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A Call to Cthulhu
Even Cosmic Gods fear an unknown caller!
When Cthulhu, the Great Old One, receives a phone call in the middle of the night, he is not prepared for the conversation that is about to take place.
Part comic book, part artbook, part children’s storybook, A Call To Cthulhu is a fun, irreverent trip through the classic stories of HP Lovecraft, the influential horror writer, and a perfect introduction to his work for your little terrors! His stories and Cthulhu Mythos would inspire later writers such as Stephen King and Alan Moore, and today form the backbone of many movies, TV series, books, comics, and games.
When Cthulhu, the Great Old One, receives a phone call in the middle of the night, he is not prepared for the conversation that is about to take place.
Part comic book, part artbook, part children’s storybook, A Call To Cthulhu is a fun, irreverent trip through the classic stories of HP Lovecraft, the influential horror writer, and a perfect introduction to his work for your little terrors! His stories and Cthulhu Mythos would inspire later writers such as Stephen King and Alan Moore, and today form the backbone of many movies, TV series, books, comics, and games.
48 pages, Hardcover
Published December 12, 2023
48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 20, 2025
Such a fun spin on the usual Lovecraftian tale!
In his home of R'yleh where he lies... not quite sleeping, Cthulhu gets a call from an unknown number. The caller has a lot of things on his mind, and vents at the Ancient One about all the weirdness of the world he holds Cthulhu responsible for - name-checking all the classic Lovecraft tales in the process.
The artwork is beautiful, the text simple and full of delightful humour. And the moral of the story is that even Elder Gods should not pick up the phone when an unknown caller rings them.
Adorable. The fictional blurbs are too cute.
In his home of R'yleh where he lies... not quite sleeping, Cthulhu gets a call from an unknown number. The caller has a lot of things on his mind, and vents at the Ancient One about all the weirdness of the world he holds Cthulhu responsible for - name-checking all the classic Lovecraft tales in the process.
The artwork is beautiful, the text simple and full of delightful humour. And the moral of the story is that even Elder Gods should not pick up the phone when an unknown caller rings them.
Adorable. The fictional blurbs are too cute.
March 7, 2024
A cool introduction to Lovecraft's work and the (mostly bad) person he was, but not much more than that.
September 16, 2025
What a bunch of crap. So, the story is okay. Is basically a humorous tale that helps adding several stories written by Lovecraft in one big story.
I mean, the story is good. The idea is good and I like the drawings. Yet I am going to give one star because of the absurdity of the BIO and pandering of the author.
What upsets me is the final part when the author is making the BIO for Lovecraft and my god - it's a crap. The author complains, who is was bigot, even more than "normal" people bla bla bla.
Yes we do know that Lovecraft was racist. He didn't need to have a full page explaining that. But yet, the author doesn't shine making money out of his work. Yeah. If you want to pander, just put on X or Inst or something like that.
Pure crap. I truly hate these authors that take advantage of Lovecraftian Horror or even to his tales directly like this and then crap on the author.
I mean, the story is good. The idea is good and I like the drawings. Yet I am going to give one star because of the absurdity of the BIO and pandering of the author.
What upsets me is the final part when the author is making the BIO for Lovecraft and my god - it's a crap. The author complains, who is was bigot, even more than "normal" people bla bla bla.
Yes we do know that Lovecraft was racist. He didn't need to have a full page explaining that. But yet, the author doesn't shine making money out of his work. Yeah. If you want to pander, just put on X or Inst or something like that.
Pure crap. I truly hate these authors that take advantage of Lovecraftian Horror or even to his tales directly like this and then crap on the author.
December 12, 2023
‘’It’s like HP Lovecraft, Dr. Seuss, and some guy down the pub made a book together” back cover tagline.
My thanks to Titan Comics for a review copy via NetGalley of ‘A Call to Cthulhu’ by Norm Konyu.
Even Cosmic Gods fear an unknown caller. It’s the middle of the night Cthulhu, the Great Old One, receives a phone call. He is not at all prepared for the conversation that is about to take place.
This short graphic novel is a playful introduction to the classic cosmic horror stories of HP Lovecraft intended for younger readers aged 7-10. However, I feel that it is likely to appeal to admirers of Lovecraft’s work no matter their age.
I appreciated Norm Konyu’s artwork including his vivid use of colour and the dreamlike quality of the images. The use of rhyme in the accompanying text was very effective and in places had me laughing out loud.
Following the main text Norm Konyu writes a short introduction to the life and works of Lovecraft pointing out his influence on modern horror writers as well as his deeply problematic personal views. He writes: “Though his stance seems to have softened in later life, it’s a troubling aspect of the writer that should not be ignored.”
Rounding out the book is a Story and Illustration Key that pairs individual Lovecraft stories with Konyu’s matching images.
