Howard Days is Six Weeks Away!

The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom are just around the corner! Schedules are set, plans are made, itineraries are being filled and surprises are in the offing! Howard Days 2017 has the makings of being another wonderful time to support the Legacy of Robert E. Howard!

Project Pride of Cross Plains, the fine folks who actually do all of the work to insure a great Howard Days, is busy with their preparations. While we are trying a couple of new things this year with the venues and the programming, one of the most popular events during Howard Days is staying in place.

The Silent Auction at the Friday night Celebration Banquet, is one of the most exciting happenings that occurs during Howard Days. Attendees file into the Cross Plains Community Center to enjoy a delicious Texas meal, hear Guest of Honor Paul Herman speak, meet and greet old and new friends - and then elbow each other out of the way as pencils fly and bids are placed on the scores of REH items lined up on tables, awaiting bids! Just kidding about the elbows, but bidding is always fun, fast and furious! And 100% of the proceeds go to Project Pride and their year-round care of the Robert E. Howard Museum.

Items in the auction range from old and new Howard hardback and paperback books, magazines, comic books and graphic novels, fanzines, original artwork, posters, 3-D art - the myriad list is mind-boggling! A number of the items are collectibles for those folks wanting to fill in their Howard collections and there are always some surprise items that ramp up the bidding!

To that end, the Silent Auction needs your help. By your donation of items for the auction, you're helping out Project Pride as they continuously insure the Legacy of Ol' Two-Gun Bob Howard. A number of us have multiple items in our Howard collections that would be gladly accepted into the Silent Auction, so we're hoping you can help!

You can mail your (tax-deductible) items to:
Project Pride Silent Auction, POB 534, Cross Plains, TX 76443

Or, you can bring items to the Howard House on the Friday of Howard Days. However, items mailed early enable Project Pride to have them in place on the tables, ready for bids.

Both the Silent Auction and the Gift Shop at the Howard House are only equipped to take your cash or check, so please plan accordingly. (There are several ATM's around town.)

Word is out that there will be a number of items from the Glenn Lord Collection in this year's auction, compliments of Lou Ann Lord. You won't want to miss this!

And it's not too late to make plans to head to Cross Plains and join the fun. With the exception of the Banquet meal, all the events, activities, panels, tours at Howard Days are FREE! You can't find a better deal than that! Hope to see you there - y'all come!

Registration Forms Now Available

Here are the registration pages going out now to folks on the Project Pride mailing list. Never fear! You may use the form here to register for Howard Days in June.

Please note that the registration taking place is primarily for the Friday Celebration Banquet. ALL the activities at Howard Days: admission to the Howard Museum and grounds, the Bus Tour, all panels, swap meet, readings and other activities are presented FREE of charge! The $15.00 fee gets you a seat at the Banquet plus helps defray the cost of drinks, donuts, and a hot dog lunch.

You won't find a better deal all summer. Plus you get to hang out with a great group of people! Hope to see you in June - it's never too late to come on down to Howard Days. It's in Texas - there's plenty of room!

Y'all come!        

The Howard Days 2017 Schedule (updated)

The panels are set and now the waiting begins. Only 3 and a half months to Robert E. Howard Days!

2017 HOWARD DAYS SCHEDULE

THURSDAY JUNE 8

The Robert E. Howard House and Museum is open to the public from 2 to 4 pm. There are no docents on duty but the Gift Shop will be open.

FRIDAY JUNE 9

8:30 – 9 am: Coffee and donuts at the Pavilion, compliments of Project Pride

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum open to the public. The adjacent Alla Ray Morris Pavilion will be open from Thursday to Sunday.

9 am – 4 pm: REH Postal Cancellation at Cross Plains Post Office. Friday Only.

9 am – 11 am: Bus Tour of Cross Plains & Surrounding Areas. Friday Only.

10:00 am to 4 pm: Pavilion available for REH items Swap Meet

10 am – 5 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open. Original Robert E. Howard typescripts available for viewing. The Conan Board Game and the Conan Role-playing Game will be presented also.

