Pictorial Preview of Trips to Robert E. Howard Days: From 2012 to 2015

If you have not already registered for this year's Robert E. Howard Days (for the banquet, picnic, food, drinks, etc.) don't put it off any longer. If you've decided not to go to the banquet, or picnic, all the other events (panels and chatting at the pavilion, seeing the Robert E. Howard House and Museum) are free, but you might want to go ahead and reserve your hotel room if you plan to stay a few days.

This will be my fifth year at REH Days. Every year I've been I've taken a ton of photographs. So, below are a few selected photos that I've taken of the event from 2012 to 2015. Enjoy!

Rusty Burke on the bus tour in 2012









Rusty Burke and Charles Hoffmann (panel) 2012

Al Harron (left) Paul Sammon (middle) & Mark Finn (right) on a panel in 2012

The Hemphill Boarding house where Novalyne Price (Ellis) lived in Cross Plains when she was a teacher at the local public school.

Jeffrey Shanks (left) Charles Hoffmann (center & Guest of Honor) & Mark Finn (right) on a panel in 2012

Paul Sammon in 2012 doing a panel about his work in Hollywood and his book titled Conan: The Phenomenon.

Bill "Indy" Cavalier & Rusty Burke presenting awards at the banquet/auction in 2012.

Fun at the pavilion, 2012

Robert E. Howard Days 2015: A Report by David Piske

One day five years ago my good friend, Todd Vick (the guy responsible for this venerable blog), said to me, "Hey, you wanna take a trip next month to Cross Plains to see the home of Robert E. Howard?" I am usually game for a trip out of town to see new sights (and sites). And I am a life-long geek for sci-fi and fantasy movies and TV shows (especially Star Trek). However, I read mostly nonfiction, so naturally I replied to Todd's question with a quizzical look. "The home of who?" Thus began my interest (and education), first in Conan, then in Robert E. Howard.

The REH Days banner in front
of the REH House & Museum

 This past weekend was the third time I traveled with Todd to Cross Plains, TX for Robert E. Howard Days, and already I think this informal fan (mini-)convention is something special, with potential to become a much bigger deal. This year the informal theme of the gathering, which was fleshed out in two panels, was the relationship between Robert E. Howard and fellow pulp writer, H.P. Lovecraft. The guest of honor was Mark Schultz, an artist with a number of credits related to REH, including comics work with King Kull in Savage Sword of Conan, and illustrations in Conan the Cimmerian (by Wandering Star Books, and later reprinted in the Del Rey books). In addition to participating in a Q&A, Schultz delivered the keynote presentation at the banquet on Friday night, summarizing the history of REH-related illustrations with slides featuring the works of numerous artists including himself, Roy Krenkel, Jeffrey Jones, and (of course) Frank Frazetta.

Panel: Conan Vs. Cathulhu
Mark Finn, Jeffrey Shanks, & Scott Cupp

Like any convention, one of the biggest draws to REH Days is the panels. Or at least it should be, because the panels have improved every year I have attended, mostly due, I think, to sharpening topical focus. For me, the highlight was a panel on Saturday: "A Means of Freedom: The Letters of Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft", which was about the complicated, and sometimes heated written correspondence between these two pulp titans. The panelists, Rusty Burke, Jonas Pridas, and Dierk Guenther spoke about the contours of the conversation the two writers carried on by mail from 1930 to 1936. For months I have been reading these letters, analyzing the rhetoric both men employed in their "controversy" about the relative merits of barbarism and civilization. So, naturally, I hung on every word. The panelists observed that REH developed his ideas about barbarism as he debated with Lovecraft, and that this development can be seen in the Conan stories he wrote during the course of this debate. The panel also observed how the two writers' correspondence differed from what we might expect from a similar argument today.

Panel: A Means To Freedom: Letters of REH & HPL
Rusty Burke, Jonas Pridas & Dierk Guenther

Their disagreement grew more bitter over time, yet they both continued to include details about their lives in their letters. As Guenther quipped, if such a correspondence were held today, for example over social networking, it would likely end with someone being "unfriended"!

