The REHupa Report
REHupa is an amateur press association dedicated to the study of author Robert E. Howard. A long-running press society whose focus is the life and writings of the legendary pulp writer, REHupa was founded in 1972 and has since grown to become the foremost source of Howard scholarship and fandom in the world. Assocation member Morgan Holmes wrote the following synopsis of PulpFest 2010 for the organization’s web site.
The weekend of July 30-August 1st was the time for Pulpfest 2010. Rising from the ashes of the old Pulpcon, Pulpfest is picking up speed. If you ever thought of getting into reading pulp magazines, this is the place to go. Held in Columbus, Ohio, which makes for easy driving for me, it is an excuse for a three-day weekend, 2/3 of the way into the summer.
There you will finds dealers of pulp magazines, paperbacks, and pulp reprints which includes both books and pulp replicas.
Membership was just a few people shy of 400 this year. Guest William F. Nolan, author of Logan’s Run among others, proved to be a great raconteur. I was able to ask him about the claim that he rewrote some Frederick Faust/Max Brand stories for several collections back in the 80s. He denied he did, stating he wrote a framing sequence for one novella at the request of Faust’s family for copyright purposes. He told me there is a Faust biography by him on the way. Also a new treatment of Logan’s Run.
Saturday, there was a Robert E. Howard Foundation luncheon at the Pig Iron Grill. Those pictured below include myself, Jason Landers, Jim Barron, Ed Chaczyk, Eric Johnson, Scott Hartshorn, Rusty Burke, Don Herron, and John D. Squires. Don Herron told tales of E. Hoffman Price while John Squires reminisced about Karl Edward Wagner.
This is a golden age for pulp reprints. John Gunnison’s Adventure House continues to bring forth a steady number of affordable replicas. Black Dog Books has sprinted, and I mean sprinted, ahead to become the leader of pulp reprint authors collections and anthologies. Paradox should give serious thought to allowing Black Dog to do some Robert E. Howard books. I can remember when Tom Roberts was producing cool chapbooks. Now he is producing cool trade paperbacks. I just started reading The Best of Adventure, Volume 1: 1910-1912, edited by Doug Ellis, and am enjoying it mightily.
Haffner Press continues to be the benchmark for small press hardbacks. Steve Haffner just unveiled Detour to Otherness, a great big honkin collection of Henry Kuttner & C. L. Moore stories.
Ed Hulse’s magazine Blood and Thunder is a great publication. The production values keep going up with each issue. It might be the best looking pulp-oriented magazine today though I am awaiting the triumphant return of Pulp Vault.
So next year, block off the last weekend of July and make plans to head to Columbus. Remember, all serious Robert E. Howard fans wear Hawaiian shirts at events such as these.
