Edited by Leo Grin | Illustrated by Dalmatius
40 pages

This issue was printed in two editions. The deluxe edition, numbered 1–75, uses a black linen cover with foil-stamped gold text. The limited edition, numbered 76–225, uses a gold cover with solid black text.

DELUXE COPIES DESTROYED: 15

LIMITED COPIES DESTROYED: 89

Features full coverage of the second annual Cimmerian Awards, including a report on Awards Night in Cross Plains, interviews with all of the winners, full breakdowns of the voting with charts and percentages, hundreds of comments and opinions from voters in each category, and breaking information on future projects. Also includes three never-before-seen panels of Dalmatius art not available in any other issue.

EXCERPTS:

The Awards followed right on the heels of [redacted]’s Violet Crown Radio Players gig at the high school, so people showed up amped and ready to go. With Mark up for an Award of his own, we all decided to wait for him to drive over from the school. While we waited under the pavilion in the warm evening air, our special guest from Germany, Cornelius Kappabani, pulled out his acoustic guitar and gave us an impromptu concert of Howardian poems set to Europunk strings and accented by his melodious Germanic baritone. Using just that one acoustic guitar with no amplification, he nearly blew the roof off the place. Fascinated local kids cruising the lonely Friday night streets of Cross Plains stopped in their tracks and leaned out their windows to listen.

— from “June 9, 2006”

“Actually,” Dennis recalls, “the original inspiration for the book came from REHupa, and a piece Rusty did many years ago consisting of just a few of the letters pages from Weird Tales. Not many people have access to a full run of Weird Tales. I did at the time I first came up with the idea of expanding on Rusty’s idea, so I started the horribly pleasant chore of going through all the issues involved. I couldn’t just borrow those pulps and just look at The Eyrie — I read nearly every issue, though I occasionally skipped a story that stunk in the first few paragraphs. How the hell did Seabury Quinn become so popular in that magazine? Maybe Lovecraft was right to consider Weird Tales readers morons.”

— from “The Atlantean”

For stark, living zealotry…the actual smell and feel and mania and rabid fervor and whole-souled ardor that inhere in our obsessive, fanatical realm…what other fan is even in the running with [redacted]?

— from “The Venarium Award”

Chris, like Rob, is not resting on his laurels. “I have a review of two James J. Braddock biographies coming out late this year in The Dark Man,” he says. “I am planning a boxing-related article as well as a pirate piece for consideration in TC. I have penned an article called ‘Howard at the Ice House’ for a book of collected essays about Robert E. Howard, edited by Fabrice Tortey and Joseph Altairac, which will commemorate the centennial of his birth in France — this is (was!) due out in the fall. There is more, but it’s all tentative. I remain faithful to REHupa as well.”

— from “The Black River Award”

I’ll give HowardWorks all of my votes if Paul Herman will agree to give Bill Thom the statue if he wins. Bill seems to be an updating machine; there’s something new on HowardWorks practically every weekend.

— from “The Stygian”

I just want to make it clear how much I appreciate this honor. We live in a very materialistic society, and artistic or intellectual accomplishments that don’t bring a lot of money tend to be regarded with indifference. I have had, on occasion, to wrestle with feelings of futility. It’s therefore gratifying to know that others appreciate what one is doing, and that you’re making some sort of difference to someone. Therefore, I would like to formally thank The Cimmerian for presenting me with such impressive, solid, tangible evidence that my efforts have not been expended in a vain pursuit.

— Charles Hoffman, from “The Hyrkanian — Second Place”