HPLHS News & Events Summer 2021

Featured Member

• September 4, 2021

Our Member of the Month for September, 2021 is SSG Joshua Hanafin of Guyton, Georgia.

Sgt. Hanafin says: "For better or for worse, I am from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Such is what I tell most folk upon first meeting them and having to briskly answer that imminent question as to my origins. Furthermore, I am half-Japanese, half-Irish, and an only child. I was born at the beginning of 1974 in a Baltimore hospital, right across the street from the historic reformatory and orphanage of George Herman "Babe" Ruth's childhood years. My father always led me to believe that I was also born just down the road from that revered place of rest for none other than the American literary icon Edgar Allan Poe himself. Regardless of the calamity and mystery concerning the truth of his burial site (befitting the story of his life, really...), the simple reality of the matter is that his remains were originally buried many blocks away from the specific place of my birth. Yet, get this. The historical Baltimore error of his originally-indicated birthdate is truly my own birthday, while he actually was born the day before by only a matter of hours. Curiously enough... I do indeed play baseball (pitcher and left field), and I am most definitely an enthusiast of classic American literature, science fiction, mystery, horror, and even detective stories. Imagine that...

Anyroads, I did not remain in Baltimore for very long at all beyond my being a wee babe. As soon as my enlisted Regular Army veteran, Army National Guardsman, and Air Force R.O.T.C. cadet father completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in History at the nearby University of Maryland, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. From there began my life of moving around the country as well as the world every 2 to 3 years. The first language that I learned to speak was Japanese, since my mother brought me back to her family in Japan for over a year while my father dealt with his very first assignment fresh out of the Armed Forces Air Intelligence Training Center at Lowry Air Force Base (Denver, Colorado) - his mandatory and unaccompanied hardship tour to Cyprus. Upon completion of his duty requirements in that far edge of the Mediterranean Sea, our nuclear family was eventually reunited for the duration. Though my father's duty stations were colourful, geographically widespread, and many, he did his damnedest and succeeded in getting reassigned to various air bases thus scattered across the entire Japanese archipelago for my mother's sake. Thus, I was mostly raised in Japan and with the culturally diversifying as well as emotionally and intellectually structuring influences of my stern Japanese mother (of course, along with the omnipresent Japanese world at large beyond our household at the time).

Very closely to my father's retirement from the U.S. Air Force, I officially joined the U.S. Army in 1992 at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico. Roswell might be a truly minor "city" in the middle of nowhere. Yet, to quote the narrator's introduction for every episode of that Courage the Cowardly Dog series, "but creepy stuff happens in Nowhere" to be sure! Thus, Roswell is noted mostly for its close associations to the early-20th Century development of rocketry through Robert Hutchings Goddard (events and a man ironically tied to Massachusetts during that classically Lovecraftian window of time and point of interest to us), the wildly notorious and controversial 1947 sensation of U.F.O. and extraterrestrial significance, as well as the consequently ever-popular location for what would eventually become the International U.F.O. Museum and Research Center (cues The X-Files theme) from the ruins of Roswell's historic "Plains Theatre" which rather interestingly opened its doors for their very first time in 1946 (awesomely close proximity to that "Roswell incident" of note which would soon follow during this fledgling theatre's second year). By the by, Robert H. Goddard also happened to die in Baltimore, Maryland. Fancy that... 'Tis such a small world of wonders.

When my father saw fit to leave his service, my own lengthy military career and resumed process of again moving every 2 to 3 years began right there in Roswell, NM during mid-September of 1992. Such..."coincidences" as these never truly cease for me, not even for my honoured selection here as this "Member of the Month" for September 2021 of all months (and the plot only continues to thicken). Sure enough, I am still today a career soldier with a most atypical service record spanning the Army National Guards of New Mexico, California, and South Carolina as well as the Army Reserve and Regular Army - all without a single break in service for any reason. In a few weeks, I will have completed my 29th consecutive year of service to this "Total Army" - as they have been frequently calling it within the past decade. Again, I began my warrior's journey right there at the N.M.M.I. in 1992 as a cadet and then rather quickly as a commissioned officer of the Armor Branch (tanks, that is). After 9 years of being an Armor Officer, I volunteered myself down into the enlisted ranks of this same branch in order to jump right into the heat of action during Operation Iraqi Freedom I. I have remained a 19K Armor Crewman as a noncommissioned officer ever since... Though I have officially been a "tanker" throughout the entirety of my career, my own tracks of training and their yields of unique experience have weirdly taken me well away from the tank line into some extremely unusual directions and destinations for a Combat Arms soldier of any rank and status - including assignment to play trombone for an Infantry Division Band as a tanker! Since every other aspect of my being seems to be inherently designed for breaking all of the rules and violating all manners of boundaries, containments, and expectations (even without my will to actively do so), why should my career paths and progressions be any different - right...? It has all been quite a fascinating and dubiously wild ride for me, but in truth, I would never recommend it nor wish it upon anyone.

