Pop Cryptid Spectator 13

Hello and welcome to the Pop Cryptid Spectator no. 13.

In this edition:

• The crypt-illogical slip into the irrational
• News people don’t know their animals
• AI cryptid articles – It’s how stuff works
• Cryptid merch: Squishables Mothman series
• The Hebridean Mermaid
• Ogopogo float may sink
• Cryptid Media: More podcasts

The crypt-illogical slip into the irrational

I focus very much on the present, popular, news and views of cryptozoology, but when I look at traditional cryptozoology, I find that the most cogent writing clearly points in the direction of today’s Pop Cryptids. For example, Adrian Shine appeared on the latest episode of Monster Talk to discuss his lifelong research into sea serpents, and lake monsters claims in Scotland in his new book A Natural History of Sea Serpents. In this interview, Shine shares his wisdom gained from synthesizing decades of careful observation, and this is enlightening.

Among the wise things he said so eloquently, he noted that cryptozoology was a way to rationalize monsters. At its time of inception, that made sense: cryptozoology attempted to remove the magical aspects about mystery creatures, and apply science to the process of discovering amazing new animals. But, as he also says, hidden animals require lost worlds. We have very few of these “lost worlds” left, and people aren’t exploring them due to our natural limits (such as the ability to spend time in the deep ocean). If there are animals, there, they aren’t cryptids, they are just new to us. Therefore, that negates the formation of lore about them that defines a cryptid.

We aren’t going to find a Yeti or Nessie because it is clear after all these centuries that the stories were not reflecting real animals as collectively described, but a monstrous interpretation fed by cultural factors and confirmation bias. Current monster hunters will disagree but I’m being logical, here. The scientific evidence for real cryptids has not improved.

Today’s shift back to seeing cryptids as less zoological is, in a way, rational – in a cultural sense. As people attempt to create an alternate world of magic and mystery, adding cryptids to the fantasy environment makes sense. The colorful world of pop cryptids is what we get from that reconstruction. The cryptids don’t make zoological sense, but they make cultural sense.

As I wrote in a review of Shine’s book in PCS 7, A Natural History of Sea Serpents is a fantastic book and I could listen to Adrian Shine talk all day long, he’s astute and articulate. I deeply appreciate his careful research that helps me see old cases in a new light, find the through-lines of this complex subject, and understand the wider view.

Meanwhile, I hate to admit, the cryptid content that mostly appears in media – made by amateur researchers, people seeking an alternative reality, or just jokers – is not high quality (with only a few rare exceptions). It’s not even very creative. But because cryptids are a mainstream thing now, anything goes. And anything, no matter how poorly done, how ridiculous, or how misleading, will get clicks. See the following two examples.

News people don’t know their animals

You can bet that the “mystery animal” videos that get shown on the local news reports are going to contain some cringeworthy comments by the reporters. TV news anchors read what’s been written for them and respond and ad lib based only on whatever background info them have. They usually don’t know anything about a natural subject. One sad side effect of Pop Cryptids is that many now know the names of local cryptids and throw them out there as “possibilities”. In the process, they reveal shallow knowledge of the lore and history of the creature, and ignorance of the local wildlife. These three news personnel from Pueblo, Colorado speculate on what this animal is from a dark and grainy video. At least they recognize the red eyes may be a camera artifact, but one suggests it’s a chupacabra. In a broadcast on another station, the pair of presenters also give ridiculous opinions (such as it’s a person dressed up). The Colorado wildlife officials said it might be a raccoon with mange.

My initial thought is that it’s a coati, an animal found as far north as Arizona and sometimes kept as a pet. It’s not unusual to see coati in unexpected places. It’s unclear what it’s doing in Colorado, but it’s only a “cryptid” is the loosest interpretation of the word. Meanwhile, mystery mongering sites like Coast to Coast AM promoted this story with a sensationalist headline. This kind of treatment is really disappointing and leads to the audience being misinformed or alarmed. There is no good excuse for such awful framing of an interesting animal story.

AI cryptid articles – It’s how stuff works

I have mentioned AI generated cryptids several times in this publication – videos, photos, and monsters that came from AI image-generation apps. But now I’m starting to notice that AI-written articles on cryptids are becoming a common thing. Several “infotainment” sites quickly generate pieces to capitalize on a trending news story or subject. Cryptids are one of those topics. The popular site How Stuff Works revealed just how their stuff works, by using AI to produce a recent article on the Loveland Frog. This article followsr news coverage for the frogman’s festival in March. The content is unoriginal, just more AI slop we have to wade through.

