For reference, Robert E. Howard was about twenty years old when he wrote his first draft of "The Shadow Kingdom", and had pretty much given up writing for Kull by the time he was twenty-five (by then he had created Conan). He was also writing for a genre he was more or less inventing as he went, all of which is pretty incredible when you think about it, and when you consider his real world hardships.
Too late, I already watched Kull the Conqueror. But in its defence, it was what got me interested in Robert E. Howard's stories. And I was pleasantly surprised to learn how much of the movie took from an actual Conan tale - The Hour of the Dragon, where the "Konahn" movies as Al Harron puts them, deviated so much from Conan it's no wonder barely anyone knows about REH or the real Conan to begin with. ⚔
Very informative! It's great to learn more about Kull, a character I mostly know from Kull the Conqueror since I haven't read this collection yet. I like that it matches the look of the Conan collections. And I agree, your comic omnibus does have a wonderful cover.
Kull, in alluding to undocumented prior adventures makes me think of what I used to do at work when I emailed my weekly activity reports. I would say that I left a sidebar out of the main document - the details of my “Adventure of the Werewolf Contessa” or the story of “The Sinister Lantern of Doctor Zinn”. Just to make the boring emails less so. 😄
Nice intro to the character. That Kull edition is really nice; I enjoy being able to read all the works, finished and unfinished, published and not published. Kull's profound disinterest in women and his deep melancholy were big draws to the character for me, being so different from other characters along the same lines. And that Kevin Sorbo movie, which I was tricked into watching by them putting "Kull" in the title of that mess... yeah, skipping it would have been good.
Great first Kull video… Really nice intro to him. I, of course, did not know any of this. And I don’t recall ever seeing the Kull comic… very interesting.
Must admit I have only read REH's horror stories, great stuff by the way, but I find that reading a biography of the author first helps with liking or understanding their stories....I know you recommended a biography, will have to find.
I was flipping through my own Del Ray copy during the review - I bought it to be my first direct exposure to unadulterated Howard, haven't read it yet, but I love the Sweet art - maybe I'll read the Shadow Kingdom for next week. 🤔 All these unpublished stories that you say vary in quality, I suppose there's no way to really know if Howard was satisfied with them, that they were final drafts, unless he submitted them and was rejected? And yet there's only a couple that are marked as drafts, because they're clearly earlier versions of other stories. The Introduction might clear this up, but I wonder if Del Ray wasn't spinning their language a little for marketing. Course, most who would buy this are already Howard fans, I just wanted to start here as a prelude to Conan and the Hyborian Age and I'm into Atlantis content.
Would you consider Skull-Face to be the same character as Thulsa Doom, as they are both lich Atlantean necromancers, and they are both Robert E Howard characters?
For reference, Robert E. Howard was about twenty years old when he wrote his first draft of "The Shadow Kingdom", and had pretty much given up writing for Kull by the time he was twenty-five (by then he had created Conan). He was also writing for a genre he was more or less inventing as he went, all of which is pretty incredible when you think about it, and when you consider his real world hardships.
Too late, I already watched Kull the Conqueror.
But in its defence, it was what got me interested in Robert E. Howard's stories.
And I was pleasantly surprised to learn how much of the movie took from an actual Conan tale - The Hour of the Dragon, where the "Konahn" movies as Al Harron puts them, deviated so much from Conan it's no wonder barely anyone knows about REH or the real Conan to begin with. ⚔
I read almost all conan stories by the time I stumbled onto "the shadow kingdom", but I consider it one of his best.
OH MAN WOULD I GO BACK IN TIME AND HANG OUT WITH ROBERT EVERYDAY
Very informative! It's great to learn more about Kull, a character I mostly know from Kull the Conqueror since I haven't read this collection yet. I like that it matches the look of the Conan collections. And I agree, your comic omnibus does have a wonderful cover.
Kull is well worth reading. The Shadow Kingdom is essential.
Kull, in alluding to undocumented prior adventures makes me think of what I used to do at work when I emailed my weekly activity reports. I would say that I left a sidebar out of the main document - the details of my “Adventure of the Werewolf Contessa” or the story of “The Sinister Lantern of Doctor Zinn”. Just to make the boring emails less so. 😄
Kull, not to be confused with Krull. Neither of which to be confused with Kuck, The Cowardly Barbarian.
I need to get all of Robert E Howards books love his work
The Del Rey set of books has most of his best work.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 awesome thanks
I love Kull, I hope he gets a new comic soon and some new pastiche novels to boot. 👍
Nice intro to the character. That Kull edition is really nice; I enjoy being able to read all the works, finished and unfinished, published and not published. Kull's profound disinterest in women and his deep melancholy were big draws to the character for me, being so different from other characters along the same lines. And that Kevin Sorbo movie, which I was tricked into watching by them putting "Kull" in the title of that mess... yeah, skipping it would have been good.
Kull was a really interesting character. It makes one wonder where the series would go if he had kept on with it.
I now want to read Hpwards books
He wrote great stuff!
Great video. Wondering why we don't see these types of novels published today. Is it not popular enough?
Fantasy is still more focused on huge novel series nowadays. More people seem to have been reading Howard lately though.
I love the story Kings of the night.Kull and Bran Mak Morn fighting defeating romans soldiers.
Great first Kull video… Really nice intro to him. I, of course, did not know any of this. And I don’t recall ever seeing the Kull comic… very interesting.
You would like Kull, I think.
The Kings of the Night story sounds interesting. Could that be the first ever super hero team up ? 🙄🙄 Hmmm
I got the Kull the savage Omni.. not sure if the other Kull omnis are must gets though. Thanks for getting me into him too.
Thanks!
Must admit I have only read REH's horror stories, great stuff by the way, but I find that reading a biography of the author first helps with liking or understanding their stories....I know you recommended a biography, will have to find.
Blood and Thunder by Mark Finn is the best biography of Howard.
This book will also have to wait until the book buying ban is lifted, but I will be reading it! I’m up to 12/50.
I was flipping through my own Del Ray copy during the review - I bought it to be my first direct exposure to unadulterated Howard, haven't read it yet, but I love the Sweet art - maybe I'll read the Shadow Kingdom for next week. 🤔
All these unpublished stories that you say vary in quality, I suppose there's no way to really know if Howard was satisfied with them, that they were final drafts, unless he submitted them and was rejected? And yet there's only a couple that are marked as drafts, because they're clearly earlier versions of other stories. The Introduction might clear this up, but I wonder if Del Ray wasn't spinning their language a little for marketing.
Course, most who would buy this are already Howard fans, I just wanted to start here as a prelude to Conan and the Hyborian Age and I'm into Atlantis content.
A few were complete stories that were rejected or never submitted. You should definitely read The Shadow Kingdom. It’s great.
That terrible film with Kevin Sorbo that I urge you not to watch 😂😂 I remember watching him in the Hurcules series when I was a kid
Ugh…. That show! And that was his best work!
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 😄
Would you consider Skull-Face to be the same character as Thulsa Doom, as they are both lich Atlantean necromancers, and they are both Robert E Howard characters?
Hmmmm. That’s a good question. Probably not….but maybe 🤔
I thought the same thing when I read it. Thulsa Doom lives on.
What is your favorite Howard'stories?
hey 1997 movie is cheesy AF, but at least kevin sorbo did his best,
also the soundtrack is awesome :D
😊
Troubled brow on this guy
I agree Kull was a horrible movie!
Just so bad.