Mothman MQ: Exclusive Images
Posted by: Loren Coleman on February 9th, 2010
Here are the first images from tomorrow night’s MonsterQuest premiere:
MOTHMAN
An animation of the Mothman (c/o Pixel Farm, Minneapolis) Click on image for full size version
The sightings of the Mothman has been connected to the tragic collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967.
Appearances of the Mothman frightened locals of Point Pleasant, WV, in 1966.
Expedition team of Mark Peterson and Nick Redfern set out on a search to explain the Mothman.
Near the location of a sighting in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, a deer was found mysteriously slain. (c/o Linda Godfrey)
A witness drew the dangerous winged beast that he saw near LaCrosse, Wisconsin. (c/o aWholi)
Skeptic Joe Nickell, of The Skeptical Inquirer sets out to prove the beast was caused by misidentification.
And guess where new Mothman sightings are occurring? Learn on the new episode on Feb. 10th!
And coming up after the Winter Olympics!
PIRANHAS
For centuries the Amazon has been home to a frightening feeding frenzy of the most ferocious fresh-water monsters known to man… piranhas. These fish are said to ‘mutilate swimmers’, their teeth cut through ‘flesh and bone’ and the “blood in the water excites them to madness.’ Now, these deadly monsters are appearing in US lakes and rivers. The MonsterQuest team is investigating how they may be adapting, and whether these carnivorous beasts could breed here and devastate our waters.
FLATWOODS MONSTER
In the fall of 1952, witnesses in Flatwoods, West Virginia, reportedly encountered a nightmarish beast that was human-like in appearance but with reptilian skin. The monster hovered over its victims in strange craft, emitted a hissing sound and attacked by releasing noxious gases. Some claimed the beast was the result of mistaken identity and cold war hysteria; but now as sightings continue, MonsterQuest deploys the latest high-tech search gear to uncover this mysterious beast that has terrorized this town for almost sixty years.
SIERRA SASQUATCH
Ancient petroglyphs in the Sierra Nevada Mountains depict footprints left by frightening packs of hairy man-like beasts. Now, MonsterQuest heads to the heart of California where witnesses are encountering aggressively territorial packs of Sasquatch. The team will investigate groups of large footprints found here and analyze compelling new video which could be that of the beast.
WEREWOLF II
History says that a large and wolf-like beast is the stuff of legend, but recently uncovered film footage and new witnesses say something frightening is out there. MonsterQuest heads into the dark, isolated forests of the Midwest to search for this creature and analyzes the evidence to finally end this mystery.
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.
Okay, I was going to ask if there had been any sightings of Mothman since 1960’s…not on my usual radar, but it was always interesting to read about, so I guess I’ll have to tune in tomorrow.
And the upcoming line-up sounds halfway decent…I’ll probably hate myself for saying this, but so far, I’ve been more impressed with MonsterQuest this season. I’m curious about the werewolf II episode–if it’s going back to Bray Road in Wisconsin, or if there’s new stuff? I’ll tune into that one too…and of course the BF stuff:)
Is that Mothman or Mouthman? :-/
Re: MOTHMAN
Although I’ll be watching tonight to see what MQ brings to the table re the Mothman phenomena, it is, IMHO, one of the more far-fetched criptid candidates – at least as far as a living, breathing, terrestrial entity is concerned.
The biggest problem I have with Mothman is nicely illustrated in MQ’s animation – although I do give ’em points for trying to depict a “real” creature rather than the classic headless, red-eyed, furry blob!
No matter which version you prefer, however, the crux of the matter is that creature possesses wings that are woefully undersized; it also lacks the necessary musculature to even suggest that powered flight – a crucial attribute – would be possible. Those glaring deficiencies, coupled with the whole “harbinger of doom” thing, suggest to me that Mothman should be relegated to the company of ghosts, sprites and sundry extra-dimensional beings.
