MATTHEW

STEPHEN SUNRICHDRAW

N SWORDS: AN UNAUTHORIZED EXPLORATION OF

RED SONJA and the ARTISTS WHO BROUGHT HER TO LIFE

Since her debut in Marvel’s Conan the

Barbarian during the early years of

the Bronze Age of Comics, Red Sonja, the

scarlet-maned She-Devil with a Sword, has

gone on to become the undisputed queen

of sword and sorcery. She has hacked and

slashed her way through more than 300

comic books to date—a number which

continues to grow in the pages of Dynamite

Entertainment’s various series. Here we

explore her adventures and how they relate

to other comics, as well as novels, television

programs, and fi lms, and examine the

work of the myriad artists whose pens and

pencils gave her the breath of life.

Red Sonja©™ is the intellectual property of Luke D. Lieberman and Red Sonja LLC. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. Drawn Swords: An Unauthorized Exploration of Red Sonja and the Artists Who Brought Her to Life is a scholarly source-work that has not been licensed or authorized by any person or entity associated with Luke D. Lieberman and Red Sonja LLC.

www.hassleinbooks.com

Drawn Swords:An Unauthorized Exploration of Red Sonja and the ArtistsWho Brought Her to Life

By Matthew Stephen Sunrich

Drawn Swords: An Unauthorized Exploration of Red Sonja and the Artists Who Brought Her to LifeCopyright © 2017 Matthew Stephen Sunrich. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Red Sonja©™ is the intellectual property of Luke D. Lieberman and Red Sonja LLC. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. Drawn Swords: An Unauthorized Exploration of Red Sonja and the Artists Who Brought Her to Life is a scholarly source-work that has not been licensed or authorized by any person or entity associated with Luke D. Lieberman and Red Sonja LLC.

Author: Matthew Stephen SunrichForeword: Nancy A. CollinsEditor: Rich HandleyLayout and Design: Paul C. GiachettiCover Photo: Andrew Dobell (www.creativeedgestudios.co.uk)Cover Model: Tabitha Lyons

ISBN-13: 978-0-692-90328-5Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataFirst Edition: June 2017

Hasslein Publishing (hassleinbooks.com) is an independent New York-based publisher co-founded by Rich Handley and Paul C. Giachetti. Visit us on Facebook (facebook.com/hassleinbooks), Twitter (twitter.com/hassleinbooks), and our blog (hassleinbooks.blogspot.com) to stay informed regarding all upcoming projects.

v

Foreword, by Nancy A. Collins .......................................................vii

Introduction, by Matthew Stephen Sunrich .................................... ix

I: The Beginning ........................................................................ 1

II: Forging Ahead ..................................................................... 11

III: Further Developments .......................................................... 23

IV: Going Solo ........................................................................... 31

V: Frank Thorne ........................................................................ 45

VI: The End of an Era ................................................................. 77

VII: Cross Plains ........................................................................ 101

VIII: Dynamite Phase One .......................................................... 107

IX: Dynamite Phase Two .......................................................... 133

X: Queen Sonja ....................................................................... 159

XI: Savage Tales, Annuals, One-Shots, Giant-Size, and Special Editions ......................................... 179

XII: Miniseries ........................................................................... 223

XIII: Crossovers .......................................................................... 255

XIV: Dynamite Phase Three ....................................................... 281

XV: Dynamite Phase Four ......................................................... 299

References ................................................................................... 305

About the Author/Hasslein Books ............................................... 307

Contents

1

II: The Beginning

In January 1934, The Magic Carpet Magazine published a historical adventure story by prolific pulp-fiction writer Robert E. Howard

called “The Shadow of the Vulture.”

Set in sixteenth-century Vienna, it features the swashbuckling, fiery-maned Red Sonya of Rogatino, who wages battle against a corrupt sultan (is there any other kind?). It was probably just another story to Howard, who wrote in every conceivable genre: horror, sports, sword and sorcery, planetary romance, western, you name it. He cashed the check and moved on to the next thing. During the Great Depression, almost everyone was struggling financially, but Howard, unlike many of his contemporaries, including the controversial and perpetually broke but highly influential H. P. Lovecraft, managed to make a decent living as a writer.

