Some odd 1960s Sword & Sorcery comics are the remainders after you take away the big players. This decade produced more Sword & Sorcery than the average fan of Roy Thomas and John Buscema realizes. DC experimented with Nightmaster, Denny O’Neil wrote about Hercules for Charlton, Archie Goodwin was knocking it out of the park at Warren and Wally Wood and Al Williamson presented Clawfang, not to mention a Mexican version of The Queen of the Black Coast.
DC tried different story lines with wizards and dragons as far back as 1960 and The House of Mystery #95, February 1960. It was written by an unknown author. This tale of knights and a dragon aren’t molded in a Conan the Barbarian style but more Prince Valiant who dominated such comics since 1937.
Star-Studded Comics (September 1963 – Summer 1972) from Texas Trio worked with strange superheroes in a way that reminds me of Nightmaster. Written by Howard Keltner, Jim Starlin and George R. R. Martin, at least two of these creators may have gone on to do something. (I think.) Starting out with superheroes, the fanzine mutated through horror and eventually to S&S. George R. R. Martin got his first publications in Star-Studded Comics #7 (July 1965). Howard Waldrop, Buddy Saunders, Al Milgrom, Rich Buckler, Alan Weiss, Gardner F. Fox and Bill DuBay would all contribute. Issue #14 (December 1968) would adapt Robert E. Howard’s “Gods of the North”, REH’s first appearance in English. This is the Amra version, not Conan.
“Maxor” from Fantastic Exploits #21-23 (1965-1973) published by S. F. C. A. was written and drawn by John Adkins Richardson Issue #23 contains the sequel “Maxor of Cirod”. Richardson’s work could be subtitled “The World’s Most Depressing Fantasy”. The bummer ending would become typical of Warren’s Sword & Sorcery.
“Dragon Slayer” from Larry Ivie’s fanzine Monsters and Heroes #2 (1967) was written and drawn by Jeff Jones. Monsters and Heroes was an odd mix of superhero and monster articles with comics like Ivie’s Altron-Boy, who occasionally picked up a sword. It was this early Jeff Jones piece that stands out for S&S fans.
“Orion” by Gray Morrow is a comic that popped up over and over. Originally published in black & white in Witzend, no. 2 (1967), it resurfaced for Hot Stuf‘ #2 (Winter 1975) and #4 (Spring 1977) to be reprinted in color in Heavy Metal Magazine #12-19 (March-November 1978). Written and illustrated by Morrow, it has all the classic feel we associate with this master of Fantasy. In Heavy Metal it seems quite at home, but back in 1967 it was cutting edge.
“Dragonella” from Heroes Inc #1 (1969) is another great Wally Wood parody. Written by Ron Whyte, it spoofs Prince Valiant. Wally Wood later give The Lord of the Rings a similar ribbing. Wally was working on his Fantasy masterpiece The King of the World at this time but most of that work would appear in the 1970s.
“Dragon’s Tail” from Warren’s Eerie #23 (September 1969) is a little lost dogie that I couldn’t ignore. Written by Kim Ball, it was drawn by Tony Williamsune. This was one of the only 60s story not written by Archie Goodwin or Bill Parente. They would become more common in the 1970s as artists like Esteban Maroto would write their own stuff.
“The Skin-Eaters” from Major Magazines’ Web Of Horror #1 (December 1969 ) was written by future Science Fiction writer, Terry Bisson and illustrated by Ralph Reese. This story is a Sword & Sorcery/Edgar Rice Burroughs parody.
The 1960s ends and the true Age of Sword & Sorcery begins in 1970. Of course, Marvel will publish Conan the Barbarian and eventually The Savage Sword of Conan along many others including Red Sonja and her steel bikini. DC’s Beowulf, The Warlord and Claw the Unconquered, etc. all followed. Some comics fans would never know the 1960s produced important heroic fantasy comics. Some odd 1960s Sword & Sorcery comics will act as a reminder.
