The magazine The New Yorker will publish a contribution to fiction entitled “The Cryptozoologist” by Tony Earley, on the 9th of January 2006, but it is online now. Here’s my early literary critique of this effort at capturing cryptozoology in The New Yorker: We are introduced to the concept of Skunk Apes, cryptozoologists, and organized cryptozoology in one specific paragraph about midway through this fictional piece: About her Bigfoot sighting, Rose learned that such creatures were routinely spotted in all of the Southeastern states—although the scientific authorities of course denied their existence—and the animals were commonly referred to as skunk [...]
Lost Legacies, Lost Evidence: Herman Regusters
I want to start an effort in 2006 to rediscover some missing people and their lost cryptozoological evidence, gone for years. Let’s begin with the well-known Californian cryptozoologist Herman Regusters. In the fall of 1981, Herman Regusters and his wife led a team into Lake Tele, Congo, in search of Mokele-mbembe. (Even though they might be undiscovered aquatic mammals, the cryptids called Mokele-mbembe are often discussed, first and foremost, in hauntingly romantic ways as perhaps surviving "Living Dinosaurs" in deepest Africa, in a somewhat Victorian fashion.) The Regusters returned with droppings, footprint casts, and sound recordings unlike any animal known [...]
Italian Black Panthers
An Italian press outlet is reporting that the country is experiencing a wave of Black Panther sightings. In an item entitled "Panther Panic Hits Italy Again," the old explanation that it "escaped from a zoo" or "circus train wreck" cropped up again. But the Russian zoo currently performing in Turin, Italy, the location of the recent Black Panther sightings, denied it was theirs. "We don’t have any panthers anyway. All we have are dogs, camels and horses," a zoo spokesman said. One eyewitness was a Turin traffic cop who managed to identify the big feline as a black panther. Authorities [...]
Cryptozoologists Who Died in 2005
Sadly, 2005 saw the death of several people that had an impact on the establishment and ongoing work of cryptozoology. If you know of others, (e.g. researchers in the Loch Ness Monster pursuit, Bigfooters, or other cryptozoologists), please let me know, via the comments. I’ll update this list, as we learn of other passings. If you wish to jot down some words in remembrance of someone on the list, your thoughts would be warmly appreciated. Here’s some of the people we will miss and who have ended their quests. (The following list contains links to fuller obituaries.) Marine Lance Cpl. [...]
Happy New CryptoZooYear 2006!!
Ted Bastien at Bugsport has given me permission to pass along these two cartoons as a "Happy New Year" to the readers of the Cryptozoo News at Cryptomundo.com My very best for a Happy Cryptozoologically Significant New Year of 2006 to All! – Loren Coleman
Mark A. Hall: Did Sea Cows Fuel Mermaid Mythology?
Today we have a guest blogger Mark A. Hall* who contributes his thought in “Did sea cows fuel mermaid mythology?” Virginia Smith of the Daytona Beach, Florida News-Journal has raised this issue and consulted experts who take an affirmative view. Perhaps for Christopher Columbus they did. People back to Lt. Fletcher Bassett in 1885 have suggested that what Columbus saw in 1493 “were probably manatee or dugongs.” The log of Captain John Smith, however, told a more detailed story that doesn’t describe a sirenian. His reported log entry in 1614 in the West Indies gives details not given in the [...]
2006: Year of the Imperial Woodpecker?
Could 2006 be the Year of the Imperial Woodpecker? Clearly 2005 was the year of the ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis). As the #1 cryptozoology story of 2005, the rediscovery of the ivory-billed made a dramatic statement beyond the realm of zoology and cryptozoology that long-thought extinct animals may still exist. Has a recent sighting of the world’s largest woodpecker foretold another major forthcoming cryptozoological rediscovery? Are we prepared for another major avian event for 2006? The Imperial Woodpecker (Campephilus imperialis) was or is the world’s largest species of woodpecker; yes, it is even grander than its often-discussed relative, the ivory-billed [...]
The Top Cryptozoology Stories of 2005
The Top Cryptozoology Stories of 2005 by Loren Coleman, Cryptozoologist and Author, Bigfoot!, Cryptozoology A to Z, and other books. Welcome to this year’s Top Stories in Cryptozoology. It was quite a year, and perhaps captured best by the headline used on Mark Baard’s article in the November 1st issue of Wired News, "America Goes Cryptozoology Crazy." From the Associated Press to Downeast Magazine, from Boing Boing to Business Wire, from Maine Things Considered to Coast to Coast AM, from Giant Robot to G4tv’s Attack of the Show, from the Maine Sunday Telegram to Fox TV News, from the Southern [...]
Just say So-no-no-ma
Now that Boing Boing has pushed the so-called Sonoma Bigfoot videotape to the fore of public awareness, I suppose a comment here is overdue. Many of us have known and discussed these recent "Sonoma Bigfoot" images on the internet for awhile. There is more dismay than joy with what we see happening here. Several people are finding it remarkable that the BFRO would step forth to serve as the photographer’s agent during a time when the moneymaking practices of the group are being challenged. Dr. Jeff Meldrum is only the latest of many "curators" to leave the BFRO. The BFRO’s [...]
The Top Cryptofiction Books of 2005
The Top Cryptofiction Books of 2005 by Loren Coleman, Cryptozoologist Coauthor of The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep and Creatures of the Outer Edge. What are the best and most interesting new works of fiction that have become near and dear to the hearts of those in pursuit of unknown and hidden animals for the last twelve months? If you are looking for “The Top Cryptozoology Stories of 2005,” please click here. Five completely different cryptozoology-influenced novels (often called "cryptofiction" among their authors and fans) gain praiseworthy recognition for the Year [...]
Follow CryptoZooNews
Not Found
The resource could not be found.