Talk:Conan the Barbarian

Mikhail "the Vulture" Oglu
In the article, this character is described thus: "Yezdigerd's bodyguard and greatest swordsman in Turan. He challenges Conan but is defeated and beheaded (The Shadow of the Vulture)" There is indeed a character named Mikhail "the Vulture" Oglu in the Robert E. Howard story "The Shadow of the Vulture," but this story is set in the Sixteenth Century and has nothing to do with Conan. Is the same name used in a non-Howard Conan story, or was the writer of the article merely confused?75.169.118.228 (talk) 22:10, 3 June 2010 (UTC)


 * Some "non-Conan" stories by Howard were adapted posthumously into Conan stories. IMHO citing these stories here does not help. Kortoso (talk) 16:16, 7 August 2013 (UTC)

Pictures > Commons
Would please someone transfer the pictures into commons database? I like to write a likewise article in the german WP and it would be fine, to use the same pics. Thanks, Chiron —Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.174.80.121 (talk) 02:07, 24 August 2010 (UTC)


 * Most of the files on this page are still under copyright and are used under fair use terms, so they are not appropriate for Commons. Two files, File:Conan phoenix on sword.jpg and File:Weird Tales May 1934.jpg, are already on Commons.  I believe one more, File:Chrysagon Hyboria 1024.jpg, was released under licence but that licence refused permission for commercial use, a restriction which is not allowed on Commons (and it may be a derivative of a copyrighted work anyway; again, not appropriate for Commons).  If you need some public domain material, Commons does hav pages for Conan the Barbarian and his creator Robert E. Howard. - AdamBMorgan (talk) 17:07, 24 August 2010 (UTC)

Production Company for Conan and the Young Adventurers
In the section for televisions shows, the first animated series, Conan the Adventurer, is correction attributed to Sunbow Productions. The second animated series, Conan and the Young Adventurers, picks up right where the first one leaves off. It is attributed to DiC in the article, but that is incorrect (it's also wrongly attributed to DiC at the IMDB website; I've submitted a correction there as well). The second animated series, however, was also produced by Sunbow, as you can easily see in this YouTube video of the closing credits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AaDzE8Skxk&feature=player_detailpage#t=59s —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.66.51.74 (talk) 10:12, 14 April 2011 (UTC)

Criticism - Racism
It'd be interesting to include a discussion of racism on this page, it seems like a common thread in analysis of the work. I think there are academic points of view on both sides, but someone with more lit crit expertise than me should add the properly cited content. --108.8.16.179 (talk) 03:18, 19 May 2011 (UTC)


 * Should be a simple matter of finding an essay discussing racism and the Conan stories. Check conan.com - should be some links there. Kortoso (talk) 16:20, 18 September 2013 (UTC)

Conan pronunciation
Is it pronounced Co-Nan (like in the Schwarzenegger movies) or Co-Nin (like Conan O'Brien and the new movie)? Shouldn't this also be mentioned because It seems like many people pronounce it one way and many people pronounce it the other. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Drasill (talk • contribs) 01:30, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
 * I believe REH pronounced it CO-nun (it's a traditional Irish name and Conan seems to agree). However, I don't think I have the source of that so I couldn't provide a reference if I added that to the article.  Otherwise, I do not recall any official pronunciation. - AdamBMorgan (talk) 22:04, 20 August 2011 (UTC)

Stan Lee Media claims?
How do the Stan Lee Media claims on the new Conan movie fit into this article? Stan Lee Media Inc. Sues for "Conan" Profits --Lance E Sloan (talk) 13:46, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

Could you be more specific? Shadzad (talk) 10:57, 9 December 2018 (UTC)

Chronological writing order
Under "Original Robert E. Howard Conan stories", the stories are listed in the order they were published in. But is there any way to add in what order they were written in? This could be interesting info considering that at least back then the date or writing and publishing was not necessarily always the same. 84.210.10.52 (talk) 19:14, 22 May 2012 (UTC)

Description - original research?
Nope, it's not. This all comes from the original stories, and perhaps a letter or two from the author. Unsure how to clear it up.

