Season 3, Episode 03 - Rattle of Bones

The host brought wine and food to the rough-hewn table and then stood back in the shadows, like a somber image. His features, now receding into vagueness, now luridly etched in the firelight as it leaped and flickered, were masked in a beard which seemed almost animal-like in thickness. A great nose curved above this beard and two small red eyes stared unblinkingly at his guests.

"Who are you?" suddenly asked the younger man.
"I am the host of the Cleft Skull Tavern," sullenly replied the other. His tone seemed to challenge his questioner to ask further.
"Do you have many guests?" l'Armon pursued.
"Few come twice," the host grunted."

  Kane started and glanced up straight into those small red eyes, as if he sought for some hidden meaning in the host's words...

Illustration by Gary Gianni

Greetings, fellow travelers! We trust your winter holidays were great, and hope that all is well with you as we hurtle headlong into a new year!

This week, we journey with Solomon Kane and Gaston l'Armon through the perils of the Black Forest. What sinister secrets does the innkeeper of the Cleft Skull Tavern keep within the walls of that foul place? This week's episode features the Solomon Kane story "Rattle of Bones" (read it on Project Gutenberg Australia).

Check out this blog entry by Mike Perry which contains excellent concept art and storyboards for "Rattle of Bones". Looks great! Makes us wish for some animated adaptations of Solomon Kane stories!

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/ 

Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. 

Our closing theme for this episode is Engel by Rammstein. Some 90's German industrial metal to go along with our vengeance tale set in the Black Forest! All music was obtained legally; we hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase the work!

Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)

Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)

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Season 3, Episode 02 - Red Shadows

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"Warily he advanced, his eyes striving to pierce the darkness that brooded under the trees. This was a wild and menacing country; death might be lurking under those trees. Then his hand fell away from the hilt and he leaned forward. Death indeed was there, but not in such shape as might cause him fear.
"The fires of Hades!" he murmured. "A girl! What has harmed you, child? Be not afraid of me."
The girl looked up at him, her face like a dim white rose in the dark.
"You--who are--you?" her words came in gasps.
"Naught but a wanderer, a landless man, but a friend to all in need." The gentle voice sounded somehow incongruous, coming from the man."

"Men will die for this..."

 Greetings again, fellow travelers on the Road of Vengeance! We embark once again down for another leg of our journey with Solomon Kane - this time our sojourn takes us from the hills and forests of France to the shores of Africa all in the name of vengeance! The story is Red Shadows (read it on Project Gutenberg Australia), and it was published in the August 1928 issue of Weird Tales. The world gets its first glimpse at Solomon Kane via this story, and we spend a significant amount of time dissecting it.

Next time - Rattle of Bones! (Read it on Project Gutenberg Australia!)

Some "One Things" for you to check out:

Satan is Alive: A Tribute to Mercyful Fate and Morbid Tales! A Tribute to Celtic Frost!

Treat yo'self to a Good Old Game at GoG.com.

Doom Patrol! (Merry Doomsmas!

Don't forget that you can support The Cromcast by signing up for your free trial of Audible at audibletrial.com/thecromcast. We recommend trying out one of their THOUSANDS of titles! 

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/ 

Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. 

Our closing theme for this episode is The Turkish Song of the Damned by The Pogues. No explanation needed - The Pogues rock, and this is a song about supernatural nautical vengeance. Seems fitting, yes? All music was obtained legally; we hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase the work!

Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)

Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)

Follow us on Twitter! Or on Facebook!

Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on iTunes! Don't forget Stitcher!

Season 3, Episode 01 - Skulls in the Stars and Right Hand of Doom (An Introduction to Solomon Kane)

Greetings and well met, fellow travelers! We hope you are faring well as the seasons transition from fall to winter! As the cold northern winds bring the frosts and snows, let us journey with a man whose heart smolders with the flames of vengeance. Solomon Kane is a Puritan, God's avenging fist on earth, and is another interesting character created by Robert E. Howard during the heyday of pulp adventure stories. 
We spend some time introducing Solomon Kane, our impressions of the character, and the importance of his name in explaining his motivations and outlook. Then we discuss two stories: Skulls in the Stars (Project Gutenberg Australia) and Right Hand of Doom (No open source copy available - look for it in the Del Rey collection The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane!). 

From the Marvel Comics adaptation of The Right Hand of Doom. Art by Steve Gan

For next time - Red Shadows! (Read it on Project Gutenberg Australia). 

Don't forget that you can support The Cromcast by signing up for your free trial of Audible at audibletrial.com/thecromcast. We recommend trying out one of their THOUSANDS of titles! 

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/ 

Beginning theme: "Sudden Defeat" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. 

Our somber closer for this episode is The Night part 2 by The Builders and The Butchers. They can throw down with the best of 'em, and produce some excellent folk-inspired music about the devil, murder, and vengeance. Seemed fitting for Solomon Kane! Check out their music! It's rad. All music was obtained legally; we hope our discussion of this content makes you want to go out and purchase the work!

Questions? Comments? Curses? Email us! (thecromcast at gmail dot com)

Leave us a voice mail! (859) 429-CROM! (That's 859-429-2766)

Follow us on Twitter! Or on Facebook!

Subscribe to our feed on FeedBurner! Or, check us out on iTunes! Don't forget Stitcher!