Annelaure is a French artist who stumbled across "Herbert West: Reanimator" at the age of 10. Deeply influenced by Lovecraft and his writings, she wanted to include him in her art. However, Annelaure doesn't use any conventional canvas for her work: she colors the streets of France with handmade stencils to depict psychedelic visions. She was kind enough to drop by and share with us some beautiful pictures she took of a Cthulhu stencil she has recently employed on the unsuspecting city walls of Saint-Etienne, France.

Annelaure writes, "I think it's interesting to put occult characters on the walls of modern cities. For me Cthulhu represents the dark side of things and people: a power who enchanted today and the ancient world. I hope you enjoy my work. I can say that is not easy to translate Lovecraft's world and creatures on stencil, but i try!"

We aren't sure what we like most about this promising young French artist: the fact that she was reading Lovecraft in France at the age of 10 or that she brings his work to the masses in such a creative and fascinating way. Either way, we hope to see more pictures of similar projects soon.

We'd love to see this catch on and watch as unspeakable icons wound up on city walls across the world.

Keep up the great work!

You can view more of her work on Flickr at the following link:
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/sputnik2369/

The Innsmouth Free Press is a fictional newspaper publishing faux news pieces–lovingly called Monster Bytes–in a Lovecraftian/Cthulhu Mythos universe, as well as original short fiction stories.

The IFP is currently accepting submissions for its upcoming issue.  Silvia Moreno-Garcia, one of its publishers, stopped by to tell us about the project.

LNN: Tell us about your vision for the Innsmouth Free Press and how the project got started.

IFP: I told Paula R. Stiles, our Editor-in-chief at Innsmouth Free Press and a writer friend of mine, that I had dreamt about doing a TV series set in Innsmouth with spooky things happening every week. We talked about it and thought: why not make it a reality as a ‘zine?

Innsmouth Free Press combines several things into one. We produce Monster Bytes, which are news stories set in Innsmouth. They range from marine investigations to stories about an exhibit at the Pickman Art Gallery.

A fiction issue appears three times a year. We’ve had short stories by Nick Mamatas and Mary Robinette Kowal mixed with talented newcomers. We publish interviews, articles and reviews related to horror and Lovecraft on a daily basis.

Our aim is to have readers visit us on regularly instead of stopping by every month or few months to read the odd fiction story.



LNN: Though you describe your publication as an e-zine, you differentiate yourself by offering payment to your contributors, which is certainly not the norm and likely a most welcome perk to aspiring authors. How does this affect the way your publication runs? Is this an indication of a contemporary business model we will see more of in the future or are you just generous?

IFP: Our goal for the first year of Innsmouth Free Press is to recoup the money we’ve invested in it. For year two, we would like to increase pay rates. Most importantly, we try to reply quickly to writers and collaborators and make working with us a good experience. Plus, we want to get them good exposure and produce a quality product. We want everyone who sends stuff to us to be proud of appearing at our website.

How does this affect us? We've got to figure out ways to generate money. We have a page explaining how to support us and we are hoping everything will go swimmingly and I will not have to sacrifice my first-born child to Dagon to pay the web-hosting bill.

LNN: What have been the highlights of the project thus far?

IFP: We’ve had a ton of fun working on it. The best part is probably meeting lots of new people and the Monster Bytes. I love them. It’s collaborative and it is very cool when a location or character we introduced, say Innsmouth Central Cemetery, gets picked up and used by another writer in a news story. I’ve also had a chance to interview several fascinating people. I got a letter from Tanith Lee last week answering some interview questions and recently interviewed Toren Atkinson of Darkest of the Hillside Thickets.

LNN: You are currently seeking submissions for a "multiethnic" issue of horror. I can understand how you want to expand your horizons beyond the familiar white, American, male-dominated norm, but on a larger literary scale is this an attempt to combat the currently popular trend of criticizing Lovecraft for his "racism?" Whence the need for multicultural horror--or is it merely an aesthetic desire to expand the genre and bring in new voices?

IFP: I don’t think looking at Lovecraft’s race views is something new or trendy. It’s an issue that has been discussed for a long time. It’s still interesting to tackle, but I don’t think it is necessarily a hot topic.

