Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures assembled an impressive team of creators to revive the Savage Sword of Conan series. That team can now be called legendary, however, with the inclusion of writer Roy Thomas. It was Thomas who first adapted Conan the Barbarian for comics in 1970. This led to a renaissance for fantasy series in the American comic book industry.
Roy Thomas announced his return in the introduction to Savage Sword of Comics #1, “Savage Tales of Savage Swords.” He discussed the creation of the original Savage Sword series at Marvel Comics and how they hit upon the idea of a monochromatic magazine devoted to mature fantasy fare. Near the end, Thomas revealed his “gigantic mirth” that the series had returned and that he would return with it.
“Wonder of wonders, I’ve even been invited to contribute a Conan tale or two myself to this new incarnation,” Thomas proclaimed. “I just happen to have in mind a notion (or three) that I never got around to relating in the first 200 or so Conan stories I scribed.”
It is unclear just when Roy Thomas’ new stories might make their way into Titan Comics’ Savage Sword of Conan. He is not credited as a writer in any of the solicitations for upcoming issues. His inclusion is unsurprising, however, given the publisher’s commitment to replicating the original series’ mature aesthetic.
Savage Sword of Conan Changed American Comics
Many changes came to American Comics in the 1970s, but chief among them were the first revisions to the Comics Code Authority. Before 1971, the CCA severely limited the content of American comics sold through mainstream distribution. The chief way publishers worked around this restriction was by publishing mature comics (like Savage Sword of Conan) in a magazine format. This loophole worked because the wording of the CCA only regulated comics, not magazines.
Despite this, American comics stagnated for a generation. Most comics were produced exclusively as children’s entertainment and largely consisted of superhero stories. Several decades would pass before Americans would start to accept comics as a suitable medium for adults. However, the success of Savage Sword of Conan, under Roy Thomas’ supervision, helped increase the acceptance of mature readers comics.
Savage Sword of Conan #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
