Cthulhu ( [ - all ( k ) ʟ̝̊ʊlʔɬuː ] ) is a cosmic entity created by writer H. P. Lovecraft and first introduced in the short story `` The Call of Cthulhu '' , published in the American pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928 . Considered a Great Old One within the pantheon of Lovecraftian cosmic entities , the creature has since been featured in numerous popular culture references . Lovecraft depicts Cthulhu as a gigantic entity worshipped by cultists . Its name was given to the Lovecraft-inspired universe where it and its fellow entities existed , the Cthulhu Mythos . H. P. Lovecraft created a number of fictional deities throughout the course of his literary career , including the `` Great Old Ones '' and the `` Elder Things '' , with sporadic references to other miscellaneous deities ( e.g. Nodens ) whereas the `` Outer Gods '' are a later creation of other prolific writers such as August Derleth , who was credited with formalizing the Cthulhu Mythos .
Lovecraft created Cthulhu.