{"id":35624,"date":"2026-05-29T18:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T18:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=35624"},"modified":"2026-05-29T18:00:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T18:00:44","slug":"the-michael-moorcock-library-elric-the-eternal-champion-collection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2026\/05\/29\/the-michael-moorcock-library-elric-the-eternal-champion-collection\/","title":{"rendered":"The Michael Moorcock Library – Elric: the Eternal Champion Collection"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" \"\"
\nAdapted by James Cawthorn <\/strong>and Philippe <\/strong>Druillet<\/strong>, & various (Titan Comics)
\nISBN: 978-1-78586-955-6 (HB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Michael Moorcock began his career at age 15; writing and editing classic British comic strips like Dogfight Dixon<\/em>, Jet Ace Logan<\/em>, Captain Condor<\/em>, Olac the Gladiator<\/em>, Tarzan<\/strong> and many, many other weekly favourites. As the swinging Sixties dawned he made the transition to prose fiction where he single-handedly revitalised a genre via the creation of Elric<\/strong> and the high-concept notion of an Eternal Champion<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Debuting in 1961, Elric<\/em> is a landmark of fantasy and particularly its Sword & Sorcery subdivision: the foretold, fore-doomed last ruler of pre-human civilisation Melnibon\u00e9<\/em>, a race of cruel, nigh-demonic sorcerers. These arrogant, dissolute creatures are at the end of a slow, decadent decline after millennia of dominance over Earth. Albino Elric is physically weak, buoyed up by drugs, blood and dark magic, and of a brooding, philosophical temperament. He cares for little save his beautiful cousin Cymoril<\/em>, who will die one day whilst he battles her loathsome usurping brother Prince Yyrkoon<\/em> in service to a manipulative god of Chaos.<\/p>\n

In this collection that day is right now as primary and premiere Elric artist Jim Cawthorne limns that final clash in a hugely personal adaptation from 1976, first and privately published by British concern Savoy Books in an edition that never really reached its natural audience…<\/p>\n

\u201cWhite Wolf\u201d Elric doesn\u2019t even want to rule, but it is his duty, and he is the only one of his debased race to see the (comparatively) freshly evolved race of Man as a threat to the Empire. He is owned if not actually possessed by terrible black sword Stormbringer<\/strong>: one of a matched pair of sorcerous weapons that steal the souls of their victims and feed that stolen life and vitality to the wielder…<\/p>\n

Elric is a tragic incarnation of the restless Eternal Champion, reincarnated in every time, place and alternate dimension. His life is violence, blood and unending tragedy, exacerbated by dependence on that soul-drinking ebony blade and his sworn – if somewhat compelled and thus reluctant – allegiance to the chimerical Lords of Chaos<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Everybody knows all that, right?<\/p>\n

The 13th<\/sup> volume in a proposed complete Michael Moorcock Library<\/strong> of comics adaptations (as well as reissue of the prose works), these yarns – chronologically at least – are the very first pictorial narratives of the doomed king; given an archival polish and pictorial upgrade by way of a brace of Introductions<\/em> from Moorcock himself and Philippe Druillet. They are bolstered by a substantial contextual essay at the end. First, though, is time for a little history…
\n\"\"
\nA migrated Tynesider lodged surreptitiously and contentedly in Ladbroke Grove at a time of great turmoil in the UK, James Cawthorn was an old friend, comics co-worker and always Moorcock\u2019s preferred illustrator of the Last Emperor. Driven, solitary, universally respected and wedded to his craft, he wrote strips for Lion<\/strong>, Tiger<\/strong> and the UK weekly comics mill, painted murals and probably book covers; made backdrops for theatre productions; private art commissions; decorated apparel and\/or instruments for musicians and bands like Hawkwind<\/strong> and Mot\u00f6rhead<\/strong> while toiling laboriously (and far too slowly and meticulously to be commercial) on beloved passion pieces like Stormbringer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Cawthorne\u2019s unique and potent adaptation of Moorcock\u2019s epic book (a reworking of novellas Dead God\u2019s Homecoming<\/strong>, Black Sword\u2019s Brother<\/strong>, Sad Giant\u2019s Shield<\/strong> and Doomed Lord\u2019s Passing<\/strong>) was his masterpiece: released by admirers at Savoy because its owners Dave Britton & Michael Butterworth were prepared to pay in advance and wait for him to finish according to his own excoriatingly exaction standards. It was worth the wait when that epically huge cardstock album (600 x 430mm – 24 inches by 17!) finally blew away those lucky enough to get a copy. This reproduction gives readers everything they could want, but sadly cannot impart the wonderous sheer bloody size of it in your hands…<\/p>\n

It was mostly missed here but hugely popular in German…<\/p>\n

The complex convoluted story of that book\u2019s creation holds even more revelations but are Moorcock\u2019s to share, so let\u2019s turn briefly to the tale itself.
\n\"\"
\nMichael Moorcock\u2019s irresistible blend of brooding Faustian tragedy and all-consuming action is (arguably) best enjoyed in his stories of Elric<\/strong>, <\/strong>but that restless imagination crafted many incarnations of his Eternal Champion able to stand on their own bloody merits and constantly shaped and reinterpreted by a vast and varied array of unique artistic visions. Elric is one doom-drenched, tragedy-attracting incarnation of the Eternal Champion, an aspect of a heroic force reincarnated in every time, place and alternate dimension. His specific life is bound to blood and self-torment, exacerbated by his dependence on a soul-drinking black sword and his sworn allegiance to callous and chimerical Lords of Chaos.
\n\"\"
\nHere that angst-filled destiny come crashing around the hero\u2019s head as brief moments of domestic contentment are washed away in blood when the eternal war between the Lords of Chaos and Order<\/em> leads to the abduction of his human wife Zarozinia<\/em> and Elric taking up the black blade for the final times. He reunites with old companion Moonglum<\/em> and hunts down Jagreen Lern<\/em>, Theocrat of Pan Tang as he attempts to conquer the world for his allies, the Dukes of Hell. The battles are long, savage, brutal and fantastical and result in the end of all that exists. However, it\u2019s never been about when or where one dies but how and why…<\/p>\n

Admit it, you should read more books, right?<\/p>\n

Counterpointing that epic comics narrative is a contemporaneous appreciation from across the channel, where Europe also caught the cosmic zeitgeist of the era..<\/p>\n

In the 1960s Elric\u2019s oeuvre was translated by Moorcock & author Maxim Jakubowski introducing an up and coming illustrator to the world of Heroic Fantasy. Comics and fantasy storytelling took a huge leap forward in 1975 when Gallic comics collective Les Humanoides Associes<\/em> began publishing groundbreaking magazine M\u00e9tal Hurlant<\/strong><\/em>. However, one of their future visual mainstays had begun breaking borders and boundaries almost a decade earlier.<\/p>\n

Photographer\/artist Philippe Druillet started his comics career in 1966 with apocalyptic science fiction epic Le Myst\u00e8re des ab\u00eemes<\/em> (The Mystery of the Abyss<\/strong>) which introduced doom-tainted intergalactic freebooter and nomadic wanderer Lone Sloane<\/em> in a tale of a far distant tomorrow thematically influenced in equal measure by H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and A.E. Van Vogt. We will get to his other works in the courses of times…<\/p>\n

Born in Toulouse in 1944, Druillet was raised in Spain, and his comics work was grandiose, panoramic, deeply baroque and overwhelmingly cosmic in scope. He also pretty much rejected standard formats and panels layouts in favour of boldly shocking graphics. Druillet began working for Pilote<\/strong><\/em> in 1969 and revived his star-rover in numerous shorter pieces, initially published together in 1972 as The Six Voyages<\/strong>. This collection, however, focuses on his brief but inspirational dealings with Moorcock\u2019s primary ill-fated cosmic traveller…
\n\"\"
\nAfter preliminary tentative spreads in Moi Aussi<\/em><\/strong>, in 1969, a 21-plate portfolio entitled La Saga d\u2019Elric le Necromancien<\/em><\/strong> was published. In 1973 Moorcock\u2019s reworking of Michel Demuth\u2019s text for the portfolio became Elric: The Return to Melnibon\u00e9<\/strong> as published by Unicorn Bookshop in 1973. Its influence was far-reaching: just ask American creators like Keith Giffen, who repatterned his entire drawing style on what he saw…<\/p>\n

Reproduced in its original monochrome, the brief interlude spectacularly and mind-alteringly details how the former Emperor reclaims his throne and position from apparently-ascendant rival Prince Yyrkoon<\/em> and reacquaints himself with his bride-to-be Cymoril<\/em>. Elric has no conception that the Lords of Chaos are closely watching and laying their plans for his future…
\n\"\"
\nClosing the arcana and antiquities is \u2018Elric and the Artists\u2019<\/em> an incisively informative briefing by John Davey, detailing earlier efforts to visualise the Last Emperor, concentrating on his prose debuts, before going on to summarise and scrutinise the long history of graphic novel and comics interpretations.
\n\"\"
\nMoorcock and his visual collaborators changed the comics world forever, This is how that all started…<\/p>\n

Adapted from the works of Michael Moorcock related to the character of ELRIC \u00a9 2021, Michael & Linda Moorcock. All characters, the distinctive likenesses thereof, and all related indicia are TM & \u00a9 Michael Moorcock and Multiverse Inc.
\nElric the Return to Melnibon\u00e9<\/em> was first published by Unicorn Bookshop, 1973. Stormbringer <\/em>was first published by Savoy Books in 1976.<\/p>\n

EC horror and romance maestro Jack Kamen<\/strong> was born today in 1920, and shares the date with eco-activist cartoonist Larry Marder<\/strong> (Tales of the Beanworld<\/strong>) from 1951; editor and scripter Jim Salicrup<\/strong> in 1957; British comics veteran\/educator Nigel Kitching<\/strong> (Sonic the Comic<\/strong>) in 1959 and The Boondocks<\/strong> creator Aaron McGruder<\/strong> in 1974.<\/p>\n

Today in 1960 an era ended with the final page published of Warren Tufts<\/strong>\u2019 Lance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adapted by James Cawthorn and Philippe Druillet, & various (Titan Comics) ISBN: 978-1-78586-955-6 (HB\/Digital edition) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. Michael Moorcock began his career at age 15; writing and editing classic British comic strips like Dogfight Dixon, Jet Ace Logan, Captain Condor, Olac the Gladiator, Tarzan and many, many … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “The Michael Moorcock Library – Elric: the Eternal Champion Collection”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[80,191,81,42,63,102,66,105,194,107,256],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adaptations","category-adventure","category-art-books","category-best-of-british","category-european-classics","category-fantasy","category-horror-stories","category-mature-reading","category-moorcock-adaptations","category-science-fiction","category-sword-sorcery"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-9gA","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35624"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35633,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35624\/revisions\/35633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}