Solomon Kane in the novels: Finds a young girl dying whose village was slaughtered. Doesn't get her name. Swears vengeance on her assailants. Hunts them down across continents. Refuses to elaborate further
@Corvo@AZ Idea, so here me out if they make more Solomon Kane comics: Solomon Kane also meets Allies in his Crusade; He also meets up with a Catholic Crusader, he is the last of the Templar Knights and he also meets a Badass Russian Orthodox Monk who was part of Ivan the Terrible's Oprichnik (Russian 16th century death squads) and all team up killing heathens and demons despite they like to butt heads sometimes and they all to plan to kill the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire which threaten Christian Europe by threatening to take London, Rome, and Moscow with an army of undead Janissaries...I know it sounds corny, but what do you think? :)
@@americancaesar1830 It also reminds me of myself and 2 of my best friends. One of my friends is a devout Catholic and the other is a Greek Orthodox whose family has ties with Russia. I am a Christian so in their eyes I'm Protestant, but only my Grandparents were that. Anyways we may not always agree on everything, we all agree on what really counts.
You know what's funny, Lovecraft was more than vocal about the fact that he preferred Howards Solomon Kane and Kull stories far more than his work on Conan the Barbarian. With Kull being of particular interest to Lovecraft.
Different times. Lovecraft's protagonists fainted and fled from the same creatures that Howard's characters would take a sword to... (Funny thing is they were correspondents and were probably aware of it themselves)
Granted, I could have phrased it better, but I was aiming for brevity more than precision. The point was simply that Lovecraft and Howard were abstractly operating ( _Collusion!_ ) in the same literary universe, that Lovecraft's horrors were Howard's monsters. However, the time difference is a factor. Kull, Kane and Conan battled Lovecraftian beasts and wizards, but Breckinridge Elkins didn't...
"Men Shall Die For This" is a pretty amazing line, it packs so much into so little. So snappy and succinct. It tells you everything you need to know going forward.
They played Ace of Spades on set to get everyone pumped for the action scenes filmed. Show me something more badass than Solomon Kane gutting folk to Motorhead and I'll show you hateful lies!
His home is in Cross Plains, Texas not to far from where I live. It's a real small town but they have a celebration on his birthday every year. They have a small parade and you can take a tour of his house. If you're not a fan of Robert E Howard there is nothing there for you but I was and enjoyed it.
I'm so glad that my dad introduced me to characters like Solomon Kane, Elric, Conan, and the Shadow when I was a kid. I'm almost 22 now and have a collection of all those character's stories, and love all of them.
I remember back in the 70's and 80's finding anything Robert E. Howard and Edgar Rice Burroughs to read. They were not the 'best', but captured the imagination of a young boy with their works. Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, Tarzan and John Carter were names living in my mind before any were put to film. Some better on film than others.
Echo Whiskey Same here. I remember back when reading books like these wasn’t something you readily admitted to, at least, not to girls. I devoured all those you mentioned, plus lots of Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser.
Echo Whiskey Same here. I remember back when reading books like these wasn’t something you readily admitted to, at least, not to girls. I devoured all those you mentioned, plus lots of Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser.
The pulps and the penny dreadfuls and dime novels that proceeded them were among the most vivid and imaginative works of fiction produced by man. Highly recommended everyone checks them out, the shorter lengths make for a much more dense and impactful form of storytelling.
Agreed 100%. They are constantly demonized by the pretentious Literati that have been appointed (by themselves mostly) as the authority on what is and isn't great literature, because they have one thing that their brand of vacuous fiction doesn't have; the element of fun. Which is the number 1 purpose of fiction. Speaking of which, what penny dreadfuls and dime novels would you recommend?
I am 52 and read the Conan magazines . The second story was Solomon Kane. I was hooked. I loved the movie too. Great stories. I was hooked in the early 80's. Great video
Like you said the movie we were waiting for and finally came out. Not in theaters, but on demand. I worked in law enforcement and would stay up on night shift months. It was 7.99 to rent and enjoyed. It is on Netflix and I tell everyone to watch it. Amazon was out of the book you were showing and so I will hit my comic shop. I got them to get The Darkness graphic novels. Love Jackie Estacado too.
Doesn't hurt that the art was (and is) amazing. I still remember Kane's run in with Dracula (yep, they had him fight fang face) He won. Because he's fucking Solomon Kane!
@@lucidsEmerald232 Lovecraft and Howard corresponded quite a bit, and made a bit of a "shared world", to the point the eldritch horrors of Lovecraft that drove their protagonists mad are the demons fought by Howard's protagonists. It kinda makes me wonder, were Howard's protagonists already mad to the point they were mostly unaffected by the encounters they had?
