The Song of Red Sonja, published in Conan the Barbarian # 24 (March, 1973), “is a milestone issue. It marks the end of an era as the fruitful collaboration between Barry Windsor-Smith and Roy Thomas comes to an end. To say goodbye to the barbarian, Barry Windsor-Smith penciled, inked and colored (and even designed the lettering for the title) of this closing chapter of the saga of Conan”.
The artistic involvement of Windsor-Smith in this final issue was impressive, and he even co-plotted some of the pages. However, in any case, “Once again, the Comics Code struck Conan, requesting a larger towel for Red Sonja in panel 1 and Conan’s hands to be repositioned above the water line in panel 3”. And now after 46 years, you can see the difference between both versions!
And, of course, in October you’ll get to read the third and last installment on this short series on censorship.
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El mes pasado escribí sobre la censura en la industria del cómic en los 70s. Aunque, para ser más precisos, debería decir censura en Marvel Comics y especialmente en Conan the Barbarian. Me complació ver que Conan the Barbarian: The Original Years Marvel Omnibus incluye varias páginas del arte original de Barry Windsor-Smith, lo que nos permite comparar lo que dibujó y lo que realmente se publicó.
La canción de Red Sonja, publicada en Conan the Barbarian # 24 (marzo de 1973), “es un episodio histórico. Marca el fin de una era, y es que la fructífera colaboración entre Barry Windsor-Smith y Roy Thomas finaliza aquí. Para decir adiós al bárbaro, Barry Windsor-Smith dibujó a lápiz, entintó y coloreó (e incluso diseñó las letras del título) este capítulo de cierre de la saga de Conan”.
La participación artística de Windsor-Smith en este último número fue impresionante, e incluso fue co-argumentista en algunas páginas. Sin embargo, en cualquier caso, "Una vez más, el Código de cómics golpeó a Conan, solicitando una toalla más grande para Red Sonja en la viñeta 1 y las manos de Conan para volver a colocarlas sobre la línea de flotación en la viñeta 3". ¡Y ahora después de 46 años, podéis ver la diferencia entre ambas versiones!
Y, por supuesto, en octubre podréis leer la tercera y última entrega sobre censura Marveliana.
Geez you could barely see anything in the original. Those censors really needed to get a life. To use the argument gun nuts use, kids are going to see that stuff anyway. If it's not in comics they'll just sneak Playboys from their fathers or sneak into R rated movies. Or of course now there's 90% of the Internet dedicated to nudity.
ReplyDeleteYeah, those censors were maniac. But that was also almost half a century ago.
DeleteNow this in an interesting topic, given the current SJW and PC climate we're all facing concerning pop culture. Past is destined to be repeated, they say. And oh, were they right.
ReplyDeleteHope you're doing alright, man.
Hi Alexander! It's great to hear back from you! It's been such a long time.
DeleteYeah, all that PC taken to the extreme can be a bit too much!
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ReplyDeleteArion, for well over 100 years now Hollywood has been selling its product with sex without ever actually showing any sex. I just wondered if you had any ideas or theories how about the liars and hypocrites and cowards and deceivers who run Hollywood and the media are still getting away with that lie that con that deception that hypocrisy ?, especially in this day and age with millions of graphic sexual images now freely available at the touch of a button on the internet!, why are people still going for the absurdly out-moded and ludicrously anachronistic and censored and pathetically and endlessly sexual-inuendo oriented bull-shit of Hollywood and the media when, like i said, The Real McCoy is now so easily accessible!, i`d really like to know your opinion, cheers.
ReplyDeleteI`m still waiting for your opinion Arion!. Or was the question too awkward and embarrassing ?, simply because it represents the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth ! ! !. Over to you my old mate.
ReplyDeleteI can't talk about Hollywood, but the comic book industry has always had a double standard, on one hand, they want to produce graphic novels for a mature audience, on the other hand, they want to sell toys to children, so there's an inherent contradiction there/
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