I'm a fan of Todd Thyberg's design work and when he told me he had a kickstarter for a project with a H.P. Lovecraft theme, I asked him to describe the project for Boing Boing. Here's what he wrote:
Are you a fan of horror, expeditionary adventures from the days of old, or the tactile sensation of letterpress printed goods? Then have I got a book for you! This one, live on Kickstarter right now, is Angel Bomb's largest and most ambitious project to date!
The Miskatonic Papers is an experiential book; you don't just read it, you explore and experience the mystery assembling it from various pieces. It's like breaking open a time capsule and then trying to figure out what happened over 100 years ago. Composed of 50 printed pieces including letters, telegrams, drawings, newspaper clippings, a broadside, burned tatters of found stationery, and a journal which was written by hand and printed by letterpress. All of these items, letterpress printed, hand stamped, aged and weathered, comprise this Stygian work of unnameable horrors. You'll even receive a cast resin fragment of the artifact that lies at the heart of the story; painted, aged and imbued with evil.
This is my fourth book, inspired by early 20th century author and creator of cosmic horror, H.P. Lovecraft. Growing up reading Lovecraft's stories, I fell in love with his dark horror and esoteric language. His creepy New England settings and monsters from beyond the furthest reaches of space and time inspired this young teenager, eager for an escape from his small North Dakota town. Reading was my refuge and these stories took me to creepily haunted places that stirred my imagination.
I wanted to create something that honors this part of my childhood. I always hoped to find something old and mysterious in my grandma's attic or an old abandonded building. Something I would take home and sift through, trying to piece together a mystery. Who wouldn't want to come across such an item? Movies are made about such tales.
This book is that object. I need everyone's help to reach my Kickstarter goal and make The Miskatonic Papers a reality. There are rewards at various contribution levels for the serious collector and regular fan alike.
If you'd like to read more about it, visit my website: angelbomb.com/books or to see more images from the process follow @the_miskatonic_papers on Instagram.
Thank you in advance for your support of independent makers of all types.
