A comics love letter to Lovecraft that everyone can read! Three volumes and super cool merch available!
Cthulhu is Hard to Spell

Cthulhu is Hard to Spell

The critically acclaimed anthology series is back in softcover format with NEW STORIES ADDED! Each volume contains ~20 stories by diverse creators all around the world about the gods and monsters of Lovecraft.
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LIMITED OFFERS

New CROSS-PROMO OFFER!! If you back THIS campaign AND Children of Gaia: Fantasy Game, Comic, and Coloring Book! you will receive a FREE copy of the "TarMucks: Origins" minicomic! (PDFs for those at digital levels, print copies for those at physical levels.) The comics are 12 pages, full color, and all about how humans drinking coffee keeps Cthulhu asleep. 

Backers of both campaigns can leave a comment on the Children of Gaia campaign mentioning they backed both, along with the hashtag #ChildrenofCthulhu, and we'll add a copy of "TarMucks: Origins" to their rewards!

CLICK HERE TO BACK THEIR CAMPAIGN and secure your free mini-comic! 

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What is Cthulhu is Hard to Spell?

Cthulhu is Hard to Spell is a book steeped in the mythology and gods of Lovecraft. The stories inside its pages follow the spirit of Lovecraft, but sometimes stray from the tone of Lovecraftian horror, too! Sure, some of the stories in this book are Lovecraftian in nature down to their very core, but there are also funny stories, cute stories, fantasy stories, sci-fi stories, and much, much more that build on the Lovecraftian mythos.

If you love Lovecraft, this is our love letter to Lovecraft fans of all kinds, from those who obsess about Cthulhu, to the ones who never want to leave Arkham, to the ones who keep a copy of the Necronomicon under their pillow, and everyone in between. Whether you are a casual fan or a rabid one, we've got you covered.

Best of all, this anthology is ALL AGES APPROPRIATE. These aren't stories made for children, necessarily, at least not all of them, but we toned down the cursing (there is none), the violence (there is no blood), and there was never any sex, to make sure you could show it to your child, even if they won't understand it all.

The books involve such pros as Kris Simon (Morning Glories, Group Editor at IDW), Megan Hutchinson (Department of Truth, The Approach, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and Ray Anthony Height (Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur)!

These anthologies were ALREADY released via Kickstarter, but only as enormous hardcovers, so we have decided to re-release them as shorter, more accessible softcover volumes with covers by Stan Yak (TMNT, I Hate Fairyland, Broken Gargoyles) /Robert Nugent, Javiera Argandona, and Emily Maneval. We have also added BRAND NEW stories to each volume by series creator Russell Nohelty and Nicolas Touris, as well as others by Fish Lee, Michael Norwitz, and MORE!

CTHULHU IS HARD TO SPELL VOLUME 1


The first volume includes comics such as:
A dejected teenager living in an ice village sets out to find Aphoom-Zhah and thaw his cold heart.


Yog-Sothoth has materialized in a house in Dunwich, and the Dunwich boys have to banish it from their neighborhood.

A retelling of the Cats of Ulthar, one of Lovecraft's most beloved stories


Tsathoggua's Triumph (art by John Edingfield II, words by Clay Adams) -- Tsathoggua dreams of his eventual conquest of the universe.

Cleaning the Mess (story and art by Brandon Perlow, words by Paul J. Mendoza, Letters by Wilson Ramos, Jr.) -- Cthulhu has conquered another world, but all he really wants is his master to come find him.
 


Song for the Harbinger (art by Brianna Gilmartin, words by Heather Kenealy) -- Ghroth doesn't understand why nobody likes his singing, all he wants to do is harmonize with planets, and they keep blowing up.


CTHULHU IS HARD TO SPELL VOLUME 2

The second volume includes stories such as:

Explorers on Mars find an ancient tome that could unlock the secrets of the universe, or unleash a Lovecraftian horror.


 
A delivery driver and part-time cultist must find a great tree to unleash Cthulhu and Hastur onto the world.


Quachil Uttaus learns what it means to be human.


After a woman dies, she finds her true purpose in protecting the Star Mother.


The Rally (art and words by Mary Bellamy) -- Lucifer needs new generals, and has decided to recruit Lovecraftian gods to his cause.

The Marriage Counselor (art by Melissa J Massey, words by Madeleine Holly-Rosing) -- Mnomquah and Oorn go to marriage counseling, because even the best marriages fall apart sometimes.

