The global pandemic has brought a lot of changes to our lifestyle. The need to wear masks in public is one of the biggest of those changes; an overwhelming majority of medical experts agree that mask-wearing in public, in addition to social distancing, is the best way to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
That being said, there’s no reason why you can’t make the best of the situation and add a little geeky style to your new routine. There are many companies manufacturing face masks now for the general public, and multiple fandoms that you can proudly display.
The Cthulhu Wars Action Portrait Face Mask
Recently, Petersen Games, publishers of HP Lovecraft-inspired games, partnered with Redbubble to make print-on-demand face masks based on artwork from Cthulhu Wars and some of their other properties. They sent me over this one to take a look:
The masks are made out of two layers of 95% polyester and 5% spandex. There’s a sublimation print on the front of the mask and elastic ear straps. Masks are $12.49, or only $9.99 if you purchase 4 or more. They are available from the Petersen Games Collection on Redbubble.
The Verdict
Things I Liked
I found the print to be a pleasing reproduction of the Cthulhu Wars original artwork. (Which you can see at the top of the page, though the original doesn’t have Cthulhu wearing a face mask… though he’s certainly social distancing!) This one is a more subtle print. From a distance, it almost appears to be a random blue and black pattern. If you want a design that more clearly shows off your devotion to the Elder Gods of Lovecraft lore, you could always choose something like this:
The material is soft, and the stitching is even. And it holds up well running it through a washer and dryer.
Things I Didn’t Like
When speaking while wearing the mask, I found the fabric could be a bit itchy. Also, as you can tell from the photo where I’m wearing the mask, the fit isn’t great. This may be because of the shape of my face, but the mask opens up at both ends. I did notice that if I pulled the elastic tighter that the mask would better conform to my face; using a PPE “ear saver” would be a good solution to accomplish this.
Also, on a purely aesthetic level, I would have preferred black elastic for the ears. But that’s a personal preference, and with the scarcity of some supplies thanks to the pandemic, that may not even have been an option for Redbubble.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for an affordable, reusable geeky face mask to help protect against spreading the coronavirus, you may want to take a look at these masks from Petersen Games and Redbubble. They’re great for watching the new Lovecraft Country series on HBO while staying healthy.
