Robert E. Howard Days 2012

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

Well, it's time for Robert E. Howard Days 2012 and as it's becoming a bit of tradition, I'll be posting an ongoing trip report here. Some of you know I'm in the middle of a family vacation in Maine right now, but I'll be taking a few days off to fly down to Texas first thing in the morning. This year I'll be a participant as well as an attendee as I'm supposed to be on a panel Saturday---that may have changed though as I haven't heard anything in a while. There is also a rumor that I'm going to be refereeing a boxing match Friday night between Howard biographer and comic book writer Mark Finn and his opponent Chris Gruber, the editor of several volumes of Howard's boxing stories. The fight will take place at the old ice house in Cross Plains where Two Gun Bob himself used to box and drink beer with the roughnecks back in the day. Stay tuned!

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

In the meantime here's my favorite vacation photo so far. We hit WW Philly on the way up and it was my son's first show.

Monkeyman · **Joined:** Apr 25, 2007 2:21 AM **Posts:** 3530

Looking forward to the report.

Mike

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

REH Days - Day 1

Arrived in Dallas around noon yesterday and drove the two and a half hours to Cross Plains through some nasty. Made it one piece though. Here are a few video clips to give you a feel for the town.

Welcome to Cross Plains!
Population: Not a whole lot.

http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t3/T ... 13_787.mp4

Driving through downtown. Here you can see the public library on the right with the Conan mural on the side. That's where most of the panels will be. They also have a sweet pulp collectionj.

http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t3/T ... 6_4676.mp4

Here you can see first, the 36 West Motel where all the hardcore folks stay (the saner fans stay in Brownwood 45 minutes a way). Then almost, next door is the Howard house itself.

http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t3/T ... 4_7585.mp4

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

Traditionally the members of REHupa and the other fans that show up early on Thursday caravan from the Howard House to Brownwood for dinner at Humphrey Pete's, famous for it's steaks and fried pickles.

This is Jim Harron, Dennis McHaney (who was last year's guest of honor), and Lee Breakiron. The two ladies walking in the background are from Scotland.

Here we have Al Harron (also from Scotland and my fellow Cimmerian blogger), Paul Sammon (author of Conan the Phenomenon), Rob Roehm (the primary editor for the REH foundation), and Mark Finn (author of the REH biography Blood and Thunder).

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

Usually after dinner we vist the REH gravesite, but the weather was drizzly and we all decided to head back to the pavilion at the Howard House to drink Shiner Bocks and whisley. The he lady in the center is Lou Ann Lord, Glenn Lord's widow (for those who know who Glenn was).

Lee and I just went in together on a batch of Phantangraphs, and he had my share waiting for me! :banana:

highradart · **Joined:** Mar 02, 2010 9:54 PM **Posts:** 851

Good stuff! What's the turnout for this and thanks for sharing.

macathro · **Posted:** Jun 12, 2012 3:08 PM

It is great to hear about this event! Thanks for sharing!

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

Sorry I got delayed in posting. Here's the continuation:

REH Days - Day 2

Today is the official start of Howard Days. After a wonderfully greasy breakfast at Jean Feed Barn, there was a bus tour of Cross Plains by Rusty Burke, considered the preeminent Howard Scholar. This year the police made us use a real bus instead a flatbed trailer with folding chairs on it, pulled by a pick-up.

I've done the tour twice before so I skipped it and went straight to the house:

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

There were several panels during the day including a tribute to Glenn Lord and a panel on Conan's 80th birthday. The guest honor this year was Charles Hoffman, who authored one of the first serious articles of literary criticism on Howard's work back in 1974 - "Conan the Existentialist."

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

Last night we had the banquet, where Charles spoke and the REH Foundation annual awards were given out. I was very honored to receive the Venarium Award for best emerging scholar (sort like rookie of the year for Howard studies).

After the banquet, we had the Fist at the Ice House panel at the old ice house. It wasn't really a boxing match---we just spread that rumor to get more people to show. It's what Howard would call "Tall Lying." We talked about REH's boxing stories and read some excerpts from our smart phones. Modern technology comes to Cross Plains.

After that it was back to the pavilion for more drinking and swappin' lies.

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

Day two

Saturday is always the biggest day as far as crowds go. There's were more panels including one REH and Acadamia, with myself, Chuck Hoffman, and Mark Finn. In the early evening everyone caravan out to the Caddo Peak Ranch for a Bar-B-Q, the last official event of HDs. Though of course there was another late night at the pavilion and one last breakfast at Jean's feed barn Sunday morning. It was a smaller more subdued HDs this year without all of the drama of the movie and honestly it was more enjoyable that way. More time to relax and geek out with friends---and of course that what it's about.

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

Here's a brief virtual tour of the Howard House:

http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t3/T ... hhouse.mp4

And her is my official trip report on the REH: Two-Gun Raconteur blog:

http://rehtwogunraconteur.com/?p=19566#more-19566

Mr. Zipper · **Joined:** Apr 25, 2007 2:21 AM **Posts:** 6033

Point Five · **Joined:** Sep 21, 2009 10:03 AM **Posts:** 922

Jeffrey Shanks wrote:

I was very honored to receive the Venarium Award for best emerging scholar (sort like rookie of the year for Howard studies).

Don't look now but I think your presenter might be having second thoughts...

Congrats Jeff! :righton:

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

Here's the video of the REH and Academia with me, Mark Finn, and Charles Hoffman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZNiK93V ... ature=plcp

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCApYKUt ... ure=relmfu

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