11:00: PANEL: The Glenn Lord Collection. Come hear the story of the Original Howard Detective and how he assembled the world's number one collection of Howard typescripts, pulps and memorabilia. Panelists: Paul Herman, Rob Roehm, Patrice Louinet.

Noon: Lunch hosted by Project Pride at the Pavilion.

1:30 pm: PANEL:  Collecting REH: What makes for a core Howard collection? How can you assemble one? We'll also discuss the good Howard collections in the world. Panelists: Jeff Shanks, Lee Breakiron, Patrice Louinet, Bobby Derie

2:30 pm: PANEL: Travels with Ol' Two-Gun. Panelists Rob Roehm, Bob Roehm and Todd Vick will discuss the detective travels they've made in the name of Howard history, genealogy and minutia.

Following this panel will be the presentations of the 2016 Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards.

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

6:30: Robert E. Howard Celebration Banquet & Silent Auction at the Cross Plains Community Center. Speaker: Paul Herman.

9:00 pm PANEL: Fists at the Ice House (behind the old Texas Taxidermy building on Main St.) Mark Finn, Chris Gruber, and Jeff Shanks discuss Howard's pugilistic prose in this perennial favorite.

Afterward there will be Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion


SATURDAY JUNE 10

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum open to the public. The adjacent Alla Ray Morris Pavilion will be open from Thursday to Sunday.

9 am – 4 pm: BARBARIAN FESTIVAL at Treadway Park, 3 blocks west of REH House

10 am – 3 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open. Original Robert E. Howard typescripts available for viewing. The Conan Board Game and the Conan Role-playing Game will be presented also.

10 a.m. to 4 pm: Pavilion available for REH items Swap Meet

11 a.m. PANEL: Paul Herman 2017 Guest of Honor. Mark Finn will conduct an interview style panel with our shy and retiring Guest of Honor.

Lunch & Festival Activities at your leisure during the day

1:30 pm PANEL: Pictures of Howard. For a long time we only had 29 photos of Bob Howard. Come and see what photo detective work has produced in the last 12 years! Panelists: Rusty Burke, Paul Herman, Patrice Louinet.

2:30 pm PANEL: The Second Annual Glenn Lord Symposium. Howard scholars will present papers discussing the life and works of Robert E. Howard. Panelists: To Be Announced.

5:00 to 8:00 pm: Sunset BBQ at the Pavilion

We hope to have some Special Announcements at the Pavilion prior to or during the BBQ,
 
Porch Light Poetry returns with audience participation readings of Howard's Poetry directly off his porch. And we plan on adding more languages to our multi-language presentation of Howard's epic poem "Cimmeria".

Afterward there will be Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL PANELS LAST ONE HOUR AND WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 1000 N. MAIN ST. IN CROSS PLAINS.

Howard Days 2017 Schedule is Underway!

The schedule for Howard Days 2017 is posted under the Events headings on this page, but to save you a click, here it is. We're in the process of firming up the panels this year and we should have that up later this week, along with our new spiffy header.

A few changes of note: we've moved all the panels to the First United Methodist Church at 1000 Main Street, where we'll utilize their spacious and wired-for-presentations Fellowship Hall.

2017 HOWARD DAYS SCHEDULE

THURSDAY JUNE 8

The Robert E. Howard House and Museum is open to the public from 2 to 4 pm. There are no docents on duty but the Gift Shop will be open.

FRIDAY JUNE 9

8:30 – 9 am: Coffee and donuts at the Pavilion, compliments of Project Pride

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum open to the public. The adjacent Alla Ray Morris Pavilion will be open from Thursday to Sunday.

9 am – 4 pm: REH Postal Cancellation at Cross Plains Post Office. Friday Only.

9 am – 11 am: Bus Tour of Cross Plains & Surrounding Areas. Friday Only.

10:00 am to 4 pm: Pavilion available for REH items Swap Meet

10 am – 5 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open. Original Robert E. Howard typescripts available for viewing. The Conan Board Game and the Conan Role-playing Game will be presented also.

