Crypto-Kid Radio Show Episode 2: Ronald Murphy - Wildman

Last night on the Crypto-Kid Radio Show, my good friend Ronald Murphy joined me to discuss his research into the Wildman archetype and how it relates to Bigfoot.

If you missed the show last night, you can listen to the archived show here.

You can find more info about the radio network I am on here.

You can find more info about Ron here.

You can purchase Ron's book we discussed titled On Wildman: Tracking Bigfoot Through History here. 

To interact with me and participate in the weekly after show immediately following the airing of my radio show, you can join the Cryptozoology Discord Server.

And next week, Chad Lewis will join me to discuss the Wendigo lore of America.  

Crypto-Kid Radio Show Episode 1: Jonathan Downes - Owlman

Last night I was joined on my radio show by Jonathan Downes, founder of the Centre for Fortean Zoology and monster hunter extraordinaire. We discussed the organization and his research into the Owlman of Mawnan in the UK. 

If you missed the show last night, you can listen to the archived show here.

You can find more info about the radio network I am on here.

You can find more info about Jon and the CFZ here.

You can purchase Jon's book about the Owlman titled The Owlman and Others here. 

To interact with me and participate in the weekly after show immediately following the airing of my radio show, you can join the Cryptozoology Discord Server.

And next week, Ronald Murphy will join me to discuss the Wildman archetype throughout history. 

The Changing Perspectives of Cryptozoology Part 1: Ronald Murphy

For years, I have been fascinated in the evolution of cryptozoological thought. There are clear fractures happening in the field, but I don't really see a ton of discussion about it in public. Yet, I have had plenty of personal conversations with a variety of researchers about the changes. So, I decided it would be valuable to the field to ask a variety of researchers, all with different approaches and expertise, the same five questions about the field today. Hopefully, the differences in answers will be valuable information on the diversity of thought in the field. My first interview was with my close friend, the Crypto-Guru himself: Ronald Murphy. 

Ronald Murphy has been involved in cryptozoology for over 30 years. Much of his research has been focused on the historical and mythical archetypes of cryptids, a topic which he has written a whole host of books on. He is also a prominent researcher into the fortean hot spot of the Chestnut Ridge in Eastern Pennsylvania. 

1. What is cryptozoology as you see it?

Ron: The study of unknown animals. Now this doesn't have to be as sensational as looking for bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster. In fact, I'm quite interested on sighting of animal that are considered extinct being seen in areas where the once inhabited. The Eastern cougar in Pennsylvania, for instance. Cryptozoology is far more akin to biology than the paranormal. 

2. Where do you think cryptozoology is headed in the next few years?

Ron: I would like to see the subject offered as a course in mainstream academia but my fear is so many television personalities refer to themselves as cryptozoologists that there will never be a serious approach to such a fringe discipline. Unless, of course, a self-declared cryptozoologist finds something!

3. Who do you think (living or deceased) has had the biggest impact on the state of cryptozoology in today's world?

Ron: Heuvelmans without a doubt. He is the progenitor of this discipline 

4. What, if any, have been cryptozoology's biggest contributions to modern science?

Ron: Great question! I have to say that no one who is called a cryptozoologist has really impacted the scientific field with a discovery. Science demands facts. That is the cold, hard realization. Unless the scientific method is applied I truly don't believe and unknown creature will be uncovered unless by happenstance. 

5. Why do you think that paranormal and ufological subjects have been gaining traction within the field of cryptozoology?

Ron: Another great question. For lack of proof of the existence of bigfoot for nearly 70 years of searching, it is easy to throw up your hands and declare "it's not of this planet" or "it is interdimensional." It is a copout. Also, it is a sensational story that sells books and television programming. I find the conjecture fascinating to be honest. It is part of myth-building. But again we need proof and not simply a blanket apology of "aliens."

Ron and myself at a conference in 2016.

