Red Sonja
Encyclopedia
Red Sonja, the She-Devil with a Sword, is a fictional character
, a high fantasy
sword and sorcery
heroine created by Roy Thomas
and Barry Windsor-Smith
, and loosely based on Red Sonya of Rogatino in Robert E. Howard
's 1934 short story "The Shadow of the Vulture
". She first appeared in the Marvel Comics
book Conan the Barbarian
#23 (February 1973).
Red Sonja has become the archetypical example of the fantasy figure of a fierce and stunningly beautiful female barbarian
who typically wears armor resembling a bikini or lingerie.
The origin story for Red Sonja, "The Day of the Sword", first appeared in Kull and the Barbarians #3 by Roy Thomas
, Doug Moench
, and Howard Chaykin
, and was later redrawn by Dick Giordano
and Terry Austin
for The Savage Sword of Conan, issue 78.
In this story, Red Sonja lived with her family in a humble house in the Western Hyrkanian steppes (this seems to be in modern Ukraine/Russia though historical Hyrcania
was on the borders of modern Iran/Turkmenistan). When she had just turned 17 years old, a group of mercenaries killed her family and burned down their house. Sonja survived but was brutally rape
d by the leader of the group, leaving her in shame. Answering her cry for revenge, the red goddess Scáthach
appeared to her, and instilled in her incredible skill in the handling of swords and other weapons on the condition that she would never lie with a man unless he defeated her in fair combat.
In the current Dynamite comic book series, Sonja's origins are portrayed in "flashbacks" within each issue beginning with issue #8. The goddess makes her first appearance in the new series in issue #12, which also marks the return of the deadly sorcerer Kulan Gath
.
Later during the series, the original character is killed off in issue #34. Instead, a new character of the same name, described as a reincarnation of the original Sonja, takes her place from issue #35 onward.
Eventually she is reunited with her husband, but then a pirate crew (unbeknownst to them called upon by Verona's husband, Lord Lucan, in a bid for more power) slays him and leaves Sonja on the brink of death. Sonja is then nursed to health by Osin, in Sonja's previous life a bard companion and now a gruff swordsman, who accepted the curse of Claw the Unconquered
for himself in exchange for the ability to locate, and train the new incarnation of Red Sonja.
Osin begins her training, finding that, even if Sonja has occasional flashes of her former reflexes, she no longer has access to the full might of the skills bestowed upon her by Scathach (now an almost forgotten goddess with waning powers) in her previous life, nor the fit body she once possessed, due to her sheltered life. Despite these handicaps Sonja is able to learn faster than presumed, but decides to act stealthily, joining Lucan's pirate crew to be closer to Daniel's assassins.
's short story "The Shadow of the Vulture
" (The Magic Carpet, January 1934), which Roy Thomas rewrote as a Conan story for Marvel Comics Conan the Barbarian #23 (1973). Thomas also somewhat based Red Sonja on another Howard character, Dark Agnes de Chastillon
, a sword woman in 16th-century France.
Red Sonja is somewhat different from Robert E. Howard's original Red Sonya. Besides tweaking the spelling of her name, Thomas transformed her from a sword- and pistol-wielding supporting character of the late Renaissance
into a sword-wielding heroine of Conan's prehistoric Hyborian Age
.
-like costume of scale mail, usually with boots and gauntlets. As originally drawn by Barry Smith
for "The Shadow of the Vulture" and "The Song of Red Sonja" in Conan the Barbarian
issues 23 and 24 (1973), she did not have as full a figure and dressed a little more conservatively, in a long-sleeved mail shirt and short pants of red silk, a style that did not last long.
As told by Roy Thomas
in the introduction of Red Sonja Adventures Volume 1 (Dynamite Entertainment) Spanish artist Esteban Maroto
submitted an uncommissioned illustration to him when he was editing the magazine Savage Sword of Conan where he redesigned the character and for the first time showed her wearing what would become her famous costume, the silver "metal bikini", which resembled other fantasy costumes that other Maroto heroines sported in the 1970s. This illustration had been printed for the first time in Jim Steranko
's magazine Comixscene #5 in black and white. It was reprinted in Savage Sword of Conan #1, and in Marvel Treasury Edition #15 colored but poorly reproduced, and finally restored and colored by José Villarrubia
as an alternative cover for the Dynamite Entertainment edition of Red Sonja #2. Maroto drew her in this costume for a double page spread illustration in Savage Tales
#3 and then for her first solo adventure in Savage Sword of Conan #1, and John Buscema
drew her in this costume in the same magazine. Buscema drew her again in this costume in issues 43, 44 and 48 of Conan the Barbarian
(1974) and Dick Giordano
in the first issue of Marvel Feature
(1975) before Frank Thorne
took over from issue 2 (1976). The "bikini" proved popular, becoming well known through the paintings of Boris Vallejo
and others.
