Barry Windsor-Smith, the legendary comics writer-artist renowned for a career of sustained excellence in comics and fine art imagery that has spanned more than a quarter-century, is bringing three new creator-owned comic-book properties to Dark Horse Comics. "The Freebooters," "Young Gods," and "The Paradoxman" will debut in the pages of Storyteller, an omnibus of stories each of which comes from the mind of Windsor-Smith, and which begins its monthly run at Dark Horse in summer 1996. All three series will be written and drawn by Windsor-Smith, and will be produced by Windsor-Smith Studio.

"The Freebooters" is set in a milieu sure to please Smith's legions of Conan fans. It tells the tale of the youthful Aran Ana-Kashan, who seeks out the reputed greatest warrior of all time, Axus the Terrible. Axus has retired to his sprawling home city of Shahariza, where he makes an inglorious living as a robber. Young Aran's purpose is to find Axus, who represents the only hope to save the world. Indeed, saving the world may be the only way for Axus to redeem himself and restore his former glory.

"Young Gods" is the story of a god named Heros and a goddess named Adastra, whose arranged marriage was to peacefully unite their two respective pantheons of gods. On the eve of the wedding, Heros and his brother Bron are whisked away by their cousin Strangehands for a celestial "bachelor party." Unfortunately, this romp lasted for millennia and left an enraged Adastra alone at the altar. By the time Heros returns for the nuptials, the two pantheons have gone to war, demonstrating that heaven hath no fury like a goddess scorned.

"The Paradoxman" tells the tale of Tristan Caine, a time-traveler whose love of a time-lost woman keeps him searching the length and breadth of history, with the help of the Time Bike, a child's toy he discovered in the 23rd century.

Each issue of Storyteller will feature new monthly installments of "The Freebooters," "Young Gods," and "The Paradoxman." Each series will take turns in rotation on the cover, and the book will also feature production sketches and rare art from Windsor-Smith's personal archives.