Robert Ervin Howard and Ayn Rand?
You're kidding right? Altho....
"..Goody Twoshoes and the Filthy Beast?..."
I also agree that any association between him and Tolkien would be unproductive. Howard was a functioning American "pulp" writer who, while generally several notches above his contemporaries, could write potboilers that were exactly that. Tolkien was an Oxford don and contemporary of C.S. Lewis, whose ambition was to rewrite English Mythology
Even if Howard wasn't draft age he might still probably join the military like every other able-bodied American/Brit in WWII. Probably becoming an info officer. As part of that function he has to deal with Intelligence and becomes friends with a young OSS operative named Ian Fleming. The two stay in touch.
After the war he returns to America. He goes into a sort of semi-retirement as most of his earlier works have fallen victim to the paper drives and his new darker Conan doesn't seem to attact his old readership. Pulp fiction was in bad times then (1945-50) as the publishing industry was going through lots of changes. In addition, the racist characterics and consequent reputation of much of his 30's stories don't seem to carry well into the post war world. In 1950, however, he is hired on by Bill Gaines and joins the staff of EC Comics.
Here he works on the darker stories he wants to write. In 1951
Conan the Barbarian joins
Moon Girl as EC's only ongoing 'hero' lines. The artist is Harvey Kurtzman and the book rapidly becomes EC's flagship. Conan is darker now, more amoral. A true 'antihero' type. This is unusual in the 1950's and the stories attract some serious critical attention to the comic book genre.
Alas, they only help to give fuel to Dr Wertham's famous and censorious fires. When EC ceases publication of all comics in 1953, Kurtzman offers Howard a job in the staff of MAD magazine. Howard creates the comic parody of "Conan the Librarian" as an ongoing character who becomes quite popular, even to getting two paperbacks published for collectors later on. However, he never quite jells with the other writers and leaves in 1955.
Howard uses his still ongoing friendship with the now well known Ian Fleming to sponsor a movie on Solomon Kane after failing to pitch it as an ongoing serial for television. It is notable only as being the first starring vehicle for a newcomer, Lee Marvin. Howard continues to turn out a series of Westerns for the Dream Factory. All of these are very forgettable, but successful enough to move Howard’s house next to John Wayne’s in Beverly Hills. As this happens, the Conan stories are just beginning their resurgence in popularity.
In 1965 Conan the Barbarian is released. Directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Lee Marvin. Peckinpah’s overstated violence is a perfect match to Marvin’s understated surliness for Howard’s amoral antihero, a type then just at its height of popularity. The film wins Four Academy Awards, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Picture and, of course, Best Writer for Robert E. Howard..
He’s now 59, rich and famous. Anyone want to continue? Or do you see a darker or just different life as more appropriate?