With that said, the reason why we are doing a multiethnic issue is because Lovecraft did things one way, but it doesn’t mean nowadays we have to do it the same way. Plus, horror is speculative fiction. We want to speculate, to look beyond the tried and true protagonists that generally populate a Lovecraft story. To open up to new narratives and new writers. That’s part of the excitement of this genre. I mean, can you picture a Lovecraftian story set in 9th century Africa? How would that look like? I’m excited thinking about all the doors we haven’t ever knocked on and what lurks behind them.

I also hope that the multiethnic issue will encourage readers who may think Lovecraftian fiction is not for them (because of the idea that Lovecraft embodies a white, male dominated narrative)

LNN: As an author yourself, what projects are you currently working on?

IFP: It’s probably the standard answer for any writer, but I’m working on my second novel. I also need to proof (again) my first novel, which is magic realism set in 1920s Mexico, and send it out.

I write short fiction when I can. The other day I checked my idea folder and there were 20 story ideas sitting in there. I’m generally a slow writer when it comes to my fiction, so this answer will probably still be valid six months from now.

LNN: What are you plans for the future with the IFP?

IFP: We’ve started doing some theme weeks and we’ll probably be doing more of those. We have Paranormal Week at the end of October and we’ll be talking to paranormal societies, reviewing scary ghost movies, etc.

Perhaps another themed fiction issue. Paula and I are working right now on the multiethnic issue. There’s some amazing well-known writers already scheduled for it. Future themed issues? I’d like to do a historical fiction one. Lovecraft and Henry VIII? Bring it on.

We manage to produce everything on a dime and a prayer, but I’d love to have more contests like the Cthulhu Haiku one we did recently. We are reading through the final entries so we can announce the winners for October 31. We got lots of subs and people seemed to have fun with it. I could definitely see doing a Cthulhu Craigslist Ad or some other nutty contest of this sort. When we do our Fund-A-Thon in June 2010 we’ll definitely have some fun thing going on.

In general, we want to keep putting out content and do it well. We wouldn’t mind getting a nomination for something either. Best fanzine? One can dream.

LNN: If people are interesting in writing for you, where should they start the submission process?

IFP:  Check the general guidelines. A word of warning: we are quite full with the short fiction schedule for 2010.

Stuff we need? Monster Bytes. Read our Walking Guide to Innsmouth and some of the recent Monster Bytes we’ve published to get a feel for them.

We want to recruit more reviewers to do regular TV show recaps and some movie stuff. Speculative with a preference for horror.

We are also in dire need of people to produce non-fic horror and Lovecraft articles. G.W. Thomas does a regular column for us called Writing the Mythos and I’d like to see more regular columnists doing stuff like that. Monthly reviews of old Lovecraft films, for example, could be fun.

LNN: Thanks, Silvia. Keep up the great work.  

Learn more about the Innsmouth Free Press by visiting their website:
http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com/

A new Lovecraftian play by Joseph Kennedy and Michael Kopola opens this weekend at the Village Players Performing Arts Center in Oak Park, Illinois.


From the Official Press Release:

THEATER OF SOULS is an exploration of the strange, the macabre and the terrifying. It is the story of three souls who run afoul of the mysterious Randolph L. Howard. This tale unfolds within the intimate confines of Village Players Studio performance space, which brings you eerily close to the three souls and the fate that awaits them. Learn what lurks in their minds, what haunts their dreams and what scares them. For the suspense shock of your life you must see THEATER OF SOULS.”


Read more about the play at The Pioneer.

"Do you want to be a nicer person? Are you looking for inspiration to do good things? Well keep looking. But if you're into opening up terrifying vistas of reality then the Esoteric Order of the Old Ones and Cthulhu Cultists want to help. Contact us today to find out how."

Frank Woodward is a writer, director, and producer whose has been involved in numerous horror related projects, including "Working with a Master" for Showtime's popular Masters of Horror series.

His latest project is a documentary entitled Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown, which examines the life and works of HPL from the perspective of today's biggest names in horror with interviews from Neil Gaiman, Guillermo del Toro, John Carpenter, Stuart Gordon, and many others. The film won "Best Documentary" at this year's Comic Con.