In addition she has been featured in solo stories in the following publications:
And with
Marvel Feature #4 was reprinted in the book The Superhero Women edited by Stan Lee
. Red Sonja was featured arching among many of Marvel Comics's female characters on the cover painted by John Romita, Sr.
.
and Richard L. Tierney
with covers by Boris Vallejo
:
in the 1985 film Red Sonja
, which also starred Arnold Schwarzenegger
as High Lord Kalidor (originally intended to be Conan). The film was directed by Richard Fleischer
.
Actress Rose McGowan
was originally intended to portray Sonja in 2010s Red Sonja film, but these plans were squelched by injuries that permanently damaged the mobility and strength of her right arm.
In a February 2011 interview, film producer Avi Lerner stated that Simon West is was hired to direct the film and also mentioned Amber Heard
as the frontrunner to star in the lead role.
portrayed the character in the "Red Sonja" episode of the 1997 - 1998 TV series Conan
TV series.
reported that Red Sonja, LLC (which holds rights to the Roy Thomas version of the character) filed a lawsuit on four counts against Paradox Entertainment
(which claims rights to Red Sonya as part of the Howard library, though no renewal record for The Shadow of the Vulture
exists) in US Federal Court in April 2006. The four counts are claims of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and unfair competition. The lawsuit was settled in January 2008, on the second day of the hearing, for a sum of $1 each. Red Sonja LLC paid $1 to Paradox for the rights to Howard's Red Sonya and permission for the Red Sonja stories to continue being set in Conan's Hyborian Age
. Paradox simultaneously paid $1 to Red Sonja LLC for the exclusive print-publication rights for The Shadow of the Vulture
now that one of the characters belongs to Red Sonja LLC.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a high fantasy
High fantasy
High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s...
sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
heroine created by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
, and loosely based on Red Sonya of Rogatino in Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
's 1934 short story "The Shadow of the Vulture
The Shadow of the Vulture
"The Shadow of the Vulture" is a short story by Robert E. Howard, first published in The Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934. The story introduces the character of Red Sonya of Rogatino, who later became the inspiration for the popular character Red Sonja, archetype of the chainmail-bikini clad...
". She first appeared in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
book Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (comics)
Conan the Barbarian was a Marvel Comics title starring the sword-and-sorcery character created by Robert E. Howard. It debuted in Oct. 1970 and ran for 275 issues until Dec...
#23 (February 1973).
Red Sonja has become the archetypical example of the fantasy figure of a fierce and stunningly beautiful female barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
who typically wears armor resembling a bikini or lingerie.
Origin
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, Doug Moench
Doug Moench
Douglas Moench , better known as Doug Moench, is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Black Mask, Moon Knight and Deathlok.-Biography:...
, and Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
, and was later redrawn by Dick Giordano
Dick Giordano
Richard Joseph "Dick" Giordano was an American comic book artist and editor best known for introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes, and serving as executive editor of then–industry leader DC Comics...
and Terry Austin
Terry Austin (comics)
Terry Austin is an American comic book artist, working primarily as an inker. He is best known for his work embellishing John Byrne's pencils on The Uncanny X-Men from 1977–1981.-Early life and career:...
for The Savage Sword of Conan, issue 78.
In this story, Red Sonja lived with her family in a humble house in the Western Hyrkanian steppes (this seems to be in modern Ukraine/Russia though historical Hyrcania
Hyrcania
Hyrcania was the name of a satrapy located in the territories of present day Gilan, Golestan, Mazandaran and part of Turkmenistan, lands south of the Caspian Sea. To the Greeks, the Caspian Sea was the "Hyrcanian Sea".-Etymology:...
was on the borders of modern Iran/Turkmenistan). When she had just turned 17 years old, a group of mercenaries killed her family and burned down their house. Sonja survived but was brutally rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by the leader of the group, leaving her in shame. Answering her cry for revenge, the red goddess Scáthach
Scáthach
Scáthach is a figure in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a legendary Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher who trains the legendary Ulster hero Cú Chulainn in the arts of combat...
appeared to her, and instilled in her incredible skill in the handling of swords and other weapons on the condition that she would never lie with a man unless he defeated her in fair combat.
In the current Dynamite comic book series, Sonja's origins are portrayed in "flashbacks" within each issue beginning with issue #8. The goddess makes her first appearance in the new series in issue #12, which also marks the return of the deadly sorcerer Kulan Gath
Kulan Gath
Kulan Gath is a fictional character, a villainous magician who was created at Marvel Comics as a foe of Conan the Barbarian and who was later fully integrated into the Marvel Universe and in 2006 was used in Dynamite Entertainment's revamped Red Sonja series....
.
Later during the series, the original character is killed off in issue #34. Instead, a new character of the same name, described as a reincarnation of the original Sonja, takes her place from issue #35 onward.
