Listen, I am not a toy collector, I don’t buy toys. But these Jersey Devil and Mothman cryptid models from Safari, Ltd, Mythical Realms creatures line are wicked and delightful. Let me show you.
Firstly, and importantly for my Pop Cryptid framework, the Mythical Realms line has four of the world’s most popular cryptids (Bigfoot, Yeti, Mothman, and the Jersey Devil) in a collection with unicorns/pegasus, armored dinosaurs, gnomes, mermaids and even a “Halfling”. It is perfectly and culturally acceptable to lump these entities together as “mythical”.
I’m not going to talk about the Bigfoot model because it’s straight-up dull. Bigfoot’s aim is to blend into the woods. And so does the monster model. If you drop it in the dirt, you will not find it again. The Yeti is better because it looks like a video game Yeti, all blue-white and ripped. But I’m not much of a fan of this look because it is so entirely off the mark from the origin stories, which, in my view, tell of a rare bear.
The Mothman, however, was born wildly scary. Eyewitness accounts don’t include reliable specific details. The original accounts, however, aren’t actually moth-like, but the idea of a “mothman” is what really counts. It’s not thought of as a zoological creature (though it could have been a case of mistaken ID, as with most cryptids). It carries significant fantastical baggage thanks to John Keel. Therefore, extreme versions of Mothman are fair game. Safari has a black version and a bizarre but fascinating glow-in-the dark version. I like them both. Safari’s take on Mothman includes book-like abs, which make no biological sense, the characteristic red eyes, and moth-y antennae (used for catching scents in the air). Two-toed feet and three-fingered “hands” plus the fantasy-based ribbed wings (dragon- or demon-like, with no analog in nature as they are not formed from phalanges, flaps, or feathers) give it a totally “mythical” quality.
Let’s be clear: when people still say they see “mothman” anywhere from West Virginia to Chicago, they aren’t seeing a creature as depicted here. This Mothman is concocted to be ultimately and sensationally spooky.
The Safari, Ltd. object that really caught me and reeled me in, however, was the Jersey Devil. Everything I said about Mothman doubly applies to this creature. It’s depicted with a hairy but ripped human torso, and similar dragon wings unconnected to human arms with three clawed fingers and an opposable clawed thumb. The ridiculously implausible legs begin with a human thigh, knee, and calf, that then develop into horse ankles, extra long pastern bones, and ends in cloven hooves. The back is ridged, extending into a scaly tail, ending in a tuft of fur. Crazy! The head is the best part, however – extra thick and horse-like with ribbed curved goat horns, and horse nose/lips, but straight blunt, perfectly occluded teeth revealed by a masterful snarl (my favorite detail). It’s an entirely unnatural devilish mashup of, like, four different animals plus our idea of a stylized dragon. It’s glorious. Someone buy this for my birthday!
The Jersey Devil is probably my favorite cryptid. I’m not sure why, but I think the monstrous and incredible mixture of features along with its sheer unreality have much to do with it. The JD is so fun; the traditional origin story of the monstrous birth and subsequent forest haunting lacks grounding in reality. Without any restrictions on biology, the tall tale aspect allowed creativity to run wild. Perhaps that’s why I love this toy’s depiction so much, too – it’s absurd. And who would argue!? There is no question that this not a real animal; it’s a supernatural story. There is no zoology involved. The “mystery” will remain forever. We shall never see one IRL, so it gleefully lives on in our imagination.
Thanks to the Monster Toy Blog who reviewed the JD model. Check it out here.
The Jersey Devil story fascinated me as a child. The prints on the roof ..some mysterious creature in the night. It led to some vivid dreams for me as a teen.