As for the myriad details which "make me tick" as a person, well... I will do my very best to faithfully summarise. After all, they are just as manifold and complex as I am. Military science, martial arts, pipes and pipe tobacco (including narghile or hookah pipes), natural history and science, archaeology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, world religions, metaphysics, divination, occult science, parapsychology, demonology, etymology, and languages are all examples of my various interests. My tastes for music range from Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th Century among the musical traditions of Western history; opera and musicals; computer or video game, television, and movie soundtracks and scores; Celtic; Irish folk and "rebel songs"; traditional Japanese; Gothic soundtracks; jazz; classic rock; 80's pop; heavy metal; and alternative rock among a broad scale. Horror, fantasy, science fiction, drama, comedy, and action (in television and movies) all represent my film preferences. Books of my particular fancy can easily be found among the history (all periods and subjects), world mythology, classical literature of the Western world, English and American literary classics, classical military treatises, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery stacks. My favourite sports to play (never watch) are baseball, softball, badminton, volleyball, racquetball, tennis, and even table tennis. Among my plethora of hobbies and favoured activities are music (performance by voice and numerous instruments as well as simple appreciation), theatre (performance and appreciation alike), fantasy role-playing games (especially Dungeons & Dragons - all old school TSR tabletop, pencil-and-paper versions from the late 1970's and early 1980's primarily), classic strategy games, war games (military and historical simulations), board games (family and thematic), trivia, outdoorsmanship, horsemanship, birdwatching, wildlife and pet care, amateur astronomy, living history (all periods with an emphasis on military subjects), English composition (writing), and collecting (fine books, out-of-print materials, antiques, comic books, CD's, DVD's, figurines, toys, and games). Obviously, this is not a flawlessly comprehensive list of all that there is to me, but one should nonetheless get the idea...

Now, in laboriously putting all of these revelations of informations together, one might expectedly be compelled to ultimately ask the question here. Just how is it that someone like me finds his way to an especial respect and enjoyment of H.P. Lovecraft's work as well as directly into the ranks of a lifetime membership in the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society? Well... All of the clues to the answer are rather plainly situated in the open, above - right here among these unapologetically so very many words. My design is so dynamic, and my pattern is so pronounced for all to detect and perceive. As my own variety of gamer... As an unquestionable scholar... As a..."nerd", really... This was all rather inevitable, and no mistake. Would ye not agree...? Besides, amongst the great mass of you out there with your highly similar inclinations of culture and subculture alike, it is not really as if you too have not already come to this special place of darkly magical fascinations and realisations in much the same way - by one road or another. Generally, for most of us... I assert that it is simply just a matter of time. Some of us arrive sooner, while others merely arrive later (when at all given the time and opportunity to do so in this life of course - shite always happens, I know). Alas, I must concede that I am with this latter group of latecomers. Nevertheless, here I finally am! 'Tis a genuine privilege and pleasure for me to join this fine organisation and deliberately promote its endeavours of prolific creativity through persistent quality. How so genuinely...Slytherin of the H.P.L.H.S. to most commendably be this way and conduct its artful business in such an elevated fashion of elite professionalism... Anything worth doing is only worth doing well, eh? In any case, 'twill be a grand delight to be with y'all for many years to come as I resume my own individual venture to delve ever deeper into the universe (or even multiverse) of H.P. Lovecraft. Thank you ever so very much for this distinguished honour of being made September's Member of the Month for 2021. Kanpai... Sláinte!!!"

HPLHS members can see even more pictures from Sgt. Hanafin in the Member Sanctum!

Raffle Report

• September 1, 2021

After taking the photograph of Rhan-Tegoth's throne room for one of the props in "The Horror in the Museum", we decided to raffle off the miniature Ivory Throne and donate all the proceeds to non-profit organizations that benefit the indigenous people and environment of Alaska. We sold 997 raffle tickets, raising almost $2000, and the total will be evenly split between The Native American Rights Fund, The Alaska Conservation Foundation, and Kawerak.

HPLHS Member Bernhard Schlaefli of Lausanne, Switzerland was the winner of the Ivory Throne, and Member B.P. Overton of North Carolina won the genuine Madame Tussaud's souvenirs. Congratulations to them, and thanks to all who participated! HPLHS Members who purchased 50 or more tickets will be awarded a new bonus stamp for their membership passports!

Horror Now Shipping!

• August 30, 2021

The CDs are back from the replicator and "The Horror in the Museum" is now shipping! The Pre-order period is officially over. Get your copy here!

Whisperer turns 10

• August 19, 2021

The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival is hosting a special tenth anniversary (!) screening of our film The Whisperer in Darkness this Saturday evening, August 21, at the Columbus Theatre in Providence, Rhode Island. Although we can't attend in person this year, we will be greeting festival-goers via video introduction.

Also screening this weekend is Black Goat, a very special short film produced, shot and directed by our very own Davey Robertson! Get all the schedule and ticket information here!

The Horror! The Horror!

• August 19, 2021

We are very pleased to announce that the newest episode of Dark Adventure Radio Theatre, "The Horror in the Museum", is now complete and available for download!

The CDs are off to the replicator and all the props are printed! We anticipate shipping the physical goods starting on September 1, and you can pre-order up until that time to get the extra bonus prop here!

The Rodgers Expedition

• August 19, 2021

What appears to be lost footage from the Rodgers Expedition to Alaska was recently discovered. It seems to show the fabled Ivory Throne of Rhan-Tegoth at the heart of his frozen temple!

The only known surviving photo from the expedition is included with the CD version of "The Horror in the Museum"!

Lament for H.P.L.

• August 1, 2021

When HPL's old friend Alfred Galpin learned of Lovecraft's death, he dedicated a piano composition he was working on to his memory, and called it "Lament for H.P.L." Andrew Leman recently commissioned Reber Clark, composer for several episodes of Dark Adventure Radio Theatre, to do an orchestral version, and we are extremely proud to share that recording with you above.

Featured Member

• August 1, 2021

Our Member of the Month for August, 2021 is Bret McDaniel of Austin, Texas.

Bret says: "Thank you! I'm delighted to be chosen member of the month. Strangely enough, I grew up reading the works of Poe, but somehow never managed to read Lovecraft until much later in life. I guess it goes to show that his impact stands the test of time as people continue to discover and be entertained by his writings. His work opened up a whole new group of authors to me like Machen, Chambers, Howard etc. that are just as fascinating. I have a career in the geology field and it always puts a smile on my face to see geology (and geologists-thank you Professor Dyer!) in Lovecraft's writings.

Equally strange was how I first heard of the HPLHS. A short while after having read most of Lovecraft's stories, I was listening to a podcast where the guest was talking about the best movie based on Lovecraft's work. When he said "Call of Cthulhu by the HPLHS", I was shocked that (1) there was a movie and (2) there was a whole society out there dedicated to his writings. Well, I was hooked. And my sanity points dropped permanently.

I currently enjoy playing D&D, Arkham Horror, the card game, and the occasional game of Call of Cthulhu with my gaming friends. I think I also have an unhealthy obsession with making prop documents. I wish continued success with the HPLHS and to many more sanity blasting shows, props and artifacts. I can't wait until the next Necronomicon in Providence to meet other members that share this crazy passion.

Yog-Sothoth Neblod Zin!

Featured Member

• July 7, 2021

Our member of the Month for July 2021 is Nancy Steinecke of Laurel, Maryland.

Nancy says: "Here I am (Figure 1) trying my hardest to resemble White Eagle (Figure 2), turn-of-the-century juggler extraordinaire, pater familias (I wish), and personal muse. Like everybody else in HPLHS, I enjoy our jerky St. Vitas dance to the grave and perhaps beyond (Figure 3). Mostly I'm just another schmoo raking the manure (Figure 4) in our Boschian landscape, with the occasional romp in foreign climes, like Afghanistan (Figure 5). In the absence of Chthulululesque paraphernalia, here is an image of my vaguely pornographic keychain collection (Figure 6: visible only to members in the Member Sanctum).

