Clark Ashton Smith

Clark Ashton was a fantasy, horror, and science-fiction author. Along with his correspondents H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard (among others), he developed the basis of what would become known as the Cthulhu Mythos. Clark Ashton Smith is particularly known for the Hyperborean cycle, the Zothique cycle, and Averoigne.

Legacy in Marvel Comics[]

The contribution of Clark Ashton Smith to Marvel Comics is virtually exclusive to Conan titles.

A few stories were adapted into Conan stories, all by Roy Thomas:

• "The Weird of Avoosl Wuthoqquan" was adapted in Conan the Adventurer #8 (January, 1995), "The Inquisitors of Ong" in Conan the Adventurer #11 (April, 1995) was "suggested by a tale by Clark Ashton Smith", seemingly "The Abominations of Yondo", which was adapted in Conan the Adventurer #12 (May, 1995). The whole volume storyline revolved around Tolometh, the ancient god of Poseidonis.
• "Necromancy in Naat", a Zothique tale, was adapted as "The Necromancers of Na'at" in Conan the Savage #10 (May, 1996). The story featured Conan as lead (in place of Yadar, referenced in the adaptation, as a word of power), and served as a sequel to Conan of the Isles, a novel by L. Sprague DeCamp and Lin Carter, whose first part was adapted in (Conan the Barbarian Annual #7, 1982), before the whole adaptation was published in Marvel Graphic Novel #42: Conan of the Isles (1988).

Additionally, a few references to creations of Clark Ashton Smith were glimpsed into some books:

• Tsathoggua and the Book of Eibon are well-known Cthulhu Mythos subjects, that are mentioned in various titles related to magic or horror (notably because they have been used by other authors of the Cthulhu Mythos or of Conan stories, themselves adapted in Marvel Comics, such as Conan the Liberator by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, or "The Shambler from the Stars" by Robert Bloch).
• In "Swordless in Zamboula" (Savage Sword of Conan #195; March, 1992), by Roy Thomas, the incantations from the Scroll of Chthon are composed of names created by Clark Ashton Smith. Similarly, in "Barbarians of the Border" (Savage Sword of Conan #200; August, 1992), the incantation chanted by Dharmi Shan is made of Cthulhu Mythos references, including many to Smith, Lovecraft, and Howard.
• The Ape Lords, evil deities created by Robert E. Howard, adapted as talking ape-men in Conan: The Ravagers Out of Time #1 (June, 1992), were named Thasaidon and Xeethra, after two creations of Clark Ashton Smith's Zothique stories.
• The poem "Tolometh" inspired the main-quest of the series Conan the Adventurer, and Tolometh himself appeared in Conan the Adventurer #13 (June, 1995), the final issue.
• Zvilpogghua was one of the antagonists in the story arc"Frightful", in Ultimate Fantastic Four #30 to 32 (July to October, 2006).

Appearances in the Marvel Universe[]

• In "Tales of the Zombie!: Damballah's Deeds" (Bizarre Adventures #33; December, 1982), Myrna Lukaikas possessed a book by or about "Clarkashton" (obviously a reference to Clark Ashton Smith, and possibly to Klarkash-Ton).

• 39 subjects created by "Clark Ashton Smith"
• 1 work that "Clark Ashton Smith" wrote
• 4 works adapted from the stories that "Clark Ashton Smith" wrote

• Klarkash-Ton was created in The Whisperer in Darkness (Weird Tales; August, 1931) by H.P. Lovecraft, as a tip of the hat to Smith, the creator of concepts such as Tsathoggua or the Commoriom myth-cycle, mentioned in the story.
  • In the last section of the final chapter of the Conan Comics Chronology (Conan Saga #95; February, 1995), Roy Thomas mentioned that the revelations of Klarkash-Ton were supposed to be unveiled in the following issues of Savage Sword of Conan, though the character hasn't appeared so far, nor has he been mentioned since. The series was cancelled after Savage Sword of Conan #235 (July, 1995). It was possibly meant only as a pun to mention the loose adaptations of Smith's stories published in Conan the Adventurer #8 (January, 1995), Conan the Adventurer #11 (April, 1995), Conan the Adventurer #12 (May, 1995), and Conan the Savage #10 (May, 1996).