The movie is pretty awesome.Sure,it's by no means a high-budget blockbuster,but it's well directed,it's Rated-R and most of all,James Purefoy just kicks ass.Very underrated actor,he was also amazing,as Marcus Antonius,in HBO's ''Rome''
There's something good about simple American characters with faith. It's a cool archetype. The gunslinger and witchslayer are the common knight in a new time. There's something inherently cool about destroying evil and having a moral code. That's why SJW heroes have no staying power, their 'codes' aren't followed loyaly and they're based in politics not 'goodness'
I think the reason why is because to the SJWs, the Right-wing is the only thing that they deem as evil. I am sure there could be some literal "From the very bowels of Hell itself" demons brought to Earth that would do nothing but cause the worst mayhem that anyone could possibly imagine and as they are being raped to death with a red hot, thorny cock they would think "Still less evil than Trump".
The anti-heroes/heroes of now are really the reflections of the modern morality of appealing to illusions of justice and equality by either being preachy and edgy without the necessity of story telling. Never mind the inherent injustice of merely saying your cause is just while sowing misery and lawlessness down the line.
Fuckin' hell, why isn't James Purefoy in more things? Dude is awesome as an action star and, as his performance on Rome proves, he can definitely evoke plenty of emotion in more dramatic scenes. Plus, dude's a Motorhead fan? Truly, he has walked the righteous path of the Lord.
It pains me to think how much richer Howard's worlds and stories would have been if not for his self demise so early in his writing career. He was a MASTER! Conan, Kull, Kane; they should be read by everyone with even a pinch of interest in fantasy.
When I moved to Louisiana (Lafayette) back in 2001, I worked for a plumber named Marvin Ellis. My first day on the job, Marvin asked me if I'd ever heard of Robert E. Howard. 'You know, the guy who wrote Conan?' he asked. I told him that I had. Marvin told me his mother had dated Robert Howard when she was young. Apparently they were quite serious. Marvin's mother was Novalyne Price, later Novalyne Price Ellis. I've got the complete Conan stories by Howard (a thick book that looks like a Bible), but my favorite character he created is definitely Solomon Kane. A gaunt man dressed in a tattered long-coat and capotain hat, roaming the land and fighting monsters, zombies, and vampires with flintlock pistols and a sword? This is the Bloodborne beta, folks. What's not to love?
Interesting you point out how Kane is, or has been of late, often downgraded to a pastiche of himself, by being portrayed as nothing more than the generic "action-monster-hunter" archetype he initially inspired. Seems like that happens a lot with characters once source for certain templates.
The same thing happened with Conan as well. A lot of the comics portray him as a simple-minded barbarian or a goody-two-shoes, when the original Conan from Robert E. Howard is much, much more than that. I can see where Razor is coming from when he expresses disdain for public domain; it's beshitted way too many franchises and characters.
happens with... inspirations that do nothing but echo soemthing else. elric of melnibone is well written and very well thought out, meanwhile copies are jsut edgy more for the appeal of being edgy. elric is conflicted with this sense of morality he doesnt even understand yet he has. same happened from Shadow to Batman... Batman has so little reason to do anything because he refuses to kill what are mass murdering torturous people... theyve ruined his character as a hero all because they wanna sell to kids
First got encountered with Robert E Howard in the late 1970's with his Conan stories, and loved them, but I was in my teens and eventually put reading aside to be a dumb-ass. When I finally matured, I went back to reacquaint myself with Robert E Howard (90's) and learned that he created a number of characters and a slew of stories. I learned of Soloman Kane, Kull, Bran Mak Morn, and many others. Howard didn't just write fantasy, but he also wrote horror, western, and adventure. Howard has a knack of putting a lot of information in such a small amount of text, which today is nearly a lost art, imho. Great stuff.
All apologies to Hemingway, but I have to say Howard, for me, is the finest American writer of the early 20th century. Wish his horror works and his Bran Mac Morn stories got more play.
Just like with the Shadow and Elric Razor introduces me to a character i'd never heard of before and looks absolutely badass. Definitely gonna check Kane out.
We could sure use a *Solomon Kane* vs. the scourge of *Socialist Justice Warrior Blight* right about now. *" They call themselves pure...? "* even his thoughts studdered in horror *" They are everything but! "* His gloves groaned as they tightened around his rapier His voice betrayed his inner dialogue's composure. *" I... will purify them. "*
I really like this "here is something I like and I will ease you into it" style of video. Battletech, The Shadow, Elric and now Solomon Kane, that's a pretty good haul. I certainly hope to see more of these in the future.
Solomon Kane actually did a crossover with Conan and Kull in a few of the Epic Illustrated stories as well. Those are required reading for anyone who wants a sample taste of all 3 iconic pulp characters. Great video Razor, hope to see you delve into Tarzan, John Carter and even some of the Jack Vance stories if you are able!
