Lost Monster Files is a cryptid bust
A recap and summary of Discovery’s cryptid show Lost Monster Files and its failings regarding science, education, and entertainment.
Tag Archives: cryptids
Made you look! Zoos create cryptids
Zoos are using hoaxed or dubious photos to drum up business.
A tour of popular mystery monsters
A mishmash of monster mentions. A quick book review, a link to info on the latest Bigfoot hoax and dogman programming, and an upcoming must-have volume for pop cryptid fans.
Pop cryptid chatter: Beards and encryptids
Pop cryptids items: Representation at cryptozoology conferences, the EFF incorporates cryptids into their promotional drive and the passing of a well-loved author and artist.
A class in cryptozoology: When you know too much
A review of an online class in Cryptozoology 101 via Universal Class reveals incomplete, and erroneous content creating a misleading presentation of the field.
What’s with these latest opinion polls on ghosts and cryptids?
Two sets of survey results asking about the reality of questionable entities show high rates of belief in ghosts, Bigfoot, and other cryptids.
A bouquet of interesting news for 11 Jan 2024
News briefs: Arizona jaguar, megalodon tooth, Gigantopithecus blacki, resuscitating a pine marten, hawk killing law, magpie attacks.
Dogs, not a lizardman, will rip your car apart
Dogs were caught on camera doing surprising damage to cars. It’s yet another reminder that we do not need to invoke monsters as the cause of mysterious situations.
The coelacanth as a red herring
This post is updated from its original publication in 2009.– SH In researching three areas of what I concluded were mostly “scientifical” fields of inquiry for my book – cryptozoology, ghost hunting, and creationism – I was amused to find one example used to the same end for all three – the discovery of the… Read More »
Copy-paste cryptozoology
A review of Chasing American Monsters: Over 250 Creatures, Cryptids, and Hairy Beasts by Jason Offutt (2019). I’ve been thinking a lot about cryptozoology lately. While consuming content about many other subjects, I see excellent examples in cryptozoology to illustrate public attitudes towards and understanding of science, paranormal thinking, colonialist themes, misperceptions about evidence, media… Read More »
The monsters of cryptozoology: Book review
A review of The Monster Book: Creatures, Beasts and Fiends of Nature by Nick Redfern. Cryptozoology literature has a problem.
Supernatural Creep: When explanations slide off to the fringes
Originally published as Supernatural Creep: The Slippery Slope to Unfalsifiability for my column Sounds Sciencey on csicop.org May 29, 2013. I’m taking a step beyond sciencey with the following topic. What happens when science doesn’t cooperate with your subject area? Researchers of unexplained events may get frustrated and disenchanted with the scientific process when the eyewitness accounts they collect are too weird to explain via… Read More »
It’s all very fuzzy: Dogman, Bigfoot, and the scent of paranormalia at CryptidCon
A trip to the first CryptidCon reveals how these mysterious monsters are represented in modern culture.
Monster tales of the southern swamps (Book Review)
Beyond Boggy Creek: In Search of the Southern Sasquatch, by Lyle Blackburn (2017) This is Blackburn’s third book in a semi-series of volumes on southern bipedal creatures. I reviewed the other two books as well: Chronicle of the Lizard Man (Book Review) Definitive guide to the Fouke monster – Beast of Boggy Creek (Book review)… Read More »
Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 2: Lake Monster Tropes
This is the second in a series of posts examining cryptids (“hidden” animals said to exist based on local testimony), namely lake monsters, in terms of the folklore, tradition, and native tales of these creatures. The first part is here: Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 1: The Illusion of Facticity in Unknown Animal Reports What can… Read More »
Cryptozoology and Myth, Part 1: The Illusion of Facticity in Unknown Animal Reports
What can we make of folklore tales that cryptozoologists use to support claims that an unknown animal has been historically reported and remains to be identified? Cryptid researchers say that modern reports of Bigfoot-Sasquatch, lake monster, sea serpents, giant flying animals, and elusive land creatures are supported by the stories of native people, legends or… Read More »
Cryptids in music-related logos
I was noticing something… First the Sasquatch music festival, now RockNess. Cool. Besides their use in TV and print advertising, famous cryptids are being associated with not only local fairs and events but also big name music festivals. I suspect it’s because it helps with tourism to the area, but also cryptids make for fine,… Read More »