Making Up for Missing Comic-Con

This year, my trip to Italy meant missing New York Comic Con. While there is nowhere I would rather be than Italy, I must admit I missed the thrill of hunting for long-sought fetish properties, admiring the elaborate cosplay costumes, and perhaps finally acquiring an original Frank Thorne Red Sonja illustration, one I still regret passing up last year.

To “console” myself, I paid a visit to my local comic book shop and treated myself to a few elusive pieces for my modest hoard. Among my finds were Kull the Destroyer #11, finally completing my collection of the original Kull series (Vol. 1); Conan the Barbarian: Red Nails #1, the giant-size, ad-free special issue published in 1983; and King Conan #1, illustrated by the great John Buscema.

It wasn’t quite the same as wandering the aisles of Comic Con, but there is something immensely satisfying about filling those long-standing gaps. As for that elusive drawing of the She-Devil with a Sword, the hunt will hopefully continue at next year’s convention.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, October 22nd, Feast of San Simmaco di Capua.