Kithra: A Crypto Controversy

Over at her Krystal Kave, Kithra delves into the controversy surrounding whether or not many of the cryptozoological creatures of our world represent flesh and blood animals or something stranger.

I say stranger. Much stranger...!

Reviewing 50 Years of BUFORA

Over at Andrew May's Forteana Blog, you can find his review of the 50th anniversary conference of the British UFO Research Association, BUFORA.

Andrew begins:

"As a sweeping generalization, British UFO researchers are less single-mindedly fixated on the extraterrestrial hypothesis (and concomitant beliefs such as alien abductions and government conspiracies) than their American counterparts. Of course there are exceptions on both sides, but British ufologists do tend to adopt a 'more things in Heaven and Earth' approach to the subject. This was certainly the message that came across during the first day of the BUFORA (British UFO Research Association) 50th Anniversary Conference that I attended yesterday."

And here's his complete review.

Hollywood Ghosts

My latest EHow post: The Ghosts of Hollywood.

As I note:

"The ultimate blonde bombshell, a big-screen heartthrob, a man who could fly, a world famous rock-and-roller, a star of comedy, a movie-making legend, a depressed actress, and an over the top pianist: they all have one thing in common. And it's a very weird thing, too. After they died, each and every one of them decided not to stay quite so dead, after all. That's right: we're talking about famous spirits of the celebrity kind. And, specifically, those of Tinsel-Town itself: Hollywood. Even in death it's hard to give up all the attention, adoration and screaming fans!"

(The above photo is the highlight of my first trip to Hollywood!)

Cryptids at Mysterious Universe

Over at Mysterious Universe, there are no less than three new posts today on Cryptozoology.

There's this one from me, on England's Shug-Monkey;

One on Big Cats in Australia from Andrew Nicholson;

And, finally, another one from me on Britain's blazing-eyed, phantom hounds.

When Celebrity Endorsements Go Bad

Over at EHow, I take a look at ten not so good celebrity endorsements...

As I note in the terrible Top 10:

"British butter, fruity flirts, smashed-out-of-their-brains elephants, air-fresheners, zit-removers, computer programs and fizzy-drinks: at some point or another each and every one of them has been the subject of a celebrity endorsement. But, as far as we see it, these weren't the greatest examples of when a star gets behind something designed to get us to part with our money. Nope, these are the wrong 'uns. Some suggest'sell-out!' Others are plain hilarious. A few are nothing less than full on creepy. As for the rest? Well, it's time for you to delve into our Top 10 bad celebrity endorsements."

Strange Creatures Of Pennsylvania

I got this earlier this morning from creature-seeker Eric Altman:

"Good morning, Hope this finds you well.  I am writing to inquire if you would be willing to pass along any Pennsylvania strange creature, monster, or cryptozoology stories or encounters you may have been told, have had reported to, or shared with to me.  I'd like to start collecting these types of reports with hopes of putting together a book about these strange types of creatures, monsters and cryptids encountered, sighted and witnessed here in Pennsylvania.  I'd like all types, whether they are terrestrial, winged, aquatic, hominid, or whatever they may be.  I've considered writing a book on Bigfoot in Pennsylvania, however I think I'd like to start by writing a book on unusual creature encounters in Pennsylvania before I tackle a Bigfoot only book. I'll gladly accept Bigfoot reports, however I am looking for any and all types of creature reports so I can get started on this book.  Also if you already have these reports you have written about or publically published, if I may have permission to reference them or include them in the book with full credit. Thank you for your consideration. Warmest Regards."

You can reach Eric at either of the following email addresses: 

bigfootboy_2000@yahoo.com or contact@pabigfootsociety.com

ET: Not What It Seems To Be?

Back in 2010, I wrote a book called Final Events - a very controversial look at those people in the government and UFO research community who believe that, yes, UFOs are real, but who also believe they're not extraterrestrial: welcome to the "aliens are demons" theory, which I also dig into in a new post at Mysterious Universe.

Nessie and the Paranormal

Over at the Loch Ness Mystery blog, there's an excellent new post that focuses on the issue of whether or not legendary Nessie-seeker, Tim Dinsdale, thought there might be a paranormal angle to the beast of the loch.