11:00: PANEL: The Glenn Lord Collection. Come hear the story of the Original Howard Detective and how he assembled the world's number one collection of Howard typescripts, pulps and memorabilia. Panelists: Paul Herman, Rob Roehm, Patrice Louinet.

Noon: Lunch hosted by Project Pride at the Pavilion.

1:30 pm: PANEL:  Collecting REH: What makes for a core Howard collection? How can you assemble one? We'll also discuss the good Howard collections in the world. Panelists: Jeff Shanks, Lee Breakiron, Patrice Louinet, Bobby Derie

2:30 pm: PANEL: Travels with Ol' Two-Gun. Panelists Rob Roehm, Bob Roehm and Todd Vick will discuss the detective travels they've made in the name of Howard history, genealogy and minutia.

Following this panel will be the presentations of the 2016 Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards.

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

6:30: Robert E. Howard Celebration Banquet & Silent Auction at the Cross Plains Community Center. Speaker: Paul Herman.

9:00 pm PANEL: Fists at the Ice House (behind the old Texas Taxidermy building on Main St.) Mark Finn, Chris Gruber, and Jeff Shanks discuss Howard's pugilistic prose in this perennial favorite.

Afterward there will be Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion


SATURDAY JUNE 10

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum open to the public. The adjacent Alla Ray Morris Pavilion will be open from Thursday to Sunday.

9 am – 4 pm: BARBARIAN FESTIVAL at Treadway Park, 3 blocks west of REH House

10 am – 3 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open. Original Robert E. Howard typescripts available for viewing. The Conan Board Game and the Conan Role-playing Game will be presented also.

10 a.m. to 4 pm: Pavilion available for REH items Swap Meet

11 a.m. PANEL: Paul Herman 2017 Guest of Honor. Mark Finn will conduct an interview style panel with our shy and retiring Guest of Honor.

Lunch & Festival Activities at your leisure during the day

1:30 pm PANEL: Pictures of Howard. For a long time we only had 29 photos of Bob Howard. Come and see what photo detective work has produced in the last 12 years! Panelists: Rusty Burke, Paul Herman, Patrice Louinet.

2:30 pm PANEL: The Second Annual Glenn Lord Symposium. Howard scholars will present papers discussing the life and works of Robert E. Howard. Panelists: To Be Announced.

5:00 to 8:00 pm: Sunset BBQ at the Pavilion

There will be some extemporaneous panel-like events this year: Special Announcements at the Pavilion prior to the BBQ, Conan Board Game and Role-playing game demonstrations and participation at the Library and Poetry Readings on Howard's Porch.

Afterward there will be Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL PANELS LAST ONE HOUR AND WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 1000 N. MAIN ST. IN CROSS PLAINS.

Howard Days 2017 Guest of Honor is Paul Herman

The unofficial "theme" for Howard Days 2017 is The Howard Detectives, so we are happy to announce that Paul Herman is this year's Guest of Honor.

There is little doubt that Paul is the King of the Howard Detectives today. His exhaustive and dedicated work with the Glenn Lord papers (Glenn, of course, was the Original Howard Detective) has brought Paul to the forefront of hard core Howard Fandom. Paul's bio below explains quite a lot as to why he's the 2017 Guest of Honor.

Y'all come and meet our most erudite of Guests June 9th and 10th at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas.

Paul Herman was handed a copy of a Lancer Conan when a teenager in the mid-70s, and the epiphany truly changed his life. Paul’s fandom went from Conan to REH’s other works when he met Glenn Lord in the early-80s. 40 years of fandom later, he has delved into a multitude of aspects of fandom and beyond. He published his first REH collection, The Complete Yellow Jacket, in 1999. Since then he had edited more than 30 volumes of REH material for publication, done original research tracking down rare or lost items, been a speaker at numerous events, and compiled and published the current REH bibliography, The Neverending Hunt, as well as starting its online brethren, Howardworks. Paul has more lists, spreadsheets and scans than any person really needs. Paul is a founding member of the Board of the Robert E. Howard Foundation, has won numerous awards, occasionally experts on copyright matters, and handled more than $24M in REH typescripts. Currently projects include the continued sorting of the Glenn Lord Collection, finalizing the REH Typescript Index, preparation of two more REHFP volumes for publication, and titles projects for both the prose and poetry.

