I picked up the above copy of "Kull the Conqueror" along with "Conan the Barbarian" issue 26 (both my first issues of these respective titles) on a long weekend holiday with my mum, dad and brother in Blackpool. I can still vividly recall passing a small market type stall full of comics while on a late evening family stroll on a hot August night in1973. The stall was literally creaking with comics but the cover to Kull issue 9 by Marie and John Severin stood out and as I picked it up I also noticed Conan issue 26 - my fascination with sword and sorcery comics and books started on that day. Although I lost my original copy of Conan issue 26 about 20 years ago (buying a replacement soon after) Kull issue 9 has remained in my collection for nearly 50 years and in that time it has remained a firm favourite of mine not only for the great art and story but also for the memory it instantly provides of a great holiday break with ny late family every time I see that cover.
The story by Gerry Conway, “The Scorpion God” is based on the Robert E Howard short story “Swords of the Purple Kingdom” an adventure tale where a maiden (Nalissa) asks Kull for permission to marry a young warrior (Dalgar of Farsun). Both are from different nation tribes but despite this Kull and the local tribal leaders agree to the marriage.... but some are unhappy. As a result Kull is then kidnapped in a coup attempt but is later released by Dalgar and a battle rages between the masked leader of the coup known a the “Scorpion” (who in reality is Donal who prepared the marriage agreement). As the battle ensues Kull chases the Scorpion to the old abandoned temple of the Scorpion God where he confronts the Scorpion (now unmasked as Donal) . Just as Donal is about to crush an unconscious Kull with a large piece of temple rock a large scorpion appears and kills Donal who with his dying words proclaims “By the Gods no scorpion has walked Valusia …in a thousand…yeaaaarssss” . 100% teenage action drama that no 13 year old boy (as I was in 1973) could fail to be impressed by!
The above is one of my all time favourite comic book pages which I used to spend hours (days!) trying to copy. Stunning action art by the Severins.
The entire first volume of Kull the Conqueror (issues 1- 10) is excellent and some of these back issues can still be picked up for relatively little money. Incidentally, I revisited that Blackpool stall several times and picked up a whole batch of other comics including Amazing Adventures (Ka-Zar) #18 , Sub-Mariner #63, and Avengers #112.
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It's strange that Kull never became popular like Conan. I've only read the three King Kull stories that were published in 'Weird Tales' magazine during Robert E. Howard's lifetime so I've never read "Swords Of The Purple Kingdom" as it wasn't published until much later. I've mentioned that Conan goes out of copyright in the United States in 2028 but Kull goes out of copyright in the US in 2024 (95 years after he first appeared in 1929).
ReplyDeleteOnly last week I bought myself the Kull Omnibus volume, McS, which reprints all of the '70s Kull tales. Brilliant stuff, even though I own the first 11 original issues, as well as the Creatures On The Loose and Monsters On The Prowl Kull issues. The book will sit nicely alongside my Conan Omnibus.
ReplyDeleteI've been tempted to pick that one up as well Kid even although like yourself I have all the original comics.
DeleteI've only read one Kull book Colin written by Lin Carter which I enjoyed, but I did prefer the Conan books. I think the "Swords of the Purple Kingdom" short story was first published in the mid 1960s long after R E Howard's death. It will be interesting to see if others can use Conan and Kulls names in books, films and/or comics after they go out of copyright.
ReplyDeleteSome great artwork there by the Severins - very reminiscent of Barry Windsor-Smith's work on Conan. I must confess that I have NEVER owned a Kull comic ; nothing in my present collection, and nothing in my comic lists from back in the 1970s. Yet I avidly collected the Marvel Conans in the mid 1970s. I'll look around for a few back-issue reading copies of Kull.
ReplyDeleteThe Kull the Conqueror comics (1-10) are worth picking up as they are mostly by the Severins. They changed the title to "Destroyer" from issue 11 which aren't as good. John Bolton drew a nice 2 issue series in the 1980s and a great black and white issue of Bizarre Adventures, all worth checking out if you see them.
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