The Call of Cthullu, In the Abyss of Time or The Hallucinated Mountains are today reference works when we talk about the supernatural and horror stories. It is therefore not surprising that Ki-oon editions decided to make a manga adaptation. What are these stories worth? Should we dwell on it? Justfocus gives you its answer!
Lovecraft, a name full of mystery
A being apart
Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born in 1890 in the small town of Providence, not far from Boston. Very early, he revealed himself to be a different child from the others, and at three years old, he was already reciting verses of poetry! 
Growing up with an absent father, the young boy took refuge in literature. Thus, he devours The Tales of the Thousand Nights, but also The Illiad and the Odyssey even before his seven years! With his books, he discovers the myths and legends of antiquity that will help him found his own literary universe later. 
A loner with fragile health, Lovecraft quickly deserted school to immerse himself in scientific books that introduced him to his grandfather. He then became passionate about chemistry and astronomy, two elements that we find today in his horrific universe.
Writing as madness of the soul
Throughout his life, Lovecraft will rub shoulders with madness. His grandfather, suffering from dementia, was interned before dying in 1904. This will also be the case of his mother in 1921. 
After the death of his grandfather, he suffered a violent depression and lived in seclusion at home. Nevertheless, he eventually attracted the attention of the United Amateur Press Association, and in 1914 he published his first magazine. 
Writing various short stories in parallel, he contacted the pulp magazine Weird Tales , which published several of his works in 1917. It is this work on pulps that will give him a taste for life. 
The advent of a myth
The myth of Cthullu and more broadly the myth of the great elders, was born in 1917 with Dagon. However, this dark and tortured universe that Lovecraft is famous today did not begin to form until 1926 with the publication of The Call of Cthullu. 
From the documents found in the property inherited from his great-uncle, who died in mysterious circumstances, Francis W. Thurston seeks to understand the reasons for his ancestor's death. Confronted with the existence of a strange myth about a creature that lives somewhere deep in the Pacific, the young researcher has no idea what he has just discovered… 
Between detective and fantastic tale, The Call of Cthullu has become a true literary reference. Over the years, Lovecraft has continued to inspire comic book authors, film directors, and even video game creators. Here is a small list to give you an idea: The thing by John Carpenter, Underwater by William Eubank, the game saga Dead space, the games Alone in the dark, etc… 
In truth, his influence is now so important that it is possible to have read or seen Lovecraft without even knowing it!
Kioon, a collection of masterpieces
Leather of all colors
The influence of Lovecraft is such that we could talk about it for hours, but we are here to talk about manga! Indeed, since 2018, the novelist's work has had its own manga version via KI-OON editions. 
The French publisher is now known for publishing manga such as My Hero Academia by Kõhei Horikoshi. Riding the wave of enthusiasm experienced by Lovecraft's work in recent years, especially through series and video games, ki-oon decided to publish a collection dedicated to him. Thus, from 2018, readers were able to discover The Hallucinated Mountains, the first book in this collection "The masterpieces of Lovecraft". 
Beautifully laid out, each issue of the collection features a beautiful leather binding, paying tribute to the aesthetics of the American novelist. 
Note that soon, it is the novelist H. G Wells will have its heyday and its own bound collection, the first issue, War of the Worlds-Part 1, will be released on February 4. 
Drawing horror
To best capture the horrific atmosphere of Lovecraft's universe, it is the cartoonist Gou Tanabe who is responsible for illustrating this collection. Starting at the Japanese publisher Enterbrain in 2007, he quickly became known for his love of Lovecraftian myths with The Outsiders. 
Through fine lines and a sustained anchoring, the cartoonist manages to transcribe wonderfully the horror and madness reigning in the tortured world of Lovecraft. Thus, Shoggoth and other ancestral creatures have never been so monstrous! 
In addition, the choice of black and white, although classic in manga, takes on a completely different meaning here. It reinforces the horror of the different stories, gives a nostalgic side to the different scenes and emphasizes the atmosphere. Thus, we easily recognize moments of suspense and moments of contemplation. 
A universe with metaphysical reflections, Lovecraft's world fascinates as much as it frightens. These ineffable creatures can only come out of a demented mind. Yet, we dive into these monstrous tales headlong into these monstrous tales. At Justfocus, we strongly advise you to do the same. Finally, if you are not afraid of losing your mind…
