Phantom Hounds, Demon Dogs and Sherlock Holmes

If you're into some of the more Fortean aspects of Cryptozoology, you won't want to miss this!

Tim Beckley has just published a new book titled Hounds of the Baskervilles.

It's basically a combination of (A) the original Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles; (B) witness reports of real-life encounters with blazing, red-eyed hounds of the pararnormal kind; and (C) various articles from researchers of the Phantom Black Dog variety.

Not only that, the book is massively and richly illustrated with excellent old and atmospheric artwork.

I have a lengthy article in the book, which is an extensive look from me at the history of the Black Dog in the UK, with numerous, little-known case files examined, many of which extend right up to well into the 20th Century.

Here's where you can purchase Hounds of the Baskervilles and here's what Tim has to say about the book:

PICKS UP WHERE SHERLOCK HOLMES’ LEFT OFF. . . DEVIL HOUNDS. DEMON DOGS. PHANTOM CANINES FROM HELL. THEY DO EXIST! One nearly scared to death eyewitness proclaimed after the beast loomed in front of him: “It was the biggest bloody ‘dog’ I have ever seen in my life!” Legends of black dogs and phantom hounds are widespread throughout the United Kingdom as well as in the United States. Though presented in novelized form, Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based his most popular detective thriller on true accounts of a mysterious black beast with blazing red eyes who is said to have attacked those crossing the moors. Some were lucky to have gotten away with their lives. Perhaps there are others who disappeared and their bodies were not accounted for. Who can say for certain? In addition to presenting the number one classic detective thriller of all time in its unabridged, fully illustrated, form, this work goes way beyond the boundaries of fiction into the realm of the supernatural. Today’s top paranormal researcher’s delve into stories of the bloody beast who comes in various sizes and apparently even has the ability to shape shift into a more hideous creature when cornered. As England’s leading cryptozoologist, Nick Redfern, points out, “There is one important factor to remember: Conan Doyle did not invent Britain’s phantom, fiery-eyed hounds. He merely brought them to the attention of the public in spectacularly entertaining style. In reality, the creature had been prowling around the British countryside for centuries; and particularly so Dartmoor – the fictional home of the world’s most famous hound of horror in all its awful glory.” According to Redfern the same area the imaginary Sherlock Holmes conducted his investigation around, is also, in reality, rife with ancient tales and legends of a group of diabolical and unholy creatures known as the Wisht Hounds – fearsome devil-dogs with glowing eyes and large fangs. “They are said to have a taste for both human flesh and human souls, and ride with the Devil himself, as he crosses the windswept wilds of Dartmoor late at night - and atop a headless, black horse, no less.” According to legend, the Wisht Hounds inhabit the nearby Wistman’s Woods – a sacred grove where, in centuries past, ancient druids held pagan rituals in honor of a veritable multitude of old Earth gods and goddesses. Here are dozens of accounts of devilish, gruesome, repugnant “monsters” – some of whom stand eight feet tall – who are said to be Satan’s watch dogs protecting the portals to another dimension or realm where no mortal should be made to tread!

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A Boggy Beast, Blackburn and Binnall

From good mate Tim Binnall of Binnall of America:

BoA:Audio resumes its search for cryptids with our guest Lyle Blackburn, author of The Beast of Boggy Creek. In this lengthy conversation, we'll be discussing Texarkana's Fouke Monster, made famous in the film Legend of Boggy Creek. Lyle will detail the evolution of the Fouke Monster phenomenon, the famous sighting which started a media frenzy, the filming and fallout of Beast of Boggy Creek, why the geography of the area makes it an ideal place for a large cryptid to lurk, the controversial claims of a Bigfoot skeleton found in the area, and much, much more. Altogether, it is a richly detailed conversation on one of cryptozoology's most popular, yet under-discussed, creatures as we separate Fouke Monster fact from fiction with Lyle Blackburn.

Full Preview: We kick things off with the standard bio / background and find out how Lyle Blackburn first got interested in cryptozoology and, specifically, the Fouke Monster. We then discuss how Lyle's book features numerous first-hand or second-hand accounts of Fouke Monster sightings rather than relying on newspaper reports from the time, which can be prone to sensationalism. For newcomers to the Fouke Monster mythos, we have Lyle provide a thumbnail look at the creature, detailing what witnesses claim to have seen as well as how it seems to be different from your 'standard' Bigfoot reports.

Lyle then traces the evolution of public awareness of the creature and how it led to the film The Legend of Boggy Creek. Wrapping up one last aspect of background material, we have Lyle describe the truly treacherous terrain where the Fouke Monster is said to inhabit in the Texarkana region. Turning our attention towards the lineage of the Fouke Monster, we first discuss how there are a myriad of 1960's sightings of the creature that actually pre-date the 1970's media hype that surrounded it. This leads to Lyle talking about how small a town Fouke is and really just the home to houses and farms and not much else.

