Lovecraft's Humor

In none of the Lovecraft's works have I found a sense of humor. The humor in today's Eldritch works doesn't come from the work of Lovecraft but from the familiartiy of it. Thanks to the internet, and a few friends of Lovecraft's from back in the day, his work remains one of the most influential in American writing history. But with this over exposure comes a deafening cost. The horror behind the stories has run dry with Cthulhu becoming a household name and Lovecraft being the subject of interrogation. HP Lovecraft's views on race have been dragged through every reader's opinion thanks to the fame afforded to him. Despite this, Lovecraft's effect can be seen in movies, television, games, and current books being made today. All this fame takes the bite out of the underappreciated horror giant. Case in point, a game I recently took up again by the name of "Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure" had me laughing as I played the ridiculous point and click. The numerous vague references to Lovecraft's work were the draw but the real kicker was the interesting story that the developers had to offer. Detective Don R. Ketype (get it?) is hired to track down the infamous Necronomicon. Upon being captured, the story focuses on Buzz Kerwan, a librarian who comically coincidentally finds said book and reads it to cast a spell on his cat. The newly dubbed Kitteh is a sassy black cat who can now speak to her owner. Thus begins the trio's journey across the globe to find answers to who is looking for the Necronomicon and uncover a sinister plot happening under their noses. The game boasts a host of locations in reference to Lovecraft's works like the smelly Fishmouth (Innsmouth) or Buzz's hometown of Darkham (Arkham). Instead of focusing on the horror aspect, the game gleefully pokes fun at Lovecraft's universe and even adds a few secrets of its own. One such was the introduction to a real house in Paris, France of an alchemist named Nicolas Flamel (which also leads to perhaps the hardest puzzle in the game). While Lovecraft made references to various historical figures and fictional alchemists, I never found one such reference of Flamel. The artwork of the game is astounding with it taking reference from the best of Disney and inspiration from Ghibli. Many scenes are beautifully animated with fantastic voice acting. Buzz and Don having some of the best lines and Kitteh having fewer but snappier comments. With Lovecraft so integrated into our society, it was onlhy a matter of time before the horror turned the full circle and become comedy. But this doesn't come across as disrespectful. The designers have done the middling of research while throwing in their own spin on Eldritch horrors. It all culminates in a funny adventure more true to the Lucasarts games of the 90s. It's a world I hope to hop back into today.