Love Story (art and words by Christie Shinn) -- A love story about Mnomquah and Oorn's eternal love.
CTHULHU IS HARD TO SPELL VOLUME 3

The third volume includes stories such as:

A woman is chased by a tentacled monster and must take refuge in an old house, and the comfort of a strange cat.


Medusa and her Father, Yig, order away for a hellhound and get more than they bargained for.




Nyarlathotep has a chat with an old friend.


Behold the Almighty (art by Roman Gubskii, words by Joel Rodriguez) --  Two teenagers tangle with the great Cthulhu as he lies dreaming.

Under the Bridge (art by Mark Mactal, words by Jessica Maison) -- An old god visits detainees at an internment camp.

Respect Your Elders (art by Lloyd Ladera, words by Sarah Anderson) -- Hastur accidentally tramples an old man's garden on his way to destruction.

AND SO MANY MORE!!!!


We loved Lovecraft even before we knew his name. His lore permeated every inch of our childhood. We didn't know, for instance, that H. P. Lovecraft was the mind behind the Necronomicon when we watched Evil Dead.  We didn't know he was the grandfather of psychological horror as we binged In the Mouth of Madness, Jacob's Ladder, Aliens, and dozens of other terrifying movies in our youth. However, the older we got, the more we grew to appreciate the warped mind behind some of our all-time favorite things, and we wanted to create something that could show that love, WITH people who loved Lovecraft, made FOR people who loved Lovecraft.

And Cthulhu is Hard to Spell is the result of that process.





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Pledge Levels











Cutethulhu Figures by KEITH TALBOT - https://keithtalbot.artstation.com/

Cutethulhu Figures by KEITH TALBOT - https://keithtalbot.artstation.com/

Handpainting Cutethulhu in action!


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Stretch Goals

AT $15,000, ALL PHYSICAL TIER BACKERS WILL RECEIVE A SHINY METAL BOOKMARK WITH STAN YAK'S ART: 
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Add-Ons












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Reviews

"Cthulhu is Hard to Spell but it sure is fun to read!" - Neo Edmund

"While not being political (with one notable exception), there is an amazing level of diversity in the art (I don't know anything about the artists). Characters of all races, same sex couples, and a teenage girl praying for help in a migrant detention center where she's being held without her parents. But the focus is always on Lovecraft's Elder Gods, whether as protagonists or catalysts." - Bonnie Morse

"While this tome is a collective testament to H.P. Lovecraft and Cthulhu, a reader doesn’t have to be overly familiar with either to fully enjoy it. Even going in with zero background on Lovecraft, the strips can be enjoyed as the tales of comedy, tragedy, horror, mythology, and emotion that they are. They all offer a unique perspective on the subject matter, and allow dozens of creators to offer their own unique visions to the world. Cthulhu may be hard to spell, but this anthology is easy to enjoy!" - Bam, Smack Pow!

"If you like Cthulhu, odds are there’s something you will enjoy. For non-Lovecraft fans, there are enough clever twists and takes on the genre to enjoy. Some of the stories have some gross imagery and Cthulhu can be kind of scary, so a little bit of parental discretion is advised, though less than you might expect." - The Convention Collective

"Cthulhu is Hard to Spell is one of those exceptional anthologies whose stories you savor and don’t want to end." - Nerds that Geek
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Shipping

We ship to any country (unless for some reason we're prohibited!)

SHIPPING/PACKAGING FEES WILL BE COLLECTED AFTER THE CAMPAIGN IS OVER AND WILL FUNCTION AS FOLLOWS:

Media Mail rates for shipping to the US for packages that only contain books and flat items (not pins, shirts, or socks) will range from $3.65 to $7.85 depending on the weight of the package. We estimate an additional $2 per box for packaging, handling, label, and so on, so most US packages will end up in the $5 range for shipping. 

First Class or Priority rates for shipping to the US for packages that contain merch will range from $4.94 to $13.00 depending on the weight of the package. We estimate an additional $2 per box for packaging, handling, label, and so on, but most packages will land in the $10 range.

Pirate Ship Simple Export rates for any international packages under 4 lb will range from $9.50 to $26.50 to Canada and $12 to $36 anywhere else in the world depending on weight. Most packages to Canada will end up in the $10-$17 range and most packages anywhere else will end up in the $15-$22 range.

For international packages over 4 lb, the rates vary greatly depending on location and weight, but we estimate somewhere between $45 and $60 could be possible. HOWEVER, we will likely come up with deals for our international backers ordering that much and hope to keep you all below $35 for shipping if possible. 

For retailer tiers in the US 
I would expect $20-$40 to ship the books in pristine condition depending on which retailer tier.

For retailer tiers internationally we can actually get pretty good deals to ship a bigger box of books with UPS or Fedex depending on the location, so I'd probably assume $40-$60 depending on retailer tier. 
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Timeline

As all three books are already complete, our timeline simply consists of PRODUCTION. 

As soon as we receive the money from Backerkit, we will send all merch off for order and all three books off for print. Depending on order quantity, print time may vary from three weeks to four months, so we like to give the long estimate and hope for the best! :) That means we're telling you July-August, but hoping for sooner than that for delivery. 

The Cute-thulhu printed and handpainted figures could take up to six months to produce. Your other pledge items will ship separately so you aren't waiting on them! 

Shipping via our fulfillment team typically takes from two to four weeks depending on order quantity, but we like to get on it AS SOON AS we have all of our rewards!! 
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Our Team

The creators involved in the first three volumes of this anthology include: Angela Oddling, Esther Pimentel, Eddy Hedington, Nikki Powers, Eric Young, Megan Hutchison, John Edingfield II, Clay Adams, Brandon Perlow, Paul J. Mendoza, Wilson Ramos Jr., Brianna Gilmartin, Heather Kenealy, Kelly Dochy, Matthew Childers, Robin Dassen, Don Perkins, Ryan Fisher, Lloyd Ladera, Sarah Anderson, Zac Skellington, Leo Baxter Kiker, Elijah Conley, Cara Stemo, Johnny C, Travis Duda, Nathan Burns, Claire Leslie, N.S. Kane, Nick Kremenek, Mike Speakman, Greg Smith, Dan Scalisi, Frank Martin, Mary Bellamy, Laura Neubert, Virginia Drohan, Ben Herrera, K.J. Kaminski, Emmanual Torres, Dave Lentz, Ryan Kroboth, Rob Simmons, Shannon Kirkwood, Christie Shinn, Lady Beaver, Steve Waldinger, T. Perran Mitchell, Nathan Lueth, Wesley Wong, Wesley Sun, Melissa J. Massey, Madeleine Holly-Rosing, Jonathan Howard, Michael R. Martin, Bradley Sheridan, Katrina Kuntsmann, Caleb Thusat, Lea Seidman, Anne Toole, Silvio DB, Terrance Grace, Nic Touris, Jack Holder, Micah Myers, Erik Lervold, Russell Nohelty, Claire Donaghue, Kelsi Jo Silva, Nathaniel Osollo, Abby Butler, Leanne Daniele, Joel Rodriguez, Roman Gubskii, Hailey Suits, Joe Ranoia, Greg Woronchak, Michael Norwitz, Rebecca McConell, Toben Racicot, Aaron Allen, Chuck Suffel, Dillion Fields, Mark Mactal, Jessica Maison, Fionnula Willman, Bea Nason, Gowdi, Nicholas Doan, Walter Ostlie, Fish Lee, and Erek Foster. 

And our editorial and graphics team includes:

Laurie Foster is a comic book inker, editor, and jack-of-all-trades. She has provided inks for Valiant, Kymera Press (including the Bram Stoker Award-winning Mary Shelley Presents), Antarctic Press, and more, and she is the owner of Unlikely Heroes Studios - who publish SUPER!, the Surgeon, Miss Medusa’s Monstrous Menagerie, The Unthinkables, Power Broker, Up from the Skies, and the Elsewhere anthology!



Russell Nohelty is the publisher of Wannabe Press, a small press that creates weird books for weird people, creator of Katrina Hates Dead S%&t, Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter, and Pixie Dust, along with the editor of both the Monsters and other Scary S^&t, and first Cthulhu is Hard to Spell anthology.



Sarah White is a graphic artist from the land of cheese and beer. She has an AAS in Graphic and Web Design and almost has a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. She often does design work for Unlikely Heroes Studios, as well as others. When she’s not doing that, she is probably repotting a houseplant, petting a cat, or plotting world domination I MEAN...watching her fish in her aquarium. Definitely not the world domination thing. Just forget I said anything.


Much to the delight, or chagrin, of everyone he meets, Erek Foster is good at everything. While some have accused him of being a master of all trades, this innately talented force of nature prefers a much simpler term: sorcerer. His unreasonably comprehensive set of skills has touched every facet of Unlikely Heroes Studios, an indie publishing company he owns with his wife and literal supernova, Laurie Foster. Whether it's letters, art, writing, graphic design, or video and sound production, Erek rules.



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