The departure of The Cimmerian early last year left a gaping hole in Howard fandom; not only were we used to receiving a bi-monthly publication devoted to Robert E. Howard, we were also surprised two or three times a year with a Cimmerian Library chapbook, yearly slip-cases, and the annual Cimmerian Awards, which honored the best in Howardian scholarship for the previous year. While no other publication has stepped up to match editor Leo Grin’s brainchild, the Robert E. Howard Foundation has decided to pick up the awards concept, which began in 2005, and continue where they left off.

The nominees for the 2009 and 2010 Foundation Awards can be found here. The rules for voting are at the end of each year’s nominees. For this year only, anyone who was a member of the Foundation (Supporting, Friend, or Legacy Circle) at any time prior to January 1, 2010 can vote. The 2011 awards will be decided by those who were members in 2010.

Browse the categories and nominees, read the rules for voting, and send your ballots to REHFAwards@gmail.com Be sure to include your name with your ballot if you want your votes to count. Polls close March 31, 2010. Winners will be announced at Robert E. Howard Days in June.

After a flurry of sales, I figured it was time to give an inventory report.

Sentiment: An Olio of Rarer Works – The first printing is sold out; however, we have ordered a second printing of 50 copies. These should arrive at REH Central in late March. We are accepting pre-orders. Use the information here to place your order.

The Collected Poetry of Robert E. Howard – At the time of this writing, there are three copies left. Please email info@rehfoundation.org before sending payment as we may sell out at any moment.

The Early Adventures of El Borak – Of the 150 copies that will soon be available, 28 are still homeless. Pre-order information here.

A Rhyme of Salem Town, all three volumes of The Collected Letters of Robert E. Howard, and The Last of the Trunk are all still available, with more than 30 copies of each.

Sentiment: An Olio of Rarer Works is officially Sold Out. We have at least one copy with a dirty thumbprint on the page edges, and perhaps one more clean copy held back in case the postal service lost or damaged a book.  Anyone interested in the ”dirty book,” or in being placed on a wait list for the other and/or future printings, should contact us: info@rehfoundation.org

There are still a few copies of Collected Poetry available, but email your interest and check the availability before sending payment.

At the time of this writing, there are fewer than ten copies of Collected Poetry remaining, and fewer than five of Sentiment: An Olio of Rarer Works. Be advised, if you are interested in ordering either of these titles, shoot us an email first to check the availability.

info@rehfoundation.org

Now that everyone has had a chance to purchase the Del Rey volume El Borak and Other Desert Adventures, it’s time to complete the El Borak series by reading how it all began. The REH Foundation Press is proud to present The Early Adventures of El Borak. This volume contains those hard-to-find stories from the Cryptic publications of the 1980s, as well as several other related items, including the first publication of a synopsis for “Blood of the Gods.” The vast majority of the pieces in this collection are fragments and juvenilia.

This volume checks in at 350 pages, and will be printed in hardback with dust jacket, in a limited quantity of 150 copies, each individually numbered. Cover design and painting by Jim & Ruth Keegan; introduction by David Hardy; and edited by Rob Roehm. The book is expected to ship by the end of March.

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Price

The Early Adventures of El Borak is $36 for REHF Members, $40 for non-members (all prices in US dollars) plus shipping. (How to become a member? See here.)

Shipping (rates updated as of 10/14/09)

Shipping options are

Domestic via USPS Priority, $9
Domestic via USPS Book Rate, $3
Canada via Global Priority, $23
Australia via Global Priority, $33
Europe via Global Priority, $33

Purchasing more than one book? For combined shipping prices, click here.

Insurance to any US location is $2 extra. For international shipments (including Canada), insurance is not available for 1st Class, but is automatically included in Global Priority. All books will be securely packed. REH FOUNDATION PRESS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS BY THE POST OFFICE. PURCHASE INSURANCE IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO TAKE THE RISK. Those wishing to ship via some other carrier (UPS, FedEx, etc.) will need to contact us at info@rehfoundation.org to make arrangements and determine costs.

Ordering and payment

To order, pay directly via PayPal to paypal@rehfpress.com, via check (personal or cashier’s) or money order sent to: The REH Foundation Press, PO Box 251242, Plano, TX 75025. ALL PAYMENTS MUST BE IN US DOLLARS. Be sure that all the necessary shipping information is included and accurate, and that the total price includes correct shipping and insurance (if wanted). NO FOREIGN MONEY ORDERS.

Books will not be shipped prior to checks clearing the bank. If you have any questions or comments regarding pricing or shipping, please contact us at info@rehfoundation.org.

Numbering

If you desire a specific number, please notify us with your order, and we will do our best to accommodate your preference. Those not requesting specific numbers will receive lowest numbers available. Those wishing to obtain numbers to match other REHFP volumes they have purchased should let us know as soon as possible.