For those of you who haven’t already guessed, Howard is the creator of Conan the Cimmerian, perhaps the most iconic character in American fantasy. He came up with Conan two years before “Shadow” was printed and had already seen six stories starring the character published in the pages of Weird Tales, the era’s leading magazine of the literary genres that would later be termed horror and fantasy. The fact that Howard wrote so many Conan stories during his short life (he committed suicide in 1936 at the age of 30 for reasons that are shrouded in mystery) suggests that he had an affinity for the character, even greater than the one he had had for Kull of Atlantis (the first Conan story, “The Phoenix on the Sword,” was actually a reworked Kull story that had been rejected).

Jump ahead almost forty years. Conan, and sword and sorcery in general, had seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to the proliferation of paperback reprints of Howard’s original stories, as

2

Conan the Barbarian #24 Barry Smith

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I

well as new ones (referred to as “pastiches”) by authors such as L. Sprague de Camp, with resplendent painted covers by Frank Frazetta.

Marvel Comics, looking to cash in on the craze, had managed to secure a license to Conan in 1970 and had been publishing Conan the Barbarian for nearly two years when Roy Thomas, the series’ writer and editor, decided that he’d like to introduce a female character into the book, one who could hold her own against the Cimmerian. Only two warrior-women appear in Howard’s original Conan stories (Belit from “Queen of the Black Coast” and Valeria from “Red Nails”), and neither of them could be used lest the established chronology be undermined. Thus, a fresh character was required. Thomas recounts:

So I decided I needed a new heroine—one I could do anything with, because there were no prose stories in the Conan paperbacks that would conflict with what I might have her do—and I wanted her to be a redhead, primarily to make her different in one more visual way from Belit and Valeria. (“A Fond Look Back at Big Red”)

Inspired by an oblique reference in an article published in a Conan fanzine, Thomas obtained a copy of “Shadow” from the Robert E. Howard estate and—agreeing with the article’s assertion that, were they to occupy the same universe, she would make an excellent match for Conan—decided to re-envision Red Sonya as a warrior of Conan’s Hyborian Age. He changed the “y” in her name to a “j” so that Howard’s original character would not cease to exist, as it were, and so that the new character would be, in the writer’s words, “a blank slate.”

Thomas determined a way to incorporate the plot of “Shadow” into the then-current storyline and planned for Sonja to make her debut in issue #22. Due to deadline problems (fairly common at the time), however, that issue’s cover sported the words “Shadow of the Vulture” but featured a reprint of the title’s first issue. (Comic fans might recall a similar situation with Ghost Rider #10, which promised

4

I a battle between Ghost Rider and the Hulk but delivered a reprint of Marvel Spotlight #5.)

When readers picked up Conan the Barbarian #23 the following month, they most likely had no idea what they held in their hands. Sonja does not appear on the cover, and there is no indication that she will be introduced inside. In fact, she doesn’t show up until halfway through the issue. When she does appear, though, she makes a dramatic entrance and instantly becomes the desire of every male in the vicinity.

Readers do not have to be familiar with previous stories to understand this one, as vital plot points are repeated, and it’s not terribly difficult to figure out what’s going on. Conan, after all, is almost always on someone’s bad side, often some foolish ruler or military officer who seeks revenge, and such is certainly the case here. The “Vulture” in question is a man named Mikhal Oglu, the “finest bladesman in all of Turan,” who has been tasked with taking Conan’s head by the unfortunately named Prince Yezdigerd, besieger of the city of Makkalet. Having convinced the king of Pah-Dishah to send troops to the city, Conan takes refuge in an out-of-the-way village but finds his respite cut short when Oglu and his men appear. The Cimmerian escapes and heads back to Makkalet, despite his better judgment. Unfortunately, Turanian soldiers spot him and pursue, and his horse collapses from exhaustion. All hope seems lost when the gates fly open, and a contingent of warriors from Pah-Dishah burst forth. At the lead is a woman “more beautiful than the flames of Hell,” calling herself Red Sonja and brandishing a gleaming sword.

