I have to file La Reina De La Costa Negra under stuff I likely knew but had forgotten, though much apparently about this situation has come to light in recent years. It seems that several years before Marvel's blockbuster launch of Conan into its comic universe, the creations of Robert E. Howard had already had a relatively successful introduction into the Mexican comic book world.
It's not quite the true-blue Howard (but then neither are the Marvel or Dark Horse versions, and many argue neither are the iconic Lancer books given the sometimes-controversial editorial involvement of L. Sprague De Camp and Lin Carter). But it seems the Conan's paramour from the exciting Howard story "Queen of the Black Coast" had her own comic which did feature Conan (sort of) as a sidekick. Look here for some more details.
Based on the covers I've seen these seem to be some competent comics (for the era) and I'd love to get hold of one just to see what it's like. As the typically hyperbolic ad says Conan was indeed the "The Comic-Mag Event of the 70's!!", but what we didn't know then was that it had also been the same in the 60's just south of the border.
Rip Off
Now I want to fire up my time machine, go back to 1955, and make a "Queen of the Black Coast" movie starring Jane Russell as Belit.
ReplyDeleteThat's a brilliant idea!
DeleteFred Blosser wrote a fairly in-depth article with numerous illos on this title in Savage Sword of Conan #26.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info sir.
DeleteThis is all new to me, it seems a strange concept but the covers look nice. Thanks for showing these , sadly I have very little knowledge of Mexican comics but they seem interesting.
ReplyDeleteMore going on south of the border than we know.
DeleteA very cool bit of neglected history. I just finished an old Gil Kane ALTER EGO interview in which he claimed to have had the idea of adapting Conan for his self publishing venture, and that he passed on the idea to Roy Thomas. Roy, being the editor of EGO, expressed cordial disagreement with the second recollection.
ReplyDeleteI just read an essay by Roy in which he makes the same disagreement with Kane's recollection. I'm betting the first part of Gil's story is accurate, but the second was just become blurred with time. Roy has always told the same tale about how the Conan property fell into Marvel's hands.
DeleteI wonder if the idea of promoting Belit to starring status was an end run around possible lawsuits from the Howard estate? Since Belit hadn't appeared anywhere but the short story, could one have taken legal action for adapting a supporting character? I mean, I know anyone can sue anyone over anything, but would there have been a precedent?
ReplyDeleteI also am not aware of too many Mexican comics featuring female protagonists, though that doesn't mean there weren't any.
You'd know more that me about that. My knowledge of Mexican comics is sadly all too lacking.
DeleteJane Russell as Belit? It gets my vote.
DeleteThanks for the link also.
ReplyDelete