In his spare time, Paul is an Intellectual Property attorney of 25 years, that following almost a decade of traveling the world as an oilfield chemist. His experience includes three kidnapping attempts, two explosions, and having a rattlesnake thrown at him, which isn’t nearly as funny as it sounds. Paul has also driven fast cars on numerous tracks on three continents, and perhaps went off more tracks than he has managed to stay on. His 700hp faithful steed is never far from hand. And the important part of his life, Paul’s wife of more than 30 years (and faithful research assistant), Denna, continues to tolerate his little hobby. The two grown boys just shrug. Who knew the wheezy little poor kid from the inner city could change so much? Bob knew.

Howard Days Coming June 9-10, 2017!

As the cold windy snow flies across a big portion of the U.S., we are once again reminded that warmer days are coming! Among those warmer thoughts is Howard Days, appearing at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas this June 9th and 10th.

In this, our initial post for 2017, we want to let you know the wheels are turning and the planning process is underway. Please stay tuned to this blog and to the Howard Days page over on Facebook for all the information you'll need to enjoy Robert E. Howard Days.

We'll look forward to seeing you in June with all new panels and guests, a couple of extra-special surprise announcements and all the traditional activities that happen every year at Howard Days.

And we're adding new traditions every year as well. Shown above are the folks who helped turn a yearly reading of Howard's poem Cimmeria into a multi-linguistic happening! From left to right: Kurt Shoemaker (Spanish), Barbara Baum (Italian) Chie Guenther (Japanese), Dierk Guenther (German), Patrice Louinet (French) and Bill Cavalier (English). We hope to add even more languages to this event here in 2017.

Hope y'all can be there to hear it! See you in June!

Wait...what? Howard Days is Over?!

The adrenalin has finally subsided. Howard Days 2016 was a complete success and there are so many people to thank for such a fabulous event.

Thank you, Project Pride for being the main force behind Howard Days. Without your wonderful organization there would be no Howard Days. We Howard Fans are ever so grateful that you sponsor and then put up with...uh, host us for the weekend and for that you have our eternal thanks. The House was shining in the Texas sun, the docents helped folks through the rooms with their ever gracious ways and narrations and the grounds were beautiful. (First time ever we saw lawn mower marks on the grass!)

The hot dog lunch, the Friday BBQ and the Saturday BBQ provided us with authentic Texas chow, the Gift Shop, Postal Cancellation Silent Auction and Swap Meet provided us with REH souvenirs. The Pavilion provided cool drinks and shade from the hot sun and is the perfect place for the ongoing Howard conversation and fellowship we all enjoy.

The Friday Banquet hit an all-time record in attendance at 145! If you were there you knew that we had the Community Center packed to the rafters, there was much energy shown by the bidders at the Silent Auction and the chicken-fried steak was as Texas as ever!

Thanks also go out to the Robert E. Howard Foundation and REHupa - the Robert E. Howard United Press Association and all their members in attendance. Said members always act like REH Ambassadors at Howard Days, which has become a family reunion of sorts for so many of us.

And a big thank you to everyone who showed up to Howard Days 2016. Overall attendance was down only slightly, but you wouldn't know it from the numbers showing up for the panels. The lowest panel number was 75 with a high of over 100 for the Saturday ones. The interest in all aspects of Robert E. Howard continues with much enthusiasm.

So now it's time to not only reflect on this year's event but to do some preliminary thinking about next year's Howard Days. If this event taught us anything, it's that it comes and goes like the speed of Solomon Kane's rapier or Conan's sword or Steve Costigan's fists or El Borak's six-guns or Breckinridge Elkins working a crossword puzzle. Oh, wait...not so much that last one.

Thanks to everyone! Two words for next year: "Y'all come!"