In the panel on "REH and Gaming," Patrice Louinet, Jeffrey Shanks, and Mark Finn discussed the ongoing development of two different games. Louinet brings his attention to detail and a purist's zeal to a Conan board game being produced by Monolith Board Games. With his role in the production, he gets the final word on what characters and story details are included in the game and how they will look. Anticipation for this game is tangible. At the start of the game's Kickstarter campaign the goal was $80,000, but supporters soon blew the top off, raising a total of $3.3 million. Role playing fans also have something to look forward to. Shanks (as well as Finn and Louinet) are involved in the development of an RPG by Modiphius Entertainment called, Robert E. Howard's Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of. The game and its expansions will offer players adventures that are truer to Howard's stories than many previous adaptations of Conan. Players who got to sit down for a game test (in the living room of the Howard home) attest to its flexible game play.

The Howard Family Bible
Brad Howard, Amanda Howard-Williford,
Patrice, & Jeff Howard

 In another panel, Louinet interviewed cousins of REH, Brad and Jeff Howard, and Brad's daughter, Amanda Howard-Williford. They seemed amused and bewildered by Louinet's (and Rob Roehm's) detailed knowledge of their family history, and expressed gratitude for the dedication of fans that have kept REH's legacy alive. Panel attendees were rapt as the Howards revealed a few family artifacts. Even Louinet had not seen the items beforehand. He inspected a first edition hardcover of the Breckinridge Elkins novel, A Gent from Bear Creek, and could not contain his glee as a family Bible, published in 1857, was revealed. Louinet personally inspected its hand-written genealogy pages, discovering the names and dates of birth/death of many members of the Howard family, including REH.

Mark Schultz & Rusty Burke

In one panel Rusty Burke interviewed guest of honor, Mark Schultz. And in another, the connections between the stories of REH and HPL were discussed (highlighting especially REH's horror stories, such as "The Black Stone"). On Friday the REH Foundation awarded several people for their achievements in Howard studies. Among the winners were Deke Parsons, Jeff Shanks, Rob Roehm, and Damon Sasser. (See here for a full list of awards and winners.) Also, the yearly post-banquet "panel", Fists at the Ice House, featured a somewhat avant-garde reading-in-the-round of various Howard writings by Shanks, Finn, and Chris Gruber. Each year, behind the taxidermy shop that now stands there, it is easy to picture the gritty scene after hours at the ice house, where rough men, including Howard, exchanged blows and settled scores.  

Fun at the Pavilion

While the panels are an obvious part of the attraction to Howard Days, it is impossible to downplay the satisfaction of interacting with fellow Howard Heads. It was my pleasure to make new acquaintances with folks like Scott (comic-book enthusiast), Russell (fellow connoisseur of Earl Grey tea), Chris (generous sharer of beer), James (fan of classic blues), and Aurelia (de facto poet laureate of this year's Howard Days). Though the absence of REH Days' Scottish contingent was felt, as well.

It was also a treat to talk with Howard experts. Patrice Louinet exuded passion for REH and gratitude to Glen Lord when he spoke of the origin of his own interest in Howard. He also opined on how L. Sprague de Camp did not really rescue Conan from obscurity; given an opportunity, Donald Wollheim would have done much more for Conan's fame. And Louinet called attention to something not all REH fans have come to terms with: that Conan is an asshole. While he is compelling, a thinker, and multi-faceted, Conan's acts included attempted rape and the slaughter of innocents. Frank Coffman offered perspective on contradictions that appear in REH's ideas about barbarism, noting that Conan is a complex of characters, rather than a single, coherent character. He also suggested a source of inspiration to Howard: G.K. Chesterton, especially his "The Ballad of the White Horse." And in talking with Mark Finn at the outdoor barbecue I found affinity in our overlapping taste in beer and appreciation for art.

Cat & Barb Bq
Photo courtesy of Rob Roehm

 Speaking of the barbecue, this year it was held on the museum grounds instead of at the usual spot at Caddo Peak Ranch. I believe the change in location was due to recent rainfall and the presence of poisonous snakes. I barely missed the sunset viewed from the peak, though. My attention was monopolized by the beef brisket smoked on-site by Cat & Barb Bq.