Mr. Woodward was kind enough to agree to an interview to coincide with the film's upcoming release on DVD and Blu-ray on October 13th.



LNN: What were the most rewarding, challenging, and insightful moments in making your documentary?

Woodward: When you’re interviewing talented and knowledgeable artists like Guillermo Del Toro, Neil Gaiman, Peter Straub and Caitlin R. Kiernan, it’s impossible not to gain new insights into life let alone Lovecraft. Guillermo Del Toro recommended a book called Sex & Rockets which is all about the life of JPL co-founder Jack Parsons (a man who was a disciple of Aleister Crowley, practiced sex magic with L. Ron Hubbard, and died under mysterious circumstances while summoning “something” into his home).

Caitlin Kiernan was a former paleontologist. She turned me onto the notion of deep time (which is discussed in a section of the documentary). Deep time is essentially a way of looking at life on earth in terms of millions of years. Time beyond the comprehension of man. It’s a theory that fits quite well into a universe of Old Ones.

Neil Gaiman introduced us to Caitlin Kiernan herself.

Challenges… well, making a movie is always a welcome challenge especially when you’re doing it on an independent level. All the research. Pulling the people and resources together. The actual physical production. None of this ever feels like work for me, though it does require the act of balancing logistics, creativity and truth. This documentary came together quite easily, however, and I credit that to everyone’s passion about H.P.L..

As to the most rewarding moment, it has to be the reactions the doc has received from Lovecraft fans. There was a time at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland (run by the intrepid Andrew Migliore) when a man walked up with his wife and thanked me for making the documentary. He was finally able to show his wife why Lovecraft was worth getting excited about.

There’s something special in realizing we’re not alone in our passion. I mean, let’s face it. As crucial as Lovecraft is to the world of horror and science fiction, his fanbase doesn’t seem as large as the Star Wars crowd.

At the moment, Lovecraft fans are kind of like the freemasons. We share a secret knowledge and when we meet a fellow of the craft there is an instant bond. Also like the Masons, Lovecraft fans exist in more places than you’d think. I understand that people as diverse as Gore Vidal, Joyce Carol Oates and Stephen Colbert are fond of the gentleman from Providence.

Soon we shall be legions.




LNN: You have done a lot of work with the horror genre in the past, including work on the popular Masters of Horror series. What impact do think creating a documentary on Lovecraft will have on your career and how you are perceived as a professional? Does this open or close doors for you in the future, or both?

Woodward: For me, this documentary is kind of like Lovecraft 101. I want it to increase people’s awareness of Lovecraft’s work and how he has had an influence on horror and beyond. Even those who know who Cthulhu is are mostly unaware of the man behind the mythos. If someone watches FOTU and gives one of Lovecraft’s stories a read, then my work is done.

As for my career, I enjoy the horror genre and all the people who work in it. Many have become dear friends. Wyrd (the production company I formed with Lovecraft’s producers James B. Myers and Bill Bigbooté) already has plans on doing more genre related documentaries and we want to build on what we learned from Lovecraft.

I’ve also been writing a creature feature script for Starz & SyFy Channel. That opportunity came about in part because of my work on Lovecraft and the Masters of Horror DVDs. By that I mean it was due to the people I met while making those pieces. It’s all about relationships (a cliché, but true nonetheless).

In the filmmaking world, people’s perception of you tends to be based on the most current work you did. There’s also a lot to be said for someone who actually completes a film, and I’m talking from script all the way through its release. For all of the independent films you hear about at festivals, there are at least twice as many that never make it past the first cut. Some don’t even make it past shooting. In many of those cases the cost of proper post production, distribution and marketing didn’t even enter their planning.

Independent filmmaking (especially with niche topics like Lovecraft) requires a level of determination that needs to last sometimes up to 2 years after you finish your cut. Lovecraft has taken 3 years to conceive, make and release. Being passionate about your subject helps you reach the finish line. That’s why I stick to genres I’m a fan of.

LNN: Along these lines, what impact will films such as Howard's Strange Adventures of HPL" and Del Toro's future At the Mountains of Madness have on you and your documentary with their successes or failures?