A testimonial: 'While the critics have taken their time to recognize Nancy Steinecke as her merits deserve, her devoted following (including seven budgerigars and two human daughters) have long acknowledged her unaussprechlichen precognition and devastating repartee. This beloved cult classic is as ground-breaking today as the day Grandma (Figure 7, center) said, Cut, print!' --Charlotte Steinecke, non-budgerigar daughter."

Solstice

• June 20, 2021

Wishing our Northern Hemisphere friends a very happy summer, and those in the Southern Hemisphere a lovely winter!

How to Open a Cthulhugram

• June 20, 2021

Official messages from headquarters come in the form of Cthulhugrams, which have proven surprisingly difficult for some people to open. We have often had requests from people for official advice on how to break the seal. We recently redesigned the seals hoping, in part, that it would make them easier to open. In response to a specific request from HPLHS member David Obrecht, we have prepared the slideshow above showing how we break the seals.

Featured Member

• June 15, 2021

Our Member of the Month for June, 2021 is William "Ike" Eisenhauer of Omaha, Nebraska.

Ike says: “’What if the shadows are real?’ ‘Of course, shadows are real.’ ‘No, I mean what if the THINGS you think ARE the shadows are real’. ’Shut up Billy, you are freaking me out‘. A simple childhood conversation at night was the start of my twisted fascination with what is really out there, beyond the perceptions and of the objective and rational. Of course this path leads one quickly to the works of Lovecraft, and so I joined those already on that journey to a hellish destination.

Like many others, imaginations on this level for those of a young age also gravitate to role playing games, like D&D. Where these seeds of insanity can grow to full-on jungles of madness. Amplified by a similarly deranged, but in a "good" way, 5th grade teacher who felt that exploring the works of Lovecraft along with Tolkien, Howard, and Poe along with a healthy dose of fantasy role playing as education entrenched me in this love of the works.

Fast forward to much later in life and finding the love of my life, my wife Dawn, who I merged into a joint shared insanity for the last 29 years. I could not be happier. During our time as the owners of a now defunct escape room company (thank you pestilence with the cursed name of COVID), I joined the HPLHS. After the wrath of the pandemic stripped us of all material possessions we fled to the midwest from our coastal abode with our two androgrous spawn, who also have been entwined in the collective madness. Where I sit in my semi-retirement and permanent delusional reality and continue to inflict a different kind of punishment on my college engineering students at the school where I attended many decades before."

Featured Member

• May 1, 2021

Our Member of the Month for May, 2021 is Nathan Sells of Ottawa, Canada.

Nathan says: "I first found my way to Lovecraftiana in 2007. I perused the stacks of my local library beset with the questions that haunt all middle-schoolers, like “Who’s this guy my D&D books keep referencing?” and “What the heck is this word? Why does it have so many consonants?” I found the answers tucked away in a book of short stories where I first read 'The Dreams in the Witch House', a story that remains one of my favourites to this day. That was enough to hook me. I quickly read all the other stories the library system had to offer me, and like any good cultist I began spreading what I found. Lovecraft quickly became a way to connect with new friends, an inspiration for the roleplaying that had drawn me to him in the first place, and a lens through which to explore history.

At some point early in my explorations of Lovecraft I found my way onto the HPLHS website, and…well, there’s a reason I’m still here. Suddenly there weren’t just books to read, but props and movies and radio plays and a whole community of like-minded weirdos. It propelled me deeper into the hobby. The HPLHS is also directly responsible for one of my favourite Lovecraft memories.

When I worked at an overnight camp, I was known to have the best cabin to watch at night. Where other cabins were likely to be full of rambunctious children battling against sleep, the children of mine were quietly gathered around speakers to listen to a chapter of a DART show. Not only did this give me ample time to engage in nameless rituals, it was amazing to watch the general confusion in the dining hall, as a group of ten-year-olds arrived discussing what exactly an Elder Thing looked like, instead of the day’s activities.

I now feel confident answering the questions of my younger self (well, I’m still not sure how to pronounce a few names…) and I prompt fun ones from friends like “Nathan, what’s that on your shelf?” and “Was that NPC Nyarlathotep, again?” It a stage I could never have reached without this wonderful and august community."