As "Glasgow Boy" notes in his post:

"What seems certain is that Tim Dinsdale did not shut the door on a paranormal Loch Ness Monster and he had tales to tell of Loch Ness which I suspect are now lying in a box or folder somewhere crying out to be told to the world! Sadly, it is probably safe to assume that if such material does exist, it will go the way of other Loch Ness research and never see the light of day again."

Magonia Takes On Wolfmen

There's a good, solid review of Linda Godfrey's Real Wolfmen up at the Magonia blog from John Rimmer, which, in part, notes:

"Godfrey examines a number of possible explanations. In the course of her three books she seems to have moved from a 'misperception' explanation, through paws-and-pelt creatures, to some sort of spiritual existence, and is perhaps a little too quick to link the phenomenon to Native American spirituality. Obviously there is always scope for misperception when reporting fleeting experiences in unfamiliar locations, and some of the accounts given here could easily be explained as such. Godfrey also looks at the possibility of hoaxing, by and on witnesses, and again finds a few possible instances.

"In the end no explanation, even a sceptical one, really covers the phenomenon in its entirety, as is the case with any 'paranormal' phenomenon, and one just has to say, 'sorry, I don't know'. But one also has to accept that the 'werewolf' experiences of hundreds of people are as valid as UFO or ghost experiences, and that, despite Lon Chaney and cult teen TV, they cannot be confined to 'literary criticism'."

And here's the full review...

Ufological Classics

At EHow, I take a look at 10 classics of Ufology...

Cryptozoology's Future

In a new article at Mysterious Universe, I begin:

"Just recently, I wrote a post here on the subject of the future of Ufology. It was an article with which some agreed, others didn’t, and a few complained about. So it goes! Well, it’s time for another post that will no doubt provoke similar responses. In the same way that I have a deep interest in UFOs, I also have a great passion for cryptozoology – the study of unknown animals, such as Bigfoot, lake-monsters, sea-serpents, the Abominable Snowman, the Chupacabras, Mothman, and werewolves. But, what does the future have in store for those of us that chase what, in simple terms, are termed monsters? Let’s take a look…"

And here's the complete piece...

Pyramids & Pentagon: Reviewed

Andy Lloyd reviews my book, The Pyramids and the Pentagon...

Craziness of the Saucer Kind

Over at EHow, I take a look - in slide-show format - at what can only be described as definitive ufological craziness...

Strawberry ice-cream, Tibetan music, wild sex, cups of tea, pancakes and more...they're all in there...

A Puma Of The Black Kind?

Over at the Center for Fortean Zoology's Mystery Cats Study Group blog, Neil Arnold takes a look at the controversy surrounding the "Black Puma"...

Mothman: Everywhere!

It's one of those days when Mothman is just about here, there and everywhere.

The winged one...

1. ...takes a trip to Chile;

2. ...heads off to Canada;

3. ...takes part in the name-game;

4. ...and, finally, gets profiled at Who Forted?

Zombies 1 to 10

Over at EHow, I take a look at the world of the zombie on the big-screen...

As I note in my Intro:

"Some people prefer the slow and shambling variety. Others can't get enough of the fast-running ones. But everyone loves them. And loves to be scared by them, too. Well, most of us do. What are they? The dead-returned, the reanimated deceased, the fired-up flesh-eaters, the...oh, what the heck, let's just get straight to the point: zombies! And as well as leaving major marks on the bodies of their victims, those near-unstoppable, cannibalistic killers have done just the same on the world of Hollywood. Yep, it's time for us to unleash upon you our very own Top 10 Zombie movies."

Monkeying Around...

Why were monkeys flying around the skies of the United States in 1953? And how did they become linked to a strange and controversial case of crashed UFO proportions? Well, the answers can be found in my latest Mysterious Universe post, which tells a story of truly surreal proportions...

The Paw Of A Werewolf?

In a fine piece of detective work, Dr. Karl Shuker is hot on the trail of a strange-looking paw. Is it from a regular animal, such as a badger? Nope. Could it be that of a werewolf? Well, you'll have to see for yourself...

ESP, Animals and the Pentagon

In my new post at Mysterious Universe, I tell the weird story of how the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency secretly dug deep into the controversy-filled topic of psychic powers, ESP and more of a paranormal nature in the animal kingdom...

