Conan and Sappho: Robert E. Howard on Lesbians Part 2 by Bobby Derie

 Howard’s “Lesbians”

The first and one of the most brazen of Howard’s “lesbians” is Queen Nakari in “The Moon of Skulls” (WT Jun-Jul 1930):

Nakari halted by the couch, stood looking down upon her captive for a moment, then with an enigmatic smile, bent and shook her. Marylin opened her eyes, sat up, then slipped from her couch and knelt before her savage mistress—an act which caused Kane to curse beneath his breath. The queen laughed and, seating herself upon the couch, motioned the girl to rise, and then put an arm about her waist and drew her upon her lap. Kane watched, puzzled, while Nakari caressed the girl in a lazy, amused manner. This might be affection, but to Kane it seemed more like a sated leopard teasing its victim. There was an air of mockery and studied cruelty about the whole affair.

"You are very soft and pretty, Mara," Nakari murmured lazily, "much prettier than the other girls who serve me.[“] (SK 129)

Later on in the story, Nakari claims: “[...] she shall be punished as I have punished her before—hung up by her wrists, naked, and whipped until she swoons!” (SK 137) Marilyn later confirms: “And in spite of my pleas she took me across her knees and whipped me until I swooned.” (SK 165) In “The Slithering Shadow” (WT Sep 1933, also published as “Xuthal of the Dust”) the Stygian Thalis who has lived in the decadent city of Xuthal and is attracted to Conan, dishes out punishment to her prospective rival Natala:

Seizing her by the hair, Thalis dragged her down the corridor a short distance, to the edge of the circle of light. A metal ring showed in the wall, above the level of a man’s head. From it depended a silken cord. As in a nightmare Natala felt her tunic being stripped from her, and the next instant Thalis had jerked up her wrists and bound them to the ring, where she hung, naked as the day she was born, her feet barely touching the floor. Twisting her head, Natala saw Thalis unhook a jewel-handled whip from where it hung on the wall, near the ring. The lashes consisted of seven round silk ords, harder yet more pliant than leather things.

            With a hiss of vindictive gratification, Thalis drew back her arm, and Natala shrieked as the cords curled across her loins. The tortured girl writhed, twisted and tore agonizedly at the thongs which imprisoned her wrists. She had forgotten the lurking menace her cries might summon, and so apparently had Thalis. Every stroke evoked screams of anguish. The whippings Natala had received in the Shemite slave-markets paled to insignificance before this. She had never guessed the punishing power of hard-woven silk cords. Their caress was more exquisitely painful than any birch twigs or leather thongs. (COC 237)

This scene was depicted on the cover by Brundage, lovingly described by one critic:

[...] a bound woman leans back away from her captor, the retreating body language serving only to emphasize her pointed, bare breasts and her naked legs. Her captor, another woman, wears a kind of skirt, but her torso is almost entirely naked as well. And she holds a whip, which she clearly intends to use on the other woman. (Elliot 57)

Margaret Brundage recalled in a 1973 interview:

We had one issue that sold out! It was the story of a very vicious female, getting a-hold of the heroine and tying her up and beating her. Well, the public apparently thought it was flagellation, and the entire issue sold out. They could have used a couple thousand extra. [...] Having read the story, the thought of flagellation never entered my head. I don’t think it had theirs, either. But it turned out that way. (Korshack & Spurlock 29)

It is worth noting that “The Slithering Shadow” with Brundage’s cover appeared in the September 1933 Weird Tales. One month later would see the debut of Dime Mystery, the first of the “weird menace” or “shudder pulps” which would focus largely on torture, sadism, Grand Guignol-style grue and contes cruels, where stories of women, nude or near-nude, being threatened would be much more common. While there are many proto-weird menace stories in the pulps, “The Slithering Shadow” may have been a marker that there was an audience for this new pulp genre.

Also in 1933, Howard wrote “The Vale of Lost Women,” although it was never published during Howard’s lifetime. (COC 451) The beginning of the story includes an unnamed female character whose actions toward the slave Livia are at best ambiguous:

Conan and Sappho: Robert E. Howard on Lesbians Part 1 by Bobby Derie

In another alteration of the basic captivity theme, Marylin is held not by a dark-skinned man, but by a dark-skinned woman. The sexual threat is not eliminated, however, as Howard implies a sadistic lesbian relationship, something of a recurring theme in his work. (Trout 75)

Cross Plains, Texas

In 1926 Cross Plains, Texas was in an oil boom, and Robert E. Howard was working odd jobs, seven nights a week, with little time to write. His letters to his friend Tevis Clyde Smith are filled with verse, and on occasion, sex. Growing up mainly in a small Texas town, their sexual education would not have been in any way formal. They picked things up through conversation, practical experience, and in many cases reading. These exchanges would have a formative influence on how Howard understood female homosexuality, and how that conception featured in his fiction. Over time, this would form the recurring theme noted by Trout.

