Writing Exchange

0 posts0 participants0 posts today

Sharon of the Strange TimesFrom The Simpsons to Werner Herzog: the coolest, craziest, scariest Nessies ever <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/popcryptid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#popcryptid</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/mar/24/simpsons-werner-herzog-nessie-nessies-david-lean-loch-ness-monster" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/mar/24/simpsons-werner-herzog-nessie-nessies-david-lean-loch-ness-monster</a>

Sharon A. HillPop Cryptid Spectator 10Welcome to PCS number 10. Spring is nearly here. I can tell because I’ve been noticing a number of media reports ramping up for cryptid spotting. A key feature of pop cryptids is the idea that they are in your neighborhood and should be celebrated and marketed. So, I’m sharing some examples of these observations in this Spectator, as well as past and future ones. If you spot one from your area, drop me a message! In this edition:<ul><li>California’s Bigfoot law – Spot the Sasquatch</li><li>The British Bigfoot</li><li>Wisconsin’s New Cryptid and Paranormal Convention</li><li>Mothman-flavored chips</li><li>First Nessie sighting of the year</li></ul>California’s Bigfoot law – Spot the SasquatchHere is an update to <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-9/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PCS #9 issue</a> that covered the proposed bill to make Bigfoot the official cryptid of California. While I explained that it makes sense to market your local famous monster for tourism dollars, the truth about this proposal appears to be much more… umm, shallow and dumb. In an <a href="https://www.times-standard.com/2025/03/04/california-bill-bigfoot/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">article for a local CA paper,</a> the assemblyman who introduced the bill admits that it was supposed to be a bit of a joke in terms of a “spot” or placeholder bill:<blockquote>“…[W]e thought that it would be especially funny to introduce a spot bill regarding Bigfoot because typically spot bills disappear. We thought we would go over-the-top with AB 666 and that down the road if we needed to, we could amend the bill and tell people, ‘Bigfoot disappears; Bigfoot’s elusive.’”</blockquote>Yeah, funny – wasting time with phony legislation. Hilarious, except the bill got a lot of attention. Now it’s not much of a joke. The article goes on to note how deeply ingrained the Bigfoot belief is to the county. A volunteer for the Willow Creek China Flat Museum said that they had visitors from all ages and from around the world, noting the boost gained from TV shows:<blockquote>“I think it’s generational. Every generation it seems to get legs again,” Nelson said. “A friend of mine who has a shop in Willow Creek that has some Bigfoot memorabilia was noticing that he was having grown adult (visitors), parents that were influenced by ‘In Search of …’ with Leonard Nimoy, and their children were motivated by or inspired by ‘Finding Bigfoot.’“We have so many YouTube creators that come through. There are maybe four or five individual YouTube creators that filmed Bluff Creek content over the summer. It’s continual.”</blockquote>So the Gen Xers had In Search Of… and the Millennials had Finding Bigfoot! The beat goes on with YouTubers and TikTokkers.Wisconsin’s New Cryptid and Paranormal ConventionOne new event this year is the Wisconsin Cryptids, Anomalies, and Paranormal Convention. This is organized by a local paranormal society: Cryptids, Anomalies and the Paranormal Society (CAPS). From <a href="https://gopresstimes.com/stories/exploring-the-unexplained,256218" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a media report</a>: <blockquote>“Cryptids, Anomalies and the Paranormal Society is a research-based group out of Wisconsin,” said Barnaby Jones, founder and lead researcher for CAPS. “We research all aspects of the paranormal — UFOs, Bigfoot, the Beast of Bray Road, Mothman — any kind of creatures that are currently unidentified by modern science.”“I’ve always been interested in the paranormal, ever since I was young,” he said. “I’ve always been interested in cryptids as well — the undiscovered animals. When I was younger, I always thought that Bigfoot was out in the Pacific Northwest. I never realized that he had been sighted in all 49 states aside from Hawaii.</blockquote>There are a few notable items in these quotes. First, “I’ve always been interested in the paranormal” is a phrase uttered countless times. I could say it for myself, and if you are reading this, there is a good chance to you can also attest to it. Once the itch to read more about the mysterious and unexplained gets to you, it forever needs to be scratched. For Gen Xers and later, we were provided with plenty of paranormal media in books, on TV, and then on the internet, to stoke interest. This is a primary reason why paranormal events are so popular and making money! It’s nostalgic for many and feeds into the chosen identity for others.Next, it’s important to note, once again, the association of cryptids with paranormal topics. More than ever, there is little to reference regarding the zoology of cryptids. The idea of it rings hollow even though it’s mentioned quite a bit by speakers invited to these conventions. Even though the phrase “modern science” is used in terms of investigating a cryptid, this is lip service only, as nothing in these town festivals is scientific; it is entirely cultural.Finally, “Bigfoot was out in the Pacific Northwest” until suddenly, it was in every state. This is something I have heard verbatim from those not interested in cryptids but just living their lives and finding cryptids were in their backyard. They were shocked to learn that Bigfoot research was taking place in their state – Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio. In the 1970s, Bigfoot’s relations were noted nationwide and if you had what you considered to be a Bigfoot experience, it would not be considered that weird.These points are essential to the framing of Pop Goes the Cryptid. The creatures became part of every small town and you knew of it. Then, everyone else knew of it too. Cryptid festivals capitalize on this knowledge and a pride in the local monster that reflects what it means to live in this state or town.An <a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/cryptid-town-festivals/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">updated list of cryptid festivals is kept at Modern Cryptozoology </a>where I continue to update it as new events are publicized.The British BigfootNot only has Bigfoot spread to every US state and much of Canada, but it also made its way across the ocean to Britain. With England being a very unlikely place for a forest-dwelling wilderness creature to live, <a href="https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a63703292/british-bigfoot" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this great article from Esquire</a> explains that you can pinpoint the surge in popularity of the British Bigfoot to 2015, associated with the arrival of the Finding Bigfoot crew. <blockquote>“By the late 2010s, everywhere in the UK seemed to have a Bigfoot. Cryptid enthusiast Andy McGrath’s 2017 book Beasts of Britain is full of tales of people’s experiences and most sightings are reported as happening after 2010. Among these eyewitness accounts are the Box Hill Ape, the Haslingden Chewbacca and the Ape-Man of Scotland’s Abernethy Forest.”</blockquote>Not to burst anyone’s balloon, but this is obviously a cultural phenomenon that has been easily adapted to fill the “wildman” niche for this part of the world.<blockquote>“There’s a specific bucolic undercurrent in all these sightings, a notion that Bigfoot is a link back to a lost Britain — Edenic, gentle and free of urban sprawl. Believing that Bigfoot is happily sloping through forests and across hillsides makes our country feel like a more beautiful, rural place; at the same time, the improbability of his existence makes us mourn a landscape that is long lost. He’s a ghost of who we were before all the dark satanic mills and whatnot sprang up….He makes mundane surroundings seem vivid with possibility.”</blockquote>The article keys in on the internet, particularly YouTube, that has aided in population Britain with Bigfoots. The proponents argue among themselves, disputing the legitimacy of tales and the reality of the creature. As is typical, when the zoology doesn’t make sense, the fallback is to the paranormal explanations, or what I call <a href="https://sharonahill.com/supernatural-creep/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Supernatural Creep</a>. People are insistent on what they saw, but because that doesn’t make natural sense, they drift to the para-natural to explain it rather than give up the belief. What are people seeing? It’s impossible to say except to note they are seeing what they believe in. Back in the day, they might have said they saw fairies and, not too long ago, ghosts or aliens. Today, it’s Bigfoot, because he’s reported to be literally everywhere, but found nowhere.Mothman flavored chipsI don’t know if I can keep up with all the Mothman inspired products these days. The iconic creature is constantly featured in so many products including clothing, candles, and cocktails. Might as well capitalize on the popularity, right? Mister Bee’s, a snack company from West Virginia <a href="https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/business/2025/03/beast-of-intentions-mister-bee-hopes-mothman-style-potato-chips-start-flying-off-shelves/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has introduced a potato chip flavor inspired by the cryptid legend</a>. The spice blend is undisclosed but available locally in the Parkersburg area of WV. It will be statewide in time for Point Pleasant’s Mothman Festival in September, where I’m sure it will be a hit. First Nessie sighting of the yearScottish <a href="https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/loch-ness-monster-is-this-the-first-sighting-of-nessie-in-2-376032/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">media outlets report</a> the exciting news that Nessie has been seen for the first time in 2025. It seems the news brings with it hope that it will be a banner year for the creature. It doesn’t take much. The evidence for Nessie is found in ambiguous photos and dramatic eyewitness accounts, which is plenty to keep attention on one of the world’s most famous and beloved cryptids. This new account comes from the Loch Ness Centre, a key tourist destination that offers a museum of history and boat trips. An unnamed witness observed what appeared to be a dark form beneath the calm, still waters of the loch. The account leaves many questions, though. A photo accompanied the story, showing a dark blob under the water that is not exactly “calm”. The object actually does not look particularly large considering the size of the waves (which are probably 10-12 inches, at most). The pixellation suggested the photo was greately zoomed and cropped. With the witness remaining unnamed, the photo is credited to the Centre, not the photographer. Hmm…. Off to a good start for tourist season, though! To the critical viewer, however, the image is entirely unimpressive. Thanks for reading! Send comments, questions, or suggestions to sharon(at)sharonahill.com. If you want to send some cryptid plushies or other merch, or books to review, email for my physical mailing address.For more, click on <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-goes-the-cryptid/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop goes the Cryptid landing page</a>. Make sure you <a href="https://sharonahill.com/subscribe-to-posts/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe </a>to all the posts – it’s always free and I don’t send annoying spam. Pop Cryptid Spectator is also available on <a href="https://sharonahill.substack.com" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Substack</a>. Please share this with cryptid fans you know! Pop Cryptid Spectator <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-9/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 9</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-9/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 9</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-8/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 8</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-8/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 8</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-7/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 7</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-7/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 7</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-issue-6/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 6</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-issue-6/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 6</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-5/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 5</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-5/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 5</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-4/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 4</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-4/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 4</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-3/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 3</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-3/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 3</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-2/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 2</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-2/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 2</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-1/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 1</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-1/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 1</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/bigfoot/" target="_blank">#Bigfoot</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/british-bigfoot/" target="_blank">#BritishBigfoot</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptid/" target="_blank">#cryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptid-festivals/" target="_blank">#cryptidFestivals</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptozoology/" target="_blank">#Cryptozoology</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/loch-ness/" target="_blank">#LochNess</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/loch-ness-monster/" target="_blank">#LochNessMonster</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/mothman-chips/" target="_blank">#MothmanChips</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/nessie-sighting/" target="_blank">#NessieSighting</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-cryptid/" target="_blank">#popCryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-cryptid-spectator/" target="_blank">#PopCryptidSpectator</a><a href="https://sharonahill.com/?p=9665" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://sharonahill.com/?p=9665</a>

