The Necronomicon

Jason McKittrick brings us this nicely done copy of the Necronomicon. This is another one of the props he produced for the off-broadway production of "The Hound".





If you like it, the prop just happens to be available on Ebay.

Miskatonic Update

Due to unforeseen circumstances I'm running behind on getting the last batch of Miskatonic packages out. And by "unforeseen" I mean "anyone with half a brain should have been able to figure out they were only going to have an hour long window to get to the post office by looking at their schedule". This delay is totally my fault, and I once again apologize. The last of the packages should go out Friday.

Unfortunately, it looks like there aren't going to be any spare complete sets. I'll have about ten sets of the notebooks and postcards available, but I'm not going to worry about disposing of them until I get all the pledge orders taken care of. The last thing I need right now is more packages in need of mailing.

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Hinds Edition.

Shaun Hinds was kind enough to send over this snapshot of his hand-crafted Cthulhu idol.

Almost There

I spent last night packaging up the last batch of Miskatonic sets. Another 20 will go out today, and the final bunch should head out tomorrow.

Vampire Mandible

This skeletal fragment from a vampire is brought to us by "insertio". What makes it even more impressive is that it was made from simple flour clay and glue.

Lovecraft Noir

Sith Sheriff Brody has posted some nifty Lovecraftian vignettes over at the Replica Prop Forum. He includes the source files for some of the props used, including a cool little sigil and the cover of a vintage Arabic pocket dictionary.

Update: Well, that was a huge mistake. Unfortunately, accessing the thread requires membership. And membership is only open at certain times of the year, so there's a good chance I've managed to point you toward content you won't be able to see for months. I apologize for the needless frustration.

Quick Update

My apologies for the missed post yesterday, but things have been a bit hectic. The first three batches of Miskatonic packages, around 45 parcels, are currently in the mail. The rest will resume shipping on Monday in bunches of 15-20 a day. At that pace they'll all be on their way by Wednesday.

If anyone is in contact with the Illumunati, could you please have them drop me a line? After filling out piles of customs forms I've become a strong supporter of a single world government, or at least anything that would streamline the archaic process of sending goods internationally.

Hail, Miskatonic

The Miskatonic felt pennants arrived yesterday, and as soon as I opened the box I knew all the aggravation, delays, and frustrations of this project were worth it. They're just awesome, and I say that as someone whose primary motivation for doing these projects is getting the kind of prop items I want.



The only quibble I have with the pennants is the placement of the seal. The template was marked for the felt strip on the end, but that's not where it is on the final product. Instead of taking up an inch on the broad end of the design it's actually an additional inch added to the base, but that's just a minor issue when compared to how well the rest of it came out.

I'll be packaging up the first batch of prop sets for mailing this afternoon. I'm using the same oversized mailers from the Arkham Sanitarium project, so I'll have to fold the pennants to fit inside the envelope. I'm hoping to avoid any major creases by wrapping the pennant around the plastic bag holding all the other items. That should keep a sharp fold from developing, and a quick pass with an iron on low heat should take care of any waves in the material.

If you pledged and didn't receive the Kickstarter request for mailing information I sent out yesterday please check your spam traps. I'll post off the packages in the order that pledges were made and emailing a shipping confirmation as soon as your package is on it's way.

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Stalin Edition.

"Joe Stalin" brings us this worn and weathered Cthulhu idol . I have a growing appreciation for realistic artifact depictions, and this is one of the best examples I've come across.

Wizard's Staff

Mathieu René brings us this nicely done wizard's staff constructed entirely from wood and paper mache.

The Killian Collection

A variety of Lovecraftian specimens collected by the infamous Dr. Killian, brought to us by Jason McKittrick. The weathering is simply outstanding.

The End is Nigh

If the tracking number from UPS is to be believed the Miskatonic University project will finally be wrapping up this week. The felt pennants are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, only a week (he said sarcastically) after their already delayed second arrival date. That means the packages should start going out on Thursday in the order your pledges were made.

Again, I want to apologize for the delays. I really enjoy doing these projects, but it seems that the larger they get the more glitches they attract. While I appreciate your patience there has to be a better way of moving things through the pipeline within a reasonable timeframe.

Prisoner Transport Kit

Michael S sent over a link to this vintage prisoner transport kit. It's likely there were more than a few of these in use at Arkham Sanitarium by the deputies handling involuntary commitments. Sadly, I've had to settle for using the Chinese-made reproduction cuffs that have flooded the market.

As an aside, I'm delighted to learn there's a blog dedicated to vintage restraints. One of the glories of the internet is how even the smallest niche interest can be shared with the world at large. You may never need to know what kind of handcuffs were in use last century, but when the subject does come up you'll be able to find the answer. That's just insanely cool.

Key of Cthulhu

Nathan Maurer brings us this sterling silver Key of Cthulhu. The faceted drop point covered in runic inscriptions is a nice touch.

Vintage Medicine Bottles

Daniel Binz sent over a link to this amazingly well preserved collection of vintage medicine bottles. The gallery is an excellence resource for reproducing early 20th century tinctures and medical products. Despite browsing hundreds of similar bottles at antique shops over the years I never realized the bottles were actually shipped and sold in cardboard boxes. In hindsight it makes perfect sense, but it's one of those little historical details that gets lost over time.

Pinkerton Credentials, Redux

Julian DiMarco has posted the source files for his Pinkerton credentials project.

Tools of the Trade

John Genova brings us this vampire hunting kit he put together as a gift.

