Map of Cryptozoology
Posted by: Loren Coleman on October 26th, 2009
Alexis Rockman’s Map of Cryptozoology, 1998-1999. Oil and acrylic on three wood panels, 96 x 192 inches.
In an exclusive arrangement with the world-famous wildlife artist Alexis Rockman, to support the International Cryptozoology Museum™, Rockman, Loren Coleman, and the museum will begin producing, for sale, professionally done posters of his Map of Cryptozoology.
Rockman had previously honored me with the use of his giant catfish painting for the cover of my massively revised 2001 hardback and paperback editions of Mysterious America.
He also was very involved in the Bates College Museum of Art’s Cryptozoology exhibition in 2006, donating the loan of his painting of a sabertooth felid tripping a camera trap in South America.
So what do you see in Alexis Rockman’s painting of the world map? Take the quiz.
Can you name all the cryptids, animals of discovery, and miscues noted on Rockman’s unique Map of Cryptozoology?
For more on the Grand Opening, please see here.
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.
Kongomato
patterson’s bigfoot
mokele-Mbembe
Mammoth
Trunko
Okapi
Giant Sloth
Chupacabra
Loch Ness Monster
Thylacine (skeletal)
Dead Plesiosaur aka corpse of a basking shark found by Japanese
Plesiosaur’s fin photographed.
Bunyip
Kraken washed up ashore
Hoaxed speared sasquatch
Sculpture of Mokele-Mbembe
Mbielu-Mbielu-Mbielu
Mosasaur
San Andreas fault?
Giant Salamander (pink)
Plesiosaur under the red rowboat and Guy.
Rare Extinct Deer
Dolichorhynchops
Prehistoric Mammel
I love that catfish painting, interesting that a South American fish would be used for the cover of a book about North America.
As I explain in Mysterious America, I wanted to begin to encompass a broader view of the Americas.
The cover was to celebrate the entirely new content of this 2001 revised 1983 book, with had added new chapters, including one about “Giant Catfish” reports.
I think I couldn’t name 2 or 3, but they are small and even with it enlarged it’s not big enough to tell what it is. Great work, though. Beautiful kitty.
The marine reptile on the left side is directly based on a drawing of the pliosaur Rhomaleosaurus by the famous Paleoartist John Sibbick, and the mammoth seems to be drawn after a painting by Burian. I just wonder what cryptid the animal on the polar circle is, because it looks very much like Andrewsarchus mongoliensis.
My son would love this for his room. He loves anything to do with science. We got him his first Microscope this weekend, a bug house, and a rocket. We have strange bugs now roaming about the house. All kinds of “science samples” for the microscope, I dare not ask what each really is, and I am a tad bit worried about what will happen when we fire the rocket off. Should be a funa and exciting adventure. But I will definitely be happy to order one of these posters when you start producing them, be sure and give us a link.
I think DJ Plasmic Nebula basically covered all the bases as far as the Map is concerned, so I’ll demure from making a contribution.
Awesome Map, awesome artist. Thanks, Mr. Rockman and Loren.
I’m not criticizing it’s use, I love that picture. I just thought it interesting to note, at first I thought it was supposed to be a North American catfish. I have a copy of the book and recall the chapter on catfish but mine is the copy with the mystery fish postcard on the cover.
What is the dark creature under the water on the right hand side of the map? Above Trunko? I remember the picture in a magazine I had when I was younger. I really liked the story of it as a kid, and it boosted my interest in cryptids.
I would be interested in buying a poster of Alexis Rockman’s Map of Cryptozoology to support the International Cryptozoology Museum!!
When and how can I do this!
While we are on the topic where can I buy some of his other art?
Sir Coleman, did i get any of them right? 😉
I recoginzed these cryptids:
– Trunko
– Man-Eating tree from Madagascar
– Okapia johnstoni
– Nessiteras rhombopteryx flipper and hoaxed photo of neck with small head.
– Mosasaurid, that was stunned by submarine
– Zuio-Maru carcass
– Famous photo of sea serpent
– Skeleton of Thylacoleo carnifex
– Sao-La
– Wooly Mammoth from Siberia
– Giant mammal resembling Andrewsarchus – probably the Bear-Dog
– Giant octopus on the beach
– Mokele-Mbembe
– Mapinguari – Megatherium version
– Photo of water lizard taken in Africa
– De-Loys´s ape
– Chupacabras
– Pteranodon ingens – probably Thunderbird or Namibia Vulture-Dragon
– Giant Salamander
– Bigfoot from the PGF
– Some nothosaurid
That´s all, what I reckognizes, am I right, sir?
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lol A world map without Australia!
Dear YowieLover
Think beyond what they taught you in school with one projection of the globe. Australia is certainly there, in the upper right quarter of Rockman’s map, between the saola and the seagull.
Look again, for depending on how you view it, Australia is certainly not “downunder” on this map, but it is there, nevertheless.
Ahh…I see it now…rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise and up top…thanks Loren
To wdsasquatch:
The dark creature under the water on the right side of the painting is the Queensland Sea Serpent hoax perpetrated by Robert Le Serrec, a known fraud. It was supposedly photographed near Hook Island in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Here’s a great treatment that explains Le Serrec’s nonsense straight away.
Thanks alot Dr.Strings! I thought when i was younger that it looked like a giant tadpole type creature. But seeing this i thought maybe a plesiosaur?? (long neck instead of tail..) i couldnt find the pic or info on it so thanks alot for the help! 🙂