As Legacy Circle members already know, membership has its benefits. At this year’s Howard Days, not only did they enjoy a meal and fellowship at Jean’s Feedbarn (who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch), they also received a membership pin and a copy of The Hyborian Age. This limited edition chapbook contains Howard’s important essay, as well as the three, never before published drafts leading up to it. Hyborian scholars are having a field day.

Legacy Circle and Friends of REH members also received the latest Foundation Newsletter. This issue contains the first complete publication of Howard’s 1925 gag letter to Tevis Clyde Smith and an early draft of “Nekht Semerkeht”; both are copies of Howard’s actual typescripts. There’s also a News section, and a photocopy of Doctor Howard’s inscription from one of the books in the Robert E. Howard Memorial Collection at Howard Payne Library in Brownwood.

Finally, all of our members—Legacy Circle, Friend of REH, and Supporting—are enjoying their 10% discount on the REHF Press’ latest releases: The Collected Letters of Doctor Isaac M. Howard and School Days in the Post Oaks. And we’ve got several more items in the pipeline, including the forthcoming Spicy Adventures.

It’s not too late to receive these benefits. Sign up today and you’ll receive the goodies for that membership level. This offer is good for the rest of the year, but don’t delay—join today!

Another good thing about attending Howard Days is that fans get first crack at new releases. Foundation treasurer Paul Herman unveiled a new issue of The Howard Collector on Saturday. There are still a few copies left, and Paul provides ordering details below:

That’s right, after 28 years of quiet, THE HOWARD COLLECTOR, the first and greatest REH journal, has returned. Started by Glenn Lord in 1961, THC served as a venue for REH studies, and set the standard for REH periodicals. Collecting rare and previously unpublished REH stories, poems and letters, along with book reviews, and interesting historical information from REH’s friends and associates, THC was uniquely situated to provide the best of everything. Glenn acquired the famed Trunk of lost materials, and he served as the literary agent for the REH heirs for more than 30 years. Glenn also tracked down and visited with several of REH’s friends, and accordingly gaining access to even more material. AND finally, Glenn is the kind of person who crafts a book with class, subtlety, and care, to create a book without silly flash, just great meat on them bones.

THC ran for 18 issues, ending in 1973, as Glenn got too busy with the business of REH to deal with cranking out a fanzine. Those original 18 issues are now highly collectable, and contain all sorts of rare and interesting REH works and discussion. Go check them out on eBay, sometime, and see the prices these fetch.

Glenn has been retired from the world of REH for more than a decade now. But Dennis McHaney had the idea of seeing if Glenn would be interested in doing another issue in his spare time. A group of us chatted with Glenn, and he decided to do it. With the kind permission of Paradox, and the efforts of a few friends (including Rob Roehm), the latest issue is now available. A LOT of research and work went into trying to properly match fonts, styles, paper, etc. Contents include an introduction by Glenn Lord, a previously unpublished REH poem, a previously unpublished REH drawing, a previously unpublished Breck Elkins fragment, and the infamous first draft of “Black Canaan”, the one that REH said the editors “cut the guts out of”. The guts are back in. And finally some book reviews by the great Fred Blosser.

The print run is limited to 200 copies total. The book is a fat 52 pages, and sells for $20. As Glenn has better things to do, I’m handling the shipping. Shipping in the US is $3 First Class, $6 Priority. Insurance is $2. For non-US destinations, please contact me at piherman@yahoo.com. Checks or money orders can be sent to:

Paul Herman
PO Box 250526
Plano, TX 75025

or PayPal to godzilladude@sbcglobal.net. Profits go to Glenn.

Note this book was debuted and on sale for a couple hours in Cross Plains, and that sold about a third of them, without many folks even getting to see it. When they are gone they are gone.

Friends of REH and Legacy Circle members will find two of these “new” items in the Fall Newsletter. While doing some research on Brownwood this year, I stumbled upon two previously undocumented, humorous items by Howard. Unknown to bibliographers, scholars, and fans, both will make their first appearance since the 1920s in the next Newsletter. Sign up now!

