ROBERT E. HOWARD FOUNDATION AWARDS 
FINAL RESULTS FOR 2020 & 2021

Note: Because the awards were postponed last year, this year members voted on both 2020 awards (for works that appeared in 2019) and 2021 awards (works that appeared in 2020). The results were announced at Robert E. Howard Days in Cross Plains, Texas, on Friday, June 11.

THE ATLANTEAN — OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT, BOOK 
(NON-ANTHOLOGY/COLLECTION)
(Books may be print or digital, must be a minimum of 50,000 words, and must be substantively devoted to the life and/or work of REH. Reprinted works without significant revisions are not eligible.)

2020 Winner: Bobby Derie. Weird Talers: Essays on Robert E. Howard and Others (Hippocampus Press)

2021 Winner: Brian Murphy. Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword-and-Sorcery (Pulp Hero Press) 

2020 finalists:

Fred Blosser. Silken Swords: An Informal Guide to the Women in the Fiction of Robert E. Howard (Pulp Hero Press)

Dierk Günther. History in Robert E. Howard's Fantastic Stories: From an Age Undreamed of to the Era of the Old West and Texas Frontier (Hiroshima University Library/Book Repository)

2021 finalists:

Fred Blosser. The Annotated Guide to Robert E. Howard's Weird Fantasy (Pulp Hero Press)

Charles Hoffman and Marc Cerasini. Robert E. Howard: A Closer Look (Hippocampus Press)

THE VALUSIAN — OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT, BOOK (ANTHOLOGY/COLLECTION) 
(Books may be print or digital, must be a minimum of 50,000 words, and must be substantively devoted to the life and/or work of REH. Reprinted works without significant revisions are not eligible.)

2020 Winner:  Mark Wheatley (ed.). Songs of Giants: the Poetry of Pulp (Insight Studios)

2021 Winner: Ted Abrams & Elizabeth Nee (editors). Rattle of Bones & Other Terrifying Tales (Clover Press)

2020 finalists:

Jeff Vandermeer and Ann Vandermeer (eds.). The Big Book of Classic Fantasy (Knopf Doubleday)

Francisco Arellano and Javier Martín Lalanda (trans.). Canciones De Un Juglar Loco (La Biblioteca del Laberinto)

2021 finalists:

Scott Lee (editor). The Cthulhu Stories of Robert E. Howard (Word Fire Press)

Frank Festa (editor/publisher). Der Mythos des Cthulhu: Erzählungen (Festa Verlag)

THE HYRKANIAN—OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT, ESSAY (PRINT)
(Essays must have made their first public published appearance in the previous calendar year and be substantive scholarly essays on the life and/or work of REH. Short pieces, interviews, reviews, trip reports, and other minor works do not count.)

2020 Winner: Nicole Emmelhainz-Carney. "By This Pen I Rule: Robert E. Howard as Gatekeeper in the Development of Weird Fiction" (The Dark Man Vol.10, issue 1)

2021 Winner: Karen Joan Kohoutek. “More Than Meets the Eye: The Women Protagonists of the Conan Stories” (The Dark Man Vol. 11, issue 1)

2020 finalists:

Dierk Günther. "Faces of Kane: Exploring the Identity of Robert E. Howard's Puritan Swordsman" (The Dark Man Vol.10, issue 1)

Bobby Derie. "Robert E Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, and the Great War" (The Dark Man Vol.10, issue 2)

Karen Joan Kohoutek. "No Refuge in Idealism: Illusion Meets reality in 'Xuthal of the Dusk'" (The Dark Man Vol.10, issue 1)

2021 finalists:

Willard M Oliver. “Robert E. Howard and Jack London’s Martin Eden: Analyzing the Influence of Martin Eden on Howard and his Semi-Autobiography” (The Dark Man Vol. 11, issue 1)

Ralph Norris. “The Coming of Kull” (The Dark Man Vol. 11, issue 1)

THE CIMMERIAN—OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT, ESSAY (ONLINE)
(Essays must have made their first public published appearance in the previous calendar year and be substantive scholarly essays on the life and/or work of REH. Short blog posts, speeches, reviews, trip reports, and other minor works do not count.)

2020 Winner (Tie): Bob Byrne. editor of the “Hither Came Conan” series on BlackGate.com

2020 Winner (Tie): David C. Smith. "Robert E. Howard as a Writer of Consequence" on DMR Books blog

2021 Winner: John Bullard. “Beyond the Black River”: Is It Really “Beyond the Brazos River”? (Adventures Fantastic. 3 Part Serial) 

2020 finalist:

Tim Dedopulos. "The Life and Death of Robert E. Howard" series on Conan.com

2021 finalists:

Bobby Derie. Unspeakable! The Secret History of Nameless Cults (On An Underwood #5, 31 May 2020)

Jason Ray Carney. “1932, The Year of Conan: Sword and Sorcery and Historical Pessimism” (DMR Books, 26 Oct 2020)

THE VENARIUM — EMERGING SCHOLAR 

2020 Winner: Jason Ray Carney

2021 Winner: John Bullard

THE STYGIAN—OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT, WEBSITE OR PERIODICAL
(Eligible candidates are limited to print or digital magazines, journals, blogs, or internet sites with substantive material that is primarily devoted to scholarship on the life and works of Robert E. Howard. Websites must have been updated with new content at least once in the previous calendar year. Print periodicals must have had an issue published in the previous calendar year. Non-static social media like Facebook and Twitter would not be eligible.)

