HOWARD DAYS 2022 is June 10th & 11th!

 

As the cold winds begin to blow here in December, our thoughts turn to the warmer (usually MUCH warmer) days when we meet up at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas, to celebrate our annual gathering.

Robert E. Howard Days returns on June 10th and 11th, 2022. This is just our initial notice and will be short. However, if you're looking for a delayed gift for Christmas, why not treat yourself or a loved one to a trip to the REH Museum, the world's best destination for fans of Ol' Two-Gun Bob Howard?

The theme for HD 2022 is Howard's Influence on Gaming (think Role-Playing games, board and table-top games, card games and video games). Plans are being developed to present a program that will appeal to both brand-new and veteran gamers. Our Guest of Honor, Frederik Malmberg, is a life-long gamer and currently is head of Heroic Signatures, a subsidiary of FunCom, the folks who run the CONAN EXILES video game.

And if that's not enough, y'all come and help us celebrate the 90th birthday of Conan the Cimmerian! There will be cake!!!

We'll have more announcements and information coming around New Year's, but we wanted to tease you just a little here.

So start making plans to come to Texas in June. All the regular happenings and programming seen here under those little tabs above will still be happening, so treat yourself to a good Helping of Howard in 2022. 

It was a GREAT Howard Days!

While it has taken us nearly a week to recover from Howard Days 2021, we are happy to announce that our 2021 version was a spectacular event!

Attendance was very high, maybe unexpectedly so, but not nearly as high as the enjoyment of the attendees. After missing 2020 due to we-all-know-what, Howard fans came out in force to celebrate the Life and Legacy of Ol' Two-Gun Bob Howard! We owe a debt of gratitude (as we do every year) to the wonderful work of the folks of Project Pride of Cross Plains. They are the backbone and inspiration for all of us coming to Howard Days! Thank you!

Roy Thomas made for a near-perfect Guest of Honor: so very personable and open, his panels were engaging and entertaining, and his presence was no doubt a factor in the increased attendance.

The Robert E. Howard Museum shone in the hot Texas sun, a beacon for Howard fans from 26 states (and France - thanks, Dr. Louinet). We'll look for more foreign attendees next year, of course, and really celebrate our international family reunion. 

One of the highlights of this Howard Days was the unveiling of an on-site plaque monument devoted to REH, provide by the Texas State Historical Commission. The legitimacy of the Robert E. Howard legacy continues to grow.

The Bus, Walking and Grounds Tours were all well-received and pre-eminent Howard Scholar Rusty Burke did his usual masterful job conducting them. The Pavilion was packed both days and folks enjoyed many hot dogs and much tender brisket to go along with the fine Howardian Fellowship that Howard Days is famous for. The brilliant postal cancellation image graced many a postage stamp, the Cross Plains Library hosted many a fan gazing at original Howard typescripts, the REH Foundation Press set-up in the yard, along with several dealers, was buzzing with activity both days. And the Gift Shop in the Museum was darn near empty at the end of the festivities.

The Silent Auction at the Celebration Banquet brought in near record dough for Project Pride and we are happy to report no knife fights broke out during the frenzied bidding! Overall, between the Banquet, Silent Auction, Gift Shop and generous donations, Project Pride made up for the HD's missing year!

A big shout out goes to Mark Finn (author of the REH bio  BLOOD and THUNDER) for his wonderful job as both moderator of the REH in Comics panel and for his going solo on our perennial favorite Fists at the Icehouse panel. And he also read the English portion of "Cimmeria" at Porchlight Poetry!

All in all, Howard Days 2021 was a much needed event for all who attended. A big Thank You goes out to you all! We're certain that now that the healing has begun, we can look forward to better times ahead.

And we can guarantee that Howard Days 2022 will be here before we know it! Conan the Cimmerian turns 90 in '22, so we'll have to be on alert for what this iconic literary figure created by the incomparable Robert E. Howard will bring to Howard Days 2022! Y'all come!

Howard Days Starts Thursday June 10!

 While Howard Days "officially" starts on Friday, June 11th - there are activities at the Museum and in Cross Plains on Thursday the 10th.