Getting into some of the stories from this wave of creature sightings, we begin with Lynne Crabtree's encounter with the monster in 1965. Lyle reflects on how sightings from this period are important because the locals were both unfamiliar with the Bigfoot legend and not looking for attention or publicity surrounding their sightings of the creature. Lyle also discusses another critical note from these sightings of the 1960's in that there were witnesses who saw the creature that were merely passing through the area and, thus, not influenced by the locals who had been discussing it.

Next we follow the narrative to May of 1971, when a truly remarkable sighting led to a newspaper report which caused the Fouke Monster to both get its name and explode into the public consciousness. Lyle recounts the story which saw a veritable attack by the Fouke Monster at a family farm. We then talk about how the subsequent media frenzy led to radio stations having bounties on the Fouke Monster and people descending on the area hoping to capture the creature for the prize money.

In light of this, we muse about how this influx of hunters suggests the classic 'man in a suit' skeptic's theory is pretty weak. Following that, we discuss the best physical evidence gleaned from the Fouke Monster wave of the 1970's: a three-toed footprint discovered followed one alleged sighting of the creature. This segues into some discussion on the controversy, in the Bigfoot community, surrounding three-toed prints. The conversation then turns to the film The Legend of Boggy Creek, which was a faux documentary that fictionalized the Fouke Monster sightings and became a surprisingly massive hit.

Lyle details how the film was very unique for its time, since it was filmed using people from the area and filmed as if it were a documentary. Staying on the topic of The Legend of Boggy Creek, we reflect on how the film actually dramatized numerous real Fouke Monster sightings, but many viewers incorrectly still believe that the stories were made up by the filmmaker. We then look at the fallout from the hit movie, in that many locals felt slighted by the director, Charles Pierce, who reaped a large windfall from the film's success.

This segues into some talk about how the citizens of Fouke feel about their status as a paranormal destination and whether there is resentment, acceptance, or apathy about the Fouke Monster in modern times. Getting back to the Fouke Monster, itself, we reflect on how the locals who saw the creature described it as a Bigfoot, but never actually called it that. This segues into some talk about how there appear to be numerous type or geographically located Bigfoot creatures throughout America and the world.

We then discuss the controversial rumour / story that there was a massive skeleton discovered that may have been the creature and Lyle shares his insights into the story as well as his experience actually seeing the skeleton. This leads to some talk about why the skeleton has been essentially hidden for 20 years and perpetuating the rumours instead of released to researchers so we can determine its true nature. Lyle reveals how he took great risks to provide, in the book, the full details of the skeleton story.

Wrapping up the Fouke Monster discussion, we talk about how the sightings of the creature have continued to this day, despite most people thinking it was an isolated series of events confined to the 60's and 70's. Lyle talks about how the film galvanized interest in the creature while also allowing for the media and skeptics to dismiss it. Given that the creature has apparently been migrating over the years, we have Lyle speculate on where the Fouke monster may be lurking today.

Lyle also talks about the connection between rainfall and monster sightings and speculates on why this connection seems to appear. Looking at another recurring theme from the Fouke monster sightings, which is tales of shooting at the creature, and we ponder if that was simply bravado on the part of the witnesses or if it tells us additional information about the beast's abilities.

This leads to a discussion on the infamous 'kill v. no kill' debate in cryptozoology with regards to Bigfoot and we find out where Lyle stands on that longstanding argument. We also talk about how the Fouke monster is a prime candidate for being hit by a car, since it appears to cross roads with tremendous frequency. In light of the location of the Fouke monster and its 'swampy' description, we also ponder if there may be a connection to Florida's Swamp Ape phenomenon. Heading towards the close, we talk about some of the theories as to what the Fouke monster is and how Lyle has managed to dismiss most of the theories as simply extreme possibilities put forward by skeptics.

We also talk about how the advent of the Internet has allowed for a great deal more information about the Fouke monster being available for researchers looking to investigate the creature. We also ask Lyle our classic cryptozoologist question, where he tells us his ideal plan of action, should money be limitless, to nab the Fouke monster. Wrapping up the interview, we reflect on how difficult it is to spot the creature, since the area is also teeming with insects during the Summer which prevents extensive exploration. Lyle also teases a potential sequel to the book as well as documentary films about the Fouke Monster.

The Monster of Glamis

Over at my regular Lair of the Beasts column at Mania.com, I take a look at the controversial saga of the Monster of Glamis...

When The Zombies Attack

Ever wondered how you might survive in a real zombie outbreak? Well, in my latest post for EHow.co.uk I have a few ideas...

UFOs and Strange Creatures

What is the connection between Bigfoot, lake-monsters and UFOs? Is there a connection? And if so, what might it be? Well, these are a few of the things I take a look at in my latest Mysterious Universe post. It's one that will hardly please fans of mainstream Cryptozoology or Ufology.

That's ok though. Who the hell wants to go through life saying the right thing to appease the right person at the right time? If I wanted to do that, I'd enter politics. Fortunately, I have no interest in such tedious aspirations!

Red Pill Junkie Insights

Over at the blog of Intrepid magazine, Red Pill Junkie has a new post that I urge one and all to read. It starts with the words below and takes us down some very winding and strange pathways - as it should!

"When you spend enough time in the Fortean realm, you start to amass a great deal of information allegedly transmitted by a varied cornucopia of other-worldly sources: channeled material, psychic dreams, close encounters of the 3rd or 4rd kind, medium séances, Ouija board sessions, and a long etcetera. Determining the validity of this information can be as taxing as finding reliable data on the Internet —in fact even more so.

"I don’t ascribe nor endorse the easy routes when it comes to these mysteries. Both the skeptical dismissal of ‘transmitted’ material as either hoaxes or mental delusions, as well as the uncritical acceptance of the cult-like groups that tend to gather around the ‘transmitters’ equally upset me."

Rich Reynolds: MIB Thoughts

In a new post at The UFO Iconoclast(s), Rich Reynolds delves deep into the puzzle of the Men in Black, and suggests that, perhaps, evidence of their sinister actions dates way before many have even begun to suspect. But, they may not have always dressed in black...

Rich kicks off as follows:

"The Men in Black, whom Nick Redfern has documented rather fully in his book, The Real Men in Black, have been with mankind for a lot longer than surmised.

"They ensued right after the dawn of civilization, if The Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) and various myths have any reportorial accuracy.

"The modern-day MIB phenomenon began with Gray Barker’s introduction of them in his 1956 book, They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers.

"However, those versed in early religious and mythological tales know that Men in Black types have ponced on humanity well before 1956."

And here's where you can find the rest of Rich's thought-provoking post.

The Authentic Book Of Ultra-Terrestrial Contacts

In a new article at UFO Digest, Sean Casteel begins:

"There has always been a semantic problem about just what to call the UFO occupants. For the most part, the generally agreed on term is 'aliens,' though everyone from Whitley Strieber to the late Budd Hopkins believed the term is inadequate to accurately describe just whom we are dealing with in such cases.

"Timothy Green Beckley of Global Communications recently published a book called 'The Authentic Book Of Ultra-Terrestrial Contacts' in which he argues that the UFO community should be open to calling the creatures from the unknown 'Ultra-Terrestrials' and that we should more closely examine the idea that they come from right here on Earth.

"The term 'Ultra-Terrestrials' did not originate with Beckley, who referred me to an article on a website called 'Unexplained Mysteries,' specifically a piece written by Ken Korczak called 'Ultra-Terrestrials: Do They Walk Among Us?'”

And here's the link to the complete article.

MIB vs Non-MIB

As I demonstrate in my latest post for Mysterious Universe, not all Men in Black are actually Men in Black...

Amazingly Roswell-like!

Dr. Dave Clarke has an excellent new post at his blog that you should not miss. And, if you do, I'll send the MIB around "for a chat."

This is a very good article that tells us a great deal about how real events can become mixed in with folklore, rumor and much more - to the point where a tale of near-Roswell proportions develops.

Dave begins like this:

"Picture the scene: A shepherd visiting a remote area stumbles upon strange wreckage strewn across the ground which could be the remains of a crashed spaceship. The debris consists of pieces of unusual metal and strange drawings. On reporting his find at the local police station, search teams and military personnel descend on the area. The wreckage disappears – no one knows where – and civilians are told to ‘keep quiet about it.’

"You are probably thinking ‘Roswell, New Mexico, 1947’.

"But no, this incident occurred in the Scottish Highlands one spring morning in 1962. It has uncanny links to its American cousin, even down to the ‘cover story’ used hide the true identity and purpose of the ‘crashed spaceship.’"

And here's where you can find the complete article on what I am very tempted to call "McRoswell."

But, that wouldn't be politically correct, would it? Well, I've never been a fan of political correctness anyway...

One final thing: who doubts that, fifty years from now, there will be no less than seventeen books available on this affair? It will be discussed in hallowed tones where the UFO faithful gather. And the Ministry of Defense will try and lay it all to rest with confusing tales of weather balloons and (when the "bodies" angle finally surfaces, as it inevitably will one day) crash-test dummies.