2020 Winner: The Dark Man: Journal of Robert E. Howard and Pulp Studies (Editors: Jason Ray Carney and Nicole Emmelhainz-Carney)

2021 Winner: REH World (Editor: Ståle Gismervik)

2020 finalists:

Howard History (Editor: Rob Roehm)

BlackGate.com (Managing editor: Howard Andrew Jones) 

2021 finalists:

The Dark Man: Journal of Robert E. Howard and Pulp Studies (Editors: Jason Ray Carney and Nicole Emmelhainz-Carney) 

Howard History (Editor: Rob Roehm)

The Robert E. Howard Foundation Newsletter (Editor: Lee Breakiron)

THE BLACK LOTUS – OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT, MULTIMEDIA
(Eligible candidates have produced a multimedia or audio/visual work or series of works, such as videos, documentaries, podcasts, animation, etc. related to the life and work of REH)

2020 Winner: Ben Friberg - Howard Days 2019 Videos 

2021 Winner: Ben Friberg. “Tour of Robert E Howard Home” (video)

2020 finalists:

Mountain Man: Adventures of Breckinridge Elkins (Director: Stanislav Roud)

The Cromcast (Josh Adkins, Luke Dodd, Jon Larson)

2021 finalists:

The Cromcast (Josh Adkins, Luke Dodd, Jon Larson)

Rusty Burke, Nicole Emmelhainz-Carney. “The Origins of TDM: Interview with the Founding Editor Rusty Burke.” The Pavilion Blog.

THE RANKIN — ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT IN THE DEPICTION OF REH’S LIFE AND/OR WORK
(Art must have made its first public published appearance in the previous calendar year.)

2020 Winner: Etienne Le Roux, artist for Conan le Cimmérien - La Citadelle écarlate (Glénat 2019) 

2021 Winner: E. M. Gist, cover artist for Conan the Barbarian #13-17 (Marvel, 2020)

2020 finalists:

Mark Wheatley, artist for Songs of Giants: The Poetry of Pulp

Sana Takeda, cover artist for Age of Conan: Bêlit #1-5 (Marvel, 2019)

2021 finalists:

Gess, artist for Conan le Cimmérien - Les Mangeurs d'hommes de Zamboula (Glénat 2020)

Park Jae Kwang, artist for Conan le Cimmérien - Le Peuple du cercle noir (Glénat 2020)

Andrew C. Robinson, cover artist for King-Size Conan (Marvel, 2020)

THE CROM AWARD

(A Board of Directors vote for special achievements)

2020 Winners: Dierk Günther and Patrice Louinet for receiving Ph.D.s with theses on Robert E. Howard at Hiroshima University and the Sorbonne, respectively.

2021 Winner: Era Lee Hanke

BLACK CIRCLE AWARD – LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

(Individuals who have made significant and long-lasting contributions to REH scholarship, publishing, or the promotion of Howard’s life and works. Eligible candidates must have been publicly involved in Howard-related activities for a minimum of two decades. Sixty percent of the vote is required for induction into the Black Circle)

2020 Winner: Paul Herman

2021 Winner; Arlene Stephenson

New at Howard Works

Saída de Emergência (Portuguese)
Os Contos Mais Épicos de Conan
Featuring:  
"The Phoenix on the Sword"
"The Scarlet Citadel"
"The Tower of the Elephant"
"Black Colossus"
"The Pool of the Black One"
"Rogues in the House"
"The Frost-Giant's Daughter"
"Iron Shadows in the Moon"
"Queen of the Black Coast"
"The Devil in Iron"
"The People of the Black Circle"
"Red Nails"
"The Man-Eaters of Zamboula"
http://howardworks.com/Os_Contos_Mais_Epicos_de_Conan-Saida_de_Emergencia.html

Pipoca e Nanquim (Portuguese)
Conan, o Bárbaro - Livro 1
Featuring:  
"The Phoenix on the Sword"
"The Scarlet Citadel"
"The Tower of the Elephant"
"Black Colossus"
"Xuthal of the Dusk"
"The Pool of the Black One"
"Cimmeria" (poem)
"The Hyborian Age" 
"The God in the Bowl"
http://howardworks.com/Conan_o_Barbaro-Livro1-Pipoca_e_Nanquim.html

Robert Derie
Strange Stories of Robert E. Howard & Co.
Featuring:  
"The Children of the Night"
"The Slithering Shadow"
http://howardworks.com/Strange_Stories_of_Robert_E_Howard_and_Co-RobertDerie.html

