Memories of Robert E. Howard

[threeicys]

What a treasure this video is. Personal accounts of history are the best. I am so excited to have found this. Mr. Howard is a fascinating character and you have done a wonderful job capturing a bit of life and bottling it in video form. Kudos

[warriorphotog36]

@threeicys Thanks so much! Just capturing a little bit of what Bob was like made the work on this video all worthwhile. I wish I could have started getting first hand accounts when some of the people who knew Bob really well were still alive. Ah well. At least us Howard fans have this one. Thanks again! Please watch the other informative videos on Howard and his work on this same youtube channel. Would love to hear what you think!

[TheDarkIllumination]

This is truly an amazing video; how incredible it was to find anyone who knew Howard, especially one who had such a close association with him.

You mentioned in a comment that Norris emails and even has a blog, would you happen to know what it is?

[Nirvanarain]

The feast is over and the lamps expire. Robert E Howard, writer.

[ManilaSyndicate]

Such a moving and fascinating video, very nice tribute. Thanks for uploading. That's one place on my list of destinations to visit. Is Norris Chambers still alive?

Howard looked like a basically nice man though he did look strange. Physiognomically he did look manic - one can see the edginess the man had even in those old photos.

[warriorphotog36]

Very glad you enjoyed it! I believe Norris is still alive. That was the last time I saw him though. He doesn't get out and about as much as he used to, but he is pretty quick with email. Very technologically savvy. I think he even has a blog.

I think much of Howard's manicness was a pose. All of those pictures are him posing. Nothing taken off the cuff of him in a natural way. He had an image he liked to convey. He was probably bipolar, but that is as "deranged" as he got.

[ManilaSyndicate]

@warriorphotog36 Thanks for the reply. I came across Norris' site and he has a lot of interesting tales of Howard's time.

[WASTELANDelf]

Too bad Howard always easily lost his grip on the world

[Marzzhill]

This is awesome! Thanks for sharing it. I've been a huge REH fan since 1981.

[10542011]

Great video! In 2000, Billie Ruth Loving arranged a guided tour of the house for me. I believe she was a former student of Novalyne Price (Howard's one-time girlfriend) at Cross Plains High. She was also a consultant on the film "The Whole Wide World". She was such a great guide and walked me through every room while telling me story after story about the Howard family and the house. An unforgettable experience. RIP Billie Ruth.

[warriorphotog36]

@10542011

Thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed it. I never got to meet Billie Ruth but I have heard quite a bit about her. Sounds like an amazing lady. Stay tuned - I hope to have some teases for the somewhat finished doc sometime this year!

[hepcat65]

Y'all should google Norris Chambers! Born in 1917 he has a remarkable memory for details from way back before ww2 - and he shares them too at "The Old Grizzly" and his own site Norris Chambers Old Timer's Tales. Lots of fun reading for me & others who likes to hear about life back then :)

[EdMahoney19]

Pretty remarkable writer. Howard, Lovecraft, Burroughs (Tarzan) and Gibson (the shadow) had incredible writing ability. It seems it was an American renaisance in literature when you consider the terrific number of great writers that came from that era.

[ManilaSyndicate]

@EdMahoney19 True. The great pulp authors contributed a lot to our current culture.

[Giraut]

This is a wonderful video.

You know, some 40 years ago people in Cross Plains didn't even know who Bob Howard was. If you tried to find the Howard house, people there didn't know who you were talking about..

Fortunateley things have changed meanwhile.

Now, this video is wonderful work. Thanks für sharing!

[warriorphotog36]

@Giraut

Hey there! Thanks for the comment! Yeah, EVERYONE knows him there now, or at least of the festival in his honor. Most of the townsfolks really don't care anything about him, and a handful think he wrote Satanic stories and shouldn't be celebrated at all. But most have no opinion on him and only go to the car show/carnival aspect of the Barbarian festival. How were you introduced to Howard and have you ever been to the House?

[warriorphotog36]

@Giraut

Thanks so much for the kudos! I am still slowly working at my neverending doc. I will post more teasers and such as I get more done. I'm just happy to have met Norris and get to talk with someone who actually talked with Bob.

[anatamaji]

We are cousins...have heard many stories about him. 

[warriorphotog36]

@anatamaji

You and Howard were cousins? Very cool. How are you related and what type of stories have you heard? Do you live in Texas?

[schermatz]

It's good to see this vid. I still travel with Mr Howard.Thank's for opening gates of adventure, thank you very much.

