The Cromcast: A Weird Fiction Podcast

The Cromcast is going down deep to its roots, but this time we're digging into the literature of Clark Ashton Smith. In this first episode of our 22nd season, we discuss the man and author himself and reveal our reading list. Tune in for weird tales fun!

Welcome back, all! We're rounding out our 21st season with a series of Howardian film selections from the Cromrades:   Jon - All the President's Men (1976) Luke - Ladyhawke (1985) Josh - Hidalgo (2004)   Where do we go from here, you may ask? You'll have to listen 'til the end to find out!

Welcome back, Cromrades! This week, we take on two combat sports movies that damage us right where it hurts - the emotions! We're talking Million Dollar Baby directed by Clint Eastwood, and starring Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman. Then, we enter the squared circle to face off against the Von Erich family in The Iron Claw, directed by Sean Durkin and starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, , Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany, and Lily James.  We're talking raw emotional damage, folks.  Would Robert E. Howard have found something to like about this double feature? Let us know!            One Things Jon: Peaceful Neighbor: Discovering the Counter Cultural Mr. Rogers by Michael Long Josh: On Boxing by Joyce Carol Oates Luke: Surprise, Kill, Vanish: The Secret History of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators, and Assassins by Annie Jacobsen Questions? Comments? Curses? Call us at (859) 429-CROM! Did you know that we're on Facebook? We're posting photos on the Instagrams! Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on iTunes! We're also on Stitcher Radio and Google Play! Legal Mumbo-Jumbo Our episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Themes by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Outro: Tom Sawyer by Rush! Music obtained legally; we hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase the work!   

Hile, Cromrades! Join us brave the dark solstice of the year and welcome in Old Man Winter... Herein we discuss Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans (1992) alongside Alejandro Iñárritu's The Revenant (2015)! We hope you have stoked the fire, and have a few blankets at hand. 

Oh greatest of podcast listeners, indulge us in this friendly holiday game. Let whichever of you  is boldest of blood step forth, take up headphones and try with honor to consider new fantasy films. If you choose to engage, seek us out yonder to the Green Chapel six nights to the north. We will return your thoughts with our own, and then in trust and friendship, we shall part. Who, then, who is willing to watch "Valhalla Rising" and "The Green Knight" with us?

      Welcome back, Cromrades! We are currently experiencing some difficulty posting our episode in the normal way. Archive.org is where we generally host our files, and they have had some great difficulties with hackers recently. We are trying to decide what to do. But in the interim, here is our second episode of the Howardian Film Festival, which also doubles as our Cromtober 2024 episode.  Edit 11/9/24: Here's the episode. One Things Jon: The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World Josh: Mörk Borg Luke: Mustard!   Questions? Comments? Curses?   Call us at (859) 429-CROM! You know you want to follow us on Twitter! Did you know that we're on Facebook? Spool together a good time with us on Threads! We're posting photos on the Instagram! Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify! Legal Mumbo-Jumbo Our episode is freely available on archive.org and is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Themes by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Outro: "Faith" by Ghost. Music obtained legally; we hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase the work!

 Hile, Cromrades! Join us as we embark on our 21st Season... A Howardian Film Festival! For our first episode, we start out with some 'historical' films... Specifically, we discuss 1975's The Wind and the Lion, directed by John Milius and starring a cavalcade of familiar faces that includes Sean Connery! After that, we discuss 2011's The Eagle, directed by Kevin Macdonald and starring

Hile, Cromrades! Here we wrap up our discussion of the first Elric paperback, Elric of Melniboné (or perchance entitled The Dreaming City). This one's a banger! Join us won't you?One ThingsChristopher Rowe (The More You Know): Open Road Media for all your F&SF needs!Jon: Maus by Art SpiegelmanJosh: Mage Knight, and otherwise note that it's a hot time buying some secondhand boardgames!Luke:

