The new Malleus Monstrorum: some Work-in-Progress

[MOB]

We're working on a new edition of the Malleus Monstrorum, a comprehensive collection of Mythos beings for Call of Cthulhu 7th edition. It will be released in 2020 (no firmer date yet).

Art for the new Malleus Monstrorum is by Loïc Muzy, whose splendid work graces Petersen's Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors and the cover of the recently-released Berlin The Wicked City.

Here's some work-in-progress by Loïc, of the Mi-Go!

Edited September 4, 2019 by MOB

[MandilarasM]

The mi-go looks fantastic! I love the eldritch feeling that this artistic style emanates.

[Rekholm]

Looking good. Hope you make a bit darker and weird over all layout and images. Seen the French edition and their artwork/feeling is much more horror. 

Especially for this monster manual would love to see it much darker and scary. Good step on the way it is

[oreoinhell]

Seems good enough for me, and I hope there will be pictures of those less popular creatures.

[Travern]

Loïc Muzy‘s work is terrific, and his artwork for Petersen’s Guide was superb.  I’m eagerly looking forward to the new MM just on the basis of the Mi-Go illustrations, although I hope there’s a balance of his contributions and the eclectic design that was the hallmark of the 1st edition of the MM.

Edited September 4, 2019 by MOB

[klecser]

Wonderful.

Edited September 2, 2019 by klecser

[BenTheFerg]

Excellent news. Love this art work!

[Videopete]

Can we please make the ghouls look like the canine hoofed bipeds thst like to eat a corpse and not some edgelord grimdark cenobite thing.  Look just because it ate Uncle Mastiveus a few months after burial does not mean it needs hooks, chains and barbs threaded throughout thier body. I saw that as more propaganda than an accurate picture. You know the tall tale that gets passed around rather than reallilty.

[Lambda Futile]

A promissing new approach to the Mi-Go design. To be honest, I am somewhat unhappy with the artwork of the 2015 field guide. Yes, they do have a modern feel to them but in a way many of them look the same. Furthermore, I also think that many designs in that book do not do the descriptions in the story justice. For exameple, for me a Dark Young must have short, massive legs to trample over its victim. The Mi-Go are another design in the 2015 edition I disagree with. Though the description only speaks of a "multitude of short antennas" I think that their head being a bundle of pinkish tubes has become common lore. The new design here is a step into the right direction. Still missing the claw-like limbs. the new design looks more insect than crustacean.

All in all, please do an modernized version of the canonical images, nothing Giger-style even if it suits contemporary taste better.

[Kevin]

23 hours ago, Videopete said:

Can we please make the ghouls look like the canine hoofed bipeds thst like to eat a corpse and not some edgelord grimdark cenobite thing.  Look just because it ate Uncle Mastiveus a few months after burial does not mean it needs hooks, chains and barbs threaded throughout thier body. I saw that as more propaganda than an accurate picture. You know the tall tale that gets passed around rather than reallilty.

Kinda like this? Still my favorite illustration of one of Lovecraft's ghouls. From the Dreamlands boxed set.

[Lordabdul]

The one that's etched forever in my memory is from the cover of the Arkham sourcebook!

(although I also have a soft spot for the ones from the Keepers of the Faith in Delta Green: Countdown... they are more on the zombie-side though)

Edited September 3, 2019 by lordabdul

[dnorth]

The art is looking fantastic - really looking forward to this one.

[redmoongoddess]

Will this include the material from the Malleus Monstorum Companion that was never released?

https://www.yog-sothoth.com/wiki/index.php/Malleus_Monstrorum_Companion

INB4 this book becomes similar to Pulp Cthulhu in that it ends up not being released for literally thousands of years. Ever realized that people who were probably excited for that book probably for sure DIED in the ensuring wait? THAT is the true cosmic horror story right there!

[MOB]

Here's some more Malleus Monstrorum work-in-progress by Loïc. Ghouls!

 

Edited September 9, 2019 by MOB

[Videopete]

I like the bottom one. Is there a reason that ghouls went clive barker body mod on us for 7th edition?

[Steve]

Yep, the bottom one is great. Please don't use the one with nails in its head.

[groovyclam]

I think they are all good - variations on a theme. I don't mind the nails - they could have come from an encounter with some superstitious humans in the past that thought that might cure "ghoulism" when a changeling was transitioning.

[Lordabdul]

I'm not a fan of the nails (or, generally speaking, the illustration in CoC 7e) but I do like the bits of bone and other explorations of what "ghoul jewellery" might look like. Remember that ghouls have pretty much human-level intelligence, and that they have social behaviour. They're much more likely to be found in underground communities than as lone monsters. As such, they are surely developing ways to show status, individuality, accomplishments, or whatever (unless your version of ghouls have a "hive mentality" or other variation from canon). Plus, depending on their age, they might be more likely to still have old habits from their past human life. As such, although the "naked dog-faced monster" is probably not uncommon, I imagine it's much more common to find ghouls with random bits of clothing (full or partial, human-inspired from various historical eras or ghoul specific, etc.), various decorations, tattoos, scarification, whatever. Plus, maybe visible injuries from inter-ghoul fighting or a previous brush up against investigators. I personally like how the ghouls in Delta Green have different "styles" and societal structures (Keepers of the Faith vs. Heretics). Urban ghouls vs. country ghouls might also be a lot different.

[Travern]

Another vote for the last illustration, which looks perfect! The ghouls-as-cenobites just doesn’t work.  As @lordabdul points out, other types of charnel-house adornments make perfect sense, perhaps they may even take a few mementos during their graveyard feedings, like a pocket watch or wedding ring.

Edited September 9, 2019 by Travern
Typos galore with a tablet’s touchscreen!

[4Acrossisemu]

Very cool. I like that they should come in various shapes and sizes. I don't mind the nails etc either. They should have a culture and society behind them they are mean to be the darkness in mans heart, but they are still thinking and capable humanoids, not beasts. They know spells, worship gods, and befriend humans all the time. I made up a ghoul language a while back for Wail of the Witch. Players loved it. Based of Arabic. 

[groovyclam]

The "nailed" ghouls could be the shamans of the pack - carrying ritual tattoos, marks, skin decoration etc. Some of what we are calling "nails" in the picture look a bit like small bones rather than nails too.

Edited September 10, 2019 by groovyclam

[redmoongoddess]

okay, cool ghoul but none of that answers my question about if parts of the cancelled "companion" is going to be part of this book at all.

Edited September 14, 2019 by Redmoongodess

[klecser]

12 minutes ago, Redmoongodess said:

okay, cool ghoul but none of that answers my question about if parts of the cancelled "companion" is going to be part of this book at all.

Chaosium isn't obligated to reveal information about unpublished products. I also think that the manner in which people ask questions influences whether they will get an answer.

[MOB]

Opening this book may be harmful to your SAN. More fab work-in-progress for the MALLEUS MONSTRORUM by Loïc Muzy...

[Travern]

Fab indeed!  And just imagine Asenath Waite boobytrapping her library by sealing a portion of shoggoth-matter in a “smuggler’s bible” version of The Necronomicon.