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The Spiraling Horror
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Midna Helmet
This recreation of the Midna Helmet from "Legend of Zelda" comes to us from Nerfenstein. It's amazing how she was able to get such a spot on stone finish out of EVA foam.
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Son of the Beholder
This Cthulhu-inspired piece comes to us from artist Christopher Soprano. The way the sculpt shadows the eye sockets is a really nice effect.
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Classic Era Camping and Expedition Gear
The decline and fall of Abercrombie and Fitch is one of the great tragedies of Western culture. Today it's a purveyor of casual clothing for teens and young adults that cultivate an insipid air of hipness, but it was once the premier provider of camping and expedition gear in the United States. For over a century its name denoted quality and reliability in the field. That all came to an end in 1976 when the outfitter declared bankruptcy. The name and mailing list would live on, but the company known for providing the best in outdoor gear was gone forever.
Luckily for us, the Internet Archive has preserved a small part of the company's history with a digitized copy of their 1916 catalog. As a resource for gamers this is priceless. The catalog provides a comprehensive listing of guns, ammunition, camping gear, and expedition supplies complete with period prices. To adjust the 1916 cost to the 1920s/1930s equivalent this inflation calculator should come in handy.
Beyond it's utility as an equipment handbook, the catalog is filled with the most seductive kind of gear porn. One of the traps classic-era gamers fall into repeatedly is underestimating the technological sophistication of the period. Flip through the pages and you'll see some amazingly well designed kit that wouldn't be out of place on store shelves today.
As an example, take a look at that "Shattuck Steamer and Camp Roll", a bedroll that doubles as luggage. It carries your clothing rolled and wrinkle-free (well, relatively) in a waterproof shell, unrolls into a complete bedroll suitable for inclement weather, and includes a removable hanging shelf for toiletries.
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The listing of dehydrated foods gives you an appreciation for how much variety was available. Every one of these is still available today, with the notable exception of canned pemmican. That's one item I'd really like to get my hands on, thanks to it's prominent place in both Chaosium's "Beyond the Mountains of Madness" and actual Antarctic expeditions.
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As an aside, I'm in the process of getting some malt tablets, in particular Horlick's Malted Milk Tablets. The tablets are vanishingly rare here in the United States despite the number of companies offering malted milk powder. They were a go-to expedition and emergency ration for decades, but now they're a niche candy product that only appears to be produced under license in a few Asian countries. Imported boxes are available on Amazon, but $8.50 for two snack packages is a bit steep for anything other than curiosity.
One other thing I wanted to draw attention to are fibre boxes. The Abercrombie and Fitch catalog includes them with their packing supplies. Based on the two examples I have on hand they were made from a mix of vulcanized rubber and wood fibers compressed under extreme pressure and heat. The sheets of composite material were then riveted together to create a light, waterproof, and incredibly tough storage container. They were used by multiple expeditions for storing equipment and supplies, the vintage equivalent of our modern Hardigg or Pelican boxes.
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Luckily for us, the Internet Archive has preserved a small part of the company's history with a digitized copy of their 1916 catalog. As a resource for gamers this is priceless. The catalog provides a comprehensive listing of guns, ammunition, camping gear, and expedition supplies complete with period prices. To adjust the 1916 cost to the 1920s/1930s equivalent this inflation calculator should come in handy.
Beyond it's utility as an equipment handbook, the catalog is filled with the most seductive kind of gear porn. One of the traps classic-era gamers fall into repeatedly is underestimating the technological sophistication of the period. Flip through the pages and you'll see some amazingly well designed kit that wouldn't be out of place on store shelves today.
As an example, take a look at that "Shattuck Steamer and Camp Roll", a bedroll that doubles as luggage. It carries your clothing rolled and wrinkle-free (well, relatively) in a waterproof shell, unrolls into a complete bedroll suitable for inclement weather, and includes a removable hanging shelf for toiletries.
The listing of dehydrated foods gives you an appreciation for how much variety was available. Every one of these is still available today, with the notable exception of canned pemmican. That's one item I'd really like to get my hands on, thanks to it's prominent place in both Chaosium's "Beyond the Mountains of Madness" and actual Antarctic expeditions.
As an aside, I'm in the process of getting some malt tablets, in particular Horlick's Malted Milk Tablets. The tablets are vanishingly rare here in the United States despite the number of companies offering malted milk powder. They were a go-to expedition and emergency ration for decades, but now they're a niche candy product that only appears to be produced under license in a few Asian countries. Imported boxes are available on Amazon, but $8.50 for two snack packages is a bit steep for anything other than curiosity.
One other thing I wanted to draw attention to are fibre boxes. The Abercrombie and Fitch catalog includes them with their packing supplies. Based on the two examples I have on hand they were made from a mix of vulcanized rubber and wood fibers compressed under extreme pressure and heat. The sheets of composite material were then riveted together to create a light, waterproof, and incredibly tough storage container. They were used by multiple expeditions for storing equipment and supplies, the vintage equivalent of our modern Hardigg or Pelican boxes.
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Book of the Black Skull
Mille Cuirs returns with another fantastic tome, the Book of the Black Skull. As always, it's a work of impeccable craftsmanship. This is what a "tome with a face on the cover" should look like. As much as I like the "Evil Dead" films their depiction of the Necronomicon is just ridiculous.
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Mystery Tome
I recently received an email concerning a mystery tome purchased on Ebay.
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That was a heck of a deal. That tome in question is the work of the infamous Richard Poppe, a very talented sculptor and propmaker. Sadly, his business acumen, not to mention his sense of ethics, wasn't nearly as developed as his artistic skills. According to multiple former clients he ripped them off for thousands of dollars selling items he didn't actually have. No one has heard from him in years, and his current whereabouts are unknown.
I found a very intriguing iteration of The Necronomicon on eBay that I bought for $30. The seller had zero information concerning it's origins. I checked your blog and I do not think it is on there. I've taken two crappy pictures, and I would be very grateful if you could look at them and tell me if they seem familiar. If it helps, the strap seems like it was replaced, and it has around 100 pages of Latin-y text and a few images inside, seems to have been created in Microsoft Word or something.
That was a heck of a deal. That tome in question is the work of the infamous Richard Poppe, a very talented sculptor and propmaker. Sadly, his business acumen, not to mention his sense of ethics, wasn't nearly as developed as his artistic skills. According to multiple former clients he ripped them off for thousands of dollars selling items he didn't actually have. No one has heard from him in years, and his current whereabouts are unknown.
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Up From the Depths
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It's a Pulverized Meat Miracle!
Pemmican came up in Saturday's post about the classic Abercrombie and Fitch catalog. Despite it being a mainstay of emergency rations well into the 1980s there didn't seem to be a single company offering it today. There are some "pemmican bars" that mix meat with dried fruit, but they're missing the tallow or suet characteristic of classic-era pemmican.
I spent about twenty minutes Googling the subject on Saturday and wrote it off as a product with too little demand to justify production. Imagine my surprise when I ran the exact same search today and discovered completely new results. US Wellness Meats is producing genuine pemmican made from beef, tallow, and dried fruit for the keto market. According to their company blog it's available in both bars and tubs. The tub looks like it would be perfect for recreating period pemmican rations. According to the blog keto users use the bulk material to form up their own pemmican bars, which is exactly what you want for making Antarctic expedition rations.
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I can't attest to how palatable the product is, but I did order a few bars to give it a try. This wanders into true geek territory, but it looks like you could put together a pretty accurate expedition ration pack with off-the-shelf products and some custom labels.
Update: So much for that idea. The pemmican is a frozen product and there's a minimum order of $75. That's a bit beyond my experimentation budget.
I spent about twenty minutes Googling the subject on Saturday and wrote it off as a product with too little demand to justify production. Imagine my surprise when I ran the exact same search today and discovered completely new results. US Wellness Meats is producing genuine pemmican made from beef, tallow, and dried fruit for the keto market. According to their company blog it's available in both bars and tubs. The tub looks like it would be perfect for recreating period pemmican rations. According to the blog keto users use the bulk material to form up their own pemmican bars, which is exactly what you want for making Antarctic expedition rations.
I can't attest to how palatable the product is, but I did order a few bars to give it a try. This wanders into true geek territory, but it looks like you could put together a pretty accurate expedition ration pack with off-the-shelf products and some custom labels.
Update: So much for that idea. The pemmican is a frozen product and there's a minimum order of $75. That's a bit beyond my experimentation budget.
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The Innsmouth Look
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Rasputin's Gauntlets
Rasputin's summoning gauntlet from "Hellboy" is one of the greatest props ever featured in a genre film, but the comic version it's based on had a considerably different design. Metaweta went back to the source material, the "Seeds of Destruction" storyline, to recreate the original gauntlets (plural). He's posted a detailed build log at the Replica Prop Forum.
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They Say It's Your Birthday
Today marks the 125th anniversary of H.P. Lovecraft's birth. You'll undoubtedly see a lot of articles marking the occasion, but I think the biggest testament to his influence is that he's still inspiring people. Close to eighty years after his death artists and writers are still building on his legacy. Very few people can lay claim to that kind of influence.
To commemorate the Old Gent's birthday Cryptocurium is offering it's entire series of Lovecraftian plaques. Jason McKittrick has justifiably become one of the premiere Mythos artists, and these pieces are a good example why.
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Mike Jenkins celebrates the occasion with a very nice limited edition T-Shirt. You'll find it, along with his other cool designs, in the Ekliptic Zazzle shop.
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To commemorate the Old Gent's birthday Cryptocurium is offering it's entire series of Lovecraftian plaques. Jason McKittrick has justifiably become one of the premiere Mythos artists, and these pieces are a good example why.