I thank you for bringing awareness to Elric now Solomon Kane. These characters deserve more notices. I was disappointed when how the movie was handle when come to marketing. Underrated would be understatement. Solomon Kane to Me is Robert E Howard best creation. Cohan is okay. But writing in Solomon Kane has more of high energy to it and cuts deeply into your very being.
Always loved Kane! Had a band named after him back in the day, lol. Epically good books though, Robert E. Howard was the man! Good video, keep it up! Thanks!
Only without rpg bullshit, I want it more like a mix of the gameplay of DMC3 and the Castlevania SOTN level design, that would be godlike and a proof that god still loves us... Obviously it can't be produced by neither EA(for obvous reasons), Naughty Dog (they will make Solomon Kane a transexual cuban wamen) or konami (FUCK THOSE GUYS!)
Solomon Kane is a setting for Savage Worlds and good God is it cool as hell. Walking the Path of Kane and tearing into the evil and unclean is one hell of a ride. Whenever I need to explain the setting to anyone I just have them watch that badass movie. Not had a complaint yet.
Hate to correct you on anything, but Razor Howard established Kane's former association with pirates in Blades of the Brotherhood as he mentions himself as having once been a member of the band he goes up against back when they were more than mere cutthroats or something to that effect. Given the context of the period it makes perfect sense he would have at some point served in the irregular forces which harassed the Muslims, indeed it's one of the only likely explanations for such an association and/or targeting other denominations of Christians who were also in rivalry with England, and I loved the flourish in the movie that he loved doing it. Still I much appreciate all the love you show to the character here. He's one of my all time favorites.
I just realize that there are only about five filmic adaptations of Howard’s work: 3 Conan films, a kull film, and a Solomon Kane film. For as insanely popular as his work is, there’s surprisingly few silver screen adaptations of them. Funny since you’d think his stories would be ripe for filmic fodder.
I think these type of videos that Razor does are my favorite, it highlights the best of material for a particular character/comic and shows accessible content for us to see ourselves if we want to pursue. Heck, his video on Elric rekindled my sister's fandom of the character.
Without a doubt my favorite video you've ever done. Thank you for giving Kane and Howard some much deserved love. I still enjoy REH's Conan a bit more but Kane is a character that is still fairly unique in the whole of escapism. Remarkable considering how long he's been around.
Spot on commentary of this fantastic Charcter and his history I loved it especially the reading recommendations and the Solomon Kane movie review and the critique of how it was distributed by the clueless movie making hierarchy It is one of the most grossly underrated movies of all time This is a great video I'm watching again for the 2nd time love your pulp and film noir videos Thanks Razorfist
I have to say it, but that scene from the movie at the end of the video just makes me picture a Solomon Kane game with inspirations taken from like Dynasty Warriors or For Honor with a bunch of sword warmers before getting to the actual fight. Why isn't there a Solomon Kane game yet?
They know that culture is what drives people, so they wont make things that even tacitly glorify or excite people with Christianity. The less idealogical developers only care about cash, and this would be a decent selling niche game, so in their eyes it not worth the time.
Thank You Razor. I was very much into Howard and the Marvel comic adaptations back in the day. This got me back into it. BTW one you recomend: the Saga of Solomon Kane (I agree, highly recommended), if anyone is looking for this one I have 2 copies and would part with one for not more then the price of postage if anyone is interested, contact me.
“I say that you have this day done a damnable deed. Yon necromancer was worthy of death, belike, but he trusted you, naming you his one friend, and you betrayed him for a few filthy coins. Methinks you will be meeting him in hell someday.” - The Right Hand of Doom
If you've already read all of the books and seen the movie he mentions, and still hungry for more. Warhammer's Mathias Thulman: Witch Hunter is absolutely worth picking up. The character was created in much the same way as Kane, through short stories in a sort of pulp magazine, (which are included in the trilogy book itself). It ends up coming out to 3 short stories, and 3 novels collected in one book. Which in the introduction the author admits to his love and overall inspiration of Solomon Kane. It's a great read for Kane fans and I definitely recommend it for anyone who is either hungry for more Kane or a fan of the Warhammer Universe and Witch Hunters in general.
Mathias Thulman was awesome. He was also heavily based on Vincent Prices evil Witch hunter Character. Can't remember the name. But yeah, Price's Sinister personality and flamboyancy plus Kane's nobility and fanatacism equals Mathias Thulmann.
Absolutely! There is an entire intro in the book that covers his creation and such. I think they actually just released a new edition of it. Hopefully it still has the short stories and intro. Those were both great!
I admit to learning of this character by the great film, standing on it's own. my uncle then sent me a few of the comics from his series. I'd love to see more of both. I'm probably going to watch the movie again tonight. thank you Razor!
