1998, pencil, 21x29.7cm

Always the ultimate fantasy hero, from books to comics to movies, As a youngster, Conan's character was enthralling. Some would say his crudeness is nothing to be admired, but he saw that simplicity in life can be better than over-refinement. And Conan's life saga is as simple as it could be, though he managed to have great adventures along the way and lived life to its fullest - something to which most people greatly aspire but fall short in achieving.
This interpretation of Conan is my own, though there was definitely some influence from the man who I thought was the greatest Conan artist in comics, Claudio Castellini. John Buscema I felt was the first who truthfully epitomised Conan as Robert E Howard had envisioned him, but Castellini took Buscema's lines and hallmarks to create an even greater, more dynamic warrior. However, "my" Conan bears little resemblance to Castellini's, and looking on it now, it is overly muscular and disproportionate. There's one thing, though, which is truly Conan, and it is that sullen stare.