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Ghita of Alizarr #1-2
Frank Thorne's Complete Ghita of Alizarr
Frank Thorne's masterwork, Ghita of Alizarr is finally being collected in its entirety in a hardcover archival edition sourced using the final versions of Thorne's original artwork. Now, experience the complete Ghita mythos in one book. There have been various versions of these stories but this volume brings together Thorne's definitive take on Ghita of Alizarr.
If you're a fan of the adventures of the mighty warrior Ghita, there is finally a definitive version available, endorsed by the master himself, Frank Thorne.
If you're a fan of the adventures of the mighty warrior Ghita, there is finally a definitive version available, endorsed by the master himself, Frank Thorne.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1998
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About the author
Frank Thorne
134 books7 followersFrank Thorne was an American comic book artist-writer, best known for his fantasy-erotic works.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 18, 2025
She came from the streets of Alizarr to become the king’s favorite in a kingdom that flourished ten thousand years before the birth of Christ. Transformed by a savage act of barbarism, Ghita became the match for any man, and the liberator of Alizarr, sacred city of the goddess Tammuz
Frank Thorne probably thought Red Sonja [the lead character in the series he worked on for Marvel] wore too much armor, or that her language was not provocative enough, so he created his own swashbuckling heroine in a metal bikini. He named her Ghita and she is a provocation indeed to the self-appointed censors of public morality and to the hypocritical portraits in mainstream comics from the big studios, those covers that use barely covered nudity as a major selling point of their main titles.
My own surprise in reading Ghita’s adventures is that I can enjoy the ride for its amazing artwork and for its story, with the prurient content falling very, very low on the rating scale. The nudity and the profanity are certainly there in the book, but they are treated as homage [To Robert E. Howard and to the classic early albums of The Savage Sword of Conan , the Roy Thomas years] and as humor and parody of the sword & sorcery genre.
My complete edition album from Hermes Press includes a foreword about the artist, an interview with Thorne, the original run of Ghita of Alizarr , the sequel The Thousand Wizards of Urd and a final short story The Deathman’s Head plus a map of the antediluvian lands in the style of the Hyborian maps from the Savage Sword of Conan.
Some colored panels are showcased in the introduction, but I very much prefer the black and white version that fits better the detailed and precise pencil work of Frank Thorne.
Read it for the story, I said earlier, but what is the story of Ghita? She was called many names in her itinerant career as an exotic dancer, thief and occasional harlot. At the start of the book, Ghita is the royal concubine of the king of Alizarr, just as the city is attacked by a horde of lizard men. After the king is mortally wounded in battle, his councillors descend into the city catacombs to resurrect the mummy of an ancient hero named Khan-Dagon. Unfortunately, the spell goes wrong and the ancient hero prefers to rape Ghita instead of doing battle with the lizardmen. Ghita saves herself by stabbing the revenant and is in turn possessed by the spirit of the dead hero. She becomes a true She-Devil with a Sword, and Frank Thorne will repeatedly reinforce the phallic analogy of the weapon throughout the subsequent pages.
The sword again becomes the symbol of death and life’s thrusting member.
Ghita teams up with her former partner in sin from her wandering years, a cowardly wizard named Thenef, and with a palace troll named Dahib who worships her as the Goddess of his race. After numerous adventures and armor mishaps, after a lot of drinking the local ‘ginmead’, smoking pot, sleeping around and cussing with gusto, Ghita eventually gathers an army and sets out to liberate Alizarr from the beast men.
For an encore, the irreverent scoundrel trio of Ghita, Thenef and Dahib, who are jointly ruling Alizarr in the second album, are bored with administering the law and set out on a new adventure against an evil wizard in the city of Urd. Unicorns, satyrs, flying succubi, pygmies, a one legged prince, a four breasted concubine, magic, swords and other legendary pursuits make for a memorable journey, while Ghita is still tormented by the ghost spirit of Khan-Dagon and is still misplacing her clothes and her armor on a regular basis.
Frank Thorne is a revelation for me, because Marvel comics are not a priority for me and many of his albums appear in the independent press, in Playboy Magazine [ Moonshine McJugs] and in publishers of erotic fantasy, all of which are not usually on the regular comic book racks. His output is a celebration of the unrestrained use of the female form in sequential tales claims the introduction, and I have no quarrel with the statement, especially in view of the strong portrait of a woman who embraces her feminity and her will to be herself. Ghita is not just a pin-up poster, and she is likely to cut your noggins if challenged.
Read this for a ‘smut’ themed monthly challenge, and mighty glad I am because I got a better story and better artwork that I expected into the bargain.
Frank Thorne probably thought Red Sonja [the lead character in the series he worked on for Marvel] wore too much armor, or that her language was not provocative enough, so he created his own swashbuckling heroine in a metal bikini. He named her Ghita and she is a provocation indeed to the self-appointed censors of public morality and to the hypocritical portraits in mainstream comics from the big studios, those covers that use barely covered nudity as a major selling point of their main titles.
My own surprise in reading Ghita’s adventures is that I can enjoy the ride for its amazing artwork and for its story, with the prurient content falling very, very low on the rating scale. The nudity and the profanity are certainly there in the book, but they are treated as homage [To Robert E. Howard and to the classic early albums of The Savage Sword of Conan , the Roy Thomas years] and as humor and parody of the sword & sorcery genre.
My complete edition album from Hermes Press includes a foreword about the artist, an interview with Thorne, the original run of Ghita of Alizarr , the sequel The Thousand Wizards of Urd and a final short story The Deathman’s Head plus a map of the antediluvian lands in the style of the Hyborian maps from the Savage Sword of Conan.