Re: PIRANHAS
Like the “Giant Killer Bees” and “Giant Snakes,” sounds like another we-have-to-fill-an-hour-of-time non story.
Pirañas are actually quite skittish, but they do travel in schools and possess VERY sharp teeth. Fish gotta eat and, if an injured prey item is available, they will consume it (just like any other fish – toss a couple worms to the bluegill in your local fishin’ hole and watch the water boil!)
While people have certainly been bitten by pirañas, the only documented cases of consumption were of corpses, i.e. drowning victims. Lets face it, in the Amazon basin there are a lot more pirañas being eaten by people than vice versa!
Re: FLATWOODS MONSTER
Not really familiar with the story, but a creature “human-like in appearance… with reptilian skin… hover(ing) over its victims in strange craft” just sounds goofy to me! 🙂
Re: SIERRA SASQUATCH
Sounds interesting. Always love the Bigfoot stuff!
Re: WEREWOLF II
Do I think people turn into wolves and run around in the woods? No.
Might there be some type of cryptid, i.e., an unknown or out-of-place canid, big cat, etc. at large? Perhaps.
I’m looking forward to seeing what the “recently uncovered film footage” shows.
The eyewitnesses first described it as a “large bird.” Large wings, flight straight up into the air, and other seemingly “supernatural” elements were not part of the initial waves of accounts. This could have been a run-of-the-mill mystery, a large owl, a Thunderbird, if the history had been different.
The media, via a newspaper copy editor naming the source of the sightings “Mothman,” a bridge collapsing, and John A. Keel’s final book version being more demonological than zoological, have imprinted these cryptids with an unfortunate mantle of unbelievably. But if you go back to the original reports, they do not exist outside the realm of most avian cryptid reports.
I have my reservations about this program being very cryptozoological, because of the people they are showing on it. But I’ll hold comments until I see it.
Arewethereyeti:
The beasts that are conveniently deemed “werewolves” I would actually prefer to refer to as “Wolf Beings.” Nobody is talking about the “traditional” Werewolf here, which is basically a human afflicted with the disease of Lycanthropy, which causes them them to turn into wolves every full moon or so. We all know the drill. THESE creatures appear to be like that ALL the time. No silver bullets needed. No supernatural element here.
But unfortunately, the catch-all term has become “werewolf,” even though they are not THE werewolves we all know about.
The Flatwoods Monster really belongs more to UFO lore than to true Cryptozoology, IMO. It actually looked more like a sentient alien robot than anything else. But Loren has covered it and Crypto folks DO include it in Crypto stuff, so I’m not THAT worried about classification. I do agree with Loren that there are legitimate questions about the Cryptozoological worthiness of this episode and of the ambiguity of Mothman being in the Crypto pantheon overall.
I have my opinions on what Mothman is or is not (most folks who I’ve interacted with for a while may guess they are) but I’ll keep them to myself and wait until the episode airs. Like Loren says, I will withhold judgement.
I’m surprised thy are devoting an entire episode to the Flatwoods Monster. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t there only one sighting? Anyway, I always found it interesting and I’m looking forward to it.
MisterMonster: Yes, there was only one sighting as far as I know.
The MonsterQuest Mothman episode was much more balanced than I expected, not even one mention of John Keel. But I just hate their narration. Essentually it’s always a monsterquest for ratings, not science. You’d think someone, eg, might mention that all terrestrial vertebrates are tetrapods, so any description that contained feet, wings and arms should immediately be suspect. Like Linda Scarberry’s for instance.
Loern wrote: “Large wings, flight straight up into the air, and other seemingly “supernatural” elements were not part of the initial waves of accounts.”
That’s incorrect, Loren. Among other things, the November, 1966 sighting by Connie Carpenter was among the very first recorded and perhaps the most cited as to Mothman’s “helicopter” flight ability.
And don’t hold your breath over the Flatwoods Monster. Suspect you’ll be seeing Joe Nickells again. Couple of years ago he wrote a very plausible explanation for the siting. Expect more owls.