Sharon A. HillPop Cryptid Spectator 8Welcome to the Pop Cryptid Spectator no. 8. This edition illustrates more examples of how cryptids are an integral part of culture, if you are in town, in the woods, on or offline. In this edition:<ul><li>Bigfoot proposed as California’s official cryptid</li><li>Monster Snap VR Game</li><li>What is a “cryptoid”?</li><li>Fakelore to folklore: The Rake</li></ul>Bigfoot proposed as California’s official cryptidThe big(foot) news this week was the introduction of a bill in the California Assembly to name Bigfoot as an the official cryptid of California. On February 14, 2025, Chris Rogers (Democrat) proposed bill <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB666" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AB 666</a>*: <blockquote>Existing law establishes the state flag and the state’s emblems, including, among other things, the golden poppy as the official state flower and the California redwood as the official state tree.This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would designate Bigfoot as the official state cryptid.</blockquote>*Bigfoot could be the “mountain or wood devil” if you are predisposed to never seeing a coincidence. Some people didn’t respond positively to the news, noticing that California has <a href="https://californiaglobe.com/fl/california-assemblyman-proposes-bigfoot-as-official-state-large-hairy-mythical-creature/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more important things to attend to right now</a> and in the foreseeable future. But state legislators are overly fond of such memorial acts, and regularly waste time pushing them through. <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/california-bigfoot-law-chris-rogers-2032634" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">California already has 42 official state symbols</a>. Why not another one? The symbolic gestures provide recognition and anchors the symbols to the state.Rogers’ represents the Northern part of the state that is heavily associated with Bigfoot and benefits already from the link. Humboldt County includes Bluff Creek, the location of the infamous Patterson-Gimlin film from 1967, and nearby Willow Creek, home of huge Bigfoot Daze festival. Willow Creek was the place where Bigfoot supposedly made its historic entrance into American popular culture when in 1958, loggers found giant footprints that were reported in the local Humboldt Times, giving the unknown creature the name “Bigfoot”. Therefore, it does make sense that Rogers’ would like to cement this notoriety. The effort clearly is intended to encourage tourism from those people who believe, or just really want to believe, the forest still hides a mysterious creature that, like some supernatural being, has remained hidden and magical. Rogers’ noted that Bigfoot “generates buzz and interest from outdoor enthusiasts,” more so than other cryptids. He’s not wrong.Washington and Oregon, however, may have a beef about it, but there is no reason why Bigfoot can’t also be their official cryptid. Heck, Bigfoot or its relations have been reported spotted in every US state with the possible exception of Hawaii. Bigfoot is the top US, for sure.More from <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/northcoast/article/california-takes-steps-toward-officially-20175812.php" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SF Gate</a> and from the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/new-california-bill-make-big-foot-state-cryptid-20176146.php" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SF Chronicle</a>.Monster Snap VR gameA new virtual reality game coming in 2026 promises to give you a chance to collect photo evidence of cryptids. Monster Snap maroons you in the Bermuda Triangle where mysterious secrets are hidden. (Gosh, this is SO OLD. But I guess having a bunch of mysterious secrets existing in a single named location is convenient.) You can also encounter Bigfoot and spot Nessie. For PC-VR and Meta Quest 2 & 3.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYMAgt6k8q0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYMAgt6k8q0</a>What is a “cryptoid”?If you peruse online cryptid content, you may sometimes see the term “cryptoid”. It struck me as a possibly useful term to distinguish between sci-cryptids (those viewed with a zoological lens) and the fantastical or folkloric version of cryptids (such as mermaids, dragons, shapeshifters, jackalopes, etc.). So I took a look into where the term might have come from and how it’s used.The suffix “-oid” means “similar to” or “likeness”, giving us words like “planetoid”, “humanoid” and “factoid”. It can also be a way to make an interesting derogatory word sometimes referring to a particular ideology or group of people as in “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizoid_personality_disorder" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">schizoid</a>” or “<a href="https://skeptoid.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">skeptoid</a>“. Or just a fun suffix for made up things like “<a href="https://tremors.fandom.com/wiki/Graboid" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">graboid</a>“.According to Loren Coleman, whom I found <a href="http://www.cryptozoonews.com/cryptid-vs-cryptoid/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">had addressed the question of the difference between a cryptid and a cryptoid back in 2011</a>, he seems to think it’s mostly a mistaken attempt to mean “cryptid”. In a way, “cryptoid” works when someone is intending a humorous or monstrous description of a mystery creature. But it will be confusing if not consistently used that way.“Cryptoid phenomena” was a term used by Emile Boirac beginning around 1918 to refer to hidden psychic abilities. Later, it also comes up as the term “cryptoID”, which can ruin your search results. But there are a few books in the 2000s that intentionally use “cryptoid” as a humorous term (as with comics or monster-related art) or simply as a strange error by self-published writers who didn’t have an editor. (Worse than that, some even more careless will use “crypoids” [sic].) Unless it’s used in a more deliberate sense, it seems to be an indicator that the user isn’t well versed on “cryptids”.A graph of “cryptoid” use per decade. The 1920s represents the Boirac references. The use is also creeping up since the 2000s. Finallly, “Cryptoid” is an official trademarked name of <a href="https://atticusllc.com/atticus-grows-its-crop-protection-lineup-with-cryptoid-xl/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a pyrethroid insecticide</a>. (There’s the -oid again, meaning similar to the natural pesticide pyrethrum.) The trademark makes me jettison the nub of an idea to use the word to mean cryptid-like. Hope you enjoyed this rather strange etymology lesson.P.S. Remember the “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Noid" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">noid</a>“? Um, on second thought, avoid the noid. Fakelore to folklore: The RakeCryptid Wiki <a href="https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Cryptid_Wiki:Creepypasta_policy" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">explicitly rejects</a> discussion on “creepypasta monsters such as slenderman, herobrine, the rake”. This is understandable as there is a flood of new creatures invented all the time. To include them would dilute the idea of cryptids. Creepypasta is related to digital transmission of fictional tales. CW also rejects outright fictional characters from books and films as well. While it’s reasonable to mark, say, Cthulhu as an inappropriate cryptid, there are many examples where it’s not easy to draw an objective line. The Rake is the prime example of a creepypasta creature. The spark was set in motion on 4Chan and then the idea morphed from there. It was formalized, and given a fictional history, in <a href="https://www.creepypasta.com/the-rake/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a story from 2009</a> as a pale hairless humanoid, often spindly in appearance, with small sharp teeth, black voids as eyes, and an unnerving disjointed look, and highly agile way of moving on all fours.The description and characteristics varied as the stories spread online. It was described similar to slenderman, without a defined face, watching in the background, often in suburban areas. Originally described as a “crawler”, it acquired the name “rake” a bit later and eventually was associated with shapeshifters and “fleshgaits”, as a generally unpleasant entity. It also is not that far from depictions of modern aliens. The lore has grown and evolved online and, as such, I currently can’t find a great resource for the Rake. As time goes on, you can see overlap and blending of creatures with similar features and stories (pale crawlers, skinwalker, wendigo, etc.), and these all diverge widely from the original tales. The rake continues to grow in popularity and is often listed as a cryptid.A photo circulated widely in 2010 of a pale crawling creature framed as a “swamp monster” captured on a trail camera in Berwick, Louisiana. It was discussed (however seriously or not) as a real or hoaxed thing in the woods. At the time, <a href="https://sharonahill.com/louisiana-swamp-monster-hoax/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">my opinion</a> was that it was a manipulated image using a digital model. In a short while, this picture became labeled as a rake and the story of the image in the swamp morphed into other tales as well.The Berwick incident photo. A hoax that became linked to the rake.A problem arises when creepypasta or “mythical” creatures are seen by people. Long ago, people swore to having real experiences with fairies and dragons. Today, we have many people attesting that they see werewolves (often in the form of dogmen). There is a popular suggestion that fictional beings are thought into existence; that is, since so many people hear about them and visualize them, they manifest themselves into our reality. This is also known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulpa" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tulpa</a> origin of cryptids.The fictional origins of creepypasta monsters can get lost if they are removed from their original context and are mistaken for genuine eyewitness stories. This video embedded below is a good rundown of the history of the rake, though I have not confirmed the details and dates. (They do sound right, but you might want to ignore most of the visuals.) Also, the title portrays the rake as the “first Internet cryptid” – eh, I’m not buying that as the chupacabra from 1992 and others since may more rightly deserves that title. It is a good explanation of why it’s can be difficult to differentiate the rake as a cryptid.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x7k4hjDBwU" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x7k4hjDBwU</a>People claim to encounter the rake, even though it’s fiction. It is unclear if they are telling what they think is the truth or just playing along in a shared manufactured reality. The phenomenon of creepypasta creatures showing up in the real world seems similar to the true story of a made-up April Fools song on a Michigan radio station in 1987 that resulted in a wave of stories from the past and continuing today about the Dogman.Where can we draw the line for when a fictional creature can exist under the “cryptid” label? Cryptids are liminal creatures, and they deftly pass between the realms of real and fiction. The label is a dependent on the moment in time when people report, and others believe, that the creature could exist in our reality. Thanks for reading! Send comments, questions, or suggestions to popcryptid(at)proton.me. If you want to send some cryptid plushies or other merch, or books to review, email for my physical mailing address.For more, click on <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-goes-the-cryptid/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop goes the Cryptid landing page</a>. Make sure you <a href="https://sharonahill.com/subscribe-to-posts/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe </a>to all the posts – it’s always free and I don’t send annoying spam. Pop Cryptid Spectator is also available on <a href="https://sharonahill.substack.com" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Substack</a>. Please share this with cryptid fans you know! Pop Cryptid Spectator <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-7/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 7</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-7/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 7</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-issue-6/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator Issue 6</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-issue-6/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator Issue 6</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-5/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 5</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-5/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 5</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-4/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 4</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-4/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 4</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-3/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 3</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-3/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 3</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-2/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 2</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-2/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 2</a> <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-1/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 1</a> <a class="" href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-1/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Cryptid Spectator 1</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/ab-666/" target="_blank">#AB666</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/bigfoot/" target="_blank">#Bigfoot</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/california/" target="_blank">#California</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptoid/" target="_blank">#cryptoid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/fakelore/" target="_blank">#Fakelore</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/monster-snap/" target="_blank">#MonsterSnap</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-cryptid/" target="_blank">#popCryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-cryptid-spectator/" target="_blank">#PopCryptidSpectator</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-goes-the-cryptid/" target="_blank">#PopGoesTheCryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/rake/" target="_blank">#rake</a><a href="https://sharonahill.com/?p=9570" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://sharonahill.com/?p=9570</a>