Overall, I found ‘A Call to Cthulhu’ excellent. I purchased its hardback edition on publication to appreciate the art in print.
My thanks to Titan Comics for a review copy via NetGalley of ‘A Call to Cthulhu’ by Norm Konyu.
Even Cosmic Gods fear an unknown caller. It’s the middle of the night Cthulhu, the Great Old One, receives a phone call. He is not at all prepared for the conversation that is about to take place.
This short graphic novel is a playful introduction to the classic cosmic horror stories of HP Lovecraft intended for younger readers aged 7-10. However, I feel that it is likely to appeal to admirers of Lovecraft’s work no matter their age.
I appreciated Norm Konyu’s artwork including his vivid use of colour and the dreamlike quality of the images. The use of rhyme in the accompanying text was very effective and in places had me laughing out loud.
Following the main text Norm Konyu writes a short introduction to the life and works of Lovecraft pointing out his influence on modern horror writers as well as his deeply problematic personal views. He writes: “Though his stance seems to have softened in later life, it’s a troubling aspect of the writer that should not be ignored.”
Rounding out the book is a Story and Illustration Key that pairs individual Lovecraft stories with Konyu’s matching images.
Overall, I found ‘A Call to Cthulhu’ excellent. I purchased its hardback edition on publication to appreciate the art in print.
December 12, 2023
Not sure what it try to be but it's a failure in my opinion. A rip of! Taking Cthulhu name, taking the Lovecraft hype or legacy forward to make sells, a cheap marketing move. There is nothing here for the Lovecraft fans!
January 11, 2024
A Call to Cthulhu is a gorgeously illustrated and lyrically written introduction to H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos for younger readers. For those familiar with the works of Lovecraft, the story of a human calling Cthulhu to complain about his (and his compatriots) evil machinations is a good laugh. For those unfamiliar it is both humorous and an excellent primer of the various tales which make up the Cthulhu mythos.
The illustrations are gorgeous, spooky, and at times humorous in their depictions of Cthulhu and the Old Gods. I appreciated the guide to the illustrations and text in the back of the book which creates connections to the original stories in which characters and events appear. The portrait of H.P. Lovecraft in the back of the book is similarly well done, with the associated text describing his life not shying away from his racism, which is something I appreciate when any new book adapts the works of an author of the past whose views, behaviors, and ideologies were and continue to be terrible.
I would recommend this for fans of H.P. Lovecraft who are looking for a quick, amusing read, and to those young or old who are looking for an introduction the the Cthulhu stories.
The illustrations are gorgeous, spooky, and at times humorous in their depictions of Cthulhu and the Old Gods. I appreciated the guide to the illustrations and text in the back of the book which creates connections to the original stories in which characters and events appear. The portrait of H.P. Lovecraft in the back of the book is similarly well done, with the associated text describing his life not shying away from his racism, which is something I appreciate when any new book adapts the works of an author of the past whose views, behaviors, and ideologies were and continue to be terrible.
I would recommend this for fans of H.P. Lovecraft who are looking for a quick, amusing read, and to those young or old who are looking for an introduction the the Cthulhu stories.
January 4, 2024
I found Norm Konyu's first graphic novel, The Junction, to be lovely so I found myself eager to try some more of his work. While the strong sense of design and choice of vibrant colors remain just as stunning in A Call to Cthulhu, I'll confess that I found this to be not nearly as enjoyable as his first work. For one, the layout in this is more akin to a children's book than a comic, which removes the strong panel to panel storytelling he was able to achieve in his previous work. Secondly, there really isn't as much of a narrative here as Konyu mostly leans into visual gags that pay homage to various Lovecraft works. The various quips can be witty at times, though they often don't mesh well with the images on the page. The artwork is undoubtedly stunning and a lot of the design elements are evocative, but overall I felt that A Call to Cthulhu was a shallow celebration of Lovecraft's immense literary output.
March 5, 2025
Disclaimer: I have never read The Call of Cthulhu, or any Lovecraft in fact.
But I picked this book up at the precise time when I wished I could call up a specific person (who neither knows me nor cares for my opinion) and berate them for their pure, unadulterated awfulness. And in that sense, this was so satisfying. Cthulhu picks up the phone to find that the caller on the other end is not only unimpressed, but utterly disgusted by Cthulhu, his friends, and his family.
"I don't cry for you, cthulhu
I don't need no tissues
But maybe you're a jerk
Because of daddy issues."
And the backmatter gets into the bigoted Lovecraft weeds and notes the various stories that are referenced in these illustrations, which are beautiful.
In short, this met the moment for me today.