His chosen components go together well, but I would suggest it could be improved by an overall weathering treatment. Please don't take that as a criticism of Mr. Genova. One of my own failings as a propmaker is that I don't weather things nearly enough when I'm going for an old and worn appearance. After investing a huge amount of effort into a project there's a natural reluctance to do anything that could screw it up, and the weathering process, with it's paints, powders, and intentional abuse, offers plenty of opportunities for things to go awry.

Pazuzu Amulet

"FallenAngelRuby" brings us this excellent Pazuzu Amulet. The sculpt is outstanding, the weathering equally so, and the applied identification number gives it the feel of a real archeological artifact.



Update: Please click through and read the comments. There's a reason this artifact looks so realistic- it's a picture of the real thing from the British Museum. Heh.

For comparison, here's the picture posted at the Museum's page on the artifact.



It appears Ruby simply reposted the picture because she's a fan of the "Supernatural" television show and Pazuzu was mentioned in passing during an episode. Because it was posted in the Sculpture category on DeviantArt I assumed she'd, well, sculpted it. That's obviously not the case and the misunderstanding is all mine.

Browning M1917 Machine Gun

Blackhand Customs brings us this reproduction Browning M1917 machine gun. The link will take you to a full build gallery filled with extensive construction shots of both the machine gun and it's working tripod mount. This example was built using plans from Killbuckets.com , a custom airsoft site.

The Altar

Michael W. Moses brings us this altar dedicated to one of the Great Old Ones. I love the effect produced by having multiple works displayed together. Your eye can just rove around and pick out all the little details and flourishes.

The Faeriehunter Project

Over at El Dodo Albino (in Portuguese Spanish*), Tóbal has begun work on the Faeriehunter project, a multimedia presentation incorporating props and document recreations. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's participation in the Cottingley Fairies affair is a rich vein of material waiting to be mined. Personally, I find the little winged beasts terrifying, but that probably comes from an early exposure to Machen's "The Black Seal".



*I blame Google auto-translation. I've become so used to real time translation of web pages into English that I normally link to non-English pages without noting the language. My apologies.

Cthulhu Fhtagn! NoahW Edition.

For a work in progress this Cthulhu statuette by NoahW is hitting all the right buttons. It takes the basic forms of Lovecraft's idol sketch and moves in a very alien direction. One of the things I love about collecting idol images is comparing how different artists have wildly varying approaches to the same basic subject matter. This is a look I don't think I've seen before, particularly the interesting interpretation of the hands.

The Maester’s Path

Elmo Iscariot sent over a link to this promotional kit/ARG token for HBO's upcoming adaptation of George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones". It's a well done piece of work that appeals to me on a number of levels, from my love George R.R. Martin's writing to the prop's integration into an alternate reality game.

In the novels a Maester is a multi-disciplinary scholar. Every time they advance down the "Path of the Master", demonstrating competence in a particular field, a link forged from a specific metal is added to their ceremonial necklace. The prop kit recreates one of the steps in the process. Other props will presumably pop up in the future to allow players of the alternate reality game to progress along the path.



Inside the box, which looks to be custom made, are a collection of scent vials, funnels, perfumers strips, mixing bottles, and scrolls. The idea of mixing base scents to recreate the smell of particular locations in the story is a clever way of introducing the setting to anyone that's not already familiar with it. You can't get much more immersive than that.



Head over and check out the full post for an in-depth look at the entire package.

Cthulhu Stele

The prolific Jason McKittrick brings us this Cthulhu stele, one of the featured works in his upcoming show "Eldritch Graven Images: A Collection by Jason McKittrick". The H.P. Lovecraft-themed art show debuts from 5-8pm on March 14 in the Landing Gallery at Manhattan Theatre Source and will be on display through March 26. It's in conjunction with the "Things at the Doorstep" stage production.

Yithian Nerve Core

Richard John Wiesen brings us this preserved Yithian nerve core made from liquid latex over a polymer clay armature.

Miskatonic Binder

Tom, a researcher in ancient Chinese mystic texts, sent over a few snapshots of his custom made Miskatonic University binder. It measures 6" by 9" and features reinforced corners, internal pockets, and a cover design hand tooled by Taylormade Leather.

Vintage Newspaper Archive

Kurt Hockenbury sent over a link to the excellent "Chronicling America" archive of vintage newspapers at the The Library of Congress website. The collection includes scans of dozens of papers dating from 1860-1922. It's a great resource for anyone looking to recreate a vintage newspaper or clipping.

The period graphics and engravings are pure gold, but the text itself is just as valuable. One of the easiest ways to add an air of authenticity and depth to a prop is to tie it in to historical events, but add a Mythos spin to the story. After all, a clipping about a Federal raid on bootleggers seems innocuous...until you stumble across what really happened at Innsmouth.

The Artifact

Florian Mellies not only sculpted this wonderful piece, but then he put together an incredibly well done tableau to show it off. I love the visual density of the marking ruler, maps, and assorted bric-a-brac. There's a whole adventure just waiting to come alive.

Arkham Sanitarium Extreme Treatment Option

"Storyforu" sent over what has to be one of the most diehard Lovecraftian props ever- an issue Remington .12 gauge shotgun from Arkham Sanitarium. Hopefully this wasn't a frequently used treatment option.

Miskatonic University Project Update

After a far-too-long gestation the Miskatonic University Project is nearing completion. The original end date was scheduled for 2/28, but because of complications with the felt pennant it looks like things will actually be wrapping up next week. I want to thank all of you for your patience, and I can guarantee you'll be happy with the results.

Here's a look at the 1" brass and enamel lapel pin. I'll be posting more pictures of the finished items over the coming days.

The Dread Mandragora

The very talented Phil Bolton crafted this reproduction of a classic Mandrake root. Browse the rest of his gallery and you'll find all kinds of interesting creepiness, and I mean that in the very best way.