One of two Cthulhu idols I own. This one is based on Lovecraft’s original sketches. I like it for a couple reasons. First, because it is way doofier than most interpretations of Cthulhu. I love that this is the master of cosmic horror’s vision and it is a pudgy little guy who’s feet don’t touch the floor when he sits on the chair. At the same time, I find him more unsettling than other artists’ versions. The multiple eyes and the worm-like tentacles bear little resemblance to the octopus head that has become the standard. I like this version more.

When I was talking to folks in the Vintage RPG Discord (Join us – we have a good time in there!), I was kind of torn between sharing a Cthulhu idol and a trilobite fossil. Most folks in the Discord thought I should go with the fossil. In the honored tradition of the girl in the Taco Bell gif, I opted for both.

Trilobites are terrifying. I am glad they are extinct. Can you imagine if they were a thing we could encounter in a basement or at the beach? Admittedly, part of the repulsion I feel is because of the flesh-eating trilobites from the Dinosaurs Attack card. But part of it is also something like the feeling Lovecraft’s protagonists feel looking at various idols depicting mind-shattering entities. There’s something distinctly alien about this trilobite, the bulbous eyes, the segmented body. This one is just 2.5 inches, but they’ve been found as big as 17 inches. Tell me if you found a 17-inch trilobite of dark stone, covered in spines that you wouldn’t, for a moment, think you found a depiction of a great old one…

And there you have it, five of the weirdest things I have in my house! We’ll be back to our regular stuff next week.