Media Blitz for Tonight's SyFy Bigfoot Movie Staring Barry Williams and Danny Bonaduce

More like King Kong than Bigfoot, but we will take it. Tune in tonight as SyFy broadcasts, "Bigfoot" Starring  Barry Williams and Donny Bonaduce.

TONIGHT! "Bigfoot" on the SyFy Channel 9/8 Central!

All right fans this is the event we have been telling you about since our Feb 2 post, "New Bigfoot Movie with Danny Bonaduce". In fact, click on the following link if you want to read our entire SyFy Bigfoot Movie Coverage. The media is doin' an all out blitz revealing lots of enticing details and mocking comments. We picked out the best quotes from around the web and shared them with you below.

Cast of Syfy channel's "Bigfoot!", clockwise starting top left: Sherilyn Fenn, Andre Royo, Barry Williams, Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Danny Bonaduce, Bruce Davison and  Howard "Johnny Fever" Hesseman.

Syfy stomps out more schlock with ‘Bigfoot’

By Mark A. Perigard

The cable network last year scored a hit with “Mega Python vs. Gatoroid,” a film best remembered for the scene in which its stars, ’80s singers Tiffany and Debbie Gibson, brawled at a lawn party.

Hoping to cash in again on a twisted sense of nostalgia, Syfy pits ’70s teen idols Danny Bonaduce of “The Partridge Family” and Barry Williams of “The Brady Bunch” in a race to snare Bigfoot.

Neither actor has the camp appeal of Tiffany or Gibson, but they sure are bosom buddies in bad acting.

Bonaduce plays a concert promoter nicknamed Harley, and Williams, in a Mike Brady perm, appears as his onetime musical partner Simon, now an ardent environmentalist. There are sly references to their sitcom pasts. Harley loves to rib Simon about sleeping back in the day with his mom, who sounds a lot like Carol Brady. One of Simon’s many female followers is a Marcia look-alike with an IQ that matches her shoe size.

The two men clash as Harley’s outdoor rock concert in Deadwood, S.D., is ruined when the legendary mountain monster stomps all over the party.

There are real actors in the film. Sherilyn Fenn (“Twin Peaks”) plays the frazzled law enforcement officer who tries to save the community. She’s dressed like Frances McDormand in “Fargo,” oversized hat and all, and it’s sad her career has dribbled to this. Couldn’t Lifetime’s “Army Wives” draft her for duty? Howard Hesseman (“WKRP in Cincinnati”) is a hoot as the venal mayor, who, when asked to pony up some money to capture Bigfoot, offers up the firefighters’ pension fund, reasoning it will never be missed. Oscar and Emmy nominee Bruce Davison plays a sheriff and also directed “Bigfoot,” and to his credit, he keeps the film moving at a brisk clip.

The cheesy comedy horror film doesn’t stint on the CGI beastie. Bigfoot here is King Kong-sized, with feet that can flatten an unsuspecting human. His footsteps reverberate like thunder, yet he always manages to sneak up on his victims. He has a nasty habit of biting heads off the clods who get in his way and kicks cars like soccer balls into helicopters, severely undercutting the military’s attempts to corral him. src: Boston Herald

We forgot that Barry Williams and Danny Bonaduce had crossed paths before on Celebrity Boxing. This show is essentially a rematch.

Barry Williams accepts Danny Bonaduce 'Bigfoot' rematch 'on one condition: I can kick his butt'

By Jay Bobbin 

The two actors were among ABC's most popular stars of family-friendly sitcoms in the late '60s and early '70s, Bonaduce as precocious Danny on "The Partridge Family" and Williams as earnest Greg on "The Brady Bunch." Their paths crossed memorably in the 2002 premiere of FOX's short-lived (as in, two episodes) "Celebrity Boxing," with Bonaduce pretty much ruling their bout.

On Saturday (June 30), they're back together in "Bigfoot," a new Syfy movie that makes them opponents again, this time in pursuit of the title creature. Other notables are involved -- Howard Hesseman ("WKRP in Cincinnati") and rock icon Alice Cooper are among co-stars, and actor Bruce Davison ("X-Men") is the director -- but there's no question the Bonaduce vs. Williams rematch is the main event.

"I felt terrible," Bonaduce tells Zap2it of the outcome of their meeting a decade ago. "I box, and I had boxed for years. It was a good payday, but trainers and other people I knew said, 'Hey, he's gotten himself into a situation. You've got to carry him a bit.' But boxing is kind of a dirty business, and he was going to a real gym, where champions of the world train."

