One of my biggest influences from the time I was probably around 7 or 8 was and still is the writing & creations of Robert E. Howard or REH. Not many people are aware that a guy from a tiny town in Texas was the creator of Conan the Barbarian, Solomon Kane, Kull, and what would eventually become Red Sonja. 2006 would have been Robert's 100th Birthday. Sadly, he never made it past 30. He had quite a tormented life & put a bullet in his brain hours before the death of his mother. I will always wonder what other characters full of rawness, freedom, & wanderlust REH might have conjured up. I smile a little whenever I see anything with sword swinging barbarians on it. If it wasn't for REH, they might never have existed. This is a great example of what Joseph Campbell meant when he said, "The artists function is the mythologization of the environment and the world". Thanks REH for all the inspiration. Go check out the official Robert E. Howard website HERE.
Wonderfully creative man. I'm just sorry he did not hang on longer. I think he would have been happier after his mother died. I for one am very thankful for what he did write and the world (at least my world) is a more excitingly adventurous place because of him.
ReplyDelete