Sunday, March 29, 2020

The Literary Influences of Robert E. Howard: 
 James Branch Cabell 
by Todd B. Vick

New post at the On An Underwood No. 5 blog.
https://onanunderwood5.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-literary-influences-of-robert-e.html




New at Howard Works

Newton Compton Editori (Italian)
Storie di vampiri (2009, 2011, 2018)
Featuring:
"The Hour of the Dragon" (One chapter only)
"Skulls in the Stars"
http://howardworks.com/Storie_di_vampiri-2009-2011-2018-Newton_Compton.html


Newton Compton Editori (Italian)
Tutti i cicli fantastici: I Cicli di Kull di Valusia, di James Allison, di Cthulhu e di Almuric
Featuring:
"Exile of Atlantis"
"The Shadow Kingdom"
"Delcardes' Cat"
"The Skull of Silence"
"By this Axe I Rule!"
"The Striking of the Gong"
"Swords of the Purple Kingdom"
"The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune"
"The Altar and the Scorpion"
"The King and the Oak" (poem)
"The Garden of Fear"
"The Valley of the Worm"
"The Children of the Night"
"The Black Stone"
"The Fire of Asshurbanipal" (1)
"The Thing on the Roof"
"Dig Me No Grave"
"Almuric"
http://howardworks.com/Tutti_i_cicli_fantastici-I_Cicli_di_Kull_di_Valusia_di_James_Allison_di_Cthulhu_e_di_Almuric-Newton_Compton.html


Robert E. Howard Foundation
The Robert E. Howard Foundation Newsletter Volume 13 Number 3
Featuring:
Untitled synopsis ("Black Colossus")
"Black Colossus" (Part 1 of 2)
"The Bandit" (poem, last 15 lines only)
"The Rover" (poem, first 12 lines only)
http://howardworks.com/rehfoundationsnewsletterV13N3.html


Marvel Comics
The Savage Sword of Conan Volume 1 Number 38
Featuring:  "The Road of the Eagles"
http://howardworks.com/SavageSwordofConanV1N38-Marvel.html



Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Ablaze Publishing
THE CIMMERIAN: QUEEN OF THE BLACK COAST #2
Now available!

(Writer) Jean-David Morvan
(Art) Pierre Alary
(Covers) Sunghan Yune, Criss Cross, Ed Benes, and In-Hyuk Lee.

Robert E. Howard's famous Cimmerian continues his uncensored adventure! Discover the true Conan, unrestrained, violent, and sexual…read the story as he intended!

Conan joins up with Belit to brutally pillage and sail the poisonous river Zarkheba, encountering ancient ruins, lost treasure, and winged, vicious monstrosities.

Bonus Material: The Original Robert E. Howard short story is included!

Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99

The Ablaze comics are an English language repackaging of graphic albums from the French publisher Glénat.












Sunday, March 22, 2020

New at Howard Works

Newton Compton Editori  (Italian)
Tutti i cicli fantastici - I Cicli di Solomon Kane e di Kirby Buchner
Featuring:
"Skulls in the Stars"
"The Right Hand of Doom"
"Red Shadows"
"Death's Black Riders"
"Rattle of Bones"
"The Castle of the Devil"
"The Moon of Skulls"
"The One Black Stain"  (poem)
"Blades of the Brotherhood" (1)
"The Hills of the Dead"
"Hawk of Basti"
"The Return of Sir Richard Grenville" (poem)
"Wings in the Night"
"The Footfalls Within"
"The Children of Asshur"
"Solomon Kane's Homecoming" (1, poem)
"Black Canaan"
"Pigeons from Hell"
"Scarlet Tears"
http://howardworks.com/Tutti_i_cicli_fantastici-I_Cicli_di_Solomon_Kane_e_di_Kirby_Buchner-Newton_Compton.html


Newton Compton Editori (Italian)
Storie di vampiri (2005)
Featuring:
"The Hour of the Dragon" (One chapter only)
"Skulls in the Stars"
http://howardworks.com/Storie_di_vampiri-2005-Newton_Compton.html


Fortuna Publications
The Adventures of Sword and Sorcery #1
Featuring:
"The Black Stone"
"The Riders of Babylon" (poem)
http://howardworks.com/AdventuresofSwordandSorcery1-FortunaPublications.html


Marvel Comics
The Savage Sword of Conan Volume 1 Number 37
Featuring:
"Son of the White Wolf"
"The Moon of Skulls"  (Part 2 of 4)
http://howardworks.com/SavageSwordofConanV1N37-Marvel.html





Thursday, March 19, 2020

Marvel Comics April REH Solicitations for June 
& collections for September & October!

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #17
Written by Jim Zub
Art by Robert Gill
Cover by E.M. Gist
Variant Cover by Roberto de la Torre

“THE CURSE OF THE NIGHTSTAR” CLAIMS CONAN!

CONAN has escaped the Great Crucible, but his “March to Khitai” has just begun!
Conan now possesses the TOOTH OF THE NIGHTSTAR, a mighty weapon liberated from the Uttara Kuru leadership. But if he’s not careful, the sword will possess him!
A dark force is bound to the mystic blade, a spirit hungering for souls—including the Cimmerian’s! And It. Must. Feed!

Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99, On sale June 17.



CONAN: BATTLE FOR THE SERPENT CROWN #5 (OF 5) 
Saladin Ahmed (Writer) • Luke Ross (Art)
Cover by Mahmud Asrar

MEPHISTO TRIUMPHANT?!

• The trail leading to the SERPENT CROWN has brought MEPHISTO’s ultimate goal within reach!
• As CONAN makes his last-ditch effort to stake his claim on the treasure, NYLA SKIN makes a daring move!
• But will the Serpent Crown’s newly revealed secret doom Conan to a fate undreamed of?

Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99, On sale June 10.


DARK AGNES #5 (OF 5) 
Becky Cloonan (Writer) • Luca Pizzari (Art)
Cover by Stephanie Hans

REVENGE IS BITTERSWEET!

• THE DUKE D’ALENCON returns!
• THE KILLER shows their true face!
• DARK AGNES’ past catches up with her!
• Don’t miss the shocking finale of DARK AGNES’ inaugural comic series!

Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99, On sale June 24.


SAVAGE AVENGERS #14 (Featuring Conan)  
Gerry Duggan (Writer) • Patch Zircher (Art)
Cover by Valerio Giangiordano

Conan leads a team of Savage Avengers against an Asgardian dragon in a quest for treasure.
Get out your twenty-sided dice and roll to attack with Conan, Magik and new Savage recruits the Black Knight and Juggernaut!

Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99, On sale June 3.



CONAN THE BARBARIAN BY KURT BUSIEK OMNIBUS 
Written by Kurt Busiek, Fabian Nicieza & Len Wein
Penciled by Cary Nord, Thomas Yeates, Greg Ruth, Tom Mandrake, John Severin, Tim Truman, Eric PowellL, Rafael Kayanan, Kelley Jones & More
Covers by Cary Nord & Joseph Michael Linsner

Award-winning writer Kurt Busiek reinvents the Hyborian Age with a gritty new take on Conan the Barbarian!

Witness Conan’s legendary rise — from his birth on a Cimmerian battlefield to his coming-of-age during the Battle of Venarium. As he wanders the ancient world in search of adventure, Conan will face the Vanir, be enslaved by an ageless evil and battle Janissa the Widowmaker! He will experience the mystery of “the Frost Giant’s Daughter”, the horror of the “God in the Bowl” and the secrets of the “Tower of the Elephant”! Plus: Witness the origin of Conan’s archenemy, Thoth-Amon! Allied with an outstanding array of artistic talent, Busiek’s Conan sagas mix jaw-dropping adaptations of original Robert E. Howard stories with incredible interlocking new tales!

Collecting CONAN: THE LEGEND #0; CONAN (2004) #1-28, #32, #39 and #45-46 and CONAN: BOOK OF THOTH #1-4.

Hardcover, Full Color, 1024 pages, $125, On sale September 23.



CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THE ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS VOL. 5
Written by J.M. DeMatteis, Bruce Jones & Roy Thomas with Len Wein, Larry Hama, Steven Grant, Alan Zelenetz & Jo Duffy
Penciled by John Buscema & Gil Kane with Marc Silvestri, Alfredo Alcala, Val Mayerik, Richard Howell, Ron Wilson, Franc Reyes & Romas Kukalisl
Covers By Alex Ross & Gil Kane

Conan the Barbarian enters a new creative phase as J.M. DeMatteis (“Kraven’s Last Stand”) debuts as series writer. He will take Conan to the magical city in the clouds, Mreead-Zza; return fan-favorites Jenna and Murilo to the supporting cast; and team with John Buscema on a set of stories pitting Conan against Eilaynia, Princess of Mist.

Then, Marvel legend Gil Kane takes the artistic reins for an extended run featuring “The Creation Quest” saga, while writer Bruce Jones (Incredible Hulk) mixes a blend of humor and horror.

Plus: A story illustrated by titans John Buscema and Neal Adams, a pair of Annuals by Roy Thomas and Thomas and Buscema’s Conan of the Isles graphic novel, reprinted for the first time!

Collecting CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1970) #116-149, ANNUAL (1973) #6-9; CONAN OF THE ISLES (1988); WHAT IF? (1977) #39.

Hardcover, Full Color, 1048 pages, $125, On sale October 14.


Conan le Cimmérien: 
Les Mangeurs d'hommes de Zamboula
Now available!

Conan in the land of a thousand and one nights!

A crossroads of beliefs, languages ​​and cultures, the mythical trading city of Zamboula is also the scene of many dark legends. Conan recently arrived on the scene and warned of the dangers of Aram Baksh's home. It is said that most foreigners who stay there disappear in obscure circumstances ... that's good, it is precisely here that the Cimmerian decided to spend the night! But by lifting the veil on these mysterious cases of kidnappings, Conan will discover another secret, more terrible still, related to the whole of the city of Zamboula ...


A tale steeped in orientalism and macabre witchcraft, The Man Eaters of Zamboula offers Gess the opportunity to deliver his vision of the hero of Robert E. Howard in a comic book with exotic and dark beauty.

Format: 240 x 320 mm, Full Color
Pages: 64
€ 14.95

Format: 275 x 368 mm, Black & White
Pages: 48
€ 29.50




Wednesday, March 18, 2020

CONAN THE BARBARIAN VOLUME 2: 
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF CONAN BOOK TWO TPB 
Now available!

Written by Jason Aaron
Penciled by Mahmud Asrar, Gerardo Zaffino & Garry Brown
Cover by Esad Ribic

Conan is dead! Long live Conan! “The Life and Death of Conan” concludes! Beyond his lusts for ale, battle and gold, many women have captured Conan the Barbarian’s heart over the years. But nothing is sacred when the Crimson Witch strikes — and twists what is truly best in life! Then, Conan returns home to Cimmeria…but things aren’t exactly as he remembers them! Is he that out of touch — or is he falling into the trap of the wizard Thoth-Amon?! Beasts from the past rear their fearsome heads, and the Barbarian meets his ultimate fate — but what lies beyond? Could it be…Crom?! Conan comes face-to-face with his god, but Crom does not care for the fate of any mortal — unless that mortal forces him to! Prepare for the literal battle of a lifetime!

Collecting CONAN THE BARBARIAN (2019) #7-12.

Full Color, 136 pages, $17.99


CONAN THE BARBARIAN #14 
Now available!

Written by Jim Zub
Art by Roge Antonio
Cover by E.M. Gist
Variant Cover by Tommy Lee Edwards

THE DEADLY TRAP IS SPRUNG AS “INTO THE CRUCIBLE” CONTINUES!
• CONAN, equipped with only his strength and wits, must survive the deadly traps of the Great Crucible!
• With a cadre of contestants against him, and only a local boy named DELIAN to translate, can anyone or any THING be trusted?!
• Who is really playing who…?

Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99



Tuesday, March 17, 2020


Robert E. Howard Days 
June 12-13, 2020
Cancelled due to COVID-19 threat.


The Robert E. Howard Foundation has posted the following announcement:
 ·
We are saddened to report that, due to the ongoing novel-coronavirus pandemic, and after consulting with our friends in Cross Plains, we have decided that we will have to cancel Robert E. Howard Days, scheduled for June 12-13.

The uncertainty of the current timelines for the outbreak, the potential risks involved in bringing people from all over the US and other countries, from places with varying rates of infection, to a very small town with limited health care resources, and the need to make a decision now so everyone can adjust their plans, have led the Board of the Robert E. Howard Foundation and our partners at Project Pride to this extremely difficult decision. Ultimately, we had to come down on the side of everyone’s safety.

We will look now toward next year, when we hope that Roy Thomas will join us as Guest of Honor, and we will all get to experience again the Best Weekend in Howard Fandom.



Sunday, March 15, 2020

New at Howard Works

Newton Compton Editori (Italian)
Tutti i cicli fantastici - Il ciclo di Conan Tomo I
Featuring:
"The Tower of the Elephant"
"The Hall of the Dead"
"The God in the Bowl"
"Rogues in the House"
"The Frost-Giant's Daughter"
"Queen of the Black Coast"
"The Vale of Lost Women"
"Black Colossus"
"Shadows in the Moonlight"
"A Witch Shall Be Born"
"Shadows in Zamboula"
"The Devil in Iron"
"The People of the Black Circle"
"The Slithering Shadow"
"The Pool of the Black One"
"The Hyborian Age"
http://howardworks.com/Tutti_i_cicli_fantastici-Il_ciclo_di_Conan_Tomo_I-Newton_Compton.html



Newton Compton Editori (Italian)
Storie di vampiri
Featuring:
"The Hour of the Dragon" (One chapter only)
"Skulls in the Stars"
http://howardworks.com/Storie_di_vampiri-1994-Newton_Compton.html



Ablaze Publishing
The Cimmerian: Queen of the Black Coast #1
Featuring:
"Queen of the Black Coast" (Part 1 of 2, graphic adaptation)
"Queen of the Black Coast" (Part 1 of 2)
http://howardworks.com/TheCimmerian-QueenoftheBlackCoast1-Ablaze.html





Marvel Comics
The Savage Sword of Conan Volume 1 Number 36
Featuring:  "Hawks Over Shem"
http://howardworks.com/SavageSwordofConanV1N36-Marvel.html





Sunday, March 8, 2020

New at Howard Works

Newton Compton Editori  (Italian)
Tutti i romanzi e i racconti. 
   L'incubo - Tutte le storie dell'orrore puro (1993)  & 
Lovecraft: Le storie dell'orrore puro (2004)
Featuring: "The Challenge from Beyond"
http://howardworks.com/Tutti_i_romanzi_e_i_racconti-Lincubo-Newton_Compton.html



Newton Compton Editori (Italian)
Storie di streghe
Featuring:   "A Witch Shall Be Born"
http://howardworks.com/Storie_di_streghe-Newton_Compton.html


Thanks to Leo Grin for scanning this publication.
Thanks to Dennis McHaney for providing me with the scans.

Tim Arney
Aquila Nidus #6 [Distributed in REHupa 105]
Featuring:   "Song Before Clontarf"
http://howardworks.com/AquilaNidus6-REHupa105-TimArney.html



Marvel Comics
The Savage Sword of Conan Volume 1 Number 35
Featuring:
"The Singer in the Mist" (1, poem)
"A Song of the Race" (poem, first five & last seven stanzas only)
"The Ghost Kings" (poem)
http://howardworks.com/SavageSwordofConanV1N35-Marvel.html






Thursday, March 5, 2020

2020 Howard Days
June 12th & 13th, 2020

The wheels have already been turning in getting Howard Days 2020 underway. Hope you can join us on Friday and Saturday, June 12th and 13th in Cross Plains, Texas at the Robert E. Howard Museum for The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom!

The theme of this year's event is "Celebrating REH in the Comics" and we're pulling out all the stops as we honor the 50th Anniversary of Marvel Comics Conan the Barbarian comic book. To further along our extravaganza, we have Roy Thomas as our Guest of Honor!

Yes, the man who started the Conan comic in 1970 will be at Howard Days! Roy has 50 years of stories about how he was the ground-breaker in getting the feisty Cimmerian into the comics and how he has continued to support our favorite barbarian.

And, that's not all. Since Marvel Comics re-acquired the Conan comic book rights earlier this year, they've been going great guns: not only are they currently producing three Conan titles, other Howard characters are making their way into comic book form. And we're going to have some of the Marvel creators in attendance at Howard Days 2020. You won't want to miss this one!

Details are still being hammered out, as you would expect, but we've got all kinds of surprises and special events that will happen in Cross Plains next June.

We'll get back to a more regular schedule of blogging now and keep you updated as the HD 2020 news comes down the pike. But it would probably be a good idea to think about coming down to Cross Plains next June and it's never too early to start planning for that.

All the basic Howard Days information & logistics is available here on this blog, so click some tabs if you have any questions. And make your plans to come join us in June!


Wednesday, March 4, 2020

THE CIMMERIAN: QUEEN OF BLACK COAST #1
Now available!

(Writer) Jean-David Morvan (Art) Pierre Alary (Covers) Jason Metcalf, Mirka Andolfo, Ed Benes, and Pierre Alary.

By Crom! For the first time, Robert E. Howard's Conan is brought to life uncensored!
Discover the true Conan, unrestrained, violent, and sexual.
Read the story as he intended! Pursued for killing a judge, Conan finds refuge on a merchant ship.
But soon after setting sail, the Cimmerian and his new companions face a threat: the legendary Bêlit, self-proclaimed Queen of the Black Coast!

Bonus Material:  The original Robert E. Howard short story is included!

Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99

The Ablaze comics are an English language repackaging of graphic albums from the French publisher Glénat.








SAVAGE AVENGERS #11 (Featuring Conan) 
Now available!

Gerry Duggan (Writer) • Butch Guice (Art)
Cover by Valerio Giangiordano

The Quest to Kill Kulan Gath Part 3
The horrific secret of Kulan Gath’s power is revealed. Steel yourself,  True Believers, this one isa bummer for the ages. Plus, Dr. Strange & Elektra did what last night?

Full Color, 32 pages, $3.99