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Collected in Rough Work: Concept Art, Doodles, and Sketchbook Drawings by Frank Frazetta (2007). This drawing appeared on the cover of Russ Cochran's Comic Art Auction #48 (1996) with a starting bid of $7,000. Apparently it didn't sell at that price, because it was listed on HA in 2002 as "from the collection of Russ Cochran," where once again it failed to sell.

The barbarian's ogreish muscles and slim waist are a jumble of scribbles and cross-hatching. His left hand tells a story. I really don't understand how Frazetta could convey such physical presence with so few lines. Sublime.

Source: Sanjulian, Master of Fantasy Art (2022).

The book's title refers to Helen of Troy, but Meriamun is the antagonist and a true S&S precursor. While not as famous as Ayesha in Haggard's She, Meriamun has elements that later appear in Howard's characters like Salome (A Witch Shall Be Born), Akivasha (The Hour of the Dragon), and Tascela (Red Nails). The whole package is already in place: wandering warrior hero → ancient kingdom → beautiful queen → black magic → tombs and necromancy → murderous sexual rivalry → magical impersonation → serpent familiar/demon → offer of a throne → doomed erotic union → fiery supernatural climax. Haggard was one of Howard's favorite writers, but I'm not making the claim that Howard was specifically influence by this title. Rather, that eroticized, exotic "Eastern" sorceresses were in the air and largely imported intact from late 19th century literature into Howard's fiction. The World's Desire is available free online and worth checking out.

Image source: Masters of Spanish Comic Book Art, by David Roach (2017).

A Dominic Flandry novel.

A Dominic Flandry novel.

Gibson’s cited influences are Burroughs, Ballard, and Pynchon, but The Shockwave Rider was a 1975 cyberpunk precursor and a clever art selection for the French translation of Mona Lisa Overdrive.