual #1 - Simultaneously beautiful and violent, this Barry Smith cover depicts Conan in a classic warrior's pose. The harsh realities of the bloodied barbarian fighter are highlighted and contrasted by Smith's gorgeous detailing of the stream, the armor, and the faces of the defeated. namisgr

 

[joe_collector]

though it is another BWS powerhouse piece, cementing him as one of the Top Artists in the voting.

 

 

This makes up for the other one... much better.

[blowout]

That's a real beauty, and my favourite on the list so far. If this book is 'only' #11 then we are in for a heck of a Top Ten.

[jbud73]

Like I said in the intro the popularity of this BWS cover kinda suprised me. But when I had 3 people PM me to point out that it was Conan KING SIZE Annual #1, not just Conan Annual #1, I had a vibe it might get some votes

[johnenock]

This one and Conan 24 make me wish I hadn't sold ALL my Marvels.

[ComicBookGuy]

I'm glad I nominated this book. It's one of my all-time favorite covers. Like Gene pointed out on Conan #24, Smith's attention to detail and lay-outs is amazing. The ripples in the water around Conan's ankles, the spattered blood, the blades of grass. This is serious art, as good as any cover ever. I prefer it over #24 cause some of Smith's anatomy can throw me for a loop. Sometimes it works for him, like on this cover, and other times not.

[tth2]

Great cover, and one I voted for (I think). Probably my favorite BWS Conan image except for his work from "Red Nails".

[ArAich]

It's the way he draws stones that does it for me...

[Scheradon]

Although I love Conan and like this cover, it didn't make my top five list. The one problem I couldn't quite get past was that he made the water too crystal clear. Hear you have Conan covered in blood and grime and dead bodies in the water, and it looks as though you could drink from that pool.

 

If it weren't for the circles around his lower legs and the bodies sticking out you wouldn't even know there was water there.

[divad]

This one and Conan 24 make me wish I hadn't sold ALL my Marvels.

 

It pains me whenever I sell a BWS book, be it Conan, X-Men or Avengers But hey, they sell themselves

[Paris_Fred]

My all time favorite Barry W. Smith cover, I always try to have an high grade copy in stock for my store.

[AussieRuss]

I have a question about this book.

 

It once was housed in an old CGC slab with the Pacific coast sticker on it. It was obviously cracked out of its slab and sent in for a re grade hoping for a CGC 9.6. It has now come back in the same grade as it was originally graded at CGC 9.4.

 

If this book was sent in raw then how would its pedigree be substansiated???

 

OR

 

Can a book be sent in to CGC in its already graded and encapsulated form hoping for a bump up in grade???

 

I know that if the book was sent for re-grading still showing its original tag then impartial grading would be a little harder to perform IMO.

 

I am just trying to understand how this process would work.

 

Regards,

Russ...

[Zonker]

I like this cover too. The only thing it's missing (for me) is one of those impossible pre-Raphaelite city-scapes like Shadizar on the horizon to fill up some of that blue space. I know BWS was going for a different effect here, but for me, the coolest element of his Conan run is seeing the barbarian wandering through these decadent, decayed remnants of an even more ancient civilization. As it is, this is a great cover, but it could be illustrating any number of historical ancient periods, not specifically the REH Hyborian Age.

[divad]

My all time favorite Barry W. Smith cover, I always try to have an high grade copy in stock for my store.

 

And threads like these are going to make it even harder for us to do that!!!