Also, "Cimmerian" links to the historical people. I'll delete the link until I can make a page for the fictional people. Kortoso (talk) 00:10, 7 August 2013 (UTC)

Here's a first crack: http://www.barbariankeep.com/millerlet.html Letter from Robert E. Howard to P. Schuyler Miller, dated March 10, 1936, published in the Coming of Conan by Robert E. Howard, N.Y., Gnome Press, Inc., Copyright 1953 by Gnome Press.


 * "In writing these yarns I've always felt less as creating them than as if I were simply chronicling his adventures as he told them to me."
 * "Conan was about seventeen when he was introduced to the public in "The Tower of the Elephant." While not fully matured, he was riper than the average civilized youth at that age. He was born on a battle field, during a fight between his tribe and a horde of raiding Vanir. The country claimed by and roved over by his clan lay in the northwest of Cimmerian, but Conan was of mixed blood, although a pure-bred Cimmerian. His grandfather was a member of a southern tribe who had fled from his own people because of a blood-feud and after long wanderings, eventually taken refuge with the people of the north. He had taken part in many raids into the Hyborian nations in his youth, before his flight, and perhaps it was the tales he told of those softer countries which roused in Conan, as a child, a desire to see them."
 * "At Vanarium he was already a formidable antagonist, though only fifteen. He stood six feet and weighed 180 pounds, though he lacked much of having his full growth." Kortoso (talk) 16:40, 7 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Edited "Personality and character" a little, taking out some original research. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kortoso (talk • contribs) 17:54, 7 August 2013 (UTC)

Kortoso. Why on earth would you create a wikipedia page for misinformation when the book states Conan to be from east of Vilayet (in Turkey) in the land of Turan (an Iranian nation) under the rule of Yezdigerd (the son of King Shapur III)? Shadzad (talk) 10:41, 9 December 2018 (UTC)

Copyright and public domain
The article states:


 * In the United Kingdom, works fall into the public domain 70 years after the death of an author. Therefore, with Howard having died in 1936, his works have been in the public domain since 2006.

I think that it is also the case in the United States and other countries. Isn't it ? Kintaro (talk) 11:03, 5 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Confusingly, no. The US had several systems during the 20th century.  At the time of publication, it was Publication+28 years (with an option of a second term of 28 years if renewed in the final year of the first term).  As Howard was dead and no one remembered to renew, at first, a lot entered the public domain around the 1960s.  However, some were renewed, and then the final term was extended, so they are now Publication+95 and still under copyright (roughly until the 2020s). On top of all that, a lot of Howard's works were not published in his life (including some Conan stuff), which has different copyright laws.  Some of Howard's works are still under copyright in the UK and the rest of the EU (the last large batch was only published in 2005!), although I don't think it includes any Conan.  On top of that when De Camp published some of the stories in books, he rewrote them slightly and filed a claim for a joint copyright over those stories for both Howard and himself, so the copyright on those stories depends on his death (in 2000), so they won't enter the public domain until 2071 both in the US and in the UK.  As for "other countries", a few have Life+100, so his works won't be in the public domain there until 2037, unless they apply the rule of the shorter term.  So, nice and straight forward. - AdamBMorgan (talk) 11:26, 5 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Oh, I forgot translations have their own copyright, so many non-English versions of the stories are still under their translators' copyrights. - AdamBMorgan (talk) 11:53, 5 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your clear and kind answer. You said:


 * Oh, I forgot translations have their own copyright, so many non-English versions of the stories are still under their translators' copyrights


 * Of course! I know... but concerning de Camp's writings I think that the British-American critical edition of the Conan stories, by Wandering Star Books (UK) and Ballantine/Del Rey (US), doesn't include a single line from de Camp, it is 100 % Howard stuff... so, de Camp is not related any more with the authentic Howard Estate... or he still is ? Kintaro (talk) 14:33, 5 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes, the Wandering Star/Del Rey editions are pure Howard text with no de Camp. I just included that for completeness, and it does complicate some of the copyrights. (For The Black Stranger, for example, do you use the first pure publication in 1987 or the de Camped Treasure of Tranicos publication in 1953?) - AdamBMorgan (talk) 15:25, 5 March 2014 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your answer. I use the official Spanish edition (timunmas, Barcelona, 2005-2007), translated into Spanish from the original English text established by the Wandering Star edition (established in fact for Wandering Star by a French guy, Patrice Louinet, from whom I could have read his translation -into French- of the same edition :) In any case, the Wandering Star critical edition states that its Black Stranger text is the one included in Echoes_of_Valor (1987), supposedly the first time publication of The Black Stranger. So... I think that the Howard Estate doesn't have de Camp problems any more. Thank you again, Adam. Kintaro (talk) 02:04, 6 March 2014 (UTC)

