Friday, January 30, 2009

Paranormal Monsters

The new issue of Britain's Paranormal magazine is - I'm very pleased to say - absolutely packed with cryptozoological features! First, there is an article from well-known author Janet Bord titled Monstrous Man-Birds, and which covers such beasties as Mothman and Batsquatch. Then, there's Jon Downes dissecting the Owlman of England. Paranormal editor Richard Holland looks at the issue of ghostly-birds and birds of ill-omen. Karl Shuker poses the intriguing question: "Are UFOs living creatures - weird, luminous things drifting in the upper atmosphere?" And then there's a feature from me titled Man Into Monster - which is a study of legends of supernatural shape-shifting from man into an assortment of animals, including big-cats and hyenas. And, finally, there's a one-page rant from me explaining why I loathe those skeptical types who never actually get out into the field - but who prefer instead to pontificate from the comfort of their office or home on why they are so sure that Bigfoot, etc, do not exist. Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Mothman Vol 3

The third volume in Andy Colvin's massively-paged Mothman's Photographer series of books is now among us! This is one for which I wrote the foreword, and a real mind-bending and wild experience the book is, too. For Mothman devotees everywhere!

Here's the Amazon link; and here's what the publisher says about the book:

Spurred in 2001 by the realization that the 9/11 attacks were accurately predicted - in 1967 - by a friend who was seeing Mothman, Seattle artist Andrew Colvin began filming a reality series, "The Mothman's Photographer," documenting his experiences growing up in Mound, WV.

"The Mothman's Photographer III" is a book of oral history based on the 2nd half of that series, where Colvin travels afield in search of Mothman-related avatars like Thunderbird, Bigfoot, and Garuda.

As the synchronicities pile up, Colvin shocks listeners to one of America's top conspiracy shows, The Grassy Knoll, by explaining that Mothman is not a demon but an avenging angel - an archetypal protector deity sending dreams, visions, and prophecies to psychically enhanced experiencers.

In his interviews and encounters with these experiencers, Colvin uniquely blends historical research, parapolitical theory, and spiritual wisdom to reveal valuable techniques for increasing one’s happiness, creativity, and self-knowledge.

Chronicles of the Cryptid Kind

I had an email yesterday from David Acord, a veteran Washington D.C. reporter and editor, who has just launched an exciting and excellent new venture: a weekly newsletter on cryptozoology titled The Cryptid Chronicles.

As you'll see from the press release below, you can log on to David's website and download the first issue for free, thereby giving you a great taster of what is to come.

David sent me the first issue, and I can say for certain that you won't be disappointed. It contains a wide and varied range of articles, including ones on (a) whistling snakes; (b) an intriguing mystery animal from Dakota that dates back to 1971; (c) anomalous reptiles of North America; and (d) an Idaho lake-monster. And there are also reviews of a couple of new crypto books in there, too.

All in all, a great start to what I hope will be a long lasting venture! And here's David to tell you more:

THE CRYPTID CHRONICLES Launches; Only Weekly Newsletter Focusing on Cryptozoology

ARLINGTON, VA, Jan. 5 -- Bigfoot. Sea serpents. Lake monsters. Black panthers and mysterious big cats. Chupacabra. Strange reptiles.

Chances are you won't find in-depth articles on these and other crypto-creatures in your local newspaper or in academic journals. Blogs do a great job of keeping enthusiasts up-to-date on the latest sightings, but what's been missing from the crypto field is a regular weekly publication that brings readers more analytical, in-depth articles on cryptid-related phenomena -- a newsletter that goes beyond hyperlinks and daily headlines to bring readers information they simply can't find anywhere else.

Enter The Cryptid Chronicles, the new weekly newsletter written by David Acord, a veteran Washington D.C. reporter and editor who brings more than a dozen years of experience to his true passion -- cryptozoology.

Each week subscribers receive 12 pages' worth of investigative reporting and analysis on the hottest crypto topics from ancient times to the present delivered straight to their e-mail inboxes in PDF format.

“The best thing about The Cryptid Chronicles is that it also brings you stories on cryptozoo-logical phenomena that you've never heard of, broadening your knowledge of the field,” Acord said.

“We delve deep into the archives to discover long-lost stories of strange critters roaming America and the world. Anyone who’s interested can log on to our Web site and download a free sample issue. You’ll find stories about the whistling snakes of the eastern United States, the‘whatsit’ from North Dakota and anomalous lizard sightings going all the way back to 1900.“The free issue is a great example of what The Cryptid Chronicles is all about,” Acord added.

“There’s so much more to learn about cryptozoology. Our newsletter is the missing link for any-one interested in strange creatures.”

The Cryptid Chronicles is a weekly electronic newsletter. Each issue is sent to your e-mail address in PDF format, so you can print it out (if you want) or read it straight from your computer screen. And the best part is the price -- you get an entire year (52 weekly 12-page issues) for the low price of just $29.95. That works out to just 57 cents an issue -- less than the price of a candy bar or pack of gum. We guarantee it's the best cryptozoological value you'll find in today's economy!

To download a free sample issue or subscribe, log on to http://www.fiweekly.com/cryptid.

Contact Editor David Acord with any questions at davidacord@msn.com.