Squishables Mothman series

Squishables are sold in many toy and gift stores across the country. Their newest series of cuddly plushies is an array of fun Mothman critters. My favorite is the Rosy Maple mothman (genius!) – modeled after the stunning yellow and pink rosy maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda). I remember the first time I saw a rosy maple moth and could not believe it was real! And now it’s a variety of mothman. Check out the other varieties.

The Hebridean Mermaid

A woman who pretends to be a mermaid landed a gig promoting a new BBC series about mermaid tales and folklore around the waters of northern Scotland. Looks like a cool topic for programming!

Many people “become” mermaids by donning tails and learning how to dance underwater. If you aren’t aware of how popular indulging in mermaid fantasy is these days is, you can check out a series on Netflix called MerPeople. It’s an eye-opener.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7hUc8HVSFk

Old-school cryptozoologist-types reject mermaids as cryptids, calling them “fantasy” creatures. But this take is proof of how the idea of ‘cryptids’ is selective and changes over time. There are undoubtedly cases in the centuries gone by, and even now in non-Western news reports, of people who say they have seen mermaids. It’s no joke. Although many faked videos attempt to capitalize on that belief, most are poorly done hoaxes.

Remember in 2012, there was a huge hubbub about Mermaids: A Body Found aired on the Discovery Network. There was NO doubt that more than a few people who knew nothing of nature accepted that Mermaids: A Body Found was a science show about real mermaids.

Are mermaids cryptids? Absolutely. They are legendary, culturally known, and we have plenty of documented claims asserting they really exist, and some that claim they had been captured. There is no line between cryptids and folklore/fantasy creatures now. It’s all the same concept.

Ogopogo float may sink

The City of Kelowna, B.C. has had a parade float for decades. The most popular design for the float has been that of the local Lake Okanagan monster, Ogopogo. According to The Kelowna Courier, for more than 50 years, the float has featured various representations of Ogopogo. Back in 2016, there was an idea to highlight other tourism opportunities of Kelowna with the float. That didn’t go over well, and after a public outcry, the town’s beloved cryptid was restored. Now the float requires repairs and the city council determined they just can’t afford the steep price tag. So, Canadian parades will be without Ogopogo for a time.

Cryptid Media: More podcasts

Here’s another podcast recommendation. Check out Squaring the Strange episode no 250 – Cryptids go Pop! where I was invited to discuss my interests, and this publication, with Ben and Celestia.

For some deep dives, check out the Bigfoot two-part episode and the Loch Ness Monster three-part treatment from the Mythillogical podcast – a well-researched tour through the folklore aspects of these two cryptids. If Charles and Crofty are reading, feel free to message me if you need help with North American pronunciations.

Thanks for reading! Send comments, questions, or suggestions to sharon(at)sharonahill.com. If you want to send some cryptid plushies or other merch, or books to review, email for my physical mailing address.

For more, click on Pop goes the Cryptid landing page. Make sure you subscribe to all the posts – it’s always free and I don’t send annoying spam. 

Pop Cryptid Spectator is also available on Substack. Please share this with cryptid fans you know!

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Pop Cryptid Spectator 9

Welcome to the PCS 9th edition. The appetite for cryptid-tourism is on the rise. Today’s cryptid fan is all about the experience. Not only are people eager to check out the supposed hangouts of mysterious monsters, but they also want to put their travels and beliefs on display via social media. Getting a cool pic in a monster stop is guaranteed to get likes. This edition of the Pop Cryptid Spectator is heavy on tourism and how towns love their local beasts (even if they used to hate them).

In this edition:

• Cryptid media: Creating the Loch Ness Monster
• Ogopogo statue updated
• The Big Muddy Murphysboro monster file
• Continuing the tradition of paranormal lore in West Virginia
• Wild Fictions comic is great intro to Fortean topics
• Snallygaster vs Snoligoster

Cryptid media: Creating the Loch Ness Monster

Loch Ness is inseparable from its monster legend. The towns around the lake seem to have adjusted to the outsider interest over the past 50 years.