Sapphism & Psychology

According to George Sylvester Viereck; “Love in its spiritual aspect he (Swinburne) knows not. His amorous fancy feeds upon the esoteric, things ‘monstrous and fruitless’. The ordinary relation between sexes engages him only when it is sadistic.” And again, quoting Viereck; “Modern science has divested perversion of its evil glamor. Freud has taught us that perversity is an essential phase in the evolution of childhood…occurring at all times in a fairly constant percentage of human beings. Swinburne adds a new complexity. He does not turn toward his own sex. His passion goes out to woman, but he loves woman, not with the passion of a man for a maid, but with the hectic craving of Lesbian woman for her own sex.”

—Robert E. Howard to Tevis Clyde Smith, 23 Jun 1926, CL1.106

Howard quotes from Viereck’s introduction to Algernon Charles Swineburne’s Poems and Ballads, published as Little Blue Book #791. It is the first mention in his letters of lesbians, and part of his earliest discussion of homosexuality and bisexuality in general. In the same letter, Howard relates to Smith:

Thus it would seem that a pervert is a man or woman who gets little or no pleasure out of intercourse, but must seek some other method to stimulate the senses or the imagination. Opium smokers revel in sexual debauches which are purely imaginary but from which they doubtless obtain more pleasure than from actual deeds. The smoking of opium does not produce the effect of seeming intercourse, but vague thoughts, fantasies, float through the being dimly arousing all the hidden lust. A pervert may be born that way, or may be a worn-out libertine who has lost his ordinary lust through indulgence. They are usually more or less bisexual, naturally.

That is my theory and much of it is probably erroneous. Perversion is a mark of decadence. It flourishes in all fading nations. Men’s virility dwindle and fade; they feel the need of sexual desire, which has always been taught as necessary, but they lack the basic lust. So they turn to more obscene ways. (CL1.104)

Homosexuality began to come to academic attention in the 19th century, with works like Kraft-Ebbing’s Psychopathia Sexualis (1896), Havelock Ellis’ Sexual Inversion (1897), Alfred Eulenberg’s Algolagnia: The Psychology, Neurology and Physiology of Sadistic Love and Masochism (trans. 1934) and psychosexual studies continued in the 20th century by psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler. Howard’s views in his 1926 letter characterize “perversion” as a deviation from heterosexual practices. Although this leaves open what exactly counts as “perversion,” it explicitly includes homosexual acts. This would have been the common view of most laymen and professionals during the 1920s, as when Freud wrote:

A 2018 Howard Days Highlight: Books, Books, Books! by Todd B. Vick

Every year at Howard Days, someone (or several someones) has a table set up for you to buy books, collectible magazines, fanzines, pulps, etc. This year was no exception. Even so, there were several books at several tables that set this year's wares apart from previous years.

First, Bobby Derie (who also presented on several panels) set up a table and gave away (yes, gave away . . . you know, for free!) three books that he put together (one that Howard boxing scholar, Chris Gruber, helped with). The first of these three is titled, Essays on Robert E. Howard & Others. Even if there were nothing between the covers of this book, the cover alone would be worth having. The cover (front and back) consists of a bunch of pictures of various pulp writers place together to form an over-all image of Robert E. Howard. Very cool! This book is a collection of essays that Derie had published between 2015 to 2017 at Damon Sasser's now defunct blog Two-Gun Raconteur, here at On An Underwood No. 5, Messages from Crom blog, and in print in the Lovecraft Annual. To have all these in one collected volume was a great idea. The second book is titled A Robert E. Howard Sampler. This is a collection of Howard's works edited by Chris Gruber & Bobby Derie. Gruber has an introductory essay and Derie wrote brief essays to introduce each section. The sections consist of sword & sorcery, weird fiction, boxing, western, poetry, detective, historical adventure, fantasy, science fiction, and H.P. Lovecraft's In Memoriam: Robert E. Howard essay. The third book is an index to One Who Walked Alone by Novalyne Price Ellis, and Day of the Stranger by Rusty Burke & Novalyne Price Ellis. This small book is a nice edition to any researcher's library, especially for quick reference to these two works.

