In Just a Few Weeks From Now!

 

Strange Creatures and Railroads: New Article

A new article from me on why so many strange creatures are seen near, or on, railroads...

If you're interested, the photo above shows (L to R) Lyle Blackburn, John Tenney, me, and Ken Gerhard, at Defiance, Ohio. In 1972, a werewolf/Dogman-type creature was seen in Defiance on these particular tracks (picture taken in August 2016).

High-Strangeness in Defiance, Ohio

My two latest articles at Mysterious Universe have a connection: the location. Namely, the small city of Defiance, Ohio, the population of which is around 17,000.

In the 1960s, Defiance was visited by a mysterious Man in Black and in 1972, a werewolf prowled around the area by night and for a couple of months.

Yep, seriously weird!

That's me hanging out - last summer - at the site where the werewolf was mainly seen - an old stretch of railroad tracks...

A Shape-Shifter in the Lone Star State

At Mysterious Universe, I share the strange story of a shape-shifting wolf in 1930s Texas...

The Dogman Symposium - In Photos

Here's a bunch of photos from the weekend, at the Dogman Symposium at Defiance, Ohio - some shots from the drive there, from the meet-the-speakers event, the gig itself, dinner on the Saturday night, and a visit to the site of the 1972 creature/"werewolf" encounter in town  at the old railroad tacks. An excellent time, and many thanks to good mate Ken Gerhard for all his hard work in putting the conference together!

Dogman Symposium: Defiance, Ohio in August

Coming soon, the Dogman Symposium, which is not to be missed! And here's the press release below. Speakers included Ken Gerhard, Lyle Blackburn, David Weatherly, Linda Godfrey, John Tenney Stan Gordon, and me:

Dogman Symposium Press Release

Every dog has its day, including the mysterious, upright canine known as Dogman whose official day will be August 6, 2016, as a group of nationally known investigators, authors and television personalities gathers in Defiance, Ohio, for the first ever Dogman Symposium.

 

Why Ohio? The creature also tagged as a real-life werewolf, wolfman, Beast of Bray Road and a dozen other monstrous monikers is quite at home all around the Buckeye State, according to numerous eyewitnesses. And Defiance is the site of one of the nation’s earliest and best known sightings “flaps,” or clusters, of a creature whose true nature remains unknown. In late July, 1972, at least three people told police they’d seen an extremely hairy, wolf-headed creature wearing a dark shirt and jeans. Two of the witnesses were railroad crewmen, one of whom was struck by a piece of lumber the creature wielded. A motorist contributed the third encounter report. He said the beast ran across the road in front of his car as he drove near downtown Defiance at about 4 a.m. Police suspected a local person in a mask, but witnesses said the seven-to-nine foot creature did not look human to them.

 

It’s harder to explain the many other sightings from more recent times. In November, 2008, two sisters saw a pair of upright, black-furred canines standing near a mobile home park in Mansfield. The creatures ran into a nearby woods on their hind legs, said the sisters, adding that other residents had also seen the creatures. There have been other sightings near Akron, Cleveland, and most parts of the state. The city of Delphos has its own werewolf legend, as well.

 

The phenomenon of wolf-like or dog-like creatures that walk upright is not limited to Ohio, however. Speakers at the Symposium will address history, sightings and theories about world-wide appearances of dogmen, in an effort to raise awareness of how many reports have been made and of the fact that these encounters may occur in people’s back yards as well as in wild or forested areas.

 

The event is open to the public and will feature an impressive roster of speakers:

• Lyle Blackburn: Author and (cryptid) man-beast researcher from Texas, consulting producer and host of Destination America’s – “Monsters and Mysteries in America: The Blackburn Files.”
• Ken Gerhard: World traveling cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard has authored three books on unknown creatures and is currently co-host of the History Channel series – “Missing in Alaska.”
• Linda Godfrey: Author-cryptid researcher who raised initial public awareness of Dogman with The Beast of Bray Road & 16 more books, frequent TV/radio guest on shows like Monsterquest, Hannity.
• Stan Gordon: Researching mysterious events in Pennsylvania since 1959, the author of three books appears frequently on radio and television and is a regular guest on Coast to Coast AM.
• Nick Redfern: Texan researcher Nick Redfern is the best-selling author of 36 books on weird creatures and monsters and has appeared on TV shows such as Fox News and MSNBC’s Countdown.
• John E.L. Tenney: The author of over a dozen books, Mr. Tenney has been interviewed on radio and television worldwide and is co-host of Destination America’s TV show – “Ghost Stalkers.”
• David Weatherly: Paranormal investigator, author and student of shamanic traditions worldwide, David frequently guests on TV and radio shows like Ancient Aliens and Coast to Coast AM.

Dogman Symposium is a family-friendly event that runs from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM (EDT) at the VFW Hall, 201 Clinton St, Defiance, OH 43512. Tickets are available in advance for $20 at www.dogman2016.com, where you can find information on the speakers, directions to the hall, and more. Tickets may also be available at the door for $25, but seating is limited and same-day sales cannot be guaranteed. Food and beverages will be available for purchase on site, as well as vendors offering a variety of Dogman-related books, videos, t-shirts, artwork and jewelry.

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...

 

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 Werewolf at Point Pleasant???

A strange creature seen at Point Pleasant, West Virginia...but it's not Mothman...

Savage Woods and a Sinister Cemetery

Another week, so it must be time for another Mysterious Universe post from me. And it is!

It begins like this...

"Just over six years ago (almost to the very week) a deeply strange series of events kicked off in the woods of central England, just a stone’s throw from where I used to live. On April 26, 2007, the Stafford Post newspaper stated the following: 'A rash of sightings of a ‘werewolf’-type creature prowling around the outskirts of Stafford has prompted a respected Midlands paranormal group to investigate.'"

"The newspaper continued: 'West Midlands Ghost Club says they have been contacted by a number of shocked residents who saw what they claimed to be a ‘hairy wolf-type creature’ walking on its hind legs around the German War Cemetery, just off Camp Road, in between Stafford and Cannock. Several of them claim the creature sprang up on its hind legs and ran into the nearby bushes when it was spotted.'"

And here's the complete story on that monster of the cemetery...

Wolfmen on the Loose

Okay, I'm a day late: Linda Godfrey shares with us for Halloween tales of the werewolf variety...

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...

The Hexham Horrors

In a new post, Kithra delves into the strange and macabre story of one of Britain's weirdest Fortean puzzles, namely that of the werewolf-themed Hexham Heads...

A Werewolf Podcast

Check out the latest podcast from the Mysterious Universe guys, which includes an excellent interview with the US's leading researcher and writer on the werewolf/Dogman issue, Linda Godfrey.