Poll: Your Favorite Barry Windsor-Smith Conan the Barbarian Covers!

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I've had some conversations recently with friends about the various Barry Windsor-Smith Conan the Barbarian covers and thought it'd be interesting to see which ones are peoples' favorites. You may recall that the #4 and #9 covers sold at Heritage in 2013-14. They both seemed to be very well received and fetched healthy prices. But, would they make your top 5? Your top 10? Let's vote and find out!

I'm setting the poll to allow for (up to) five votes per entry (to ensure we get enough dispersion among the various choices). Take a look at the covers below and let's talk about one of my favorite comic art subjects - BWS Conan! (thumbs u

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Fun poll. I'll have to give it some thought, but I do know it will be one of the covers from his later run--19 thru 24. BWS made an enormous artistic leap at this time. And the cover from the first Conan annual would be in the conversation too! (thumbs u

Scott

Just saw that 5 choices are available to pick. That will make things much easier.

Scott

Being a huge fan of both Conan and Red Sonja, the #24 is my personal favorite (in fact, it's one of my top 3 favorite covers of all-time!) Like yourself, I'm partial to the later covers when BWS was making the leap to his more mature style (which, to my eyes, started to emerge with "The Frost Giant's Daughter" story in Savage Tales #1, which was reprinted in Conan #16).

The Annual 1 cover may actually be the coolest Conan image he ever did, though - that one is a strong second for me, followed by #16, #20 and #1. Honorable mentions for the #6 (how can you not love a ginormous bat??) and #21, though, really, there's not a bad one in the bunch!

I think we all agree - the latter part of the run is the best, but the 1st cover is pretty compelling. (It was my 5th and final choice)

Fun poll. I'll have to give it some thought, but I do know it will be one of the covers from his later run--19 thru 24. BWS made an enormous artistic leap at this time. And the cover from the first Conan annual would be in the conversation too! (thumbs u

 

Scott

 

 

My thoughts exactly, except I agree with Gene that it started with 16.

I`m surprised by all the love for #1. I`m not a huge fan of BWS while he was still in his Herb Trimpe phase.

Didn't read Conan growing up, but I'm a big fan of BWS's later work, so this is pretty interesting for me to see... I'm viewing some of these for the first time.

Quick assessment:

• Early covers: had some Liefeldian unusual anatomy going on.

• Middle stuff: worked out the kinks but was still far from the superstar he would become.

• Later stuff starts to really look like the BWS I recognize.

My votes:

#24 is by far my favorite

then come (no particular order) 14, 16, 22, and King Size #1

Number 20 might have made the cut if I saw the OA, but the coloring on the published version killed it for me.

OK, I guess I'd go with 24 as number one. Partly because it's the cover for the classic issue which gives it added weight, and partly because it fills the page. I've seen many if not most of the BWS Conan covers in person including the 24 and it's quite a sight. I'd put the Annual cover second with it's strong image and top to bottom bleed artwork (all the issues from 11-23 have that small square art box which means a lot of logo and less art). After that, I'd go with 19, 20, and, if I had to pick an issue from early in the run, it would probably be #1 because it started it all, but I wouldn't mind the number 4 cover, which is better artistically than #1 IMHO.

16 and 22 get strong honorable mentions.

Thanks for the fun poll Gene.

Scott

Conan #21 is a very weak cover, Conan's pose is terrible. No warrior or anyone could stand like that, you can just push him over.

Didn't read Conan growing up, but I'm a big fan of BWS's later work, so this is pretty interesting for me to see... I'm viewing some of these for the first time.

 

Quick assessment:

• Early covers: had some Liefeldian unusual anatomy going on.

• Middle stuff: worked out the kinks but was still far from the superstar he would become.

• Later stuff starts to really look like the BWS I recognize.

 

My votes:

#24 is by far my favorite

then come (no particular order) 14, 16, 22, and King Size #1

 

Number 20 might have made the cut if I saw the OA, but the coloring on the published version killed it for me.

My good buddy Richard Martines has had the cover for #20 for about 35 years and it's killer in person. He's got a poor scan in his CAF, but honestly, the comic color doesn't bother me at all and to the contrary, I like it, as well as the color to 19, 24 and the Annual. All colored by BWS.

http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=13883

Scott

Conan #21 is a very weak cover, Conan's pose is terrible. No warrior or anyone could stand like that, you can just push him over.

You and I don't usually see eye to eye on BWS Conan Brian (which is fine), but I agree with you here. Conan 21 is a really crappy cover.

Scitt

Great excuse to look at all the marvelous covers - would be tough not to vote for 24 or King SIze 1

Thanks for the link.... even with the marginal scan, I can tell that one is a pretty amazing drawing.

 

Number 20 might have made the cut if I saw the OA, but the coloring on the published version killed it for me.

 

My good buddy Richard Martines has had the cover for #20 for about 35 years and it's killer in person. He's got a poor scan in his CAF, but honestly, the comic color doesn't bother me at all and to the contrary, I like it, as well as the color to 19, 24 and the Annual. All colored by BWS.

http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=13883

 

Scott

 

I`m surprised by all the love for #1. I`m not a huge fan of BWS while he was still in his Herb Trimpe phase.

Stylistically, it's definitely a bit clunky and immature compared to its later work, but I do love the composition with the large image of Conan in battle with the damsel in distress and a myriad of threats all around them. BWS created a nice triangle with the positioning of Conan's sword and spear, while there's a lot of tension/dynamism in Conan's pose, both of which really draws your eyes to the central figure - not a bad introduction at all to the character. It's also hard not to give a nod towards the cover of the comic book that ushered in the Bronze Age! There's no doubt that it gets a bit of a key/first issue bump, though.

Conan #21 is a very weak cover, Conan's pose is terrible. No warrior or anyone could stand like that, you can just push him over.

 

You and I don't usually see eye to eye on BWS Conan Brian (which is fine), but I agree with you here. Conan 21 is a really crappy cover.

I think the #21 suffers a bit in comparison to the similar-but-superior Annual #1 cover. Maybe the pose is a little awkward, but, for me, it's still a nice, large, front-facing image of an axe and sword-wielding Conan having just vanquished his foes in battle done in BWS's preferred later style.