Man, I really brought the room down with that title! But sometimes good art has to make you feel a bit down in the dumps. Take this new LEGO creation by Toni A, for example. It’s a tentacled creature called St. Abholos. It’s all part of a larger campaign to totally squig you the heck out, and I think it’s working. It’s more of a Cosmic Horror dread, which is much deeper than the sorrow you feel when you lose a comb. While you ponder your own insignificance in this universe, why not take a gander at some other like-minded Lovecraftian Horrors all hellbent on squelching your good time.
Tag Archives: Lovecraft
We abhor the abysmal Abyssal Abhorrence
Once again Fedde Barendrecht presents a LEGO creation so upsetting we don’t know whether to throw up or run. Maybe a little of both. Live a little, right? This time we have the Abyssal Abhorrence; a creature so vile that living a little would likely be all we’d have time for if we ever encountered this beast for real. Actually, it closely resembles a real-life jellyfish or a giant squid; two reasons why I generally avoid any body of water deeper than a bathtub. For not the first time Fedde’s creations evoke an imagination worthy of H.P. Lovecraft. At least he’s interesting, right? If he was boring he’d instead likely evoke the spirit of writer Walter Scott.
Cthulhu himself cowers before the Outer Gods
HP Lovecraft’s work has been the inspiration for many a LEGO builder over the years, as evidenced by the glut of incredible builds we’ve featured over the years. Woomy World is the latest to enter this particular pantheon with this doozy of a build inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos. Specifically, this is an Outer God – essentially the bad guys of the Mythos, and some of the most powerful. And you thought Cthulhu himself was bad! He’s got nothing on these guys. Anyway, this mythical being looks typically Lovecraftian – any being with four eyes, four arms and tentacles is bound to be pretty powerful. Aside from the arms and head, this is about as far from humanoid as you can get. There’s even a little alien within this alien in the form of a Bionicle Kraata, forming what I guess is a tongue in those vertical jaws.
So, what? It could just be your average super-powerful extra-terrestrial, right? Well, what elevates this being from a mere inhabitant of the cosmos to an all-seeing deity has to be that ring around its head. This is one of the most unusual parts uses I’ve seen – it’s the ring from a LEGO Star Wars clock! It’s so inspired, I wonder if Woomy themselves might also be more than a mere mortal…
Kandor is cool but R’lyeh is rockin’
We’ve seen ships in a bottle, and decks of cards in a bottle, but Bart De Dobbelaer is the first builder I know to combine glassware with the elder gods. Rise of Cthulhu features not only the great tentacled meanie, but also the city of R’lyeh doing a wicked impression of a lava lamp. The city was built brick-by-brick inside the bottle thanks to a small hole in the back; a process that is certainly madness-inducing.
Play that funky music, squid-frog
Sometimes y’all are a bit messed up. It’s unsettling and maybe someone ought to check in on your well-being. But as I’m jibing to the same dissonant tune, I’m right there with you and could probably also use a wellness check from time to time. Take this high-flutin’ LEGO creature built by Alex_mocs, for example. You can only imagine what hellish deities that this thing might summon. He calls this piece, The Call of Uūl but maybe you ought to send Uūl back to whatever unfathomable realm from which it came. Just say you butt-dialed it. Wrong number. However, since it’s here I like all the dinosaur parts used and the creative way those dark red tree leaves are stacked in such a way to denote alien coral or maybe some of that non-Euclidian geometry we’ve heard so much about.
While Alex doesn’t cite his inspiration per se I believe it may come from this and if that is the case then I’m totally jibing to your crazy tune and you seem to be just the kind of person I’d love to have a beer with. But let me pick the soundtrack though, OK?
Dis is the way.
I know it’s not what Jarek Książczyk intended, but the “Countess of Dis” sounds like a character from Lovecraftian reboot of Sesame Street. “One! Two! Three! Three elder gods! Ha ha ha!” Just don’t cross her even more sinister cousin, the Countess of Dat. But questionable mythology aside, you should take a moment and appreciate the amazing build here. I’m particularly impressed with the way the three main colors unify the build. The dragon wing along the figure’s back has just a touch of red in the dual-molded plastic, echoed in the cloth cape and the banners on the staff. The gold finials on the staff complement the chest armor and skirting, with great part usage like that carriage wheel front and center, and the weapon in the bodice. The black organic curves draw the eye and are matched by the folds in the skirt. Quality stuff.
