Art by G. W. Thomas

Sword & Sorcery has not always been seen as the rightful prince to the Heroic Fantasy crown. During the Lancer boom of the 1960s, some people weren’t big fans of Conan and his muscles. Michael Moorcock deconstruction the Cimmerian to create his anti-hero Elric (Science Fantasy, 1961). Harlan Ellison demolished S&S fans as a bunch of sexual repressives in “Delusion For a Dragonslayer” (Knight, September 1966). Larry Niven wrote “Not Long Before the End” (F&SF, April 1969) to invert the barbarian-wizard duel.

Art by Barry Windsor Smith and John Verpoorten

Conan the Barbarian, especially the comic book of that name that first appeared in October 1970, has had an impact on culture. You can tell because people almost immediately began to parody it. Here are some of my favorite parodies. (Let’s be clear here, these are directly relatable to the Cimmerian and related characters. I have not included humorous Fantasy of the Myth Adventures type or funny S&S comics that aren’t parodies, just meant to be ironic.)

“Testicles the Tautologist” in Skull Comics #3 (November 1971) (LAST GASP)

Written and drawn by Jaxon

Art by Jaxon

“Norman the Barbarian” National Lampoon (May 1972) (NATIONAL LAMPOON)

Written by Sean Kelly/drawn by Barry Windsor Smith

Parody of based on articles Norman Mailer wrote in 1971

Art by Barry Windsor Smith

“Who?” Midnight Tales #5 (September 1973) (CHARLETON)

Written by Nick Cuti. Drawn by Joe Staton

Art by Joe Staton

The image of Keen killing the dragon is a swipe from “Spell of the Dragon” (January 1973). The comic may have been intended as a parody of Brak?

Killer Barbarian Funnies #1 (1974) (BUD PLANT)

Art by Tom Bird

Written and drawn by Tom Bird

An early Conan parody comic, before Cerebus, Thrud or Groo. Not that funny.

“A Tale of Sword & Sorcery” Star*Reach #1 (April 1974) (STAR*REACH)

Written by Ed Hicks. Drawn by Walt Simonson

Art by Walt Simenson

This strip may have partly inspired Dave Sim (Cerebus the Aardvark) who also published with Star*Reach. Ralph Bakshi used a similar ending in the film Wizards (1977).

“Not Long Before the End” Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction #3 (May 1975) (MARVEL)

Art by Vicente Alcazar

Based on Larry Niven’s anti-S&S tale/Adapted by Doug Moench/Drawn by Vincente Alcazar

“My Furry World — And Welcome To It” Witzend #10 (1976) (INDEPENDENT)

Art by Joe Staton

Written by Nick Cuti/Art by Joe Staton

Early Furry S&S before Cerebus’ first appearance but in the same year as Howard the Duck. Published by Wally Wood.

Howard the Duck #1 (January 1976) (MARVEL)

Art by Frank Brunner

Written by Steve Gerber/Drawn by Frank Brunner

Art by Frank Brunner and Steve Leialoha

Most of the issue is a Sword & Sorcery send-up with Spider-man in the mix just in case.

“The Rabbit Wonder Meets the Barbarian Bunny” Quack #3 (April 1977) (STARREACH) Reprinted in Star Reach Classics #3 (May 1984)

Back Cover by Steve Leialoha

Written and drawn by Steve Leialoha and Alex Nino

Art by Steve Leialoha and Alex Nino

Elric parody – Elrik and his sword Soulsucker

Cerebus the Aardvark (December 1977- March 2004) (AARDVARK-VANAHEIM)

Art by Dave Sim

One of the first independent comics, written and drawn by Dave Sim, Cerebus was a vehicle to parody Sword & Sorcery then moved onto Marvel superheroes and eventually became a complex world in its own right. The early issues were drawn in a mock Barry Smith style and poked fun at Red Sonja, Elric, Bran Mak Morn and S&S cliches. Collected in The Swords of Cerebus in the 1980s.

Art by Dave Sim

Roldo the Barbarian (1978) (TOOF-ARG-ON COMIX WORX)

Art by Roldo

Written and drawn by Roldo (J. W. Lake)

Obscure Canadian S&S Spoof from Manitoba

“Quimby the Barbarian” Creepy #106 (March 1978) (WARREN)

Written by Bob Toomey/Drawn by Pablo Marcos

Art by Pablo Marcos

“Bruce the Barbarian” The Unexpected #205 (December 1980) (DC COMICS)

Written by J. M. DeMatteis/Drawn by Vic Catan

Art by Vic Catan

“Thrud the Barbarian” in White Dwarf (1981-2002) (GAMES WORKSHOP)

Art by Carl Critchlow

S&S parody done for gaming magazine White Dwarf. Written and drawn by Carl Critchlow. Later Critchlow did color and more sophisticated stories.

“Advice to a Barbarian” Epic Illustrated # 11 (April 1982) (MARVEL)

Art by Joe Jusko

Written by Robert Rodi and illustarted by Joe Jusko

Groo the Wanderer, first appearance in Destroyer Duck #1 (May 1982) (ECLIPSE)

Art by Sergio Aragones

May 1982, fifty years after Conan stepped onto the Sword & Sorcery stage, Groo the Wanderer appeared for the first time in the back pages of Destroyer Duck #1. This four-page battle scene between Groo and a four-armed dinosaur ninja goes badly for the princess Groo is attempting to save. The strip bears only Aragones name as he had yet to team up with writer Mark Evanier. This he would do for a back-up in Starslayer #5 (November 1982). A five-pager this time, announcing the coming of Groo’s own comic. And so it went. First Pacific Comics, then Marvel’s Epic line, then Dark Horse. (He is Groo “the Wanderer”, after all.) One day Groo and Conan would meet…

“Bow-zar the Barbarian” in Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew #7 (September 1982) (DC COMICS)

Art by Scott Shaw

Written by Roy Thomas and Scott Shaw. Drawn by Stan Goldberg and Frank Chiaramonte

Art by Stan Goldberg and Frank Chiaramonte

Roy Thomas got to parody his own story in What If (Conan Walked the Earth Today?) #13 (February 1978)

The movie Conan the Barbarian came out in 1982 and the parodies became more about Arnold and less about Conan.

“Conehead the Barbituate” Mad Magazine #62 (December 1982) (MAD)

Back Cover by Boris Vallejo

Movie Spoof written by Dick de Bartolo and drawn by Don Martin. Back cover by Boris.

Art by Don Martin

“Arnold the Isshurian” Epic Illustrated #16 (February 1983) (MARVEL)

Written and drawn by Dave Sim

Art by Dave Sim

Equine the Uncivilized (November 1985-August 1990) (GRAPH X PRESS)

Art by Richard Konkle

Written Richard Konkle. Drawn by Jim Groat/Phil Morrissey/Mark Wallace

Anthropomorphic S&S from Rowrbrazzle members

Gonad the Barbarian (1986) (ETERNITY)

Written and drawn by Rurik Taylor (aka Madman)

Art by Madman

Corban the Barbarian (April 1987) (ME COMIX)

Art by Phil Greene

Written and drawn by Phil Greene

Art by Phil Greene

Red Shetland (August 1989-October 1996) (GRAPH X PRESS)

Art by Richard Konkle

Written Richard Konkle and Alan Dean Foster/Drawn by Richard Konkle, Monika Livingston, Terrie Smith, Kjartan Arnorsson, Jim Groat

Anthropomorphic S&S from Rowrbrazzle members with a special guest appearance by Alan Dean Foster in issue #8

Ack the Barbarian (1991) (INNOVATION)

Art by Mario D. Macari

Written and drawn by Mario D. Macari

A completely computer-generated comic book that features the adventures of the typical brave but not too bright, half-elven warrior who speaks like a Neanderthal. Also featued the TMNT parody the Tinage Mutilator Ninjer Ducks.

Samurai Cat #2 (September 1991) (MARVEL)

Art by Frank Cirocco

Written by Ralph Macchio/Drawn by Frank Cirocco and Jim Hummel

Tolkien parody in #1/Conan parody in #2.

Art by Frank Cirocco and Jim Hummel

Santa the Barbarian (December 1996) (MAXIMUM)

Art by Dan Fraga

Written by Dan Fraga and Robert Loren Fleming/Drawn by Pop Mhan

No indication of being inspired by Seabury Quinn’s “Roads” (Weird Tales, January 1938) which could have been called by the same title.

Art by Pop Mhan

Barack the Barbarian (June 2009-2010) (DDP)

Art by Tim Seeley

Written by Larry Hama/Drawn by Christopher Schons

Art by Joel Humberto Herrera

Just when you think comics have finished with the parodies, politics draws us in for one last kick at the barbarian cat.

I am sure there are more out there, like the one pager “The Same Old Sword of Gonad” that I remember but not where. They are out there. Let me know which I missed.