Attempting an squid headed monster that eats brains coffe mug...this is hard!

Ferret · Oct 1, 2004

I mean no purposeful disrespect but the shape of the skull lends in no way to the 'creature''s appearence. The tentacles and eyes rock, maybe if it was longer they could stick to the mug and go downwards. Also maybe thicker.

yangnome · Oct 1, 2004

I am not a lawyer, but I agree with Henry's statement. You could use Cthulhu, or it could even be your own creation called a squidheaded brainsucker or something. Calling it an illithid or a mind flayer is likely a no no without permission from WotC. Will jack booted gamer thugs from wotc break down your door if you just put it on your shelf? probably not. It could become an issue if you tried selling them though. Probably just a cease and desist order. All that could be avoided by calling it something else though.

alsih2o · Oct 1, 2004

yangnome said:
I am not a lawyer, but I agree with Henry's statement. You could use Cthulhu, or it could even be your own creation called a squidheaded brainsucker or something. Calling it an illithid or a mind flayer is likely a no no without permission from WotC. Will jack booted gamer thugs from wotc break down your door if you just put it on your shelf? probably not. It could become an issue if you tried selling them though. Probably just a cease and desist order. All that could be avoided by calling it something else though.

done

Ferret · Oct 1, 2004

yangnome said:
I am not a lawyer, but I agree with Henry's statement. You could use Cthulhu, or it could even be your own creation called a squidheaded brainsucker or something. Calling it an illithid or a mind flayer is likely a no no without permission from WotC. Will jack booted gamer thugs from wotc break down your door if you just put it on your shelf? probably not. It could become an issue if you tried selling them though. Probably just a cease and desist order. All that could be avoided by calling it something else though.

Says the man with a floating eyeball for an avatar..... :uhoh:

Great Mastiff Corp. · Oct 2, 2004

Well, the reason that the man with the floating eyeball avatar can get away with it is that it's not making him any money. I can use any copyrighted material that I want personally as long as I'm not making money off it.

However, it's easily circumvented by just avoiding the term "illithid" or "mind-flayer." Just call it the 'tentacle monster mug' or something. Then the D&D fans can look on it as an illithid, and the CoC fans will see it as Cthulhu. Everybody is happy, no legal issues, and you have your mug!

Angcuru · Oct 2, 2004

I agree with the idea that it should be a bit taller. You could shape it like the thing's head, have the tentacles drip all over, and maybe have a stray tentacle act as the mug handle. That would be sweet.

I remember that when I was making a bunch of wacky stuff in my ceramics class back in High School, I spent about a week filling a 5-gallon bucket with slip. For the non-ceramically inclined, that's liquified clay you use to stick slabs of clay together.

Anyway, I was trying something similar to this, more of a zombified Bob Marley planter than anything, and I had this idea. Zombies are icky and decaying, so they should be slimey and stuff. So once I had the basic shape together, I dumped slip all over it, and I got a really cool runny, dripping flesh effect that worked perfectly. Could work well for this project as well, or maybe not. But still worth considering, I think.

jgbrowning · Oct 2, 2004

I'd shoot the picture over to someone at WoTC and ask them if you can use their property to sell your mug. Worst they can do is not answer, or say no. But they're all gamer nerds like us that that is one cool mug. Make sure you tell them they're all hand-made and not mass produced.

You could offer to make them a few....

Never hurts to ask.

joe b.