Contents

Introduction: The Making of El Borak
      by David Hardy

The Coming of El Borak

The Iron Terror
Untitled, “Gordon, the American”
The Coming of El Borak
Khoda Khan’s Tale
El Borak
Untitled, “I emptied my revolver”
The Land of Mystery
The Shunned Castle
The White Jade Ring
A Power Among the Islands
North of Khyber
Intrigue in Kurdistan

Lal Singh, Oriental Gentleman

The Sword of Lal Singh (poem)
The Tale of the Rajah’s Ring
The Further Adventures of Lal Singh 
Lal Singh, Oriental Gentleman

The Adventures of Yar Ali Khan

The Song of Yar Ali Khan (poem)
The Lion Gate 
Untitled, “When Yar Ali Khan crept” 
Untitled, “Two men were standing”
Untitled Poem, “Now bright, now red”

Steve Allison: The Sonora Kid

The Sonora Kid—Cowhand
The Sonora Kid’s Winning Hand
Red Curls and Bobbed Hair
Untitled, “Madge Meraldson” 
Untitled, “The Hades Saloon” 
Untitled, “A blazing sun”
Untitled, “The way it came about”
Untitled, “The hot Arizona sun”
Untitled, “Steve Allison”
Brotherly Advice
Desert Rendezvous
The West Tower

Miscellanea

Under the Great Tiger 
      by Robert E. Howard & Tevis Clyde Smith
Untitled, “A Cossack and a Turk”
Spears of the East
Untitled, “. . . that is, the artistry”
Untitled, “Thure Khan gazed out”
Synopsis: “Blood of the Gods”
Map for “Blood of the Gods”
Map of unidentified El Borak Story
“Thoughts of an Afghan on a Raid” – drawing
“Where East and West shall meet” – drawing
Two Sketches found on the back of typescript pages
List of Middle Eastern Rulers – typescript
List of names found in El Borak stories – manuscript

With the Del Rey release of El Borak and Other Desert Adventures looming in the not too distant future, we thought everyone would like to see the Keegans’ other El Borak cover, this one done for the Robert E. Howard Foundation Press. We will begin taking pre-orders soon, but it’s not too late to email us at info@rehfoundation.org to help us determine how large the First Printing will be. Ordering information will be posted when available; until then, the contents for The Early Adventures of El Borak are listed below.

The Early Adventures of El Borak

Introduction: The Making of El Borak
      by David Hardy

The Coming of El Borak

The Iron Terror
Untitled, “Gordon, the American”
The Coming of El Borak
Khoda Khan’s Tale
El Borak
Untitled, “I emptied my revolver”
The Land of Mystery
The Shunned Castle
The White Jade Ring
A Power Among the Islands
North of Khyber
Intrigue in Kurdistan

Lal Singh, Oriental Gentleman

The Sword of Lal Singh (poem)
The Tale of the Rajah’s Ring
The Further Adventures of Lal Singh 
Lal Singh, Oriental Gentleman

The Adventures of Yar Ali Khan

The Song of Yar Ali Khan (poem)
The Lion Gate 
Untitled, “When Yar Ali Khan crept” 
Untitled, “Two men were standing”
Untitled Poem, “Now bright, now red”

Steve Allison: The Sonora Kid

The Sonora Kid—Cowhand
The Sonora Kid’s Winning Hand
Red Curls and Bobbed Hair
Untitled, “Madge Meraldson” 
Untitled, “The Hades Saloon” 
Untitled, “A blazing sun”
Untitled, “The way it came about”
Untitled, “The hot Arizona sun”
Untitled, “Steve Allison”
Brotherly Advice
Desert Rendezvous
The West Tower

Miscellanea

Under the Great Tiger 
      by Robert E. Howard & Tevis Clyde Smith
Untitled, “A Cossack and a Turk”
Spears of the East
Untitled, “. . . that is, the artistry”
Untitled, “Thure Khan gazed out”
Synopsis: “Blood of the Gods”
Map for “Blood of the Gods”
Map of unidentified El Borak Story
“Thoughts of an Afghan on a Raid” – drawing
“Where East and West shall meet” – drawing
Two Sketches found on the back of typescript pages
List of Middle Eastern Rulers – typescript
List of names found in El Borak stories – manuscript

As a special Thank You to our Legacy Circle members, the Robert E. Howard Foundation has sent out “Six-Gun Interview” as a Holiday Special. This recently re-discovered incomplete story features the first appearance of a major Howard character–um–Cap’n Kidd!? Legacy Circle members, as well as Friends of REH, should also be receiving the latest Newsletter. It’s not too late to become an LC member and receive the goodies mentioned above, look here.

Other holiday goodness is arriving in the form of Sentiment: An Olio of Rarer Works. Due to the Cimmerian-like efforts of Paul Herman, Foundation Treasurer, most pre-orders have been shipped, and many are reporting that their copy has arrived in time for the holiday.

