It’s surprising just how many designs, fabrics and badge ideas have spawned new All Rolled Up across the range. We have had both normal and tiny-sized ARU with a Lovecraft-theme, and the connection isn’t always down to the very obvious.
While Signs and Portents came from Spoonflower with elder and yellow signs prominently displayed, others have come to the Mythos fold through a thematic likeness. Mother Hydra (and the smaller Hydra), Dagon and Shoggoth gave the sense of the sea or fluidity. The combination of icy waters with strange eye-like growths on the pockets just screamed Shoggoth to me.
While not named with a specific connection to the realms of Cthulhu and other such malevolent entities, both Blue Arcana and Red Arcana have strong links to suitably mephitic sorceries – and similar patterns to those seen on Shoggoth’s pockets.
On the other hand, can we tenuously suggest that the Mi-Go home world (or at least their base in our insignificant backwater star system) warranted support from ‘…and Pluto, too!’. Now, the Mi-Go themselves have scored their own personal appearance with My Dark Friend, in badge form.
I would also expect the average investigator into the methods and madness of the Mythos to need to spend some time digging through grimoire and musty tomes Ex Libris.
And badges have made for some interesting combinations. Sometimes I’ll see a colour or a swirling pattern, and it’ll put me in mind of the Mythos. Other times, something plain – but eye-catching – will recall me to conjure and bind something unwholesome…
Finally, we have the expanding Miskatonic University series. After buying more than one t-shirt, hoodie or sweatshirt in the past sporting a Miskatonic University logo, it occurred to me that this venerable establishment fell within the Lovecraft material now free from copyright. If I could come up with my own ideas on clubs, groups and areas of tenebrous pursuit, I could have several MU orientated All Rolled Up suited to gamers and fans alike.
Thus far, we have the M.U. Theatre Company and the M.U. Gaming Society, with the M.U. Bartitsu Club soon to follow. I’m enjoying coming up with alternatives or having them suggested to me.
I suspect that this will not be the end for Lovecraft inspired All Rolled Up, as the Mythos has so much more to offer. If I can work out my non-Euclidean geometries I’d like to see a Hound of Tindalos make an appearance, for example. Perhaps when the stars are right?
Or when you have the clearance necessary to access the information safely…
Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!
Love these!