Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn*
Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an early-20th-century writer of American supernatural horror fiction. Despite personal traits of racism, misogyny and anti-semitism, he managed to create some of the most significant works in early horror. Lovecraft’s literary corpus is based around the idea of cosmicism, which was simultaneously his personal philosophy and the main theme of his fiction. Cosmicism posits that humanity is an insignificant part of the cosmos, and could be swept away at any moment.
Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity, first introduced in Lovecraft’s short story The Call of Cthulhu. Lovecraft depicts it as a gigantic entity worshipped by cultists, in the shape of a green octopus, dragon, and a caricature of human form. The Lovecraft-inspired universe, the Cthulhu Mythos, where Cthulhu exists with its fellow entities, is named after it.
But we’re here to see FONTS!
I’m getting there, don’t worry.
The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (headquartered, naturally, at www.cthulhulives.org) sells more than 50 fonts from the age of Lovecraft for a mere $50, here. The HPLHS has revived many of them from vintage sources, including the 1923 American Type Founder’s specimen book and the Mergenthaler Linotype catalog from the mid-1930s. Be the creepiest kid on your block and give your work that indefinable madness-bound feel. NOTE: These fonts are for your own personal entertainment purposes, not for commercial work. (See also my post Fhtagn Font Friday 2: a Cthulhuian alphabet.)
*A fictional occult phrase from H.P. Lovecraft‘s The Call of Cthulhu, said to mean, “In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.”
HPLHS-Atlas Italic is a replica of hand-drawn type found on vintage maps.
HPLHS-Black Condensed is a replica of hand-drawn lettering from old advertisements.
HPLHS-Black Gothic is a replica of hand-drawn lettering from old advertisements.
HPLHS-Black Oblique is a replica of hand-drawn lettering from old advertisements.
HPLHS-Blackletter is an irregular hand-drawn textura font based on the lettering of French heraldic engraver Charles Demengeot. It is appropriate for old occult tomes where you want a written-by-insane-monks kind of feeling.
HPLHS-Bulfinch is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-Colwell is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book. A great vintage 1920s look.
HPLHS-Colwell Italic is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-Copperplate Roman is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-Cromwell is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-Electro Gothic is a replica of hand-drawn lettering from old advertisements.
HPLHS-Extra is a replica of wood type used for headlines in old newspapers.
HPLHS-ExtraExtra is a replica of wood type used for headlines in old newspapers. The upper and lower case are really two different fonts.
HPLHS-Forsythe is digitized from vintage advertisements.
HPLHS-Gothic Compressed is a replica of hand-drawn lettering from old advertisements.
HPLHS-Gothic520 is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-Headline Modified is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-Headline One is a replica of real newspaper headline type. It has softly rounded corners like old lead type. Available for FREE in the HPLHS font pack.
HPLHS-Headline Two is a roughened adaptation of the Linotype font Erbar, as used in newspapers in the 1920s and ’30s. Available for FREE in the HPLHS font pack.
HPLHS-Italic is a replica of hand-drawn type from old advertisements.
HPLHS-Autograph Lanier is a replica of the handwriting of Sidney Lanier, a 19th century American poet
HPLHS-Lovecraft Block is a replica of H. P. Lovecraft’s own block-lettered handwriting, scanned from his letters to Willis Conover.
HPLHS-Lovecraft Cursive is a replica of H. P. Lovecraft’s own handwriting, scanned from his letters to Willis Conover. The font includes HPL’s signature.
HPLHS-Manuscript Caps is a font of ornate hand-drawn medieval capital letters meant to be printed in two colors.
HPLHS-Mercantile Card is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-Mercantile is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-Mercantile Oblique is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-MetroBlack is revived and digitized from the Linotype catalog of the mid 1930s.
HPLHS-MetroLight is revived and digitized from the Linotype catalog of the mid 1930s.
HPLHS-MetroMedium is revived and digitized from the Linotype catalog of the mid 1930s. Often used for newspaper picture captions.
HPLHS-MetroMedium Italic is revived and digitized from the Linotype catalog of the mid 1930s.
HPLHS-MetroThin is revived and digitized from the Linotype catalog of the mid 1930s.
HPLHS-National Oldstyle is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-OldStyle Italic is a font revived from the Linotype catalog of the mid 1930s. Available for FREE in the HPLHS font pack.
HPLHS-OldStyle Small Caps is a font revived from the Linotype catalog of the mid 1930s. Available for FREE in the HPLHS font pack.
HPLHS-OldStyle1 is a font revived and digitized from the Linotype catalog of the mid 1930s. Available for FREE in the HPLHS font pack.
HPLHS-Persnickety is an adaptation of the art deco display font Bernhard Modern.
HPLHS-Policy Gothic is a replica of rough sans serif type found on an old insurance policy. Available in Macintosh PostScript format only.
HPLHS-Post Monotone is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-Roman Engraved is a replica of hand-drawn letters from a 1904 sign-painter’s manual. It has very rough edges.
HPLHS-SlabSerif is a condensed wood type alphabet. It’s appropriate for subheads in newspapers, wanted posters, and the like. Available for FREE in the HPLHS font pack.
HPLHS-Telegram is a detailed replica of the type used on real Western Union telegrams in the 1920s and ’30s.
HPLHS-TextSerif is an adaptation of the Linotype font Antique No. 1, also very similar to Bookman.
HPLHS-TextSerif Oblique is also based on Antique No. 1.
HPLHS-Times Gothic is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-Tome Pi is a font of medieval letters, astrological and alchemical symbols, and occult illustrations and diagrams, scanned from various vintage sources. Great for making old books.
HPLHS-TypoGothic is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-TypoScript is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-Victoria is revived and digitized from the 1923 American Type Founders specimen book.
HPLHS-WW2Blackletter is based on actual German documents from the late 1930s. There are two versions: one with ornate descenders and one without.
