Conan
Cover toConan the Savage #6 (Jan. 1996). Art bythe Brothers Hildebrandt
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics Dark Horse Comics (2003–2018)
First appearance	Conan the Barbarian #1 (October 1970)
Created by	Robert E. Howard Roy Thomas Barry Smith
In-story information
Notable aliases	Amra the Lion
Abilities	Peak human physical condition Melee weapons master Knowledge and experience of fighting the supernatural

Conan the Barbarian byRobert E. Howard was first adapted intocomics in 1952 in Mexico.Marvel Comics began publishingConan comics with the seriesConan the Barbarian in 1970.Dark Horse Comics publishedConan from 2003 to 2018, when the rights were reacquired by Marvel Comics.^[1] Marvel published Conan comics until 2022, whenTitan Comics took over the license (throughHeroic Signatures) to begin publishing its own series.^[2]

The first comic book adaptation of a Howard Conan story was the featureLa reina de la Costa Negra (taken from the original Conan story, "Queen of the Black Coast") in the miniature-size Mexican anthology titleCuentos de Abuelito #8 (1952) published by Corporacion Editorial Mexicana, SA.^[3] The series features the main characters, Conan andBêlit, though Conan is depicted as blond rather than black-haired.^[4] Issues 8 through 12 adapted the original Howard story, while subsequent issues featured original material. The feature ran in nearly every issue ofCuentos de Abuelito up through number 61.^[5] A digest-sized standalone series,La reina de la Costa Negra, was published by Ediciones Mexicanas Asocidas in 1958–1959 which lasted for at least eleven issues. In 1965–66 Ediciones Joma published a standard-sizeLa reina de la Costa Negra comic that ran for at least 53 issues.^[3]

Marvel Comics introduced a version of Conan in 1970 withConan the Barbarian, written by Roy Thomas with art initially byBarry Windsor-Smith, thenJohn Buscema and Ernie Chan (aka Ernie Chua). The successfulConan the Barbarian series spawned the more adult, black-and-whiteSavage Sword of Conan in 1974, by Thomas, Buscema, andAlfredo Alcala.Savage Sword of Conan soon became one of the most popular comic series in the 1970s.^{[citation needed]}

The Marvel Conan stories were also adapted as a newspaper comic strip which appeared daily and Sunday from September 4, 1978, to April 12, 1981. Originally written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by John Buscema, the strip was continued by several different Marvel artists and writers.^[6]

Other Marvel Conan titles over the years includeSavage Tales (1971–1975, issues 1–5 only),Giant-Size Conan (1974–1975),King Conan/Conan the King (1980–1989),Conan the Adventurer (1994–1995),Conan (1995–1996), andConan the Savage (1995–1996).

After the 2019 return of Conan to Marvel, new titles includedConan: Serpent War (2019–2020 miniseries),Conan: Battle for the Serpent Crown (2020 miniseries), alongside the reappearance ofConan the Barbarian (2019–2021) andSavage Sword of Conan (2019), which both received new #1s but retained the original "Legacy Numbering" continuing where their original Marvel series left off.

Conan later appeared in the pages ofSavage Avengers.

King Conan caused controversy when it included a character named Matoaka, the real name ofPocahontas, and with a sexualized design and a backstory similar to that of the actual Native American woman. There was backlash at what was perceived a disrespectful portrayal, so Marvel announced that name would be changed in later issues, reprints and digital editions. Writer Jason Aaron issued an apology, and pointed that "This new character is a supernatural, thousand-year-old princess of a cursed island within a world of pastiche and dark fantasy and was never intended to be based on anyone from history".^[7]

Academy of Comic Book Arts Shazam Awards:

1970

• Best New Talent: Barry Smith

1971

• Best Continuing Feature: Conan the Barbarian
• Best Writer (Dramatic): Roy Thomas

1973

• Best Individual Story (Dramatic): "Song of Red Sonja" fromConan the Barbarian #24 by Roy Thomas and Barry Smith

1974

• Best Continuing Feature: Conan the Barbarian
• Best Penciller (Dramatic): John Buscema
• Superior Achievement by an Individual: Roy Thomas

Dark Horse Comics begantheir take on Conan in 2003, which ended in 2018 when the rights were repurchased by Marvel.^{[citation needed]}

The firstcomic series published was written byKurt Busiek andTim Truman and pencilled byCary Nord andTomas Giorello. This was followed byConan the Cimmerian, written byTim Truman and pencilled by Tomas Giorello,Richard Corben andJosé Villarrubia. This series was a fresh interpretation, based solely on the works of Robert E. Howard and on the Dale Rippkechronology, with no connection to the large Marvel run.

