I love Lovecraft, part 2.
Three more stories, posted in their entirety, from the first volume of Cthulhu Tales (totally free online, thanks to the good people at BOOM! Studios. There is still some icky Lovecraftian horribleness, but still fairly SFW.
As promised: The King in Yellow! The horror in your local comics store! And this guy!
First up, a quirky and somewhat horrific look at the King in Yellow. An unusual choice for inclusion in a book of mostly Cthulhu-based stories. I mean it fits, sure, but has anyone else ever seen a comics adaptation of the King in Yellow? Ever?
Bwaha! An elementary school production of The King in Yellow, even! I certainly don't see how this can go horribly wrong.
"Derleth" is a reference to the publisher/author of Lovecraft/Mythos stories, respectively.
Also, an elementary school has a "drama teacher" on staff? Bullshit. In Florida we can't even afford art teachers these days.
Creepy kid is awesomely creepy.
As I've sometimes mentioned, I'm actually an elementary school teacher, myself. Some Halloween I want to have the kids all make freaky looking masks, and then I'll have them wander the school saying creepy crap in chill, monotone voices. It's going to be awesome.
First... OH GOD! Dude, how can you not notice that she's got horrible growths all over her!? Your hand is like one inch away from those... things... on her ass!
Second... HAR! Funniest dirty talk ever.
"Mmmm... oh yeah... Cthulhu fhtagn, baby..."
"Yeah... like that..."
"Iä! Iääää! Iä, Shub-Niggurath!"
"... Wait a minute. Who the hell is Shub Niggurath!?"
"She... she's no one, I swear..."
"She? Oh, god! Now you're having an affair... with another woman!" *weeping* "Oh bitterest irony! Was she better than me?"
Anyway.
"Oh geez, I always get so nervous at opening night. I've already made sure no one can walk out before the intermission, but... I swear, if I don't hear a big laugh from the audience by the end of Scene 1, I'm pulling the trigger."
End of story. Enjoyably creepy, I thought. Kind of tragic how the father, who seems like such a self-absorbed and uncaring bastard for so much of the story, ends in a desperate and failed attempt to save his son from the horror of it all. Did he redeem himself at all, in the end, by showing he had the right priority? I guess it's up to the reader to decide.
Next up, some much lighter fare. Namely a self-referential look at the madness that festers in the hearts of all comics fans everywhere.
Heh heh, "big busted women."
I wonder who the guy in the green shirt is complaining about? Given how comics fandom is, it could be pretty much anyone, I suppose.
"Damn you, Cthulhu Mythos creatures! You've forced me to burn my comics collection! This time you've gone TOO FAR."
Shades of The Whisperer in Darkness.
Har, the Punisher's gun! "Thank god I keep that thing loaded with blanks!" Comics readers are all borderline unhinged!
I've got to say, old Gaston looks a lot more cheerful than threatening in that last panel. Is he really a Mi-go, or was it all just a hallucination brought on by induced by the brilliant art and writing of Cthulhu Tales?
Lastly, for the first time on scans_daily 2.0, please enjoy an even lighter-hearted look at Lovecraft: "Cthulhu Calls."
Classic! Though I have to admit to some nerdish dislike towards Cthulhu being drawn as a one-eyed cousin to Kang and Kodos.:P