The Official Handbook of the Conan Universe is an encyclopedic guide which details the fictional universe featured in Conan publications of Marvel Comics. The one-shot issue was published in comic book format in 1986, followed by reprints in 1993. The main author and researcher was comic book writer Alan Zelenetz.[1]
Origin
Jim Shooter, Marvel's then editor-in-chief, conceived of the idea,[2] envisioning a guide detailing statistics much in the manner of those found on the backs of baseball cards.[3] Shooter appointed Mark Gruenwald editor of the project, and Gruenwald developed the project to include all aspects of the Marvel Universe, although he noted it was not comprehensive.