Some colored panels are showcased in the introduction, but I very much prefer the black and white version that fits better the detailed and precise pencil work of Frank Thorne.
Read it for the story, I said earlier, but what is the story of Ghita? She was called many names in her itinerant career as an exotic dancer, thief and occasional harlot. At the start of the book, Ghita is the royal concubine of the king of Alizarr, just as the city is attacked by a horde of lizard men. After the king is mortally wounded in battle, his councillors descend into the city catacombs to resurrect the mummy of an ancient hero named Khan-Dagon. Unfortunately, the spell goes wrong and the ancient hero prefers to rape Ghita instead of doing battle with the lizardmen. Ghita saves herself by stabbing the revenant and is in turn possessed by the spirit of the dead hero. She becomes a true She-Devil with a Sword, and Frank Thorne will repeatedly reinforce the phallic analogy of the weapon throughout the subsequent pages.
The sword again becomes the symbol of death and life’s thrusting member.
Ghita teams up with her former partner in sin from her wandering years, a cowardly wizard named Thenef, and with a palace troll named Dahib who worships her as the Goddess of his race. After numerous adventures and armor mishaps, after a lot of drinking the local ‘ginmead’, smoking pot, sleeping around and cussing with gusto, Ghita eventually gathers an army and sets out to liberate Alizarr from the beast men.
For an encore, the irreverent scoundrel trio of Ghita, Thenef and Dahib, who are jointly ruling Alizarr in the second album, are bored with administering the law and set out on a new adventure against an evil wizard in the city of Urd. Unicorns, satyrs, flying succubi, pygmies, a one legged prince, a four breasted concubine, magic, swords and other legendary pursuits make for a memorable journey, while Ghita is still tormented by the ghost spirit of Khan-Dagon and is still misplacing her clothes and her armor on a regular basis.
Frank Thorne is a revelation for me, because Marvel comics are not a priority for me and many of his albums appear in the independent press, in Playboy Magazine [ Moonshine McJugs] and in publishers of erotic fantasy, all of which are not usually on the regular comic book racks. His output is a celebration of the unrestrained use of the female form in sequential tales claims the introduction, and I have no quarrel with the statement, especially in view of the strong portrait of a woman who embraces her feminity and her will to be herself. Ghita is not just a pin-up poster, and she is likely to cut your noggins if challenged.
Read this for a ‘smut’ themed monthly challenge, and mighty glad I am because I got a better story and better artwork that I expected into the bargain.
September 19, 2011
Frank Thorne is the king. Ghita, for the initiated, is Thorne's vision for Red Sonja after leaving Marvel. It is pornographic to be sure, but still a solid comic book.
November 18, 2025
Frank Thorne’s name is synonymous with the definitive, unforgettable version of Red Sonja he drew for Marvel Comics, but The Complete Ghita of Alizarr is where his artistic vision truly takes flight. This collection, gathering all the stories of the fierce and beautiful heroine, is Thorne at his most personal, playful, and wonderfully uninhibited.
Ghita of Alizarr is the perfect synthesis of sword-and-sorcery adventure and unashamed, vibrant eroticism. Thorne creates a fully-realized fantasy world that exists purely for the sake of exhilarating escapism. Ghita is a bold, resourceful, and commanding lead, whose exploits are as much about high-stakes intrigue and brutal combat as they are about celebrating the sensual side of the genre.
What makes this collection a must-read is the artwork. Thorne’s signature style—lush, highly detailed, and brimming with energy—is on full display. Every panel is a masterclass in classic fantasy illustration, filled with elaborate costumes, grotesque villains, and stunningly rendered figures. It is evident that Thorne poured his heart and soul into this creator-owned project, giving Ghita a sense of freedom and joyous adventure that few other fantasy comics achieve.
For fans of classic sword-and-sorcery, or anyone who appreciates the legacy of a true comic book legend stepping out on his own, this complete edition is vital. It’s an essential, beautifully drawn piece of comic history that perfectly captures the unique, racy spirit of 70s and 80s fantasy comics.
Ghita of Alizarr is the perfect synthesis of sword-and-sorcery adventure and unashamed, vibrant eroticism. Thorne creates a fully-realized fantasy world that exists purely for the sake of exhilarating escapism. Ghita is a bold, resourceful, and commanding lead, whose exploits are as much about high-stakes intrigue and brutal combat as they are about celebrating the sensual side of the genre.
What makes this collection a must-read is the artwork. Thorne’s signature style—lush, highly detailed, and brimming with energy—is on full display. Every panel is a masterclass in classic fantasy illustration, filled with elaborate costumes, grotesque villains, and stunningly rendered figures. It is evident that Thorne poured his heart and soul into this creator-owned project, giving Ghita a sense of freedom and joyous adventure that few other fantasy comics achieve.
For fans of classic sword-and-sorcery, or anyone who appreciates the legacy of a true comic book legend stepping out on his own, this complete edition is vital. It’s an essential, beautifully drawn piece of comic history that perfectly captures the unique, racy spirit of 70s and 80s fantasy comics.
December 18, 2025
The highly erotic adventures of Ghita was originally found in Warren magazines 1984/1994 series from the 1980’s and this HC collects the entire series in one volume written and drawn by the late Frank Thorne who was first known by me in his stint at Marvel on Red Sonja. Very much X rated here with his own creation.
April 15, 2021
Frank Thorne was a very dirty old man but he sure could draw.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews