John Jakes

John William Jakes was born on March 31, 1932, and died on March 11, 2023. While best known as a novelist for his sweeping historical sagas like the *Kent Family Chronicles* and the *North and South* trilogy, Jakes also left a clear mark on comic books. He wrote 19 issues across several titles, with his most active period running from 1972 into 2019. His primary comic work was on *Conan the Barbarian* and related series, including *Conan Classic* and European editions like *Conan der Barbar* and *Conan Le Barbare*. He also contributed to *Chamber of Chills*. Jakes sometimes wrote under the pen name Jay Scotland. His comic scripts, particularly for Conan, showed a knack for muscular, pulp-tinged adventure that fit the sword-and-sorcery genre well. Though his comic bibliography is modest compared to his prose output, his contributions to Marvel’s Conan line in the 1970s are a notable footnote in a career that spanned genres and media.