#robert howard

[oldschoolfrp]

John Blanche's first cover art for White Dwarf, issue 4, Dec/Jan 1977/1978. This issue features Don Turnbull's article on the "Alice" level of his Greenlands Dungeon, Tony Bath on gaming in Robert Howard's world of Hyboria, and Brian Asbury's Barbarian PC class.

[sandmandaddy69]

Robert Howard

[spacenoirdetective]

Roy Krenkel and Marcus Boas, "King Kull vs the Serpent Men"

[madonnamadeofasphalt]

On one hand, I find the chronically online idea that you shouldn't enjoy works by authors who are or were morally condemnable to be disgusting and offensive to art itself. On the other hand, I do so wish more fantasy authors took into account the fact that Robert E. Howard was a literal Fascist and maybe had some serious thoughts about how that affected his worldbuilding and character writing before copying tropes he originated or popularized out of sheer nostalgia for old-school pulp.

[disease]

"HANDS OF SCULPTOR ROBERT HOWARD" IMOGEN CUNNINGHAM // 1926 [gelatin silver print | U/D]

[weaversweek]

Advertising in the music trade press, this week in 1989.

Context follows...

"Be free with your love" was Spandau Ballet's big comeback single, a big and breezy and brassy pop song. Lyric was a bit naff, Tony Hadley's voice rocked, and the instrumental break was awesome. Didn't quite make the top 40, and that's the last we heard of Spandau Ballet.

Jason Donovan introduced himself to Canadian programmers in the pages of RPM. "Too many broken hearts" remains the ultimate 1989 record, squealing guitars and the S-A-W drum pattern.

"The best reason to play Jason Donovan is because he's exceptional." Looking back on his career: yeah, the lad's done good.

Choices was the singles collection from the Blow Monkeys. Doctor Robert and his backing band came through the sophistipop scene, and never quite hit the top tier of fame like Tears For Fears and The Eurythmics did.

The band combined sharp social commentary with funky pop grooves, veering towards dance music at this late stage in their career. Dr Robert was always a left-wing critic, but edged his barbs with more wit and humour than certain Paul Wellers we could mention.

Lead single from this greatest hits album was "Choice?", a cracking dance groove with vocals from Sylvia Tella, and a three-minute deconstruction of R D Laing's "Public Choice" bullshit theory. (Or of the Section 28 attempt to legalise homophobia, as contemporaneous reports had it. Or both.)

"That's the way", an attempt at a comeback for Katrina and the Waves. They'd had a big hit with "Walking on sunshine" four summers ago, and been ever-present on radio with songs like "Sun street" and "Do you want crying".

But a second signature hit had evaded the group. Would this be the breakhrough they craved? And if it was, should they have released it a month earlier when it was still sunny outside?

Katrina and the Waves continued to plug away, to diminishing returns. They next crossed the public radar in early 1997, when they turned up amongst the has-beens and never-weres competing for the Eurovision Song Contest prize... but that's another story.

[cringefaecompilation]

AYO?????

[wrestlingisbest]

Smile for the camera

Pic Tony Rotundo/WrestlersareWarriors