A Werewolf of the North

At New Page Books' blog - in their "Creature of the Month" section - I tell the weird, and still-ongoing, story of a werewolf-like beast seen roaming around the north of England. You can find the strange saga right here...

 

A Monster In The City

Every few months I write an article for the "Creature Of The Month" section of New Page Books' blog.

And here's how the new one starts:

"Of all the many and varied unknown creatures that are said to inhabit our planet – such as Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman, and the Chupacabra – perhaps the most chilling ones are not those that lurk in dense, faraway forests, in remote and expansive jungles, and on distant icy mountains. The ones that we should really be wary of are those that live practically under our very noses. It’s one thing to read accounts of extraordinary animals and rampaging monsters in faraway, exotic environments. It’s quite another thing, however, to have such monstrosities almost lurking on our doorsteps. But, incredibly, there are far more than a few reports on record of terrifying beasts seen deep in the hearts of our towns and cities. To be sure, it’s a chilling thought that, as we sleep, menacing beasts may be roaming around our very own neighborhoods. All of this brings me to a certain, memorable affair that absolutely defines the 'monsters are among us' scenario."

Here's the link to the complete article...

 

The Hairy Whatsit of Sumatra

My latest Creature of the Month article for New Page Books' blog is on a certain, mysterious, hair-covered "thing" (or, even, "things") of Sumatra. You can find it right here...

The Graveyard Werewolf

Every 3 months, or thereabouts, I do an article for New Page Books' "Creature of the Month" section of their blog.

And, there's a brand new one from me, this one on a weird series of sightings of werewolf-like beasts encountered in England's Cannock Chase woods, back in 2007.

Here's the link...

And it starts like this:

"It probably won’t surprise many to learn that the British Isles – which are steeped in legend, myth, and folklore - have traditions of full-blown lycanthropy in their midst that date back more than 1,000 years.

 

"One of the most famous of all such beasts has become known as the 'Flixton werewolf.' It was a marauding animal that prowled around the village of Flixton, North Yorkshire, around 940 AD. It struck terror into the hearts of the locals as it went on violent killing sprees, reportedly at the bidding of a sinister magician who was familiar with the black-arts."

A Cemetery Monster

There's a new Creature of the Month article from me at the New Page Books blog, and which starts like this...

"A cemetery in Guadalajara, Mexico that is noted for its highly decorative architecture, pillared buildings, elegant tombs and spacious, tree-enveloped grounds, Panteon de Belen was built in 1848 and closed its doors four years before the dawning of the twentieth century. But, that hasn’t stopped its residents from being highly active – which is somewhat notable since each and every one of them is, of course, quite dead!

"Not only that: Panteon de Belen can boast of being home to more ghosts, ghouls and fiends of the night than pretty much any other cemetery in Mexico – and quite possibly even the world, too. That same body of supernatural entities includes just about everything from pirates to bloodthirsty, undead vampires, and spectral hounds to a ghostly, shrieking nun. And such is the interest and fascination in the specters of Panteon de Belen, that guided tours of the cemetery have become incredibly popular, and particularly so – and certainly most appropriately - during the course of the Mexican holiday of November 1-2: Day of the Dead. And, now, you shall see exactly why."

Creature of the Month: One Eye

 
My latest Creature of the Month article at New Page Books' blog is on the little-known saga of "One Eye," the alleged monster of Lake Granbury, situated just a short journey from where I live.



You can find the article here, and here's how it begins:

"Every year, in the city of Dallas, Texas (which is just a short drive from my Arlington home) I do a series of lectures on the subject of cryptozoology, otherwise known as the study of unknown animals. They are lectures organized by one of the local school-districts for kids aged from about 7 to 9.

"Of course, they love hearing about such things as Bigfoot, Nessie, the Chupacabra, and the Yeti. And they love to pick my brains with a mass of questions!

"But, it’s not just the kids that find the lectures intriguing. Occasionally, a parent or several will come along, to see what’s going on. And, sometimes, they will even share a story of the notable and intriguing kind..."

Werecat Weirdness

Every few months I do an article for New Page Books' Creature of the Month column. And my latest has just been published. I have written about some weird shit in my time, but this has to be near the top of the list: Britain's Werecats...

But that's not all: I wrote and submitted the article to New Page Books last Friday. One day later, Saturday, I took a drive into Dallas to visit a second-hand bookstore I like to check out now and again.

