Elric #1
Elric #1 from Windy City Publications holds a notable place in comics history as the character's first dedicated solo comic publication — a fanzine-era adaptation that arrived just months after Elric's mainstream comics debut in Marvel's Conan the Barbarian #14–15 (1972). Produced entirely outside the established publishing infrastructure, it demonstrated that Michael Moorcock's albino antihero had cultivated a passionate enough following among American comics fans to sustain an independent, reader-organized production. The issue also serves as an early professional stepping stone for scripter Steven Grant and, reputedly, a very early credit for back-cover artist John Byrne — both of whom would later become prominent mainstream comics figures.
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The book was published in Chicago by Windy City Publications under publisher William McMichael, operating in the tradition of early-1970s comics fanzines that blurred the line between fan production and professional ambition. Scripter Steven Grant adapted Moorcock's story 'The Fall of the Dreaming City,' with interior art by John Adkins Richardson; the fanzine appeared in at least two distinct formats — a standard edition of approximately 32 pages and a 'Limited Special Edition' of approximately 40 pages that added a 6-page original story, 'The Gates of Tyranna,' by George Olshevsky Jr. and John Allison. Both editions share the same back cover art attributed to John Byrne, then a pre-professional artist who had left art college in 1973 and had not yet appeared in any mainstream publication.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Published in 1973 by Windy City Publications (Chicago), a small-press/fanzine operation — not a mainstream comics publisher.
- Adapts Michael Moorcock's story 'The Fall of the Dreaming City'; script by Steven Grant, interior art by John Adkins Richardson.
- Back cover art attributed to John Byrne, predating his widely cited mainstream debut (FOOM / Nightmare #20, both 1974).
- Represents Elric's second comic-book appearance overall; his first was in Marvel's Conan the Barbarian #14–15 (March–May 1972), written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith.
- Published as a magazine-sized (approximately 8.5" x 11"), black-and-white interior publication with color covers.
- Exists in at least two distinct variants: a standard edition (~32 pages) and a 'Limited Special Edition' (~40 pages) featuring an additional 6-page story, 'The Gates of Tyranna,' by George Olshevsky Jr. and John Allison.
- Scripter Steven Grant went on to a long mainstream career, most notably co-creating The Punisher's solo series and writing Master of Kung Fu, among many other titles.