Conan is nonplussed by the woman’s skill in battle, but once their enemies are defeated, he tries to make friends. She responds that she is just a soldier earning a paycheck and that, for all she cares, he’d be “lying headless at the city gate.” That night, Conan is knocked out while wandering and is spirited away to an abandoned outpost, where his captors explain that they are Turanian spies who plan to turn him

5

I

over to Oglu. Just then, the door swings open, and Red Sonja sets upon the traitors. Together, she and Conan dispatch them and then lie in wait until Oglu arrives. Yezdigerd is astonished and sickened when he receives a chest soon thereafter containing a certain master bladesman’s head.

It’s hard not to be impressed by Sonja right off the bat. Conan is unaccustomed to women who can fight, and it’s immediately apparent that she is among the best. Her harsh demeanor puzzles the Cimmerian as well. He has never encountered anyone like her before. Where did she come from? How did she develop such incredible swordsmanship? Why does she have a chip on her shoulder? Conan’s thoughts were certainly echoed in the minds of Bronze-Age (1970-1983) readers. In a medium dominated by male comic-book characters, here was a female who could seemingly hold her own against any opponent. Wonder Woman had, of course, been around since the 1940s, but Sonja represented something new. DC’s Amazon is a war goddess in the truest sense of the term, but, like most superheroes, her methods are far less severe. Even with the restrictions of the Comics Code at the time, it was no secret that Sonja kills her foes, which is something superheroes rarely resort to (Wolverine and the Punisher being notable exceptions). Fans had, thus, been introduced to a woman equal parts beautiful and deadly, and the world of sword and sorcery would never be the same.

The next issue, “The Song of Red Sonja,” is where readers get to see Sonja take center stage. The story opens with the rather inebriated She-Devil dancing on a tavern tabletop, much to the delight of the men crowded around, Conan among them. Things are going well until a besotted ox grabs her arm. The Cimmerian takes exception to this, resulting in his being on the receiving end of a crushing blow from the brute’s fist. When he retaliates, things escalate, and a full-on brawl ensues. The pair manage to escape the melee and decide to take a refreshing dip in the river.

45

V

V: Frank Thorne

The artist most closely identified with Red Sonja during her time at Marvel is Frank Thorne.

Prior to taking over the character, he had worked for several publishers, with a career that began in the late 1940s. His work on Gold Key’s Mighty Samson was what captured Marvel’s attention.

In all, he drew nineteen Sonja stories, far more than any other illustrator. As such, not only is his interpretation of the She-Devil the most well-known, but she is also his claim to fame. Roy Thomas was fond of his work, calling it “visually distinctive” and “masterfully laid out, both in terms of overall design (the effect of the entire page) and in terms of storytelling, at which he was equally superb” (“Introduction”). Although some might consider his style an acquired taste, it’s tough to argue with Thomas’ assessment; Thorne’s take on Sonja is unique, and the worlds he created for her are rich and engrossing. He also lettered (and sometimes colored) his own stories, which was highly unusual; in this way, a peculiar unity was achieved on the page.

Thorne was the artist who, in the opinion of many pundits, most noticeably brought Sonja’s sexuality to the forefront, particularly in regards to her chest. Indeed, the first issue of Red Sonja features a surprisingly busty illustration of the character, which very well may have been a selling point. He also gave her what in modern terms we’d call “bee-stung lips.” Thomas described the artist’s Sonja as resembling “one of those inflatable female dolls with the pursed lips,” and we all know exactly what’s he’s talking about, whether we choose to admit it or not.

It’s often fairly easy to spot an illustrator’s direct influences, but Thorne is rather enigmatic in this regard. The only artist that comes to

46

Red Sonja #1 (Marvel) Frank Thorne

47

V

mind when assessing his work is Alex Toth. One of the most respected comic professionals of all time, Toth is probably best known for his animation work, where he created characters such as Space Ghost and The Herculoids. Toth’s clean, deceptively simple style has inspired countless artists, and there is little doubt that Thorne was among them. Outside of Toth, though, it’s hard to determine how he developed his style; one can only assume that he just had a vivid imagination.

