With less than four months until Howard Days, the wheels are in gear and turning quickly to present "REH Throughout the Years" at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas on June 12 & 13! For this year's event, we have quite a few anniversaries to celebrate and we hope you're making plans to get on down to Texas and partake of the festivities!
First and foremost is celebrating Bob Howard's 120th Birthday! While there won't be any party hats or favors, there will be cake and ice cream! Come to the Friday Hot Dog Lunch and say Happy Birthday, Bob! Sorry, but 120 candles will violate the ongoing burn ban in Cross Plains!
40 years ago, Rusty Burke led an intrepid band of 10 members of REHupa on a trip to get serious about the Legacy of Robert E. Howard. By this small group visiting Howard's home town, the people of Cross Plains realized that they had something that should be shared with the world, so they turned that first visit into a now world wide event to honor their hometown claim to fame, Robert E. Howard. The 40th Anniversary of Howard Days Guest of Honor is its founder, Rusty Burke! And his sidekick (then and now) "Indy" Bill Cavalier, is our "Special Guest".
The award-winning film about Bob Howard and Novalyne Ellis is 30 years old now. Howard Days will present a special screening of The Whole Wide World, with screenwriter Michael Scott Myers and cast member Ben Mouton on hand, along with a special panel that (fingers crossed) may include additional cast members! Stay tuned for more information on this.
Founded in 2006, the Robert E. Howard Foundation established an energetic literary, civic and publishing mission to help preserve Howard's work and legacy. Coupling with Project Pride of Cross Plains to help sponsor Howard Days, the REH Foundation is at the vanguard of all things Robert E. Howard! For 20 years, the Foundation's mission goals have moved forward in the name of Robert E. Howard. Check it out at www.rehfoundation.org.
And while you're over there, you'll notice that the REH Museum is in need of your help. Over 100 years of existence has caused major wear and tear on the entire structure, and the REH Foundation is taking donations for badly needed restoration. Read all about it at the website and please make a tax-deductible donation!
Other anniversaries come to mind as we celebrate Howard Days 2026. It's the 60th anniversary of CONAN THE ADVENTURER from Lancer Paperbacks. This seminal book revived Howard's career in 1966 with its iconic Frank Frazetta cover, and the Conan and other Howard story volumes that followed began the Howard Boom that lasted into the late 1970's!
The aforementioned REHupa (the Robert E. Howard United Press Association) is now into its 54th year of existence. REHupa is an apa (amateur press association) dedicated to REH and produces a quarterly fanzine Mailing of contributions from members. It was REHupans who made that first journey to Cross Plains to bring on the creation of Howard Days. REHupa is still a big part of the entire weekend, as current and former members are now the official Ambassadors of Howard Days.
Of course, the Cross Plains Public Library, in operation since 1979, has played an equal part in the origins and longevity of Howard Days. When Rusty Burke found Billie Ruth Loving and Joan McCowen there in 1985 and expressed his interest in Robert E. Howard, these fine ladies stepped up to help him create Howard Days.
The CP Library now houses an extensive REH collection: 29 original REH manuscripts, several dozen Weird Tales and other pulp magazines with REH stories along with first edition and rare books that are on display at Howard Days. Plus you can buy copies of the manuscripts if you like!
So, quite the combination of people and circumstances generated the creation of Robert E. Howard Days: Rusty, REHupa, the Cross Plains Library, Billie Ruth and Joan - and the interest of fans from all over the world that has grown and carried on until today.
Let's brandish our Bowies and blaze our pistolas as we honor the Life, Work and Legacy of the incomparable Bob Howard by celebrating 40 Years of Howard Days!
