“John Keel was our Michael Jackson.”

Anomalist Books editor-in-chief Patrick Huyghe remarked after hearing of the death, “John Keel was our Michael Jackson.”

After Keel’s 1975 book was adapted into the 2002 film, The Mothman Prophecies, “Mothman” became a household name. But it was John Keel that was the true star, not the monster. One of our own had crossed over and had a big tent Hollywood movie made from one of his books.

In January 2002, when the film was first released, Fortean historian and author Jerome Clark said that he felt a sense of sincere pride for John Keel when he saw Keel’s name flash on the movie theater screen. It was a good moment.

Among the press, the Point Pleasant Daily Register shared this: “As several celebrity deaths have swept the nation in recent weeks, perhaps the closest to the area is the death of John Keel.”

John Keel, The Mothman Prophecies author, stood with Point Pleasant, West Virginia’s Main Street Director Charles Humphreys prior to the official unveiling of the Mothman Statue at Gunn Park in 2002. Keel died on Friday, July 3, 2009.

At Fortfest 1992, John A. Keel discusses his research findings (mostly ufological & hints of the cryptozoological) keyed to “pivotal years,” e.g. 1848, 1968, 1973, and 1975. In the last 30 seconds of this video, Keel talks about the interrelationship of Forteana and economic collapses.

Certainly a focus among the Fortean, cryptozoological, and ufological communities for three days now, Keel’s passing is beginning to be acknowledged in the mainstream media:

Garuda: Harbinger of Doom, from an Indian postcard, being sold by a New York City vendor on a walk home from Keel’s apartment. Credit: Doug Skinner.

In 1994, John A. Keel is the demonologist, the man in black in the middle, in between ufologist J. Antonio Huneeus and cryptozoologist Loren Coleman. Photo by anomalist Patrick Huyghe.

On July 3rd, in 1969, Brian Jones, English musician and member of The Rolling Stones died. On July 3rd, in 1971, Jim Morrison, the Lizard King and American leader of The Doors died. On July 3rd, in 2009, another kind of rock star, the Mothman king, John A. Keel died.

Loren Coleman 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.

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