Sailor Costigan

My name is Chris Gruber and I am a fan of Robert E. Howard and his fiction. I am a former member of REHupa and have made it my business to pay homage to the memory of my favorite author and his life, Robert E. Howard. To that end I have been blessed with many opportunities to write about and publicly examine the life and work of Robert E. Howard.

I have explored Howard's boxing yarns for years within the pages of my REHupa zine, Iron Legions. I have tested and explored my theories, shared my excitement, and marvelled at the wonderful insight my fellow scholars have gleaned through their own Howard experience. My appreciation and knowledge of Robert E. Howard and his life continues to expand.

I have been asked on occasion to sit in on Howard Days panels that featured boxing, editing, and other fun topics. Some of the best times I've had at Howard Days, besides simply chumming with my pals, has been working with my bud Mark Finn during any of our raucous "Howard at the Icehouse" readings/demonstrations. If you've been present for one of these colorful presentations you can attest to what a treat they are for all involved.

While I may not be considered an expert in too many subjects it is within the realm of Howard Studies that I come closest to that mark. I have had the good fortune to have written reviews, poems, and essays published in most modern Howard journals; these include Leo Grin's The Cimmerian, Damon Sasser's Two Gun Raconteur, and The Dark Man, an academic journal dedicated to Howard of which I am delighted to be a member of their Review Board. These associations have proven immensely important to me and I can tell you firsthand that there is no greater honor than to have your thoughts and opinions published for others to read and consider.

I have the honorable distinction of having been asked to edit, and pen an introduction to, the very popular Bison Books (University of Nebraska Press) Boxing Stories volume by Robert E. Howard. I was lucky enough to have won two Cimmerian awards for my work on this volume and for the subsequent article that helped explain my strange journey that led me to Howard's boxing fiction.

I have also contributed to notable anthologies such as The Man from Cross Plains (thanks Dennis McHaney) and Echos de Cimmerie (thanks Fabrice Tortey) as well as creating the handy chapbook Them's Fightin' Words: REH on Boxing for The Cimmerian Library.

I bet I forgot some things but it doesn't matter. The point is, I really dig Robert E. Howard and his fiction.

Chris Gruber