Revamped Sonja
In this new continuity, Sonja is described as a distant relative of the original Red Sonja, taking her name as a good omen, since Sonja had come to be known as the most beautiful and fearless woman in Hyrkania. A noblewoman, this incarnation lives a fairly sheltered existence, along with her sister Verona and her little niece, longing for a child of her own and waiting for the return of her distant husband, Lord Daniel.Eventually she is reunited with her husband, but then a pirate crew (unbeknownst to them called upon by Verona's husband, Lord Lucan, in a bid for more power) slays him and leaves Sonja on the brink of death. Sonja is then nursed to health by Osin, in Sonja's previous life a bard companion and now a gruff swordsman, who accepted the curse of Claw the Unconquered
Claw the Unconquered
Claw is a fictional character, a sword and sorcery hero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Claw the Unconquered #1 , and was created by David Michelinie and Ernie Chan.Similar in many ways to Robert E...
for himself in exchange for the ability to locate, and train the new incarnation of Red Sonja.
Osin begins her training, finding that, even if Sonja has occasional flashes of her former reflexes, she no longer has access to the full might of the skills bestowed upon her by Scathach (now an almost forgotten goddess with waning powers) in her previous life, nor the fit body she once possessed, due to her sheltered life. Despite these handicaps Sonja is able to learn faster than presumed, but decides to act stealthily, joining Lucan's pirate crew to be closer to Daniel's assassins.
Prototypes: Red Sonja vs. Red Sonya
The character was loosely based on Red Sonya of Rogatino in Robert E. HowardRobert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
's short story "The Shadow of the Vulture
The Shadow of the Vulture
"The Shadow of the Vulture" is a short story by Robert E. Howard, first published in The Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934. The story introduces the character of Red Sonya of Rogatino, who later became the inspiration for the popular character Red Sonja, archetype of the chainmail-bikini clad...
" (The Magic Carpet, January 1934), which Roy Thomas rewrote as a Conan story for Marvel Comics Conan the Barbarian #23 (1973). Thomas also somewhat based Red Sonja on another Howard character, Dark Agnes de Chastillon
Dark Agnes de Chastillon
Dark Agnes de Chastillon is a fictional character created by Robert E...
, a sword woman in 16th-century France.
Red Sonja is somewhat different from Robert E. Howard's original Red Sonya. Besides tweaking the spelling of her name, Thomas transformed her from a sword- and pistol-wielding supporting character of the late Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
into a sword-wielding heroine of Conan's prehistoric Hyborian Age
Hyborian Age
The Hyborian Age is a fictional period within the artificial mythology created by Robert E. Howard, in which the sword and sorcery tales of Conan the Barbarian are set....
.
Bikini
Most artists depict Red Sonja wearing a very brief bikiniBikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
-like costume of scale mail, usually with boots and gauntlets. As originally drawn by Barry Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
for "The Shadow of the Vulture" and "The Song of Red Sonja" in Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
issues 23 and 24 (1973), she did not have as full a figure and dressed a little more conservatively, in a long-sleeved mail shirt and short pants of red silk, a style that did not last long.
As told by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
in the introduction of Red Sonja Adventures Volume 1 (Dynamite Entertainment) Spanish artist Esteban Maroto
Esteban Maroto
- Career :Born in Madrid, he began his career in the 1960s with series like Cinco por infinito, published in English by Continuity Comics as "Zero Patrol" ....
submitted an uncommissioned illustration to him when he was editing the magazine Savage Sword of Conan where he redesigned the character and for the first time showed her wearing what would become her famous costume, the silver "metal bikini", which resembled other fantasy costumes that other Maroto heroines sported in the 1970s. This illustration had been printed for the first time in Jim Steranko
Jim Steranko
James F. Steranko is an American graphic artist, comic book writer-artist-historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator....
's magazine Comixscene #5 in black and white. It was reprinted in Savage Sword of Conan #1, and in Marvel Treasury Edition #15 colored but poorly reproduced, and finally restored and colored by José Villarrubia
José Villarrubia
José Antonio Villarrubia Jiménez-Momediano – known professionally as José Villarrubia – is a Spanish artist and art teacher who has done considerable work in the American comic book industry, particularly as a colorist....
as an alternative cover for the Dynamite Entertainment edition of Red Sonja #2. Maroto drew her in this costume for a double page spread illustration in Savage Tales
Savage Tales
Savage Tales is the title of three American comics series. Two were black-and-white comics-magazine anthologies published by Marvel Comics , and the other a color comic book anthology published by Dynamite Entertainment.-Marvel/Curtis:The first of the two volumes of Savage Tales ran 11 issues, with...
#3 and then for her first solo adventure in Savage Sword of Conan #1, and John Buscema
John Buscema
John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
drew her in this costume in the same magazine. Buscema drew her again in this costume in issues 43, 44 and 48 of Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
(1974) and Dick Giordano
Dick Giordano
Richard Joseph "Dick" Giordano was an American comic book artist and editor best known for introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes, and serving as executive editor of then–industry leader DC Comics...
in the first issue of Marvel Feature
Marvel Feature
Marvel Feature was the name of two comic book showcase series published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s. The first volume led to the launching of the new ongoing series The Defenders and Marvel Two-in-One, while volume two led to the new ongoing series Red Sonja.- Volume One :The first series was a...
