Bronze Age Marvel ‘Conan the Barbarian – King-Size Special’ Comic Book #1 (1973)
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Glossary Roundup
Original Presentation Script
A word about fakes.. Bronze Age key issues like this are heavily reprinted, so collectors must tread carefully.
This is “Conan the Barbarian – King-Size Special #1,” Marvel’s 1973 oversized love letter to sword-and-sorcery mayhem. That explosive cover, with Conan knee-deep in defeated foes, is peak early-’70s fantasy illustration and helped cement the character’s status beyond pulps and paperbacks.
By 1973, Marvel was leaning hard into the barbarian craze, and this King-Size format — boasting “two of the greatest Conan sagas ever told” — gave readers more pages, more blood, and more brooding hero for their 35 cents. To Conan collectors, these specials neatly bridge the world of Robert E. Howard’s prose and the four-color Marvel universe.
The materials here are classic Bronze Age: thin, slightly yellowing newsprint interiors wrapped in a bright, glossy cover. From the photo, the book looks machine-cut and mass-produced, as expected, with natural spine ticks and corner wear rather than the razor-sharp perfection of a modern facsimile.
Condition appears in the Fine to Very Fine band: good gloss, strong color, some spine stress, and modest edge wear. The missing back-cover and interior views keep us conservative — any stains, tears, or writing inside would pull that grade down.
On authenticity, the 35¢ price, trade dress, and period color register align nicely with a 1973 first printing, yielding an authenticity score around 72%. At auction, a solid raw FN/VF copy might bring $80–$140; a reprint or facsimile, only $5–$15.
So sayeth Comics Lass!
Used for this report's TTS and avatar presentation.
Item Report
Bronze Age Marvel ‘Conan the Barbarian – King-Size Special’ Comic Book #1 (1973)
By:Marvel Comics Group; cover art likely by Barry Windsor-Smith or contemporaneous Marvel Conan artist (credit not fully visible on image)
Style:Bronze Age American superhero/fantasy comic book
Origin:United States
Materials:Printed color comic book on newsprint interior with glossy cardstock cover
Condition:Fine/Very Fine (FN/VF 7.0–7.5, not officially graded; light spine ticks, minor edge and corner wear, strong cover gloss)
Value:If authentic first printing and unrestored: approximately US $80–$140 at auction in Very Fine (8.0) range; US $20–$40 if in Fine (6.0) or lower. If later reprint or facsimile edition: approximately US $5–$15.
Maker's Marks / Writing:Standard Marvel Comics Group masthead; text includes ‘CONAN KING-SIZE 1’, ‘1973’, ‘35¢’, ‘SPECIAL ISSUE!’, ‘SPECIAL ACADEMY AWARD ISSUE! TWO OF THE GREATEST CONAN SAGAS EVER TOLD!’, and the Comics Code Authority approval seal.
Date:2025-12-13 01:10:23.707820
Description:
Original Marvel Comics Group King-Size Special Issue #1 of Conan the Barbarian, priced 35¢ and dated 1973. Large-format Bronze Age comic featuring a dramatic battle cover of Conan standing over fallen foes in a stream, rendered in dense, gritty linework and color typical of early-1970s Marvel fantasy art. Cover text notes “Special Academy Award Issue! Two of the greatest Conan sagas ever told!” with Comics Code Authority seal at upper right and ‘CONAN KING-SIZE 1’ in the corner box.
Curator Questions
Curated by Jade
Assessment:
This appears to be an original 1973 Marvel Bronze Age King-Size Special #1 featuring Conan the Barbarian. The front cover presents strong gloss and color, with spine stress lines, mild edge wear, and slight blunting at corners, suggesting roughly Fine to Very Fine condition from the photo alone. As the book is raw (not slabbed) and the back cover and interior pages are not shown, a full grade can’t be confirmed. No obvious signs of trimming, color touch, or heavy restoration are visible, but professional inspection would be needed for a certified grade. As a cult-favorite Conan key in an oversized format, it has solid collector demand, with value heavily dependent on precise grade and any undisclosed restoration.
Individual Images:
none
Provenance:
Not provided.
Condition:
Fine/Very Fine (FN/VF 7.0–7.5, not officially graded; light spine ticks, minor edge and corner wear, strong cover gloss)
Identification Score: 98%
The cover clearly shows the Marvel Comics Group ‘Conan King-Size Special’ branding, issue #1, 35¢ price, 1973 date and distinctive Conan fantasy artwork, strongly matching known first-printing Bronze Age Marvel Conan specials.
Authenticity Score: 72%
Printing quality, aging to the whites, 35¢ cover price, period-accurate trade dress, and newsprint edges all look consistent with an early-1970s original rather than a modern glossy reprint. However, without seeing indicia page, full interior, or back cover, there remains a possibility of a later reprint or facsimile, so I stop well short of full certainty.
Image Memory Note
None
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Keywords
Conan the Barbarian, Marvel Comics Group, King-Size Special #1, Bronze Age comic, 1973, fantasy comic, sword and sorcery, United States, Barry Windsor-Smith, raw comic
The report was edited after initial Artmink draft. Original AI draft preserved in Artmink audit history.
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