The story of a tortured mariner who records his horrific experience before taking his own life.
I'm recording these words
under some mental strain.
I've run out of the drug
that was calming my brain.
By the end of tonight
I will surely be dead.
Maybe then I'll escape
all the things in my head.
This 80-page adaption of H.P. Lovecraft's classic story Dagon was written and illustrated by R.J. Ivankovic.
Q&A for H.P. Lovecraft's Dagon for Beginning Readers
Q. How different is this from H.P. Lovecraft's 1917 original story?
A. This is Lovecraft's original 1917 story rewritten in anapestic tetrameter and with entirely original art.
Q. Is his book suitable for 'beginning readers'?
A. No. Warning: This book explores themes of suicide and depression and is likely not suitable for younger readers.
Q. What is anapestic tetrameter?
A: Anapestic tetrameter is a poetic rhythm often used in children's stories. Each line consists of four units of rhythm, known as 'feet'. Each foot has two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable. A well-known example is the beginning line of Clement Clarke Moore's poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (aka "A Visit from St. Nicholas"): "Twas the night beforeChristmas, when all thro' the house / not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."
Q. Is this book copying Dr Seuss?
A. H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu for Beginning Readers is not a reskinning of a Dr. Seuss story, nor does it use any Dr Seuss characters, storylines or images. It contains entirely original art, and the storyline comes directly from H.P. Lovecraft. Of course R.J. Ivankovic was influenced by Theodor Geisel's amazing artwork (his use of non-Euclidian geometry was visually second to nobody!) But we acknowledge the influence of Shel Silverstein, Jules Feiffer, Maurice Sendak, and every other sanity-damaging children's book illustrator of our youth, and also Clement Clarke Moore for his popularization of anapestic tetrameter.
