The Robert E. Howard Show: By This Axe I Rule

[@sgriffin9960]

Happy happy joy joy! The Robert E Howard Show is back! Whaaat? Should I stop shouting, “I AM THE LAW!” out my window as I drive down the city streets?!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

No! Definitely keep doing that.

[@bobbehers1625]

My favorite Howard character! Thanks!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Thanks for watching!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I need to read more REH! These videos are a wonderful encouragement to do so

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

You do need to read more REH!

[@bookssongsandothermagic]

As usual, brilliantly detailed and fascinating look into a book I don't know. Thanks for posting these Michael. Your knowledge of this material is really impressive.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I appreciate you watching this stuff!

[@BookBlather]

Another great look at the history behind the story…. thanks!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

You are welcome!

[@LiamsLyceum]

Love to see your love for Howard! I have so much to read but I think I’m going to try to get to Kull soon.

[@macrosense]

You might enjoy the Axe Cop graphic novels. They are quite “original”

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Okay! Thanks for the recommendation!

[@DDB168]

Interesting - I didnt know about the link between this and Phoenix on the Sword. PotS is a pretty good opening story to the Del Rey volume 1.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Yes! A good way to start the series.

[@stevengentry9396]

It's fun to read By This Axe I Rule and Phoenix on the Sword one right after the other. I agree that the Conan story is better, but the Kull version is a fond favorite.

[@thelifeandtimesofjames4273]

Well now I look forward to BMcM story info because I just finished this and I did not get the crossover. Indeed I wouldn’t have even known it was a crossover without additional information from the book and yourself. It confirmed something that I hate in fantasy: where it mixes with reality. Cannot stand when that is presented.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Okay thought that crossover was great fun.

[@kabuki7038]

Might be a little late now, but you could call this series the "Halls of Howard"

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

That is a great title!

[@rickcroucher]

Or....IT'S GOOD TO BE KING

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Ha! Yes!

[@MagusMarquillin]

It's a solid story, even if I personally enjoyed the talking cat one more - a much more creative way to assassinate the King! ☺ Valusia really needed some system for reform, so it's easy to side with Kull's "maybe _some_ slaves deserve advancement - in the name of love at least" and it just took a Barbarian to do what he did. Course, one can see this setting a dangerous precedent, if any king that follows him can just be the Law they wish - the Lake King predicted "you are a true man even though you be the first wave in a rising tide of savagery which shall overwhelm the world ere it recedes", probably referring to the rise of Atlantis, and of Hyborea afterward. I liked how Kull respected the poet and his power, even though he was a bit of an idiot, changing ideology, forgetting the last king was a jerk - he envied his freedom and was sad to be forced to kill him. One weird detail: Kaanuub of Blaal as already tried to dispose of Kull in the Mirrors of Tuzun Thune - probably written after this wasn't published, so Howard just reused the name. I guess he escaped justice that time (politics, plausible deniability, blah blah blah) but so far as we know he's not killed in this story either! But if Kull can just smash the laws, maybe he can murder any political rival he wishes now. lol

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Yes, Howard really stuck with the names he liked!

[@Dems-fk8sh]

Hi Michael, do you like Kull comics as well ? What do you personaly think about them ?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I like the Kull comics a lot actually, though his personality was changed in them a bit. Marvel couldn’t have a Kull that wasn’t interested in women!