CFZ's Next Generation Initiative

The Overtake has a new article up titled "The 'Science' of Cryptozoology" that features interviews with CFZ founder Jon Downes and NGI director Colin Schneider. Colin discusses the state of cryptozoology at the moment and what can be done to make it a "real" science, and not a pseudoscience. The article can be found here . -Tyler Houck

My book Buckeye Beasts: Historical Accounts of "Gorillas," "Wild Men," and Other Hairy Monsters in Ohio is available on Amazon NOW! Right now only the Kindle version is on there, but the paperback will be in a day or so. Here's some more on the book: Throughout the 19th and early 20th Centuries, encounters with "wild men" were commonly reported in newspapers around Ohio. Many cryptozoology researchers think these reports of wild men, "gorillas," "hairy men," and "anthropoids" could be historical accounts of Bigfoot-like creatures. In this book, author Tyler Houck examines these reports spanning from 1869 to the 1940s. Many are presented here as they originally appeared and are then compared to modern Bigfoot reports and other historical and contemporary reports of strange, man-like cryptids from around the world. Is this all something to do with mythology and folklore, hoaxes on slow news days or misidentificatio...

I have two new books coming out sometime in the near future, both focusing on some of Ohio's cryptid creatures. First, Buckeye Beasts: Historical Accounts of "Wild Men," "Gorillas," and Other Hairy Monsters in Ohio.  The book is an examination of old "wild man" accounts from the 18- and early 1900s in the state. I cover sightings from the "first" report in 1896 up to 1950, since the '50s were the decade when "Bigfoot" was born. After looking at all the newspaper reports, I compare them to other stories of "wild men" from throughout the world (Australia and England for example) and also to modern Bigfoot reports. The book should be available on Amazon before long and I will update things when it is! The other is The Ohio Monster Guidebook: A Look at the Buckeye State's Most Mysterious Creatures. This one is being published by CFZ Press and things are currently underway. In this book, I cover many Ohio cryp...

One of the main things I recommend to upcoming cryptozoologists is to read. A lot. Besides actually working with other researchers, this is probably the best way to learn about the field. There are hundreds of books out there on cryptozoological subjects, though many are not on par with others. In this post, I decided to put together a list of books both I and Colin recommend for those getting into the field. General Cryptozoology Recommendations Hunting Monsters: Cryptozoology and the Reality Behind the Myths By Darren Naish Naish's book is one of the best examinations of cryptozoology that I have ever read. He examines whether cryptozoology is really about animals or more about the human mind and why 'monsters' are reported all over the world and what likely inspired tales of them. It also tells readers that cryptozoology can be done scientifically and how to do so. Naish has a background as a paleontologist and science writer to back him up. ...

CFZ Director Jon Downes asks the question:  How does one become a cryptozoologist? 1. Becoming a cryptozoologist is easy, because there are no professional qualifications in the field. So, in many ways, one becomes a cryptozoologist by simply saying one is. But, it doesn't end there. There are lots of people who claim to be cryptozoologists, but very few who actually fulfil on these claims. The way that one gets respect and a position within the field is by being scrupulously scientific in one's methodology, and rigorous in what one publishes. My organisation, the Centre for Fortean Zoology, was started 25yrs ago, primarily to encourage a pursuit of excellence within the cryptozoological field. From your position do you encounter many young people entering the field? 2. We always encourage young people to get involved in cryptozoology and - indeed - a young man from Ohio, Colin Schneider, is currently in the process of starting the 'Next Generation Initiative...

The NGI just launched our Facebook group. You can join by clicking the link below. Please share this around to let any young people that may be interested in cryptozoology know about the group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/297960184051994/

I would like to welcome everyone to the blog of the Centre for Fortean Zoology's Next Generation Initiative. The NGI is the brainchild of Colin Schneider and Jonathan Downes, director of the CFZ. Since this is the first post on the new NGI blog, I thought I would take some time to introduce the CFZ, the NGI, and tell readers a little bit about who we are and what we will be doing. ABOUT THE CFZ The Centre for Fortean Zoology was founded by Jon Downes in 1992. On the CFZ website , Jon explains how it came to be: "I've been interested in this stuff all my life. My interest probably started when I was a little boy. I was brought up in Hong Kong surrounded by all sorts of weird and wonderful animals anyway. Every week my mother used to get me library books and one week when I was about seven years old she got me a book called 'Myth or Monster' which introduced me to the wonderful concept that there were real monsters like the Yeti, the Loch Ness monster ...