 Welcome back Cromrades! Join us for an eventful mid-section to our first foray into the tales of Elric. In this episode we can guarantee you'll see a boat you won't believe, a deal that can't possibly go wrong for Elric, and a turning of the tables that will spin your head. Join us won't you?One thingsLuke: Hijinks in Oklahoma territory with Reservation DogsJosh: Escapades in the north

Welcome back, Cromrades! This season has been a long time in the making - we finally are diving into the world of Michael Moorcock's foundational sword and sorcery work, Elric of Melniboné. This episode focuses on the first third of the book, wherein we discuss what we know about Melniboné, Elric, Yrkoon, and Cymoril, and the greater world of the book. Join us!One ThingsJon: Dan Carlin - Boxing

Greetings, Cromrades! We are back to put the final touches on our coverage of The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson, and transition to our next story - Elric of Melnibone by Michael Moorcock! We set up some of the similarities and differences between these two stories, and set the stage for Elric as our next sword and sorcery protagonist. One ThingsJon: A24's Civil War movie.Josh: Victorinox

Welcome back to The Cromcast's dive into "The Broken Sword" by Poul Anderson. We've been through heck and back with these characters, but if Odin's presence is any indication, things aren't about to get better! Join us for the final turn with this fantastic tale and learn what fate befalls Skafloc and Valgerd!One ThingsJonathan: "The Wager" by David Grann, British naval chicanery Josh: "

Welcome back to the big show, Cromrades! This week, we discuss chapters 11 - 20 of The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson. Check back in a few weeks for the exciting finale!One ThingsJon: Love Lies Bleeding, a movie!Josh: Fargo, season 1 and 2, a television show!Luke: Nuclear War, A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen, a book! Questions? Comments? Curses?Call us at (859) 429-CROM!You know you want to follow us

Hile, Cromrades! Here we delve into the first 10 chapters of Poul Anderson's The Broken Sword! We had a ton of fun with this discussion, and hopefully you enjoy it too! We'll return with the next discussion in the coming weeks!One ThingsJon: Devolution and other things by Max Brooks!Josh: From Hell: Master Edition by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell!Luke: The Armies of Elfland by a certain Poul

 An eerie mist shrouds the podcast waves, it's plain to hear that the faeries and elves must be about. They are stalking for a new podcast season to steal away before its named. Alas for them, The Cromcast knows exactly what their next season is all about. Tune in and hear about our plans to read "The Broken Sword" by sci-fi and fantasy author Poul Anderson. One ThingsJon: The

Welcome back to the show, Cromrades! This week, we take a second look at Red Nails, ten years after visiting the lost city of Xuchotl for the first time. This story is widely regarded as a classic amongst the Conan tales. Do you enjoy it? Let us know!Zap! Zap! Lightning Bolt! One ThingsJon: Peyton's PlacesJosh: True Detective: Night CountryLuke: Game of Thrones Season 3 RewatchWhen we return

Welcome back, Cromrades! We return with a long-awaited and much merited 'mail bag' at the start of the episode. From there we tackle a discussion of on Mr. Robert Eggers' 'The Northman.' Do we like this movie? NAY! We love it! So, if you love it to, please join us for a bit of a discussion, and we hope you stick around for the next episode wherein we put the final 'Red Nails' in the coffin of

Greetings Cromrades! We are so excited to bring you the return of Jim Zub to the show. In the time since we last spoke, Jim has been a part of a high flying launch of Titan Comic's Conan the Barbarian monthly series. If the numbers are any indication, we're guessing most of you are already reading it. If you aren't though, tune in to hear from Jim about what you are missing out on. Plus, you can

Welcome back, Cromrades, to the conclusion of our discussion on Hour of the Dragon! As always, we hope you enjoy the insights and observations we share during this episode of the podcast.  One ThingsJon: Ed Brubaker's Captain AmericaJosh: Dungeons and Dragons B/XLuke: Warhammer 40K Questions? Comments? Curses?Call us at (859) 429-CROM!You know you want to follow us on X!Did you