Mike Jenkins celebrates the occasion with a very nice limited edition T-Shirt. You'll find it, along with his other cool designs, in the Ekliptic Zazzle shop.
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Cthulhu Amulet
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Pros and Cons
NecronomiCon Providence is currently underway, and I'm looking forward to seeing some reports from the convention. Sadly, I'm unable to attend because because, well, I'm loony and have panic attacks any time I'm in a crowd. Heh.
If you are attending, be sure to say hello to Jason McKittrick at Table 15. Pay no attention to the tentacles waving around under the skirt of the table.
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If you are attending, be sure to say hello to Jason McKittrick at Table 15. Pay no attention to the tentacles waving around under the skirt of the table.
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The Not-Quite Dragons of Pern
It's safe to say that every science fiction and fantasy fan has at least a brief flirtation with Anne McCaffrey's "Dragonriders of Pern" novels. It's one of the longest running genre series, with just under two dozen books, and features some interesting worldbuilding. That includes the titular "dragons" and the related species of Rukbat III.
Inspired by the books, Emily Holland sculpted this recreation of a wherry, the Rukbat-analogue of Earth's crows and their relatives. She does a great job of capturing the alien nature of the creatures while drawing on terrestrial anatomical forms.
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Inspired by the books, Emily Holland sculpted this recreation of a wherry, the Rukbat-analogue of Earth's crows and their relatives. She does a great job of capturing the alien nature of the creatures while drawing on terrestrial anatomical forms.
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The Great Grimoire
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Cthulhu Fhtagn! Qwek Edition.
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Fallout: New Vegas Rocket Toy
Antagonizer has posted an instructable for recreating the Repconn rocket toy from "Fallout: New Vegas".
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What's interesting about this particular video game prop is that it's based on an existing vintage rocket toy. I was surprised to find no mention of the connection in any of the "Fallout" game communities. Here's the game version:
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And here's the toy it's based on, a limited edition collectible from Jeff Brewer's "Cool Rockets" line:
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As far as I can tell there wasn't a licensing agreement between the video game studio and Mr. Brewer. That seems odd, considering the game version is essentially identical to the collectible toy. Unfortunately, the desktop rocket line from "Cool Rockets" is long dead. The high cost of manufacturing made it prohibitive to keep up production, and now the company specializes in huge fiberglass display rockets.
I'd love to see Mr. Brewer resume production, since the exact same rocket is returning in Fallout 4:
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What's interesting about this particular video game prop is that it's based on an existing vintage rocket toy. I was surprised to find no mention of the connection in any of the "Fallout" game communities. Here's the game version:
And here's the toy it's based on, a limited edition collectible from Jeff Brewer's "Cool Rockets" line:
As far as I can tell there wasn't a licensing agreement between the video game studio and Mr. Brewer. That seems odd, considering the game version is essentially identical to the collectible toy. Unfortunately, the desktop rocket line from "Cool Rockets" is long dead. The high cost of manufacturing made it prohibitive to keep up production, and now the company specializes in huge fiberglass display rockets.
I'd love to see Mr. Brewer resume production, since the exact same rocket is returning in Fallout 4:
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Crystals...From Spaaaaace!
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Vintage Expedition Medicine Chest
The Science Museum of London brings us this Tabloid medicine chest from 1910. It was provided to a failed Trans-Atlantic balloon attempt as a promotional item.
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It's interesting how sophisticated expedition gear was. Even in the very early 20th century there's a move away from the wooden apothecary boxes I thought were typical of the period to more rugged metal and composite construction.
Another intriguing change is how bottle closures were handled. I had a mental picture of glass bottles sealed with wax or pitch, but that's really more appropriate for 18th and early 19th century naval chests. Before the switch to screw top bottles zinc oxide plasters like the ones pictured above were the sealant of choice for bottles. In many ways they're comparable to modern duct tape- cloth backed up with zinc oxide impregnated adhesive. The result was a strong, flexible waterproof seal that was somewhat re-usable.
It's interesting how sophisticated expedition gear was. Even in the very early 20th century there's a move away from the wooden apothecary boxes I thought were typical of the period to more rugged metal and composite construction.
Another intriguing change is how bottle closures were handled. I had a mental picture of glass bottles sealed with wax or pitch, but that's really more appropriate for 18th and early 19th century naval chests. Before the switch to screw top bottles zinc oxide plasters like the ones pictured above were the sealant of choice for bottles. In many ways they're comparable to modern duct tape- cloth backed up with zinc oxide impregnated adhesive. The result was a strong, flexible waterproof seal that was somewhat re-usable.
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Cthulhu Fhtagn! Roberts Edition.
This unusual Cthulhu sculpt is brought to us by Richard "Rikk" Roberts. To be honest, I didn't like this piece when I first saw it because of the oversized head, but it's grown on me.
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