David Gentzel
A Elkins Never Surrenders [Distributed in REHupa #200]
Featuring: "A Elkins Never Surrenders"
http://howardworks.com/A_Elkins_Never_Surrenders-REHupa200-DavidGentzel.html

Dark Horse Comics
Conan and the Jewels of Gwahlur #1
Featuring:  "Jewels of Gwahlur" (Part 1 of 3)(graphic adaptation)
http://howardworks.com/ConanandtheJewelsofGwahlur1-DarkHorse.html

 TITAN BOOKS ANNOUNCE PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP WITH CONAN PROPERTIES FOR OFFICIAL ORIGINAL CONAN FICTION 

London, June 2021

Titan Books and Conan Properties through their Perilous Worlds imprint are excited to announce a program of original new publishing featuring Robert E. Howard's most famous character, Conan. Expanding from the core of Howard's original work, the new fiction will stand firmly within the Conan canon, beginning with a novel and two short stories to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the character in 2022. 

One of the most universally recognizable iconic figures in modern popular culture, Conan was born from the creative genius of pulp fiction author Robert E. Howard, forging the creation of a new genre of writing: Sword and Sorcery. Conan's epic adventures feature dramatic battles with formidable foes across the fantasy backdrop of the Hyborian Age, as the world's most famous barbarian quests across the lands and eventually becomes king of the largest empire. 

Wildly popular for almost a century, Conan continues to captivate fans worldwide. His vast media and merchandise empire spans feature films, television (including a Netflix series currently in development), Funcom's phenomenally successful Conan Exiles video game, a thousand comic books over fifty years (currently with Marvel), worldwide publishing, collectibles, apparel, and more. 

Titan Boo.' and Perilous World's full program will be composed of original novels and new short fiction digging deeply into the canon of some of the most thrilling characters in fantasy fiction, including Conan, Kull the Conqueror, Solomon Kane, and Dark Agnes. The mix of formats will build upon Howard's thrilling adventures, enabling authors to expand the worlds he created with new layers of detail that will thrust Conan into the forefront with a modern audience. 

"Given the literary origins of Conan and Howard's other characters, we've sought for years to establish a dynamic publishing program of newly written stories. Our relationship with Titan and its team goes back decades, and we're excited to embark on this joint adventure to create new tales for readers to enjoy," said Jay Zetterberg, Executive Vice President of Conan Properties. 

Speaking on the collaboration, Senior Acquisitions Editor Steve Saffel described the program as "a dream project for anyone who loves fantasy", adding that "beginning with the core of Howard's work, we'll invite the finest authors to join us in building upon his worlds and ideas. Through the short fiction component, we'll tap into the energies that yielded classics like 'Red Nails' and 'Kings of the Night.— 

The novels will publish in beautifully packaged trade paperback editions for the North American and UK mark.. The first short story is slated for May 2022, with the first novel currently scheduled for September of the same year. The original short fiction will be available exclusively in e-format, and the novels also will feature a simultaneous e-format release. 

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #22

Now available!

Written by Jim Zub
Art by Cory Smith
Cover by Geof Shaw

CONAN returns the TOOTH OF THE NIGHTSTAR and is granted an audience with the holy EMPEROR OF KHITAI!
Few have ever beheld the emperor's divine form...but what will Conan's meeting portend for the nation?
Don't miss the story that will rock the Hyborian Age and Conan's untold history!

Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99

New at Howard Works

Blagdaross (Spanish)
Blagdaross 7
Featuring:    "The Grey God Passes"
http://howardworks.com/Blagdaross7-Blagdaross.html

Books4Pocket
Sonia la Roja
Featuring:   "The Shadow of the Vulture"
http://howardworks.com/SonialaRoja-Books4Pocket.html

Crispin Burnham
Echoes from the Black Stone #12 [Distributed in REHupa #40]
Featuring:   
"Easter Island" (poem, lines 9-14)
http://howardworks.com/EchoesfromtheBlackStone12-REHupa40-CrispinBurnham.html

Legendary Planet
The Feasting of Swords: Epic Tales of Blood and Thunder
Featuring: 
"Shadows in the Moonlight"
"Queen of the Black Coast"
"The Devil in Iron"
"The People of the Black Circle"
"A Witch Shall be Born"
http://howardworks.com/Feasting_of_Swords-LegendaryPlanet.html

Dark Horse Comics
Pigeons from Hell TPB
Featuring:  "Pigeons From Hell"
http://howardworks.com/PigeonsfromHell-TPB-DarkHorse.html

Conan in the Land of the Rising Sun
By Doug Ellis

New post at the Black Gate blog.
https://www.blackgate.com/2021/05/18/conan-in-the-land-of-the-rising-sun/

SAVAGE AVENGERS #21
Now available!

Written by Gerry Duggan
Art by Patch Zircher
Cover by Valerio Giangiordano

Nightmare comes for the Marvel Universe and the Doctor is out, but luckily, Conan and Ghost Rider are IN. Flaming skulls are things Conan usually extinguishes with swords, but he's vaguely okay with Johnny Blaze.

Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99.