Cryptid Con 2017

The first annual Cryptid Con was held this past Saturday and Sunday in Frankfort, Kentucky. The event featured some of the top names in cryptozoological research as well as many local brands relating to cryptids and monsters. I was lucky enough to be a speaker at this fantastic event. The Con ran similarly to many comic conventions: two different event tracks, each featuring lectures, Q&As, and panels from some of the top researchers and celebrities in cryptozoology. Other than myself, some speakers who were featured include Loren Coleman, Stan Gordon, Ronald Murphy, David Weatherly, Bruce Campbell, and Lyle Blackburn.
The first day was filled with screenings of excellent documentaries and lectures. After the first day concluded, there was an afterparty for the vendors, guests, and conference attendees. Interestingly enough, around 10:30 that night, the electricity for the whole area went down. That did not stop the party, but it did add a creepy atmosphere to it.
I got to speak on the second day. I discussed my research into Cryptid Livestock Predation and got quite a bit of positive response.

All in all, the event was a fun one to both attend and speak at. If I have the chance, I will definitely go back next year!

Kecksburg UFO Crash

52 years ago, on December 9, a bright fireball appeared over several states. The fireball eventually crashed outside of small Pennsylvanian town. The case remains open today and the origins hotly debated. While less well known than other UFO crashes, the Kecksburg event is popular in the area today and has caused the small town of Kecksburg to host an annual UFO themed festival every year.
The festival, run by the Kecksburg Volunteer Fire Department, is the perfect blend of small town festival and UFO conference. The event lasts all weekend and includes a parade on Saturday, a hot dog eating contest on Sunday, and a UFO conference on Sunday. I highly recommend attending, the event is a lot of fun and there are numerous interesting vendors (both paranormal/fortean researchers and local craft-makers).
The speakers at the conference are also great. Dr. Brian Parsons, Ronald L. Murphy Jr., and Stan Gordon are all speaking. I will also be giving a talk at the conference. Everything from cryptozoology to UFOs to other strange Pennsylvanian phenomena.
I will have a table where I will be selling CD copies of some of my best Crypto-Kid episodes. I will also be debuting a new map plotting out various regional names for Bigfoot-like creatures, dwarves, and canine cryptids throughout the USA. Finally, I will have several binders containing various examples of my research into several of my current projects.
I hope to see many new and familiar faces there.

You can find out more information about the Kecksburg Crash here.
You can learn about the festival here and here.

Because of my interest in newspaper accounts of the strange, I am including two newspaper articles from 1965 discussing the Kecksburg crash.

The Pittsburgh Press, December 10, 1965, pt. 1

The Pittsburgh Press, December 10, 1965, pt. 2

The Evening Standard, December 10, 1965, pt. 1

The Evening Standard, December 10, 1965, pt. 2

A Sad Announcement

The life of a 16-year-old Fortean is a hard and stressful one. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, but it can be difficult. I often find that people don't take me or my research seriously, often that assume I've simply watched a lot of "Finding Bigfoot" and "Mountain Monsters", and I seem to a get a lot of "well, isn't that cute?" as a response to an attempt to share research. That being said, I am still extremely lucky to have met so many amazing people that do take me seriously and have helped me in numerous ways.

As many of you have seen, I'm almost constantly working on some project, and I have tons of projects being worked on lately. Yet, one project lately has taken priority over everything else: Inside the Goblin Universe. The show was doing pretty well, we had a fair amount of regular listeners, we got huge names on the podcast, I was learning and getting better at audio editing, and I finally had something I could always lean back on if someone wasn't taking me seriously. But, like all good things, it was not to last. I don't want to go into specific details, I care not for drama. Long story short, I have been removed as a host of the podcast. I can't help but feel like some of it was because of my age. The show is supposedly going to continue, but I will not be connected to it in any way. 

Needless to say, I had a lot of soul-searching and thinking in front of me this weekend. I'm certainly not done with the field, I don't think anything could keep me away, but I wasn't sure if I was done with podcasting. 

If you enjoyed my show, don't fret, I'm am not quitting podcasting. I might take a little break, I might not. I don't know. I'm looking into a few possibilities (if you have any ideas, let me know) for continuing in the world of podcasts, but I'm unsure when I'll be back. 

I want to thank all of my listeners and guests and apologize to those who recorded with us but will never get to see the episode released. 

Inside the Goblin Universe Episode One added to Archives

The first episode of my podcast Inside the Goblin Universe (also hosted by Ronald Murphy) has been added to the Paranormal UK Network Archives. If you missed the airing on Thursday, you can still listen to it here.

Inside the Goblin Universe

The first episode of Inside the Goblin Universe (hosted by Ronald Murphy and myself) airs at 10 pm to Midnight EST tomorrow on the Paranormal UK Radio Network. We discuss how Ron and I met, our research, and what the Goblin Universe is as well as have Timothy Renner, the author of Beyond the Seventh Gate. I am extremely excited to hear what everyone thinks about the show. Ron and I are extremely proud to be the hosts of a show, especially being on such an excellent network. If you are unable to listen to the episode when it airs, you can listen to it on any of several archives which can be found on the website. After the episode airs, I will post a link to the episode.

Podcast

As many of you know, I am good friends with Ronald Murphy, the fairly well-known cryptozoologist from Pennsylvania who has written numerous books and has appeared on a plethora of podcasts. We are working on a book together as well as several other projects.
The time has come to announce one of those other projects... Ronald and I are getting our own podcast! The show will air sometime in January and will be aired on the Paranormal UK Radio Network.

We are calling the show Inside the Goblin Universe and will be discussing various strange and unusual aspects of the world of the paranormal, cryptozoology, and ufology with a focus on the idea of the Goblin Universe, which is a proposed alternative universe from which anything that goes bump in the night comes from. We have a handful of episodes recorded already and have some great guests including Jonathan Downes and Timothy Renner.

I will do updates about when the shows are released and any other relevant news as it happens, so stay tuned!

Name change

Since I started this blog, it has been named Paranormal101. Over time, I realized the problems with this name; it isn't unique, nor is it completely accurate to what I actually do with this blog. Because of this, I have changed the name of the blog to Crypto-Kid. For those of you who know Ronald Murphy, you probably noticed the similarity to his moniker Crypto-Guru. That was done on purpose. Ron and I work closely together and will be heading several projects in the upcoming new year that are to be announced.

Wildmen, Dinosaurs, and Legend Tripping: My Six Favorite Books from This Year

This year has had some fantastic new releases from sone of the best crypto-authors out there. Here is a roundup review of my six favorite books from this year in no particular order. 

On Wildman: Tracking Bigfoot Through History by Ronald L. Murphy Jr. 

As I stated in my previous review of On Wildman, Ron's excellent study of Bigfoot throughout history is a treat for anyone interested in Bigfoot, mythology, or cryptozoology in general. 

A Menagerie of Mysterious Beasts: Encounters with Cryptid Creatures by Ken Gerhard

Ken Gerhard's takes his readers on a global adventure in his third solo book; A Menagerie of Mysterious Beasts. Ken covers nearly every kind of creature you could imagine; Ape-Men; Dogmen; black panthers; sea serpents; Thunderbirds; and even giant spiders. Menagerie is written in Ken's no-nonsense tone but doesn't lack any bit of excitement or strangeness.

I especially liked that Ken strayed away from the well known and popular cases and creatures. He examines some of the weirdest stuff you will ever find in a cryptid book... and that's saying something. 

Beyond the Seventh Gate: Exploring Toad Road, the Seven Gates of Hell, and Other Strangeness in York, Lancaster, and Adams Counties by Timothy Renner

When Timothy Renner first heard "don't look behind you on Toad Road," instead of just shrugging off the strange superstition, he questioned why. From there, he went through a long and weird journey not only on Toad Road but on some others as well. Are there really Seven Gates of Hell in York county? What is an Albatwitch? And, why shouldn't you look behind you on Toad Road? Find out in Timothy's excellent investigation into the truth behind the legends.

This book is an excellent example of cryptid/unexplained investigation done right. Timothy looks into any and all possibilities into the handful of urban legends and folklore that exist within York, Adams, and Lancaster Counties. I read this book in one sitting, it was THAT good. 

Legend Tripping: The Ultimate Adventure by Robert C. Robinson

Legend tripping: (Noun) to go or participate on a quest or adventure for something which has defined a mystery or legend and not verified or explained by science. In his highly detailed guide into how to begin legend tripping, Robert Robinson goes above and beyond that definition. He gives brief explanations of popular legends, how to perform a trip, and how to have fun doing it. He examines all kinds of legend trips including cryptid, paranormal, and UFO trips. Robert also tells stories about some legend trips he has been on.

This book is for both the novice and experienced in any kind of legend tripping field. The book is an entertaining read for anyone interested in the stranger side of the world. 

Still in Search of Prehistoric Survivors: The Creatures that Time Forgot by Karl P. N. Shuker

In 1995, Karl Shuker released what many agree to be his greatest work; In Search of Prehistoric Survivors. The book soon went out of print and became a much-sought-after piece. Finally, after 21 years of waiting, Shuker has released an updated version of the book. Considering the fact that I loved the first one, it was a given that I would also love the revised edition.

One of the many things that made Shuker's work unique — besides it being the only book of its kind — is the careful examination that he goes through of each potential survivor. He also doesn't only look at extinct animals for possible explanations. Shuker presents a truly balanced piece of cryptozoological writing that deserves a place on everyone's shelf. 

Nessie: Exploring the Supernatural Origins of the Loch Ness Monster by Nick Redfern

As I've stated before, Nick Redfern never ceases to disappoint me with his work; I love his Chupacabra Road Trip, Monster Book, and everything in between, but this book was special. From the moment it was announced, I knew I HAD to have it. When I finally did get it at the Mothman Festival, I stayed up all night reading in the hotel bathroom so I didn't wake my father. I've always been interested in the Loch Ness Monster but had never been convinced that there was anything actually there; this book changed that for me.

Nick goes through the extensive history of the Loch Ness Monster, looking at not only modern sightings and evidence but also ancient legends such as the kelpie or Nessie's encounter with a Saint. I loved this book and if you like lake monsters, you will too!

Podcast and Conference

As previously mentioned, I appeared on Spaced Out Radio the other night with Ron Murphy. I had a blast. Despite being a little nervous at the beginning, as the three hours went along, I got more comfortable and we got the chance to discuss many different topics that are near and dear to me. If you didn't get a chance to listen live, you can listen to the archived version here.

I am also going to be speaking at the East Coast ParaCon. Ron Murphy will be unable to speak at the event, so I will be taking his place. I hope to see some familiar faces in the audience. You can find the East Coast ParaCon's website here. This also means that I won't be at the Minerva Monster Festival as I have previously stated.

Update: Extreme Craziness Lately

It has been almost over a month since I last updated the blog; I apologize profusely for this. Life has hit me with an obscene amount of work so when I have a couple minutes free, I relax instead of blog. I am vowing to stop that, I am going to post something at least once a week, if not more.

So, what have I been doing other than ignoring the blog? Quite a bit.

• I have a significant portion of my book finished (at last count I have about 5 chapters in a somewhat state of completion)
• I gave my first (planned) public talk at a recent MENSA regional gathering two weeks ago and will hopefully be posting the entire recorded lecture for your viewing entertainment soon
• I wrote the forwards for two excellent books by two excellent researchers; On Ghosts: The Spirit World Though History by Ronald L. Murphy Jr. and The Ohio Monster Guidebook  by Tyler Houck. Tyler's book isn't out yet but you can purchase Ron's book here
• I am working on two different articles which I am currently attempting to get in to either FATE or Cryptid Culture Magazine
• I will appearing on Spaced Out Radio tonight (technically tomorrow) from 12 am to 3 am with Ron Murphy. After the episode airs I will be posting the link to the archives where you can listen to it after the fact. You can find out more about the episode here. You can also find Spaced Out Radio here
• I am also working on a book with Ron Murphy about the possible connection between the fairy world and cryptids. The working title is currently Beasts of the Faerie Realm. We are hoping to have this out by next Feburary 
• Finally, I am going to be a regular contributer to the upcoming YouTube series On the Track... which is the Centre for Fortean Zoology's weekly cryptid news show