Dark Horse Comics also published digitally re-coloured compilations of the 1970s Marvel ComicsConan the Barbarian series in graphic-novel format, by Roy Thomas (writer), Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema, Ernie Chan (artists), and others.

• Kurt Busiek (writer) and Cary Nord (artist) (2003–2006)
• Tim Truman (writer) and Cary Nord (artist) (2007)
• Tim Truman (writer) and Tomas Giorello (artist) (2008)
• Tim Truman (writer) and Tomas Giorello (artist), Richard Corben (artist 2008), José Villarrubia (colorist) (2008–2018)

• 2004 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

Best Single Issue or One-Shot:Conan #0: The Legend

• 2004 Eagle Awards

Favourite new comicbook:Conan

After Marvel did not extend the Conan license in 2022,Titan Comics took over the license (throughHeroic Signatures) to begin publishing new Conan comic series, as well as continuing publication of omnibus collections of the Marvel Conan comics. The first ongoing seriesConan the Barbarian, written byJim Zub, started in May 2023.^[10] A limitedSavage Sword of Conan series in black and white and magazine-sized format started in 2024.^[11]

InFrance, the character is underpublic domain, and on theFranco-Belgian market, the publisherGlénat has, since 2018, published a series ofalbums with the character, "Conan le Cimmérien", written and drawn by local talent.^[12]

InItaly, the collective Leviathan Labs publishes a version by the publisher Weird Book.^[13]

In 2021, the Spanish publisher DQómicsConan de Cimmeria, written by Ángel G. Nieto with drawings by Julio Rod and colors by Esteban Navarro.^[14]

• Newspaper Strip (September 4, 1978 – April 12, 1981), ?? strips.

‡Conan and the Demons of Khitai #3 featured a spoof nude advert forConan #24–after complaints a second printing was issued replacing the spoof nude advert with the actual (non-nude) advert forConan #24, with retailers offering the option to swap copies. (SeeRecalled comics for more pulped, recalled and erroneous comics.)

• Robert E Howard's Conan: The Frost-Giant's Daughter

• National Lampoon (May 1972)
• Mad magazine #235, December 1982, Conehead the Barbituate [sic] by Dick De Bartolo and Don Martin.
• Mad magazine #340, October 1995 Superhero High School (with Archie's Jughead)
• Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! (DC, 1982), issue 7. Written by Roy Thomas: Bow-Zar the Barkbarian.
• What The--?! #12 versus Groo (Goo) among others such as Hot Stuff, Yogi Bear, and Frosty the Snowman.
• UHF in a dream sequence titledConan the Librarian (1989).
• Discworld (novels) by Terry Pratchett, featuring a parody character called "Cohen the Barbarian".
• The Flesh, a modified Conan the Barbarian action figure

• Lord, Glenn (1976),The Last Celt, Berkley Windhover Books,ISBN 978-0-425-03630-3
• Shanks, Jeffrey (Spring 2013),"La reina de la Costa Negra: The Mystery of the Mexican Conan Comics",Comic Book Quarterly (11):3–6, archived fromthe original on 2014-03-12, retrieved2013-05-22
• E. Howard, Robert (2025),Conan The Barbarian: The Complete Collection, Bauer Books,ISBN 978-1-804-67241-9

• Conan official website
• Dark Horse Comics Conan Zone

• Characters created by Barry Windsor-Smith
• Characters created by Roy Thomas
• Comics characters introduced in 1970
• Conan the Barbarian comics

• CS1 Italian-language sources (it)
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• Articles with unsourced statements from April 2022
• Articles with unsourced statements from November 2021