Announced at San Diego Comic-Con on Sunday, London-based global publisher Titan Comics and entertainment studio Heroic Signatures revealed the long-awaited return of The Savage Sword of Conan in 2024 – with all-new gritty and gruesome tales from the world of Conan the Barbarian; presented in its original black-and-white, magazine-sized format.
Originally published in 1974, The Savage Sword of Conan featured Robert E. Howard’s iconic Conan the Barbarian untethered from the bounds of the restrictive Comics Code Authority. A darker and more mature title than the flagship Conan the Barbarian comics, The Savage Sword of Conan delved into more gritty and bloody storylines and art, quickly becoming a cult classic publication. The Savage Sword of Conan featured writing and art from legendary creators such as Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema, Walter Simonson and much more.
Launching in comic shops in 2024 during the 50 year anniversary celebration, the brand-new The Savage Sword of Conan magazine will be written and drawn in its original black-and-white style by a murderers row of writers and artists including John Arcudi, Frank Tieri, Patch Zircher, Howard Chaykin, Rafael Kayanan, Cary Nord, Rebeca Puebla, Dan Panosian, Richard Pace, Gerardo Zaffino and many more.
“Ever since we announced the launch of this new comic book line, fans and creators alike have been clamouring for the return of this iconic title – only if it was in its original black and white anthology magazine format,” says editor Matt Murray. “It’s been a really tough secret to keep that we at Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics have actually been planning on that all along, but it can be a tough skull to crack on a few levels.
“This has been personal mandate and my dream project since I was given the privilege of carrying the banner.
“We hope that we can live up to the expectations, as well as the legacy of the classic book, and think that with the writers and artists we already have on board (and those we’re still talking to) we can forge a new and exciting chapter in Conan’s savage story.”
Heroic Signatures and Titan Comics new Savage Sword of Conan joins the new ongoing Conan the Barbarian comic series written by Jim Zub, with art by Roberto De La Torre, as well as the continuing archival publishing of Conan the Barbarian: The Original Comics Omnibus and the Savage Sword of Conan: The Original Comics Omnibus. Fans can look out for Volume 9 of the original Savage Sword of Conan series this November.
Also announced at SDCC were the launch sales numbers for Conan the Barbarian Comic #1 which goes on sale 2nd August 2023 in comic shops everywhere. Confirmed sales of the initial print exceeded 80,000 making Conan #1, the largest selling issue in Titan Comics’ history.
With a second printing planned and third printing probable, final sales for this debut issue are expected to exceed 100,000 copies.
“We are so thrilled with the numbers on issue #1,” stated Titan Publishing Director, Ricky Claydon. “Our staff and partners at Heroic Signatures worked extremely hard to make the best Conan comic ever and I think we have achieved that. Jim (Zub)’s and Roberto (De La Torre)’s creation is barbarically perfect! This masterpiece combined with the unbelievable support of our distribution (Diamond Comics) and retail partners made this launch a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us.”
• To keep up with the latest news and developments on the new Savage Sword of Conan title, connect with Titan Comics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and Heroic Signatures on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
• Do you have a Conan-related query for Jim Zub and/or Rob De La Torre? Send it to chainmail@conan.com and you may make it into Conan the Barbarian comic’s “Chain Mail”
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, Comic Previews, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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