In the 2023 documentary, Loch Ness: They Created a Monster, by Hopscotch films, now available for viewing, we have a veritable Who’s Who of the people involved in the investigations at Loch Ness at the height of it all – the late 1960s to the early 80s. At that time, the idea that there could be some mysterious unknown creature in the lake was at its peak. Monster hunters from all over the world tried their new gadgets and courage over and under the water, hoping to be the one who nabbed the prize.

The location supported multiple dedicated loch watchers including Frank Searle, Tim Dinsdale, and those volunteering with the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau. The documentary mostly concentrates on Searle, his highly questionable “evidence”, and dubious reputation. Searle exited the scene under equally dramatic circumstances, which is built into the context of the presentation. If I list all the well-known people in this production, I’m afraid I’ll miss someone. Tune in to enjoy the images and activities of a younger Adrian Shine, Youshio Kuo, Lee Frank, Robert Rines, and many more! From the Hopscotch website:

The darkly comic story of the Nessie hunters who camped out on the shores of Loch Ness throughout the 1970s and 1980s.  Featuring an international cast of dedicated scientists and extraordinary eccentrics who chased, but never found, the  dinosaur-like creature who may live in the depths of the loch.  The film shows  how the absence of concrete evidence and the allure of fame gradually tainted the once-serene Loch with frustration, egos, and broken dreams.

At the dawn of the 21st century, the possibility of Nessie as a single zoological entity waiting to be found had diminished to near 0. But the appeal remains, as the parade of tourists attests. And people will forever be “seeing” what they believe.

The film is currently being shown on BBC-2 but you might be able to catch it on Daily Motion if it doesn’t suddenly disappear into the depths of the internet.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8rbf66

Ogopogo statue updated

The statue of Ogopogo in Kelowna, British Columbia is a fixture in the town that loves its lake monster. As part of a waterfront renovation, it’s being moved to make more room for tourist interactions. The monster of Lake Okanagan will also have a misting station so people can cool off on hot days.

Ogopogo got much of council’s attention during a lengthy report of various city parks-related initiatives planned for this year. That reflects their awareness of the significance Kelowna residents place on Ogopogo, particularly the downtown sculpture which is probably the most photographed piece of public art in the city. 

“I don’t know how many people have children in pictures sitting on Ogopogo’s head dating back decades and decades,” acting mayor Luke Stack said. “Really, it has become part of the heritage of our community and it’s really an important asset to protect and continue to promote.”

Don’t forget Frogman fest

As mentioned in the last PCS, the Loveland Ohio Frogman festival is coming up this weekend. The frogman officially becoming the city’s mascot in 2023. From this latest article, costumes are encouraged. The festival is more about fun than zoology, as pop cryptids go.

The Big Muddy Murphysboro monster file

Speaking of town monsters, Murphysboro, Illinois has their own creature, the Big Muddy Monster, which is clearly a Bigfoot relative. The town has developed a very slick website featuring a case file of the monster information. The file contains digital scans of the police reports from 1973 and 1976 and photos taken by the Murphysboro Police Department, artist sketches made from the eye witness reports, and news clippings and letters from around the world. Original sources like this are invaluable but often hard to come by. This is a little gold mine.

Continuing the tradition of paranormal lore in West Virginia

West Virginia never fails to capitalize on their spooky reputation. The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University are looking for your best ghost and monster tales for an upcoming publication. The small, independently published booklet called Traditions: The Ghost of Ruth Ann and Other Local West Virginia Lore will highlight the best stories with the intent to preserve local lore and tradition. The project is a collaboration with the podcast team who organized the Veggie Man Day. That’s a Veggie tale for another time…

Wild Fictions comic is great intro to Fortean topics

Justin Mullis reviews The Department of Truth: Wild Fictions comic on the AIPT web site. I had seen news about this series that features various paranormal and conspiracy subjects, including cryptids. But comics are not my thing. Justin notes that those who produced this series knew their stuff. This volume features 27 essays (with a fictional premise) where author James Tynion IV takes up the role as a Fortean historian and illustrated by some of best artists in comics today. Note that these are comics aimed at adults.

The Department of Truth: Wild Fictions is a beautifully illustrated, informative and fun, if not essential, companion piece for fans of the comic series. Alternatively, it could also serve as an introduction for anyone who’s interested in ghosts, UFOs, and cryptids but isn’t reading what’s easily one of the best comics to ever examine these phenomena.

I might have to give this one a whirl!