While pleanty of great things have happened, there is also something that put a slight damper on everything. As many of you are aware, Ron Murphy was putting together a conference in Blairsville, Pennsylvania in October, at which I was scheduled to speak. Unfortunately, due to the town's apparent dislike of the idea of a paranormal conference and a problem with finding speakers at the last minute, the conference has been cancelled for the time being. Ron and I are working on putting a conference together around May/June 2017, as a replacement for the one in October. 

Finally, here are several stills from my talk:

Books, UFOs, Werewolves, and Ghosts (What I've Been Up to Lately)

I know posts have been few and far between, unfortunately that will have to continue for another week or so. I have been incredibly busy with working on my book and some personal stuff that suddenly came up.

Regarding my book, I have about three chapters drafted so far and I plan to have another six drafted by the end of next week. I might post a brief preview of one of the chapters sometime in the future.

So what have I been doing other than writing my book?

I went to the Kecksburg Festival last week. It was a blast. I spent the entire time hanging out with my good friends Ron Murphy and Dr. Brian Parsons. I purchased Parsons' excellent E4 Method book which I would recommend to anyone who wants to learn proper interviewing and investigative methods for witnesses.

I also went to the phenomenal Dogman Symposium which was put on by my friend Ken Gerhard. It was honestly one of the best cryptid events I have been to. All of the talks were engaging and fascinating (which is rare for conferences, there is normally one or two talks that were duds). I got to meet a could legends in the field like David Weatherly, John Tenney, and the awesome Linda Godfrey! The talks were as follows:

• John Tenney: Michigan Dogman (but he also talked about elves and zombies)
• David Weatherly: Native American Skinwalkers
• Linda Godfrey: Beast of Bray Road and other Dogmen
• Ken Gerhard: Beast of Gevaudan
• Nick Redfern: Werewolves and Hellhounds of the UK
• Stan Gordon: Cryptids and UFOs of Pennsylvania

If you missed the Symposium, you missed out on one of the best cryptid events in the area! I can't wait until next year! I got a bunch of books at the event: I won a copy of the excellent In the Domain of the Lake Monsters by John Kirk, I also got Beast of Bray Road and Michigan Dogman by Linda Godfrey, Black Eyed Children and Strange Intruders by David Weatherly and an advance copy of Nick Redfern's The Monster Book. Needless to say, I have a lot of reading ahead! I will be writing reviews for each of the books as I complete them. 

I am also preparing to speak at the Blairsville Paranormal conference which is being run by Ron Murphy. Also, I'm writing the forward for Ron's upcoming book On Ghosts. 

Needless to say, I will be extremely busy. The next event I will be at is the Mothman Fest in September and the Minerva Monster Fest the week after. 

I have a lot of work to do, I better get back to it! Until next time, stay weird. 

Creature Weekend

I have gone to a lot of paranormal conventions and conferences; the Mothman Fest, Pittsburgh and Erie MUFON conferences, the Butler Paranormal Conference, and now Creature Weekend. Out of all of those, Creature Weekend has managed to take all of my favorite components of all the others and improve upon them. I had a blast!

The speakers were all extremely nice and great to hang out with. I already knew Ron Murphy and Ken Gerhard so we got to hang out more. I did get to meet Ron Morehead who is very laid-back and cool to talk with.

