The Conan Pose: A Visual Trope That Appears Everywhere

This image by Earl Norem was the cover for a 1979 issue of the comic book The Savage Sword of Conan. Yeoman Lowbrow of the retro blog Flashbak refers to it as "the Conan Pose." Here, it shows Robert E. Howard's most famous character, Conan the Barbarian. It's not a completely original concept. The image of a rugged, muscle-bound man standing proudly, ready for battle and protective of (and desired by) beautiful women is common in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century art. 

This early Star Wars movie poster is a widely-known example. Luke raises his lightsaber to battle evil. The beautiful Leia is also ready to fight, but is not the main hero of the scene.

The Conan Pose is a bit preposterous at times. It's a staple of fantasy art and unrealistic fantasies. So it is ripe for parody. You can view other examples of the Conan Pose, both serious and comedic, at Flashbak.

Content warning: artistic nudity.

-via Ace of Spades HQ


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