Necrowombicon
The Necrowombicon is a strange book. Not much is actually known about it, other than it seems to belong to Miho or she is at least the one currently in possession of it. The book itself seems to have been a reference to Penny Arcade and a pun on the fictional book Necronomicon (Image of the Law of the Dead, nekrós meaning corpse or dead).
D. M. Starr has provided an alternate translation: "The Book of the Names of the Dead", from "nekros":"corpse" and "nomos":"name"; this translation is not as popular, as it leaves out the "ik" of "nomikos". A third translation is "Considering the Dead" or "Regarding the Dead", from "nemo", "to consider", and "ikos", which changes "nemo" from a verb to an adjective. A fourth translation was put forward by Digby Dolmen of the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, with "nomos" being translated as "song[s]" instead of "law[s]". This last interpretation is very likely, since the original Arabic name of the Necronomicon is "Kitab al-Azif", which is often translated into English as "Book of the Ravings of Demons".
All we really know for certain is that it has a grinning wombat on the cover, and it was apparently used to make Daikatana (and even that is debatable). It may turn out to be a running reference from Chapter 0 or it could end up having much more impact on the story. At this point, evidence leans toward the former. However, since the eminently mysterious Miho arrived in tandem with the book, all bets are off until further information is revealed.
It is worth noting that the Necrowombicon comes in two different styles, with edging and without. The explanation for this is not yet known and multiple theories exist to try to explain this phenomenon. The most popular of these invokes the multi-cam view of Megatokyo, stating that when the Necrowombicon with edging is seen, we are viewing that strip through Largo-vision. Or the artist was just being lazy.
An alternate explanation is that the two forms of the book represent alternate editions, in keeping with the history established by H.P. Lovecraft, et al. According to the Encyclopedia Cthulhiana by Daniel Harms (Appendix A), the original Kitab al-Azif was translated into Greek, then into Latin, and finally into English, first by Dr. John Dee (c.1586) and then by Aleister Crowley (c.1916); mention of a "heavily expurgated" English edition by Golden Goblin Press is also mentioned in several sources, although the publication date of this edition is not precisely known. In keeping with this theory, noted occultist and anime aficionado Dr. Merlyn Blackthorne has expressed the belief that the version owned by Miho may represent a more accurate translation, while the one found by Largo is a possibly "expurgated" edition.
In strip 995, Miho is seen using a laptop computer bearing the Necrowombicon logo. Whether this is just a sticker that has been applied to the laptop, or if this is yet another form taken by the book, is presently unknown.
Appearances
- 96 - The Necrowombicon
- First appearance. Found by Largo in a sewer. Possible case of Largo-vision.
- 99 - darkly cute...
- Carried by Miho while she approaches Largo from behind.
- 101 - guns, boo, lots of guns.
- Carried by Miho.
- 113 - New Blood
- Returned to Miho by Kimiko. in return, Miho gives her one free pass to the Cave of Evil.
- 235 - where is the 3vil one?
- Seen sitting inside what is assumed to be Miho's desk.
- 498 - DPD: Miho timesinking
- Seen sitting behind Miho as she plays a game in what is assumed to be her room. This is a particularly odd appearance, because the depiction of the Necrowombicon here makes it seem wider than it is tall, which suggests that this version may be a laptop, indicating that the familiar wombat picture may just be a sticker she applies to various items, and that the Necrowombicon may in fact simply be Miho's laptop computer.
- 995 - Trouble
- Miho is seen using a laptop featuring the Necrowombicon logo. This would seem to support the computer theory rising from the previous sighting.