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Black Gate 4

Conan Returns

 Those familiar with Conan only from the pastiche, or the movies, or the comic books, don’t know the real article, who has far greater range of emotion and zest for life — and is at the same time more primal. Those acquainted with the character from other incarnations likewise have no idea of Robert E. Howard’s power as a writer. He is an able plotter with a splendid imagination, but it is in his narrative that Howard truly excels, and that can’t translate into another medium. His scenes are drawn swiftly, skillfully, with a few sharp brush strokes. A movie version isn’t necessary because his prose is so cinematic to begin with.

But, so long as there is going to be a movie version, I sure hope that those who’re putting it together keep in mind what Eric Knight said recently on his blog.

Howard

Posted on Jan. 25th, 2008 at 11:06 am | | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Comments

(Anonymous)

On the DVD of Frazetta: Painting with Fire, there's a host of deleted bits of interviews, several of which are of Ralph Bakshi (with Frazetta sitting by his side). He talks about getting tapped to direct the first Conan movie and sitting down to lunch with whoever was putting together the movie and Schwarzenegger. Bakshi says he told them they had the character all wrong. He's supposed to be graceful and wolflike, not hulking--he gave them Frazetta's view of Conan. He was quickly untapped.

--Jeff Stehman
Posted on Jan. 26th, 2008 04:10 pm (UTC) | | Thread | Reply

[info]bg_editor

Thanks for that anecdote, Jeff. I'd never heard that before. Unfortunately many creations get muddled like that by people who really don't understand what was appealing about the stories in the first place.

Howard
Posted on Jan. 29th, 2008 01:32 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

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