Conan the Barbarian No. 30 Cover by Kane & Chan

The Marvel years of Conan the Barbarian started with the evolution of artist Barry Windsor-Smith as he cast off his influences and found his first maturity as an illustrator. He would leave comics behind for a number of years, and this allowed the more classically-oriented penciller John Buscema to step in and set the look and feel of Conan for many years.

Teamed with a variety of inkers, one of the best was Ernie Chan, himself a well-regarded illustrator in his own right. His lush details completed the world writer Roy Thomas and artist Buscema infused the book with. Conan could always be relied on to deliver muscular fantasy with swords, sorcery and scantily-clad women.

In the 1970s, Gil Kane pencilled hundreds of covers for Marvel, including this one inked by Chan.

Here’s a new colour version by me with re-created trade dress.

As published.

Original art scan from Heritage Auctions.

Art made production ready.

New colour version.

Re-created trade dress added.