[joelombrdo]

Being a huge Howard fan for the last 35 years, since I was a teenager, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this insighful post. And Mr. Norris Chambers seems like such a gentleman. I visited The Robert E. Howard house about 5 years ago and I felt like I was there again. Thank you very much for posting.

[warriorphotog36]

@joelombrdo

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback! I am trying to slowly piece together a Howard documentary and this is one of the elements. It's pretty slow going and I have no idea when I will be done. But judging from the feedback I have so far, I think I am working on something that lots of folks are interested in. I will keep everyone here up to date on how it goes. How did you get introduced to Howard? If you can watch my Cimmeria, Version 2, I would love to get feedback on it as well.

[joelombrdo]

@warriorphotog36 My interest in Howard started with the Kull and Conan comics back in 1971. About a year or two later I started going to the Collector's Bookstore on Hollywood Blvd in Hollywood and I started buying the Lancer Conan's. Soon after I began to look for hardback books by Howard. It's taken me many years and I've just about completed my collection of Howard first editions. The only first I'm missing is the Jenkin's A Gent From Bear Creek. Unlikely I'll ever get it, tho!

[warriorphotog36]

@joelombrdo Ah, I'm a collector too, but really most of it are the new editions coming out by Del Rey and some of the older paperbacks. Can't afford much else. But I do have a Donald Grant first edition of Post Oaks and Sand Roughs that I would like to sell if you are interested. It's in fine condition. Let me know if you are interested.

[joelombrdo]

@warriorphotog36 I have that book too. Thanks for the offer, tho. I know what you mean. That's why I bought most of the books when I was single and when I could scrape up the funds. And also why It took me about 35 years to complete it. That's about an average of one and a half books per year. Good talking to you.

[mavarek666]

As a writer I will be up to par with Tolkien and Howard. Believe it.

[CaptainStern2]

Cashing in.

[ejgiv]

This is great important oral history. I think that everything the man says is authentic and accurate to the best of his knowledge.

[Markofsatan]

I'm a life long Howard fan. Thanks for sharing that was great.

[warriorphotog36]

Glad you enjoyed! Slowly cracking away at a feature length Howard Doc. I will keep everyone updated. How did you find this? Have you watched the Cimmerian Version 2?

[jhubbard8888]

i live about 10 miles from here :)

[warriorphotog36]

Very cool. I live about three hours from here. Have you been to the house or Howard Days?

[thurgrum]

Thank you for this.

[kleenguard]

the real solid snake.

[DrewsAnimation]

THIS IS SO GREAT

[warriorphotog36]

@DrewsAnimation

Thank you much! I feel pretty fortunate to have met and followed Mr. Chambers around for the morning. How did you come about finding my video?

[DrewsAnimation]

@warriorphotog36

I've been doing research on Howard and his books. I'm writing a novella set in the start of the Iron age, and I thought he would be a good place to start for inspiration.

[brianpadraic]

Conan lives! Wow. I know a lady (born in 1918) who had a lady friend who knew Robert, and, yes, she also said he was a strange guy.

[chaddvanzanten]

This is outstanding, both in the content and production values. Great vid.

[warriorphotog36]

@chaddvanzanten

Thanks! 'Preciate it! I have been working on a Howard documentary for three or four years now, and finally decided to post what I have done, bit by bit. Wanted to share all I could with my fellow Howard Heads. Glad you enjoyed!

[shavedchimpanzee]

Thank you so much for this! This is fantastic. It's a gem of Howard lore. It's moving to see someone who knew him talking about him. I have tears in my eyes.

[warriorphotog36]

@shavedchimpanzee

Thanks for the compliments! I do feel pretty lucky that I was able to meet and shoot the one living person that knew Howard fairly well. I am touched that it effected you so much. My intention is to share all I have shot at the Howard Day's festival in Cross Plains. Since I live only three hours away, I consider myself lucky to have easy access to Bob's old stomping grounds.

[warriorphotog36]

Yes you do! You need to come the weekend closest to June 11th. That's the annual Barbarian Festival where they have all sorts of symposiums and events based around REH. Can't recommend it enough.

[comicgrl]

Fascinating stuff! So glad you got to talk to Norris Chambers about his recollections, and shared it with us all.

[jpf6300]

Great stuff, good to see Howard's house and where he worked.

[1701Tex]

Mr. Friberg, Mr. Grin--Thank you for this unique glimpse into history.

[fiendman1974]

Amazing!! This goes to show that all of our elders should be treasured for the knowledge and memories they can pass to us.