Cover by Michael Golden
Cover by Arthur Suydam
I think I have all three of these around here somewhere. The most recent one from 2007 from Dynamite I bought mostly because it had some Pablo Marcos artwork in it. I was as always impressed by Pablo, but the rest of the book left me cold. I've not bought another. Likewise the 1985 Marvel update. The interiors as much as I remember them aren't bad, and they live up to the title, but somehow the old magic wasn't there.
The original Savage Tales #1 though is an instant classic. I never even saw this one when it was first published, and even if I had I doubt I'd have been allowed to buy it. This one was for sure displayed up high out of the reach of kids. I did though get the much-delayed Savage Tales #2 and all subsquent issues of those wild and crazy B&W tales of S&S and suchlike. Eventually I got my mitts on a Savage Tales #1 and it's a true treasure.
It's curious to note how women rate on these covers. On the 1971 cover the woman is completely passive, needing the barbarian to save her. On the 1985 cover the two women are attackers full of action and violence, not in the least passive using men as ornaments. On the 2007 cover the woman is almost luxuriating in the gore violence has wrought; men are only present as the dead. I don't draw much from all that, but it's interesting as to what sells when.
Rip Off
I never seen a copy of issue one on the stands either.Many of marvels books around this time,were hard to find,for months,I suspect retaliation for the three issues of spidy that ran without the code back then.
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