INSIDE BASEBALL-THE HYBORIAN LEAGUE

Pulp Hero Press released this trade paperback late last year and I finished reading it yesterday evening (in lieu of watching the Super Bowl, I read this book, went for a walk, and watched a movie along with some vintage cartoons and the first episode of FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE, but I digress...)

BARBARIAN LIFE: A LITERARY BIOGRAPHY OF CONAN THE BARBARIAN VOLUME ONE by Roy Thomas will appeal to fans who count themselves among any or all of the following groups: fans of Robert E. Howard, fans of Conan the Barbarian, the character, fans of comic book writer/editor Roy Thomas, fans of the 1970s era comic book CONAN THE BARBARIAN and, specifically, fans of the first 51 issues of said comic as written and edited by Thomas. 

Me? I check all of those boxes. I've long avowed that Conan is among my five favorite fictional heroic characters, the others being Superman, James Bond, Doc Savage and Sherlock Holmes. I bought each of the 51 issues covered here (and many more)  brand new off of the stands and spinner racks of my youth. I currently own original copies of #12 and #21 but I have the first 59 issues of CONAN THE BARBARIAN collected in handsome trade paperbacks published by Dark Horse when that fine comic book publishing house held the rights to Conan and other REH properties (those rights have now returned to Marvel Comics). I've stood at REH's grave (a family plot including his mother and father) in Brownwood, Texas and visited his home in Cross Plains, Texas, both before and after the historic renovation project. And Roy Thomas is, hands down, my all time favorite comic book writer. 

Thomas recounts in painstaking detail the genesis of each of the first 51 issues of CONAN THE BARBARIAN in this volume (a second volume, due out sometime this year, will cover the remaining issues of CONAN THE BARBARIAN written and edited by Thomas). It's a fascinating peek behind the scenes to see how Thomas and some of the best comic book artists in the business (then or now), brought REH's immortal hero to four color life. The artists roster includes Barry (Windsor) Smith (pencils),  John (pencils) and Sal (inks) Buscema, Ernie Chua/Chan (inks), Dick Giordano (inks), Gil Kane (pencils), Neal Adams (pencils and inks) and Dan Adkins (inks). Each issue gets its' own chapter with a black and white scan of the cover included. There are issues adapted from REH material, both Conan and other types, issues based on material by John Jakes, Michael Moorcock, Norvell Page and Gardner Fox, some material based on the works of Lin Carter and L. Sprague DeCamp and more. Thomas clearly shows that his intent in each issue was to remain as true as possible to REH and his original vision and, in my opinion, he succeeded admirably.

Reading this book took me back to the days when I was in high school and college and each new issue of CONAN THE BARBARIAN was a must buy, double bag item. I have a hankering to re-read this material in those trade paperbacks I mentioned above. The most amazing thing about the book is that after more than 40 years, Roy Thomas can recall the events behind these comics with nearly total recall. He doesn't remember everything and he's quick to point that out when it's the case but the rest of the time, he delivers a treasure trove of "inside baseball" type of material that I loved reading.

Thumbs up.