Snallygaster vs Snoligoster

Prior to a year ago, the Snallygaster/Snoligoster existed only in the forgotten corners of my mind as crazy stories about ridiculous creatures. Well, we’re in the era of Pop Cryptids so all the monsters, crazy or not, are stepping up to be re-noticed. The Snallygaster is a folklore creature from Maryland described as a one-eyed flying reptile with both a beak and teeth, as well as face tentacles. It was said to swoop down to carry off its victims, even children, and drain their blood. The accepted story is that the creature derived from tales from German immigrants to South Mountain, now Frederick, MD. The local newspaper kicked up their readership in 1909 when some colorful characters reported that the creature was back on the hunt.

It was only a few months ago that someone on social media brought up the “snoligoster” when I assumed that creature was a variant on the snallygaster and of the same origin. Interestingly, the snoli/snolly creature came from slightly more southern latitudes. This beast haunted Lake Okechobee in Florida and was said to resemble a furred crocodile with no legs but a propeller for a tail. It has a large spine on its back used to impale the victim it catches then tosses. Gruesome! Eventually, the propeller is used to pulverize the prey. The Snoligoster appears in Cox’s Fearsome Creatures volume from 1910.

Even though some online sources dispute these two creatures stem from the same distant origin, they undoubtedly have more in common than their wild descriptions suggest. Both are only very loosely based on real animals, ridiculously embellished. Both are likely based on the German words schnelle geeschter, meaning quick spirits. According to an explanation in Merriam-Webster dictionary, snollygoster comes well before snallygaster; the former dates to the 1840s, while our earliest use of the latter comes in 1900 (in what appears to be a misspelling of snollygoster). The term also was widely used in the 19th and early 20th century to mean “a shrewd, unprincipled person” particularly one intent on running for political office. (Consider that Maryland borders D.C.) Since the origins relating to monster tales may have grown from the immigrant communities, we may not have earlier popular records of its use. So the timelines remain murky – that’s work for folklorists and linguists.

The nastiest characteristic in common is the use of both creatures as a way to intimidate slaves who might have considered escaping into the forests or swamps. The snally or snolly stories were told with awful racial connotations in their time. It’s clear that the word, in whichever form, was intended to signify a monstrous and dangerous evil that was not much of a threat to wealthy white city folk.

The Snallygaster has been winning the popularity contest lately with its appearance in Fallout 76 and its own museum in Maryland. The Snally is leaving the Snoli back in the swamp, and attempting to leave behind it’s racist past. It’s also worth considering that the more northern Snally has similarities with the Jersey Devil, also a winged dragon-like monster of political origin who terrorized towns, coincidentally, in the 1730s and 1909, same as the Snally in MD. Some people might suggest they are the same cryptid. Hmm, what Jabberwocky is this?

Even with limited source material, there is a lot more to unpack about the snally/snolly. I have yet to sort it all out. Due to the overlap and evolution of various tales, disentangling the legends entirely isn’t realistic. What is clear is that the Snallygaster is now a pop cryptid of some renown with an unfortunately sinister, repugnant past.

Thanks for reading! Send comments, questions, or suggestions to sharon(at)sharonahill.com. If you want to send some cryptid plushies or other merch, or books to review, email for my physical mailing address.

For more, click on Pop goes the Cryptid landing page. Make sure you subscribe to all the posts – it’s always free and I don’t send annoying spam. 

Pop Cryptid Spectator is also available on Substack. Please share this with cryptid fans you know!

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#1 #chupacabra #cryptid #Cryptozoology #deathOfAUnicorn #popCryptid #reddit #rollerCoaster #scientific #seaSerpents #Skinwalker #Wendigo

https://sharonahill.com/?p=9144

Two river otters. I saw something that didn't quite look like a beaver duck below the water and eventually got an eye on them. Poor quality photos but I'm sure it's not baby ogopogos that escaped down the river.

#otters #riverotter #otter #ogopogo

Sample shirts arrived for my production company's fundraising campaign! Excited that we can now tell the world we believe in West Coast horror.

If you like them you can get your own here - https://badcookie.shaky.in/

Profits go towards funding a horror anthology feature film and the shirts are 100% cotton, union made, and printed with eco friendly inks by the worker owned collective Shaky Hands!

#HorrorCommunity #HorrorFamily #horror #cryptid #sasquatch #cryptids #unionmade #bigfoot #ogopogo