Looking forward into 2010, The Early Adventures of El Borak, featuring Lal Singh, The Sonora Kid, and others, should be making an early appearance. This volume collects all the fragments, juvenilia, and other miscellaneous items connected to the desert adventurer; most of these items are fragments. This will be the first book publication for most of the items in this collection, which is intended as a companion volume to the Del Rey release El Borak and Other Desert Adventures.

As we have done in the past, we’d like to gage interest in this collection to help us determine how many copies to produce in the first print-run. Please email your interest to info@rehfoundation.org. The tentative contents are below. Happy Holidays.

The Early Adventures of El Borak

Introduction: The Making of El Borak
      by David Hardy

The Coming of El Borak

The Iron Terror
Untitled, “Gordon, the American”
The Coming of El Borak
Khoda Khan’s Tale
El Borak
Untitled, “I emptied my revolver”
The Land of Mystery
The Shunned Castle
The White Jade Ring
A Power Among the Islands
North of Khyber
Intrigue in Kurdistan

Lal Singh, Oriental Gentleman

The Sword of Lal Singh (poem)
The Tale of the Rajah’s Ring
The Further Adventures of Lal Singh 
Lal Singh, Oriental Gentleman

The Adventures of Yar Ali Khan

The Song of Yar Ali Khan (poem)
The Lion Gate 
Untitled, “When Yar Ali Khan crept” 
Untitled, “Two men were standing”
Untitled Poem, “Now bright, now red”

Steve Allison: The Sonora Kid

The Sonora Kid—Cowhand
The Sonora Kid’s Winning Hand
Red Curls and Bobbed Hair
Untitled, “Madge Meraldson” 
Untitled, “The Hades Saloon” 
Untitled, “A blazing sun”
Untitled, “The way it came about”
Untitled, “The hot Arizona sun”
Untitled, “Steve Allison”
Brotherly Advice
Desert Rendezvous
The West Tower

Miscellanea

Under the Great Tiger 
      by Robert E. Howard & Tevis Clyde Smith
Untitled, “A Cossack and a Turk”
Spears of the East
Untitled, “. . . that is, the artistry”
Untitled, “Thure Khan gazed out”
Synopsis: “Blood of the Gods”
Map for “Blood of the Gods”
Map of unidentified El Borak Story
“Thoughts of an Afghan on a Raid” – drawing
“Where East and West shall meet” – drawing
Two Sketches found on the back of typescript pages
List of Middle Eastern Rulers – typescript
List of names found in El Borak stories – manuscript

The first printing of Sentiment: An Olio of Rarer Works will ship from our Canadian printer on Monday, December 14, and will most likely arrive at our “warehouse” about a week later. Sorry, folks, but it looks like it won’t be “home for the holidays” this time, but start checking your mailboxes before the New Year.

The Robert E. Howard Foundation is pleased to announce The Collected Drawings of Robert E. Howard. This slim, 42-page volume collects all of the known artwork by our favorite Texan. All of the comics and doodles from his letters and all of the Hyborian Age maps have been collected, but that’s not all. Many previously unpublished maps for stories like “Blood of the Gods” and “Wild Water” have been cleaned up and are presented here for the first time. Also, a fantastic discovery was made in Texas last year: Robert E. Howard’s high school text book. On each of the blank pages within that book, a young Howard doodled characters from his favorite stories in Adventure magazine, 11 characters in all. There was also a loose sheet of paper folded in the book with additional drawings. All are collected here. Order today and, depending on which shipping option is chosen, it might just show up in time for Christmas.

The Collected Drawings is an 8.5 x 11, perfect-bound paperback with an introduction by Bill Cavalier. Prepared for publication by yours truly.

 Price

The Collected Drawings of Robert E. Howard is $15. Foundation Members receive a discount and pay only $12. Non-members can click here for ordering information or here to find out about membership.

 Shipping Rates

Orders will be shipped direct from the printer, lulu.com. As a print on demand printer, the printing process must precede the shipping of any products. For this paperback product, the process takes 3-5 days. Their shipping costs are below:

U.S. Shipping
Mail (5-15 business days) $4.00
Ground (2-5 business days) $9.00
Expedited (2 business days) $17.00

Outside the U.S.
Mail (5-12 business days) $7.00
Priority Mail (3-7 business days) $11.50
Express (2-6 business days) $20.00

Ordering

Members should figure out their total with shipping and send payment to paypal@rehfpress.com; or pay via check (personal or cashier’s) or money order sent to: The REH Foundation Press, PO Box 251242, Plano, TX 75025. ALL PAYMENTS MUST BE IN US DOLLARS. Please include a note on all payments regarding what is being purchased.

Non-members should order direct from our Lulu storefront.