WizKids Calls Up A Great Old One With ‘D&D Icons Of The Realms: Cthulhu’ Boxed Miniature

Welcome to the table,

Before we dig too deep, I want to lay some groundwork. I’m really excited, but for my own peace of mind, I want to clarify something. I’m a really big fan of cosmic horror, folk horror, and eldritch horror.

The works of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, when coupled with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons modules, core books, and setting books, and a handful of really rad comics, helped me learn the words I needed to best express myself. This was especially useful when I was a little kid yearning to just connect with the world and break free of a very controlled life.

I will always love these works. But I tell my writing students when Lovecraft comes up, no amount of “He was a product of his time” allows me to forgive or overlook the xenophobia and racism present in his work. The ideas are amazing. The stories are the blueprint for many of our modern myths. But … to overlook or not recognize the flaws that can do harm to the more vulnerable members of our society feels like giving a pass or giving permission to repeat them.

So, very firmly and bluntly, that sort of behavior is not acceptable to myself, my fellow journalists, or our editorial team. While we may occasionally talk about things in the pop culture zeitgeist that have less than favorable beginnings, we will remain the best stewards of this space that we can be and will continue to report, review, and celebrate this beautiful and diverse community that we are proud to be a part of until the last pull box is empty and the last die has been rolled.

Cthulhu is a wonderful eldritch entity, and there are a ton of really rad things that have been done and are being done with him in pop culture. It’s rad to see beautiful flowers growing from less than beautiful seeds. As someone who has bloomed despite the soil I was planted in, this sort of thing holds a special place in my heart.

I tell you all that to tell you about something that is really exciting to me. My pals over at WizKids have called up something I hope to never put down.*  If the renders are any indication, their new D&D Icons Of The Realms: Cthulhu Boxed Miniature is going to be legendary in all the best ways!

Let’s get into it.

The talented team over at WizKids has produced a gargantuan 100mm base miniature that will loom above the gaming table like the high priest of the “Great Old Ones: it is meant to represent. Yes, Cthulhu may be viewed as a deity by some. In truth, in all his glory and cosmic horror, he is but a follower of even more ancient and terrible cosmic entities who will eventually cause the unknitting of reality as we know it.

While we wait for those stars to align and those ancient forces to come calling, we can spend our time hanging out with this behemoth of a miniature from WizKids. Conjured up from the pages of the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons Ravenloft: The Horrors Within and set to feature Lovecraft-inspired landscapes, this towering entity has both an unpainted and painted variant for collectors, storytellers, and those who just want something rad to display.

The painted version has iridescent paint elements and a clear gloss, creating a unique “wet” look that works so perfectly with this towering titan, and the unpainted version (seen below ) is perfect for those who may want to apply colors like those found outside space and time.

Both versions of this imposing miniature stand on a gargantuan base and are covered in wings, barbs, and feature a unique translucent-domed head. Dragons and false hydra are horrifying, but putting Cthulhu, even an avatar of Cthulhu on the table is going to shatter minds and more than likely result in a total party kill.

In my wildest imagination, I would love to have a party, trying to do some kind of grand task while Cthulhu clashes with other entities in his weight class, and the experience is just surviving the collateral damage.

Until next time, I don’t have my hands on one of these wonders just yet, but as soon as I have it in hand, I will get you an unboxing, photos, and more!

*One of my favorite turns of phrase comes from Lovecraft’s 1927 novel The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. The passage reads “Do not call up that which you cannot put down.”