Why does this article have an extensive account of the copyright status of Howard's works? There seems to be no justification for this section (e.g., copyright issues have been the subject of high profile legal cases, or something), and it reads like one big legal ambit claim. There is no similar section for any other writer, living or dead, that I'm aware of. The entire section should be deleted. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.67.76.197 (talk) 22:50, 3 March 2018 (UTC)
 * H.P. Lovecraft's page has a section on the contested copyright status of his works, so that's not entirely true. 24.71.174.179 (talk) 12:50, 16 January 2019 (UTC)
 * Zorro and Sherlock Holmes pages have a "Copyright and trademark disputes" and "Copyright issues" section respectively. Seems like there is an individual or group trying to keep this material out of the Conan page.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.185.181.193 (talk) 06:28, 10 October 2019 (UTC)
 * Conan was the subject of a copyright lawsuit from January 2017 to August 2018, which potentially explains why anonymous users were copy/pasting content which supported the legal arguments of one of the parties during that period. The content was improperly formatted and badly written, and deserving of removal. As of this comment, the section looks good. —Subvisser5 (talk) 21:12, 27 September 2022 (UTC)

Yezdigerd?
Dog brothers, which of many Yazdegerds would most likely have inspired Howard's Yezdigerd? Kortoso (talk) 16:11, 19 June 2014 (UTC)

Likely the first one, the King of Persia, known also as Yesdigerd I to Christians. Thetrellan (talk) 19:12, 17 June 2017 (UTC)

Kortoso doesn't even know who Yezdigerd is, and he creates a page for Cimmerians. Is this the state of Wikipedia? Shadzad (talk) 10:59, 9 December 2018 (UTC)

The Frost Giant's Daugher, inspired by *Greek* mythology?
The text claims that "The Frost Giant's Daughter" (which Howard renamed "Gods of the North", and is featuring basically a who-is-who of Norse mythology) is inspired by *Greek* mythology (Daphne). Citation needed, indeed... unless anyone can come up with as much as a sliver of sourcing for this, I will remove the reference. -- 145.228.61.5 (talk) 10:29, 17 December 2014 (UTC)

Article layout
I'm guessing most readers who come to this article want to know "who is Conan?" rather than "what was the publication history of the various Conan stories?" Thus, I propose to move the "Publication history" section to come after "Personality and character". Any objections? Regards, Orange Suede Sofa  (talk) 23:20, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

copyright claim sources
This is what a quick googling gave me:


 * CONAN, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, HYBORIA and related logos, characters, names and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of Conan Properties International LLC. All rights reserved.

http://cabinetentertainment.com/conan.html

A more explicit connection between Conan Properties and Cabinet Entertainment eludes me. Here's an indication Conan Properties shared adress with Paradox Entertainment back when that was an AB in Sweden: https://www.plainsite.org/profiles/conan-properties-international-llc/

If somebody could dig up the ownership of Conan Properties, ideally linking it directly to Cabinet and/or to Fredrik Malmberg, that would be great, since that would resolve our tags. CapnZapp (talk) 23:09, 29 January 2017 (UTC)

Incoherent
Did Jim Theis write this? 2001:984:9396:1:F521:E689:E2C5:27DE (talk)


 * An aspect of his character, which prevails within his personality and frames it above else he may go through in his adventures, is the deep sense of remaining 'the outsider'. And which regardless of how involved and integrated in the circles of different realms and societies he may be, where always a swordsman skills are employed if not welcome, and his dexter or erring use of it and his positions experience to navigate through others own societies, Conan invariably remains stranded, an observer however also a player and even supreme authority (as King of one of those kingdoms) which sets him apart aloof ever to ponder in deep melancholic bouts, however briefly from time to time before been thrown back into the tales stories, on which is his own place in his Age as an orphan of another race always regarded by others as uncouth barbarian after he lost his own people and no way back home. A survivor forever to wander, and always acutely aware that nothing in his adventures filled life, will give him respite or remain long to be a substitute home and tribe or clan, sense of belonging. Which even when in the mirth of love relationships his heart may be most in, his mates sense and find inconsolable within him. These aspects of character development Howard tapped in to brine his character with, which had a huge appeal and echo to his current day and alienated generation of the Great Depression years and beyond, as America was still a country full of old and new immigrants during very uncertain and uprooting times, touched in an universal archetype and ethos which also is an eternal stage of Human experience and development, as all know too well Youth goes through, and from which Howard's character and stories draw in its main sympathy and interest, along the pull of the more or less 'Good savage' escapist stories, from the general Public and particularly in that age group that also touches and evokes in other ages readers.