(1975) before Frank Thorne
Frank Thorne
Frank Thorne is an American comic book artist-writer, best known for popularizing the Marvel Comics character Red Sonja.-Biography:...
took over from issue 2 (1976). The "bikini" proved popular, becoming well known through the paintings of Boris Vallejo
Boris Vallejo
Boris Vallejo is a Peruvian-born American painter. He immigrated to the United States in 1964, and he currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He frequently works with Julie Bell, his wife, painter, and model....
and others.
Comics
These are the comic books that have featured Red Sonja as a main character:- Marvel Feature 1-7 (Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
) (November, 1975 - November, 1976). - Red Sonja 1-15 (Marvel Comics) (January, 1977 - May, 1979).
- Red Sonja v1, 1 (Marvel Comics) (February, 1983).
- Red Sonja v2, 2 (Marvel Comics) (March, 1983).
- Red Sonja v3, 1-13 (Marvel Comics) (August, 1983 - May, 1986).
- Red Sonja The Movie 1-2 (Marvel Comics) (November - December, 1985).
- Red Sonja: Scavenger Hunt (Marvel Comics) (December, 1995).
- Red Sonja in 3-D (Blackthorne) (1998).
- Red Sonja: A Death in Scarlet (Cross Plains) (1999).
- Red Sonja v4, 0-present, 59 issues as of November 2011, (Dynamite Entertainment) (2005-).
- Red Sonja Vs. Thulsa Doom 1-4 (Dynamite Entertainment) (2005).
- Red Sonja Annual v4, 1-3, (Dynamite Entertainment) (2006-2010).
- Red Sonja & Claw 1-4 (Wildstorm/Dynamite Entertainment) (2006).
- Red Sonja: One More Day (Dynamite Entertainment) (2006).
- Red Sonja: Goes East (Dynamite Entertainment) (2006).
- Red Sonja: Monster Isle (Dynamite Entertainment) (2006).
- Savage Red Sonja: Queen of the Frozen Wastes 1-4 (Dynamite Entertainment) (2006).
- Savage Tales v3, 1-10 (Dynamite Entertainment) (2007–2008).
- Giant Size Red Sonja v4, 1-2 (Dynamite Entertainment) (2007-2008).
- Red Sonja: Vacant Shell (Dynamite Entertainment) (2007).
- Queen Sonja 1-present, 25 issues as of November 2011, (Dynamite Entertainment) (2009-).
- Red Sonja: Wrath Of The Gods 1-5 (Dynamite Entertainment) (2010).
- Red Sonja: Revenge Of The Gods 1-5 (Dynamite Entertainment) (2011).
- Red Sonja: Blue (Dynamite Entertainment) (2011).
- Red Sonja: Raven (Dynamite Entertainment) (2012).
In addition she has been featured in solo stories in the following publications:
- Conan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian (comics)Conan the Barbarian was a Marvel Comics title starring the sword-and-sorcery character created by Robert E. Howard. It debuted in Oct. 1970 and ran for 275 issues until Dec...
, (Marvel Comics) (1974–1991).
- Issue 23, "Swords in the Night", Roy ThomasRoy ThomasRoy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
(w), Barry SmithBarry Windsor-SmithBarry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
(a), John BuscemaJohn BuscemaJohn Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
/AkinsAkins-Scotland:The name has several possible origins, although it is generally considered to be a variant of Aikens, which is considered to be a patronymic form of the name Aiken. These names are considered to be derived from the Scots personal name Aitken, which is a double diminutive form of the...
/Stone (i). (First appearance in a Conan comic publication). - Issue 24, "Song of Red Sonja", Roy Thomas (w), Barry Smith (a).
- Issue 43, "Tower of Blood", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema/Ernie ChuaErnie ChanErnesto "Ernie" Chan is a Filipino-born American comic book artist.-Biography:Chan migrated to the United States in 1970, and became a citizen in 1976. For a number of years, he was obliged to work under the name "Ernie Chua" as that name had been wrongfully entered on his U.S...
(i). - Issue 44, "The Fiend and the Flame", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema/The Crusty BunkersCrusty BunkersCrusty Bunker, or the Crusty Bunkers, was the collective pseudonym of group of comic book inkers clustered around Neal Adams' and Dick Giordano's New York City-based art and design agency Continuity Studios from 1972-1977. The group was also occasionally credited as Ilya Hunch, Chuck Bunker, or The...
(a). - Issue 48, "Episode!", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema (p), Dick GiordanoDick GiordanoRichard Joseph "Dick" Giordano was an American comic book artist and editor best known for introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes, and serving as executive editor of then–industry leader DC Comics...
