June 29, 2015
Interview of Kingfisher Pink, the author of The Whole Beast.
So who are you and what is your book about?
My name is Kingfisher Pink and I am the author of The Whole Beast, a novel about the discovery of Bigfoot by the one person on the planet who holds the least desire to do such a thing. That person would be Camrose Rose, the food and wine reporter of a local news station out of Portland. The consequences of this discovery turns his life pear-shaped and runs Mr. Rose afoul of local statutes set into place to protect the creature. (Skamania County Ordinance 69-01. It’s a real law, look it up.)
From there Mr. Rose is drafted into service as something of a gourmet monster hunter and adventure begins.
Who should buy this book?
Anyone who enjoys reading a book with a smile on their face: cryptozoology enthusiasts, adventurous foodies, anyone with an appreciation of the absurd.
Speaking of the absurd, The Whole Beast has a lot of comedic moments in it, are you poking fun at cryptozoology?
Not in the least. I love cryptozoology and find it gloriously weird. I love weird. Weird is good. The world would be a better place if more people embraced their inner weirdo.
What cryptids appear in The Whole Beast?
Well there’s Bigfoot, obviously. The discovery of Bigfoot sets the narrative in motion. As I mentioned earlier, Camrose Rose finds himself drafted into service as something of a monster hunter with a gourmet bent. His adventures take him to an area in Alaska known for its cryptozoological activity and he spends a decent amount of time in southern Texas in search of another infamous cryptid.
Okay, you’ve written a fictional account of the discovery of Bigfoot, where does the epicurean slant come from?
The epicurean slant was there from the very beginning. A few years back I was watching one of those culinary road trip shows that are all over cable television. The host of the show was in southern Oregon doing a segment on truffle hunting dogs. At some point during the show I turned to my wife and made a comment wondering what would happen if the host accidently stumbled across Bigfoot while they were filming and that was all she wrote. The Whole Beast was born.
I’ve always been something of a foodie at heart, but when my youngest daughter was born she came with some pretty severe food allergies that forced me to step up my game as far as culinary skills go. All of that is incorporated into the book.
And let’s just say if you’re on the fence as to whether a chupacabra has more in common with a wild boar or a canine, you may want to give The Whole Beast a read.
Who are your influences?
I’m inspired by anyone who can tell a good story. I tend to read whatever strikes my fancy at the moment, be it Hunter S. Thompson, Douglas Adams or Dr. Seuss. On the flipside I’ve always thought that if you are involved in any type of artistic medium and you only seek inspiration from that particular niche, you’re doing yourself a great disservice. Television, for example, influences me as much as books do. One of the characters in The Whole Beast is loosely based off a character from Northern Exposure – ironically a character once mistaken for Bigfoot. Movies inspire me. My kids inspire me. Everything I see or do influences me in one way or the other and anything I write is going to be the sum total of my experiences up to that point.
What’s your background in cryptozoology?
Nothing formal, I’m just an enthusiast. I have a vague recollection of the Six Million Dollar Man doing battle with Bigfoot when I was a kid, but I think it was the coelacanth that really sparked my interest in cryptozoology. That it was considered inarguable fact that the coelacanth dropped off the fossil record millions of years ago, only to have it turn up alive and well off the coasts of South Africa and Madagascar fascinates me to this day.
There is a passage in The Whole Beast about how once upon a time, every mainstream scientist was a cryptozoologist. The world was full of undiscovered and mysterious animals. I don’t know exactly where and when the two split off from one another, but I think it’s rather unfortunate. I think every once in a while a coelacanth, or a giant squid or a megamouth shark needs to pop up on the radar to remind mainstream science of the importance of keeping an open mind.
That being said, I have equal amounts of love and admiration for both mainstream science and cryptozoology.
Do you have a website? Are you on Twitter and the all the requisite social media sites? How does one contact you?
My website is www.kingfisherpink.com and you can find everything you need to know there – from social media pages, to the latest news about my books. The best way to get a hold of me is via email at [email protected].
What’s next on your plate?
I’m currently writing a science fiction novel revolving around string theory.
Are you planning a sequel to The Whole Beast?
Not at the moment. However, there are plenty of other cryptids out there left undiscovered. It might be fun to return to the adventures of Camrose Rose someday.
Last thoughts?
Yes. No cryptids were harmed during the making of this novel.
See also: The Whole Beast
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
Filed under Bigfoot, Bigfoot Report, Books, Chupacabras, Cryptofiction, Cryptozoology, Pop Culture, Sasquatch