Welcome back, Cromrades! Here we revisit Robert E. Howard's "Hour of the Dragon," which you may also know as "Conan the Conquerer!" This is REH's only novel-length Conan story, so we only get through about the front half of the book! It's a heck of a tale, and we hope you join us for this episode alongside the second episode that will drop in coming weeks!One ThingsJon: Rock tumbling is a hell of

 Welcome back, Cromrades! Today, we join Conan as he ventures into an area of colonization, where native peoples are being hectored by imperial forces and pioneers. Essentially, we're joining him in Texas circa the late 1600's or the mid- 1800's. As such, we've invited Ben Friberg to join us. He's a friend of the show, a Texas historian, chronicler of Robert E. Howard Days, and crafter of ice

 Welcome back, Boils and Ghouls! Your three-headed podcast hosting ogre has selected a couple of delightfully frightful tales for tonight's Cromtober recording! They are of the nautical horror bent, set in demon-haunted New England: Dagon, and The Shadow Over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft! We discuss all manner of horrific details regarding these two thematically linked stories beside a Cromtober

Greetings, Cromrades! We're kicking off our 2023 Halloween festivities with a bang! We're pleased and thankful to have had the opportunity to chat with Mr. Gaunt, otherwise known as John Langan! We meander around a ton of topics, discussing horror writing styles, the importance of regionalism in horror, the focus / intent of the Corpsemouth collection, John's experiences and influences on 'The

Welcome back, Cromrades! Here we revisit the Robert E. Howard story "Jewels of Gwahlur," another yarn in the Hyborian Age of Conan the Cimmerian. While it isn't our favorite Conan story, there are some interesting facets to discuss. One ThingsJon: Legacy DC Characters, and the ending of Irredeemable. Josh: Dragon Quest!Luke: The Last House on Needless Street, by Katriana Ward. Questions? Comments

Have you heard of the wickedness seeping out from the city of Khauran? The queen, her majesty Taramis, has seemingly gone mad or been possessed by a demon... They're even crucifying men in the dessert. I recently heard all the gory, delicious details from three fools performing in the street. You too can listen to them spin the yarn and decide is witches are afoot or if this is just another tale

 Listen not to this episode if you fear the immaterial but destructive sound waves of the three podcasters of the Black Circle. If you are of steely stuff, then plug those headphones in and join The Cromcast as they analyze Robert E. Howard's novella, "The People of the Black Circle". Originally published between September and November of 1934 in Weird Tales, we get to see a new part of the

Welcome back, Cromrades! This week's show is a double-feature! We not only unpack 'The Devil in Iron,' but we're also joined by Howard Andrew Jones! HAJ happens to have a book of his own that has just dropped, entitled 'Lord of a Shattered Land.' You can buy it direct from Baen here!Needless to say, this is a longer episode, as we cover not only REH's Conan, but also HAJ's Hanuvar. Plug in those

Welcome back to the show, Cromrades! One of our jokes became an idea for an episode, and now we present to you our fantasy draft of characters featured in the Conan stories we've read and covered up through Queen of the Black Coast. We hope you enjoy the shenanigans! The list of characters we compiled prior to the draft: CharacterStoryAscalanteThe Phoenix on the SwordRinaldoThe Phoenix on the

 Hello Cromrades and welcome to another nautical episode here on The Cromcast. This is no ordinary sea tale though, today we ride the gusty seas with the one and only Queen of the Black Coast. Tune in for a tale of how love transcends all, for piratical fun, and for the finest winged ape you've never wanted to see. One ThingsJosh: The highest form of gaming, chessLuke: Reaper Minis, mini-figs to

Welcome back, Cromrades! This week's show is a banger! Join us as we not only unpack 'Iron Shadows in the Moon,' but also get deep into a discussion of mythos! You can read 'Iron Shadows' here!If you are looking for some guide posts, be sure to check out the recent episode from Weird Studies for their own discussion of 'mythos' and the third season of 'Twin Peaks' here!One ThingsJonster with the