The Robert E. Howard Museum is open to all on Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. and the adjacent Alla Ray Morris Pavilion is open to attendees all day that Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

There are no docents on hand on Thursday, but the Gift Shop will be open. You may tour the house and grounds at your leisure and there will certainly be enough folks on hand to answer any questions you may have. There is no cost for any activities for the entire weekend (only if you have a Banquet reservation is there a cost) so feel free (pun intended) to enjoy yourself at the Museum!

And help support the Senior Center in Cross Plains by attending the Thursday Fish Fry fundraiser from 5 to 7. Eight bucks gets you some delicious fish fry, all the fixings, drinks and desert!

Here is a 90% accurate revised schedule, as up to date as we can make it. With any event like this, unforeseen factors may occur, so let's roll with it and have some fun at Howard Days.

We sure hope to see you there.

2021 HOWARD DAYS SCHEDULE

“Celebrating 51 Years of REH in Comics”

 

THURSDAY JUNE 10

2:00 – 4:00 pm: The Robert E. Howard House and Museum is open to the public. There are no docents on duty but the Gift Shop will be open and the grounds and Pavilion are available to all.

5:00 – 7:00 pm: Fish Fry at the Cross Plains Senior Center.

The Pavilion will be open and available all day until late night on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

 

FRIDAY JUNE 11

8:30 am until gone: Coffee and donuts at the Pavilion, compliments of Project Pride

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum and Grounds open to the public. The adjacent Alla Ray Morris Pavilion will be open all day until late night.

9 am – 4 pm: REH Postal Cancellation Souvenir-Cross Plains Post Office. FRIDAY ONLY.

9:15 am – 12 Noon: Bus Tour of Cross Plains & Surrounding Areas. FRIDAY ONLY.

10 am to 4 pm: REH Foundation Press canopy and Dealers Area open on grounds east of Museum.

10 am – 4 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open. Original Robert E. Howard typescripts along with original Weird Tales magazines will be on display.

NOON: Hot Dog Lunch hosted by Project Pride at the Pavilion. Donations are welcome!

12:45 p.m.:  Historical Marker Presentation at the REH Museum.

1:30 pm: PANEL: REH in the Comics. This overview panel will discuss the history of Howard characters and stories presented in a comic book format. Mark Finn moderates Roy Thomas, Fred Blosser, Patrice Louinet, Jay Zetterberg.  AT FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Following this panel: Presentation of the 2020-2021 Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards.

3:00-4:00 pm PANEL: Roy Thomas Autograph Session. AT THE PAVILION.

5:30 – 6:30 pm: Silent Auction items available for viewing & bidding at Banquet site

6:30 pm: Robert E. Howard Celebration Banquet & Silent Auction at the Family Life Center of the Baptist Church on Main Street. Guest of Honor Speaker: Roy Thomas.

9:00 pm PANEL: Fists at the Ice House. Our perennial favorite panel about Howard’s boxing (and most prolific) writings. Panelists Mark Finn, Patrice Louinet

Afterward there will be Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion.  All are welcome and adult beverages are allowed.

 

SATURDAY JUNE 12

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum open to the public. The adjacent Alla Ray Morris Pavilion will be open all day until late night.

9:15 am – 10:30 am: Cross Plains Walking Tour, conducted by Rusty Burke. Meet at the Ice House (Reed Construction) on Main Street and walk in the steps of Bob Howard.

10 am – 3 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open. Original Robert E. Howard typescripts along with original Weird Tales magazines will be on display.

10 am to 4 pm: REH Foundation Press canopy and Dealers Area open on grounds east of Museum.

11:00 am – 12:30 pm PANEL: The Roy Thomas Interview. Come hear an engaging chat and a Q&A session with our Guest of Honor. AT FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.

1:00-2:00 pm PANEL: Roy Thomas Autograph Session. AT THE PAVILION.

2:30 pm PANEL: What’s Up with REH? This is our wrap-up panel, devoted to All Things Going On with Robert E. Howard in 2021. AT THE PAVILION

4:00 pm: Tour of REH House Grounds. Rusty Burke will lead a tour around the outside of the Howard Museum.

5:00 pm: Sunset BBQ at the Pavilion. Come and enjoy a real Texas chuck-wagon barbeque!