Sharon of the Strange TimesCalifornia Legislator Wants Bigfoot To Be The Newest State Symbol - Times of San Diego <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/popcryptid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#popcryptid</a> <a href="https://timesofsandiego.com/life/2025/02/20/california-legislator-wants-bigfoot-to-be-the-newest-state-symbol/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://timesofsandiego.com/life/2025/02/20/california-legislator-wants-bigfoot-to-be-the-newest-state-symbol/</a>

Sharon A. HillPop Cryptid Spectator 7Welcome to the Pop Cryptid Spectator no. 7. This edition is chock full of news, media, and pop cryptid information. Cryptid popularity is exploding. Even old cryptid ideas are resurfacing in new ways all the time, as we’ll see regarding sea serpents and living dinosaurs. Books, movies, internet content, and music work to spread the modern concepts of cryptids, leaving behind crusty old ideas of “unknown animals” and repackaging them as new and exciting entities that share whatever “reality” we wish to embrace.In this edition:<ul><li>Cryptozoology diploma</li><li>Saxsquatch in Rolling Stone</li><li>Past and future of Small Town Monsters</li><li>Modern resurgence of mokele-mbembe</li><li>Fresno Nightcrawler on Monstrum – Is it a cryptid?</li><li>Frogman Festival in March</li><li>Cryptid biographies</li><li>Book review: A Natural History of Sea Serpents</li></ul>Cryptozoology DiplomaA participant on the Forteana Forums on the <a href="https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/pop-goes-the-cryptid.71269/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Goes the Cryptid thread</a> pointed me to a “Cryptozoology diploma” provided by <a href="https://www.centreofexcellence.com/shop/cryptozoology-diploma-course/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Centre for Excellence online shop</a>. You can take a (paid) course that claims to teach you to able to “decide whether lake monsters, sea serpents, Thunderbirds and other mythical monsters are rumours or a reality”. That is, if your really need to pay for that! This tip was in response to the item in last <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-cryptid-spectator-issue-6/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PCS 6</a> exposing the ridiculous article on the Indeed job search site regarding “How to Become a Cryptozoologist”. This “diploma” is worthless as credentials but might be fun if you like learning new things you don’t known anything about. And, it shows just how mainstream the topic is. Unfortunately, <a href="https://sharonahill.com/a-class-in-cryptozoology-when-you-know-too-much/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">as I discovered with a similar course</a>, I can safely assume the instruction is terrible, the source material is low quality and full of errors, and the effort might make you more misinformed than educated in the topic.Saxquatch in Rolling StoneRegarding the Saxsquatch story from last week, he then appeared as a <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/saxsquatch-youtube-bigfoot-tour-1235267095/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creature Feature in Rolling Stone</a>. He’s a very BIG deal!Past and Future of STMYou really can’t talk about the spread of cryptids in popular culture in the US without recognizing <a href="https://www.smalltownmonsters.com/about" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Small Town Monsters</a>, a production company founded by Seth Breedlove and friends, that has been making documentary films for 10 years now. They make little-known cryptids into icons, small towns into tourist attractions. I was a big fan of STM films starting with The Minerva Monster (Ohio) and Beast of Whitehall (New York). Since those early projects, it’s become increasingly difficult to keep track of, let alone watch, all the various monster and paranormal content that they put out. Every time I watch a new film or YouTube series episode, I see familiar faces from the field of high strangeness, and I learn new things. While STM prides themselves on being the only company who take an “objective” approach to their subjects, making an effort to let the witnesses and researchers do the talking, they have <a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2024/07/20/the-dogman-triangle-lurches-to-the-paranormal-side/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slanted more towards the extreme paranormal stuff</a> as time has gone on. This tendency, however, is the normal trajectory of Pop Cryptids, so it’s altogether possible that STM isn’t just riding the wave, but also helping to steer the boat.Seth has produced a new intro video for this year explaining some of the challenges to the small company, mainly distribution issues, that shed light on the seemingly chaotic release schedule. He also gives a preview of the movies for 2025.<ul><li>The Kinderhook Creature is a story about a Bigfoot that terrorized families in the Catskills of New York in the 1980s. I am unfamiliar with this story which Breedlove calls “Minerva Monster writ large”. I fully expect the film treatment will launch this cryptid into the popular sphere.</li><li>Dawn of the Dogman promises to explore the origins of the Michigan dogman, which is known to have been popularized by a hoax story put into song. Breedlove says that Linda Godfrey was consulted on the project prior to <a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2022/11/28/linda-godfrey-1951-2022/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">her death in 2022</a>. Again, really looking forward to this topic since Dogman is the current king of Pop Cryptids.</li><li>From the Beyond: The Bennington Triangle will take on the array of different phenomena reported in this area of southern Vermont. Window areas are of particular interest to me related to my <a href="https://sharonahill.com/spookygeology/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spooky Geology</a> niche. <a href="https://sharonahill.com/triangle-trope-of-vermont-bennington/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">I have written about the Bennington Triangle</a>. </li></ul>You can see Monster Chronicles: The Past and Future of STM on YouTube<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE7xW4yfN5c" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE7xW4yfN5c</a>Modern resurgence of mokele-mbembeSyfy website put out <a href="https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/is-there-a-dinosaur-hiding-out-in-the-congo-rainforest" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an article</a> regarding the claim of living dinosaurs in the African Congo River Basin. The most famous of these is mokele-mbembe, which cryptozoologists interpret as a potential sauropod dinosaur. The article is, as you will often find, clickbait promotion, in this case linked to the next upcoming Jurassic Park franchise movie. It piggy backs off a <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/congo-basin-mokele-mbembe-deforestation" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nat Geo article from early February about deforestation</a>. Due to this environmental condition, encounters between locals and wildlife are becoming more frequent. People aren’t all that used to being so close to elephants and gorillas and seem to be attributing sounds and experiences to the folklore creature instead.<blockquote>“In bigger settlements where habitats are being pushed into and people aren’t used to seeing large animals, they’re suddenly encountering them all the time,” says Laura Vlachova, a Czech conservationist. “It’s these people who tell me they’ve seen mokele-mbembe. I think what it really shows is how folklore is starting to reflect the reality of a shrinking ecosystem.”</blockquote>Fresno Nightcrawler on Monstrum – Is it a cryptid?Monstrum is a very popular PBS produced series on folklore creatures. The latest episode is on Pop Cryptid star, the Fresno Nightcrawler – a creature known from a grainy video from 2007 that shows a pale entity made up almost entirely of billowy legs and maybe a really tiny head on top. Host Emily Zarka can’t decide whether this is a “cryptid” or not, first calling it that but then suggesting it’s something else. She defines a cryptid as a biological creature that people say exists but science hasn’t documented, which, as I have shown in previous issues of PCS, can be problematic. The old school idea of a cryptid is zoological, however, the nightcrawler doesn’t seem to be perambulating anywhere near the path of zoological discovery. Mostly <a href="https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4826" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">perceived as a hoax</a>, I have seen some attempts to recreate it – digitally and manually. But nothing quite works. So the Nightcrawler remains a fun and creepy mystery. But, is it a cryptid?