Pop Cryptid Spectator 17
Hello everyone. Welcome to the 17th issue of Pop Cryptid Spectator, featuring cryptids in mainstream popular culture.
As I scroll through news feeds, I keep an eye out for examples of pop cryptids. They are NOT hidden, they are ubiquitous, making their appearance known every day in movies, TV, games, social media, folk culture, and consumer culture. I’ve collected more examples over the past few weeks. I’ll never be short of them!
In this edition:
Bear Lake monster marker
Join the cryptid crawl
Cryptids as sports icons
New York Times Monster Quest Strands puzzle
Blue Ridge Hunting game features Appalachian cryptids
Seeking Mothgirl
Another fake Bigfoot promo video
Nessie Quest 2025 is a bust
Bear Lake monster marker
A Utah State University student headed a project to give Bear Lake its own official cryptid commemorative sign. The Bear Lake monster, a typical Nessie-like creature legend common to dozens of lakes in North America, is the subject of Utah’s first “Legends & Lore” sign. According to the USU press on the unveiling of the sign, the modern legend began in 1868, when Joseph C. Rich, a local Mormon writer, popularized a tale that was likely adapted from Shoshone oral traditions via a letter to the Deseret News. Rich later admitted that the story was fiction, but that never stood in the way of a good monster story. The co-opting of a Native legend of a spirit animal to fuel a story about a potentially dangerous lake creature is a ploy used over and over again. The older legends add credibility, but are used without proper context. The newly revamped tale catches on.
People will see what they believe. The Bear Lake monster’s disparate descriptions range from sea serpent-like, to resembling plesiosaurs, mosasaurs, crocodiles, or large fish. It’s clearly imaginary, which actually gives it limitless flexibility in the current culture.
Certain lakes are particularly prone to reports of lake monsters thanks to a combination of popular cultural depictions and wakes on the lake that are mistaken for humped creatures. The surfacing of large fish or the occasional swimming mammal will also do wonders to propel the legend. The USU write-up was clear that there is no real undiscovered animal in the lake; instead, the sign celebrates the value of community that is evident in their beloved shared story of the monster. Melissa Anderson, the grad student who won the grant to erect the sign, expressed this very pop cryptid sentiment:
“Whether the story of the Bear Lake Monster is true or not, there’s truth in its impact, which is really awesome,” Anderson said. “And I think monsters are fun.”
Join the cryptid crawl
In PCS 16, I mentioned a cryptid crawl taking place in Ohio. Up popped another one in Lancaster, PA! The Tales from the Shadows weekend event features cryptid and paranormal activities in the downtown area aimed at families and in support of small businesses. The cryptid crawl features popular legendary creatures included Pennsylvania’s own Squonk, a top pop cryptid these days. The crawl encourages participants to visit locations around town to collect stickers and, when complete, to receive a commemorative prize. Look for this type of community event to catch on.
Cryptids as sports icons
In PCS 4 and 5, I linked to the saga of the Utah Hockey Club trying and failing to obtain the name “Yetis” for their team. There are many North American sports teams that use cryptids as team names or as their mascots. Check out this article I wrote back in 2024 with several examples and some background on why cryptids are so popular in this role. I recently updated the article with the addition of a football club from Texas called the Chupacabras. Of course, there is an awesome logo!
New York Times Monster Quest Strands puzzle
Forteans and cryptid fans rejoiced on June 4 as the NYT “strands” puzzle featured a cryptid theme. What a stellar example of how cryptids have hit the mainstream! “Cryptids” was the “spangram” word.
Blue Ridge Hunting game features Appalachian cryptids
A new 3D graphics video game joins a growing list of games that invoke Appalachian folk horror as a theme for an immersive and spooky experience. The Blue Ridge Hunting game uses the trope about seeing something in the woods, but no one believes you or doesn’t want to hear about it. (“No, you didn’t.”) While you aim to hunt the monsters, they are hunting you. So, don’t be too noisy….
Blue Ridge Hunting allows you to team up with your friends to investigate some of the most infamous cryptids said to haunt the Appalachian region. Players can utilize various tools to collect evidence and track down creatures. Income from successful hunts can be invested in new equipment – but be careful! Creatures are always listening and looking; utilize proximity voice chat and your radio for communication, but be careful not to attract too much attention…
In a way, I rather like that idea. People walking in the woods need to stop talking so loudly, hooting and hollering. Just listen, you may hear something.
Seeking Mothgirl
Are you getting the gist that cryptids are huge in gaming? If you don’t like camo-wearing, gun-wielding games, you might enjoy Lost Records: Bloom & Rage where you go looking for the Moth Girl via a theme within the game called Capturing the Cryptid. The Moth Girl cryptid is a cutified version of Mothman. Various versions of a “moth girl” can be found in art, cosplay, and fiction. Cute versions of cryptids are a predominant theme of pop cryptids.
Another fake Bigfoot promo video
It’s a thing, now, for outdoor companies in the US west to stage “Bigfoot” sightings for tourism promotion. Sometimes they do it live for tourists passing by. Other times, they stage a cheap stunt for social media promotion. That’s what was done in late May for Colorado River Expeditions. They put someone in the standard Bigfoot suit:
And made them pose for the camera. See for yourself in this video by ParaBreakdown:
Nessie Quest 2025 is a bust
The annual Nessie Quest weekend in May, bringing hundreds of people together in person and online to search for the mystery cryptid, turned up zero evidence this year. It seems a bit silly after all these decades to keep trying to find scientific evidence when Nessie is obviously far more valuable as a legend. But the event is a good ploy for people to play pretend scientists. This year, there wasn’t even blurry footage of waves to speculate about. The best that the news media could find was an image of a pike eyeing some bait. The Glasgow media spun this in the most optimistic light possible by saying “experts hunters” (how can you be an expert if you’ve never gotten a creature?!) say the large fish would serve as food for a large predator. Sure, sure.
Thanks for reading! Send comments, questions, or suggestions to sharon(at)sharonahill.com. If you want to send some cryptid plushies or other merch, or books to review, email for my physical mailing address.
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Ha! I almost sent you an email about both the event at Decades in Lancaster and the NYT Strands puzzle. Made a mental note. Promptly forgot. Ugh! Should have known you catch both of those anyway!