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Poll: Your Favorite Barry Windsor-Smith Conan the Barbarian Covers!
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What are you favorite Barry Windsor-Smith Conan the Barbarian covers?  

5 members have voted

  1. 1. What are you favorite Barry Windsor-Smith Conan the Barbarian covers?

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60 posts in this topic

I've seen many if not most of the BWS Conan covers in person including the 24 and it's quite a sight.

 

(worship)

 

I've seen about a third of them in person and would love to see more! IDW should do a BWS Conan Artifact Edition at the very least. I thought that Genesis West (who did the "Red Nails" OA book) was going to do a follow-up with the complete Conan #24 and some loose pages from other issues? I'd still love to see that, though, I haven't heard any more about it since the 2013 SDCC.

 

 

Thanks for the fun poll Gene.

 

(thumbs u

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Fun poll Gene!

 

While I love and prefer BWS's later style on Conan, I would guess I am in the minority in that I also really like the early Kirby-esque/Conan-with-horns style. It was my first exposure to Conan and because of that nostalgia, I suppose it has always resonated with me. I should also mention that for the most part, I can't stand BWS's mid-run style where Conan was constantly dis-proportioned and, worst of all, he consistently drew Conan with that thin-faced/bug-eyed/gaping-mouth look that looked simply foolish.

 

Here are my choices:

 

1) Conan #4

2) Annual #1

3) Conan #24

4) Conan #1

5) Conan #19

Edited by Lago32
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While I love and prefer BWS's later style on Conan, I would guess I am in the minority in that I also really like the early Kirby-esque/Conan-with-horns style. It was my first exposure to Conan and because of that nostalgia, I suppose it has always resonated with me.

 

The early style definitely has its own charm; I really like the #1 and the #6 covers. IIRC, the #6 story - as reprinted in GS Conan #3 - was my first exposure to the Thomas/BWS run, so I've got some nostalgia for the earlier material as well. But, his later Conan work is just so, so good, among my favorite comic book art of all-time, which is why my top four picks all came from issues #16 and later.

 

I can easily understand why people might have a preference for any of these covers/issues/periods, though - it's all (thumbs u in my book. Of course, he arguably hit even higher highs with "Red Nails", and a lot of the portfolio plates, Conan Saga covers, etc. that came later were (worship) as well.

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I was the direct underbidder when #1 was auctioned in Sotheby's, I'd have to look but off the top of my head it sold in the 20K range in the early 90's. everyone thought it was a crazy number and thought me crazy as well, It's in Eric's collection now, never asked him if he got it back then.

 

#2 has much whiteout on Conan's chest and it made me pass on it when I had a chance.

 

#4 was a great one but had a few issues in the drawing that made me pass on it.

 

#8 I love, even thought it does not have that Smith feel to it.

 

But without doubt for me it's #24 & KS #1 to be the ones I'd go to the wall for.

 

Z.

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Great thread (thumbs u

 

For some time I have tried to collect photos and scans of these original art Conan covers, you can find several of them here:

 

http://s1270.photobucket.com/user/runesr2/library/Original%20Art%20Covers?sort=9&page=1

 

My votes: #4, #6-8 and Annual #1.

 

Best,

 

Rune

 

Whoa...that #16...is that a stat?

 

Nice collection of pics, thanks for sharing!

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You're welcome. I am not sure if you are thinking about the #16 preliminary pencil drawing or the other?

 

The preliminary pencil drawing is described here:

 

"This is the original preliminary pencil drawing, penciled by Barry Windsor-Smith, that is the basis for the cover of Conan #16 (Marvel/1972). The printed cover was produced from a photostat of an inked version of this drawing (I had this photostat at one time, and you can see it by clicking on the link above this description that reads "Printed Cover"). The original inked drawing that the photostat was made from has never turned up to my knowledge. These pencils are on a strathmore-type board measuring 11+1/4" by 14", with an actual penciled art area of about 9+1/2" by 10". The titles and indicia are just a copy made from the comic and laid over the art for display purposes. I photographed this in a frame, but I will not ship the frame and glass, only the art and the copy of the surrounding words (if you want it)."

 

http://www.kochcomicart.com/Featured.asp?Piece=1603

 

Yours for 16k (thumbs u ;)

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You're welcome. I am not sure if you are thinking about the #16 preliminary pencil drawing or the other?

 

The preliminary pencil drawing is described here:

 

"This is the original preliminary pencil drawing, penciled by Barry Windsor-Smith, that is the basis for the cover of Conan #16 (Marvel/1972). The printed cover was produced from a photostat of an inked version of this drawing (I had this photostat at one time, and you can see it by clicking on the link above this description that reads "Printed Cover"). The original inked drawing that the photostat was made from has never turned up to my knowledge. These pencils are on a strathmore-type board measuring 11+1/4" by 14", with an actual penciled art area of about 9+1/2" by 10". The titles and indicia are just a copy made from the comic and laid over the art for display purposes. I photographed this in a frame, but I will not ship the frame and glass, only the art and the copy of the surrounding words (if you want it)."

 

http://www.kochcomicart.com/Featured.asp?Piece=1603

 

Yours for 16k (thumbs u ;)

 

The original inked drawing has turned up in recent years, actually, which is why I asked about the production piece. The original is very, very nice.

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Hate the early covers. His anatomy was stiff and his faces/heads were awkward, with the exception of #5. The love for #1 is simply because it's #1, and there is a ton of collectibility recognition surrounding that issue. For me, #24 is tops, followed by the annual, then I like #5, #16 and #20.

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Hate the early covers. His anatomy was stiff and his faces/heads were awkward, with the exception of #5. The love for #1 is simply because it's #1, and there is a ton of collectibility recognition surrounding that issue. For me, #24 is tops, followed by the annual, then I like #5, #16 and #20.

 

#24 is tops for me as well.

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I've never read this series and participated solely off of the images and without reading any of the following posts. With that said, I also had the King Size and 24 as my favorites. I also was the sole picker of #11, don't know why but I just liked that image! Looking at the results, looks like everything's been selected except #2. I'm sure you more knowledgeable folks would know why but to my eye doesn't seem all that bad...

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Looks like the consensus top five picks matched my own top five ranking in exactly the same order (#24, Ann. #1, #16, #20, #1).

 

Guess I'm not as much of a contrarian as I thought. lol

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Looks like the consensus top five picks matched my own top five ranking in exactly the same order (#24, Ann. #1, #16, #20, #1).

 

Any one of those covers would be quite an addition to a collection. If anyone needed any affirmation that those are the top BWS CONAN covers...well, you they got it!

 

 

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Looks like the consensus top five picks matched my own top five ranking in exactly the same order (#24, Ann. #1, #16, #20, #1).

 

Any one of those covers would be quite an addition to a collection. If anyone needed any affirmation that those are the top BWS CONAN covers...well, you they got it!

 

 

Some people only want a girl if everyone else thinks she's cute too ;)

:baiting:

 

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:bump:

 

In light of recent discussions in other threads about (a) where BWS' more mature style first really manifested itself (Conan #16 as per some in this thread, Conan #19 as per Scott W.) and (b) the significance of Conan #4 (in the comic art restoration thread), I thought I'd bump this old discussion to try and stimulate some fresh banter.

Unfortunately, it looks like the poll that originally accompanied this thread disappeared during the changeover to the new CGC Boards. :cry: 

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