But is this a build worthy of worship? Well, a bonus supplicant created by Jarek sure seems to think so. I’m not sure exactly what is being offered here, but the use of a gold-chrome hemishere makes it seem like a rare treat indeed. Green Jell-O, maybe? (Who are we to question the desires of the ancient ones?)
If these beings have you wanting to look at other eerie creations, check out more featured builds in our Lovecraft tag!
Is it a snake, a fish, or both?
You wouldn’t want to encounter this frightening creature in the depths of the ocean. Joss Woodyard has created this beautiful twisted serpent with a glorious purple and medium azure colour scheme. Dragon wings form its striking dorsal fin and most likely provides the inspiration for the colourful pattern of the creature. The placement of its menacing teeth is similar to that of angler fish enforcing its aquatic qualities. However, the model still retains its serpentine aesthetic through the forked tongue at the mouth, represented by a dark red armour piece. Collecting all these pieces must have taken a great deal of time but it does really pay off as the model is able to look both elegant and threatening at the same time.
The unknown horror
Sometimes you don’t have to understand exactly what you’re looking at to appreciate how awesome it is, and how well-built it is. This LEGO creation by Bart De Dobbelaer is called the Glarburg Horror, and I think it fits into that category. Bart’s written a short story on this Lovecraftian monstrosity, but I’m afraid I’m still no closer to figuring it out. Nevertheless, I like the repetitious use of elements on the “creature” to create an unnerving texture. Meanwhile, the broken stone columns have an almost technological feeling, while the whole scene is subtly overgrown with sickly black shoots made mostly of connected droid arms.
Here’s looking at you, kid
This creepy build by Bart De Dobbelaer combines great LEGO part usage with eldritch horror. Or maybe this creature from beyond just wants to borrow a cup of flour. Who are we to judge by appearances? I mean, sure, the mouth full of tentacles ringed by dozens of teeth does seem a bit aggressive. But the multiple claws forming a spiky head of hair might just be a fashion statement. You know, like those DOTs bracelets that ring those not-at-all-evil eyes. The outer frame is pure evil, though. The gold accents may be shiny, but the expert use of brown organic curves of different thicknesses is unsettling in the extreme.
Bart excels at finding just the right balance between craftsmanship and horror. Take a minute to check out some of the other creations that we’ve featured.
The spawn of Cthulhu are adorable
The creature Cthulhu, from the mind of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, has been the inspiration for many modern horror stories, video games, and movies, like Hellboy, for example. Many LEGO builders have also taken inspiration from his works, like this render from Ivan Martynov. This model has some nice part usage which makes me wish LEGO made these parts in more colors, like the fingers of the beast, made from the hands of those early Homemaker figures with jointed arms. Another great choice is the one ring to rule them all, used to connect the wing joints. But of course, the most perfect part is the octopus used for Cthulhu’s monstrous head and the tiny octopi for his spawn. Don’t miss Ivan’s Yithian we featured yesterday, too!
You may feel a slight prick
Have you ever had the feeling that your mind and body has been taken over by time-traveling extraterrestrial beings for the purpose of one day inheriting the Earth? No? Wow, I don’t even know how to respond to that other than you people are a bunch of weirdos! A LEGO builder who surely knows the gentle mind-touch of a Yithian is Ivan Martynov, which definitely isn’t weird so don’t get that idea in your heads. To be clear, this is a computer render as evidenced by a few of these parts in non-production colors but to the likes of Ivan and me, this is instantly recognizable. He tells us that “there lies upon this world of man a mocking and incredible shadow out of time.” Indeed, Ivan. Indeed. Still not attuned to our wavelength? Then just let Ivan and I have our knowing nods. Remember, you people are the weirdos, not us.
But if you’re totally jibing with what we’re into, then you may want to submit your delicious minds and check out some of Ivan’s other creations.
Weirdness under the cover of night
At first glance, this LEGO piece by Shannon Sproule yields more questions than answers. Why is the sky red? Who are those people? Why are they huddled together like that? And what is up with that statue? The ominous title certainly doesn’t help; Meeting by the statue, slurp, slurp, slurp. But then I read the only tag Shannon left; Miskatonic, and it all became clear. Of course. This all makes perfect sense now. You see, Shannon speaks my language, but then again, I already knew that about him. We are students of Miskatonic, sons of Innsmouth, whatever you want to call us. If you’re still confused by all that, then clearly, you have not been indoctrinated into the writings of one H. P. Lovecraft, and maybe you’re better off. Move on, go look at some Star Wars spaceships or something and let Shannon and I have our knowing conspiratorial glances. I’ll meet you by the statue, Shannon.