Second, Skelos Press had a table and this year they were selling Patrice Louinet's (another presenter on this year's panels) anticipated book titled The Robert E. Howard Guide. It was originally published in France several years ago, and Louinet recently translated it into English and published it through Skelos Press. It is an excellent intro to Robert E. Howard, and a must read for Howard beginners. The book deals with a history of common misconceptions that have arisen and developed over the decades. These misconceptions have sometimes been somewhat damaging to Howard's reputation, sometimes they've distorted his works, and too often they've confused readers and fans about the writer, his works, and his life. Louinet does a first-rate job of clearing up those misconceptions. The misconception section is followed by a brief biographical section about Howard, his up-bringing, life in Texas in the early 20th century, etc. Then there are two chapters of recommended stories to read from Howard. The first of these two chapters cover "must-read" stories, each has a small bit of publishing history and summation of the tale itself. This is followed by another chapter that details twenty more stories you "should" read, with the same format of information, for a total of forty Howard stories.

Louinet then turns his attention to Howard's most famous character, Conan the Cimmerian. He discusses the barbarian's history, how he has been used (and abused) in pastiches, film, comic books, video games, board games, etc. This chapter is followed by various adaptations of Robert E. Howard's stories in motion pictures (e.g. Conan the Barbarian, Solomon Kane, etc.), as well as television adaptations such as Boris Karloff's early 1960s adaptation of "Pigeons from Hell."

Other nice features of this book include Howard's correspondence with Lovecraft, current places to read about Robert E. Howard, and things such as collecting Howard ephemera, and such.

As far as a basic book to introduce anyone interested in the works and life of Robert E. Howard, this is now the go-to book. It does have some editorial issues throughout (I'm not sure whether Skelos Press proof-read and/or edited the text, they should have if they did not), and there is one somewhat big blunder in the book that, once again should have been caught by the editors at Skelos Press. The blunder is that Louinet attributes the creation of Weird Tales magazine to William Sprenger (who was actually the business manager of the magazine) and not J. C. Henneberger (and J. M. Lansinger), who actually created and established the magazine. Otherwise, this is an excellent book and well worth investing your money ($14.95 price tag) and your time. Hopefully, Patrice Louinet will publish more works here in the U.S. since he is considered by many to be one of the foremost scholars on Robert E. Howard's life and works.

Third, The Robert E. Howard Foundation, as usual, had their table set up and were selling the much anticipated volume titled, Pictures in the Fire: Remaining Weird Tales and Esoterica, edited by Paul Herman. From the inside flap: This volume is mostly comprised of weird and horror stories, along with a bit of juvenilia, fragments, poetry, and assorted odds and ends. The front and back cover art is drawn by Bill "Indy" Cavalier (who was the guest of honor at this year's Howard Days, and a long-time fan of Robert E. Howard). If you do not already have a copy of this book, you better hurry and get one, it is likely to sell out fairly fast.

Howard Days 2018: A Trip Report by Todd B. Vick

This year was my seventh straight year to attend Howard Days in Cross Plains, Texas. Every year I meet new people and learn new things, and that alone keeps me wanting to come back the next year. But in addition to meeting new people and learning new things, there is so much else going on, trying to take it all in can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. This year’s theme was celebrating REH Fans and the keynote speaker was, Bill “Indy” Cavalier, long time Howard fan and OE (Official Editor) of The Robert E. Howard United Press Association (REHupa). Moreover, most of the panels this year were geared to the fandom of Robert E. Howard. Every year I can summarize the event itself usually in one word. This year that word is fellowship.

It may have simply been the group I spent the most time with this year, but there were a lot of people who knew one another via the internet but had never met before in person. So "meeting" for the "first time," so to speak was a prominent feeling and activity. That was the case for me with several online friends who also attended the event this year. David J. West, author and guest writer here at On An Underwood No. 5, whom I have known online for many years, attended this year’s event for the first time. We had previously discussed him possibly attending previous Howard Days, and I had explained that I could pick him up from the airport and we could always drive to the event together. This year he took me up on that offer, and I’m glad he did. Getting to meet David J. West and hang out with him this year was a highlight for me. Moreover, when we arrived in Cross Plains, West was looking for others whom he had met online but had not met in person, so we eventually crossed paths with author Keith West (a regular attender to Howard Days), Jason M. Waltz (Rogue Blades Entertainment), and eventually we connected with author Ty Johntson. I was also able to reconnect with other regular Howard Days attendees (e.g. Bobby Derie, Scott Cupp, Scott Valeri, Russell Andrew, and many others). I was also able to finally meet Rob King (and his wife) who has helped me a little in my current research.

