Ring of the Warlords

Warren Publishing is best remembered for comic magazines such as Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella (all of which are now being reprinted in beautiful hardcover editions by Dark Horse Comics and Dynamite Entertainment).

But in 1979 they introduced a quarterly title called Warren Presents, which appears to have had no rhyme or reason behind it. (In fact, many of the issues are simply known by their titles, which were, to say the least, eclectic, although they were mostly science fiction- and fantasy-themed.) The very first issue is called Ring of the Warlords, and to the casual observer it is not really clear just what the magazine is supposed to be.

I ran across this rare gem quite by accident while browsing eBay. I was intrigued by the cover but had no idea what it was. I searched the Internet but came across almost nothing. Despite this, I became a little obsessed with the magazine, though I was put off by the price a high-grade copy commanded.

I had almost decided to abandon the hope of ever getting one when I happened on an auction offering a VF copy with an opening bid of $7.50 (with free shipping). Never expecting to win, I threw my hat in, and, astonishingly, six days later the thing was mine.

It arrived quickly and in the condition advertised. I marveled at it for several minutes before trying to figure out exactly what it was. As I had anticipated, it's a black-and-white sword & sorcery anthology, much in the vein of Warren's horror anthologies. I read it quickly and was extremely impressed. Why there was never another issue is beyond me. (It could be related to the fact that sword & sorcery comics, with a few exceptions, have never sold particularly well.)

It's a rare treat to have found something that appeals so perfectly to my sensibilities. I dreaded getting to the end because, unlike readers who bought the thing when it came out, I knew there wouldn't be any more.

Now, to the stories.

There are six tales and not a stinker in the bunch. Two are illustrated by the legendary Wally Wood, while the others are drawn by Gonzalo Mayo and Esteban Maroto, two of Warren's most remarkable talents.

The first tale (written and drawn by Wood) is "The Curse." It's a traditional sword & sorcery story involving a beautiful, young enchantress who has enlisted a mysterious stranger to help her defeat the witch who, she claims, has cursed them both.

The second story, "The Last Dragon King," written by Roger McKenzie and illustrated by Maroto, is a gorgeously rendered yarn about a war between two reptilian races. Like many of the stories in this collection, it has a satisfying, not corny, twist ending.

"Jackie and the Leprechaun King," the third offering, is the tale of a boy who runs away from his abusive father and winds up in a village of dwarves, where he finds contentment and companionship. The detailed linework really gives the story a fantastical look that is particularly effective. Credits are not included for this piece, but I recognize the art style as that of Mayo.

"Prelude to Armageddon," the other story by Wood, is heavily influenced by Greek myths, featuring such creatures as centaurs and minotaurs engaged in a great war. There's also an army of the undead, which is always good.

The fifth story, "A Secret King," by Maroto, is a lushly illustrated tale of King Arthur, which appears to be heavily influenced by T.H. White's The Once and Future King (and, by extension, the Disney animated feature The Sword in the Stone), although it includes some elements that I had never encountered before, such as Merlin's beautiful female familiar Snivel. This is the longest story and is truly a visual feast for fans of black-and-white fantasy illustration.

"Dax the Damned," the final tale, also by Maroto, concerns a warrior ensnared in a deadly game of chess with an evil wizard. Like the rest of the stories, it's beautifully illustrated and remarkably engaging.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ring of the Warlords and wish there had been more. It's exactly the kind of magazine I'd be salivating for every three months.

The only thing I can't figure out is why it's called Ring of the Warlords, as there is no story with that title. I can only guess is that the "warlords" are the artists and writers, since their work is, at least to my mind, amazing. (You may recall that Ween did something similiar on their album 12 Golden Country Greats, which refers not to the songs, as there are only ten, but to the studio musicians they worked with.)

If this sounds like something you'd like, it's pretty easy to find a nice copy for around $12-15.

Update: I discovered some time after writing this that Ring of the Warlords is a collection of reprints of sword & sorcery stories that appeared in the pages of Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella. Not that reprints are a bad thing, especially since I had never seen any of them before. Warren Presents #13, dubbed Sword & Sorcery Comix, has a similar theme and will be reviewed in a future post.