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.

The Robert E. Howard Foundation has announced a new book available now for Pre-Order . . .

Pre-ordering information is here: http://www.rehfoundation.org/2016/07/13/the-adventures-of-breckinridge-elkins/

The Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards & Other Announcements

Every year, the board of directors chooses articles, artwork/artists, and other people/projects as nominees for their Foundation Awards. These people & projects are nominated due to their efforts at furthering Robert E. Howard and his works in academia and popular culture. There are eleven nomination categories:

1. The Atlantean—Outstanding Achievement, Book (non-anthology/collection)
2. The Valusian—Outstanding Achievement, Book (anthology/collection)
3. The Hyrkanian—Outstanding Achievement, Essay (Print)
4. The Cimmerian—Outstanding Achievement, Essay (Online)
5. The Venarium—Emerging Scholar
6. The Stygian—Outstanding Achievement, Website
7. The Aquilonian—Outstanding Achievement, Periodical
8. The Black Lotus—Outstanding Achievement, Multimedia
9. The Black River—Special Achievement
10. The Rankin—Artistic achievement in the depiction of REH’s life and/or work
11. Black Circle Award—Lifetime Achievement

This year, many of the above categories included people/articles from this very website (On An Underwood No. 5). In fact, On An Underwood No. 5 was nominated for The Stygian and made it to the final voting stage but was ultimately beat by the ever popular and long standing website: REH: Two-Gun Raconteur. There is always next year!

Two nominees were for actual articles/series from this website:

DAVID PISKE – “Barbarism and Civilization in the Letters of Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft: A Summary with Commentary (6 parts).”

BOBBY DERIE – “The Mirror of E’ch-Pi-El: Robert E. Howard in the Letters of H.P. Lovecraft (3 parts).”

And, several of the writers/scholars who were nominated (some also won) contributed to On An Underwood No. 5. These were:

BOBBY DERIE – Contributed essays to TGR blog, On An Underwood No. 5, and compiled the The Collected Letters of REH: Index and Addenda

TODD VICK — Contributed essays to TGR and On An Underwood No. 5; Editor of On An Underwood No. 5 blog

DAMON SASSER — Awarded for his journal and Blog - REH: Two-Gun Racontuer, also contributed an essay last year (2015) to On An Underwood No. 5

ROB ROEHM — For his biographical research published at the REH: Two-Gun Raconteur Blog, On an Underwood No. 5, and the Black Gate website.

One other first round nominee was for David Bowles who wrote an excellent article for this blog titled, "Toltec Traces in “The Thunder-Rider." Also, award winner Barbara Barrett contributed several articles here at On An Underwood No. 5: The Game's Afoot! & An Overview of Robert E. Howard's Poem: "The Ballad of King Geraint". Barbara tied with David Piske for the The Cimmerian Award — Outstanding Achievement, Essay (Online) for her series at REH: Two-Gun Raconteur titled “Hester Jane Ervin Howard and Tuberculosis (3 parts).”

This is quite a showing from this little blog in a single year. As editor of this blog, I am quite proud to have participated in all the above. But it should be pointed out that of those listed above, two are regular contributors to On an Underwood No. 5.

The first of these is, Bobby Derie. This year Bobby won two REH Foundation awards:

Bobby Derie with his REH Foundation awards
on the REH House porch in Cross Plains, TX

The Atlantean Award — Outstanding Achievement, Book (non-anthology/collection), for his book titled The Collected Letters of REH: Index and Addenda (which I have used and am currently using for research).

And, The Venarium Award — Emerging Scholar.

It should also be noted that Bobby Derie is a well established H.P. Lovecraft scholar. And, with regard to Lovecraft studies Derie is the author of Sex and the Cthulhu Mythos. Derie has contributed a number of high quality articles here at On an Underwood No. 5 over the past year.

The second of these is, David Piske. Piske has written one of the more popular series (in terms of clicks on the series) here at On An Underwood No. 5. Not only was this Piske first year to even be nominated for an REH Foundation award, but he actually won an award:

David Piske with his REH Foundation award
at the REH house in Cross Plains, TX

The Cimmerian Award — Outstanding Achievement, Essay (Online) for his series “Barbarism and Civilization in the Letters of Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft: A Summary with Commentary.”

Piske has also written the popular trip reports for the last two Howard Days events: 2015 & 2016

Piske is also wrapping up his award winning series, "Barbarism and Civilization in the Letters of Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft: A Summary with Commentary." So, readers can expect a few final posts on that series in the near future. 

My goal for 2015 and 2016 was to raise the quality and standard of articles that appear at On An Underwood No. 5. I think I've accomplished this. I hope to be able to continue that standard in the years to come. However, I must admit that it is very time taxing and difficult to get solid writers/scholars lined up to write for the blog. I've invited at least a half-dozen other scholars/writers to contribute to On An Underwood No. 5, several have said they would when their schedules clear up or they can find the time.

In the meantime, I'll try my best to provide a few articles over the next months. However, I am currently working on a book to be published by The University of Texas Press about the last 6 years of Robert E. Howard's life. This work, of course, will keep me extremely busy. Cheers!