<ul><li>Yes. People claim to encounter the creature in other areas after the original Fresno incident came to light. If we consider cryptids as a mysterious and unrecognized creature that, supported by anecdotal (and bad video) evidence, then it’s a cryptid.</li><li>Yes. Even if the supposition is that it’s an alien or spirit being, it’s a usually hidden entity that sometimes walks through our physical space. This is boosted by poorly sourced claims that it resembles some creature of Native American lore.</li><li>No. In no way does it depict a plausible biological creature, and there is no indication it can be captured or has a typical organic existence; it looks like a pair of puppet pants; it’s a made-up creature.</li><li>Yes. The Fresno nightcrawler always ranks high on lists of favorite cryptids. People remain fascinated by it, and it is the subject of a crazy amount of merchandise because it is cute and easy to draw! Pop cryptid all the way. </li></ul><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrGcxeyIPx4" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrGcxeyIPx4</a>Frogman Festival in MarchComing up on <a href="https://www.citybeat.com/arts/festival-celebrating-the-loveland-frogman-returns-in-march-19024239" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">March 1-2 in Loveland, Ohio is the Frogman Festival </a>celebrating the sightings of a humanoid frog- or lizard-like entity reported in 1955, 1972 and 2016. The festival features the usual family fun and merch vendors riding the Pop Cryptid wave. But the speakers are always my main interest. Among the paranormal and metaphysical “researchers” <a href="https://frogmanfestival.org/speakers" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">speaking at the event</a> is an academic who is the most knowledgeable of all these presenters put together, Dr. Jeb Card. Unfortunately, this location is a bit too far for a day drive for me. If you are within reach, give it a go and let me know what you think.Cryptid biographiesIncidentally, the <a href="https://tetzoo.com/blog/2020/1/12/lore-of-the-loveland-frog" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Frogman</a> has no well-researched cryptid biography. Surprisingly, neither does Mothman. Here are some recommended books to explore the “true” stories behind some famous cryptids:<ul><li>Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore – Benjamin Radford, 2011</li><li>The Secret History of the Jersey Devil: How Quakers, Hucksters, and Benjamin Franklin Created a Monster – Brian Regal and Frank Esposito, 2018</li><li>The Untold Story of Champ: A social history of America’s Loch Ness Monster – Robert Bartholomew, 2012</li><li>Ogopogo: The True Story of the Okanagan Lake Million Dollar Monster – Arlene Gaal, 1955</li><li>The Beast of Boggy Creek: The True Story of the Fouke Monster – Lyle Blackburn, 2012</li><li>Lizard Man: The True Story of the Bishopville Monster – Lyle Blackburn, 2013</li><li>The Great Sea Serpent: An Historical and Critical Treatise – A.C. Oudemans, 1892</li><li>The Great New England Sea Serpent: An Account of Unknown Creatures Sighted by Many Respectable Persons Between 1638 and the Present Day – June P. O’Neill, 1999</li><li>Bigfoot: The Life and Times of a Legend – Joshua Blu Buhs, 2009</li><li>Bigfoot: The Yeti and Sasquatch in Myth and Reality – John Russell Napier, 1972</li></ul>Might I suggest purchasing books from local or independent booksellers instead of Amazon. Try <a href="https://bookshop.org/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bookshop.org/ </a>or <a href="https://www.ebooks.com/en-us/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ebooks.com/en-us/</a>.Book Review: A Natural History of Sea SerpentsA Natural History of Sea Serpents by Adrian Shine (Coming <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-natural-history-of-sea-serpents-adrian-shine/21533253?ean=9781849955881&next=t&next=t" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">March 2025</a>) I am a tough book critic, particular regarding my favorite subject. No copy-paste, Wikipedia-sourced garbage passes muster with me. What I truly appreciate is a genuine expert, who has put in the time, presenting their well-reasoned arguments, supported by evidence. You can hardly get a better example of this than Adrian Shine’s new volume on sea serpents. Shine is the world’s foremost expert on the Loch Ness creature reports. In this book, he guides us through the history of a long-bodied swimming creature that people have reported for centuries, how it changed, and what people probably saw. For example, early sea serpent sightings were of “loops” surfacing in the water with the suggestion of a flexible tubular animal. But around 1848, Shine explains the change to interpreting the same shape as “humps” connected to the back of an animal with a larger middle, like a plesiosaur. This version of the idea also continued into Loch Ness reports. There are an array of historical sightings by sailors and other credible witnesses for which sensationalistic cryptid literature will label as representing mysterious creatures or unknown species. Shine declares what all reasonable people with some biology background already know – a hooping/looping animal is absurd. Maned water creatures, like cadborosaurus, make no sense. The volumes of eyewitness testimony, examined individually, is not compelling to suggest a mystery creature exists; there is a complete dearth of scientific evidence for these water cryptids.Shine blasts a few worn tropes clear out of the water. First, locals and professionals don’t always know the animal they are seeing, if it’s an animal at all. Everyone can be fooled by viewing an unfamiliar or atypical situation. Second, there is no need to invent new animals to account for these sightings. Third, no single animal is going to account for all the various descriptions grouped under a single phenomenon, such as “Nessie” or “sea serpent”.Shine provides convincing explanations for the most famous accounts cited by cryptid proponents, and he supports his conclusions with photographic examples. Even though no exotic cryptid is proposed as an explanation, his presentation is fascinating.As with other cryptid-related books of outstanding scholarship, cryptozoological proponents will reject, ignore, or foolishly try to sink it. Back in 2012, a few big-mouthed and small-minded cryptid fans protested the book Abominable Science by Loxton and Prothero, probably because it spelled out cogent arguments against the zoological reality of famous cryptid creatures. The bottom line for sci-cryptozoologists is that they still lack substantive evidence for their extraordinary claims. I suspect they will dislike Shine’s book too. Their loss. Or, the accumulated wisdom he has will be acknowledged and respected. Thanks for reading! Send comments, questions, or suggestions to popcryptid(at)proton.me. If you want to send some cryptid plushies or other merch, or books to review, email for my physical mailing address.For more, click on <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-goes-the-cryptid/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop goes the Cryptid landing page</a>. Make sure you <a href="https://sharonahill.com/subscribe-to-posts/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe </a>to all the posts – it’s always free and I don’t send annoying spam. Pop Cryptid Spectator is also available on <a href="https://sharonahill.substack.com" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Substack</a>. Please share this with cryptid fans you know!<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/7/" target="_blank">#7</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/a-natural-history-of-sea-serpents/" target="_blank">#ANaturalHistoryOfSeaSerpents</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/book-review/" target="_blank">#bookReview</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptids/" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptozoology/" target="_blank">#Cryptozoology</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/fresno-nightcrawler/" target="_blank">#FresnoNightcrawler</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/loveland-frogman/" target="_blank">#LovelandFrogman</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/mokele-mbembe/" target="_blank">#mokeleMbembe</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-cryptid/" target="_blank">#popCryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-cryptid-spectator/" target="_blank">#PopCryptidSpectator</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-culture/" target="_blank">#popCulture</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/sea-serpents/" target="_blank">#seaSerpents</a><a href="https://sharonahill.com/?p=9536" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://sharonahill.com/?p=9536</a>

