A Kickstarter backer had the idea of drawing a scene from “The Outsider” using a mock man to represent the protagonist. I have to admit, I love this idea so much I almost want to actually draw a comic adaptation of the entire story this way. (Of course, now I’ve given away the secret, but if you’ve read it you know what happens anyway.)

I really enjoy this story and honestly, I don’t get why some critics call it predictable and obvious. The truth is, when I first read Lovecraft’s stories, I almost NEVER predicted the endings, including the ending of “The Outsider.” Now… I did read them when I was 12 years old… but if my 12-year-old self couldn’t predict the endings, frankly, that’s probably subtle enough. Also, “The Outsider” is only a short story, so even if you predict what’s going to happen, at least you don’t have to read 100 pages only to get to an ending you already predicted, like, say, “At the Mountains of Madness.” (cough ahem) Perhaps I enjoyed horror stories more when I was in junior high, because I found it a bit harder to follow foreshadowing (at the time, I actually read faster than I do now, although with less comprehension) and I usually got hit in the face by whatever surprise ending that the author had concocted.

In other news, SF/fantasy author Caitlin R. Kiernan very kindly & coolly mentioned my Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath graphic novel on her LJ — thank you so much!! And there’s more Deadliest P.R. Guy in the World on the King of RPGs site, if you dare!