Great Cthulhu

I adore this wonderful crocheted Cthulhu from The Yarning Portal.  What makes it particularly notable is that H.P. Lovecraft himself was an avid knitter.  In "A Means to Freedom: The Letters of H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard" there's a long series of letters describing their mutual love of yarn creations.  Sadly, the crocheted versions of Conan and Cthulhu they mention have never been found.

 

Great Cthulhu

There's so much to like about this Cthulhu idol from Russian creator Starmi Art.  It's not only an incredible take on the traditional depiction of the Great Old One, but it's also a planter!  How cool is that?

 

Adorable Cthulhu

One of the biggest issues with the works of H.P. Lovecraft, and the genre of cosmic horror as a whole, is how difficult it is to draw in new fans.  People don't want to be reminded that they're insignificant before the might and power of cosmic forces beyond their understanding.  It's just depressing!

That's why I love seeing things like this gaggle of adorable Cthulhu figures from Mystic Reflections.  It makes the Mythos so much more accessible to the mainstream, and isn't that what we really need?

Babythulhu

Swedish artist Ann-Louise Svennson brings us this delightful take on the traditional Lovecraftian depiction of Cthulhu.  The warming cap really makes the piece.

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Andorina Edition.

We've had many a Cthulhu,
here on display,
but one of the best,
pops up today.

Victoria Andorina,
is the artist's name,
and it's definitely not,
more of the same.

No cosmic horror,
to blast away your wits,
no foetid flesh,
no cruel spiky bits.

Just a furry Cthulhu,
with polka dot skin,
big yellow eyes,
and a be-tentacled chin.

It's a terrible fate,
I thought I'd never see,
the feared Elder God,
is totally kawaii.

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Furrykami Edition.

Out of the hundreds of Cthulhu idols we've featured here this one really stands out.  Furrykami brings us this unique take featuring a plush body and sculptural details.  The highlight would have to be the goat-like, alien eyes.  That's a detail far too many Mythos artists ignore.

Update:  Pink heart eyes?  How could I not use this for the annual April Fools post.  I'm still not a fan of anything remotely Cutethulhu, but I do have to give Furrykami credit for excellent craftsmanship. 

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Dyagileva Edition.

Long time readers of the blog know that one of my pet peeves is the lack of more mainstream depictions of Cthulhu.   Hordes of artists are creating horrific idols inspired by Lovecraft's works, but there's a notable dearth of more playful items.  Where are the crocheted Cthulhus, the Cthulhu ski caps, and plush Cthulhus that would open up the Mythos to a whole new audience? 

Thankfully, things are starting to turn around.  Russian artist Marina Dyagileva brings us this delightfully cute take on the Great Old One.  Gaze into those love-filled eyes and see the future of the Mythos!

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Wills-Starin Edition.

 Some things were meant to be together.  Apples and cinnamon.  Politicians and corruption.  Peanut butter and chocolate.  The latter despite the disapproving clucks of our overseas cousins at the American love for the goober.

Kimberly Wills-Starin brings us this amazing Cthulhu figure that takes that theme one step further.  Start with "My Little Pony" Cthulhu, one of the eternal stars of the Etsy-verse.  Then add the mind-blasting magic of cuddly plush Cthulhu.  Mix thoroughly and you get Plush My Little Pony Cthulhu!  This is the kind of creativity I'd like to see a lot more of.  If there's one thing the Mythos community needs it's more humorous takes on Cthulhu. 

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Prusha Edition.

Christine Prusha brings us this delightful felted Cthulhu. There's so much to like here, from the playful pinup pose to the glittery purple vinyl wings.  And that cheery cherry?  It's actually a spooky skull!

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Gomez Edition.

I don't think I'm being too presumptuous when I say that I'm a a connoisseur of Cthulhu. Over the years I've had the pleasure of collecting dozens of depictions of the sleeping god here on Propnomicon, but this is truly an unimaginable gem. I can think of only two other Cthulhu idols that even come close to this paragon of the art.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a truly magical masterpiece- the dread Cthulhu of Victor Gomez.



What makes this sculpture really stand out isn't just its sense of playfulness, but the incredible craftsmanship. The first time I saw it on Etsy the effect was like I'd been smacked upside the head with a board. Not one of those flimsy modern boards that they laughingly call a "two by four". No, this was vintage lumber. A big honkin' piece of seasoned hardwood that was cut true to size by rough men who wore un-ironic flannel shirts and smoked unfiltered Camels. Men with nicknames like "Stubby", because blade guards were for candy asses, by God.

Words simply can't describe the thoughts that were running through my head as I tried to grasp just what I was seeing (a sensation I'm sure other visitors to Etsy-land have experienced as well). The sculpting. The paint job. The gobs of epoxy. By the time I was able to process it all I knew one thing for certain.

I had found the perfect idol for today's post.

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Harris Edition.

Annie Harris brings us this fantastic rendition of Cthulhu . I love how it avoids the all too common grotesque approach and offers a unique take on Lovecraft's original concept.

One of the reasons this delightful mashup of Bugs Bunny with the dread Elder God really resonates is because of their shared role as occult tricksters. Despite dozens of references in the canon not many people pick up on H.P.'s subtle depiction of Cthulhu as a Loki or Coyote-like trickster figure. And rest assured, the Warner Brothers cartoons demonstrate an impressive familiarity with Mythos concepts. Like the "rabbit hole" that's clearly a dimensional gateway into non-Euclidean space.

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Stanislaus Edition

From artist Justinian Stanislaus comes this absolutely fabulous Cthulhu statuette. The adorable color scheme and playfulness of the piece is enough to make me giggle like a schoolgirl in delight. Far too many artists fail to grasp the inherent sense of fun and frivolity in Lovecraft's works.










It's cute! It's pink! It has purple flowers! It's the kind of thing you'll only see here once a year. Happy April Fools Day.