With my good friend, Ron Murphy

With the one, the only Ken Gerhard

With the infamous Ron Morehead

The Center for Cryptozoological Studies was also there, of which I am a proud member. Brian Seech and Terrie Seech are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

I got to run the Center for Cryptozoological Studies' evidence table

At the evidence sharing event with Brian Seech

The Ohio Bigfoot Co-Op was there as well. They gave an interesting presentation about their research in Salt Fork State Park.

The esteemed Steven Blair and Mark Hudak of the Ohio Bigfoot Co-Op

I also got a chance to see the new Beast of Whitehall documentary from Small Town Monsters, which was great. I purchased the Minerva Monster documentary which I will be reviewing soon.

The Creature Weekend was an awesome event, one of my favorites. The atmosphere was super laid-back and everyone was awesome to hang out with. I loved every minute of it. I am definitely coming back next year.

Creature Weekend is soon!

I try to go to as many paranormal conferences as I can. I have gone to two MUFON conferences, the Mothman Festival, and the Butler Paranormal Conference. I love meeting all the different researchers and witnesses, having discussions, buying books, and attending talks on a wide range of topics within the weird. This weekend has an upcoming event which I have anxiously looked forward to since I had heard about it.
So what is the long awaited event? Creature Weekend.
Creature Weekend is a chance for lovers of cryptids and monsters to meet, talk, hang out, and learn lots about every creature you can think of.

This year has an awesome set of speakers;
Ron Murphy... Ron is a really good friend of mine, he is an expert on fairies and is a seasoned cryptid researcher. He has numerous crypto-focused books, all of which are highly, highly recommended.
Ken Gerhard... Ken is an awesome researcher who always brings something new to the table with each of his books. He is a great guy who is really cool to hang out with.
Ron Morehead... Ron is a seasoned Bigfoot researcher. He is best known for his astonishing recording of supposed Bigfoot vocalizations, known as the Sierra Sounds.

The Center for Cryptozoological Studies will also be there, Brian Seech is always fun to talk to.


Needless to say, this will be an awesome weekend.
I cannot wait. I will write a short post about the event when I get back.
You can find information on the event here.

On Wildman: Tracking Bigfoot Through History by Ronald L. Murphy, Jr: A Book Review

For most kids, Bigfoot is a fascination. It was for me and many of my fellow classmates. Although most of them eventually grew out of the obsession. I never did, and I am glad Ron Murphy didn't either.

Ron's new book, On Wildman, recently came out and I just read it today.

It was an absolute joy to read, detailed and consistently entertaining.

On Wildman focuses on Ron's journey through the deep forests and murky swamps of the world's mythologies and folklore in search of hairy man-beasts.

Ron covers nearly every aspect of the Wildman mythos. From the Greek satyrs to the English woodwose, from Shakespeare's Caliban to the Nephilim of the Bible, Ron graciously covers it all.

The book is masterfully written and pleasantly illustrated with art from various cultures throughout history.

If you are interested in Bigfoot or any of its cohorts, get this book.
If you are interested in folklore and myth of cryptids, get this book.
If you are interested in primates in myth, get this book.

Anyone even vaguely interested in the topic of cryptozoology and folklore should get this book.

It is destined to be a classic piece of cryptozoological writing.

Click here to buy the book!

New Book by Cryptozoologist and Folklorist Ronald Murphy Jr.!

Ronald Murphy Jr. is a world class expert on fairies, writer, actor, and cryptozoologist extraordinaire.
He has written numerous books, both non-fiction and fictional, including On Dogman, On Mermaids, and The Unexplained World of the Chestnut Ridge.
Ron is a seasoned researcher with cryptozoological and folkloric subject. He has done extensive research for all of his books and all are extremely well written and detailed.
I am glad to call Ron my friend and associate, he has done much for the subject.

He has come out with a new book!
On Wildman: Tracking Bigfoot Through History
On Wildman is his third book in his 'On' series where he examines the cultural and mythological origins of well known figures in cryptozoology. His other two were about Mermaids and Dogman.

I ordered his new book last night and cannot wait until it comes. After I read through, I will do a review as well.

I highly recommend anything Ron has written. You can find his website here and his new book here.