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

On the 110 Anniversary of Robert E. Howard's Birth by Todd B. Vick

On this day (January 22nd) back in 1906, Hester Ervin Howard gave birth to Robert. Just prior to Robert's birth, the Howard's were living in an area called Dark Valley. Toward the time Hester was to deliver, Dr. Howard took her to a little bit bigger community, Peaster, Texas to give birth to their boy. At the time of Robert's birth, the attending doctor documented the wrong day—January 24th, 1906—as seen in the Register of Births pictured below. Damon Sasser has two great posts about this issue at his blog (Two-Gun Raconteur) that can be read here & here.

Parker County's Register of Births - notice the date is incorrect.

Interestingly, the date from the Register of Births—January 24th, 1906—also appears on the historical marker that sits next to the Howard Family headstone in the Greenleaf Cemetery, Brownwood, TX. Apparently, according to Damon Sasser, the person who wrote the application for the marker took the erroneous date from de Camp's biography, Dark Valley Destiny. The Historical Society of Texas declared that they could replace the marker for a sum of $1200.00. Perhaps a fundraiser for this cost can be performed and a new marker with more accurate verbiage can be created.

The Marker at Robert E. Howard's grave site

Little did the Howards know at the time of their son's birth, he'd grow to be a world renown writer, creating some of the most memorable characters and several sub-genres in adventure and heroic fantasy. Because of Isaac M. Howard's occupation, a family doctor, the Howards moved around quite frequently until Robert was thirteen, in 1919 when the family settled in Cross Plains, Texas. At the time the Howard family settled in Cross Plains, it was in the midst of an oil boom. During these oil boom periods, the town would see a strong surge in population. Once the boom abated, the population would drop back down to the regular residency size. These oil booms had a strong impact on young Robert. He would encounter some unusual and wild characters, fodder for his future writing career. Later in adulthood, Howard discussed these oil booms in his correspondence with fellow writer H.P. Lovecraft.

In his later teen years, Howard had some success at writing which helped to prompt him to submit stories for some of the magazines he was reading at the time.  In July 1925, at the age of just nineteen, Howard's story Spear and Fang was published by a struggling pulp magazine called Weird Tales. This was all it took, Howard would spend the next eleven years creating stories around memorable characters such as Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, Kull, El Borak, sailor Steve Costigan, Cormac Mac Art, Breckinridge Elkins, Buckner J. Grimes, Pike Bearfield, and of course, Conan the Cimmerian along with many others; one of my personal favorites is Corcoran. Howard also was a prolific poet, writing some 700 or so poems.

Howard's most popular character, Conan the Cimmerian, has crossed several pop culture boundaries. Conan can be seen in books, comic books, movies, television shows, board games, role-playing games, graphic novels, and video games. In the last 80 plus years, Conan's popularity has only increased. Another of Howard's characters, Solomon Kane, has also seen the silver screen in a relatively recent film titled after the character's name. Michael J. Bassett placed the character in a European film that garnered so much success the film was able to make a U.S. debut on August 24th, 2012. While the character and story line in Basset's film was different from Howard's Kane, at least, the film helped various viewers who had no idea who Robert E. Howard was, find out about the author. One such person was Anne Rice, who on her Facebook wall announced that she saw the film and wanted to read more works from Robert E. Howard. I promptly sent her titles of the Del Rey books and she thanked me for providing them to her.

With a new multi-million dollar board game on Kickstarter to an upcoming documentary titled Riddle of Steel about Conan the Cimmerian, Howard's popularity is ever increasing. So, on this day of days for Robert E. Howard, raise a glass, read a few lines from one of Howard's poems, or pick up your favorite Robert E. Howard story in celebration of his 110th birthday!

Happy Birthday, Robert E. Howard.  Cheers!

January 22nd, 1906—June 11, 1936

A picture of the Howard Family Bible
Notice the date of birth for REH
Jan 22 1906

Howard Days 2016

This was recently announced on the Robert E. Howard Days Facebook Page . . .

The Robert E. Howard Foundation and Project Pride of Cross Plains, Texas are proud to announce the dates and Guest of Honor for the 2016 version of Howard Days, to be held June 10th and 11th at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains.

