Eldritch Formal Wear: Lovecraftian Ties

As if anyone needed a reminder of the freakish offspring that can result from H.P. Lovecraft's online popularity and the easy establishment of e-businesses these days, the website Zazzle.com is housing a nest of Cthulhu ties. The designs range from the unsettling to the "Cutethulhuvian," and run from amateurish looking cutouts to polished formal wear. The vast differences in talent, cost, and style isn't surprising given what Zazzle is: a market for anyone capable of uploading a few pictures and typing some text, where exorbitant prices are standard, a knockoff of the more well known Cafepress.

Don't get me wrong. Online markets following this model have their purpose--where else would one be able to deck oneself in Lovecraftiana of all types with a few clicks and a credit card? Whatever one thinks about it, the Zazzles of the online world are also fueling the proliferation of Lovecraft the icon--possibly even faster than the deeper identity he once held as reclusive author.

-Grim Blogger