After BBQ: Porchlight Poetry: Listen to a multi-language reading of Howard’s poem “Cimmeria” + more REH poetry read aloud from the Museum porch. We have a microphone this year!

Afterward there will be Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion.  All are welcome and adult beverages are allowed.

NOTE: There will be special announcements, surprise guests and extemporaneous events:”pop-up” panels, readings, book signings and REH related happenings throughout Friday and Saturday at the Pavilion. Howard Fellowship at its finest!

REGARDING ROY THOMAS’ AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS:

- Roy will be signing ONLY on Friday 3 to 4 pm and Saturday 1 to 2 pm at the Pavilion

- Limit 10 items to sign at a time. You may get in line more than once.

- You are requested to make a donation to Hero Initiative (www.heroinitiative.org) each time you                         

  go through the line.

- No personalization autographs - Roy's signature only

- An "exclusive 'official' Marvel Roy Thomas Appreciation print” will be available for $20: Roy will

   personalize these. (A portion of proceeds will be donated to Project Pride.)

 

REGARDING DEALERS TABLES: There will be 8 tables available in the yard, FCFS, one per dealer @ $25.00 for the weekend. NO DEALERS IN THE PAVILION. Thank you.

 

 

Howard Days is Two Weeks Away!

 

With Howard Days now two weeks away, we're in the process of solidifying all our events, activities and special guests. Hope you can be there for the 35th Year of Howard Days!

First of all, if you haven't reserved your seat at the Friday Night Celebration Banquet, you should do so right away. Seating is limited to 150 and those spots are going very quickly now. PayPal your $15.00 per person reservation to ProjPride@yahoo.com. As of tonight, only 13 places are left, so do it now!

5-29-21 UPDATE: THE BANQUET IS SOLD OUT! But don't despair - get your name on the waitlist at ProjPride@yahoo.com. There are usually a few cancellations or no-shows. Also, you may still attend both the Silent Auction and after-dinner activities at no cost, there just won't be any chicken fried steak for you in the middle of those activities!

In addition to Roy Thomas as our Guest of Honor and numerous Howard scholars on hand, Howard Days this year will have some special guests as well.

Noted author and essayist and REH Foundation Award winner Fred Blosser will be there. Fans of The Savage Sword of Conan magazine will remember Mr. Blosser from his numerous REH essays that appeared in the pages of SSOC. Mr. Blosser has also collected additional essays into five books about Robert E. Howard: The Annotated Guide to REH's WEIRD FANTASY, SAVAGE SCROLLS: Scholarship from the Hyborian Age, WESTERN WEIRDNESS & VOODOO VENGEANCE: REH's American Horrors, AR-I-ECH:  Howard's Lovecraftian Fiction and SILKEN SWORDS: Women in the fiction of REH.

The top guns of Cabinet Entertainment will also be on hand. As Cabinet is the controlling faction of Conan Properties International, Fred Malmberg, Jay Zetterberg and Steve Booth will be on hand with news of their upcoming Netflicks Conan show, Marvel Comics news and exciting happenings with their videogame empire!

And the gang from our favorite podcast, The Cromcast (also REH Foundation Awards winners) will be at HD this year, not only doing their fun podcast thing, but helping us out by being our video recorders this year.

Fred Blosser, the Cabinet gang and Cromcast will be on hand Friday and Saturday, so Howard Days has ramped it up even more!

And be sure to join everyone in the front yard of the REH Museum on Friday at 12:45, for the unveiling of a new historical marker!

A note about anyone bringing REH items to sell: we will have extra tables (8) set up in the yard around the Pavilion, that will be available on a first come basis. In order to sell your REH (or closely related) items you must first make a $25.00 donation to the Museum and then set up. NO SELLING IN THE PAVILION. And please, your items must be of a REH connection (books, magazines, fanzines, artwork, comics, t-shirts, etc.). Any questions, please contact Bill Cavalier at indybillcav@gmail.com.

We are chomping at the bit to have a great Howard Days this year. After a year off, our plans for our annual family reunion are in place and we're ready. We hope to see you there!

Howard Days will be here SOON!

In a little over two weeks, fans of Robert E. Howard will finally be able to gather again at the REH Museum in Cross Plains, Texas! While we will miss some of our overseas amigos, plans are in place for another great Howard Days on June 11th & 12th..