Beyond the Henge

Of his new book, Beyond the Henge, Bob Trubshaw tells us:

"The Neolithic henge and stone circle at Avebury are well-known to many people. But few visitors explore the other prehistoric sites nearby in the World Heritage Site. Beyond the Henge is a guide to four different walks of between one and six miles which take in all the significant surviving archaeological sites. Three of the walks focus on the Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments while the fourth walk explores Avebury's Anglo-Saxon and medieval origins.

"Along the way Bob Trubshaw introduces ideas about the changing lifestyles and beliefs of the prehistoric people who built the monuments. The variety of such ideas currently being proposed by prehistorians are presented using a unique conversational style of writing.

"Join Bob Trubshaw and his fictional friend Simon as they set forth from the henge to its precursors on Windmill Hill and West Kennett long barrow, then to later monuments such as Silbury Hill. And afterwards visit where the pagan Anglo-Saxons celebrated their rituals – and the first evidence for Christianity in the parish."

If ancient stone-circles are your thing, not one to miss!

Cool Art, Cool Book

Linda Godfrey writes:

"Ken Gerhard has a new, as yet unnamed book coming next year on the subject of Mothman, Man Bat and other flying fearsomes. He asked me to create a new illustration for it and said I could post as a sneak preview. For more on the book you must ask Ken. All I know is I want a copy!"

And to see Linda's cool artwork for Ken, click right here!

UK Lions...But Not From Essex

"Very few people with an interest in Cryptozoology – the study of unknown animals, but which can also include out of place animals of the exotic kind, too – will have missed the controversy and near-hysteria that accompanied the recent reports of nothing less than a lion on the loose in Essex, England. Of course, the “lion” turned out to be nothing of the sort: almost certainly it was just a large and friendly pet cat of someone living locally. But, this is not the only occasion upon which a lion has reportedly been seen roaming the UK…"

That's how my latest post for Mysterious Universe starts (although, for some odd reason, the two opening words "Very few" are missing!), and which delves into claims of lions roaming the UK that have nothing to do with the story coming out of Essex...

Peacock High-Strangeness

This is weird. Well, kind of...

In Wisconsin new reports have surfaced of sightings of peacocks and Bigfoot. So what? Well, this is not the first time peacocks and bizarre beasts have appeared in the same story.

In 2004, me and Jon Downes (pictured proudly posing below in the El Yunque Rain-Forest), of the British-based Center for Fortean Zoology, traveled to Puerto Rico with the SyFy Channel's Proof Positive show to film an episode on the Chupacabras. While we were there, Jon and I headed out to a farm high in the hills where the owner had lost an entire collection of peacocks to what he believed was the diabolical predator, the Chupacabras.

As the crew filmed, a familiar story was told to us of animals drained of blood; of vampire-style puncture wounds on the necks of the birds, and of an overwhelming paranoid fear that would pervade the entire area after darkness fell.

Moving on, in my 2008 book, There's Something in the Woods, I related the strange saga of a large, monkey-type creature seen crossing a field and a road next to the ancient Chartley Castle, Staffordshire, England in 1986. Yep, that's the castle:

The same field was the site of a Crop Circle I investigated in 2006 - inside of which were a number of peacock feathers (see the photo at the top of this post).

And here's the field and the Crop Circle:

Then, there are the following words of good mate Neil Arnold that appear in his Shadows in the Sky book. There's no attendant beast in this case, but it's still a weird peacock-themed saga:

"One of the most baffling ghost bird stories appeared on the BBC website in November 2006 under the heading, ‘Ghost peacock baffles rescuers’, after motorists in East Sussex had claimed to have run over a bird that left no trace. The mystery began when a female witness, driving on the A267 near Five Ashes, called wildlife rescuers to say she’d hit a peacock. The following day a lorry driver also claimed to have run over the bird. Rescue co-ordinator Trevor Weeks, examined the site of the alleged road kill but could find no trace of the bird. The arches of the lorry were examined but no sign of blood or feathers could be found..."

So what does all this mean? Damned if I know! If only John Keel or Charles Fort were still around to help us figure it out...





Top 10 Cover-Ups (Possibly...)

