42 Cthulhu T-Shirts You’ll Lose Your Sanity Over

In 1926, famed writer H.P Lovecraft created a story entitled “The Call of Cthulhu.” At only about 50 pages long, the story was a short one. However, the imagery and dramatic, fully-envisioned mythology would lead literary critics to proclaim the tale a masterpiece, and its main character, the creature Cthulhu, would continue to serve as a figure of mystery and fascination for generations.

In “The Call of Cthulhu,” which was published in 1928, Lovecraft describes Cthulhu as a massive, spiteful god that sleeps in a hidden underwater city. Cthulhu is the source of uneasiness, worry and despair in the minds of humans, yet, in the story, many fanatical cults worship him. They pray for the time when Cthulhu will once again rise to rule the world. Cthulhu was not the first mythological creature Lovecraft created. He had published, and would continue to create, stories about the ‘Old Ones’ or ‘Ancient Ones’ or the ‘Elder Gods’ or the ‘Old Gods’ or the ‘Deep Ones,’ creatures that were similar to Cthulhu. As each new story was written, readers were able to delve deeper into the Cthulhu Mythos.

Lovecraft designed Cthulhu to be unfathomable, too large for human minds. For this reason, theories about the creature’s appearance, name and role abound. Lovecraft himself described the Deep Ones as a race of creatures from the sea, and pictured Cthulhu as part human, part dragon and part octopus. Cthulhu is often depicted as a giant. Although mostly human in shape, he has scaly or rubbery skin, claws on his hands and feet, small, dragon-like wings on his back and a face that ends in many tentacles or feelers. He sometimes has the ability to change his shape or appearance.

Cthulhu’s name is also a source of some debate. Over time, it has been spelled a number of different ways, including Kathulu, Thu Thu, Cthullu, Tulu and Q’thulu. These different spelling are sometimes used as a way to help readers pronounce the name. Even Lovecraft himself was not positive about Cthulhu’s pronunciation. He explained that human speech could not accurately say the name. He often pronounced it differently himself. The most common pronunciation, however, is ka-THOO-loo.

Today, Cthulhu remains one of the most popular fictional characters ever created. He is continually re-imagined in film, literature and art. Writers such as Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Christopher Moore have created short stories and novels inspired by the Cthulhu mythos. Fan-favorite television shows such as “Dark Shadows,” “Warehouse 13” and even “South Park” often feature a Cthulhu-inspired arc or episode. The Japanese anime series “Nyarko-san: Another Crawling Chaos” went a step further, basing the entire plot on a female Cthulhu character.

Games, such as the cult classic “Call of Cthulhu” and modern video games such as “Cthulhu Saves the World,” also bring Cthulhu to life in different ways. Even musicians can’t stay away from the pull of Cthulhu. Bands such as Metallica and Deadmau5 have based songs on Cthulhu and Lovecraft. With Cthulhu posters, toys and games constantly available, and new Cthulhu ideas appearing every day, it seems that Cthulhu’s popularity may never fade.

Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn