The Cats of Ulthar, Page 6
I immediately think of Ray Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, or maybe Charles Finney’s “The Circus of Dr. Lao”, when I think of a caravan leaving town. But neither of those were written till way after this story, so I don’t know what, if anything, was Lovecraft’s inspiration for this little moment. Where did the Wanderers go? What happened to Menes? Who knows?
This page is notable for showing a very young Atal, who later reappears in “The Other Gods” (one of the Dreamlands stories I haven’t adapted) and “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath”. He’s 200 years old in “Dream-Quest”. Clearly his life could have been filled with many other stories inbetween, so there’s a fanfiction opportunity for someone (no, not *that* kind of fanfiction… unless…)
My lovely wife has been out of town in Rio de Janeiro (!!) the last week, so I’ve had nothing to do but draw, work and work on board games. (Designing, that is. Not playing. Well, playing a little.) I’m working on a new King of RPGs minicomic, or rather art book, to get it out in time for Sakuracon.
NEXT UPDATE: Thursday!
If only you knew what has been incubating in the green hell of Brazil and the Amazon basin. But I digress.
Now that would be a good thing for a serious writer to expand upon concerning all that missing time in the life of Atal in the Dream Lands.
Surely Lovecraft was not the first writer to describe a parade of cats; or was he? Later examples include Fritz Leiber’s “Cat’s Cradle” and the movies “Sleepwalkers” and “The Cat Returns”.
Hm…someone really does need to write about Atal.
Please do “The Other Gods”…I’d love to see it!
“The Other Gods” isn’t my favorite Lovecraft dream-story… I’d almost rather do one of the really weird marginal ones like “The Green Meadow” or “What the Moon Brings.” But hmm… maybe someday… ;)
I admit, it isn’t his best. I just want to see you draw the Other Gods, really…Azathoth, Nyarlathotep (though you’ve drawn him twice, I’d love to see some of his other forms), Shub-Niggurath, and Yog-Sothoth.