Welcome back to the show, Cromrades! This week we are thrilled to share a conversation we had with sword and sorcery fan and comic book writer Jim Zub! Jim tells us about the upcoming Conan comic series from Titan Comics. By now, hopefully you've all had a chance to pick up the Free Comic Book Day copy of Conan the Barbarian Issue #0! The art by Robert De La Torre absolutely rips, and the story

Today's Cromcast ventures into the home of Nabonidus, who knows what wonders and magic we may perceive. We are also joined by a friends fourth rogue, Matt John of the aptly named, Rogues in the House podcast!Tune in for cartoonish violence and Scooby-Doo traps galore!Be sure to find Matt on his usual channel with Rogues in the HouseOne ThingsMatt: Has been toiling away with Elden RingJosh: Pines

Welcome back, Cromrades! This week we join Conan to sail the seas and explore a fantastic island where intrigue abounds! Hope you brought a jaunty hat and your cutlass!If you are looking for a great review / lit crit piece on this story, we reference David C. Smith's take on this story from the 'Hither Came Conan' blog series on The Black Gate. You can check it here!One ThingsJon: Frank Miller

Welcome back, Cromrades! We are still cruising down the ReRoad of Kings, and it's time to make a stop at Xuthal! Do we have any thoughts about titillating and exciting Slithering Shadow? Do we ever! Join us, won't you? One ThingsJon: Snowblind by Rangar Jonasson.Josh: The Call of Cthulhu, and the blurred line between the real world and mythos filters placed over the real world. Luke: Goodreads,

Howdy, Cromrades. Today The Cromcast continues down their 10th anniversary trail by stopping in at the small kingdom of Khoraja where we'll come face to face with Natohk... or is that Thugra Khotan hiding under those mummy bandages? Tune in to hear about the first world war in Hyborea and the role that Conan plays in it. Dissect the role of the Yasmeela, the woman in charge or Khoraja and

Hile, Cromrades! We continue our season with another humdinger! For this episode we read the much lauded The Tower of the Elephant, and frame up the episode in a less conventional fashion using the old TSR Conan Role-Playing Game System from 1985! Join us, won't you?Useful Reads about The Tower of the ElephantHoward Andrew Jones and Bill Ward's Reread and DiscussionWaltz's Hither Came Conan

Welcome back, Cromrades! This week, we follow Conan (or is it, Amra?) into the bowels of hell beneath The Scarlet Citadel. Here we meet Pelias, who, as it has been said, does like to party. We spend the majority of the discussion devoted to the labyrinth beneath the Scarlet Citadel and its denizens. Join us, won't you? One ThingsJon: Rosalind Kerven's Viking Myths and Sagas.Josh: Wednesday on

 "The clangor of the swords had died away, the shouting of the slaughter was hushed; silence lay on the red-stained snow. The bleak pale sun that glittered so blindingly from the ice-fields and the snow-covered plains struck sheens of silver from rent corselet and broken blade, where the dead lay as they had fallen. The nerveless hand yet gripped the broken hilt; helmeted heads back-drawn in the

"Know, oh prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of..."Here it is - a return to Conan on The Cromcast!A decade in the making, we circle back around to REH's Conan! We discuss the "The Phoenix on The Sword", published in the December 1932 issue of Weird Tales. You can find a

Happy New Year Cromrades! Thank you for tuning in for our last episode of 2022 and our last episode dedicated to poetry. We have enjoyed digging into poetry by our patron saint, Robert E. Howard, as well as his lyrical companions in "Weird Tales" H.P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. For this last episode in Season 17, we thought we would take a whirlwind tour through six of REH's favorite poets

