Comic Book Genius Visits
Posted by: Loren Coleman on November 8th, 2009
You never can tell who might come visit the International Cryptozoology Museum.
I am honored with all who come to see the collection and discuss cryptozoology.
As I mentioned before, 82 folks dropped by last Sunday for the unofficial, soft opening, due to the media announcements. Then on Friday night, for the “First Friday” free open house, 300+ walked through the museum, in a constant stream of humanity. Perhaps it was the ribbon cutting, State Proclamations, special guests Jim McClarin & Rep. Herb Adams, on top of the free food thanks to Jeff Meuse & Ricetta’s, and the newly baked shortbread by my son Caleb, but the place was packed from 5 pm to 9 pm.
Yesterday, on the first regularly open day, from 11 am to 6 pm, I never stopped showing folks the place and didn’t even have time to eat lunch.
On Saturday, fifty people came through, from Mark LaFlamme, author of The Pink Room and Dirt and his wife Corey, to a young married gentleman who had first heard me talk at the Auburn Library when he was 10 or 11 ~ and who coincidentally ran into a member of his old high school class, separately visiting the museum with her friend, at the very time he was there.
Surprise visitors of the day were John Rozum and his son Dash, who drove up from Cape Cod yesterday to tour the museum. John shared his visit with the readers of his blog this morning.
John Rozum is best known for the art in the hundreds of comic books he has produced, including Secret Saturdays, Scooby Doo, and the original Tops X-Files comics. I’m a fan of the other incidental places where his art turns up too, like in the special Creature From The Black Lagoon special issue of Mad Scientist #19.
There will be a future planned return of John Rozum, now, in which he will be a guest speaker and give the world’s first cryptozoological “Comic Book Reading,” complete with him signing old Topps X-Files comics and his son Dash sharing his cool mid-tarsal break Bigfoot cast.
The museum will be open today, Sunday, noon to five, and closed, per usual, Monday, and then onward with the regular hours, 11 am to 6 pm, Tuesdays-Saturdays.
Craig Woolheater, famed Texas Bigfoot researcher and the founder of Cryptomundo, along with the Believe It Tour, will be at the museum during the afternoon of Saturday, November 14th.
International Cryptozoology Museum, 661 Congress Street, Portland, Maine 04101.
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.
Man, if I could have come, I would have been there for Caleb’s shortbread! I love shortbread. Congratulations, Loren, on the Grand Opening of the International Cryptozoology Museum and the fulfillment of one of your many dreams.
Sincerely,
Bigfootsdad
Wish I had been there too, Loren.
Would have loved to have chatted with Rozum.
May the museum have success for decades to come!!! 🙂
congrats..
Looking forward to visiting you, the museum and Portland next weekend Loren.
Know anyplace good in town to get some lobster?