Please peruse the scheduled activities on this site, knowing that Project Pride is waiting to welcome you with all the fun and fellowship that can be had at Howard Days!

Roy Thomas is our Guest of Honor, as we focus on 50...uh, 51 Years of REH in Comics. Roy is the main man when it comes to bringing Conan into Pop Culture and he'll be there to meet and greets his many fans!

But Howard Days is mostly about Howard Fellowship, as fans gather to celebrate the great legacy of Ol' Two-Gun Bob Howard. For all the activities we have planned for Howard Days, the best one is unplanned - the comradery and friendship shared by HD attendees. Hope you can come and hang out with us!

The special postal cancellation stamp is shown above, designed by Marvel artist Becky Cloonan. This is an exclusive souvenir available to HD attendees, only Friday only at the Cross Plains Post Office. So, the price of a stamp gets you an exclusive REH collectible!

Donations are always welcomed to support the REH Museum, but not just money-wise. The Silent Auction, held in conjunction with the Friday Celebration Banquet, is the biggest fundraiser that Project Pride does all year. 100% of the proceeds from this auction goes to the care and maintenance of the REH Museum. So, if you have extra or unused Howard items in your collection (books, paperbacks, magazines, fanzines, artwork & prints or any Howard-related items), please think about sending them to the Silent Auction. (Project Pride, POB 534, Cross Plains, TX 76443). C'mon, we all have dupes or extras in our collections - make a Howard fan happy by donating them today!

And speaking of the Celebration Banquet, reservations are still available, but going fast. These last few weeks will show a scramble to get a seat, so don't delay! A mere 15 bucks gets you a great dinner of authentic Texas grub, a chance to bid on rare collectibles - and you get to hear Roy Thomas speak! That's the deal of the year. You can use the address above or PayPal to ProjPride@yahoo.com.

And if that's not enough, be sure to be at the Howard Museum at 12:45 p.m. on Friday for a special surprise presentation. It involves something historical so you won't want to miss it!

Hope to see y'all in a couple of weeks. It's going to be so nice to get the family back together for our yearly reunion! Y'all come!

Less Than a Month to HOWARD DAYS!

Howard Days is happening June 11th & 12th and there's still plenty of time to make your plans to join us in Cross Plains, Texas! But now is also the time to do the pre-planning to help make Howard Days happen!

As the theme this year is "REH in Comics", we've got Roy Thomas as our Guest of Honor. Roy is the man who started Conan's journey into pop culture and he'll be on hand to not only talk about that history but to give you information about his up-to-date involvement with Robert E. Howard's most famous creation.

But Howard Days is much more than one single theme; it's a gathering for everyone to celebrate the life and legacy of the greatest adventure writer who ever lived: Robert E. Howard. Your trip to Cross Plains will bring you in touch with Howard fans from all over the world (even in these hard-travelling times) and your knowledge and appreciation of Ol' Two Gun Bob Howard will continue to grow as you enjoy the wonderful Howard Fellowship provided during the weekend.

Project Pride of Cross Plains is the civic organization that is the backbone of Howard Days. They maintain the world-famous Robert E. Howard Museum for visitors all year long and then break out the major hospitality at Howard Days. Project Pride is an all-volunteer organization and they get by on donations, 100% of which goes to the Museum.

With that in mind, if you can't join us this year, please consider a donation towards the REH Museum to show your continued support for the great work they are doing. And another way of donating is by sending Howard items to Project Pride for the Silent Auction that happens in conjunction with the Friday Celebration Banquet at Howard Days.

This is a highlight of Howard Days, where all types of Howard items are available for bidding: books, paperbacks, comics, magazines, fanzines, artwork and art objects, posters - well, you know this drill! So, if you can thin out your REH collection a bit by donating items to the Silent Auction, you'll be helping maintain Howard's legacy and supporting Project Pride. And, it's tax deductible!

Donations of Howard items or money can be sent to: Project Pride, POB 534, Cross Plains, TX 76443. You can also donate your dough to PayPal at ProjPride@yahoo.com. It will be much appreciated!

