Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Monster Quest: 2010

Over at Cryptomundo, Loren Coleman updates us on the new series of the History Channel's Monster Quest, which is due to start in January. Here's the details of what looks to be an interesting new series.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Back Online

Well, I hope everyone had a cool Christmas! Mine was hampered by a raging toothache that turned into an abscess and a swollen face and I'm now on painkillers and antibiotics. So, posts here might be a bit sporadic until normality returns!

But, here's a few new things that may be of interest:

From The Anomalist: Canadian in Utah to Seek 'Strange Creatures Seldom Seen' Deseret News, Meet John Warms, a retired school teacher who resides in Manitoba, Canada. Warms is on a quest to discover some of the many anomalous creatures he has heard about so he can write a book about them. He also says he once observed a giant beaver in a Canadian waterway and thinks he has discovered some of the 445-pound creatures' lairs. Does a giant beaver, relic of the Pleistocene, inhabit Canadian lakes and streams?

Also from The Anomalist: Mike Dash's report on Frank Searle's Lost Second Book. With photos. Elsewhere, Loren Coleman shares comments on an unsavory claim that has raised the hackles of many sober seekers of North America's best known cryptid, as seen in Bigfoot Massacre Mess Ends Decade. With images.

Plus, there is also the following: Colin Higgins on the sighting of a ghostly-horse; and Tales of Mammoth and Mastodon Survival examined by Richard Muirhead.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I will be offline for the next few days, so will take the opportunity now to wish all of you a very merry Christmas, and a happy and healthy 2010!

Neil Arnold Q&A

Oll Lewis interviews Monster! author Neil Arnold...

Christmas Creatures & More...

From The Anomalist:

Christmas Creatures ShukerNature. Dr. Karl Shuker relates the connections between many of Nature's creatures and Christmas, from "colly birds" to kangaroos, perhaps correcting some Christmas misconceptions along the way. Elsewhere, Loren Coleman promises to update this feature frequently, so make plans to go back daily until New Years for Top 2009 Lists of Cryptozoology Interest. Meanwhile, there are some interesting answers to equally interesting inquiries in Oll Lewis: 5 Questions on...Cryptozoology - Ian Simmons.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Phantom Black Dogs

The ghostly black hounds of Britain have always fascinated me, so it's good to see them being highlighted once again over at the main Center for Fortean Zoology blog...

An Electric Monster...

From today's Anomalist: a definite weird one!

Awesome or Off-Putting: Tacoma's Electric Sea Monster Hecklerspray. An archived news account of a fantastic encounter along the seashore near Tacoma, WA, is revived. The alleged encounter is supposed to have taken place in July of 1893 when several men on a fishing trip pitched camp near some surveyors. As a group the two camps then faced a monstrous form from the sea that possessed the ability to hurl "electrified water" at the men. Did the men witness a creature from the deep, or was their fear brought to the surface by some underwater vessel? That tale was no doubt included in the top tales of unexplained creatures for 1893, but what about such anomalous creatures for the year that's quickly slipping away?

Crypto Top 10

Over at Cryptomundo, Loren Coleman lists his Top 10 Cryptozoological stories of 2009. Check them out!

Tonight's Bigfoot Quest

From Bob & Mike at Bigfoot Quest:

Hello Everyone:

Please join your hosts Bob Coyne and Mike Killen as we welcome Kathy Strain to the show. Kathy is a U.S. Forest Service Archaeologist, the treasurer of The Alliance of Independent Bigfoot Researchers (AIBR), and an author as well as a long time and much respected researcher. However, most people probably know her best from her numerous appearances on a number of TV shows devoted to the topic of Sasquatch research. This is sure to be an interesting and informative interview! If you can, please join us in our live show chat. It's always a lot of fun and we love to interact live with our listeners.

Where www.blogtalkradio.com/Bigfoot_Quest

When: Tonight, Tuesday December 22, 2009

Time: 9:00 P.M. Eastern

Duration: 90 Minutes

Bob Coyne
Mike Killen

Tonight's Bigfoot Quest

From Bob & Mike at Bigfoot Quest:

Hello Everyone:

Please join your hosts Bob Coyne and Mike Killen as we welcome Kathy Strain to the show. Kathy is a U.S. Forest Service Archaeologist, the treasurer of The Alliance of Independent Bigfoot Researchers (AIBR), and an author as well as a long time and much respected researcher. However, most people probably know her best from her numerous appearances on a number of TV shows devoted to the topic of Sasquatch research. This is sure to be an interesting and informative interview! If you can, please join us in our live show chat. It's always a lot of fun and we love to interact live with our listeners.

Where www.blogtalkradio.com/Bigfoot_Quest

When: Tonight, Tuesday December 22, 2009

Time: 9:00 P.M. Eastern

Duration: 90 Minutes

Bob Coyne
Mike Killen

Monday, December 21, 2009

New Ones From Neil

Neil Arnold has a couple of good new posts: this one on a mysterious, monster-bird from London; and the second on the Vampire-Cat of the Netherlands.

A British Mothman

While reports of large winged-things in Britain are not as prevalent as in the US, they do exist. Without doubt the most famous one is the "Owlman" of Cornwall - a strange, ominous and glowing-eyed entity that haunted the woods around the old Mawnan Church in the mid-to-late 1970s.

But, now, there's another report of a Mothman-style beast from Britain, and here's The Anomalist to tell us more:

Mothman in Seaham on Sea? Hmmmmm Cryptozoology Online. Davey Curtis writes up a story told to him by a couple who experienced what may have been a Mothman-type being on the outskirts of Seaham, a city on the northeastern coast of England. Curtis believes the couple's tale and notes some of the synchronicity the late John Keel spoke of in his writings about the Mothman of Point Pleasant, WV, in the USA. Curtis notes the name of the place where the sighting took place and documents other things Keel mentioned seemed to attract such phenomena as Mothman: the couple's sighting was close to power lines, a military base and the "name Cold cropping up in ancient settlements". The sighting on the outskirts of Seaham occurred in a place called Cold Hesledon. Has synchronicity been reached during a Mothman encounter along England's northeastern coast? With images.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Yet More Creature Controversies!

As you will have noticed, over the last few days my posts have been somewhat sporadic, brief, and largely consisting of copy-pastes. No, I'm not getting bored!

Basically, what's happening is that I'm putting the final touches to 3 new books that I have to hand over to the relevant publishers by the end of January/early February. So, as a result, I'm literally burning the midnight-oil, while a few other things inevitably go on-hold.

But, normal service will be returning very soon !

Until then, here's today's crypto-mysteries, courtesy of The Anomalist:

Dale Drinnon: Some Further Notes About the Mapinguari Cryptozoology Online. Dale Drinnon presents some suppositions raised from information gathered in the search for a cryptid in the Amazon regions of South America that is sometimes referred to as "the South American Bigfoot." Variously known to the peoples of the region as the Mapinguari, the Jucucu and the Mono Rey, the large creature is thought to be a relic ground sloth, part of the megafauna believed to have become extinct thousands of years ago. Elsewhere, Loren Coleman keeps it brief concerning a recent alleged Bigfoot photo in Ben Blasts Bogus Bigfoot.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Creature Controversies

There's a lot of good crypto-stories over at The Anomalist today, and here they are:

Meldrum & Keating on Today Show Cryptomundo. Renowned cryptozoologist Loren Coleman takes exception to the way a television program, one of the weekday morning staples for viewers across America, presents the science of cryptozoology. With video. Elsewhere, Coleman notes another network television presentation in ABC News Boosts Bogus Bigfoot and presents video footage in The Kryder Blobsquatch Image. Also presented by Coleman today, video footage of Coconut-carrying Octopuses and Their Komic Kin and Are Jackalopes Real? Remembering the Mothman Appalachian Independent. Point Pleasant, WV, was placed on the map in a way most towns probably would not appreciate. It all began with a mysterious encounter in 1966 and continues today as a reason for tourists to visit the town. Nick Diamond recreates what happened in Point Pleasant and talks with an eyewitness. He also points out that the appearance of the Mothman isn't the only incident of high strangeness reported in the small town.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Tuesday's Anomalies

Here's a couple of good posts, highlighted by the always-reliable Anomalist:

Unknown Creatures Stalking Oshana Region, Namibia Phantoms & Monsters. Residents of the village of Okaku in the Oshana Region of Namibia say something is slaughtering their goats and chickens and recently caused the death of a 16-year-old boy. And Nature Conservation, called on to identify the creatures from footprints on the scene say they have no idea what the animals, described as "giant dog-like creatures," could be. Villagers suspect witchcraft is behind the attacks. Meanwhile, the tracks of unknown animals are the subject of the latest offering from Loren Coleman, as he calls on the late Ivan T. Sanderson's expertise for much of what you'll find in The Ichnological Evidence for ABSMs. With images.

A&M: New Issue

The new issue of the CFZ's in-house magazine, Animals & Men, is now available, and as always contains some great material. Check it out!

Giant Eels of Britain

Jon Downes with an excellent and informative post on the issue of giant-eels in Britain...

Big Cats and the Government

Now and again we hear stories of official interest in weird creatures; and so for my regular Lair of the Beasts column at Mania.com at the weekend, I posted an article which details the British Government's attitude to the "Big Cats in Britain" subject. Here's the link.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The Shipton Yeti

Dale Drinnon takes a look at the famous Shipton Yeti tracks...

CFZ Yearbook: 2010


I'm very pleased to announce that the publication of the 2010 edition of the CFZ's Yearbook is now right around the corner. Here's the link to all the info you'll need regarding publication date, pre-ordering, contents and much more. As usual, it looks to be a great volume!

The "Jaws" of the Thames

Neil Arnold has a very intriguing new-post online right now on the subject of nothing less than a shark-sighting in London's River Thames back in the 1700s! Here's the link for the full story. Good one, Neil!

Cryptozoological RIP

Loren Coleman takes a look at those well-known figures within the realm of cryptozoology who passed away this year and who will be missed.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Deadlines!

I have a few deadlines to meet by the end of this week; so posts here may be a bit sporadic until early next week. But, until things are less hectic, here's a quick posting from today's Anomalist:

Takitaro Cryptomundo. Brent Swancer guests with an examination of the evidence of some mysterious large fish in a mountain lake known as Otori-ike. The giant fish are known as Takitaro, and descriptions of attacks by these fish permeate local lore. A 1985 scientific expedition to the lake in search of the giant fish turned up some surprises. Does Otori-ike hold a world record Dolly Varden trout? With images. Meanwhile, there's speculation of something in the waters of a Canadian lake, and reports of its presence can be traced back for more than a century, as reported in Lake Utopia Monster. With image.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Bigfoot Quest: Tonight

From bob and Mike at Bigfoot Quest:


Hello All:

Your host are Bob Coyne and Mike Killen. Our guest this week is Jason Valenti who hails from the great State of Washington and he will tell us about his interaction with Sasquatch in 1996 at the Appalachicola National Forest in Floria. Jason has a website at http://sasquatchresearch.net. So please join us in chat if you can, we love to interact with our listeners.

Where: www.blogtalkradio.com/Bigfoot_Quest

When: Tonight, Tueay December 8, 2009

Time: 9:00 P.M. Eastern

Bob Coyne and Mike Killen

Monday, December 7, 2009

Today's News

Here's the latest that caught my eyes:

1. From The Anomalist: Angels, Devils and Bigfoot Los Angeles Times. Nick Owchar gives some quick reviews of the best anomalous books released during 2009, including John Geiger's The Third Man Factor, Matt Baglio's The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, Joshua Blu Buhs' Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend and Michael McLeod's Anatomy of a Beast: Obsession and Myth on the Trail of Bigfoot. Will you be picking up any of these titles for the folks on your Christmas list?

2. Also from The Anomalist: If I Never See Bigfoot, Does He Not Exist? The Parafactor. John Mallek has some thoughts on Bigfoot and whether or not the giant, hairy biped has to be seen to be believed. Key quote: "(I)f one never sees Bigfoot or anything commonly classified as paranormal, does it not exist and in turn lessen their credibility when discussing the topic?" Meanwhile, one of the world's foremost cryptozoologists, Loren Coleman, presents Museum: One of Top Weird Stories of 2009; The Coleman Bigfoot; and Jack Black's Cryptozoology Movie? With images.

3. Dale Drinnon on Giant-Apes.

4. Mermaids on the Isle of Man.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Bigfoot in San Antonio: The Latest

Ken Gerhard continues his investigation of the reported sighting of a Bigfoot in San Antonio (and gains access to the original police-report on the case), and updates us on his findings. It's good to have someone of Ken's caliber in the area who can address this controversy, and hopefully we'll know more as time progresses. Keep reading!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Creatures & Canals

As readers of this blog may be aware, of the many and varied "British Bigfoot" reports that have come my way, certainly the one that fascinates me most of all is the January 1879 incident on England's Shropshire Union Canal - in which a man was attacked by a large, ape-like animal with bright, shining eyes.

Well, none other than British Waterways have picked up on the story and have a new posting that reveals brief background data on the affair, as well as much more on the haunted canals of Britain.

Here's the link to the complete article.

San Antonio Sasquatch: Latest

Check out today's Cryptomundo for all the latest on the San Antonio Bigfoot story:

Story 1.

Story 2.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Bigfoot in San Antonio?

Ken Gerhard sent me this last night, which is a story that he's keeping track of, and which I'll keep you updated on. Over to Ken:

"Last night - November 30th, police on the west side of San Antonio received a 911 call from multiple eyewitnesses who claimed that they saw a hairy, hominid standing over six feet tall, run out of the woods and kill a deer. The incident was reported to the local media and broadcast earlier today. The witnesses were apparently homeless and responding officers who interviewed them found them to be completely sober and rational, though understandably scared. The police chose not to search for the creature. I have just returned from a stake out of the area, which is located at the intersection of Loop 1604 and highway 151, about ten miles from where I live. The area is somewhat developed, although fairly wooded and located near several creeks. Most of the area is private property and is fenced with barbed wire. Obviously I was not about to trespass and I'm still not 100% sure of the exact location of the incident. Reporter Joe Conger from Eyewitness News did visit the exact spot earlier today and told me there were some animal bones present. I plan on returning there with him tomorrow to look for tracks and other evidence."

Monsters of the Sea

Alan Friswell on terrors of the deep.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Goat-Man Musings

Good friend Ken Gerhard comments on the infamous saga of the Lake Worth, Texas Goat-Man. As Lake Worth is only a very short journey from where me and Dana live, I occasionally make a drive over there and ponder the case, and wonder what really happened during that fateful summer of 1969...