(i). (First solo story in color). - Issue 67, "Talons of the Man-Tiger", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema (i).
- Issue 68, "of Once and Future Kings", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema (i).
- Issue 78, "Curse of the Undead-Man", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema (a), Pablo MarcosPablo MarcosPablo Marcos Ortega, known professionally as Pablo Marcos is a comic book artist and commercial illustrator best known as one of his home country's leading cartoonists and for his work on such popular American comics characters as Batman and Conan the Barbarian, particularly during the 1970s...
(i). (Reprint from Savage Sword of Conan Issue 1). - Issue 115, "A War of Wizards", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema/Ernie Chan (i).
- Issue 195, "Blood of Ages", James Owsley/Val SemeiksVal SemeiksValdis "Val" Semeiks is an American comic book artist who has mostly worked for DC Comics and Marvel Comics.-Biography:Val Semeiks was born in the USA on February 5, 1955 to Latvian parents....
(w), Geof Isherwood (f). - Issue 196, "The Beast", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Geof Isherwood (f).
- Issue 197, "Stand", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Geof Isherwood (f).
- Issue 198, "The River", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Geof Isherwood (f).
- Issue 199, "Revelation in the Mists", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Geof Isherwood (f).
- Issue 200, "The Fall of Acheron", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Geof Isherwood(f).
- Issue 204, "Goblin", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Vince CollettaVince CollettaVincent Joseph Colletta was an American comic book artist and art director best known as one of industry legend Jack Kirby's frequent inkers during the 1950s-1960s period called the Silver Age of comic books...
(f). - Issue 205, "Necropolis", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Alfredo Alcala (f).
- Issue 241-3, "The Sorcerer and the She-Devil", Roy Thomas (w), Mike DeCarloMike DeCarloMike DeCarlo is an American comic book artist.He has worked on such diverse titles as Batman, Cartoon Network Block Party, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Fantastic Four, Simpsons Comics, and adaptations of the Warner Brothers stable of cartoons .-External links:...
(i). - Issue 244, "Fiends of the Flaming Mountain", Roy Thomas (w), Mike DeCarlo (i).
- Issue 245, "Empire of the Undead", Roy Thomas (w), Mike DeCarlo (i).
- Issue 246, "Chaos in Khoraja", Roy Thomas (w), Mike DeCarlo (i).
- Issue 247, "The Sword that Conquers All", Roy Thomas (w), Mike DeCarlo (i).
- Issue 248, "The Peril and the Prophecy", Roy Thomas (w), Talaoc/Ernie Chan (i).
- Issue 249, "Red Wind", Roy Thomas (w), Ernie Chan (i).
- Issue 250, "Chaos Beneath Kuthchemes", Roy Thomas (w), Ernie Chan (i).
- Conan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian (comics)Conan the Barbarian was a Marvel Comics title starring the sword-and-sorcery character created by Robert E. Howard. It debuted in Oct. 1970 and ran for 275 issues until Dec...
Annual (Marvel Comics) (1987).
- Issue 12, "Legion of the Dead", James Owsley/Val Semeiks (w), Ernie Chan (a).
- The Savage Sword of Conan, (Marvel Comics) (1974–1995).
- Issue 1, "Red Sonja" Roy Thomas (w), Esteban MarotoEsteban Maroto- Career :Born in Madrid, he began his career in the 1960s with series like Cinco por infinito, published in English by Continuity Comics as "Zero Patrol" ....
(p), Ernie Chan/Neal AdamsNeal AdamsNeal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
(i). (First solo story in black and white. Also featured in the cover painted by Boris VallejoBoris VallejoBoris Vallejo is a Peruvian-born American painter. He immigrated to the United States in 1964, and he currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He frequently works with Julie Bell, his wife, painter, and model....
). - Issue 1, "Curse of the Undead-Man", Roy Thomas (w), John Buscema (a), Pablo Marcos (i).
- Issue 23, "Wizards of the Black Sun", Roy Thomas/Clair Noto (w), Frank ThorneFrank ThorneFrank Thorne is an American comic book artist-writer, best known for popularizing the Marvel Comics character Red Sonja.-Biography:...
(a). (Featured in the cover painted by Earl Norem) - Issue 29, "The Wizard and Red Sonja Show", Frank ThorneFrank ThorneFrank Thorne is an American comic book artist-writer, best known for popularizing the Marvel Comics character Red Sonja.-Biography:...
(w/a). - Issue 45, "Master of Shadows", Christie MarxChristy MarxChristy Marx grew up in Danville, Illinois and is an American writer and a photographer. She has written scripts for various episodes of TV-series, mainly for kids' shows, including Jem, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Conan the Adventurer, G.I. Joe, Hypernauts, Captain Power and others...
