Lovecraft is Missing
{{ infobox comic strip | fgcolor = | bgcolor = | title = Lovecraft is Missing | image = | caption = | author = Larry Latham | url = Lovecraft is Missing.com | rss = http://lovecraftismissing.com/?feed=rss2 | atom = | status = ACTIVE | first = September 30, 2008 | last = | altnames = | syndicate = | publisher = | genre = Lovecraftian horror | rating = | preceded by = | followed by = }} Lovecraft is Missing is a webcomic, written, drawn and colored by Larry Latham.
It debuted October 1, 2008 and concerns a mystery that interweaves an original cast of characters with events and characters from the life and work of famous horror author H. P. Lovecraft. It is set, however, in the autumn of 1926, long before Lovecraft was well-known even among his own generation; this date is an important part of the mystery, as many of Lovecraft’s most influential stories were some years in the future. In fact, Lovecraft’s disappearance coincides with the rejection of his story The Call of Cthulhu by the editor of Weird Tales, an actual event. The story line, however, is completely fictional and, as is obvious from the title, Lovecraft only makes a brief appearance at the start
Publication history
The writer/artist, Larry Latham, spent a large part of his career in television animation in Los Angeles. He was co-nominated for an emmy along with Bob Taylor as producer/director for the two-hour pilot movie of Disney's Talespin in 1991. He currently teaches animation and multimedia at Oklahoma State University Tech in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
Lovecraft is Missing was originally conceived as an animated series and was in development at Film Roman for several years in the mid-1990s.
The comic is produced digitally, exclusively in Photoshop. The coloring is intricate and moody, inspired more by film lighting than traditional comic book coloring. Free from the restrictions of printed comic books, each issue of Lovecraft is Missing varies in length to fit the requirements of the story rather than the other way round.
There is usually a hiatus between issues so that the artist can get a backlog of material, in order to maintain a regular posting schedule.
The site also includes a twice weekly blog that features various aspects of popular culture, usually Lovecraft-related, though that relationship is fairly loosely defined.
Plot synopsis
The protagonists are Nan Mercy, a special collections librarian at Brown University with a special distaste for the occult; Orwin ‘Win’ Battler, a young pulp writer from a small town in Oklahoma and one of Lovecraft’s correspondents, who has come East for a visit; and Father Munsford Jackey, presumably a priest, who uses a combination of occult and scientific tools on a quest of his own. Nan has never heard of Lovecraft until she finds he has apparently stolen some rare photographic plates from a rare book in the library; Jackey has only recently become aware of him through research into other areas. These three are brought together by Lovecraft’s abrupt disappearance from a closed room.
Though there are apparently a number of conspiracies afoot, even amongst the heroes, the main villain is a reportedly immortal man who goes by various names taken from famous fictional immortal characters, including Kartophilus (the Wandering Jew), Melmoth and St. Germain (Comte de Saint-Germain).
Lovecraft characters that have appeared or been mentioned in the story include Dr. Muñoz (Cool Air), Arthur Jermyn (Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn), Richard Pickman (Pickman’s Model), and John Raymond LeGrasse and Henry Wilcox (The Call of Cthulhu).
In addition, there are subtle references to other horror writers of the past including Edgar Allan Poe, Rudyard Kipling, William Hope Hodgson and Arthur Machen.
Reception
Digital Strips highlighted it as one of their picks for best new comic of 2009.
Ain't It Cool News said Lovecraft is Missing is "a great read for someone like me who happens to love stuff like Hellboy and B.P.R.D.", suggesting "Latham has successfully put together a tale that is both entertaining and interesting. It’s a good read with a lot of potential.", as well as complimenting his artwork: