The March/April 85th anniversary issue of Weird Tales features our big list of “The 85 Weirdest Storytellers of the Past 85 Years.” We’re breaking it down online, too: one honoree per day, in no particular order, for 85 days!
The prophet of the invertedly iconoclastic and surprisingly enduring Church of the SubGenius — a postmodern movement of “Schizophreniatrics, Morealism, Sarcastrophy, Cynisacreligion” — the REV. IVAN STANG (1953– ) is also, presumably, its founder, despite his insistence that it was started in 1953 by a pipe-smoking clip-art face named “Bob.” Stang’s elaborately bizarre tracts have inspired the likes of Devo, Pee-Wee Herman, and John Shirley — not to mention declaring as holidays the Feast of St. Cthulhu (Nov. 10) and the Martyrdom of St. Kenny (Dec. 9).
I have to ask; is the St. Cthulhu thing real? Did he make it up/borrow it from Lovecraft? Whatever way, it is awesome and I fully intend to celebrate it.
The answer to that depends on whether you believe in the Church of the Subgenius. If you do: it’s real and Cthulhu has attained sainthood.