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Post by helrunar on Jun 21, 2017 15:23:55 GMT
Thanks for those scans, Mighty Cro Magnon Man!
The male painting makes me think of a saying I read in a book used to be popular among working class housewives in the 1930s: "Nobody ever missed a slice off a cut cake." Apt words indeed.
cheers, H.
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Post by jamesdoig on Jun 24, 2017 1:16:06 GMT
Couple of Conan oddities published by Ace - collections of essays about the great man:   And a collection of mythos stories with a nice bust of Cthulhu, clearly modeled from the life:  |
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Post by helrunar on Jun 24, 2017 14:55:26 GMT
Thanks for more wonderful scans, James. Seeing these gorgeous treasures from half a century ago is always immensely cheering to me.
I'm somehow fascinated that an entire volume of Mythos-themed tales from the typewriter of REH was compiled; I didn't realize he even referred to Cthulhu & co. all that often in his work.
HPL called him "Two-gun Bob" in his letters and was clearly very fond of him even though their literary methods appeared to be from widely separate universes.
cheers, H.
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Post by mcannon on Jun 25, 2017 8:13:29 GMT
Couple of Conan oddities published by Ace - collections of essays about the great man: And a collection of mythos stories with a nice bust of Cthulhu, clearly modeled from the life: Oh for the days when you could buy stuff like this at your local newsagents - as I did with the two "Conan"-related books, back in the late 1970s. Sure, it's nice that you can now get all sorts of high-quality, textually-corrected editions of REH's works from various specialised presses. Most of my personal Howard Library, however, consists of several dozen British and American mass-market 1970s paperbacks, purchased either new or second-hand from generalist newsagents, bookshops or second-hand shops, starting with the UK Sphere Books editions of the first few Lancer "Conan" volumes, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Mark |
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Post by jamesdoig on Jun 25, 2017 9:01:37 GMT
I didn't realize he even referred to Cthulhu & co. all that often in his work. You can't go wrong with Cthulhu, can you. here is an excellent field guide to Cthulhu monsters, in case you need a quick identification:  My favourite must be Flying Polyp:   This Cthulhu activity book is also pretty good:  I'm not sure what this hideous creature will turn out to be, but I bet it's got tentacles:  |
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Post by helrunar on Jun 25, 2017 13:42:56 GMT
These are fabulous and hilarious, James. I really love your posts.
Reading somewhat haphazardly through this thread, I am recalling vague memories of reading about a film biography of the life of REH which, if I'm recollecting aright, was very focused on his relationship with his mother and his eventual death. I don't even know if the film played at more than a few films festivals and I doubt it was the kind of thing most Vault denizens would want to sit through. Can't recall the film title or who portrayed the author.
I just took down from the shelf the one book of REH's work I own. It's a 1978 Berkeley Medallion edition of Skull-Face, "with an introduction by" Dick Lupoff who I presume was the editor of the volume. The frontispiece seems to be from the illustration from the original magazine printing of the title story. Another of these old illos (which are really marvelous) occurs inside the text. And the book includes a fold-out color plate--sort of a bargain basement version of one of the old "accordion plates" of an earlier time--which comprises a larger version of the cover painting.
Sample paragraph:
And the leaping fires and shifting shadows in my tortured brain drove me down and down, along the stairs of degradation, uncaring until at least I found surcease in Yun Shatu's Temple of Dreams, where I slew my red dreams in other dreams--the dreams of hashish whereby a man may descend to the lower pits of the reddest hells or soar into those unnamable heights where the stars are diamond pinpoints beneath his feet.
The actual name of Mr. Skull-Face was Kathulos and I seem to recall he was from the Lost Atlantis so there's a tap of the typewriter in HPL's direction.
cheers, H.
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Post by cromagnonman on Jun 25, 2017 14:52:28 GMT
Reading somewhat haphazardly through this thread, I am recalling vague memories of reading about a film biography of the life of REH which, if I'm recollecting aright, was very focused on his relationship with his mother and his eventual death. I don't even know if the film played at more than a few films festivals and I doubt it was the kind of thing most Vault denizens would want to sit through. Can't recall the film title or who portrayed the author. No, you're not wrong H. The film is called The Whole Wide World and stars Vincent D'Onofrio and a before-she-was-famous Renee Zellwegger. Its based upon a wonderful, and highly readable, memoir called ONE WHO WALKED ALONE by Novalyne Price Ellis who dated Howard in the couple of years leading up to his death. The film is a lovely little indie flick which serves its source well. Both bring Howard and the environment in which he worked effectively to life. Price came to know Howard as well as anyone in his small circle, kept journals of their conversations, and was an astute observer of people. Howard was a far more complex character than most people imagine, and Price's memoir is probably the closest we can ever get to the man behind the damaged Oedipal myth. |
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Post by helrunar on Jun 25, 2017 15:10:35 GMT
Thanks, Crom. I've really enjoyed what I've seen of Vincent d'Onofrio, so will keep an eye out for this. I only know the "damaged Oedipal myth" side of the story and really only a caricature of that, so would not be able to tell how much of the movie is an accurate portrayal. It's good to hear that you found it worthy of viewing.