But I picked this book up at the precise time when I wished I could call up a specific person (who neither knows me nor cares for my opinion) and berate them for their pure, unadulterated awfulness. And in that sense, this was so satisfying. Cthulhu picks up the phone to find that the caller on the other end is not only unimpressed, but utterly disgusted by Cthulhu, his friends, and his family.
"I don't cry for you, cthulhu
I don't need no tissues
But maybe you're a jerk
Because of daddy issues."
And the backmatter gets into the bigoted Lovecraft weeds and notes the various stories that are referenced in these illustrations, which are beautiful.
In short, this met the moment for me today.
January 28, 2024
Quite peculiar, if truth be told – which is of course entirely fitting – the book features someone phoning Cthulhu up and giving him/it a right earful regarding all the main Lovecraft stories. The piece almost works as a surreal introduction to the world of Lovecraft, with that Book, that Egyptian, and that city pronounced "Really?!?!". Oh, and it's also in verse, allowing some kind of summary or response to each story, alongside colourful and quite well done artworks for each. The author of this has clearly done some research, and seems to have a love/hate response to his inspiration, which seems appropriate but might rankle with some. It just, while looking decent and actually doing what it wants quite well, never felt that it was an idea that demanded it come to fruition. This, then, is an inessential three and a half stars.
August 3, 2025
I've been in my library
all deep, dark, and gothic
reading of your exploits
twisted, mad, and exotic.
Now those tales are stuck
firmly wedged in my head
tales of the elder gods
and things not quite dead.
Now I can't sleep
I can't sleep at all
and I keep hearing noises
like rats in the walls.
You're a freakshow, Cthulhu
your tentacles hang limp
you smell of dead fish
you're an overgrown shrimp.
Well this is rather silly and a lot of fun! It is a love letter of sorts to all things Lovecraft. The poem references all the key works and throughout includes wonderful illustrations of the Great Old ones, Nyarlathotep, Arkham, and Dagon, amongst others.
Not what I expected, having picked it up thinking it was a graphic novel, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment. 4 stars
all deep, dark, and gothic
reading of your exploits
twisted, mad, and exotic.
Now those tales are stuck
firmly wedged in my head
tales of the elder gods
and things not quite dead.
Now I can't sleep
I can't sleep at all
and I keep hearing noises
like rats in the walls.
You're a freakshow, Cthulhu
your tentacles hang limp
you smell of dead fish
you're an overgrown shrimp.
Well this is rather silly and a lot of fun! It is a love letter of sorts to all things Lovecraft. The poem references all the key works and throughout includes wonderful illustrations of the Great Old ones, Nyarlathotep, Arkham, and Dagon, amongst others.
Not what I expected, having picked it up thinking it was a graphic novel, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment. 4 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2025
The text reads like a comic light verse, leaning toward a doggerel ballad, playfully introducing Lovecraft’s mythos and universe. The story goes like this: Cthulhu gets a phone call from a human, venting his hatred for Cthulhu and his old god classmates. Stories like The Rats in the Walls, The Nameless City, The Shadow over Innsmouth, and The Dunwich Horror are captured with essential spirit. The graphics and concept are excellent. Lovecraft’s personality was far from pleasant, but his stories hold a lasting place in literature.
January 11, 2024
Whilst H.P. Lovecraft was an awful person (no, he wasn't a product of his times, he was extremely racist even then) the worlds and characters that he created have lived on long after him, and have inspired some truly fantastic works and creators. It's even easy to argue that he invented a whole new form of horror, cosmic horror, and that there are dozens, perhaps even hundreds of works of fiction and art that can draw a line back to him. Call to Cthulhu is a new entry in the ever expanding Cthulhu universe, and it might just be one of the most delightful ones that I've ever read.
Deep in the middle of the night, out in his remote, isolated home, the elder god Cthulhu receives a telephone call, from a person who wants to make it clear to the big guy just how much he thinks he sucks. Written in poetic verse, the book chronicles this call, as the human on the other end of the phone lays into the ancient being, telling him all of their problems with the entire mythos.
Thus begins a wonderful series of pages that touch upon a load of Lovecraft's stories, making nods towards tales such as 'Rats in the Wall', 'The Color Out of Space' and 'At the Mountains of Madness'. Each of these comes as part of a two page piece of art that's frankly, absolutely gorgeous. Every single page in this book could be framed and hung on the wall as a piece of artwork that any Lovecraft fan would love to show off.
The way that the artwork goes with the content of the rhymes works really well, and the fact that Konyu injects a lot of humour into the way that he describes the stories and the things in them had me chuckling multiple times. I found myself in this tough situation where I'd want to turn the page immediately so that I could find out which story or character would get the focus next, and what fun writing we'd get, yet also wanting to stay on the page so that I could soak in the art for even longer. This is absolutely a book that will have you returning to it multiple times just to revisit the images.
A Call to Cthulhu is designed to appeal to a wide range of readers, but its simplicity, its sense of fun, and the way that it's written in verse makes it ideal for younger readers. In some ways it reminds me of the work of Doctor Seuss, and as such I think that this is the kind of book that any parent with a bit of fun and a love for horror would be more than happy to read to their kids at bedtime.
The work of Lovecraft has gone beyond what it originally was, and has almost taken on a life of its own. It's influenced a lot of people over the years, and has given us some amazing new work, and A Call To Cthulhu feels like a light-hearted, playful celebration of those original stories and what made them great. It might not be a particularly long or challenging read, but it's a book that I'd say any fan of Lovecraft should pick up and read at least once.
Deep in the middle of the night, out in his remote, isolated home, the elder god Cthulhu receives a telephone call, from a person who wants to make it clear to the big guy just how much he thinks he sucks. Written in poetic verse, the book chronicles this call, as the human on the other end of the phone lays into the ancient being, telling him all of their problems with the entire mythos.
Thus begins a wonderful series of pages that touch upon a load of Lovecraft's stories, making nods towards tales such as 'Rats in the Wall', 'The Color Out of Space' and 'At the Mountains of Madness'. Each of these comes as part of a two page piece of art that's frankly, absolutely gorgeous. Every single page in this book could be framed and hung on the wall as a piece of artwork that any Lovecraft fan would love to show off.
The way that the artwork goes with the content of the rhymes works really well, and the fact that Konyu injects a lot of humour into the way that he describes the stories and the things in them had me chuckling multiple times. I found myself in this tough situation where I'd want to turn the page immediately so that I could find out which story or character would get the focus next, and what fun writing we'd get, yet also wanting to stay on the page so that I could soak in the art for even longer. This is absolutely a book that will have you returning to it multiple times just to revisit the images.
A Call to Cthulhu is designed to appeal to a wide range of readers, but its simplicity, its sense of fun, and the way that it's written in verse makes it ideal for younger readers. In some ways it reminds me of the work of Doctor Seuss, and as such I think that this is the kind of book that any parent with a bit of fun and a love for horror would be more than happy to read to their kids at bedtime.
The work of Lovecraft has gone beyond what it originally was, and has almost taken on a life of its own. It's influenced a lot of people over the years, and has given us some amazing new work, and A Call To Cthulhu feels like a light-hearted, playful celebration of those original stories and what made them great. It might not be a particularly long or challenging read, but it's a book that I'd say any fan of Lovecraft should pick up and read at least once.
August 28, 2024
In this delightfully told and illustrated comic Konyu imagines the first person narrator of Lovecraft’s story “The rats in the walls” getting so frustrated that he makes a crank phone call to Cthulhu reaming the Old One out in snarky rhyming insults. To this Konyu has added information about Lovecraft as a writer and a person and a Story and Illustration Key that serves as bibliography of many of Lovecraft’s works. The book is chock-full of venomous insults and jokes.
April 30, 2024
Minding your own business, you get a phone call. Someone calling you out on all your eldritch shenanigans and dark weirdness. And they have the gall to make it all rhyme.
That is what this is, along with unsettling illustrations, each depicting one of H. P. Lovecraft's disturbing stories.
If it's your jam, it's your jam.
That is what this is, along with unsettling illustrations, each depicting one of H. P. Lovecraft's disturbing stories.
If it's your jam, it's your jam.
January 11, 2026
It’s a really weird book that seems to be aimed younger, but comes from a maturer perspective. It wants to give you a taste of the work of Lovecraft, but between the premise and author afterword, it seems to really dislike the man and his writing. The art is imaginative, but I think the setup and punchline of the whole thing could be stronger. But mostly I’m confused by the intent.
January 6, 2024
The worst £10 I will spend all year
January 24, 2024
This is So Charming! The art is stunning, the poem fun, and the brief *honest* bio of Lovecraft at the end? *Chef's kiss*
March 15, 2024
This was really cute and silly (no sarcasm). Like a poetic nursery rhyme dedicated to Cthulhu and how much a man hates the great destoryer.
April 25, 2024
Even though I backed the kickstarter for this book, I’ve only just had a chance to pick it up and I’m so glad that I did.
December 9, 2024
"Bog off, Cthulhu, you big winged clown - now I hate New England and its shadowy towns."
August 27, 2025
Artwork was dope. The writing...not so much.
November 9, 2025
Well written and nice artwork. I think you have to know the Cthulhu stories to really appreciate this one, though.
January 10, 2025
i like how this served as an introduction to the lovecraft while magnifying the problematic aspects of his work, but other than that it doesn't really offer much.
October 5, 2024
Me and my son loved this fun little read. I thought it was funny while he liked the colors lol
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews