From Fan History Wiki

[edit] Historical Definitions

The following definition is from anime and comics fandom and dates to 2000:

Cameos of Cth'thu'whatever:

At least one fic by any BNA [Big Name Author] there will be some form of Lovecraft reference or crossover, the latter is more common. [1]

[edit] History

Popular illustration of Cthulhu from H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.

This term originates with the character Cthulhu, one of the Great Old Ones in the Cthulhu Mythos created by Howard Phillips (H.P.) Lovecraft. Since his first appearance in The Call of Cthulhu in 1928, Cthulhu has gained popularity, and in the modern era is seen in many pop-culture instances, including among anime fen.