Ok I give up what the hell is a cthulhu? [spelling corrected by admin out of fear] (1 Viewer)

[Luis S]

Ryan, all concept of time is lost on the internet.You know better than that

 

[Steve Owen]

My favorite obscure Cthulhu reference...
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[Julie K]

Good one Steve.
Philip,
Yes, Re-Animator is based on the HPL story Herbert West: Re-Animator. HPL's story was rather lurid and tongue-in-cheek, however all the sex and gore was added by Gordon & co.
(BTW, in case any non-fans are wondering, all the playing around is, of course, a joke and it's a joke that goes back to HPL himself. He seemed to have great fun writing letters "in character", so to speak, or drawing up genealogies showing himself descended from Cthulhu, or other such antics. He also got much amusement from the poor sods who believed his tales to be truth and it no doubt furthered his already dim view of human condition.)

 

[TheoGB]

I've not actually read much of Lovecraft's writing. But I've liked much of what I have. I'm also a massive fan o the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game - one the best there's ever been IMO.
I didn't even make the connection with that Dagon movie. I'll have to look it over!! Cheers.

 

[Max Leung]

Hey, is the Illuminati card game (from Steve Jackson's Games) in any way related to Cthulhu? They have the same tentacle-in-check sense of humor I think.

Hell, the Illuminati novels seem to have the same feel...big huge creature, grand conspiracy, lots of gratuitous sex (especially with a certain cute green-eyed redhead)!

 

[Julie K]

The humor is in what's grown up around the Cthulhu Mythos. Even though HPL started the joking around, his stories were not at all meant to be humorous. Despite some folks' opinion on the appearance of our tentacled friend, HPL certainly meant him to be a frightening creature.
As for sex, you'll find none of it, gratuitous or otherwise, in HPL's works. There's sex implied - you have to get those baby Deep One hybrids somehow, and I think everyone can figure out what is implied in the story The Loved Dead - but nothing is ever shown.

 

[Thomas Newton]

Besides, Cthulhu doesn't care what humans think. If He wants to chow down on us, he will. He has no time nor inclination for modern frou-frou fripperies and marketing.

The way a Lovecraft fan told it to me, Cthulhu intends to chow down on all of us one day. Yet he has human worshippers! I asked why anyone would follow such a being, and was told that Cthulhu would reward his followers by saving them for last.

 

[Thomas Newton]

Oops ... I see you already covered that:

the Campus Crusade for Cthulhu is going well and has branches across the country and world. The main benefits of joining are to be amoung the last to be eaten.

 

[Luis S]

What you think that thing is scary Julie? Im more frightened by everyday weirdo's at the corner store!

 

[Julie K]

What you think that thing is scary Julie? Im more frightened by everyday weirdo's at the corner store!

Actually what I find the most frightening are strange noises from under my car or the absolutely terrifying "drip drip drip" sounds coming from the 30 year old plumbing in my house.
But it is fun to let myself get into HPL's creations and world. I think you still are looking a bit too much at appearances (what do you think of Yog-Sothoth who is described as a mass of iridescent spheres from another dimension?) and not how they are used. They are basically plot devices to explore a universe that, while run on scientific principles, is so much vaster and more strange that the merest glimpse of these larger vistas can utterly break the human mind.
"Now all my tales are based on the fundamental premise that common human laws and interests and emotions have no validity or significance in the vast cosmos-at-large. To me there is nothing but puerility in a tale in which the human form - and the local human passions and conditions and standards - are depicted as native to other worlds or other universes. To achieve the essence of real externality, whether of time or space or dimension, one must forget that such things as organic life, good and evil, love and hate, and all such local attributes of a negligible and temporary race called mankind, have any existence at all." H.P. Lovecraft
It's no surprise that not everyone responds to such It also means that you shouldn't expect anything remotely resembling the "normal" aliens in your typical science fictional fare.
However, at the risk of being too cerebral about the subject, I should mention the amusing little anecdote that's in Neil Gaimin's introduction of one of the Del Ray Lovecraft collections. A panel of artists and writers at a Lovecraft convention were discussing the philosophical points of Lovecraft's fiction and what it meant to people when artist Dave Carson, who had drunk perhaps a bit more than his share, grabbed the mike and said "Fuck that. I like HP Lovecraft because I like drawing monsters." To great applause he put his head down on the table and passed out.