This year’s Guest of Honor is Michael Scott Myers, screenwriter for the movie The Whole Wide World, the biographical film based on the book One Who Walked Alone, which recounted the relationship between Robert E. Howard and Novalyne Price. We are happy to welcome Michael as our GOH, as he is the perfect person to blend with our Howard Days theme this year, Anniversaries.

2016 finds us with a number of important Robert E. Howard Anniversaries: 110 years since his birth, 80 years since his death, 70 years since the publication of Skull Face and Others, 50 years since Conan the Adventurer from Lancer, 40 years since Glenn Lord’s The Last Celt, 30 years since Novalyne Price Ellis’ One Who Walked Alone and 20 years since the movie The Whole Wide World (which was based on Novalyne’s book).

Michael’s involvement with The Whole Wide World began with his being a student of Novalyne Price Ellis in Lafayette, LA. Having read her book about Howard, he knew what a wonderful movie it would make. So, our Guest of Honor is doubly qualified this year and we’re thrilled to have him.

There is lots more information to follow and you can read about it here and at the Howard Days blog. While the cold winds of January are blowing now, make plans to come to Texas in June where the warmth will be in both the air and in the fellowship of Robert E. Howard fans!

If you have not yet attended Howard Days, try your best to make this year's event. I can tell you from personal experience it is the highlight of my year, well worth the trek. This year's Howard Days is already starting out exciting. I hope to see you there!

Todd

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

Coming Soon . . .

Pre-order REH: Two-Gun Raconteur No. 18 Today!

Pre-orders are now being accepted for issue number 18 of The Definitive Robert E. Howard Journal.

This is an extremely limited edition of 150 copies, so don’t procrastinate if you want a copy.

The new issue will make its debut at Howard Days on June 12th. If you can’t make it to Cross Plains, you can pre-order it beginning today. Orders will ship in late June. Price per copy is $21.00, plus $4.00 for U.S. shipping and handling.

Click the title link to take you to TGR and order your copy!

Also . . .

Speaking of REH Days, as of this post it is exactly 14 days until fans and scholars gather in Cross Plain, TX, the home of Robert E. Howard, to discuss his work, carry on, have fun, read some poetry, drink a few beers, and just hang out. If you have never attended a Howard Days then by all means make every attempt to attend. I promise you, it will be well worth your time.

I hope to see all of you there this year!

This was recently Announced at the REH Days Website & Facebook Page . . .

STOP THE PRESSES! HOLD ONTO YOUR FEDORAS!

While the two-day schedule has remained pretty much the same, we do have one exciting change to mention. On Saturday afternoon the 2:30 "What's Up with REH?" panel has been scratched so that we may bring you an Interview with Brad and Jeff Howard, great grandsons of Dr. Howard's brother, David Terrell Howard! Well known Howard scholar and detective Patrice Louinet will be talking with Jeff and Brad about their fascinating family history. More surprises will ensue from this panel, so be sure to be there.

Of course, there will be other special neat things happening this year at Howard Days - someone unexpected always shows up! For so many of us, Howard Days is a great place to re-establish old friendships and make many new ones. There's plenty of room in Texas, so if you're still on the fence, come to Cross Plains and see why Howard Days is The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom!

Also, the guests for this year have already been announced on the various Facebook pages and at the Robert E. Howard Days website:

HOWARD DAYS 2015 GUEST OF HONOR

Mark Schultz

MARK SCHULTZ is well-known as the illustrator for the first Wandering Star pure REH text Conan edition, The Coming of Conan. His paintings, full-page drawings, chapter headings and spot illustrations fill this volume with a clean, energetic and stylistic imagery. Other Howard work that Mark has done includes the covers to Worms of the Earth (Cross Plains Comics), The Colossal Conan (Dark Horse Comics) and the Adventures in Science Fantasy volume for the REHF Press. HE will also be painting a cover for the upcoming Conan role-playing game from Modiphius. One of Mark’s designs is used on the REH Museum t-shirt. And, as it turns out, his very first professional comics work was inking the pencils of Val Semeik’s Kull story in the Savage Sword of Conan #132. Mark will also be doing the artwork for the special souvenir postal cancellation stamp for Howard Days this year.

If you intend to go this year, be sure and book your hotel asap, there are not that many hotel rooms left in the area. I hope to see you all there. Cheers!