As I would at any convention, I hunted down new additions to my collection. Opportunities to part from my money abounded; between the museum's gift shop, the swap meet, and the silent auction, it's a wonder how I will still pay my bills this month. I was outbid at the auction, yet even on my modest budget I came away with some new volumes for my Howard library. I still await a reissue of The Collected Poetry of Robert E. Howard, but Paul Hermon explained that the release of an expanded second edition is being held up by licensing issues. One of the collectibles I will prize most from this weekend is the one I spent the least on. I will display on my bookcase the postcards that were stamped at the Cross Plains post office with a postal cancellation mark (specially designed for this year's Howard Days by Mark Schultz).

REH Gravesite at Greenleaf
Cemetery 

Aside from the activities of Howard Days, the trip to Cross Plains provided an opportunity for a geeky side adventure. On Sunday Todd and I followed in some of REH's steps, guided by Rob Roehm's well-researched Howard's Haunts. To begin, we visited the Howard family grave site at GreenleafCemetery in Brownwood, TX. Then, we drove to Menard County, TX and explored the various buildings and ruins of the old frontier outpost, Fort McKavett. We also visited the ruins of Presidio de San Sabá, an outpost established by the Spanish in 1757 to protect the nearby mission. Howard never documented a visit to this site, but because it is on the road to McKavett, it is hard to believe he did not stop at least briefly. Visiting these sites and absorbing the Texas countryside along the way feeds my historical imagination and gives me some insight into the way Howard's environment might have shaped him.

The Presidio de San Saba

Mark Finn, Jeff Shanks & Patrice Louinet

Cross Plains was part of REH, and it is also part of REH Days. And that's part of its appeal. Howard fans do not gather in a place like San Diego. Cross Plains, and thus Howard Days, is small and out of the way. It lends a sense that those who attend just "get it", that they are in on something that no one else is. I imagine many well-known conventions started out similarly. Yet sharing one's passion is part of being a fan, too, and I get the sense that even many long-time Howard Heads believe that REH has not gotten the attention befitting one of the three great pulp writers. Accordingly, the media projects of REH evangelists like Shanks, Finn, and Louinet aim at generating a fresh wave of interest. Cross Plains can never host enormous crowds, but as interest in Howard grows, I would like to see Howard Days serve as a rallying point for both veteran and beginning fans, even if it will involve some growing pains.

 I did not know of Robert E. Howard five years ago. As a Johnny-come-lately to this party, it is easy to feel like an outsider. Such is the experience of beginning anything worthwhile. But my adventure and education in the writings of Robert E. Howard are now linked to this annual pilgrimage to Cross Plains, TX. I know I will have conversations there that I do not have anywhere else. I also now have acquaintances there that I will miss the rest of the year, and want to see again. I expect the panels to continue to stimulate, perhaps as Howard's other characters are intentionally brought out of the shadows. No doubt the deals on books and swag is a plus, but they are outweighed by the sense of history that one feels while reading Howard's poetry on his porch, visiting the ruins that ignited his imagination, and standing on the boxing spot where he might have got the crap knocked out of him a time or two, and in turn knocked the crap out of others. And did I mention the barbecue?

". . . if you come to visit me, I will do my best to entertain you. I certainly hope you will come."

—Robert E. Howard to Tevis Clyde Smith

The Rarest of Robert E. Howard Collectibles

Jeffrey Shanks has done Howard Fandom a huge favor. This past weekend at the Robert E. Howard Days (REH Days) in Cross Plains, TX, Jeff sold facsimiles of an extremely rare book; The Hyborian Age by Robert E. Howard.

As Shanks details, "In 1938, [Donald] Wollheim, along with fellow New Yorker, John Michel, teamed up with west coast fans Forrest J. Ackerman, Russell Hodgkins, and Myrtle R. Douglas ("Morojo") to print the chapbook The Hyborian Age with the publisher listed as LANY Cooperative Publications."

Apparently less than 100 copies of this book were originally created and printed. The low amount, according to Shanks, makes the book one of the "rarest and most valuable" items of Howard collectibles. In the new introduction written by Shanks for this new edited edition, he explains the history behind the original book, why it was originally compiled, and provides photographs of several of the men involved in the original edition as well as a picture of one of the original editions. According to the introduction, Howard wrote The Hyborian Age essay without the intent of publication, but Howard ended up giving Donald Wollheim a copy of the essay. Wollheim then turned around and published it in a fanzine called The Phantagraph.

