Here at Sequential Sunday, the work discussed can sometimes be, well… a little dour. This realization came to me when I was deciding what book to discuss this week and noticed that they either revolved around alcoholism, an insane asylum, or The Holocaust. In light of this, I decided to make this week’s article a little more fun and breezy, while still showcasing a lot of great work and drawing upon sophisticated source material. With that I give you: Watchmen-themed cutesy crafts. You see, there is very little in disturbing, mature-themed entertainment that cannot be reimagined into objects of utter snuggableness.

Case in point: the Rorschach plushy.

He’s the very cool creation of PinkNinja who is a member of the popular site craftster.org. She made the doll in stages, the finished version (w/ hat) is seen above. The series of pictures below takes him backwards to his earliest stage of creation.

It’s a simple equation: big head + tiny eyes + little body = cute. The Japanese have known about this for decades what with Hello Kitty and any number of sweetly saccharin cartoony creations. Yet who knew that this powerful alchemic equation would work on Rorschach, turning everybody’s favorite bone-crushing vigilante into your huggable little pal?

images by PinkNinja     www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=293239.0

Oh. My. God. We’re being flashed by plushy Rorschach! You know, once he realizes that what he’s doing is illegal, his strict code of ethics will demand that he beat his own ass.

There is a newfound popularity for crafting, particularly amongst the hipster/indie crowd. Their handmade, creative, and often amazing projects are sometimes done out of fannish adoration for subject matter whose cool factor is beyond dispute. And for us comic book fans there is very little as genuinely cool (and brilliant) as Watchmen… or cupcakes.

images by Foodie Friday   foodiefriday.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/watchmen-cupcakes/

These awesome cupcakes featuring familiar Watchmen iconography are the handiwork of Katherine from the blog Foodie Friday. She was able to get such great details on them using fondant for the frosting. (Fondant is commonly used on wedding cakes to achieve their lavish decorative touches.)

Those with a craving for knick-knacks will love these Watchmen matriuskas (nesting dolls). Hand painted by the ominously named Doctor Gravedad these little guys are being sold by PetulaPlas on the popular site Etsy.com, a major hub for those displaying and selling their handmade wares. I love the inclusion of the dog with Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan pointing happily at his big, blue junk.

images by PetulaPlas   www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28474409

Needlecraft projects have certainly changed over the years. When I was a little kid, their subjects were usually mariner ships, owls, or Keane-esque children with huge, watery eyeballs. These days crafty types often prefer to concentrate their efforts on things that are a little more subversive.

image by stitchFIGHT    www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=325676.0

This incredible cross-stitch recreates the Rorschach lobby poster to a level of detail I didn’t know you could get with a needle and thread. It also reminds me in a very appealing way of a pixel-based character screen from an early Nintendo game. Huge kudos to craftster.org member stitchFIGHT for her amazing work.

Residing solidly in the “it just seems wrong” department is this baby’s Halloween costume featured in, of all things, Martha Stewart Living Magazine.

image by Martha Stewart Living    www.marthastewart.com/how-to/masked-owl-costume

The name of this pattern is listed as “Masked Owl Costume” although Watchmen fans may be reminded of a character’s whose moniker is a little more specific. I somehow find it  highly unlikely that Stewart has read Watchmen, let alone knows who Nite Owl is. So why is this on her site? It’s possible that someone behind the scenes bet that they could sneak something from the violent, gritty Watchmen universe into the holiday centerpiece and doily heavy world of Martha. I have no explanation, as I’m a little more concerned about those eerie disembodied arms holding the baby up. It’s a surprise attack by baby Moloch the Magician!

Lastly, we will come full circle and return to the realm of the plushy. Rorschach is nearly always named as a fan’s favorite character, but everyone in Watchmen is more than plush-worthy. One craftster.org member who realizes this is Fera Festiva who started with Rorschach, but kept the markers and felt flying until she had the whole crew on hand.

images by Fera Festiva     www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=304643.0

I really love the Nite Owl here, especially with his extra owly eyes. Great work that is further exemplified by her drive to make them as eh hem… “anatomically accurate” as possible.

There you have it! From dark and gritty to cute and cuddly these are but a few of the many examples of the creative and crafty Watchmen fans in the world. Impending doom has never been more adorable.

John Mueller

john@comicimpact.com