Happy Holidays!

Every holiday season The Robert E. Howard Foundation sends out some kind of holiday greeting. They have ever since I've been a Legacy Circle Member—which has been for about 4 years now.

In previous years, it has been greeting cards . . .

2012

Inside 2012 Card

2014

Inside 2014 Card

In the past, Legacy Members have also received lapel pins with various pictures of Robert E. Howard on them. I have pins dating back to 2012, and I've seen others at REH Days with much older ones.

REH Yearly Lapel Pins

This year, however, The Robert E. Howard Foundation sent Legacy Circle Members this . . .

REH: The Complete Marchers of Valhalla Drafts

Membership certainly has its benefits and privileges. If you have not already become a member of The Robert E. Howard Foundation, I certainly would encourage you to do so. Not only does it help get more material published, but it demonstrates your passion for the greatest pulp writer in the Whole Wide World. Also, throughout the year, you get a very nice quarterly newsletter with a lot of goodies inside it. Happy Holidays!

Underwood No. 5 has a New Facebook Page & Other News in REH Fandom . . .

On An Underwood No. 5 has a Facebook page! Yes, I broke down and decided to start a Facebook page for the social media connection. The post already have a Facebook "like" button at the end of each, so why not just get a full-blown Facebook page for this site?

The Robert E. Howard Foundation (REHF) is announcing upcoming big changes! They have not revealed what these changes are but apparently they have revamped their membership to account for some new things coming down the pike. REHF has also added a free membership level, and they also offer three types of premium levels.

Membership Levels for the REHF

Now on sale! THE HYBORIAN GAZETTE # 1. The first official fanzine from The International Robert E. Howard Fan Association!

94 pages of stories, articles, poetry and illustrations.

$18.00 (U.S./ Canada)

£10.00 (U.K.)

The Hyborian Gazette is now on sale. This is a fanzine that came out of the Facebook group, The International Robert E. Howard Fan Association. This is a Facebook group that currently has 5,819 members as of this post. 

Included in this first issue - works from Tim Marion, the founder of The Robert E. Howard United Press Association (REHupa), REH scholar Jeffrey Shanks, Lin Carter, Glen Usher, and more! Orders for the Hyborian Gazette can be ordered through Steve at the Carnelian Press Facebook Page.

I have already ordered mine and will provide more information about this fanzine when it arrives.

In the arena of Academia, Justin Everett and Jeffrey Shanks recently edited a very nice volume titled The Unique Legacy of Weird Tales.  Here is a peak at the Table of Contents:

Introduction: Weird Tales—Discourse Community and Genre Nexus (Justin Everett and Jeffrey Shanks)

PART I: THE UNIQUE MAGAZINE: WEIRD TALES, MODERNISM, AND GENRE FORMATION

Chapter 1: "Something that swayed as if in unison": The Artistic Authenticity of Weird Tales in the Interwar Periodical Culture of Modernism - Jason Ray Carney
Chapter 2: Weird Modernism: Literary Modernism in the First Decade of Weird Tales - Jonas Prida
Chapter 3: “Against the Complacency of an Orthodox Sun-Dweller”: The Lovecraft Circle and the “Weird Class” - Daniel Nyikos
Chapter 4: Strange Collaborations: Shared Authorship and Weird Tales - Nicole Emmelhainz
Chapter 5: Gothic to Cosmic: Sword and Sorcery Fiction in Weird Tales - Morgan Holmes

II. EICH-PI-EL AND TWO-GUN BOB: LOVECRAFT AND HOWARD IN WEIRD TALES

Chapter 6: A Nameless Horror: Madness and Metamorphosis in H.P. Lovecraft and Post-modernism - Clancy Smith
Chapter 7: Great Phallic Monoliths: Lovecraft and Sexuality - Bobby Derie
Chapter 8: Evolutionary Otherness: Anthropological Anxiety in Robert E. Howard’s “Worms of the Earth” - Jeffrey Shanks
Chapter 9: Eugenic Thought in the Works of Robert E. Howard - Justin Everett
III. MASTERS OF THE WEIRD: OTHER AUTHORS OF WEIRD TALES
Chapter 10: Pegasus Unbridled: Clark Ashton Smith and the Ghettoization of the Fantastic - Scott Connors
Chapter 11: “A Round Cipher”: Word-Building and World-Building in the Weird Works of Clark Ashton Smith - Geoffrey Reiter
Chapter 12: C. L. Moore and M. Brundage: Competing Femininities in the October, 1934 Issue of Weird Tales - Jonathan Helland
Chapter 13: Psycho-ology 101: Incipient Madness in the Weird Tales of Robert Bloch - Paul Shovlin
Chapter 14: “To Hell and Gone”: Harold Lawlor’s Self-Effacing Pulp Metafiction - Sidney Sondergard

Index

About the Editors and Contributors

The book has a fairly steep price tag, but then again most academic books do. The publisher—Rowan & Littlefield—have sent me a review copy of the book, so  I will be reviewing the book here at Underwood as soon as I finish reading it.

That's everything for now. Cheers!

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