Woodward: Ron Howard is already having an impact. The L.A. Times has published two articles about Howard’s adaptation of The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft and how Lovecraft is a hot Hollywood property. We at Wyrd already knew about the comic book. Andrew Migliore and I had met the graphic novel’s artist Adam Byrne at the San Diego Comic-Con. He and the rest of the Strange Adventures team were kind enough to lend some of the artwork to the doc. So, in a way, we discovered their book before Imagine.

Del Toro’s plans for At The Mountains of Madness are even more exciting because it’s based on an actual Lovecraft story. Whenever Guillermo is finally able to make it (which may be some time considering The Hobbit and a slew of other cool projects on his slate), it will definitely show Hollywood that Lovecraft doesn’t need to be classified as “un-filmable”.

The thing is that Hollywood has already been making Lovecraft movies for years now. They’re just not based on actual stories from the mythos. The Thing. Alien. Hellboy. These are all Lovecraftian movies. You also have Stuart Gordon’s films. Re-animator may not be entirely faithful to the source material, but take a look at Dagon. It’s a damn fine adaptation of The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

There’s no question, though, that the likes of Ron Howard and Guillermo Del Toro will bring H.P.L. to a whole new level.

As far as any impact these big screen treatments will have on our documentary… well, I hope the fact that Lovecraft is in the air will make people pick up a copy of FOTU on Amazon or add it to their Netflix queue. Interest is rising and now there’s another primer available for the curious.



LNN: As a documentary filmmaker seeking to chronicle the life of deceased author, what concerns do you have and what precautionary measures do you employ to avoid the trap of the intentional fallacy? Or conversely, since Lovecraft was so prolific, outspoken, and generally clear about his views on writing and the world, is this not a primary concern?

Woodward: Lovecraft was an eccentric, xenophobic gentleman. That seems to be the general impression most people have of the man and, to a certain extent, it’s correct. But, as with all people, there are many shades to their character.

Fortunately for our documentary, we were guided by the likes of S.T. Joshi, Robert M. Price and Peter Straub, three scholars on the life of H.P. Lovecraft. Between these men, thousands of letters and good old fashioned research, I feel we avoided the intentional fallacy you speak of. That whole Man Who Shot Liberty Valance approach of “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” We are summing up a man’s qualities in 90 minutes so some facts may be compressed, but FOTU was always guided by the stories our interview subjects told us.

Lovecraft may have been xenophobic, but he had many close friends. Joshi told us a charming story of Lovecraft hosting a coffee klatch for his fellow writers in New York and bringing the coffee in by the pail from the local deli. Lovecraft traveled up and down the East cost of America… once he was more accepting of the many cultures around him. Yes, he was by today’s views a racist, but so were many people of that time. For better or worse, tolerance had only come so far in the early part of the 20th century.

LNN: Many people who are passionate about Lovecraft are more than just fans of his fiction and connect with him in some way on a ideological level. How does Lovecraftian philosophy influence your thinking and the way you live you life?

Woodward: I fluctuate in and out of that sense of the cosmic. I’d like to think I have some control over my place in the universe. It helps me get things done.

As an atheist (or a lapsed Catholic to be more precise), Lovecraft’s gods do make more sense to me, however. If I had to believe in a supreme being, I do think they’d be indifferent to us human folk.

They’d also be quite alien. People’s conception of gods is limited by their own understanding of the world. I feel we make gods in our image. That’s why many gods act in humanistic ways. If the gods actually existed, they’d probably be so far evolved from us it would be like staring into the “face” of a star headed cucumber thing. The gods were able to make the universe. We humans can barely make an acceptable version of health care. I’d think there would be some differences.

LNN: One of the topics your documentary discusses is how Lovecraft's work has long been "ghettoized" but is now seeing much more scholarly and public respect, even to the extent that it has been released as part of the Penguin classics collection. However, what people talk less about is the cultural significance of Lovecraft's new found canonical status. Specifically, what does Lovecraft's rise in popularity suggest about us as a culture and our current ideologies that we are now more openly embracing him?