The Phantagraph
Feb. 1936

 Additionally, Shanks includes a list of books that Howard used to formulate his fictional prehistoric world. Other items of note included in this facsimile are a letter from H.P. Lovecraft to Donald Wollheim, a copy of The Hyborian Age Map created by Robert E. Howard, and the essay titled "A Probable Outline of Conan's Career" by P. Schuyler Miller & John D. Clark, Ph.D.

If you missed REH Days but are still interested in obtaining a copy of this book, you can message Jeff Shanks through the Skelos Press website. I know he intends to sell more copies through that website and eventually at Amazon. I highly recommend this volume to anyone who is a Robert E. Howard fan. Not only are you getting a nice piece of history, but you are getting a wonderful facsimile of an extremely rare collectible.

2015 REHF Awards!

Congratulations to all the winners this year for the 2015 REHF Awards! 

Everyone of these is well deserved! 

The Atlantean—Outstanding Achievement, Book By a Single Author:

Deke Parsons – J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard and the Birth of Modern Fantasy (McFarland 2014)

The Hyrkanian—Outstanding Achievement, Essay (Print)

Jeffrey Shanks – “What the Thak?: Anthropological Oddities in Howard’s Works.” REH: Two-Gun Raconteur No. 17, June 2014.

The Cimmerian—Outstanding Achievement, Essay (Online)

Rob Roehm – “The Legend of the Trunk (8 parts)” REH: Two-Gun Raconteur blog

The Aquilonian—Outstanding Achievement, Periodical

Damon Sasser — REH: Two-Gun Raconteur No. 17

The Venarium  Award—Emerging Scholar

Karen Joan Kohoutek – Contributed an essay to the TGR blog on Howard’s use of Voodoo.

The Stygian—Outstanding Achievement, Website

Damon Sasser, et al. – REH: Two-Gun Raconteur (Website and Blog)

The Black River Award—Special Achievement

Ed Chaczyk  – Organizing and promoting the online drive to raise money for repairs to the Robert E. Howard house.

The Rankin Award—Artistic Achievement in the depiction of REH’s life and/or work

Tom Gianni – Cover art for Fists of Iron, Round 3 (REHF Press)

The Black Circle Award—Lifetime Achievement (at least 20 years)

Karl Edward Wagner (posthumous)

Black Circle Award Nominee for next year’s ballot

Roy Thomas

REH Days 2015 Announced!

Well, the upcoming annual REH Days schedule and special guest has been announced. If you have never been to an REH Days and have always wanted to attend, then make plans for this year's events. 

If you are a fan of Robert E. Howard, Howard's work, or REH Research then this weekend is a MUST event. 

This will be my fourth year at REH Days and I can honestly tell you that every year it gets better. Don't do like I did and put it off, make plans now.

Here's a look at this year's schedule:

REH Days 2015 Panel Schedule

FRIDAY June 12

11 am: Conan Vs. Cthulhu. Join us for an enlightening discussion of Howard’s writing in the Cthulhu Mythos and Lovecraft’s writing in the Howard Mythos. Panelists: To Be Announced. At the Cross Plains Library.

1:30 pm: The Mark Schultz Hour. Our artist/writer Guest of Honor talks about his great career in an interview-style setting. At the Cross Plains Library.

2:30 pm: The Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards. Find out who won the REHF Awards for 2014, presented by Rusty Burke, Bill Cavalier and a cast of dozens. At the Cross Plains Library. This is a 30 minute panel.

9:00 pm: Fists at the Ice House. A perennial favorite is back! Presented on the very spot where REH actually boxed, come celebrate the completion of the four-volume Boxing series from the REHF Press. Presented on site behind the Texas Taxidermy building on Main Street by Mark Finn, Chris Gruber, Jeff Shanks and Patrice Louinet.

SATURDAY June 13

10:30 am: A Means to Freedom. The two-volume set of the letters between Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft are discussed. Panelists include Rusty Burke, one of the editors. At the Cross Plains Library.

1:30 pm: Robert E. Howard and Fantasy Gaming. 2015 will be THE year of REH and fantasy gaming with a new Conan board game AND a Conan role-playing game both coming out! We’ll also discuss Howard’s influence on the creation of fantasy role-playing games. There’ll be a bunch of panelists on this one: Patrice Louinet, Tim Brown, Jeff Shanks, Mark Finn, Mark Schultz - all refereed by Bill Cavalier. At the Cross Plains Library.

