Historian answers questions about the origins and meanings of mysterious creatures
A historian/folklorist answers questions posed to Reddit and Quora regarding monsters and myths – worth a look!
Author Archives: Sharon A. Hill
Who ya gonna call… for a Bigfoot sighting?
A local Bigfoot report has me thinking about what I would do if I had evidence showing something strange.
The crazy mixed-up meaning of Mothman
From its origins in 1966, Mothman has been viewed as a cryptid, an alien, a spirit, an angel and a demon. Mothman has since continued to evolve in popular culture and lore.
The uncanny tales of the Not-Deer
Tales of spooky encounters with “Not-deer” appeared decades ago but have evolved to fit modern cryptid ideas.
Cryptid town festivals still going strong
Family-friendly, small town cryptid festivals are a growing trend with new events appearing every year across the US.
Study underway regarding Seneca Lake sounds
Research is underway to examine methane bubbles as an explanation for the Seneca Lake booms.
What happened in the effort to make Bigfoot the state cryptid of California?
Legislation to make Bigfoot the official state cryptid of California has stalled.
The Carolina pale crawler tale that got my attention
A terrifying tale from North Carolina is making the rounds on social media and causing a huge stir in the paranormal community. This one comes with a genuine 911 distress call and police reports.
Mothman Festival organizers say it was the biggest crowd yet
The 2025 Mothman Festival is the template for modern cryptid festivals, this year drawing possibly 15,000 visitors.
The Haunted story un-Smurled
What really happened with the Smurl haunting.
Spooky seismic lakes – sag ponds and monsters
A series of small lakes (ponds) form along the San Andreas fault in California called “sag ponds”. Some have spooky legends or lore associated with them, specifically, that they hide monsters or are bottomless.
Pop Cryptid Spectator 20
In this final edition: Nessie, Jr. -Another cute cryptid movie, Faking Bigfoot, Champ at the Museum, Mothman says, “You Matter”, Cryptids overexposed, A current wrap-up of trends
If I don’t believe in cryptids, why am I here?
People ask, “If you don’t believe in cryptids, why are you so interested in them?” Here’s why.
Not a mystery beast, just a dog
Recent examples of people who see a monster when it’s really just a dog.
Bigfoot remains a moneymaking hoax
Once again, someone has rather uncreatively posed a hairy man prop as an amazing find and put it on display for all the rubes to pay to see. This time, it’s at the New York State Fair.
Pop cryptid in the News: Jackalope
An outbreak of Shope papillomavirus in Colorado is in the news and the internet is exploding with exaggerated ideas about Frankenbunnies and Jackalopes.
Spooky seismic lakes – Loch Ness and its monster
We can’t fault the fault – why seismic activity is not related to sightings of the Loch Ness Monster.
What is happening *Right Now*
Click on this post to see my thoughts about interesting stuff happening right now. Last updated on the date shown.
Eternal Flames
New Spooky Geology content: Areas around the world perpetually burn at the surface as a result of natural gas springs.
Pop Cryptid Spectator 19
In this edition: Cryptids are the new coal, Build a Mothman XL, The Naga of Golden Gate Park, Delta academic symposium chooses cryptid theme,
Bigfoot gets its own emoji, Rochester Lion has Disappeared,
Encyclopedia of Confused Cryptids