(w), John Buscema (p), Tony DeZunigaTony DeZunigaTony DeZuniga is a Filipino comic-book artist best known for his work for DC Comics, where he co-created the characters Jonah Hex and Black Orchid.-Early life and career:...
(i). - Issue 78, "The Day of the Sword", Roy Thomas/Doug MoenchDoug MoenchDouglas Moench , better known as Doug Moench, is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Black Mask, Moon Knight and Deathlok.-Biography:...
(w), Howard ChaykinHoward ChaykinHoward Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
(layouts) Dick Giordano/Terry AustinTerry Austin (comics)Terry Austin is an American comic book artist, working primarily as an inker. He is best known for his work embellishing John Byrne's pencils on The Uncanny X-Men from 1977–1981.-Early life and career:...
(a). (Origin re-drawn). (Reprint from Kull and the Barbarians Issue 3) - Issue 82, "Song of Red Sonja", Roy Thomas (w), Barry SmithBarry SmithBarry Smith may refer to:*Barry Smith , ontologist at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York*Barry Smith , preacher from New Zealand...
(a). (Reprint from Conan the Barbarina Issue 24). - Issue 83, "Red Sonja", Roy Thomas (w), Esteban Maroto (p), Ernie Chan/Neal Adams (i). (Reprint from Savage Sword of Conan Issue 1).
- Issue 144, "The Waiting Doom", Charles DixonChuck DixonCharles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, best known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.-Biography:Dixon grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, reading comics of all genres...
(w), Ernie Chan (i). - Issue 145, "Feast of the Stag", Charles Dixon (w), Geof Isherwood (f).
- Issue 153, "Phantasm", James Owsley (w), Luke McDonnell (p) Armando Gil (i).
- Issue 157, "Infant Terrible", Bruce JonesBruce JonesIan Roy Jones is an English actor, best known for his role as cab driver Les Battersby-Brown in Coronation Street. He left the role in 2007. His real name is Ian Roy Jones, but he took the name of his father for professional purposes.-Early life:Jones was born to Bruce and Irene Jones in...
(w/a). - Issue 169, "The Endless Stair", Peter B. GillisPeter B. GillisPeter B. Gillis is an American comic book writer best known for his work at Marvel Comics and First Comics in the mid-1980s, including the series Strikeforce: Morituri, and the digitally drawn comic series Shatter.-Biography:...
(w), Steven Carr (p), Armando Gil (i). - Issue 170, "Emerald Lust", Charles Dixon (w), Gary Kwapisz (i).
- Issue 172, "The Waif and the Warrior", Jim ValentinoJim ValentinoJim Valentino is an American writer, penciler, editor and publisher of comic books.-1970s - 1992:Valentino began his career in the late 1970s creating small press and mostly autobiographical comics. The early-mid 1980s saw normalman which first appeared as a back-up story in Aardvark-Vanaheim's...
(w), Steven Carr (p), Josef RubinsteinJosef RubinsteinJosef "Joe" Rubinstein is a comic book artist and inker, most associated with inking Marvel Comics' The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.-Career:...
(i). - Issue 178, "Chains", Sue Flaxman (w), Gavin Curtis (p), Keith Williams (i).
- Issue 179, "Fury of the Iron Damsels", Charles Dixon (w), Gary Kwapisz (i).
- Issue 187, "Red Sonja Queels the Song of the Siren", Marie Javins/Steve BuccellatoSteve BuccellatoSteve Buccellato is a freelance artist and self-publisher who has worked in the comics industry as a colorist, writer, penciller, and editor.-Biography:...
(w), Alfredo AlcalaAlfredo AlcalaAlfredo P. Alcala was a Filipino comic book artist, born in Talisay, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. Alcala was an established illustrator whose works appeared in the Alcala Komix Magazine. His 1963 creation Voltar introduced him to an international audience, particularly in the United...
(a). - Issue 192, "On the Road of Kings", Roy Thomas/Dann ThomasDann ThomasDanette "Dann" Thomas is a comic book writer, the wife of comic book writer and editor Roy Thomas. She has at times collaborated with Thomas on All-Star Squadron, Arak, Son of Thunder, the Crimson Avenger miniseries and Avengers West Coast.She married Roy Thomas in May 1981 and legally changed her...
(w), Tony DeZuniga (a). - Issue 194, "The Road to Zamboula", Roy Thomas (w), Tony DeZuniga (a).
- Issue 195, "Swordless in Zamboula", Roy Thomas (w), Tony DeZuniga (a).
- Issues 207-10, "The Road to Zanadu", Roy Thomas/Dann Thomas (w), Del Barras/Reggie Jones/ Kirk Etienne (a).
- Issue 224, "Dragons of a World's Dawn", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i).
- Issue 226, "Of Kings and Cataclysms", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i); "Days of the World Ending", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i); "Back from the Time Abyss", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i).