2:30pm: What’s Happening with Bob Howard. This is our wrap-up panel with upcoming REH news, announcements and future plans from the REH Foundation plus lots of questions from Ed Chaczyk! Panelists include the Foundation Board, Mark Schultz, the gaming guys plus others! At the Cross Plains Library. This is a 30 minute panel.

Special Guest this year is artist and writer Mark Schultz. In REH fandom Mark Schultz is well known for his illustrations and cover art for the Del Rey book The Coming of Conan The Cimmerian, the illustrations for Conan the Cimmerian: Volume 1 published by Wandering Star, the Cross Plains comic book Robert E. Howard's Worms of the Earth #2, and is also known for his work with DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Xenozoic, Carbon, and much more. 

So . . . mark your calendars, arrange your schedules and make plans to attend this years REH Days. I promise you will thoroughly enjoy it.

Below are a few pics I managed to snap from REH Days 2014 . . .

Where writing greatness occurred. 

The REH House

Jeffrey Shanks waiting for his panel to begin.

Rusty Burke and Patrice Louinet

Rusty Burke, Thomas Gianni, & Bill "Indy" Cavalier

Patrice Louinet 

Mark Finn & Chris Gruber

James Reasoner & Dave Hardy

The view from the top of Caddo Peak

REHupa 2014

Bill Cavalier & Rusty Burke

Sunset discussions at the Caddo Peak BBQ

Spoils from the Banquet Auction

More Spoils from the weekend

An Odd Encounter

I had what I would consider an odd encounter with another Robert E. Howard fan today. I took my typical Wednesday trip to the comic book store to buy two comics - East of West issue #9 and Conan and the People of the Black Circle #4.

When I took the two books to the counter, the guy at the register asked me if I was enjoying the Conan series. I told him I had not had time to read them yet, but was not holding my breath. He gave me a strange look and asked if I was a Howard fan. I nodded and asked, "You?" He said, "Yes, huge fan."

Huge fan, I thought to myself. Hmm. He told me he liked this series but was waiting to read Howard's story The Hour of the Dragon before reading Tim Truman's comic book series titled the same. I told him that was a good idea (even though Truman does his best to stick with Howard's storyline), but make sure you read the story from the Del Rey book. He nodded and said, "The Del Rey's are the original manuscripts, right?"

I told him they were, and that those were the best editions to buy. He then asked me if I had ever been to Howard Day's in Cross Plains. I told him I had gone the last two years and intended to go again this year. He said he had friends who attended a lot, rattled off a couple of names I had never heard (which doesn't mean anything) and then told me he was from Brownwood. I explained I was from Abilene.Small world.

This led to a discussion about the Howard home and he detailed his story about seeing it for the first time. I told him the first time I saw Howard's home someone was living in it. I don't think he understood the time frame or weight of that claim. During this brief conversation, he brought up the new Conan movie (now in pre-production) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. I cringed inside and did not voice an opinion, until he said he really enjoyed the first two Conan movies with Arnold. I shook my head and told him I did not care for them. He told me he thought the wizard in the first film made the movie great, then preceded to quote a line the wizard has said from the film. I tried to explain to him that I thought those movies were good Sword & Sorcery films for their day, but they were certainly not REH's true character. I told him I thought L.Sprague de Camp was too heavy an influence on the filmmakers. That comment was pejorative, I'm just not certain he understood that.

He told me he was introduced to Conan through de Camp's Conan series. I told him I was too. However, I then preceded to explain how I realized that de Camp did a wonderful job introducing reader's to Conan but a terrible job introducing readers to Conan's creator. He gave me an odd look (I think he was attempting to process what I sad), then he piped up and said, "de Camp's introductions in those books were wonderful." He then made the most ignorant anachronistic statement I have ever heard, "Howard even gave his approval of those introductions by de Camp."