I read an article earlier this week about Funcom going into development of a new coop online shooter. The job listing for a Gameplay/Console Programmer mentioned the IP they intend to develop is a Heroic Signatures property. Solomon Kane happens to be one of their holdings.
back in the early 90s I discovered a box of REH paperbacks at a used book store. It included Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, and Cormac Mac Art. I was in the Army at the time so I would take them to the field with me to bid away the boring times. I loved those books.
I still have a giant stack of oversize Savage Sword of Conan from when I was a kid. I loved it when Solomon Kane was featured in the B story instead of Red Sonja.
I loved Solomon Kane even more than than Conan. (who I also love) And I have Savage Sword of Conan 162. The black and white art always worked better for me with Conan and Kane stories than color could have done. Also, the Kane poem that still gives me shivers is The Return of Sir Richard Grenville.
I actually saw a Solomon Kane cover while looking up Gwenpool (Gwen Stacy crossed with Deadpool, it’s hilarious). I was intrigued, so here I am. Plus Razor, I love your videos dude.
Big fan of Conan here, always meant to dive into Solomon Kane and now I'm even more intrigued. Also I love Vampire Hunter D, if this is the inspiration then I've gotta dive in. Great video Razör.
Thank you Razorfist-Brother of the Flame, for putting us onto the fiery path of Solomon Kane! We dedicated our recent Solomon Kane collection to you. (Infernal Incantations of Solomon Kane)-JL
That Del Rey paperback was my first introduction to Kane, and to Howard in general. Picked it up at Barnes and Noble solely on the awesomeness of its cover. It sat on my shelf for a while because the first story or two were bores, but once I got to Red Shadows I was hooked! To this day, Wings in the Night is one of my favorite pulp stories. Kane's horror and anger just....struck me on a visceral level. The movie....It pissed me off so much how long it took for that to be released stateside. I was starting to believe that it never actually got finished....I agree that the origin story was unnecessary and that the piracy angst missed the point of the character....but once they got to the "If I kill you, I am damned" line, they had the character nailed, and it was glorious! So I have The Castle of the Devil trade, and I thought it sucked. I have The Chronicles of Solomon Kane trade, and its pretty good. And of course, I have illustrated Del Rey collection. But I don't have The Saga of Solomon Kane trade. Thanks for the heads up that it's worth having.
I agree about Wings in the Night being emotionally compelling. Because I was careless, I had the tragic scene spoiled for me, but it made no difference. Howard really had a way with words.
Thank you, Razörfist for this video essay. While I knew of Solomon Kane, I had never read any of the stories. Nor read the comics. Nor saw the movie. Now, I have been listening to this same audiobook you play clips from here, have read the comics, and just ordered a Blu-ray of the movie. It’s now my favorite creation of Howard. And that’s saying something.
Just picked up 'The Chronicles of Solomon Kane' from my local library after your recommendation. Gods damn it's amazing. Going to have to track down the other comic adaptations as well. Maybe rewatch the movie for Thanksgiving because, ya know, Puritans.
Oh man, what a nice surprise. I'm really glad you put this together Razorfist, because there's some real care here. And at the end, Purefoy talking about murdering dudes to Motorhead gives me a new appreciation for him. Good stuff, again Razor, thank you.
I just ordered The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane and the other 3 Conan compilations from the same publisher because of this video. Thanks for the continued inspiration, Rageaholic! You’re like that really cool dude that works at the comic store that says “hey, check this out! You’ll love it!”
Hey Razor, if you like Solomon Kane, then you might want to look into the book (& comic) "Dead in the West" by Joe R Lansdale. It features a character similar to Solomon Kane, but set in the wild-west. Its about a preacher of sorts, but instead of a sword & flintlock pistols, the preacher (Jebediah) is sporting colt pistols. The author (Joe R Lansdale) was also inspired by Robert E Howard and even mentions him frequently in the forward of many of his books. Like Howard, Lansdale packs a lot of meaning in fewer words, and has a penchant for detail. Lansdale can be a Leftist cuch at times though, but he's an awesome author, imho. Weirdly enough, he has a tv series "Hap & Leonard" (based on his books) about two best friends, and one of them is Hap Collins, who is played by James Purefoy, the same actor who played Solomon Kane in the movie adaption. Anyway, I just thought that I'd bring it to your attention.
Surprised to hear that, since I've first encountered Joe R. Landsdale talking about Robert E. Howard in his introduction in the biography of Robert E. Howard, "Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard" by Mark Finn. And he did not strike me as a fan, acting condescending and passive-aggressive towards Howard.
I have not even watched this yet but I am all pumped UP! I LOVE me some Solomon Kane!!! Perhaps my FAVORITE Robert E. Howard hero - even moreso than Conan!!!!