Woodward: As much as I’d like to believe Lovecraft’s work has been punching through the veil on its own strength, I think Lovecraft’s resurgence is due more to his fans. The geeks have taken over the asylum and many of those geeks are well read. They not only know of Lovecraft, they read the works of other masters of the weird like Clark Ashton Smith, Manly Wade Wellman and Fritz Leiber.

They’re also the ones pitching what gets made in pop culture. Take the case of Guillermo Del Toro. He has thrust Lovecraft into the spotlight due to his endeavors to make ATMOM. On TV, I hear Lovecraft’s name mentioned all over the place. Warehouse 13. The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. The Colbert Report. Don’t look too closely at their writing staffs. You may find some geeks there.

As for current ideologies… you may have noticed our country has made a return to spirituality in the last 8 years. Due to a rash of inexplicable catastrophes (both natural and man made), the future has become one big unknown. People are afraid. Afraid of change. Afraid of their place in the new order.

I think that fear is also why the members of certain churches, temples and synagogues are determined to convert, control or kill any non-believers in the name of their once benevolent deities. Some would actually welcome the end of days. Now I’m not making any direct correlation between these fundamentalist types and the bayou cultists found by Inspector Legrasse, but… connect the dots as you wish.

LNN: One of the marketing avenues Lovecraftian kitsch has found a toehold in is children's toys and games, such as the popular plush Cthulhu doll and the new video game Scribblenauts, which lets kids summon Cthulhu to do their bidding in a cartoon setting. It is no secret that the LNN represents a categorically sympathetic voice when it comes to these sorts of things, but sometimes I wonder--just for a brief moment, mind you--about the ethical and ideological ramifications of letting small children play with Eldritch horrors. What are your thoughts?

Woodward: Children need to prepare for what’s coming. If they learn to cuddle up against a plush Shoggoth, they’ll greet their eldritch executioners with a smile as opposed to a scream. It makes being devoured a little less horrible.

To look at the merchandising another way… Neil Gaiman once blogged about people discovering songs through commercials. Say a 14 y.o. kid hears The Beatles’ “Revolution” for the first time in a Nike ad. They fall in love with the tune which inspires them to buy the song and listen to other Beatles albums. Gaiman’s point was (and I’m paraphrasing)… who cares how someone discovers great art as long as they discover it.

If kids pick up The Call of Cthulhu because they’re wondering where that tentacled Scibblenauts beastie came from, it’s a good thing.

LNN: What are your plans post Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown?

Woodward: As I mentioned, Wyrd has two other documentaries in the works. One is on The Spat Pack (the filmmakers responsible for bringing Rated R horror back to the box office with films like Saw, Hostel, and The Devil’s Rejects). That is nearly completed and, if the stars are aligned, will be ready for a sneak preview soon.

Our other documentary is about to begin shooting. It’s called Men In Suits and focuses on the actors that make our favorite rubber monsters come to life. Godzilla. Alien. Creature from the Black Lagoon.

As for my next Lovecraft project... I would love at some point to develop a miniseries based on either Herbert West or The Lurking Fear. I understand there is already a series based on Herbert West lurking in development, but that’s a modern teenager spin on the stories. I want to make a period piece. A good and true adaptation.

Then again… I think we all would love for that to happen with any Lovecraft story. The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society is having the best luck with this, but they face the same challenges of most independent filmmakers. I expect that’s why their film of The Whisperer In Darkness is taking so long, but I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

LNN: Anything else you want to put on the record?

Woodward: No, I’ve rambled on long enough. Thanks.

LNN: Thank you! We wish you the best with your release next week


Learn more at Wyrd's official web site:
http://wyrdstuff.com/lovecraft

Order Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown online at Amazon.

We recently learned about a great new project entitled The ShadowCast Audio Anthology that publishes short stories, flash fiction, and artwork free to the public. They are particularly interested in Lovecraftian fiction and have just announced an open call for submissions of original work.

If you are an aspiring author or artist, this is great chance to get your feet wet and your work out to the masses.