Sharon A. HillPop Cryptid Spectator <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/1/" target="_blank">#1</a>In this edition:<ul><li>What’s up with this project</li><li>Pop Goes the Cryptid explainer</li><li>r/cryptid aims to be inclusive</li><li>New cryptid media </li><li>Texas’ Chupacabra coaster</li><li>Cryptozoology.com shuttered</li></ul>Hello! Welcome to the first edition of the Pop Cryptid Spectator, my regular (hopefully) posting of observations and commentary on my current favorite personal project – watching the parade of “cryptids” in popular culture. I recently recalled that when I was a kid, like 9 years old, I used to collect interesting things about whatever I was interested in at the time and send to my friends or just pretend to be running a newspaper. Here I am, still doing that decades later. It seems to be what I do.My intent with this regular posting is, roughly:<ul><li>To highlight the fun ways legendary or dubious animals are showing up in modern media. </li><li>To explore the expansion of cryptozoology from what was originally framed as a “science-based” endeavor to what is now a mass cultural phenomenon – a profusion of strange entities that are labeled “cryptids”.</li><li>And, to share interesting news bits I find related to “hidden” or legendary creatures.</li></ul>If you are looking for me to criticize Bigfoot believers, or to make fun of Hodag hunters, there will be none of that. I would suggest that might a.) lighten up because this is not a highly serious subject and, b.) stick around to just enjoy it, because the cryptid scene is crazy right now. It’s so diverse, creative, and complicated. It’s so much more than monster hunting or extinction guilt. Cryptids are a way to express personal and regional identity, attract tourism, inspire art, examine history, explore spiritual ideas, represent liminality and a sense of the “other”. I could go on and on. There is a lot to say. So I’m going to get started.But, I feel I have to backtrack just a bit first. Pop Goes the CryptidI put out an explainer presentation called Pop Goes the Cryptid a little while ago as part of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2CZMfyHQAM" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Virtual Folk Zoology conference</a> hosted by researcher and data scientist, Floe Foxon. Check it out if you haven’t already. I reworked the presentation a little bit and put it up on <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-goes-the-cryptid-explained/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">my website</a>, as well as re-recording it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa7daq1cxSM" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">into a video</a> for people who prefer that. The reaction has been interesting. I received comments by some respected colleagues that highlighted some hot button issues in the cryptozoo. My <a href="https://sharonahill.com/arguing-over-the-science-of-mystery-animals/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subsequent post noting these issues</a> just fanned the flames. In short – there is a bifurcated view of the world of cryptozoology in more than one way. And each side can be broken into additional factions. It’s messy. The two opposing camps argue a lot.First, there is the division between those with a scientific view of cryptozoology and those who embrace the paranormal and supernatural. Now, that is grossly oversimplifying it. I’ll may try to address that at some later time but I think you get the general idea.There is also a more nuanced break between those who wish cryptozoology would return to a more scientific framework and those who say it never was scientific and might never be. And, that’s also is an oversimplification. You can take a look at <a href="https://sharonahill.com/arguing-over-the-science-of-mystery-animals/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">my recent writings</a> for more explanation on that dispute.And, there is the evergreen argument about what does or doesn’t fit under the label of “cryptid”? What’s the definition? How should the word be used? The reasons for the bickering about labels and boundaries is very much under the umbrella of my Pop Cryptid framing. However, I’ll attempt to be neutral in this forum. Alternative namingVenturing into the latest goings-on, I begin with a specific dispute regarding the inclusion of two popular “cryptids”. The moderator of the cryptid subreddit has broached the sensitive topic of the use of two entity names that represent Native spiritual creatures. I’ll say them once, with apologies, to clarify. It is common to see Skinwalker and Wendigo referred to as “cryptids” in the broadest sense of being secretive or hidden creatures of dubious existence. They are in no way zoological animals to be named and collected, which is why many on the subreddit don’t think they should be mentioned at all. However, they are both extremely popular in media. The “what is a cryptid” question remains the core of contention. For now, the moderator is asking contributors to come up with alternative names for these two beings. The ’S’ word has already been substituted with options “flesh gait”, “flesh pedestrian” (which is objectively stupid) and “pale crawler” based on modern storytelling, not indigenous lore. The W creature doesn’t seem to have a ready substitution, and the floor is open to suggestions. If you are familiar with the legend of the cannibal monster with a heart of ice, you probably noticed how the modern depictions play fast and loose with the lore.And they will continue to change because they are not physical things able to captured and measured, they can morph into whatever we need them to be. New cryptid mediaThe venerable Adrian Shine has a new book out on sea creatures titled A Natural History of Sea Serpents. You certainly know him – he’s the exceptionally bearded scholar of Loch Ness legends. The book was out in the UK in October and is now available in US markets and looks like a worthy volume. Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd are starring in a very bizarre-looking film featuring life-saving and life-threatening unicorns. In a setup that reminds me of Harry and the Henderson’s, they have a vehicular encounter with the magical creature. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28443655/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Death of a Unicorn</a> is set to be released in the next few months. Once again, we see how the line between cryptid and not-a-cryptid is more porous than a bad email spam filter. The title unicorn is labeled in at least in some media outlets as a cryptid even though it historically was not seen as such. However, in this case, it seems to literally be one.Six Flags Fiesta Texas amusement park in San Antonio announced that it’s changing the branding of its Goliath roller coaster into that of the Chupacabra. The <a href="https://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/six-flags-fiesta-texas-new-ride-19993114.phpchupa" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">news release</a> for the transformation includes mention of the chupa as a “Texas folklore legend”. Indeed! I was interested to see which version of the chupacabra they picked – the spiky alien kangaroo or the mangy vampire dog. Turns out they combined them both and added additional parts, embracing the chupacabra tradition of being a cultural shape-shifter representing any weird thing that looks scary. Loss of an OG cryptid websiteWordPress sent me a notice that I’ve been blogging for 18 years on that platform. But 25 years ago, there was cryptozoology.com. The site was registered in 1998, before some of you were even aware that the subject, or the internet, even existed. The site had articles about lots of popular creatures and stuck mostly to the zoological framing, as much as I can remember. I hadn’t visited in a while but, when looking for other cryptid forums online, I checked in. And it was gone. Shut down. This happened in (oops) November 2022! The domain name is still registered for the next several years. I have no clue as to what might happen to the site. During those 25 years, the scene changed drastically. Most of the content on cryptids has shifted to Cryptid Wiki which includes more modern media and depiction of many new creatures that seem to appear or resurface from the past on a weekly basis. Will the original .com site return all new and shiny? If it doesn’t, what a lost opportunity. However, the loss of this place on the web feeds into the Pop Cryptid trend very neatly. People don’t do an internet search for the word “cryptozoology” like they do for “cryptids”. The zoology part, while still guarded by the stalwart old-school gatekeepers, is completely overrun by the pop cryptid scene all over the web that deals in folk horror, AI and game-based creatures, cosplayers, DeviantArtists, and pokecryptids. Although a bit sad, it seems appropriate that cryptozoology.com would fade away at this time as a symbol of how things used to be.For more on this trend from cryptozoology to cryptids, check out my post called <a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2022/04/11/cryptid-trends-without-the-zoology/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Cryptid” out-trends “cryptozoology”</a>, which includes the Google trends data results comparing the two terms. There is a story being told there. Pop Goes the Cryptid Facebook groupIf you are still on Facebook, I have a page where I drop all the links I find to new cryptid content. Read them there first at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Popcryptids" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">facebook.com/Popcryptids</a>Here are some recent posts:<ul><li>Cryptid dogs subreddit r/crytpiddogs</li><li>A Russian creature called the Witkes that may have been inspired by buried frozen mammoth carcasses</li><li>A cryptid themed holiday bar that popped up in Wilmington, NC</li><li>A cryptid themed band called Beach Creeper. Their surf rock content is creative and cover art is hilarious. Check them out on BandCamp.</li></ul> That’s all wrap for the Pop Cryptid Spectator. I hope to be back soon to supply new observations from the world of mystery creatures.Go to <a href="http://SharonAHill.com" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SharonAHill.com</a> and click on <a href="https://sharonahill.com/pop-goes-the-cryptid/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop goes the Cryptid landing page</a>. While you’re there, make sure you <a href="https://sharonahill.com/subscribe-to-posts/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe </a>to all the posts – it’s always free and I don’t send annoying spam. You can also email me with comments, suggestions or questions at Popcryptid(at)proton.meWatch the video version of Pop Cryptid Spectator on my YouTube channel.<a href="https://youtu.be/Q5MXw_uOd3k" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/Q5MXw_uOd3k</a><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/1/" target="_blank">#1</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/chupacabra/" target="_blank">#chupacabra</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptid/" target="_blank">#cryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/cryptozoology/" target="_blank">#Cryptozoology</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/death-of-a-unicorn/" target="_blank">#deathOfAUnicorn</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/pop-cryptid/" target="_blank">#popCryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/reddit/" target="_blank">#reddit</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/roller-coaster/" target="_blank">#rollerCoaster</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/scientific/" target="_blank">#scientific</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/sea-serpents/" target="_blank">#seaSerpents</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/skinwalker/" target="_blank">#Skinwalker</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://sharonahill.com/tag/wendigo/" target="_blank">#Wendigo</a><a href="https://sharonahill.com/?p=9144" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://sharonahill.com/?p=9144</a>

