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Published: 2008-08-25 20:53:47 +0000 UTC; Views: 24259; Favourites: 474; Downloads: 2376
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I've always been a big reader / fan of H.P. Lovecraft's fiction. Love his crazy, cosmically horrifying imagination, his wordy, luxurious writing voice, and his dark, unswerving certainty regarding the unavoidable, miserable future for the pathetic little human race.So I've been struck by the urge to do a series of illustrations based on his work.
Here's my illustration for: "The Call of Cthulhu".
This seemed like the ideal Lovecraft story to start with, since it is one of his most famous stories... and because Cthulhu himself is the trademark monster of Lovecraft's fiction.
Of course, in "The Call of Cthulhu" you only learn vague facts about the monster from the perspective of confused, skeptical, or mentally deranged people, who know almost nothing about him, and are simply horrified upon finally witnessing his appearance.
You have to dig a bit deeper, and read the much longer novella "At The Mountains of Madness" to learn the whole history of where Cthulhu came from, and his place in the family of monsters who ruled our earth long before man existed... and who have been hibernating ever since, waiting for the perfect moment to return and take the planet back from us...
But that's the fun thing about Lovecraft's fiction - the way all his stories intersect and tie into each other. Cthulhu is mentioned or discussed in other Lovecraft stories as well, and not just the ones that fall into the "Cthulhu Mythos" series. It seems like a very confusing mythology until you read "At The Mountains of Madness" and then it all kinda makes sense.
But personally, as a horror fan, I find the mysterious, less detailed story "The Call of Cthulhu", with its explosive ending, much more fun, scary, and entertaining. So here's my rendition of it.
I've made up a list of my top 10 favorite Lovecraft stories and plan to slowly, gradually noodle them out, one by one. Now let's see if my kindergarten level attention span lasts long enough for me to get through the rest of them!
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Comments: 157
BryanBaugh In reply to ??? [2015-07-20 00:07:02 +0000 UTC]
Thanks for your kind words & compliments.
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TheWildWestPyro [2013-09-23 07:43:47 +0000 UTC]
EPIC! My favourite Lovecraft story because of the action in it. Also, it would be better if the sailors had LMGs. Apparently in a game I played, a platoon of WWI British soldiers hold off Cthulhu with Lewis Guns long enough for their comrades to escape.
Anyway...
Me: (Firing Lewis Gun) OK JOHANSEN, LET'S DO IT! RAM HIM!
I always love that scene where they defeat Cthulhu by whacking him on the head with their ship.
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derrickthebarbaric [2013-06-29 20:32:43 +0000 UTC]
"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age."
The Call of Cthulhu (1926)
Got this off Wikiqoute. Hope you like it.
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Vaghauk [2010-12-24 22:41:09 +0000 UTC]
this is just awesome- its so well made! and somehow cthulhu got an nasty smile in his face...love it !
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BryanBaugh In reply to Vaghauk [2010-12-24 22:50:40 +0000 UTC]
Yes he's a happy evil demigod of the deep. Haha. Thank you for your compliments!
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WraythSkitzifrenik [2010-11-13 03:14:42 +0000 UTC]
Wow. You really gave Cthulhu some viciousness. Most artists tend to make him look squashed and blobby. He looks like he's ready to rule!
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BryanBaugh In reply to WraythSkitzifrenik [2010-11-13 04:47:40 +0000 UTC]
Hey thank you for that!!
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EyelessEntity [2010-02-06 14:52:10 +0000 UTC]
Oh My Cthulhu I love Lovecraft!!
A lot of my art is inspired by his work, especially The Call of Cthulhu...
This is not how I imagine cthulhu, but still, I love it!
I'a I'a Cthulhu Fthagn! (<-lol...)
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commanderhavoc [2009-12-03 19:54:31 +0000 UTC]
Gotta love Lovecraft's creepy stories and monsters.
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eriktheguy [2009-11-26 05:09:08 +0000 UTC]
This is different than what you get when you Google 'Cthulhu', and probably truer to the description.
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marquiswyld [2009-11-14 11:01:13 +0000 UTC]
You know, with your style... it would be nice to see other books interpreted also.
Try these little nuggets 'o' notions for some ideas:
the picture of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde
The Doll who ate it's mother - Brian Lumley (another BIG Lovecraft fan)
The War of The Worlds - H G Wells (those Martians - had a certain parallel to Cthulhu all their tentacles and that)
I Am Legend - Richard Matheson (zombie/vampyre chic is always good fodder - pun intended)
OH yeah... the picture itself. Well you do have the big almighty sense of Cthulhu size and scale and the woodcut style works very well.
BTW: you might wish to check out this link as it contains an on-line library of Lovecraft's works here .
Again a nice piece - do some more please
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BryanBaugh In reply to marquiswyld [2009-11-14 22:49:33 +0000 UTC]
To respond - I've read all of those books but none of them strike me with the power of Lovecraft. By the way you got one wrong. Ramsey Campbell wrote "The Doll Who Ate His Mother" Not Brian Lumley.
Brian Lumley is the guy who wrote those "Necroscope" books, which I am not a fan of. I can accept August Derlith or Robert Bloch, both correspondents of Lovecraft, who were very influenced by Lovecraft's style but also did a lot for Lovecraft in return... But the Brian Lumleys of the world who wish to "continue the Cthulhu Mythos" are too derivative for me. The only reason that stuff is not labeled "Fan Fiction" is because it got published.
I LOVE and ADORE Richard Matheson, but feel that "I Am Legend" which everybody knows from the Will Smith movie, is far from his best book. I much prefer his short stories and think that some of his less famous novels like "Hell House" and "Stir of Echoes" are far superior. "Hell House" is actually my personal favorite Matheson book.
Thanks for your compliments on my Lovecraft art. I most certainly hope to do more of them eventually. I have a list of my personal, top-10 favorite Lovecraft stories, but it's just a matter of getting them all done, as spare time allows. Over the past 3 years, freelance art assignments have kept me from doing as much "personal art" as I would like.
Thanks also for providing the link but it is not needed. I own a complete collection of all of Lovecraft's work in the hardcover book set published by Arkham House many years ago. When it comes to fiction, I prefer to read books, not text on a screen.
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marquiswyld In reply to BryanBaugh [2009-11-16 13:36:18 +0000 UTC]
DAMMIT! I Always get those mixed up... think they had the same cover artist or something for some early prints....
I quite enjoyed the book 'I am legend', but as you say... it has kind of become affected by the the Hollywood effect *sighs*
Stir of Echoes was also used as a basis for the film of the same name, but I think it was a marginally better job (it was a bit of an understated release - unlike I am L).
Figured you might have your own copies of Lovecraft books and yes, getting your eyballs roasted by a glaring screen is not as enjoyable as reading them papery things you find in libaries and that.
As for the comments on your work - you're welcome!
I hear you about the time too
Our house is currently infested with 'Time Goblins', so much so - five minute jobs now seem to last about an hour and ten minutes of using my Wacom pad takes an enitre evening... or so it seems *sighs*
Look forward to seeing more of your work.
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BryanBaugh In reply to marquiswyld [2009-11-19 21:58:18 +0000 UTC]
I love your theory of "Time Goblins". That is an awesome way to describe it.
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marquiswyld In reply to BryanBaugh [2009-11-21 16:27:38 +0000 UTC]
think I might actually try and capture one on paper... 'bout dammed time I did some 'real' art as opposed to pushing pixels around with a Wacom tablet.
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KevMcNamara [2009-08-15 15:56:28 +0000 UTC]
Wow great art i have no idea why im not watching you! thts been fixed
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ignistan [2008-09-25 17:36:43 +0000 UTC]
Very nice. The old woodcut look suits the time frame of the story and the slanted angles suggest the non-Euclidean architecture of R'lyeh.
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Uber-Fiend [2008-09-13 11:21:05 +0000 UTC]
This is fantastic! Cthulhu is without a doubt my favourite monster...
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BryanBaugh In reply to Uber-Fiend [2008-09-13 20:10:54 +0000 UTC]
Thanks! I'm glad my drawing lives up to your favorite monster!
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Uber-Fiend In reply to BryanBaugh [2008-09-23 14:21:11 +0000 UTC]
It really does! You see so many drawings of Cthulhu out there, but very few capture that feeling that you get when you read the book... kinda like you know this thing will be the death of you. And don't get me started on the cutesy Cthulhu's people draw!
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BryanBaugh In reply to Uber-Fiend [2008-09-23 18:17:40 +0000 UTC]
Thanks again. I agree the cutesy cthulhus are a problem.
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Uber-Fiend In reply to BryanBaugh [2008-09-25 17:53:59 +0000 UTC]
I challenge these people to draw a cutesy Shoggoth... I'll be they couldn't do it!
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BryanBaugh In reply to Uber-Fiend [2008-09-25 18:43:55 +0000 UTC]
Oh, don't give them any ideas.
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Uber-Fiend In reply to BryanBaugh [2008-09-29 19:29:44 +0000 UTC]
It's all good, I'm sure the people that think of Cthulhu as cute have never read the books... they'd never perceive him as cute if they had!
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DickStarr [2008-09-11 03:24:38 +0000 UTC]
Damn dude, this is one of the tightest Cthulhus I've ever seen. Very nice interpretation.
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