Hello Cromrades! We are proud to announce the release of The Cromcast Chronicle #3! You can find the newest issue here, as well as our past years' entries here!You can peruse the Cover and the Table of Contents below. And, you can hear us talk about what's inside!Happy holidays, everyone!!!Questions? Comments? Curses?Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)You know you want to follow us on

Hile, Cromrades! We continue our poetry season by opening things up a bit... For this episode we contrast select poems of the Weird Tales Three! Read the entries here:Clark Ashton Smith's Nyctalops!H.P. Lovecraft's Fungi from Yuggoth!Robert E. Howard's Adventurer!One ThingsLuke: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones!Jon: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, starring the incomparable John

Hello again Cromrades and welcome to another lyrical Cromcast episode featuring even more poetry by Robert E. Howard. Today's selections come from Luke and he was inspired by REH's use of color in his poems and pulled three top shelf choices for the show. Be sure to check 'em out-Summer MornHigh Blue HallsAlways Comes EveningGo to minute 29 if you are hoping to dive right in to the poetry portion

 Well met, Cromrades! We are beginning a brief jaunt into the weird world of pulp poetry this week, with a look at Robert E. Howard as a poet, and some of our favorite poems of his. We discuss what a poem even is, how we differentiate it from prose writing, and follow a hip-hop tangent down the well for a bit. We hope you enjoy the show! LinksFrank Coffman's sonnet essayThe Dark Barbarian Barbara

Hile, Cromrades! We return for our second spooktacular episode for this October. Our Halloween festivities this year are focused on spectral locomotives! For this episode we read Dicken's 'The Signalman' and Leiber's 'Belsen Express.' Heady talk around the firepit await you!One ThingsJosh: Is absolutely DIGGING some Scott Oden, particularly 'A Gathering of Ravens!' If you are new to Scott's work,

 Howdy Cromrades! It's the most wonderful and spooktacular time of the year, around these parts we call it Cromtober. Our 2022 Halloween festivities are focused on spectral locomotives, you know,  ghost trains! Trains have long inspired tales of ghosts and haints and even sometimes serve as means of conveyance to get your soul down to hell. For our first episode, we focus most of our discussion

Welcome back, Cromrades! We're closing in on the end of this short road. The temperatures are dropping, and the sound of wolves echoes around us. Time feels a little... strange, these days. Doesn't it? Whatever the case, you should pour yourself a drink, kick back, and join us for the second half of The Winter Players by Tanith Lee! One ThingsJon: Getting into genealogy, with a gift subscription

Hile, Cromrades! We gather for an episode centered on the front half of Tanith Lee's 'The Winter Players.' Join us, won't you? One ThingsJon: Better Call Saul. 'nuff said.Josh: The Standups on Netflix. Get some chucks in...Luke: Warhammer's Kill Team. If you are gullible, and want to spend a paycheck or three, then give it a go. If not, then maybe exercise some level of responsibility and just

 Welcome back to the show Cromrades! In this episode, we return the road with some ghosts on our tail. Join us as we wrap up Tanith Lee's "The Companions on the Road" and discuss some cool motifs, the evocative imagery, and more about Lee's prowess as a writer. One ThingsJosh: Blades and Spells, for the gamer who craves adventure but lacks timeLuke: Has been buying into The Horus Heresy from the

Welcome back, Cromrades! It's a new season and a journey down a new road, with new companions. We're taking a trip with Tanith Lee! Join us as we discuss the first half of her sword and sorcery novella "Companions on the Road!" Learn more about Tanith Lee on Blackgate.com!One ThingsJon: 50 Years of WatergateJosh: Dark Horse Conan, particularly the letters and Two Gun Bob back matter.Luke: The

Hile, Cromrades! We gather a final time on the end of our Gothic Road. Join us as we put some final nails in the coffin of this season!One ThingsJon: Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics!Josh: Jason Aaron's take on Thor: God of Thunder!Luke: Barry on HBO (he just can't quit it).Questions? Comments? Curses?Call us at (859) 429-CROM!You know you want to follow us on Twitter!Did you know