Historic Cimmerians
The writing points directly to the historic Cimmerians. Why is this page completely ignoring that any more than Persia for Prince of Persia? Shadzad (talk) 10:30, 9 December 2018 (UTC)

Pacific Northwest Literary Society
The cited source: George Xavier Baxter, as well as the "Proceedings of the Pacific Northwest Literary Society" (ans the Society itself) seem to exist only on Wikipedia (this page, the Conan of Aquilonia page, and A Case of Identity). I suspect the quote was made up by the editor. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.199.24.28 (talk) 08:02, 14 June 2019 (UTC)


 * After extensive searching to confirm the reality of the source, I too have come up empty. Agree that it appears bogus. Deleting the material. BPK (talk) 04:05, 16 June 2019 (UTC)

portrayed by …

 * Jason Momoa (2011 film; Original)
 * Leo Howard (2011 film; Young)

"Original" is a strange way to say it. Any objection to rewriting as


 * Jason Momoa (2011 film)
 * Leo Howard (young Conan, 2011 film)

? —Tamfang (talk) 06:13, 5 December 2019 (UTC)

Characters with prominent roles only in Conan movies
Why is Thulsa Doom listed under "Characters with prominent roles only in Conan movies," when his description under the same heading is "A skull-faced necromancer from a King Kull story, a recurring villain in the Kull comics, and the antagonist in the 1982 film, played by James Earl Jones." These two things seem to conflict, as I don't see how he can be a recurring villain in a comic story and a prominent character only in the movies. If his role in the comics is too minor to be considered prominent, perhaps it should be removed from the description here. Mustardscuffle (talk) 01:24, 4 January 2020 (UTC)

Merge from Conan (Marvel Comics)
I don't see how Conan (Marvel Comics) has stand-alone notability, but it could be mentioned here. Thoughts? --Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus&#124; reply here 01:32, 10 July 2020 (UTC)
 * Oppose. The Marvel series of Conan stories has been well covered in many sources. Here's a good one: American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s, page 25. — Toughpigs (talk) 02:34, 10 July 2020 (UTC)


 * Oppose The long-running comic book adaptation is quite distinct from the literary series by Howard. Dimadick (talk) 10:37, 10 July 2020 (UTC)
 * Oppose - I also oppose this move because we would have to cram his Marvel Comics history on this one. Plus, is right about his claim. --Rtkat3 (talk) 21:23, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Seriously, there is no good reason to discuss the same character in two separate pages. Conan has a number of renderings in movies, books and such, and there is no reason to split a single comic version of him into a stand-alone article (which also is just limited to pretty much the list of comic books he appeared in). --Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus&#124; reply here 06:32, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

Summary paragraph
The end of the summary paragraph reads like an advertisement for the character: "Bolstered through his early years by Howard's rip-roaring tales of glory on the battlefield, immortalized by the incomparable artwork of Frank Frazetta in the 1960s, and reinvented in a media explosion of the 1970s and 80s, the noble savage is a vivid and iconic fantasy character, the likes of which stirred the imaginations of audiences the world over for more than seventy years." Anybody else agree? If so, should that art of the summary be removed? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Alienmandosaur (talk • contribs) 18:51, 4 January 2021 (UTC)
 * I completely agree and have removed that part of the lead. The lead should definitely be expanded, but not like this. Lennart97 (talk) 14:33, 5 January 2021 (UTC)

George Baxter Quote
I indented a huge section of text that appears to be a block quote from George Baxter. Internal quotation marks make me pretty sure that it is one, but I do not have access to the source material to check. If it is not a block-quote, please break the quote at correct places and properly punctuate (single-quote) internal quotations. Thanks & Cheers, Last1in (talk) 20:39, 4 October 2021 (UTC)