In his afterward to The Chronicles of Conan Volume One: Tower of the Elephant and Other Stories from Dark Horse Books, Roy Thomas mentions that Barry Windsor-Smith wasn't his or Stan Lee's first choice for the penciling duties on Conan The Barbarian. Still, Roy had teamed with Barry on several titles when the UK artist briefly worked in the United States.
"In fact," Roy confides, "Barry and I had done one story starring a Conan prototype we called Starr the Slayer in one of Marvel's 'mystery' titles, and it hadn't gone badly." Even though Barry had since returned to England, Roy decided to entrust the British artist with his new Sword and Sorcery series.
What series did Barry Windsor-Smith draw before he teamed up with Roy Thomas to bring Conan the Cimmerian to comics? And what heroes and villains did Barry help create?
Here's all the info from Fantagraphics:
Rediscover Legendary Artist Barry Windsor-Smith’s Early Masterworks with The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: "Back to the Savage Land" Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel Vol. 1
Fantagraphics and Marvel Join Forces to Collect Windsor-Smith’s Long Out of Print Comics
A master of sword and sorcery, science fiction, psychedelia, super heroics, and comedic parody — Barry Windsor-Smith has done it all. Between his groundbreaking, character-defining work on Marvel’s Conan The Barbarian and Weapon-X and his critically acclaimed 2021 graphic novel Monsters, the artist has earned his reputation as an adventurous, boundary-pushing creator. Now, Fantagraphics is partnering with Marvel to release The Marvel Creator Collection: Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel, a three-volume series collecting the artist’s trailblazing Marvel comics. Due out on April 29, 2026, The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: “Back to the Savage Land” will feature early pre-Conan work on X-Men, The Avengers, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man, as well as his amazing run on “Ka-Zar” in Astonishing Tales, and much more!
“I have literally been following Barry Windsor-Smith’s career since 1969 when he debuted at Marvel Comics and immediately became my 2nd favorite artist (after Jack Kirby),” says Fantagraphics Publisher and Co-Founder Gary Groth. “So, it is a distinct pleasure to have the privilege of finally presenting all the work he did for Marvel (with the exception of Conan) in a gorgeously produced 3-volume hardcover series.”
From the moment Marvel brought him to the U.S. in 1969, Windsor-Smith was a creative force to be reckoned with. A passionate devotee of Jack Kirby, Windsor-Smith’s earliest drawing at Marvel reflected that influence, but he quickly developed his own unique, eye-opening style,combining intricately detailed realism with the dreamlike lushness of art nouveau to the classicism of the Pre-Raphaelites.
This volume focuses on the earliest of his work, including memorable storylines on The Avengers, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and individual stories for Chamber of Darkness, Tower of Shadows, and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. All new benchmarks of comics art, culminating in what may be the highlight of this period: Windsor-Smith’s creatively fecund, Conan-esque epic tale of civil war in Ka-Zar’s Savage Land.. Future volumes will trace Windsor-Smith’s career through such milestones as Machine Man and Weapon X.
Now, let's take a look inside:
The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: "Back to the Savage Land" is due out on April 29, 2026 from Fantagraphics. For updates Fans can follow Fantagraphics on X, Instagram, Facebook, Blue Sky, and YouTube.
Thanks to Fantagraphics and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us.
About Fantagraphics:
For over 45 years, Fantagraphics has published the very best comics and graphic novels that the medium has to offer. Our mission is to celebrate great cartooning in all of its incarnations, from the form’s early luminaries to contemporary artists currently forging the future of visual storytelling. Not content to rest on our laurels and extensive roster of talented artists, we constantly seek out fresh voices from across the globe. Thus, we honor the rich history of comics while providing a platform for bold new stories, styles, and perspectives that push the boundaries of the medium. Fantagraphics remains peerless in our commitment to be the publisher of the world's greatest cartoonists.
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