The Hyborian Gazette

New REH Fanzine

There is a new REH related Fanzine for Robert E. Howard fans. Carnelain Press's Facebook page recently made this announcement:

All profits from the upcoming fanzine,THE HYBORIAN GAZETTE,will go directly to Project Pride in Cross Plains, Texas, for the upkeep of the Robert E. Howard house and museum.

Carnelian Press is a small printing house specializing in the publication of fantasy and scientifiction chapbooks. This time around they intend to put together a fanzine called The Hyborian Gazette. The zine is edited by Steve Dilks and will feature art, stories and articles from the likes of Adrian Cole (the Voidal), Jeffrey Shanks (REHUPA academic), Steve Lines (Rainfall Books), Glen Usher (Boscastle) and many more. Featuring great cover art by legendary British illustrator, Jim Pitts, an exclusive article by REHUPA founder, Tim Marion and a rarely seen story from Lin Carter.

Gunthar, another publication from
Carnelian Press

If you are a Robert E. Howard fan then by all means support this fanzine and by doing so you will also support Project Pride and the Robert E. Howard House and Museum. If you'd like more information about Carnelian Press or The Hyborian Gazette then visit their Facebook Page. In this age of digital/online material, it's nice to see a new printed fanzine. The only way something like this can continue to thrive is through grassroots supports from fans.

Support The REH Foundation, Project Pride and Cross Plains, TX

 Fists of Iron, Round 2 just came today in the post. I'm a bit behind on ordering the boxing collection, but I'll eventually catch up. I noticed a particular sticker on the box when it was delivered. "Mailed from Cross Plains Texas, home of REH." There was another sticker that declared that the contents were packaged by Project Pride and the return address label indicated that the book was sold through The Robert E. Howard Foundation. 

All these people and organizations at work just to get me my book. It takes an army, and this army needs some support. Whenever anyone buys a book from the Robert E. Howard Foundation, several things happen. First, the person making the purchase gets a high quality work/volume (or volumes) to add to their library. They also get hours of reading enjoyment because we all know how awesome Howard's work is, right? Second, the Foundation gets much needed support which helps them to be able to publish more works in the future. And those of us REH fans always love to see additional material from or about Robert E. Howard.

Next, Project Pride and Cross Plains, TX is supported because they actually send out the material when it's ordered. I have heard that the Cross Plains post office has benefited greatly from all the orders that have been made through the Foundation. This certainly helps keep their small Post Office open with money coming in from all the book orders. So in the end, everyone benefits.

The Robert E. Howard Foundation has a solid selection of material at their website, from Howard's fiction, to non fiction works written by various scholars about Howard and his life. With new research being performed daily, new material being discovered, supporting the Foundation will actually enable them to publish more material in the future. And this support trickles down to Project Pride and the town of Cross Plains.

Besides ordering material, there is another way to help support the Foundation—become a supporting member. There are three levels of membership in the Foundation:

$20 – as a Supporting Member you will receive a 10% discount on REHF and REH Foundation Press (REHFP) books and merchandise.

$50 – as a Friend of REH you will receive the member discount above as well as the REHF newsletter, and your name posted (if wanted) on the website.

$100 – Legacy Circle members will receive all the above, along with invitations to special events, plus a yearly REHF pin. Legacy Circle members might also get other additional benefits during the year.

No matter the level, the support is always gladly needed. I've been a Legacy Circle Member for four years now and over those four years I've received the quarterly newsletter which has actually released REH material, fragments, and other items of interest that you can get nowhere else. I've also had early voting privileges for the Foundation Awards given each year at REH Days. Plus, I've received my REH pins (all really cool pics of REH) and taken advantage of the discount to buy material. Here are some of the books I've bought from the Foundation over the years:

Robert E. Howard's
Western Tales

Blood & Thunder
by Mark Finn

The Western Tales, Blood & Thunder, The Letters of Dr. Isaac Howard, School Days in the Post Oaks, The Three Volume REH Letters, Sentiment: An Olio of Rarer Works, So Far the Poet, The Collected Letters: Index and Addenda, and now I'm working on getting all the boxing volumes. All of these books are a very high quality bound book whether they are hardback or paperback. Morever, and I probably do not need to stress this point, every volume is well worth the money. So if you are able, please support the Foundation, Project Pride, and the town of Cross Plains, TX simply by purchasing the works of Robert E. Howard or REH Scholars. You'll be glad you did.

The Collected Letters of Doctor
Isaac M. Howard

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