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 Driving Through Monroe, Michigan in Search of Cryptids The Believe It Tour crew decided a quick stop in Monroe, Michigan was in order to see the infamous spot where a frightening incident occurred in 1965. This was an encounter that was rather unique since it took a violent turn when a Sasquatch hit one of the witnesses in the face.
It was mid August when Christine van Acker and her mother encountered a Bigfoot in Monroe. The cryptid reached into the car and hit van Acker in the eye giving her a black eye just before the two women quickly drove away. At the time of the incident the media picked up the story and published a photo of van Acker’s injuries and a drawing of the creature that attacked her.
As the Bigfoot encounter happened 45 years ago we knew it would be a challenge to find anyone still living in the town with first hand knowledge of the incident. However, it was still part of the adventure to drive through the area where such an encounter took place.
 What creatures are lurking beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet? Today, I was reading about how Russian scientists will be exploring an icebound lake located over two miles beneath Antarctica’s frozen surface. The lake is not only filled with fresh water that’s millions of years old, but it’s also filled with untouched information for scientists to examine. “It’s like exploring an alien planet where no one has been before. We don’t know what we’ll find,” said Valery Lukin of Russia’s Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) in St. Petersburg.
British and United States explorers are also out to study other sub-glacial lakes in the area. Today there are roughly 145 of these sub-glacial lakes in Antarctica for scientists to explore. Two factors work together to ensure the water doesn’t freeze in these lakes. One is that the Antarctic ice sheets covering these lakes contain the earth’s geothermal heat and that’s what keeps the lakes from freezing. The other factor is the ice encasing the lake exerts enormous pressure on the water, which acts to lower the freezing point.
With these lakes being one of the last areas of unexplored territory on the planet it will be truly exciting to see what mysterious new life forms they uncover. Not to mention all the data scientists will have that may help to trace back previous life. My imagination is working on all the possibilities.
I think this scientific discovery has all the makings of a great Sci-Fi movie. The possibilities range from exposing some form of ancient alien spores to unleashing a hoard of prehistoric cryptid beasts. However, I think this might only happen in the movies.
Imaginings aside, this discovery does have the potential to lead to some serious scientific breakthroughs that could cause us to reassess some of the things we always assumed were fact. Believe It Tour will be keeping an eye on the latest developments for you.
 America’s Wolfman We already know that there’s a popularity war going on between werewolves and vampires. Now we’ll have a chance to see how the half-man, half-beast size up to the always captivating Sasquatch.
MonsterQuest, on the History Channel, always captures a large audience with episodes relating to Bigfoot. Yet, on Wednesday night, they’ll finish up their season with “America’s Wolfman.” Will this episode pick up a wider range of viewers because of the popularity of werewolves from movies and shows like HBO’s “True Blood” and “The Twilight Saga – New Moon?” Is anyone willing to take a guess at this point?
No matter what the outcome is I can say that I know the reason I’ve enjoyed watching these episodes on MonsterQuest. These episodes have truly explored the classic cryptozoology legends. If you’re at all like me and a true cryptozoology explorer you’ll enjoy this final episode.
I should say that you’ll enjoy the show if you can watch with an inquisitive and open mind. As with most cryptid stories, there is always some controversy around it being a reality or a hoax. Have no fear, this time won’t be any different. With the focus surrounding the Gable Film and the Michigan Dogman there have been many new questions that have come to the surface that go beyond the historical werewolf beliefs. Questions about the motives of people to maybe go a little too far when perhaps wanting to make a buck or to pull a prank on others. Again it all boils down to drama and drama equals good tv – right?
Believe It Tour’s suggestion is to just watch MonsterQuest for the fun of it. Then do your own research on Native American folklore about werewolves or skinwalkers to really get into the spirit of this fascinating creature.
 To pay homage to this classic UFO and Alien sighting I have added a new drawing to our set of Believe It Tour Characters. Click the photo to order. It was last October, while driving home from the Texas Bigfoot Conference, that we decided to make a stop in Flatwoods, which is located in Braxton County, West Virginia. That’s right we stopped to see the home of the legendary Green Monster or, perhaps better known as, the Flatwoods Monster.
It was way back in September of 1952 that the legend started and changed the face of this small town forever. On a late summer evening there was a reported sighting of an alien type creature that was 10 feet tall with a blood-red face, fiery eyes, and green lizard-like skin.
Was I expecting to come across such a sight myself? I didn’t think it was likely, but anything is possible. However, that made me question what it is that drives us to want to go out of our way to catch a glimpse of where something reportedly took place so many years ago. After I asked myself why I stopped in Flatwoods I didn’t have just one answer.
The explorer in me just enjoyed seeing something new, but the investigator in me wanted to grasp what the area was like to better understand the reports. However, the kid in me just wanted to be a little scared at the idea of the 10 foot tall creature that once stood there!
 Kraken Black Spiced Rum by Proximo Spirits A recent discovery of mine is for the collectors of all things cryptid out there. Well, collectors over the age of 21 that is. I came across something that caught my eye and grabbed my attention the other day. Named for a sea beast of myth and legend, “The Kraken Black Spiced Rum” is the latest and most unique product bottled by the Kraken Rum Company and sold by Proximo Sprits.
As many of our readers know the Kraken is a legendary sea creature that lurks in the northern waters off the coast of Scandinavia. This monster is said to be large enough to pull down an entire ship and has struck fear into the hearts of many sailors throughout history.
Being a cryptozoologist and having a career in marketing and design my interest in this new discovery is two-fold. I’m honestly intrigued by the commercial use of this classic sea creature, the Kraken. Don’t get me wrong, I bring this up because I think it’s brilliant. The beautiful replica of a Victorian Rum bottle, the wonderful design and illustration of the Kraken’s label, and all the ingenious marketing ideas behind it were plenty to make me pick up a bottle for my collection.
