Polling for Monsters

As you'll see on the right of this page - just underneath the main banner - I have added a "Poll" section to the blog. Each month (for 30 days), I'll have a new question which - if people click on it and offer their opinions - will hopefully provide some understanding of how the community views certain aspects of Cryptozoology. Let me know your views!

Terror in the Skies

Ken Gerhard (my co-author on Monsters of Texas) reveals the extraordinary details of a Texas-based "flying man" event from just a couple of years ago that kind of suggests the infamous Houston Batman may finally have put in a reappearance.

If you're in the Lone Star State, keep looking up...

Monstrous Ghosts?

Could some cryptids (particularly those that seem far more spectral than they do flesh-and-blood) actually be the ghosts of long-dead (and perhaps long-extinct) animals of a known variety?

Check out my latest Lair of the Beasts column at Mania.com.

Searching for the Loch Ness Monster

As I have noted in my books and on various radio-shows, my interest in Cryptozoology dates back to when, as a child, my parents took me to Loch Ness, Scotland, where we were holidaying for a week.

It proved to be a defining moment in determining what I wanted to do in life.

And, I'm pretty sure, a lot of people gravitate towards the subject when they are in their youth, in much the same fashion as I did.

With that in mind, if any of you have young kids that are showing an interest in all-things cryptozoological, this forthcoming book may interest them, Searching for the Loch Ness Monster.

It's designed for 9-12-year-olds and - who knows? - it may spur them on to become seekers of strange critters too!

Definitely A Weird Weekend...

Jon Downes goes utterly, stark-raving bonkers, his little English village of Woolsery finds itself transformed by Wilhelm Reich's Orgone Accumulator, and there's a singalong to Hawkwind. No, I'm not making this up!

Only in the unique and macabre world of the Center for Fortean Zoology can such things be considered completely normal...

Ravens on the Rampage

At her Animal Forteana blog, Regan Lee highlights a very weird and disturbing story of attacks by ravens on farm animals across the British Isles. Is it merely just due to the fact that Britain's raven population is growing and there's a need for more food? Or is something stranger and far more ominous going on? Here's the story.

Posing with the Chupacabra

Warning: the photo in this link may seriously alarm those of a nervous disposition...

;)

The Weird Weekend

Check out the Center for Fortean Zoology's On the Track blog for multiple posts on the Weird Weekend gig that wrapped-up last night. By all accounts (and as is always the case), it was an excellent event! Here's the link.

The Wild Thing Of Warrington

Over at his Monster! blog, Neil Arnold tells the strange story of the Warrington Man-Beast, and begins thus:

"The town of Warrington, which sits on the banks of the River Mersey, is also a borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire. According to an obscure story from the 18th century, later repeated in Wally Barnes' 1990 book Ghosts, Mysteries & Legends of Old Warrington, a terrifying man-beast once stalked a farm in Warrington. One such farm, once known as Peggy Gronachs Chicken Farm harboured a bizarre story which Wally Barnes was told of in the 1940s. According to Barnes, Peggy Gronach was '...the most evil, ugly and haggard old wretch ever seen in the vicinity.'"

And here's the link to Neil's complete article.

The Werewolf Book - Reviewed

Over at Mania.com, you can find my latest Lair of the Beasts column, which is a review of Brad Steiger's new title, The Werewolf Book, a must-read for all fans of hairy man-beasts, a full moon, and silver-bullets!

Tales of the Ningen

Over at Mysterious Universe, Rob Morphy goes off in hot-pursuit of the Ningen...

In the intro to his article, Rob says:

"The ocean’s vast, mysterious depths are full of enigmatic oddities that have never seen the light of day, but while there are few who would deny that the seas are teeming with as yet undiscovered life-forms, most would be reticent to admit that there are any truly gargantuan species waiting to be found in the fathomless deep...Nevertheless, it would seem that the inscrutable Ningen is just such a creature..."

And here's Rob's complete article.

Nick's Fortean Pic(s) of the Day

The above is the title of a new blog from me, which is basically just a bit of photographic fun, highlighting some of the weird and mysterious - but hopefully entertaining, too! - photos that I have taken, been sent, or stumbled upon over the last 20-years or so. Expect at least 1 new photo per day!

Here's the link to Nick's Fortean Pic(s) of the Day.

Killers on the Moor

If you're familiar with the books of Center for Fortean Zoology Director Jon Downes (and, if you aren't, you really should be!), you'll know that in a number of his books, Jon references a disturbing series of animal mutilations (specifically of ponies) that occurred on the mysterious wilds of Dartmoor, England in 1977.

And, it's a case that I touch upon too, in my latest book, The Real Men in Black. The reason: a weird spate of telephone interference (a classic facet of MIB phenomena) that hit certain players in the saga.

Well, I'm very pleased to say that a new book has just surfaced that addresses this very case, as well as the wider, worldwide animal mutilation puzzle.

Published by Book Guild Ltd, its title is Killers on the Moor: The Case of the Dartmoor Ponies and Beyond and is written by a guy named Mike Freebury, who - in one of those synchronistic events - happens to hail from my home-town of Walsall, England. And, it's a big book too: it's a hardcover production running at 400-pages.

As soon as I've read the book, I'll be reviewing it right here.

Here's the Amazon link to the book, and here's the description from the publisher:

"On Easter Monday 1977, a man and his family were enjoying a walk on Dartmoor in south-west England. As they approached a small remote valley below White Tor they were horrified to come upon the twisted bodies of four Dartmoor ponies. The ponies' necks and backs appeared to have been broken in what must have been a very violent attack.

"Worse was to come, when more dead ponies were found only a hundred yards away. In total fifteen animals were found dead and mutilated. The police and the RSPCA were called in, but despite detailed investigations were unable to give convincing accounts of what might have happened to the animals.

"Mike Freebury became interested in the case due to press coverage in 2000. He was to discover that horrific unexplained animal deaths and mutilations have been occurring all over the world for many years. As he became more fascinated by the phenomenon, and began to investigate incidents for himself, he somewhat reluctantly came to a startling conclusion. The mutilations appear to be a sampling programme by an extraterrestrial intelligence, and evidence is being systematically covered up and denied by government departments worldwide.

"Mike Freebury was born and brought up near Birmingham. He has enjoyed a career in advertising, construction and then manufacturing and is now finance manager for one of the oldest firms in the West Midlands.

"Mike is currently operations director of the Animal Pathology Field Unit (APFU), investigating animal mutilation cases throughout the UK and abroad. Mike and his wife Jill still live in Walsall, West Midlands and have two grown-up daughters."

UPDATE! Jon Downes gives his views on the book. And, given that Jon is someone who took a deep interest in the affair, as well as the players in the saga, his words are important...

Elizabeth's Monster

Jennae digs deep into the strange and winding tale (Not tail! Or, perhaps, maybe!) of the monster of Elizabeth Lake.

She begins: "So I just learned about another lake monster the other day. This one is very different from other lake monsters that I have written about. This one is much more sinister, and, believe it or not, much more mysterious than any other lake monster that I’ve heard about. The lake in question is called Elizabeth Lake. This lake is located near Palmdale in LA County. Some say that this is the oldest lake in the state. I’m not really a person who studies lake history, so I couldn’t tell you for sure. This lake has been nicknamed Laguna Del Diablo; and if you look at the history of this lake, it’s easy to see why."

And here's the link to Jennae's complete article.

Neil Arnold on Vampires

Back in 2010, good mate, author and long-time cryptozoologist Neil Arnold was filmed for Richard Syrett's Conspiracy Show - on the notorious saga of the Highgate Vampire. The show is now available on YouTube, and here it is!

On the Track -

Episode 48 of the Center for Fortean Zoology's online diary, On the Track, is now available for viewing, and here it is!

The Puddle Monster Update

Yes, the thrilling adventure is finally at an end: Naomi "Beast-Slayer" West has solved the mystery of her Puddle Monster. Be afraid, be very afraid...