A lot of great movie characters got their start from the fun filled pages of comic books. In honor of the release of CONAN THE BARBARIAN on Blu-Ray and DVD, we are going to take a look back at some of those fantastic characters that jumped off of the page and onto the big screen.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN Synopsis:
The most legendary Barbarian of all time is back. Having thrived and evolved for eight consecutive decades in the public imagination – in prose and graphics, on the big screen and small, in games and properties of all kinds- Conan’s exploits in the Hyborian Age now come alive like never before in a colossal action-adventure film.
300
Inspired by the 1962 film THE 300 SPARTANS, 300 started in 1998 as a limited comic book series both written and illustrated by Frank Miller and painted by Lynn Varley. The series is told from Leonidas of Sparta’s perspective, and tells of a past battle, the “Battle if Thermopylae”. It wasn’t until 2007 that 300 hit the big screen.
Kick-Ass
KICK-ASS got its start in 2008 as a series published by Marvel Icon. It’s written by Mark Millar and illustrated by John Romita, Jr. The story takes place in New York, and follows teen Dave Lizewski. When his love for comics inspires him to take to the streets as a real-life superhero, he ends up attracting Hit Girl and Big Daddy, two vigilantes on a mission to take down John Genovese, a gangster about town. The film adaptation was released in 2010 and stars Aaron Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nicholas Cage, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
Sin City
Sin City is a neo-noir comic series by Frank Miller (who also wrote and illustrated 300). The comic made its debut in 1991 in DARK HORSE PRESENTS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL and continued to appear in DARK HORSE PRESENTS until June of 1992. Based in Basin City, and follows a number of individuals living in this city of high crime and debotchery. The film adaptation was released in April of 2005 and was co-directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez.
Conan The Barbarian
Conan first appeared on the scene in 1932, when the character appeared in story form in the pulp magazine WEIRD TALES. CONAN THE BARBARIAN #1 first made its debut in October of 1970. Created by Robert E. Howard and Roy Thomas, the comic was first published my Marvel. It wasn’t until 2003 that it began being published by Dark Horse Comics. The series follows Conan the Barbarian, a sword wielding hero, throughout his adventures. Since its start, the story has been adapted into books, more comics, and several films. In 1982 Arnold Schwarzenegger took on the role of Conan in CONAN THE BARBARIAN. He returned to the role in 1984’s CONAN THE DESTROYER. Conan’s latest adventure to film is the release of CONAN THE BARBARIAN in 2011. It tells the tale of Conan the Cimmerian as he ventures across the continent of Hyboria on a more than determined quest to avenge the death of his father, and the slaughter of his village.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN is now out on Blu-Ray and DVD
