Why I Love the 70s

From the cover of Savage Sword of Conan volume 1. An accurate depiction of how slavegirls are depicted throughout the series. Excellent work.

Savage Sword of Conan 3 was a disappointment in terms of damsels in distress. One story at the very end had a nice nude spreadeagle for a damsel who spent a lot of time in the story naked, or nearly so. But it’s pretty skimpy farings compared to the spread of damsels in Volumes 1 and 2. Fortunately, Volume 3 still has plenty of rip-roaring, beautifully illustrated tales that are sure to put hair on your chest, full of intrigue and danger and fighting and demon-infested ruins.

I’m still working on Savage Sword of Conan 4, but it’s already well ahead of Savage Sword of Conan 3 in terms of damsels in distress and hot wenches generally. The stories are still very good, but a couple are based on L. Sprague deCamp’s version of Conan, and Mr. DeCamp … well, he clearly thought Conan as created by Howard was a bit uncouth, a bit raw, a bit uncivilized, and couldn’t resist the impulse to clean Conan’s character up a bit. It’s done subtly enough that it’s not a problem, but I prefer the rogue who’s as sneaky as the people he deals with. The one who won’t kill women, but will order a slave girl to his tent or buy the services of a tavern wench without a thought for her feelings on the matter, assuming simply that she will like whatever he does. And him being Conan, she probably will, whoever she is..

Fortunately, the Conan I like makes several appearances in Volume 4. Along with the hotties (see above). Sadly, the hottie seen above is not in a story but is on one of the bumper pages between the stories. Still, nude elbow bondage. Damn!