Modern CryptozoologyEvery day I see examples of pop cryptids online. I’m not sure that they warrant their own posts here on the blog, because that would be a LOT of posts, so I started up a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Popcryptids" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Goes the Cryptid Facebook page</a>. I’ll be adding to the page daily. Please like and follow the page and share items that get your attention. Or message me on Facebook. Here is the page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Popcryptids" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/Popcryptids</a>Hope to see you there!Got a tip? Message me at popcryptid(at)proton.me or on facebook.<a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2024/10/28/pop-cryptids-facebook-page/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2024/10/28/pop-cryptids-facebook-page/</a><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/cryptid/" target="_blank">#cryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/cryptids/" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/cryptozoology/" target="_blank">#Cryptozoology</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/facebook/" target="_blank">#Facebook</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/monsters/" target="_blank">#monsters</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/pop-cryptid/" target="_blank">#PopCryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/social-media/" target="_blank">#socialMedia</a>

Modern CryptozoologyThe premise of <a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/pop-goes-the-cryptid/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pop Goes the Cryptid</a> is that the view of doubtful animals (cryptids) has shifted from being a potentially scientific effort of zoological discovery called “cryptozoology” to that of being a media-driven, cultural and commercialized pop culture phenomenon. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t still efforts to find hidden mystery creatures but, more often, the cryptid has a more “folk” importance. An excellent example of a pop cryptid, and one that is currently exploding in popularity, is the Hodag, the mascot of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Modernly depicted as a stocky, aggressive, green-black, feline-frog-dinosaur mash-up with red eyes, huge claws, a spiny-ridged back, and fearsome saber-teeth, the Hodag’s origin is obscure. Existing historically, and orally, as a tale of lumberjack folklore in the northwoods, the Hodag legend was reimagined, and solidified, by storyteller and jokester Gene Shepard in the closing decade of the 1800s. Shepard brought various pieces together from tall tales and Ojibwa legends, and, using wood, ox hide, and some accomplices, created a wondrous piece of fakelore.The ancestor of the Hodag is considered to be Mishipeshu, the spirit creature of the native tribes of the Great Lakes area and northwoods. This “great lynx” was depicted as powerful, and dangerous, with a spiky back and tail, and it lived in the deepest parts of lakes and rivers. Mishipeshu is commonly referred to as the water panther. Some historians believe that the mishipeshu figure had a part to play in the Hodag heritage that Shepard (who spoke Ojibwa) used to bring the modern Hodag legend to life. Mishipeshu pictograph on Agawa Rock at Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. In William Cox’s Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods (1910) (see the <a href="http://www.lib.lumberwoods.org/fclw/title.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">100th Anniversary hypertext edition</a>), the Hodag’s appearance is ridiculous, giving us ample foundation to conclude this creature was a made-up story from the Wisconsin and Minnesota lumber camps. Cox notes that it was reportedly rhinoceros-like, hairless and intelligent, and that its body color may be plaid, like the lumberjack coat. Its nose has a spade-shaped horn that grows in an outward direction, blocking the creature’s line of vision so that it can only look up. It searches for porcupines in the trees. When it finds one, it digs around the host tree (with its shovel-nose) so that it falls over, dislodging the porcupine, which is then eaten by the Hodag. For the winter, the Hodag covers itself in pine pitch, rolls in the leaves, and stays warm. Depiction of Hodag by Cox’s illustrator Coert DuBois Other legends also indicate the Hodag was some 7 feet long and the reincarnated spirit of the study oxen that dragged logs from the forest (and thus “scientifically named Bovine spiritualis). Early tales never indicated it was a genuine zoological animal. However, it’s not inconceivable that its aggressive nature might have been influenced by the wolverine – which was <a href="https://www.wxpr.org/natural-resources/2019-01-07/wolverines-in-wisconsin" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">killed off in those parts by around the 1870s</a>. From Philadelphia Inquirer, 1897 While the tale was known prior to 1893, Eugene Shepard, from Rhinelander, crafted the mythical Hodag into a creature for his own greater purposes. He claimed to have found one in 1893 in the swamplands. He wrote for the local newspaper detailing his account and it was a hit.In 1895, he created a model out of wood and real animal parts, staging a photo with local men playing along to depict its capture. This is the Hodag we know and love. In 1896, he staged a side-show “display” of the creature for the Oneida fair and then traveled with it. There was no real animal in the display, but that was not the point – it was the great story that people wanted to see and hear. Check out these pieces to learn about Shepard’s creation and how he was like the P.T. Barnum of Rhinelander.The Hodag: How Fakelore Became Real | Flyover Culture<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zprRsGgLEo" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zprRsGgLEo</a>Hodag: The Fearsome Creature Roaming American Wilderness – Real History channel<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpkMlzJxgfs" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpkMlzJxgfs</a>The Hodag now had a specific form and was known to be very dangerous and stinky, but it wasn’t only the creature that smelled funny. The newspapers spreading Shepard’s story sometimes led readers outside the Northwoods to believe that outrageous animal tales like this were true. Some people may have thought the Hodag was real. Shepard continued the ruse by leaving his motives unclear. He suggested that he had really found a Hodag but let it go and said it was a hoax in order to protect it. What a great logo for the local high school team! But for Rhinelander, Wisconsin residents, it was no hoax. It is an important part of their heritage. They adopted the Hodag as the town <a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2024/10/02/parade-of-cryptids-in-small-town-usa/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mascot</a> in 1918. Even though there was a dispute in the town about how much to embrace the “fakelore” Hodag, ultimately, the creature won the hearts of the town. As sometimes happens, the “fakelore” was widely accepted and morphed into real folklore. As UW-Madison folklore professor Lowell Brower noted (in the Flyover Culture video above), the Hodag created by Shepard was “folkloresque” – based on folklore and drew its power from that. Rhinelander “lovingly appropriated and commercialized” the legend. It appears everywhere in the town and draws visitors that would otherwise never look twice at the small town in Northern Wisconsin.Today’s Hodag is based on Shepard’s tale, not the lumberjack tale memorialized in Cox’s 1910 volume. In some depictions, the Hodag now resembles the original Chupacabra (spiky back, red eyes, sharp teeth and claws, and a lizard tongue). The ambiguity of the hodag invites participation, and people are happy to act out the legend (called “ostention) by pretending it’s real and even hunting for the creature. The fact that the Hodag was a known hoax did not stop people from wanting to see it.The latest claims to fame for the Hodag is its appearance in a 2012 Scooby-Doo episode, where “Gene Shepard” appears as a showman with a traveling cabinet of curiosities.<a href="https://youtu.be/RoFg7vp2zt0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/RoFg7vp2zt0</a>The Hodag also has an entry in the Harry Potter universe book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them where their horns were said to have magical properties to keep people awake for days and be unaffected by alcohol. You can find lots of Hodags in <a href="https://www.thehodagstore.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Hodag store</a> in Rhinelander, where the owner Ben Brunell says the symbol brings the community together. He opened the store because people wanted Hodag souvenirs. A traveling Hodag exhibit appeared at the 2024 Mothman festival and at <a href="https://www.thehodagstore.com/wherehasthehodagbeen" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">many other places across the US</a>. And you can stay at the <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/752846349736560585" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hodag AirBnB</a> which is also crawling with the creatures. So while the legend of the Hodag is flourishing, a real flesh and blood creature will, by its non-nature, be impossible to find.Bibliography and More:<ul><li>The Rhinelander Visitors Page – <a href="https://explorerhinelander.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://explorerhinelander.com/</a> </li><li>The Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce – About the Hodag <a href="https://www.rhinelanderchamber.com/about-the-hodag/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.rhinelanderchamber.com/about-the-hodag/</a></li><li>Wisconsin Historical Society – The Hodag: Learn the history of the Hodag, Rhinelander’s mystical menace <a href="https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS16353" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS16353</a></li><li>Pioneer Park Historical Complex <a href="https://rhinelanderpphc.com/hodags/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://rhinelanderpphc.com/hodags/</a></li></ul><a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2024/10/10/hodag-wisconsins-homegrown-and-beloved-monster/" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2024/10/10/hodag-wisconsins-homegrown-and-beloved-monster/</a><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/cryptid/" target="_blank">#cryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/cryptids/" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/cryptozoology/" target="_blank">#Cryptozoology</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/folklore/" target="_blank">#Folklore</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/gene-shepard/" target="_blank">#GeneShepard</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/hodag/" target="_blank">#Hodag</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/lumberjack-tales/" target="_blank">#lumberjackTales</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/mascot/" target="_blank">#mascot</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/mishipeshu/" target="_blank">#Mishipeshu</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/monster/" target="_blank">#monster</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/ojibwe/" target="_blank">#Ojibwe</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/pop-cryptid/" target="_blank">#PopCryptid</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/rhinelander/" target="_blank">#Rhinelander</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/tall-tales/" target="_blank">#tallTales</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/tag/wisconsin/" target="_blank">#Wisconsin</a>

