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THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES |
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A new Hollywood blockbuster, an amazing companion documentary, and thousands of web pages in its honor-- the fuss these days is about
Mothman. On November 15, 1966, this huge, red-eyed creature with wings appeared over Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Thus began thirteen months of otherworldly mystery, madness, and mayhem for the people of Point Pleasant, culminating in the collapse of the Silver Bridge, which left 46 dead.
The new movie, The Mothman Prophecies, featuring Richard
Gere, Debra Messing, Will Patton and Laura Linney, is based on John Keel’s book of the same name published in 1975. But today the point man for information on the real Mothman is Loren Coleman, whose new book
Mothman and Other Curious Encounters has just been published by Paraview Press.
In fact, just a couple
of days after the book was published Coleman drove
from Maine to West Virginia to revisit the many
special places where Mothman had been seen –
including the armory, the pizza joint that used to be
the famed Tiny’s, and the location of the Silver
Bridge.
Says Coleman: “While in Point Pleasant, I talked to
many people about Mothman, I touched base with the famous as well as the
forgotten. I re-interviewed Linda Scarberry, one of the four people
of the two couples who had the first media -
acknowledged experience.
She told me that the cover of my new book was
the best illustration she has ever seen which shows
Mothman the way it really appeared to her.
I appreciated that, even though I didn’t come
to Point Pleasant for that.” |
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Mothman author Loren
Coleman meeting with Mothman witness Linda Scarberry |
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How does John Keel feel about all this? "After a lifetime of research,” says Keel, “Loren Coleman has produced the most complete overview of Mothman and its minions -- the scariest family of monsters on Earth." In fact, Coleman’s new book shows that the Mothman West Virginia episode is not unique. The noted cryptozoologist and fortean investigator discusses the precursors of
Mothman, like the Flatwoods Monster of 1952, and brings the story up to date, detailing the sightings of the spawn of
Mothman, some reported as recently as November 2001. |
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EXCERPT FROM MOTHMAN AND OTHER CURIOUS ENCOUNTERS
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The wire service ticker was spitting out the bulletin…
Location: Point Pleasant, West Virginia
Dateline: November 15, 1966
Two young couples reported to Mason County sheriff’s department tonight they have had a curious encounter with a monster.
“It was shaped like a man, but bigger. Maybe six and a half or seven feet tall. And it had big wings folded on its back,” eyewitness Roger Scarberry told Deputy Millard Halstead.
Roger’s wife, Linda finished his thought: “But it was those eyes that got us. It had two big red eyes, like automobile reflectors.”
The Scarberrys and another couple, Steve and Mary Mallete, had seen something strange at the abandoned World War II ammunition dump, known locally as the TNT area.
“For a minute we could only stare at it. Then it just turned and sort of shuffled towards the open door of the old power plant. We didn’t wait around.” Roger continued.
Thus began America’s first notice of a series of sightings of a strange something that would be quickly named “Mothman.” A month after the publicity began, a journalist innocently showed up in town to live among the locals, hoping to understand what was happening. During the next thirteen months, he would make five trips to Point Pleasant, staying for many weeks scrutinizing the case. The investigator’s name is John A. Keel. His experiences appeared in a series of articles and in his book on the subject,
The Mothman Prophecies. continue
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Mothman and Other Curious
Encounters
by Loren Coleman
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Paraview Press, 2002
ISBN: 1931044-34-1
Unexplained Mysteries, 210 pages
Trade Paperback $14.95
Now available for
ordering
from Paraview Press |
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| Read a recent interview with
Loren Coleman on Mothman published by
13th Street: |
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Interview
Part
1 Interview
Part
2
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Mothman |
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What could Mothman possibly be?
(1) A misinterpretation of a out-of-place large bird, such as a sandhill
crane or a snowy owl (this was what a local college professor said at the
time, and the witnesses all thought the guy was out-to-lunch)
(2) A real flesh and blood animal, as yet not identified, what
crypto - zoologists call a "cryptid"; candidates for this includes (a) a giant
unknown owl related to a prehistoric species from Ice Age Cuba, and (b) a
giant teratorn, a huge relative of the condor found in the La Brea tar pits
(3) An ultraterrestial creature from another dimension (which is John A.
Keel's general notion)
(4) Mass hysteria on the part of 200 residents of Point Pleasant (what many
are willing to believe)
(5) A government experiment and conspiracy to test West Virginia natives
during the Cold War (this is a theory of the late Jim Keith)
Loren Coleman discusses all of these theories in his book Mothman
and other Curious Encounters. |
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For further information about Mothman, Coleman recommends the following
websites:
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- The Mothman Prophecies movie site
Sony's official website has a great collection of information on everything
from the history and legend of Mothman, to world sightings and other links.
The "Mothmania" section is our favorite.
- The
Mothman Lives
Presents
accounts of Mothman sightings, news on the
movie The Mothman Prophecies and a discussion
forum devoted to this glowing-eyed creature.
Has information on Donnie Sergent, Jr.’s “Mothman:
The Facts Behind the Legend”
CD-ROM.
- Mothman—Ghosts of the Prairie
Recounts the strange sighting in Point Pleasant of a giant, moth-like creature.
Includes a composite sketch and recommended reading.
- Blather Archives: A Mothman Retrospective
Having finally read the previously neglected copy of John Keel’s 1975 Fortean
classic The Mothman Prophecies, Blather shares their insights.
- Point Pleasant, West Virginia
Learn more about the location of the Mothman events.
- Traveling West Virginia: Mothman
- West Virginia's True Ghost Stories: Mothman
- The Reality Behind the Movie
- Mothman: The building where first sighted
- X-Files episode: Detour (about Mothman)
- The Black Ops Conspiracy Theory for Mothman
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For other cryptozoology and paranormal titles as well as books on
spirituality, science, conspiracy, self - help, and other topics see
the complete Paraview Press
catalog. |
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