As the year ends, the Newsletter will begin featuring items discovered by Paul Herman in the Tevis Clyde Smith Collection at Texas A&M. Several of these have never been published and were completely unknown. Thanks to Paul’s digging, we now have one new poem, one new letter, and one new drawing. And there may be even more interesting finds as he sorts through the stacks.

In book news, we have several exciting volumes in the works. First up is a double whammy: Steve Harrison’s Casebook and Tales of Weird Menace. These two volumes collect all of Howard’s “Yellow Peril” and “Weird Menace” yarns; the projected contents of each volume is at the end of this post. As in the past, to reserve a number and help us gage interest in the titles, please drop us a line at info@rehfoundation.org. We hope to have these available in time for Christmas. Look for pre-ordering information late in September or early in October.

Another project looming on the horizon is the collected boxing stories. This will be a multi-volume collection featuring all of Howard’s boxing fiction, including Sailor Steve Costigan and Kid Allison. We’ll release more details in the coming weeks.

Steve Harrison’s Casebook

Lord of the Dead
People of the Serpent (aka Fangs of Gold)
The Tomb’s Secret
The Black Moon
The Voice of Death
The House of Suspicion
Names in the Black Book
The Silver Heel
Graveyard Rats

Miscellanea

The Mystery of Tannernoe Lodge
Untitled synopsis (“Steve Harrison received a wire. . .”)
The Silver Heel (synopsis)
Graveyard Rats (draft)

Tales of Weird Menace

Skull-Face
The Noseless Horror
The Brazen Peacock
Black John’s Vengeance (aka The Black Bear Bites)
Talons in the Dark
The Hand of the Black Goddess
Sons of Hate
Moon of Zambebwei
Black Hound of Death
The Devils of Dark Lake
Guests of the Hoodoo Room
Black Wind Blowing

Miscellanea

The Red Stone 
Untitled (“The night was damp. . .”)
The Ivory Camel
Yellow Laughter
The Story Thus Far . . .
Taverel Manor 
The Jade God
The Return of the Sorcerer
Untitled synopsis (“James Norris”)
Spectres in the Dark
The Spell of Damballah
Partial synopsis (Sons of Hate)
Untitled synopsis (The Devils of Dark Lake)
The House of Om (synopsis)

Friends of REH and Legacy Circle members should be receiving their Fall Newsletters any day now. This issue contains rare facsimile pages from The Junto (an amateur press publication that Howard contributed to), a letter to Emil Petaja, the typescript for “The Voice of Doom,” and young Bob’s original manuscript for “West Is West,” complete with his English teacher’s corrections and grade (C+).

This issue is also full of News & Events, with complete coverage of Howard Days ’09 (including Guest of Honor Larry D. Thomas’ banquest speech) and some interesting REH news from across the pond in France. Not a Member? Look here.

Membership in the Robert E. Howard Foundation certainly has its benefits. At this year’s Howard Days, Legacy Circle members will receive The Saga of Faring Town, a nice little booklet that contains all of the Faring Town items created by Howard: “Sea Curse,” “Out of the Deep,” and ”A Legend of Faring Town.” Legacy Circle members not in attendance will have to wait on the postal service for this, as well as the 2009 membership pin. We’re also working on something special for the Legacy luncheon in July at the San Diego Comic-Con. Complete details of this event are included in the next Newsletter, also scheduled for release at Howard Days and distributed to Friends of REH as well as the Legacy crew. This Newsletter presents the first appearance of the Steve Costigan version of “The Jade Monkey,” complete with the editorial markings that change it into a Dennis Dorgan story.  We also announce the winner of the 2009 REH Foundation scholarship and throw in a couple other REH nuggets for good measure. Sound good? Membership details here.

UPDATE: Only a few copies of the second printing of The Collected Poetry of Robert E. Howard remain. We are discussing a third printing, but that would be at least two months away. Grab the second printing while you can. All members receive a 10% discount.