Sharon of the Strange TimesIn a mood. I revisited Tumblr, where I follow <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/popcryptid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#popcryptid</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/cryptid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#cryptid</a> stuff and I have no more interest in it. It’s either art or memes. Or it’s the dude that posts “cryptid of the day” stuff that’s inaccurate. I just don’t like this pop stuff anymore but I still like the folklore and subject area. There is not much thoughtful and interesting stuff out there IMO. I’m jaded.

Sharon of the Strange Times<a href="https://masto.ai/@zoomar" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@zoomar</a> So do many other people who also wish to identify with that description. <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/popcryptid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#popcryptid</a>

Cameron McCormickAuthor/Illustrator Philippe Coudray has a free English-language version of his book ‘A Guidebook To Hidden Animals’ on his website:<a href="http://www.philippe-coudray.com/Pages/Cryptozoologie%20philippe%20coudray.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.philippe-coudray.com/Pages/Cryptozoologie%20philippe%20coudray.html</a>This is very much NOT a <a href="https://sauropods.win/tags/PopCryptid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PopCryptid</a> book but one in the vein of <a href="https://sauropods.win/tags/BernardHeuvelmans" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BernardHeuvelmans</a> - so lots of retro 60’s-ish <a href="https://sauropods.win/tags/Cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Cryptids</a> . Some of the <a href="https://sauropods.win/tags/HiddenAnimals" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#HiddenAnimals</a> depicted are extremely obscure and outlandish, including the first <a href="https://sauropods.win/tags/Sauropod" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Sauropod</a> to show up in this instance for me: one with a horn and flippers. And then there’s the monster of Lake Tanganyika…

Sharon of the Strange TimesHow about some <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/popcryptid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#popcryptid</a> content! I've been using Google trends to see how some <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/cryptids" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#cryptids</a> have fared in popularity since 2004. Up⬆️ Wendigo, Skinwalker, Fresno nightcrawler Down⬇️ Loch Ness Monster, Cryptozoology (field of study)Surprisingly: Mothman is holding pretty steady.Nessie and chupacabra interest seem heavily dependent on "sightings" in the news. Bigfoot is dependent on media of various types.

Sharon of the Strange Times<a href="https://sauropods.win/@LordGeekington" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@LordGeekington</a> <a href="https://sauropods.win/@Akki" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@Akki</a> Actually, the term is waning according to Google Trends. We're having trouble with pics but here's the link to the post. <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/popcryptid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#popcryptid</a> I'm working on putting more of this together for book contribution. <a href="https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2022/04/11/cryptid-trends-without-the-zoology/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://moderncryptozoology.wordpress.com/2022/04/11/cryptid-trends-without-the-zoology/</a>

Recent searches

Search options

Administered by:

Server stats:

#popcryptid