Speaking of the Celebration Banquet, there are still dinner reservations available. Please join us for some authentic Texas grub and an enjoyable evening of auction bidding and listening to Roy Thomas speak! You may send $15.00 per person for your reservation to the addresses above.

And please note: this $15.00 reservation is the ONLY cost for you the entire weekend of Howard Days. Everything else: Museum admission, tours, panels, pavilion drinks, dealers' area, hot dog lunch on Friday and BBQ dinner on Saturday plus much more are FREE. And you don't need a dinner spot to come and bid on the Silent Auction items! (But how can you pass up the great food and Howard fellowship?)

It's never too late to make plans to come to Howard Days! It's Texas, so there's room for everyone! And if you are there on Friday at 12:45, you will be witness to a very special presentation!

In the words of one of the founders of Howard Days, the late Billie Ruth Loving: Y'all come!

Howard Days in Six Weeks!

 

Here's hoping you can join us to enjoy Robert E. Howard Days on June 11th & 12th in Cross Plains, Texas!

We've got Roy Thomas as our Guest of Honor this year to celebrate 50 - uhh, 51 Years of REH in Comics! All the usual activities are in place to maximize your HD Experience and there *just might be* some surprises and extemporaneous activities.

Make plans now to come see your "Howard Family" at our reunion!

Howard Days 2021 Information

 We are getting stoked about Howard Days 2021, happening on June 11th & 12th at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas! Here we have the schedule with other pertinent info. Please feel free to download this and get your reservation for the Friday night Celebration Banquet.

More to come - we certainly hope to see you in Texas soon!

Howard Days Interview with Bill Cavalier

 https://www.conanobarbaro.com/blog

Clicking on this link will take you to the Conan Forum site of Marco Antonio Collares, where you can read a detailed interview with Bill Cavalier about Howard Days.

Howard Days is proceeding as planned at this time and we should have a modified program schedule up for everyone later this week.

Crom knows we NEED a Howard Days. Hope we can see you there!

ROBERT E. HOWARD DAYS 2021 IS ON! NO APRIL FOOLIN'!

 

ROBERT E. HOWARD DAYS 2021 will take place on June 11th & 12th at The Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas!

Project Pride of Cross Plains and the City of Cross Plains, in conjunction with The Robert E. Howard Foundation, have determined conditions have improved enough to host the event this year.

And Roy Thomas has agreed to return as our Guest of Honor as we celebrate 50 - uh, 51 Years of REH in Comics!

Over the next week we will be firming up our events, activities and programming, so stay tuned for those via the various social media sites. Look for all of the "regular" happenings to occur.

As we move forward with programming, we need to inform you that all these announcements, plans and schedules are subject to change. With the pandemic news and health procedures changing week to week, please be aware that Howard Days could be altered. But we are proceeding with our plans for this year, based on currently available information. These decisions are being closely monitored and we will keep everyone posted via various social media. Please note that we will abide by whatever regulations are set forth by the City of Cross Plains at the time of Howard Days.

As of today, however, (and this is NOT an April Fools Day prank!) Howard Days is happening on June 11th & 12th. We hope to see you in Cross Plains and we're looking forward to The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom!

Y'all come!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB!

 Today would have been Robert E. Howard's 115th birthday.

Let's all brandish our Bowies and blaze our pistolas in his honor. In the absence of a big knife or a nice gun, let's raise a glass and read a favorite Howard story in his honor.

Thanks, Ol' Two-Gun for all the great words!

HOWARD DAYS 2021 ANNOUNCEMENT

With the Covid-19 pandemic still raging across the world, we want you to know that the Robert E. Howard Foundation, Project Pride of Cross Plains and the City of Cross Plains, Texas, have decided to delay any announcements about Howard Days 2021 until the end of March.

While Howard Days still could happen on the scheduled dates of June 11th and 12th, we will need to monitor the up-to-date information about the easing of the pandemic to make an educated decision.

Above all, the health and safety of the City of Cross Plains and its residents, along with the hundreds of REH fans coming to Howard Days from literally all over the world is of utmost concern. So our decision will be guided first by Cross Plains and come on or before the end of March.

Check again on this page or on the Robert E. Howard Facebook page for updated info.

We appreciate your understanding at this time.