Pop Culture

Comic Con: Skinwalkers

Werewolves are popping up all over. You merely have to go to any theater and find one. There is, for example, Scrunt, a werewolf-like creature, in M. Night Shyamalan’s new Lady in the Water. One of Linda Godfrey’s good illustrations of you-know-what. Reporting from 2006 San Diego Comic-Con, Day One, on Friday July 21st, Dark Horizons’ Garth Franklin writes about another forthcoming appearance of other werewolves: Skinwalkers Director Jim Isaac and character/creature designer Stan Winston were on hand to present “Skinwalkers,” a werewolf horror film starring Rhona Mitra and Jason Behr. The story follows two kinds of the creatures – [...]

Cryptid: The Ultimate Cryptozoology Experience

I’ve written, in depth, about the definition of cryptid, a word that was coined in 1983, by John E. Wall of Manitoba. Now, a mere 23 years later, it has become such an important part of our popular culture that one of the most incredibly well-designed graphic novels to capture the topic of this blog is set to appear! Are you prepared for Cryptid? Secret Lab Studios, in association with Thrill House Comics, and the world renowned award winning Weta Workshop Design Team of New Zealand have announced that they are currently collaborating on designs for Cryptid, a new and [...]

Them! and Skullduggery: The Bridge to Johor

Sometimes I start one place, go down a side road, end up elsewhere, and find my way back to say goodbye. The 1950s-1960s movie and television character actor Christian Drake, who played Trooper Ed Blackburn in the classic 1954 film Them!, has died at the age of 82. Is it a coincidence that I just flipped on my television to catch the last hour of this movie on cable? Bizarre! The film Them! was directed by Gordon Douglas, who would later be the director for Skullduggery, a fascinating 1970 cryptozoology film about the Tropi (pictured below), bipedal hairy hominoids, which [...]

“White-Trash Werewolf Smorgasbord”

Yes, that quoted phrase is the subsection title that columnist Melanie Conklin of the Wisconsin State Journal of Madison, Wisconsin, employs in her little segment on the The Beast of Bray Road. It is not often that you see a modern newspaper writer employing what, in essence, is a racial slur with a mention about cryptozoology. But there it is. Actually, to be specific, Conklin is quoting Linda Godfrey who is rather upset these days. Here is what Melanie Conklin wrote on July 12th, even mentioning this humble blog site along the way: ‘White-trash werewolf smorgasbord’ If you attend Wisconsin [...]

Happy 12th

The Crookston Bigfoot with some guy in front of him, 2005, photographed by friend and author Joe Citro. This Wednesday, July 12th, is my birthday. I’m planning now for a big cryptozoology party in 2007, for my 60th (which feels really young to me, of course). Therefore, today, I am going to get personal, and publish my wish list a year ahead of time (you know, beyond good health and wellness wishes for my sons, friends, former lovers, family, and all Cryptomundo readers). Click the above photo for a full-size version of Jeffrey Vallance presenting his Bigfoot Diagram to me [...]

Mothman + 40

After the success of The Mothman Prophecies, the sleepy town of Point Pleasant has reawakened. The organizers of the annual Mothman Festival at the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, have announced that they will once again have their event. The 5th annual MOTHMAN FESTIVAL will be held here in downtown Point Pleasant on Saturday and Sunday, September 16th and 17th, 2006. This year will mark the 40th anniversary of MOTHMAN’s debut appearance near the TNT area back in November of 1966 and plans for this year’s festival are already underway. The success and magnitude of the MOTHMAN FESTIVAL [...]