The Savage Sword of Conan #16

Earl Norem's painted cover for this December 1976 issue captures Conan at full fury — muscles coiled, battle-axe raised overhead — as he tears through a chaotic melee of armed warriors, robed sorcerers, skeletal figures, and fallen foes, with a blonde woman caught amid the carnage below. The magazine promises an all-new action-epic adapting Robert E. Howard's "Wizards of the Black Circle" alongside "Worms of the Earth," making this a particularly substantial package from Roy Thomas and the artistic team of Barry Smith and Tim Conrad. It's a vivid snapshot of Savage Sword at its bold, black-and-white magazine best.