Jade Cthulhu Idol

I banged this Cthulhu idol out in a couple of hours, more out of an interest in trying a faux jade painting technique than anything else. The idol itself is Sculpy polymer clay over a core of armature wire and a big honkin' bolt. Why the bolt? So the idol can cause compasses in close proximity to swing towards it. The steel in the bolt is probably enough to do that on it's own, but I went to the trouble of using a massive salvage magnet to fully magnetize it. Yeah, it's a cheap effect, in every sense, but it amuses me to no end.

I'm really happy with how the jade finish came out. The paint job was done by hand, with a base coat of dark green and then two shades of lighter green applied by stippling with an old, worn out craft brush. That produced a great mottled green appearance that I finished off with two coats of Future acrylic for a smooth, polished stone finish.





The pictures really don't do it justice. The combination of my poor photography skills and the unholy glare produced by the acrylic finish made getting any decent shots an impossible task.

Busted

One of the things I enjoy about the "Call of Cthulhu" community is the incredible number of artists it attracts. A prime example is Tommy Allison of Mad Robot Studios, who sculpted this incredible Cthulhu bust:



Poke around in his Werks gallery and you'll find a ton of other great art, including some stunning comic-inspired pieces. I'd count myself lucky if my sculpting skills were half as good as his.

ATMOM Explorer Costume

I spent part of today exchanging emails with someone trying to put together an ATMOM explorer costume. In case you were curious, the most reasonably priced idea I could come up with is adapting something like this - a military surplus winter anorak and trousers set. For just $15 bucks it's a great base to work from.



A little dye, some fur trim, and you're good to go. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to add a Miskatonic Antarctic expedition patch. I understand some loon on the internet is selling them.

Period Marriage Certificate

This is pretty self-explanatory: a high-resolution scan of a period marriage certificate. I've seen far more ornate versions, but this one strikes me as the kind of thing the New England folk of Lovecraft's stories would favor. As usual, click on through for the full size image.

ATMOM Photographs

This is a selection of photographs from the original Miskatonic expedition that we're using as props when we run "Beyond the Mountains of Madness". Click through for the full size versions. And when I say full size, I mean it- the files are crazy large, but look great as prints.

If you're really anal about them looking period you're probably going to need some fine sandpaper and a big, honkin' eraser to remove the branding information from the back of the developed prints. Nick the emulsion on the front a bit, add a little wear and tear, and you're good to go.

Expedition ship being unloaded at the landing point on the Ross ice shelf:


Sled dogs crossing the ice:


Dogs transporting Pabodie's revolutionary drilling rig. Portable, in this case, is relative:


Pabodie and Danforth taking position readings. The close proximity of the south pole made compasses useless and required regular celestial fixes for navigation and survey work.


Photograph from the camera mount on one of the expedition's Dornier "Wal" aircraft. The main wing is visible along the top of the picture, while the stubby structure to the right of the frame is a float on the plane's forward hull.


Prof. William Dyer relaxes on deck during the journey south:

Miskatonic Antarctic Expedition Patch Now Available

In 1930 an expedition from Miskatonic University arrived in the Antarctic. Shortly thereafter a remote survey camp began exploring a newly discovered chain of mountains and radioed back the details of an incredible discovery.

Hours later, every man in the camp was dead.

The controversy over what happened to the poor souls in that isolated outpost still rages today. Where they killed by a freakishly powerful storm, as the official inquiry ruled? Or were they the victims of a mass, homicidal rage induced by tainted food, as some have suggested? And what of the mysterious discovery they claimed to have made shortly before radio contact was lost?

Those questions may never be answered, but now you can own a small piece of that ill-fated expedition's history: the famed "Wings Over Antarctica" Miskatonic University Expedition Patch.



Each 4"(10cm) diameter patch has an iron-on backing so they can easily be attached to the garment of your choice. The price for European customers is slightly higher because of the increased cost of shipping.

Things In A Bottle

"I Make Projects" has a great how-to posted on creating things in a bottle:

It can be really fun to see what can be made! Jars can be saved and washed, or purchased cheaply at thrift stores. Old toys, plastic animals, fishing lures and all sorts of other things offer great possibilities.

A good talent to develop is what to show and what to cover. Colored or murky water can be used to shadow or otherwise obscure specimens that you don't want seen in too much detail. Strategically-placed labels can cover up bits that don't look quite right. Adding things to the inside of the jar (like sand, rocks, fake plants, etc) can also conceal or highlight things on the inside.

Knowing what to highlight and what to conceal can go a long ways to making a good specimen great! Have fun, and remember that if you don't like how it looks you can always start over!

I think the best part is that the results look great while being amazingly cheap to produce. There's a place for high-end props that take time and money to create, but quick-and-dirty is equally useful.