 

[Luis S]

Yea thats all fine and dandy Julie,but he's still a silly monster Tell you what Ill re-draw this guy and give him a modern day makeover and post it to see what you think.If it still looks silly though, I cant be held responsible

 

[Max Leung]

To achieve the essence of real externality, whether of time or space or dimension, one must forget that such things as organic life, good and evil, love and hate, and all such local attributes of a negligible and temporary race called mankind, have any existence at all."

Ah ha! That would explain why Cthulhu doesn't cause a rise in my panties (out of fear, of course). I've already taken the first step to real externality!
Although the thought of my email address being carried around "I love you" email spam viruses still terrifies me.
Dave Carson sounds like a cool guy. Tell it like it is, man!

 

[Brook K]

You guys are completely missing the point. It's not "scary" because that's not what Cthulu looks like at all. If you actually caught sight of a Great Old One, you would be instantly driven insane.

 

[Julie K]

Tell you what Ill re-draw this guy and give him a modern day makeover and post it to see what you think.

While I enjoy the interpretations of Lovecraft-inspired artists (although I do have favorites), I do not believe Lovecraft's works require a "modern day makeover." BTW, the description of Cthulhu is a description of a statue that was obtained from a group of depraved cultists and of a sculpture by an artist who was being driven mad by dreams. But, as Brook points out, when humans actually encounter these creatures the shock and sheer outrage from the realization that such creatures could inhabit our universe is enough to destroy the human mind.

 

[Luis S]

Destroy human minds? yea right give me a shot at that punk Ill teach him! Wont come and feast on humanity as long as im around Gotta be a way to beat him somehow..

 

[Max Leung]

But, as Brook points out, when humans actually encounter these creatures the shock and sheer outrage from the realization that such creatures could inhabit our universe is enough to destroy the human mind.

Many people would convincingly argue that Barney the Dinosaur has had an even more devastating impact on (adult) human minds than poor-old non-purple Cthulhu. (Revelatory thought: Is Barney one of these ancient creatures from the Old Order?)
I know I would tremble in fear if Cthulhu took form on this Earth as a man-sized purple-tentacled plush toy children's television program (in a timeslot strategically placed after the Teletubbies timeslot).
This seques nicely with the seafood motif: "I eat you, you eat me, we're a happy soya treat!". The show ends with this song as cute-cuddly Cthulhu proceeds to devour the child audience and the accompanying adults.
I'm sure a special episode featuring our favorite evil seafood dish rampaging in a neighborhood grocery store, being especially careful to target children riding in monster shopping carts, would be a special treat for a certain member of this forum.

 

[Julie K]

In Lovecraft's stories, there is nothing that humans can do. We may get lucky and natural phenomenon save the day (ie, R'lyeh sinking back beneath the waves) but we have as much chance of combatting the Great Old Ones as a gnat has against a flyswatter. Except the gnat is lucky in that its mind isn't destroyed by seeing the flyswatter.
One thing that should be noted is that while these creatures act in ways that is often extremely unpleasant for humans, they are not actually evil. They are merely going about their business, sometimes using humans for their own benefit, but mostly not caring. One exception, though, is Nyarlathotep who seems to be one sick bastard who likes to pull the legs off of bugs and watch them die. (Remember, in the Mythos, humans = bugs )
Now, this isn't to a lot of folks' enjoyment, and some writers came along later (notably August Derleth) who added a whole good vs. evil theme and introduced beings that actively protected humans against the Great Old Ones. This is completely at odds with Lovecraft's stories and totally changes the impact of what he was trying to do with his writings.

I'm sure a special episode featuring our favorite evil seafood dish rampaging in a neighborhood grocery store, being especially careful to target children riding in monster shopping carts, would be a special treat for a certain member of this forum.

Ooohhh...I'd like that....

 

[TheoGB]

Destroy human minds? yea right give me a shot at that punk Ill teach him! Wont come and feast on humanity as long as im around Gotta be a way to beat him somehow..

In the CoC role-playing game the question was asked:
Q: What happens if you nuke Cthulhu?
A: He comes back 30 mins later pissed-off and radioactive!

 

[Julie K]

Q: What happens if you nuke Cthulhu?
A: He comes back 30 mins later pissed-off and radioactive!

I don't think you'd even have 30 minutes...

The only hope is that the stars remain not "right".

(Hey, did anyone read that story, 'A Colder War', that I linked to? It featured all the US nuclear arsenal aimed at one small site but no one certain it would actually make a difference. It's a good story...)

 

[Alex Spindler]

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