Cryptomundo » A Cryptomundo Conspiracy?

A Cryptomundo Conspiracy?

Posted by: Craig Woolheater on April 13th, 2015

Controversy erupts over the Dead Bigfoot photo that Karl Shuker has resurrected from the Cryptomundo archives.

Dr. Shuker started off with a post here on Cryptomundo, Exposing the ‘Dead Bigfoot Photo’ – The Bear Facts!, followed up closely with this post, Bearly a Bigfoot – Sourcing the ‘Dead Bigfoot Photo’, exposing the original source for the photo.

Click on image for full size version

The Cryptomundo conspiracy controversy started at the Facebook group Coalition for Critical Thinking in Bigfoot Research during discussion of these photos.

Amongst the comments:

Photo trickery has been around for a long time.

Anyway in 2006 Loren Coleman was talking a lot about Jules Verne’s “Captain Nemo” and his giant sea monster in his articles. It’s a no brainer who altered the photo when the only trail to this hoaxer was a poster called “Captain Nemo”! Loren Coleman also worked for Cryptomundo BTW.Paul Matheson

That doesn’t prove anything at all. It could be simple coincidence. Or, someone might have tried to hoax Loren Coleman.Steven Streufert

Yes but usually if you follow the smoke you will find the fire.Paul Matheson

Loren Coleman There’s no question about it Captain Nemo is the guilty one. Now find us this Captain Nemo and we will have your man.Paul Matheson

Here is the original post from 2006 where the image was published on Cryptomundo.Craig Woolheater

There’s no denying the photo was a hoax. I must admit “I can’t photoshop” is a pretty lame excuse when I highly doubt the powers to be at Cryptomundo don’t have access to photo software along with somebody that knows how to use it. What goes on behind closed doors is not within our reach.

Things don’t add up in your favor when the known hoaxer calls himself CaptainNemo and you’re on the same web site talking about Captain Nemo just 30 days later.Paul Matheson

It’s captiannemo, not CaptainNemo. He/she/it is a registered user at Cryptomundo, and they submitted the image to the site.Craig Woolheater

… the background int he Bigfoot image has been altered with cloning replacement and blurring. Look at this one detail I found in just one minute of looking at the two side by side.Steven Streufert

clonedelements

So who is this captainnemo? Let me guess.Paul Matheson

So Loren photoshopped the image and submitted it as “captiannemo” so I could post it a full 16 days before the squid footage was captured somehow knowing this and incorporating Captain Nemo in his post about the squid footage another 16 days later?

Ludicrous…Craig Woolheater

Loren Coleman had absolutely no reason to hoax anything. His research and thinking over the years stands on its own as sound and substantial. He’s not out trying to hoax to prove anything, but rather just studying the history and manifestation of the subject. Where hoaxes or false evidence have arisen he’s been very good at identifying those instances, as with fake track casts, the 2008 Georgia hoax, and many others. To me he is one of the most respectable and knowledgeable members of this field.Steven Streufert

captiannemo IS a registered user at Cryptomundo. They have submitted 186 comments to the site over the years, starting in September 2006, with their last comment in February 2009.Craig Woolheater

Perhaps someone should just ask this “captiannenmo” what’s up, and where he/she got the image? Show him/her my red circles as proof of a photoshopped hoax.Steven Streufert

I will be posting captiannemo’s comments about the genesis of the image at Cryptomundo tomorrow. After I post it, I will share here.Craig Woolheater

Update: Loren’s comments originally published here have been removed at his request.

And here is captiannemo’s comment regarding where he got the photo to submit it to Cryptomundo where it was originally published on the site on November 21 2006, Another Dead Bigfoot Photo?

Submitted on 2006/11/23 at 7:11 am

I am sorry for the poor quality of this photo after a few years the quality has degraded.

It has been stored on the hardrives of my wifes computers and transfered to my laptop. This picture was found on the internet a few years back and when I first downloaded it, the picture was much clearer. I had no idea this picture was not seen before. After several computer hard drive issues on my wife’s old computers, I thought this old picture was worth saving. I thought it would be a good idea to send it to Cryptomundo and share it before my wife’s old PC crashed for good. Thanks to all who posted their comments. I hope someone who has the original will post it again so we all can get a better look at it.captiannemo

2 Responses to “A Cryptomundo Conspiracy?”

Surroundx responds: April 13th, 2015 at 7:50 am
One would have thought that Loren is above suspicion. He’s done more for cryptozoology in the last few decades than just about anybody. Loren’s passion for the field of cryptozoology comes across loud and clear. It’s a pity that some of those comments were made.

As to the identity of the hoaxer, we may never know. Hopefully somebody will step forward with some information which sheds light on the matter. I guess the larger the controversy which surrounds this photo (in whichever manner) will bring the photo to a greater audience than would otherwise have been the case. Perhaps the slanderous comments then, will have a silver lining.
Lyall M responds: April 13th, 2015 at 1:17 pm
Can’t help it – Is this a case of “Synchronicity”? Only Loren would know. Well, maybe the webmaster if multiple servers weren’t used to establish Captain Nemo identity.

It looks more like a case of people looking for something to complain about. Did anyone ever claim it looked Real?