More new free LORA plugins for Stable Diffusion 1.5, noted since my last such post and likely to interest some Tentaclii readers. Running these requires free software such as InvokeAI or ComfyUI, a Stable Diffusion model, and a newer graphics-card in your PC.

The new Overgrowth Style which could be used with the also-new Moss Beasts.

Proto. This might be used with the also-new Glass Sculptural LORA, to make new ‘Blaschka glass animals’ as if from the deep sea.

The new R-Fantasy LORA Edition – v1.0. Get the R-Fantasy model’s generic fantasy-art look in combination with any model, potentially. May have problems with the anatomy on fantasy beasts, by the look of it.

New, a LORA for the Alessandro Biffignandi comic style – v1.0. A 1980s Italian comics artist, who a book on his work describes as… “One of the most accomplished and prolific fumetti cover artists was Alessandro Biffignandi, whose artworks featured horror, fantasy and sci-fi elements.” And plenty of big-breasted ladies, by the look of it.

And finally, from summer 2023 but newly discovered, Doomer Boomer – v1.0. Not a LORA but a model. Specifically trained with SD 1.5 at 768px and with quality inputs, to output the styles of the more painterly late 1970s / early 1980s Heavy Metal magazine and similar vintage fantasy paperback-cover / album-cover artists. Can be guided by prompts to make images as if “by Frank Frazetta”, “by Brom” etc.

France has a new National Maritime Museum and its opening blockbuster exhibition examines…

“the representation of the seas and sea-creatures in cinema”

The show is open now in Paris, and runs until 5th May 2024. It covers the entire history of film from the first silents to the latest SFX. There’s also a 320 page catalogue.

Also of interest, the Korshak Collection visits Florida, for a gallery exhibition running 8th March – 28th April 2024…

The Korshak Collection features works by pioneering artists from over a century of published science fiction, horror, and fantasy. These original adventure and fantasy illustrations appeared on the covers and pages of timeless novels, and in classic pulp magazines from the 1930s through 1960s such as Amazing Stories, Weird Tales, Fantastic Adventures, and Wonder Stories.

Lots of Necronomicon pages, by MrZarono.

From The Armchair Detective, May 1975, newly arrived on archive.org…

The Conjurers by Marilyn Harris. The evil is connected with ancient megalithic circles [near] a village called Dormeshaven, close to Avebury and Stonehenge in Wiltshire [southern England]. Miss Harris uses themes and incidents that smack very much of some of H.P. Lovecraft’s work [and] the tender stomached may find The Conjurers a bit much at times. [Sadly the Oklahoma-based American] Miss Harris has failed to catch the atmosphere of Britain as a Briton.

The 1974 Random House novel is now on Archive.org.

More free add-ons, for use with free desktop software such as InvokeAI and free Stable Diffusion 1.5 models.

Monster Diffusion – 1.0. Photoreal or semi-toon monsters, and it can also emulate tabletop ‘hand-made figure’ monsters.

Jack Kirby inked by Wally Wood. Apparently the creator of this LORA isn’t convinced its results will pass the ‘sniff text’ among the Golden Age collecting crowd, those who know their Wally Wood from their Bob Wood. But it looks fairly good to me.

LORAs for the styles of Jim Steranko (Nick Fury era), Jack Kirby (late 1960s Marvel), Steve Ditko (Doctor Strange era). All from the same maker, and I didn’t think much of them on testing. But perhaps I was testing them with the wrong Stable Diffusion model (XenoGasm).

Cityscape & character cumulonimbus cloud for creating one of those ‘Cthulhu walking as a cloud on the distant horizon’ pictures. Obviously you would use Photoshop to combine the cloudscape with a more suitable lower-half.

Two wranglers of the fiendish 3D software Blender require a visuals impresario…

We’re making a cRPG set in late-18th century Antarctica with heavy Lovecraftian elements [and] we’re looking for someone to help out in terms of aesthetics & visuals

Probably must be familiar with the look that’s possible in videogames with only a three-man team. No modding of a retail game is talked of, so I assume they’re building from scratch with the aid of the rich ecosystem of add-ons and Blender’s new off-the-shelf modules.

What my AI suggests…

Set for the Inferno metal festival in Norway, in March 2024, the live event “H.P. Doomcraft”. Being a…

collaboration between storyteller/visual artist Kim Diaz Holm and musician Costin Chioreanu, translating four works by the father of cosmic horror, into an unique and transcendental audio-visual experience. “Nyarlathotep”, “What the Moon Brings”, “Memory”, and “Ex-Oblivione” were all directly inspired by Lovecraft’s powerful dreams, and haunting narration and art combined with Chioreanu’s otherworldly music will bring it to nightmarish new life.

Looks like both men know Lovecraft well, and are experts at what they do. I’d hope for something on YouTube later in 2024. Though I guess the live event is the real experience, with the full speaker-stacks and a mass of nodding Nordic noggins. Booking now.