Official Press Release:

Jason Warden, editor and host of The ShadowCast Audio Anthology is proud to announce the first episode of the bi-weekly podcast has been released. We’ve been working diligently over the last month, reading story submissions and attempting to acquire cover art and Theme music. And while we’ve received several story submissions, we’ve had only limited interest in the art and music categories. I’d like to take the opportunity afforded me by the LNN to put out a call to all the lovers of great dark fiction, we need more submissions in all areas. I have for a long period been thinking of developing some sort of podcast, but I didn’t want to do just anything. Many days and weeks of arduous thought went into the planning and promotion of the site and the structure of the podcast. To this point I’ve read many submissions and so far have filled the first two episodes, the first of which will be available on October 1st, followed by the second on October 14th. The authors of both stories have received several prestigious awards, but are not names most people would know, and in that lies the purpose of the effort put into the podcast. We want to be the place you look for new authors and great stories. Stories that cross and blur the lines of genre definition, and authors who are bold and write with the belief that readers will appreciate a story well told.


I approached the LNN with a purpose in mind. I had been oblivious of H.P Lovecraft for most of my life and when I first discovered him, it was not because I had read his original work. “Children of Cthulhu” an anthology of the Cthulhu Mythos struck a chord with me and not long after I began reading Lovecraft and of course August Derleth. I am overwhelmed by the amount of inspiration those tales invoked within me and I am now looking forward to hopefully publishing and performing podcast episodes from new authors with their own tales inspired by Lovecraft’s work. We are currently accepting submissions in several categories for the podcast:

1. Short stories between 1000 – 5000 words

2. Flash fiction stories under 1000 words. Flash fiction is relatively new at least in definition, and is, by it’s own constraints, hard to write. It demands clear concise storylines that paint a picture in few words. Keep in mind, it still must be a story with a beginning, middle and end.

3. Cover art, as the name suggests, art to show off on the site and perhaps, with the artists permission, on banners and Icons such as those on ITunes. Our current avatar display on iTunes is one such example of submitted art, as is the header on our site.

4. Theme Music. This one is completely open, as I have yet to receive any submissions. If selected the work will be the opening and closing music for the podcast and the band or musician will receive credit both on the site as well as on the podcast for their work.

Rest easy in submitting to us: our artists and authors continue to hold all rights to their work, we ask for no rights whatsoever. We only claim ownership of the podcast, and with that you are free to do as you wish as long as you do not change or sell the podcast. It is produced under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

We look forward to seeing your work and hearing from those of you looking for a great story. Subscribe free to the podcast through iTunes or our site, and please drop us a line and tell us what you think on our website at www.shadowpress.wordpress.com

The Internet Archive offers free and permanent access for researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities, and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital format.

One of its contributors, Julia Morgan (aka MorganScorpion), recently stopped by to tell us about her work publishing audio recording of Lovecraft’s fiction. The recordings are available free to the public here.


LNN: Tell us about yourself

Morgan: I am a 48 year old woman with fibromyalgia. I am on disability and I make audio recordings to stave off boredom. I have worked in fringe theatre on the technical side, in the civil service and various other things. I got into King's College London in my late twenties where I got a degree in theology. I also have half a science degree from the Open University, so I suppose you can say I have a background in the sciences and the arts.

LNN: Tell us about your work.

Morgan: My Lovecraft recordings aren't part of any project, I just do them because I am a rabid Lovecraft fan, and other Lovecraft fans seem to want me to do them. I do record for LibriVox however, and that is a project and a half. LibriVox aims to get every out of copyright book available on the web as a free audio recording. I have personally worked on Gray's Anatomy (18th edition), Machiavelli's "History of Florence," Spenser's "Faerie Queene" and many others.

LNN: What are working on right now?

Morgan: I hope to get Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" completed in a few weeks time and then to go on to "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward." There's a few more Lovecraft stories so far unrecorded that I would like to do, and then maybe get on to some other authors. I would love to record Arthur Machen's "The Hill of Dreams", or some Clark Ashton Smith, but both are copyrighted. Meanwhile, over on LibriVox we have just started recording Robert Burton's "Anatomy of Melancholy," which I am delighted to be working on.

Thanks, Julia for letting us know about this great resource. If you are interested in contributing an audio recording, check out the recruitment pages for the Internet Archive and LibriVox (a similar project).