Sword & Sorcery in the Golden Age

[Theagenes]

I recently picked up a coverless copy of Out of this World #1 because I wanted to read the "Crom the Barbarian" story. This Conan knock-off from 1950 is, of course, often cited as the first sword & sorcery story in comics. I've often found it hard to believe that there were no earlier examples of this genre in comic books. Since modern S&S is very much a product of the pulps with the work of Howard, C. A. Smith, Leiber, et al. and the pulps gave birth to so many of the more popular comicbook genres like adventure, detective, sci-fi, horror, even super-heroes (the Shadow and Doc Savage), it surprises me that no comic book writer tried to make use of this type of material until 1950. In fact I suspect that "Crom" was inspired not by Howard's actual Weird Tales stories of 15 years earlier, but by the release of Gnome Press's Conan the Conqueror in 1950, which reprinted some of those stories heavily edited by de Camp. I'll grant that, while Howard had a bit of a following, S&S was very much a niche genre until the 60's, but still you would think that someone would have taken an early stab at creating a sword-wielding hero battling monsters and wizards and rescuing scantily-clad courtesans.

 

So my question to you guys that have read a lot more GA material than I have is this: can you think of any other earlier GA examples of a story that could be considered modern-style S&S? I know you have mythological stories (Illiad and Odyssey in CI) and Arthurian stories (Prince Valiant), but is there anything else, besides Crom the Barbarian that could be considered Howardian-style S&S. Maybe something in Weird Comics or AMF? The only examples I know of come after OTW #1: the second Crom story in Strange Worlds #2, the Doctor Kartoum story by Wally Wood and Joe Orlando in Captain Science #4, and "Princess of the Past" in Strange Worlds #3 (all of which were reprinted in AC's Barbarians and Beauties #1 in 1990).

 

 

[buttock]

There was some Sword & Sorcery type stuff in AMF, but it was all cast in the future (i.e. Skyrocket Steele). I don't think it really qualifies. KDF seemed to run a lot of Western backups. I can't recall any S&S off the top of my head.

 

Nor do I remember any in the early Fox stuff, but it's been years since I read any of that.

[Theagenes]

There was some Sword & Sorcery type stuff in AMF, but it was all cast in the future (i.e. Skyrocket Steele). I don't think it really qualifies. KDF seemed to run a lot of Western backups. I can't recall any S&S off the top of my head.

 

Nor do I remember any in the early Fox stuff, but it's been years since I read any of that.

 

I was wondering about the Skyrocket Steele stuff, but it always seemed more like rapier & raygun type sci-fi a la Flash Gordon or John Carter (which of course I love ). Some of the titles I've seen for stories in Weird Comics seemed like they might be promising. Anybody read the Thor stories in that series? What is it like?

 

BTW, I've finished scanning in the whole Crom story. If anyone's interested in reading it I'll post it.

[ciorac]

There was some Sword & Sorcery type stuff in AMF, but it was all cast in the future (i.e. Skyrocket Steele). I don't think it really qualifies. KDF seemed to run a lot of Western backups. I can't recall any S&S off the top of my head.

 

Nor do I remember any in the early Fox stuff, but it's been years since I read any of that.

 

I was wondering about the Skyrocket Steele stuff, but it always seemed more like rapier & raygun type sci-fi a la Flash Gordon or John Carter (which of course I love ). Some of the titles I've seen for stories in Weird Comics seemed like they might be promising. Anybody read the Thor stories in that series? What is it like?

 

BTW, I've finished scanning in the whole Crom story. If anyone's interested in reading it I'll post it.

 

Yes please. It has been forever since I had a copy of that book.

[Theagenes]

BTW, I've finished scanning in the whole Crom story. If anyone's interested in reading it I'll post it.

 

Yes please. It has been forever since I had a copy of that book.

 

Okay, here we go. "Crom the Barbarian" by Gardner F. Fox and John Giunta:

 

 

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[Jayman]

Great story, thanks for posting it!

