The Savage Sword of Conan #75

Earl Norem's painted cover for issue #75 puts Conan front and center on a ship's deck, curved blade raised high as he squares off against a red-scarfed pirate armed with a belaying pin — surrounding them are a weathered older sailor, a statuesque woman in golden armor, and the chaos of an open-sea brawl. The sweeping composition, with its billowing sails and churning water, captures the high-adventure spirit that made this black-and-white magazine format such a compelling home for Robert E. Howard's barbarian in 1982. Add a story titled "The Temple of the Twelve-Eyed Thing" — written and illustrated by Alfredo Alcala — and this issue promises the full blend of sword-and-sorcery menace that fans of the series have come to love.