The new Roswell: surely destined to become the same as the old one! Methinks that means it's time to slit my wrists!

Lurking in the River Lea

In a cool new piece of online footage, great mate Richard Freeman of the Center for Fortean Zoology goes on a quest to seek out the strange creature of England's River Lea...

Is there an alligator on the loose? A marauding crocodile? A goliath-sized catfish? Will Richard solve the mystery? Or will he become the next unfortunate victim of the Lovecraftian nightmare?

Well, you'll have to see for yourself!

And for those Forteans out there who have an interest in so-called "Window Areas," my 1999 book, Cosmic Crashes, includes a section on British Ministry of Defense files on the alleged crash of a UFO in the very same River Lea in 1964!

It's a funny old world...

Random Encounters With The Unusual

"Random encounters with the unusual is a repository for the oddities that me and Mrs J have encountered on our travels, which we find interesting or amusing in some way. Have a look, maybe you will find something interesting," says blogger Paul Jackson.

This is not a blog solely focused upon Forteana, but is an excellent, varied, entertaining and highly intriguing blog that is filled with fascinating folklore, cool photos and much humor. Oh, yes, and downright, surreal weirdness too!

Paul has only recently established the blog, but it already has a cool identity and vibe, and it's one that I would urge you to keep checking out!

The Cryptos Conundrum - Reviewed

Over at Silver Screen Saucers, Shepherd Johnson reviews the new novel, The Cryptos Conundrum, from CIA man Chase Brandon. If you have been following the recent controversy, you'll know much of the background to this novel and why it has been the subject of so much debate. If you haven't, until now, well, you're in for a world of intrigue!

Here's the link to Johnson's review. And I'll give you a clue on the nature of his review: he's not impressed!

Wolfen, Wulver, Whitley and Wolfmen

Karl Shuker has a very cool new post over at his blog on the subject of Werewolves, Wulver, Whitley Strieber's The Wolfen, and much more.

If, like me, tales of Werewolves in the real world fascinate you, check it out!

An Essex Beast

For devotees of cryptozoological-fiction, you may want to get hold of a copy of Martin Black's Beast - The Beast of Essex.

As the author notes:

"Beast - The Beast of Essex is a relatively short modern mystery thriller based upon real life experiences, eyewitness accounts and written statements that have been accumulated during the period from 1989 to 2010. It commences with the activities of an animal research centre located in Essex back in the mid to late eighties with information taken from web based forums and articles reported in local and national newspapers. The focus then switches to a group of beer loving friends who try to incorporate their passion for their chosen sport (cycling) into their weekly work routine. This brings them into conflict with an unknown danger that has been living and evolving in the Essex countryside for the last two decades. It’s not all serious though, there’s an element of humour to lighten the mood where applicable."

Here's where you can find just about all the info you'll need on the book.

Those Damned Dogs!

This weekend's Lair of the Beasts column from me at Mania.com focuses on one of Britain's oldest and most legendary of all strange creatures: the glowing-eyed black dog.

I start out like this:

"For centuries, the ghostly Black Dog, or Devil Dog, has been an integral part of British folklore and mythology, as well as the world of monster-hunting. Generally described as being much larger than any normal hound, its coat is utterly black, its eyes blaze like fiery, red-hot coals, and its appearance and presence is often perceived as an ominous portent of disaster, tragedy, and death. In other words, the Black Dog of Britain is the grim reaper in animal form."

And here's the complete post.

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!

A Pyramids/Pentagon Lecture

On Saturday, September 29, I'll be lecturing on my book, The Pyramids and the Pentagon at the Austin, Texas-based Austin Center for Spiritual Living at 5555 North Lamar, Suite D-117.

The event will run from 7PM to 9PM and should be a good one. And if you're coming along, let me know!

Here's all the info...

Monstrous Killers

From today's Anomalist:

"Have Vietnam¹s Wildmen Killed Humans? Cryptomundo. Loren Coleman shares a story from artist Jeff H. Johnson concerning reports of wildmen seeking revenge for the killing of their kind in Vietnam. There is an equally disturbing story in the comments about US soldiers in Vietnam having to recover bodies quickly because "apes" would come out of the forest and eat them. As the commenter says, "there are no apes in Vietnam". Coleman points out that there could very well be a lot more of these sorts of stories from that part of the world but we will likely never hear them."

Singing for England

Nope, don't worry, I'm not the one singing. That's something to spare just about everyone! I'm talking about the anthems chosen for the England football team in the World Cup and Euro. And it's the subject of my latest Top 10 for EHow.co.uk.