The first issue of The Robert E. Howard Foundation Newsletter, volume 3, should be arriving in member mailboxes as I write. This issue is a Synopsis Special, including “The Silver Heel,” “The Devils of Dark Lake,” and “Alleys of Peril” (which originally featured Sailor Steve O’Brien). There’s plenty of news and a few other rarities, as well.

Not receiving the Newsletter? Become a member!

#4, Winter 2008 – Contents: Photo of Bob; Letter from the Board, by Rob Roehm; “Ballad of King Geraint” (excerpt) verse, OSU transcription; “Zukala’s Mating Song,” verse, OSU transcription; “The Guise of Youth,” verse; “Roads,” verse; “Skulls Against the Dawn,” verse; “The Thing on the Roof,” draft; “The Nut’s Shell”; “Yellow Laughter,” Glenn Lord transcription; “The Commentary,” non-fiction from The Junto; “The Rivals,” Glenn Lord transcription; “The Question of the East”

Volume 2

#1, Spring 2008; all volume 2 Newsletters prepared for publication by Rob Roehm.
Contents: Photo of REH in boxing stance; “Letter from the Board,” by Bill Cavalier; “The Cairn on the Headland” Draft A, introduction by Rob Roehm; “News and Events”; “Jeffries Versus Dempsey”; “Plains of Gilban,” verse; “Was I There?,” verse.

#2, Summer 2008
Contents: Photo of REH drinking beer; “Letter from the Board,” by Rob Roehm; “The Dwellers Under the Tombs” Draft A; “News and Events”; “Hyborian Map,” drawing; Letter: REH to Tevis Clyde Smith, Sept. 7, 1924; double ending to “The Dead Remember”

#3, Autumn 2008
Contents: Old photos of Cross Plains; “Letter from the Board,” by Rob Roehm; “The Black Stone” early draft; “Howard Days 2008,” by Bill Cavalier; Untitled Fragment (“the honor of Beffum.”), Glenn Lord transcription; Letter: Dr. I.M. Howard to H.P. Lovecraft, October 30, 1936; “And So I Sang,” verse.

#4, Winter 2008 — Coming Soon.

Volume 1 [Out of Print]

#1, Spring 2007, prepared for publication by Dennis McHaney.
Contents: Photo of REH in Lincoln, New Mexico; “Letter from the President,” by Rusty Burke; “Another ‘Rattle of Bones’,” introduced by Patrice Louinet; “Rattle of Bones” draft (typescript with transcription).

#2, Summer 2007 (mislabeled “Fall”), prepared for publication by Damon Sasser.
Contents: Photo of REH shadow boxing; “Letter from the Secretary” by Paul Herman; Untitled Story (“The Seeker thrust . . .”), transcription only; Untitled Synopsis (“The Slugger’s Game”); Untitled Synopsis (“A Knight of the Round Table”); Untitled Synopsis (“General Ironfist”); Untitled Synopsis (“Sluggers on the Beach”); Untitled Synopsis (“Dark Shanghai”); Untitled Synopsis (“The Silver Heel”); Note for “Nekht Semerkeht” (“Hernando de Guzman . . .”); “A Boy, a Beehive, and a Chinaman,” transcription only; Untitled Poem (“Fill up my goblet”), transcription only; “The Builders” (3) verse, transcription only; Untitled Poem (“Brazen thewed giant . . .”) transcription only; Drawings (“Theme-real experience? Imaginary?”); Page 15 of “Nekht Semerkeht,” typescript.

#3, Fall 2007, prepared for publication by Paul Herman.
Contents: Photos of REH’s writing table; “Letter from the Secretary,” by Paul Herman; “The Search for the Desk of Robert E. Howard,” by Paul Herman; “While Smoke Rolled,” Pike Bearfield draft; Pg 1 of “Guns of the Mountains”

#4, Winter 2007, prepared for publication by Paul Herman.
Contents: Photo of REH as a child; “Letter from the Secretary,” by Paul Herman; “Pigeons from Hell” early draft; Sample from REH Poetry Index, by Barbara Barrett; List of Middle and Near Eastern Titles; Untitled Synopsis (“Guardian of the Idol”).

All excess copies of Volume 1 were destroyed at the end of 2007.