It goes without saying that Dynamite has quite a penchant for reviving classic and beloved animated brands through its comic publications. Thus, it should come as a surprise that the publisher has announced a new Thundarr the Barbarian comic series from writer Jason Aaron and artist Kewber Baal. Given Aaron’s past work, most notably a stint on Conan the Barbarian, you couldn’t ask for a more perfect creative team.
Though the original Ruby-Spears animated series was short-lived, it has garnered quite a cult following. Created by Steve Gerber, the series boasts quite a number of other comic book legends involved in its production including Jack Kirby and Alex Toth. The series will feature covers drawn by notable artists including Rob Liefeld, Dan Panosian, Francesco Mattina, Michael Cho, Joseph Michael Linsner, Björn Barends, and more.
Cover by Michael Cho
Cover by Francesco Mattina
Cover by Björn Barends
Cover by Rob LiefeldCheck out official press release details as well as preview art below:
In the coming year Dynamite Entertainment, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products and comics superstar Jason Aaron present the sword and sorcery comics event of a lifetime, as the legendary Thundarr the Barbarian slashes into comic books!
Thundarr the Barbarian ran for two thrilling seasons in the early 1980s, bursting wide the creative minds of a whole generation who watched it. The novel premise takes fantasy staples of barbarians, wizards, and monstrous beings and sets them in a post-apocalyptic vision of our world nearly 2,000 years in the future.
Writer Jason Aaron is coming up on a quarter century in comics, with forays on nearly every top character or franchise, wide-ranging genres, and hit independent creations. All-told his works have garnered countless awards nominations and wins, and proved definitive in many cases. He’s no stranger to swords and sandals, leading the charge in the revival of another barbarian comics icon in years past. Now he’s ready to bring the world of Thundarr to the page and the hands of readers.
Aaron is joined in this effort by artist Kewber Baal, teed up for his biggest breakout yet. The Vampirella, James Bond, and Jennifer Blood illustrator is ready to sling ink in bringing Aaron’s scripts to the page, alongside Thundarr’s signature Sunsword with his trademark portrayals of action.
“This strange new world arisen from the old, a world of savagery, super-science and sorcery, as created by so many comic book legends, imprinted on me in a profound way at an early age,” said writer Jason Aaron. “Thundarr the Barbarian isn’t simply my all-time favorite Saturday morning cartoon. It’s a fundamental component of my DNA as a writer. To say I’m thrilled to be crafting Thundarr’s first ever comic book adventure would be a gross understatement. In a career full of dream jobs, this one will most assuredly go down as one of the dreamiest. And as a lifelong fan of this character and his richly-imagined world, I’m intent on creating a story that honors the cartoon we all know and love, while propelling Thundarr into his most epic adventure yet.”
The series features Thundarr and his trusty companions Princess Ariel and Ookla the Mok fighting to save the world’s last surviving humans from enslavement by mutants and wizards. But when Thundarr’s greatest foes, like Gemini and Mindok the Mind Menace, team-up to devise the ultimate revenge, the heroes must battle to save the future itself, an adventure that takes us all the way back to that fateful day in 1994 when a runaway planet came hurtling between the Earth and the Moon, unleashing cosmic destruction. And for the first time ever, we’ll also learn the origin of Thundarr, including his first meetings with Ariel, Ookla, and the first time he ever wielded his mighty and mysterious Sunsword.
To add to this monumental comics event, editor Joe Rybandt has called in top names for stunning series covers. Initial names include Rob Liefeld, Dan Panosian, Francesco Mattina, Michael Cho, Joseph Michael Linsner, Björn Barends, and more.
Shockingly in an era where it was common, Thundarr never once featured in its own comic book stories — a fact that stands out even more with its deep pedigree connections to the medium. The King of Comics himself Jack Kirby worked on the production design for the show, establishing its memorable look. He was complemented by Hanna-Barbera/Ruby-Spears icon and “artist’s favorite artist” Alex Toth, who designed key characters. The principal original creator of the show was the enigmatic writer Steve Gerber, known for his satirical and boundary-breaking work in comics like Howard the Duck, Man-Thing, Omega the Unknown, and more. Other comics mainstays like Martin Pasko, Mark Evanier, and Roy Thomas also played key roles in Thundarr’s original tales. And now these connections come full circle, courtesy of one of the biggest names in comics today!
English (US) · 