H.
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Jun 25, 2017 18:23:27 GMT
As always the amazing erudition of the Vaultees hits home. Some great scans, many familiar from the past.
Incredibly I've managed to get most of my library over from Germany. After about a year I seem to be cataloguing it in some sort of order. Problem is I have large gaps in my head about what I have (Some of it is scattered throughout Europe and some given away). I have a few of the Conan stories in various editions and once intended to buy 'The Complete Chronicles of Conan: Centenary Edition' edited by Stephen Jones. Somehow I don't think I bought it because I heard that it was incomplete. Anyone know if it is incomplete and to what extent?
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Post by Knygathin on Jun 25, 2017 20:28:17 GMT
I ... once intended to buy 'The Complete Chronicles of Conan: Centenary Edition' edited by Stephen Jones. Somehow I don't think I bought it because I heard that it was incomplete. Anyone know if it is incomplete and to what extent? I believe that complaint was for the Kindle edition, not for the real book. Changes and additions by other authors printed in earlier editions are however "missing". |
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Post by Dr Strange on Jun 26, 2017 10:57:25 GMT
Reading somewhat haphazardly through this thread, I am recalling vague memories of reading about a film biography of the life of REH which, if I'm recollecting aright, was very focused on his relationship with his mother and his eventual death. I don't even know if the film played at more than a few films festivals and I doubt it was the kind of thing most Vault denizens would want to sit through. Can't recall the film title or who portrayed the author. No, you're not wrong H. The film is called The Whole Wide World and stars Vincent D'Onofrio and a before-she-was-famous Renee Zellwegger. Its based upon a wonderful, and highly readable, memoir called ONE WHO WALKED ALONE by Novalyne Price Ellis who dated Howard in the couple of years leading up to his death. The film is a lovely little indie flick which serves its source well. Both bring Howard and the environment in which he worked effectively to life. I agree - I've seen it a couple of times, as it has randomly cropped up on British TV in recent years. It is actually a very effective and moving film. |
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Post by cauldronbrewer on Jun 28, 2017 20:50:18 GMT
No, you're not wrong H. The film is called The Whole Wide World and stars Vincent D'Onofrio and a before-she-was-famous Renee Zellwegger. Its based upon a wonderful, and highly readable, memoir called ONE WHO WALKED ALONE by Novalyne Price Ellis who dated Howard in the couple of years leading up to his death. The film is a lovely little indie flick which serves its source well. Both bring Howard and the environment in which he worked effectively to life. I agree - I've seen it a couple of times, as it has randomly cropped up on British TV in recent years. It is actually a very effective and moving film. I saw this around the time of its release (late 1990s) and remember it as being excellent. The focus is more on the relationship than on Howard's fiction--apart from one evocative scene--but it presents a nuanced and fascinating portrait of him. |
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Post by jamesdoig on Jul 3, 2017 8:13:00 GMT
It is actually a very effective and moving film. it presents a nuanced and fascinating portrait of him. [/quote] Watched this the other night and really enjoyed it - really pulls the heart strings. |
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Post by jamesdoig on Jul 4, 2017 10:12:00 GMT
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Post by Knygathin on Jul 7, 2017 8:12:00 GMT
Howard, to the right, with neighbours. Roleplaying in the 1920s.  I received the Cenetary edition of The Complete Chronicles of Conan. It is an excellent production value. Expert bookbinding, while at the same time economical without being cheap. Ultimate efficiency in craftmanship. Couldn't ask for more. Beautiful! I am surprized at how much Howard actually wrote about Conan (compared to Kull, Bran Mak Morn, and Solomon Kane). My old Ace editions have fillers by other authors, ... but this volume contains only what Howard himself wrote, and it is enormous! Howard balancing on rope.  |
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