H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu mythos

[Greg Cox]

Good point about Lin Carter's Adult Fantasy line.

And, of course, there was the 1970 movie version of THE DUNWICH HORROR, which I remember seeing at the drive-in when I was only ten or so. Possibly my first exposure to Lovecraft, the Necronomicon, and all that.

And I vividly remember NIGHT GALLERY's take on "Pickman's Model."

 

[Steve Roby]

In the comics, Lovecraftian elements were introduced by Roy Thomas (the man who pushed Marvel into publishing Conan comics, a huge factor in the resurgence of Howard's work in the '70s) into the Strange Tales/Doctor Strange comics of the '60s & '70s.

Both of these could've helped generate awareness of Lovecraft in the public conciousness (though it may be overstating the popularity of the Doctor Strange comic for that time ).

In the early 1980s, when I was filling in the gaps in my Doctor Strange collection, I picked up an old Marvel Premiere issue that I'd read when it was first published in the early 1970s, and finally recognized that it was playing with Lovecraftian elements. Though I think Thomas attributed the Lovecrafty stuff to Robert E. Howard's own contributions to the mythos.

I also finally clued in that Die, Monster, Die, which I'd seen in the 1970s, was (very) loosely based on The Colour Out of Space.

 

[publiusr]

Also, Dungeons & Dragons mentioned his work in a few places, most notably in the hard-to-find original version of "Deities and Demigods" which contained a "Cthulhu Mythos" chapter.

I've got that version--I love the old line art.

HPL inspired a theoretical physicist to look at what the corpse city may look like:

https://arxiv.org/abs/1210.8144
http://mentalfloss.com/article/59676/weird-physics-hp-lovecrafts-corpse-city-rlyeh
https://worldofweirdthings.com/the-bizaarre-yet-possible-physics-of-rlyeh-42c8abc877e7#.t2s92hjnt

There are ways you can make angles that are acute behave obtuse:

http://gizmodo.com/5971645/this-awesome-optical-illusion-will-twist-your-brain-into-knots/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/...-that-twist-and-other-mind-bending-illusions/

 

[Silvercrest]

I once wrote a version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" in Lovecraft style.

With Goldilocks as the eldritch horror, I hope?

Shoulda thought of that.

 

[publiusr]

For all the Bronies out there--read this little thing called "Equoid"

 

[Reverend]

I've always visualised R’yleh as looking something like a vertically stretched coral reef with the aesthetic sensibilities of H.R. Geiger. The non-euclidean thing being visualised as the structure subtly seeming to move when you're not looking directly at it. Like you'd turn back around and a structure that seemed far off behind you would seem to have somehow gotten close and slightly changed it's aspect. Somehow I find that more creepy and threatening than something that moves as you look at it as I feel this would lead one to start questioning your own senses.

I mentally distinguish it from the similarly described city of the Elder Things (was it ever named? I don't recall) in AtMoM as being very organic, almost grown rather than constructed while their's would be all hard edges and impossibly smooth surfaces to reflect their more scientific, intellectual bent.

 

[JD]

The other day I remembered that I have seen this:

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[Steve Roby]

Not the best quality video, but this is one of my favourite Lovecraftian films.

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[Reverend]

I rather think this is probably the most faithful and effective one I've ever seen.

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The same group also did a similarly retro take on Call of Cthulhu, but as a silent movie. Very niche appeal though as you have to be into (or at least be able to sit though) both old silent movies, deliberately cheap effects and HPL's narrative style.

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[Steve Roby]

Yeah, I bought the Call of Cthulhu DVD a few years back, as well as the first few HP Lovecraft Film Festival collections. Low budget though that stuff may be, it's generally better than the Hollywood stuff.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Well if that's the direction we're going in, surely a Little Mermaid/Innsmouth crossover is a no-brainer, yes?

The BIG Mermaid.

In TV, Night Gallery featured a couple of Lovecraft adaptations.

It may very well have been that "Pickman's Model" adaptation that got me interested in HP.

The other day I remembered that I have seen this:

I love that.

The same group also did a similarly retro take on Call of Cthulhu, but as a silent movie. Very niche appeal though as you have to be into (or at least be able to sit though) both old silent movies, deliberately cheap effects and HPL's narrative style.

Those are the HPL Historical Society films that I mentioned before. They've also done a whole bunch of OTR-style "radio shows" on CD that are quite excellent-- again, if you dig that retro style.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I don't know how many times I read that Deities & Demigods cover to cover as a kid. Unfortunately, I don't have it as it got so stained and worn, never thought it'd become rare but it was my introduction to the worlds of Cthulhu and Elric.

 

[Set Harth]

My introduction to Cthulhu, as far as I can remember, was actually my junior high school (middle school) library.

My introduction to Elric was when I found the six-volume paperback saga in the local mall's hobby shop/comic shop/bookstore.

 

[Gov Kodos]

And a personal favorite, late night radio star, Cthulhu. The one where Xenu shows up was a hoot.

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[Greg Cox]

My introduction to Elric was when I found the six-volume paperback saga in the local mall's hobby shop/comic shop/bookstore.

I think I first encountered Elric when he guest-starred in two issues of the CONAN THE BARBARIAN comic book (illustrated by Barry Smith), which inspired me to check out the original novels by Moorcock, which were also readily available in mass-market paperback back then.

 

[JD]

I just saw on IGN that there's a video game in the works based on the Call of Cthulhu pen and paper RPG. Sounds like it could be kind of interesting.

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[Redfern]

Gov Kodos, thanks for posting that video! What a hoot! Best part, that hand puppet is still readily available for roughly 20 bucks. Even the Wal-Mart site lists it. But it's also available from "Vault Toys", the company that designed it.

 

[JD]

Yeah, that was pretty good. Do you have any idea if that phone number or e-mail address were real?

 

[Set Harth]

I just saw on IGN that there's a video game in the works based on the Call of Cthulhu pen and paper RPG. Sounds like it could be kind of interesting.

Have you heard of this game?

 

[RJDiogenes]

Yeah, that was pretty good. Do you have any idea if that phone number or e-mail address were real?

Yeah, but you have to make the collect call of Cthulhu.