- Issue 229, "A Lady for the Burning", Roy Thomas (w), Howard SimpsonHoward SimpsonHoward Woodworth Simpson was an automotive engineer whose designs were extensively used in automatic transmissions.-Biography:...
(p), Rober Quijano (i). - Issue 230, "Shall Python Fall?", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i).
- Issue 231, "A Remembrance of Fires Past", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i).
- Issue 232, "Reflections of Eveil", Roy Thomas (w), E.R. Cruz (i).
- Issue 233, "Here Be Monsters", Roy Thomas (w), Geof Isherwood (i).
- Issue 230-3, "The Ring of Ikribu" Roy Thomas (w), Esteban Maroto (a).
- Marvel Graphic Novels (1992).
- "Conan - The Ravagers Out of Time", Roy Thomas (w), Alfredo Alcala (i).
- Kull and the Barbarians (Marvel Comics) (1975).
- Issue 2, "She-devil with a Sword" Roy Thomas (w), Howard Chaykin (a).
- Issue 3, "The Day of the Sword" Roy Thomas/Doug Moench (w), Howard Chaykin (a). (Origin story, first appearance of the Red Goddess. Also featured in the cover painted by Michael WhelanMichael WhelanMichael Whelan is an American artist of imaginative realism. For more than 30 years he worked as an illustrator specializing in science fiction and fantasy cover art...
)
- A Marvel Super Special (Marvel Comics) (1978).
- Issue 9, "Day of the Red Judgement", Roy Thomas/ Christy Marx (w), Howard Chaykin (a). (Second appearance of the Red Goddess from origin story. Also featured in the cover painted by John Buscema)
- ConanConan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
the King (Marvel Comics) (1985).
- Issue 28, "Call of the Wild."
- Conan the Savage (Marvel Comics) (1996).
- Issue 9, "City Under Siege", Chuck Dixon (w).
And with
- Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
in "Marvel Team-Up" # 79 (Marvel Comics) (The spirit of Sonja possesses the body of Mary Jane WatsonMary Jane WatsonMary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
to face her old enemy Kulan GathKulan GathKulan Gath is a fictional character, a villainous magician who was created at Marvel Comics as a foe of Conan the Barbarian and who was later fully integrated into the Marvel Universe and in 2006 was used in Dynamite Entertainment's revamped Red Sonja series....
). Kulan Gath and VenomVenom (comics)Eddie Brock is a fictional character created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane. A comic book supervillain, Brock's earliest appearance is a cameo in Web of Spider-Man #18 before making his first full appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #299 as Venom...
are the principal antagonists. The two meet again in the Spider-Man/Red Sonja mini-series co-published with Dynamite Entertainment.
- WolverineWolverine (comics)Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
in "What if?" Vol. 2, #16 (Marvel Comics) (Sonja is defeated by Wolverine and becomes his mate). - Claw the UnconqueredClaw the UnconqueredClaw is a fictional character, a sword and sorcery hero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Claw the Unconquered #1 , and was created by David Michelinie and Ernie Chan.Similar in many ways to Robert E...
in "Red Sonja/Claw" 1-4 (DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
/Dynamite Entertainment) (2006). - Official Handbook of the Conan Universe, #1 (Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
) (1986).
Marvel Feature #4 was reprinted in the book The Superhero Women edited by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
. Red Sonja was featured arching among many of Marvel Comics's female characters on the cover painted by John Romita, Sr.
John Romita, Sr.
John V. Romita, Sr. is an Italian-American comic-book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man...
.
Novels
Sonja has been featured in several novels by David C. SmithDavid C. Smith (author)
David C. Smith, born August 10, 1952, is an American author of fantasy, horror, and suspense fiction, a medical editor, and an essayist. He is best known for his heroic fantasy novels, including his collaborations with Richard L. Tierney featuring characters created by Robert E...
and Richard L. Tierney
Richard L. Tierney
Richard L. Tierney is an American writer, poet and scholar of H. P. Lovecraft. He is the coauthor of a series of Red Sonja novels, featuring cover art by Boris Vallejo. Some of his standalone novels utilize the mythology of Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.-Youth:Tierney was born in Spencer, Iowa...
with covers by Boris Vallejo
Boris Vallejo
Boris Vallejo is a Peruvian-born American painter. He immigrated to the United States in 1964, and he currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He frequently works with Julie Bell, his wife, painter, and model....
