Fantasy Flight adds another Lovecraftian board/table-top game alongside its existing Arkham Horror title. The new game Mansions of Madness is described as…

“Horrific monsters and spectral presences lurk in manors, crypts, schools, monasteries, and derelict buildings near Arkham, Massachusetts. Some spin dark conspiracies while others wait for hapless victims to devour or drive insane. It’s up to a handful of brave investigators to explore these cursed places and uncover the truth about the living nightmares within. Designed by Corey Konieczka, Mansions of Madness is a macabre game of horror, insanity, and mystery for two to five players. Each game takes place within a pre-designed story that provides players with a unique map and several combinations of plot threads.”

Thanks to the new Weirdlands of Xhuul blog for tipping me off about the excellent monster-art blog Diary of Inhuman Species.

If you’re still young enough to wear badges without alerting the attention of the Fashion Police, there’s also a selection of original art badges…

A most interesting aside on Wilum Pugmire’s moft esteemed blog today, writing of the creative plans of the Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi…

“S.T.’s moft astounding plot as fiction writer is to write a biographical novel on the life of H. P. Lovecraft”

That would be quite something. I’m reminded of a quote from Guy Davenport (whose fiction Pugmire should certainly know, if he doesn’t already), in which he writes…

“Biographies grasp the exteriors of lives and give what account they can of their interiors. These can be wholly different realities.” — Guy Davenport in “Ruskin”.

It seems the local improv theatre was inspired by the recent Lovecraft Film Festival in Seattle…

Wing-It Productions presents Unspeakable Horrors, an…

“unscripted play inspired by the writings of horror master H. P. Lovecraft. Each night, the cast will create a dark and frightening tale of supernatural dread based on audience suggestions. Unspeakable Horrors is fully improvised, and no two shows are the same.”

The Historic University Theater (Seattle, WA, USA), October-November 2010.

Ah, that’s what I like — an opportunity to combine H.P. Lovecraft with 3D CG work (my other blog is about 3D CG indie animation). Lovecraft Creature Lab challenge asks for a still image…

“Create a creature based upon a non-human critter from H.P. Lovecraft’s literary works. The creature should have a fully resolved form, convey motion where appropriate, and be believable. Creature can be shown as either a 3/4 view or as a ‘turn-arounds‘ [ i.e.: a sequence of standing shots from different angles, combined in one still image ].

Any medium is acceptable — traditional, digital, 2D, 3D … anything. The minimum size acceptable is 8.5″ x 11″. For judging purposes on ArtOrder [ a Ning community of Fantasy and Science Fiction illustrators ], submit a .jpg no larger than 2500 x 2500 pixels. Photographs of non-digital entries are acceptable as long as they meet the minimum size requirements.

Part of this assignment is to go through the text and pull out the descriptive passages that are informing your creation. These passages should be included with your submission. Remember to dig out bits that talk about how the creature moves as well, if there are any.

[…] Finals [final works] should be dropped into the Lovecraft Creature Lab Final discussion folder in the ArtOrder community.

Deadline: 8th October 2010.

Keep in mind this is a character design challenge, so all of the creature needs to be clearly seen. No vague aery nebulous half-seen unnameables.

Tor.com has a nicely presented round-up of some of the most notable Lovecraft artists. There’s also a selection of links to artists over on the Directory sidebar for this blog.

There’s a new 50-copy numbered/limited revised reprint edition of Spores from Sharnoth and Other Madnesses (P’rea Press). Leigh Blackmore’s acclaimed weird verse collection has a foreword by S. T. Joshi. The new edition features a different coloured cover, an updated bibliography, and an extended reviews section. Several of the poems have also been revised. The collection costs AUS$15 + postage (Australia only, overseas buyers enquire). To order, contact Danny Lovecraft of P’rea Press:  dannyL58@hotmail.com (no website available).

A great photo of a Lovecraft-style door/tunnel, in the form of an earth-grinding ball, illustrating the news of 100 miles of new tunnels being dug underneath Chicago…

A preview of the fine cover for the forthcoming Historical Lovecraft anthology (2011), which has been open for submissions for a few days now. Not to be confused with the Lovecraft Classic Horror Anthology.

Some strange things turn up on Etsy: how about a 6,000 year-old meteorite, carved into Loveraftian shapes, and placed under glass as a paperweight? Unfortunately the maker has also added some hippy-dippy crystals, but the basic concept is sound…

“Made with Hardened PVC, actual 4000 to 6000 year old Meteorite, fine Magnifying Glass Dome, Swarovski crystals, wood and felt base. Tiny Pink areas slightly fluoresce with Black Light. In with the Meteorite is a complex setting. Is it an Alien, Cthonian life form, Volcanic formations or, something even more terrifying…”