Sure, the Kraken Rum Company is having fun and taking some creative license with the subject, but they are doing an amazing job of marketing. Looking beyond the business aspect, one of the most exciting parts about this discovery is that it provides even more evidence that cryptozoology and folklore are gaining in mainstream popularity faster than ever.
During a recent road trip to Florida, on a research and information gathering journey, I came across an interesting Georgia cryptid. Altie, short for Altamaha-ha, appears to be the center of attention for the Darien Georgia Visitor Center. The story captured my attention and the people at the visitor center were more than happy to tell me their story.
According to their brochure, it was the Tama Indian tribe that in the early 17th century passed on stories of a giant snake-like creature that made its home in the marshes at the mouth of the Altmaha River. This was prior to the English settling along the same river, which was named after a Yamasee Indian Chief. There are even still sightings of the Darien Sea Monster being reported by locals. Recently, fisherman who were on the river say Altie hit their boat with its tail as it swam underneath. Others give details of a creature that has emerged just long enough to get air before submerging itself once again.
The main description of Altie is of a creature that moves in an up-and-down motion that looks like the classic Loch Ness Monster photograph. Its size ranges anywhere from 10 to 50 feet long. The creature also has a large snake-like head and coloring that ranges from grayish brown to green along the top with a lighter underbelly.
After hearing the stories about Altie it was then my turn to share my reason for stopping and why I was so interested in cryptids. To make a long story short, we exchanged contact information and, with the wonderful southern hospitality Georgia is known for, I can say that Believe It Tour plans on returning for a shrimp boat tour searching for Darien’s Sea Monster, Altamaha-ha (Altie). Stay tuned.
Recently, a friend from Texas contacted me on facebook to let me know her son is involved in a ghost hunting club at his Jr. High. How’s that for progress? I’m pretty sure that would not have been supported when I was that age, so good for them.
More good news is that this will be a great example for the schools we hope to be visiting this coming year. Believe It Tour is working in the New England area with a teacher right now to formulate a group talk on cryptozoology, but it’s now growing into some paranormal topics as well.
Our regional meeting groups are doing well with the adults, but we know kids are interested in the topics we cover, too. Why not share with the younger fans out there that are just as interested, if not more, in cryptids, ghosts, UFOs, and other mysterious subjects as adults. After all our core concept is based on the idea of journeying through life like a child with an open mind.
Does your school have any program like this? Are a teacher or student that is interested in getting one started? Let us know. We’d like to help promote your club or help get one created.
 BJ Winslow of Dapper Cadaver The Believe It Tour has been out and about again…
I looked up at the sign to make sure I was in the right place as I slowly walked through the double front doors. I looked to my right and saw an electric chair holding a hapless victim. I looked to my left and was assailed by piles of bones and disembodied human and zombie heads. I had officially entered the world of BJ Winslow and his shop, Dapper Cadaver.
I walked through this amazing store past shelves holding fluid filled specimen jars containing interesting bits of people or animals. I passed by alien skeletons, tombstones, the occasional feegee mermaid, vintage autopsy tools, and mutilated bodies covered only in decaying flesh. Normally, this would be considered a gruesome crime scene or something out of a horror movie, but instead it was a testimony to one man’s imagination, intense creativity, and an unwavering commitment to the belief in some things that could exist.
A tall guy with glasses, paint stained hands, and curly hair made his way over to me with a crooked grin. This was BJ, the man behind the vision and a self-described “monster agnostic.” Dapper Cadaver is a mix of realistic body parts and props and oddities like aliens, cryptids, and assorted mutated creatures. With Dapper Cadaver BJ sees a monster trend that started about ten months ago. He said this is evidenced with movies like “Hellboy II” and “The Mummy III.” He also said the fact that Bigfoot hunters recently made it onto CNN was groundbreaking. With a smile he said, “The nation wants there to be proof of Bigfoot.” Around the time the monster trend began, BJ started a blog entitled, Monster Mondays, where he explores different cryptozoology creatures at length and also tackles other creepy topics. You can see his blog athttp://www.dappercadaver.com/blog/horror/monster-mondays.
BJ got his start making props when as a child he repainted his toys, deconstructed other toys that he reconfigured into new ones, and then put some toys into jars he filled with liquid. When asked about his inspiration, BJ replied, “When I grew up I had a cemetery and a forest next door.” As he got older he moved into creating props for carnivals and haunted houses. After doing that for ten years, BJ co-founded Dapper Cadaver three years ago. Dapper Cadaver has provided realistic props to over 475 productions. These range from TV shows like “Bones” and “Law and Order” to movies like “300” and “Pirates of the Caribbean II.” They manufacture most items in-house and have a crew of several artists with specialized backgrounds that produce the props.
To follow BJ’s creative process all you have to do is ask him about feegee mermaids.When he designed his amazing feegee mermaid he envisioned how it could have really evolved while he was creating it. He saw it start as a bat on the island of Fiji that went from land into the water. Its winged body elongated and the lower extremity webbing evolved into a tail, it’s arms became human-like and the webbing moved to the fingers, and it’s sonar adapted to work under water. It was clear his story was the inspiration behind his pseudo-cryptid creation.
When I finally left BJ’s world I found it hard to step back into the reality that was outside of the shop doors. What an amazing gem to discover in Los Angeles. Stop by Dapper Cadaver and say hi to BJ and the crew. You can find them at 5519 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA or on the web at www.dappercadaver.com.
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