[The Black Hand ®]

Great ti finally read that one.

[Point Five]

I recently picked up a coverless copy of Out of this World #1 because I wanted to read the "Crom the Barbarian" story. This Conan knock-off from 1950 is, of course, often cited as the first sword & sorcery story in comics. I've often found it hard to believe that there were no earlier examples of this genre in comic books. Since modern S&S is very much a product of the pulps with the work of Howard, C. A. Smith, Leiber, et al. and the pulps gave birth to so many of the more popular comicbook genres like adventure, detective, sci-fi, horror, even super-heroes (the Shadow and Doc Savage), it surprises me that no comic book writer tried to make use of this type of material until 1950. In fact I suspect that "Crom" was inspired not by Howard's actual Weird Tales stories of 15 years earlier, but by the release of Gnome Press's Conan the Conqueror in 1950, which reprinted some of those stories heavily edited by de Camp. I'll grant that, while Howard had a bit of a following, S&S was very much a niche genre until the 60's, but still you would think that someone would have taken an early stab at creating a sword-wielding hero battling monsters and wizards and rescuing scantily-clad courtesans.

 

So my question to you guys that have read a lot more GA material than I have is this: can you think of any other earlier GA examples of a story that could be considered modern-style S&S? I know you have mythological stories (Illiad and Odyssey in CI) and Arthurian stories (Prince Valiant), but is there anything else, besides Crom the Barbarian that could be considered Howardian-style S&S. Maybe something in Weird Comics or AMF? The only examples I know of come after OTW #1: the second Crom story in Strange Worlds #2, the Doctor Kartoum story by Wally Wood and Joe Orlando in Captain Science #4, and "Princess of the Past" in Strange Worlds #3 (all of which were reprinted in AC's Barbarians and Beauties #1 in 1990).

 

Fun story, Theagenes!

 

There are quite a few earlier GA stories in the sword and sorcery genre. Fox's Fantastic Comics #1 (1939) introduced "The Golden Knight", a feature that ran through the first 20 issues of the title. It was more sword than sorcery, but certainly fits your description of "sword-wielding hero battling monsters and wizards and rescuing courtesans" to a T. It reads like a much cruder version of the story you just posted.

 

Atomic Comics #1, which reprinted some DC features from 1936-7, included a handful of S&S stories as well (they're pretty much unreadable, but certainly fit the bill).

 

Pretty sure there are other examples as well if you dig for them.

[Theagenes]

Fun story, Theagenes!

 

There are quite a few earlier GA stories in the sword and sorcery genre. Fox's Fantastic Comics #1 (1939) introduced "The Golden Knight", a feature that ran through the first 20 issues of the title. It was more sword than sorcery, but certainly fits your description of "sword-wielding hero battling monsters and wizards and rescuing courtesans" to a T. It reads like a much cruder version of the story you just posted.

 

Atomic Comics #1, which reprinted some DC features from 1936-7, included a handful of S&S stories as well (they're pretty much unreadable, but certainly fit the bill).

 

Pretty sure there are other examples as well if you dig for them.

 

Cool! I suspected this was the case and that there were earlier examples - this type of genre is so suited to comics. Now I'll have to start looking for beater copies of Fantastic. I wonder how much a coverless copy of #3 goes for.

 

Avon seems to be the main publisher that was interested in this kind of material in the Atom Age. I haven't read any Strange Worlds yet - does anyone know if there are other S&S stories in that title beyond the handful I mentioned above? (If you haven't guessed by now, I'm fishing for potential reading material)

[Point Five]

I may have already cornered the market on beater Fantastics...

 

To my eyes, the Golden Knight stories are on the weak/formulaic side...and wait until you see the art! But the rest of the features (Stardust, Space Smith, Sub Saunders) are generally quite entertaining. Well worth trying out a reader copy.

[shiverbones]

thanks for posting the story, always wondered about it!