Giant spiders in Heroic Fantasy comics have been a mainstay since 1950. Inspired by Fantasy and Pulp fiction before it, the trend starts with Lord Dunsany who introduced the eight-legged fiends in “The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save For Sacnoth” (1910):
...Leothric went forward slowly, moving Sacnoth in front of him up and down as he went. When he was come into the middle of the chamber, suddenly, as he parted with Sacnoth a great hammock of strands, he saw a spider before him that was larger than a ram, and the spider looked at him with eyes that were little, but in which there was much sin...
Edgar Rice Burroughs gave us the tree spiders of Amtor called the Targo (in a Science Fantasy version of what all these Sword & Sorcery writers did) in 1932 in The Pirates of Venus. I include it here because of the great influence ERB had on the Pulpsters who followed.
Writers like Robert E. Howard and his classic Conan tale “The Tower of the Elephant” (Weird Tales, March 1933). Howard was probably influenced by Dunsany but he also read Burroughs. Another Fantasy great gave us giant spiders in The Hobbit (1937) and again in The Two Towers (1954). J. R. R. Tolkien never cited any influence for the spiders or Shelob except perhaps a blue spider he saw as a child in South Africa.
The first true Sword & Sorcery adventure was Crom the Barbarian in his initial outing, and it shouldn’t any surprise he faced off again a giant spider in “The Spider God of Akka” (Strange Worlds #1, November 1950) written by Gardner F. Fox, who would later pen the Kothar and Kyrix S&S novels, the Niall of the Long Journeys for The Dragon and other S&S comics. You can read this comics free at DCM.
“The Tower of the Elephant” (Conan the Barbarian #4, April 1971) was adapted by Roy Thomas from the Robert E. Howard story. This is the first of four versions.
“Web of the Spider God” (Conan the Barbarian #13, January 1972) written by Roy Thomas and John Jakes. Both men were instrumental in the promoting of S&S, with Thomas writing literally thousands of pages of S&S comics including Conan and Arak, Son of Thunder. John Jakes would become a bestselling author but wrote the Brak the Barbarian stories before that success.
“Gathering Tarel” (Korak, Son of Tarzan #49, December 1972) adapted by Len Wein from the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel Pirates of Venus. Mike Kaluta’s art on this series was amazing.
“The Guardian Spiders” (The Charlton Bullseye #1, January-February 1975) was written by an unknown author. Jeff Jones is a Fantasy painter second only in popularity to Frank Frazetta.
“The Temple of the Spider” (Thrilling Adventure Stories #2, August 1975) written by Archie Goodwin. Walt Simonson would do several great S&S pieces after this including Thor.
“Deep Brown and Jorum” (Eerie #68, September 1975) written by Jim Stenstrum. You might think Eerie was an odd place for Sword & Sorcery but the Warren mags went there before Marvel.
“Tarzan and the Giant Insects of Opar” written by Russ Manning appeared in newspapers in August 17, 1975 – August 22, 1976. If you got giant insects, you got giant spiders. (Thanks ERBzine.)
“The Tower of the Elephant” (Savage Sword of Conan #24, November 1977) adapted again by Roy Thomas from the Robert E. Howard story. The Buscema/Alcala art is classic here too.
“The Devil Has Many Legs” (Conan the Barbarian #101, August 1979) was written by Roy Thomas.
“Nemesis the Warlock” (2000 A. D. #252, February-March 1982) was written by Pat Mills. The Brits really know how to do in your face action.
“Spider Isle” (Conan the Barbarian #140-141, November-December 1982) was written by Bruce Jones.
“The Arana” (Groo the Wanderer #52, June 1989) was written by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier.
The Hobbit (Eclipse Comics 1989) was adapted by Charles “Chuck” Dixon from the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien.
“Lawyers!” (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons #23, November 1990) written by Dan Mishkin. I believe the spider in this comic is actually an illusionary spell.
“The Decapitating God” (Savage Sword of Conan #183, March 1991) written by Chuck Dixon with art by Ernie Chan
“Conan and the Spider-God” (Savage Sword of Conan #207-210, March-June 1993) adapted by Roy Thomas from the novel by L. Sprague de Camp.
“Lord of the Spiders” (Conan: Lord of the Spiders #1-3, March-May 1998) was written by Roy Thomas.
“Homeland” (Forgotten Realms” Homeland #, 2005) Andrew Dabb adapted the novel by R. A. Salvatore, though Lolth was created by Gary Gygax back in Descent into the Depths of the Earth (1978). This was her first comic appearance though she appeared in other Forgotten Realms comics.
“The Guardian of the Tower” (Conan #21, November 2005) was adapted by Kurt Busiek from “The Tower of the Elephant”.
“Hollow Mountain” (Pathfinder: Hollow Mountain #1-6, November 2015-April 2016) written by James L. Sutter and F. Wesley Schneider. The Shriezyx in this comic are one of the few that don’t end up in a sword battle. The heroes talk to the queen and make an alliance.
“A Walking Nightmare” (Savage Avengers #22, September 2021) written by Gerry Duggan. Marvel Comics has been running Conan through their universe, in this case with Ghostrider. There is a ghostrider in the Hyborian Age. He rides a spider, of course.
Conclusion
The tradition of giant spiders in Heroic Fantasy comics continues with Glenat doing a new adaptation of “Tower of the Elephant”(which I have not seen yet). The French comic publisher has done a wonderful job on previous Conan books so I am sure it will be wonderful. That particular Conan story is a favorite and I enjoy seeing how different artists interpret its action and monsters.
