The nice summer weather continues here, for now.
However, I find I am increasingly likely to be in need of a regular $300+ income a month, and within the next two months. If anyone can use my talents in a reliably paid way, please contact me. I’m very accomplished in information — discovering, evaluating, comparing, and packaging it into a readable form. Along with suitably sourced pictures. Elsewhere I’m currently a part-time magazine editor-writer. If you’ve always wanted a monthly magazine or substantial newsletter for your own special niche interest, or you need a researcher for a historical book or project, then now’s the time to shout. Please also mention me to others, such as editors, who might have some regular paid home-work to offer.
In August Tentaclii did not have a great deal of activity, because I was off the ‘daily posting’ schedule. But I did manage the first part of my “Notes on the Wandrei letters”. For which I found and colorised two good vintage photos of the Roman sculpture gallery at the New York Met, a place so enjoyed by Lovecraft and Loveman. Lovecraft’s comment on this place also seemed to indicate he was aware of Loveman’s homosexuality, which was quite a find. Also found in these letters were new names for Lovecraft’s favoured Providence book shops, “Gregory’s, Tyson’s”.
In scholarship, I released my copiously annotated and corrected edition of Kipling’s seminal science-fiction story “With The Night Mail”. Also a PDF with the Letters of E. Hoffman Price to H.P. Lovecraft, for HPL’s Birthday — though the latter was far more about simple image-processing and assemblage than scholarship. I also looked into an interesting question from my Patreon patron, “Did HPL read Sherlock Holmes?” and assembled the relevant facts for him here at Tentaclii.
My ‘Open Lovecraft’ page had a little updating this month, linking to open-access scholarship. I reviewed The Lovecraft Annual 2021 at length, and along the way made many new discoveries about Lovecraft’s Red Hook house-mate (I almost typed mouse-mate) Alexander D. Messayeh. I discovered he hailed from Babylon, and made a living dealing in the rarest antiquities of the ancient world. Make of that what you will, Mythos writers.
Two big summer conventions, the Pulpfest and NecronomiCon, came and went. In journals, the annual Pulpster #31 journal was released at Pulpfest. Possibly the Lovecraft Annual also shipped in time for the Armitage Symposium wing of the NecronomiCon to discuss over breakfast. But I’m not yet aware of any convention report from that side of NecronomiCon which might mention that. If I’d been there you’d have a 15,000-word report by now.
New books this month included H.P. Lovecraft: An Introduction to His Life and Writings; and Pulp Power: The Shadow, Doc Savage, and the Art of the Street & Smith Universe. I was pleased to find I can now access the Hippocampus Press website from the UK, without needing a VPN.
In Lovecraftian arts, I was delighted to feature the incredible “Welcome to Arkham — the (HO) Model City”, a labour-of-love in miniature. There is also much Lovecraftian art activity over in the red-hot new ‘industry’ of art-generating AIs.
In screen media, S.T. Joshi’s blog brought news of a forthcoming Dunsany documentary, being made in Providence no less. Guillermo del Toro’s forthcoming horror TV show Cabinet of Curiosities revealed which Lovecraft tales had been filmed. In 3D, I gave a makeover to the old Meshbox 3D HPL figure, which is used in the Poser software. There was the usual level of activity in videogames and RPGs, but those are rarely noted on Tentaclii.
Elsewhere, a “Battle” issue of Digital Art Live magazine has been finished, which should appeal to the Conan crowd when it appears in a few days. And yes, I noted the calls at Howard Days, to help promote the new Image Books Conan (now that Marvel are done with him).
I also updated my book of a few years ago, on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and North Staffordshire, and released it as a temporary holiday-reading freebie (until 28th August).
That’s it for August. As always, please consider becoming my Patreon patron if you’re not already. Even a dollar or two helps in the current precarious circumstances.