Before the 1970s, comic-book art was essentially cartooning. There is frequently an unwarranted stigma associated with this term, as it connotes simplicity and/or transmogrification. Cartooning, however, is not a bad thing; in fact, it makes perfect sense that comics would resemble newspaper strips when you consider that the former evolved from the latter. Historically, “cartoon” was synonymous with “sketch,” and artists often drew them as preliminaries for their major works (such as Michelangelo did for the Sistine Chapel ceiling). In a modern context, it’s hard to deny the stark differences between, say, Peanuts and Avengers. While both make use of exaggeration, they lie on opposite ends of the spectrum. The art in the former is rudimentary and unrealistic; no attempt is made at depicting actual people. In the latter, the art is intended to reflect the real world, but the heroes possess physiques and assume poses that are pure fantasy. Both require a great skill to pull off convincingly, but entirely different techniques are used.

Thorne’s art, unlike that of his predecessors on Sonja, is decidedly cartoonish, which is one of the things that makes it distinctive. Unlike traditional cartooning, however, his work employs abundant light and shadow and a surprising amount of detail. Returning to the likelihood of his Toth influence, Thorne’s storytelling progresses in a way that is reminiscent of 1960s and ‘70s “adventure” cartoons, such as those produced by Hanna-Barbera and Filmation. If Sonja were ever given her own animated series, it would be a simple matter to translate Thorne’s panels into storyboards.

307

About the AuthorMatthew Stephen Sunrich has been a comic book, fantasy, and supernatural horror fan for as long as he can remember. After several years of attempting to become a fiction writer, he decided to direct his writing toward pop-culture analysis. He has contributed to two essay anthologies by Sequart, A Long Time Ago: Exploring the Star Wars Cinematic Universe and A Galaxy Far, Far Away: Exploring Star Wars Comics, and blogs semi-regularly about comics, fantasy, anime, gaming, et cetera, at his blog, Tomb of the Unknown Geek (http://tomboftheunknowngeek.blogspot.com). He lives in Tallapoosa, Georgia, with his wife, two children, five cats, and eight-hundred Dungeons & Dragons miniatures.

About Hasslein BooksHasslein Books (hassleinbooks.com) is a New York-based independent publisher of reference guides by geeks, for geeks. The company is named after Doctor Otto Hasslein, a physicist and time travel expert portrayed by actor Eric Braeden in the film Escape from the Planet of the Apes, and on the Hasslein Curve named in honor of his theories.

In addition to Drawn Swords: An Unauthorized Exploration of Red Sonja and the Artists Who Brought Her to Life, the company’s lineup of unauthorized genre-based reference books includes Timeline of the Planet of the Apes: The Definitive Chronology, Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia, A Matter of Time: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Lexicon, Back in Time: The Unauthorized Back to the Future Chronology, Lost in Time and Space: An Unofficial Guide to the Uncharted Journeys of Doctor Who, Who Beyond 50: Celebrating Five Decades of Doctor Who, Watching Time: The Unauthorized Watchmen Chronology and Total Immersion: The Comprehensive Unauthorized Red Dwarf Encyclopedia Volumes I and II, with future volumes slated featuring other franchises.

Follow Hasslein Books on Facebook (facebook.com/hassleinbooks) and Twitter (twitter.com/hassleinbooks), and at the Hasslein Blog (hassleinbooks.blogspot.com), to stay informed regarding upcoming projects.

MATTHEW

STEPHEN SUNRICHDRAW

N SWORDS: AN UNAUTHORIZED EXPLORATION OF

RED SONJA and the ARTISTS WHO BROUGHT HER TO LIFE

Since her debut in Marvel’s Conan the

Barbarian during the early years of

the Bronze Age of Comics, Red Sonja, the

scarlet-maned She-Devil with a Sword, has

gone on to become the undisputed queen

of sword and sorcery. She has hacked and

slashed her way through more than 300

comic books to date—a number which

continues to grow in the pages of Dynamite

Entertainment’s various series. Here we

explore her adventures and how they relate

to other comics, as well as novels, television

programs, and fi lms, and examine the

work of the myriad artists whose pens and

pencils gave her the breath of life.

Red Sonja©™ is the intellectual property of Luke D. Lieberman and Red Sonja LLC. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. Drawn Swords: An Unauthorized Exploration of Red Sonja and the Artists Who Brought Her to Life is a scholarly source-work that has not been licensed or authorized by any person or entity associated with Luke D. Lieberman and Red Sonja LLC.

www.hassleinbooks.com