:
- #1 The Ring of Ikribu (Ace 1981) (Adapted to comics by Roy ThomasRoy ThomasRoy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and Esteban MarotoEsteban Maroto- Career :Born in Madrid, he began his career in the 1960s with series like Cinco por infinito, published in English by Continuity Comics as "Zero Patrol" ....
in The Savage Sword of Conan issues 230-3) - #2 Demon Night (Ace 1982)
- #3 When Hell Laughs (Ace 1982)
- #4 Endithor's Daughter (Ace 1982)
- #5 Against the Prince of Hell (Ace 1983)
- #6 Star of Doom (Ace 1983)
Film
The character was played by Brigitte NielsenBrigitte Nielsen
Brigitte Nielsen is a Danish model, actress, musician and reality television personality who began her career modelling for Greg Gorman and Helmut Newton and several years later made appearances in the 1985 films Red Sonja and Rocky IV and is also known for her marriage to Sylvester Stallone...
in the 1985 film Red Sonja
Red Sonja (1985 film)
Red Sonja is a 1985 sword and sorcery/action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in a supporting role and introducing Brigitte Nielsen as the title character...
, which also starred Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
as High Lord Kalidor (originally intended to be Conan). The film was directed by Richard Fleischer
Richard Fleischer
-Early life:Fleischer was born in Brooklyn, the son of Essie and animator/producer Max Fleischer. He started in motion pictures as director of animated shorts produced by his father including entries in the Betty Boop, Popeye and Superman series.His live-action film career began in 1942 at the RKO...
.
Actress Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan
Rose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
was originally intended to portray Sonja in 2010s Red Sonja film, but these plans were squelched by injuries that permanently damaged the mobility and strength of her right arm.
In a February 2011 interview, film producer Avi Lerner stated that Simon West is was hired to direct the film and also mentioned Amber Heard
Amber Heard
Amber Laura Heard is an American actress and model. She played the lead and title character in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Heard's first starring role came in 2007 on the CW television show Hidden Palms...
as the frontrunner to star in the lead role.
Television
Angelica BridgesAngelica Bridges
Angelica Bridges is an American actress, model and singer. She was discovered by the president of Elite Model Management when she was singing at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida....
portrayed the character in the "Red Sonja" episode of the 1997 - 1998 TV series Conan
Conan the Adventurer (TV series)
Conan: The Adventurer is a low-budget American television series produced from 1997 to 1998 and loosely based on the fantasy hero Conan the barbarian. The TV show premiered on September 22, 1997, and ran for 22 episodes. This live-action series starred Ralf Möller as Conan of Cimmeria and Danny...
TV series.
Awards
- 1973 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards: Best Individual Story (Dramatic). The Song of Red Sonja. Written by Roy ThomasRoy ThomasRoy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and pencilled, inked and colored by Barry SmithBarry Windsor-SmithBarry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
. The story first appeared in Conan the BarbarianConan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
issue 24 (March 1972), where two panels were censored by John Romita, Sr.John Romita, Sr.John V. Romita, Sr. is an Italian-American comic-book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man...
The uncensored story was reprinted in Marvel Treasury Edition, Volume 1, No. 15, 1977, where it was recolored by Glynis WeinGlynis WeinGlynis Wein is an artist who has worked as a colorist in the comics industry.For several years, she was married to Len Wein. She returned to her maiden name in 1985.-Bibliography:Comics work includes :...
and the artwork was slightly cropped to fit the page format.
- Red Sonja publisher Dynamite Entertainment was awarded the title of "Best New Publisher" by Diamond Comics Distributors in 2005.
Legal
On June 6, 2006, comic news site NewsaramaNewsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
reported that Red Sonja, LLC (which holds rights to the Roy Thomas version of the character) filed a lawsuit on four counts against Paradox Entertainment
Paradox Entertainment
Paradox Entertainment owns rights to many intellectual properties, the most famous of which is Conan the Barbarian as created by pulp author Robert E. Howard and expanded upon by many other authors over the years. Other properties include Bran Mak Morn, Kull, Solomon Kane, Mutant, Mutant...
(which claims rights to Red Sonya as part of the Howard library, though no renewal record for The Shadow of the Vulture
The Shadow of the Vulture
"The Shadow of the Vulture" is a short story by Robert E. Howard, first published in The Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934. The story introduces the character of Red Sonya of Rogatino, who later became the inspiration for the popular character Red Sonja, archetype of the chainmail-bikini clad...
exists) in US Federal Court in April 2006. The four counts are claims of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and unfair competition. The lawsuit was settled in January 2008, on the second day of the hearing, for a sum of $1 each. Red Sonja LLC paid $1 to Paradox for the rights to Howard's Red Sonya and permission for the Red Sonja stories to continue being set in Conan's Hyborian Age
Hyborian Age
The Hyborian Age is a fictional period within the artificial mythology created by Robert E. Howard, in which the sword and sorcery tales of Conan the Barbarian are set....
. Paradox simultaneously paid $1 to Red Sonja LLC for the exclusive print-publication rights for The Shadow of the Vulture
The Shadow of the Vulture
"The Shadow of the Vulture" is a short story by Robert E. Howard, first published in The Magic Carpet Magazine, January 1934. The story introduces the character of Red Sonya of Rogatino, who later became the inspiration for the popular character Red Sonja, archetype of the chainmail-bikini clad...
now that one of the characters belongs to Red Sonja LLC.