I was so taken aback by the comment it tied me up for a few seconds in stunned silence. "That would be impossible," I replied, "since Howard had died decades before de Camp ever wrote those introductions." The guy's face went pale green. To avoid any further embarrassment I said, "The problem I have with de Camp's introductions is their futile attempt to psychoanalyze Howard. I have a real problem with those introductions in that they gave the reader the wrong impression of just who Howard actually was." He looked a little winded at this point but I continued. "I honestly think de Camp did far more damage to Robert E. Howard than he ever did to Howard's characters, though he certainly did not help there much either, unless you consider the amount of people who came to Howard's characters, especially Conan, through that de Camp series." I continued, "Outside of this, I really don't think de Camp was amicable to Howard's real history. However, I am glad you are aware of the Del Rey books - read those introductions and stories and you'll get the real Robert E. Howard, history and works." He nodded.

Now while I think this guy truly is a fan of Howard and his character Conan, it does pain me to see a fan that misinformed. I told him he ought to go to Howard Days and hear for himself a few purist Howard scholars and fans. However, I'm afraid by the look on his face after our discussion, Howard days might short circuit him. I'm rather mild compared to some of the other Howard fans and some of the Howard scholars out there.

The Howard Home and Ingress

At this year's REH Days in Cross Plains, Texas, I met several people from California who had developed a multi-player online video game called Ingress. In fact, my friend David and I were sitting in one of the two chairs directly behind the Howard home when one of the Ingress developers approached us and asked, "Are you guys part of the resistance?" I really wanted to reply, "Resistance is futile," just to joke around with him, but since I did not know the guy I replied, "I'm not sure what you're talking about." He then explained to us that the game app marks various different spots across the country/world. These places give off a certain energy force that cause people to be drawn to them. They can be physical locations, monuments, structures, etc. Some have been built by human hands, others purely natural.

There are several teams that wander to these various places to visit. Most have been chosen due to various factors, the main factor being that these locales are where, through the years, people have gathered to visit, watch, see things, etc.

The Robert E. Howard home was chosen as a locale because of REH Days and the number of people who come to visit the house from all around the world. At the official Ingress website there is a brief video that explains the game (see the above video).

The overall concept looks very interesting. Apparently there are a group of people called The Resistance whose sole aim is to debunk the game's theory/concept about these places. Each player can go to the chosen key places that are considered possible portals and visit. So if you choose to play the game it can take you all across the country. I thought it was pretty cool that the Howard home was chosen as one of the portals. And found the whole concept quite interesting, to say the least. Wiki has a whole article on the game if you're interested.

REH Days 2013

My second year at REH Days in Cross Plains, Texas was, I think, better than last year's event. Tim Truman was the guest of honor. While all the panels were good, I enjoyed the ones with Tim the best (esp. REH in the Comics).

I've been a fan of Truman's work for some time now, especially his art work on Grim Jack. I also had several opportunities to chat with him about various influential authors. Aside from Robert E. Howard, I discovered that Samuel R. Delaney and George R.R. Martin were two other authors Tim told me had a pretty big influence on his work over the years. We discussed Samuel R. Delaney at some length. I had read Delaney's work titled Dhalgren back around 1978/79. I loved that particular work. Tim recommended The Einstein Intersection; a book I own but have not read. I have since picked it up and begun reading it.

Joe R. Lansdale was a surprise visitor to this year's REH Days. He declared he was there because of his old friend Tim Truman. I am only familiar with some of Lansdale's comic book work—I've never actually read any of his novels/fiction. It was interesting to hear his various views—he has a lot of them—on Robert E. Howard and other authors, comic books, etc.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. I met a few new people, made a few new friends, saw some people I knew from last year's event, ate some great food, and listened to some excellent discussions. Below are some pictures I took while there. If you've never been to REH Days in Cross Plains, you should attend next year; especially if you are a Howard fan. It is well worth the time and money spent.

Above is Robert E. Howard's bedroom and work space.

A front view of the REH Home and Museum

The pavilion next to the REH House and Museum

The first panel discussion on Friday, June 7th. (left to right: Tim Truman, Al Harron, Jeff Shanks, and Mark Finn)

Joe Lansdale & Tim Truman

A Dark Horse Comics promotional poster that was up for auction at the Celebration Dinner & Silent Auction Friday evening June 7th.

Another Dark Horse Comics promotional poster.

Inside the Howard home.

Inside the Cross Plains Public Library.

Tim Truman speaking at Friday night's Celebration Dinner & Silent Auction.

The sunset BBQ at the Caddo Peak Ranch.