Thanks so much to Jim Keegan and especially Marcelo Anciano for believing in my work and suggesting oil paint rather than black and white. Many thanks to Irene Gallo for her support and wickedly exacting vision! And thanks to Greg and Miko at Gamma One, New York, for such great transparencies of the paintings.

Gregory Manchess

I would like to thank Rusty, Dave, Stuart, and Marcelo for making it happen once again; you are the greatest guys to work with. Without Glenn, these Conan books would never have been what they are; I can never repay you for your help and patience with my never-ending and sometimes weird requests. A thought for Peluche, who was always there to prevent me from working, I miss you. And last, but definitely not least, all my love to Sheila, who accepted the presence of the Cimmerian for so long.

Patrice Louinet

Many thanks to Marcelo, Patrice, Stuart, David, Jim, and Ed – it is an honor and a pleasure to work with such a doughty band of literary warriors. To Glenn Lord, friend and mentor, and Robert E. Howard’s mightiest champion. To Greg, Gary, and Mark, for their outstanding depictions of the Cimmerian and his world. To Bill Cavalier, staunchest of Howard purists and most steadfast of friends, even if he is wrong about The Black Stranger. To the members of the Robert E. Howard United Press Association, who have inspired me, encouraged me, ticked me off, and pushed me to greater effort for nearly a quarter century. And, with much love, to Shelly, my soul and my heart’s inspiration.

Rusty Burke

Thanks to Marcelo, Patrice, and Rusty for being so good at what they do and making my job a lot easier, and to Greg for his breathtaking paintings, all of which are fantastic. Thanks also to Mandy, who keeps the home fires burning when I’m doing these; Emma, who gets a kick out of seeing her name in print; Fishburn Hedges Design for the extracurricular use of their studio; and, finally, to Simon Thorpe, magician with pen, pencil, brush, and Wacom tablet – an inspiration and a great friend – even though I find your almost total recall somewhat unnerving!

Stuart Williams

I would like to thank Jack and Barbara Baum and Steve Saffel for their belief in a united Robert E. Howard library. Thanks also to Jim and Ruth Keegan, Stuart, Ed Waterman, and Rusty for their support and special thanks to Nancy Delia for her sterling work on the book. And to Graziana, just because…

Marcelo Anciano