It was while scanning the shelves containing old 1950s-era detective novels (my favorite type of novels) that I caught sight of the spine of a book titled Secret Society, written by Dillibe Onyeama.

I picked the book up and was amazed to see that the novel was about an African cult of "Leopard Men" that embark on a violent killing spree in London, England!

Were-Leopards are a staple part of the overall Werecat phenomenon

How weird is that? I write an article on Werecats in the UK, and then barely twenty-four hours later I stumble on a novel on Werecats in the UK!

The picture below shows me holding the novel (I snapped it up for a dollar):

Beware of the Kelpie...

My new Creature of the Month article for New Page Books' blog focuses on a paranormal beast that many assume is one of centuries past, rather than the present. That may not be the case, however...

Welcome to the dark world of the Kelpie...

And here's an extract from the article:

"Paul Bell was a keen fisherman who I met back in early 2001 and who had a remarkable story to relate of truly monstrous proportions. And when I say 'remarkable,' I’m not exaggerating. His summer 1976 encounter, on a pleasant and picturesque stretch of English canal, involved not just one breed of bizarre beast but two.

"The further I dug into the story, however, the more and more convinced I became that the diabolical monsters were actually one and the same - albeit in an acutely strange fashion. If that all sounds very odd, well, it is! Bear with me, however, and all will soon become clear."

The Monster of the Castle

"Back in the 1930s, a strange and sinister story surfaced of a diabolical beast rumored to haunt an old Irish castle. According to two ghost authorities of that long gone era, Marchioness Townshend and Maude Ffoulkes, '...the truth of this story was vouched for to Mr. Reginald Span by the Vicar of the Anglican Church, Arizona, as it happened to some friends of his when they once rented a picturesque castle in the South of Ireland.' And, with that said, read on.

 

"So the very weird saga goes, late one particular night, in the latter part of the 19^th century, a certain 'Mrs. A' was sitting alone in one of the castle’s bedrooms, awaiting the return of her husband. Suddenly, there was the distinct and unmistakable sound of one of the doors banging in the corridor outside the room. More disturbingly, footsteps could be heard, too. Someone or something was creeping around the old castle..."

 

That's how my new article at New Page Books' Creature of the Month page begins... 

The Toad in Folklore

As you may know, every month New Page Books' blog has a new Creature of the Month article, the latest one being from Dr. Bob Curran, and the subject: the toad.

It starts like this:

"In many folklore traditions, the toad is something of an ambivalent creature. On the one hand, it is considered to be repellent and often becomes a symbol of foulness and evil – perhaps its very appearance hints at it being malignant and poisonous. And yet on the other hand - and in many Eastern cultures - it is associated with wisdom and 'knowing'. Toads are thought to have lived for many centuries and in that time have acquired much knowledge. It was therefore considered to be the wisest of creatures and parts of its body could be used for special purposes."

And here's the full post...

Beware of the Wendigo

In the Creature of the Month section of New Page Books' blog, Dr. Bob Curran digs deep into the dark and disturbing world of the Wendigo...

The Brassknocker Beast

Over at the Creature of the Month section at the blog of New Page Books, I take a look at the weird story of the "Beast of Brassknocker Hill," about which I begin as follows:

"The strange saga all began in July 1979, amid wild rumours that a terrifying monster was haunting the dark woods of Brassknocker Hill, situated near the old British city of Bath. Described variously, and in both excited and hysterical tones, as a long-fanged, four foot tall creature resembling a baboon, chimpanzee, spider-monkey, gibbon or lemur, the creature was of far more concern to some than it was to others."

Beware of the Duppie!

And what, you might very well ask, is the Duppie? Well, the answer to that question can be found by checking out the latest article from Dr. Bob Curran, which can be found in the Creature of the Month section at New Page Books' blog. In fact, right here!

Commenting on Trolls

Just recently, I wrote a post for New Page Books' Creature of the Month section of their blog on a weird affair from 1975. Basically, it involved a Staffordshire, England couple that claimed a late-night encounter with a group of strange creatures they described as resembling nothing less than trolls!

You can find the article right here.

Well, Beachcombing has now commented on the article and has provided some insightful data for those that may want to learn more about what possibly took place on that winter night back in '75...