Creepy Creatures
Posted by: Loren Coleman on April 22nd, 2008
“Creepy Creatures” and other cryptozoology-oriented episodes of “Weird Travels” will be having some encore broadcasts in the coming days.
US TV Schedule:
Fri. Apr. 25 3:00 PM Travel Channel, “Weird Travels”
Fri. Apr. 25 4:00 PM Travel Channel, “Weird Travels”
Sat. Apr. 26 11:00 AM Travel Channel, “Weird Travels”
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
i think it’s time reknowned cryptozoologists such as Loren are inducted into SAG — the Screen Actors Guild — and receive due profits from these programs. seriously!
i know, i know… Mr. Coleman is not an actor, and i am not suggesting he is one! but you can bet that other ‘hosts’ who did these shows and the celebrities they often get to narrate are union, get residuals, etc.
it’s one of the reasons the ‘reality show’ degradation has occurred in Hollywood: the writers and actors are killed by this, as the producers hire ‘real folks’ and don’t pay them ‘squatch’ both during production nor afterwards, the latter being where profits are most lucrative as costs have already been absorbed.
you may think this esoteric, but the bottom line is still the bottom line. the networks like those that air these programs are just subsidiaries of larger corporations like GE, Murdoch, etc.
they can afford to pay but simply albeit unethically choose not to do so. the recent strike the Writers Guild of America went through was in part over this trend, which only hurts the quality of writing on all shows when they don’t hire union.
i’m not a blindly pro-union person. who can argue some have done as much harm as help?
but in the final analysis, these shows make millions, and none goes back into the participants’ pockets. that’s a shame — think how much Loren and others could do not to personally enrich themselves but on account of valid scientific research if they were better funded.
just, you know, my ‘two-cents’ worth, for what it’s worth.
So Mr Colman is not an actor, eh? Haven’t you seen him in green tights, clutching a skull to his chest and applying the slap while calling everyone ‘dahling?’
I agree though, Loren, you should get the gelt, as us Cockneys say, especially when you see the credit list on any given programme. They are all getting some, why shouldn’t you?
Either way, Weird Travels is one of the better Crypto shows out there…definitely was on my “tape at all costs” lists and on my, “got to tune in even though I’ve seen it before” just to get some cryptozoology pumping…
Residuals would be good. But I do not appear to apparently qualify to join SAG; see here.
Kindly, someone, other than me, has been keeping my IMDb entries up-to-date with many of my appearances, here.
(I am not the MechWarrior 3 writer. Also, I note my first fiction role, in Monster in the Woods, is not up there yet but Southern Fried Bigfoot is.)
loren, i’m not surprised you don’t quality YET for SAG, as it’s difficult to get in. in my hollywood writing years, i knew many, many actors who struggled to get one line of dialogue on any union show just so they could get in and/or keep medical benefits, which were good.
as i said in earlier comments, one of the things the WGA (Writers Guild) strike was over were ‘reality shows’ or documentary shows like the ones you frequently appear in. sadly, the union caved in this regard and tabled that debate for future negotiations (read: no time soon).
that said? there are others worth considering and trying to join. IATSE is mainly for ‘behind the scenes’ persons, but still covers many stage and t.v. crew folks, which you definitely will have a chance at qualifying for.
equally, consider the WGA as a longer term option as well. why? well, given you’re published as a writer, and given that if you’re WGA they have to pay WGA in order for you to appear on any network or union show, it’s ALMOST as good as getting a SAG card.
in other words: if you’re a member of the WGA? no union show such as Discovery Channel, etc., can have you appear unless you sign a waiver and (this is more likely) they pay you a comparable union wage. it doesn’t mean they have to pay you a writing fee, per se; rather they can offer you a pro-rated ‘per minute of screen time’ rate for how much footage they use of you in any production PLUS residuals.
i know, i know: it sounds difficult, and it is. BUT… the dues come out of what you earn, not out of pocket. in short, you don’t pay until they pay you, not the other way around. secondly, you’re close to qualifying already in several of these unions just because you’ve appeared on t.v. so much, have been published dozens of times, etc.
one certainty even if you become disheartened at the challenge: seek out a talent agency to represent you. you’d be surprised how effective this can be: a talent publicity agency or talent agency can get you booked, will negotiate your rate for appearances, and even help you promote your books and get you lecture circuit appearances to speak at colleges and other interested venues.
this is NOT unethical. in fact, it’s completely American! by that i mean: lecture circuits are historically where American authors have always made additional monies to supplement their meager incomes. let’s face it, unless you’re Stephen King, no one is getting rich writing books.
for one example? Edgar A. Poe never made a dime on his books, but did quite well on the lecture circuit reading “The Raven” to approving audiences who paid 10 times what they never paid to read his poetry in libraries, hand-me-down copies of his books, etc.
with your background and media experience, i am quite confident you would find a p.r. company willing to take you on as a client. sure, these firms charge, but usually it’s a percentage of what they earn for you, not any upfront fees!
again, if anyone herein thinks this sounds like i’m suggesting Loren somehow “sell out” or whatnot, THINK AGAIN! it’s a sincere appeal for the man to get his due for hard work, ethical behavior, and a lifetime of doing well by others (i.e. the crypto museum).
hey, why should only the bad guys (you fill in the blanks, but most are ex-politicos and the like!) be making MILLIONS on the p.r. lecture circuit when knowledgeable, valuable and fascinating folks like Loren are out there to equally enjoy the fruits of their labors?
i’ll repeat: if there’s something wrong with Mr. Coleman making an honest living for his honest labor, then there’s something dreadfully wrong with this country when Bill Clinton makes $100 million in 7 years for showing up to speak to adoring crowds!
’nuff said!