FAFHRD & THE GRAY MOUSER

Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser is one of my favorite sword and sorcery series. The two, distinctly different characters have their own personalities and motivations, but they are steadfast partners and fight their way through thick and thin, all with Leiber's skilled writing.

This first issue adapts the story, "The Price of Pain Ease", collected in the Ace paperback SWORDS AGAINST DEATH. The opening sets up the characters and allows the readers to get a sense of who these two adventurers are:

"The big barbarian Fafhrd, outcast of the World of Nehwon's Cold Waste and forever a foreigner in the land and city of Lankhmar, Nehwon's most notable area, and the small but deadly swordsman the Gray Mouser, a state-less person even in careless, unbureaucratic Nehwon, and man without a country (that he knew of), were fast friends and comrades from the moment they met in Lankhmar City near the intersection of Gold and Cash Streets. But they never shared a home."

Denny O'Neil's comic adaptation is a fun, rollicking read and Howard Chaykin's nice art is further embellished by the team known as "The Crusty Bunkers", who, over the years had over sixty names among its members, including Jack Abel, Frank Brunner, Rich Buckler, Russ Heath, Jeff Jones, Esteban Maroto, Bernie Wrightson and others.

SWORD OF SORCERY

Vol. 1 No. 1

February-March 1973

National Periodicals, Inc. (DC Comics)

Editor: Denny O'Neil

Cover: Michael Wm. Kaluta

Pages: 36

Cover price: 20 cents

LEIBER'S BAZAAR OF THE BIZARRE

After breezing through the newest Creedence Clearwater Revival bio (highly recommended!), "A Song For Everyone", I am shifting gears and reading The Spell of Seven, a sword and sorcery anthology edited by L. Sprague de Camp. The lead story is "Bazaar of the Bizarre", a tale by Fritz Leiber of his dashing (and often humorous) duo, Fafhrd and The Grey Mouser. Superbly written and as close as you can get to "literary" sword and sorcery (with the exception of the florid prose of Clark Ashton Smith), it first appeared in the August, 1963 issue of FANTASTIC STORIES OF IMAGINATION. Here, too, it was the lead story, as well as garnering the cover with accurately depicted art by Vernon Kramer (see above).

If ever there was a rousing call to arms regarding the subject of Sword & Sorcery, it is Mr. de Camp's  introduction to the book (included here along with his introduction to the story). Enthusiastic and exciting, it should alleviate anyone's doubts about the legitimacy of the genre.

Cover art by Gail Burwen (2nd Edition).

Illustration by Schelling.

BONUS! Two short tales by author of the paranormal, Brad Steiger, including the conclusion of "Bazaar of the Bizarre".

The Spell of Seven (1st edition).