My top 10 conspiracies, over at EHow.co.uk: Elvis, Jack the Ripper, Area 51, Cattle-Mutes and...well...the list goes on...

I should add that they are conspiracy theories - and the level of credibility we add to each (or not lol) is very much open to debate!

The World's Weirdest... Reviewed

Over at The UFO Iconoclasts, Rich Reynolds reviews my latest title, The World's Weirdest Places and notes: "If you want an edifying book about weird things at the fringe of our world, get this book."

Fantasy Films: Fact vs. Fiction

There's a new post up from me at Mania.com on the subject of Hollywood fiction and supernatural fact...

The Fog, Raiders of the Lost Ark, John Carter, 28 Days Later and more: they're all in there...

Hoaxing 1 to 10

Over at EHow, I take a look at ten infamous hoaxes, some ufological, others cryptozoological, a few downright Fortean, and so on. There are, of course, many others, but when you have to keep it at ten, well, you have to keep it at ten!

A Super-sized Salamander

Steve Plambeck has a new blog on the Loch Ness Monster that is as intriguing as it is controversial. Steve's blog is basically devoted to one theory for Nessie: that it's a giant salamander. There are only a couple of posts up so far, but check it out, as Steve has done some very thought-provoking analysis on a famous Nessie-themed photo...

Other-Worldly Villains

Working for EHow, I get some unusual assignments, such as writing about the Top 10 Dr. Who villains. Now don't all you obsessed fans of the show get all in a mood because I left out this one or that one. It's 'A' top 10, not 'THE' top 10. So chill out and don't complain. Or I'll send a Dalek round to exterminate you.

And here's the ten...

Close Encounters of the Sea Kind

My latest Mysterious Universe post: UFOs seen at sea...

Sci-Fi vs. Sci-Fact

Back in 2009, I wrote a book called Science Fiction Secrets which looked at the way in which real-life conspiracy crossed paths with that of sci-fi.

And it's a subject I return to in my latest post at Mania.com

Neil Arnold on Binnall of America

This just in from Tim Binnall of Binnall of America:


Neil Arnold
Monster! - The A-Z of Zooform  Phenomena
2 Hours, 20  Minutes
BoA:Audio examines the nebulous area between cryptids and  the paranormal as we welcome Neil Arnold,  author of the book Monster! - The A-Z of  Zooform Phenomena. Over the course of the conversation, we'll discuss the  zooform theory, potential candidates for zooform phenomena, trends in zooform  reporting, creatures like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, Mothman, and the  Highgate Vampire as well as UFOs, MIBs, and alien abductions. We'll also talk  about the Big Cat phenomenon in England as well as the overal 'tulpafication' of  many paranormal entities.
Altogether, it is a mindbending edition of the  program that will have you looking at numerous paranormal mysteries from an  entirely different angle as we delve into the realm of the zooforms with Neil  Arnold.

And here's the link to the episode...

When Mothman Emerges

Into Mothman? Like cryptozoological fiction? If yes, then you may want to check out the new novel from Gina Ranalli: Mothman Emerged...

UFOs: The Oz Files

An interesting new article detailing Australia's official response to the UFO phenomenon: files, archives, documents and FOIA...

Hell-Hounds on the Loose

"Imagine the scene: it’s late one cold, dark, winter’s eve in a little old hamlet in central England. You’re walking home, along a winding, tree-shrouded old road with only the light of an eerie full moon to illuminate your path. But, as you continue on your trek to your centuries-old cottage, you begin to feel uneasy.

 

"For reasons that you are unable to fathom, as the icy wind sends a deep chill through your body, you develop the distinct feeling that you are not alone. Rather, you sense that you are being watched and followed by something terrible, something malignant, something nightmarish, and something as ancient as it is mysterious.

 

"Then something truly ominous occurs: you begin to hear the vague sound of panting – animalistic panting, no less – and the unmistakable sound of heavy, beastly paws hitting the road behind you. A terrible realization suddenly hits you hard: you are being followed, or stalked, by some sort of large, predatory animal. It’s an animal that – even though you have yet to see it up close and personal – you know deep in your heart has you firmly in its sights."

 

That's how my new Lair of the Beasts article at Mania.com starts - on Britain's legendary and spectral black dogs...