In a separate interview, Williams maintains he "got in a lick or two" during the bout but admits, "Danny dominated the fight. I've got to tell you, on both a personal and professional level, that was not very comfortable for me ... so when they approached me about being an adversary of Danny's in 'Bigfoot,' I said, 'I'll do it on one condition: I can kick his butt.' And I do. And he was great about it." src: Zap2it

 The Deadbolt also reminds of the celebrity boxing match and with a nod to how both actors have moved on to make the SyFy Bigfoot movie.

Fighting Over Bigfoot with Barry Williams and Danny Bonaduce

by Reg Seeton

Nowadays, years removed from their boxing match and even more from the shows that made them household names, Danny Bonaduce has a better understanding of Barry Williams, the man, after their time in the ring.

“I hit him so hard my shoulder hurt and he continued to get up. What’s the biggest scene in Cool Hand Luke? The guy who won’t stay down. George Kennedy, if I’m not mistaken, is not the star of that scene. It’s Paul Newman because he refuses to stay down. And I know this may sound like an overdramatization of a fight, but until you’ve been in one, they’re pretty dramatic. That’s my impression of Barry Williams.”

In taking on Bigfoot, both Danny and Barry were all about having fun together on a project that pits one against the other as they both hunt for the mysterious creature for different reasons.

For Danny’s Bigfoot character, it’s all about the hunt and kill. For Barry’s Bigfoot character, it’s all about conservation and preservation. But, like in life, there can only be one final outcome for a hunter either way.

Going into the Bigfoot, how did Barry feel about going up against Danny on screen instead of the ring?

“Doing the movie, we’re coming into it in a completely [new] way, both trying to make the best movie and have the most fun and make the best movie we could. So there’s no real animosity there except the acting part.”

In Bigfoot, Danny Bonaduce and Barry Williams star alongside Howard Hesseman (Head of the Class), Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks), Andre Royo (The Wire) and shock-rocker Alice Cooper. src: TheDeadBolt.com

The best review so far is BLC's hometown paper the Oregonian.

SyFy's 'Bigfoot' pits Danny Bonaduce, Barry Williams against a forest monster

By Grant Butler, The Oregonian 

SyFy network wraps up what they've been calling "the most-dangerous month on television" on Saturday with "Bigfoot," a low-budget original film that stars 1970s sitcom stars Danny Bonaduce and Barry Williams. Like most SyFy Saturday night movies, this one appears to have been shot on a budget of roughly $37, and features special effects that may have been created on a Commodore 64 computer. But no one watches a SyFy flick expecting great artistry. People want laughably bad acting and campy dialogue, and "Bigfoot" certainly delivers.

Bonaduce plays a radio DJ in Deadwood, S.D., who is organizing a 1980s rock festival (oddly headlined by Alice Cooper, and only attracting an audience of about 50 people). Williams plays a washed-up musician turned environmental activist who is concerned about the festival's effect on the environment. Before the former stars of "The Partridge Family" and "The Brady Bunch" can really square off, the festival is disrupted by Bigfoot, and mayhem begins. 

There's lots of running around, people being stomped on, and plenty of geographic oddities (South Dakota, at least in the SyFy world, is located near the Pacific Northwest). It all culminates with a scene on top of Mount Rushmore that pays homage to but hardly rivals the finale of Alfred Hitchcock's "North By Northwest."

Included in the cast are Andre Royo (he went from "The Wire" to this?), Sherilyn Fenn (of "Twin Peaks" 20 years ago), and Howard Hesseman (from another '70s sitcom, "WKRP In Cincinnati"). It's directed by Bruce Davison, a one-time Oscar nominee who these days is playing judges on shows like "Drop Dead Diva." 

Should you watch it? Heck, yes! It may not rise to the campy glories of "Jersey Shore Shark Attack" earlier this month, but it's got Williams and Bonaduce enough cheese to make nachos. Don't forget the tortilla chips! src: OregonLive.com

LISTEN to Finding Bigfoot's Bobo Interviewed Tomorrow

Illustration by Rictor Riolo who will co-host with Sharon Lee
as they interview Bobo of Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot

James "Bobo" Fay is on a break from filming Season 3 of Finding Bigfoot (due to premier this fall on Animal Planet). You can catch up and hear what is in store for  the upcoming season by tuning into Sharon Lee's BlogTalkRadio Channel.

Sunday at 5pm is the time to tune in. As an extra bonus, Rictor Riolo, Bigfoot illustrator extraordinaire, will be co-hosting.

Dr. Jeff Meldrum Compelled by Freeman Tracks

Dr. Jeff Meldrum Adjunct Associate Professor of the
Department of Anthropology at Idaho State University

“I thought about the grief I would get from my peers. Do I want to go down that road? But as I looked at this, how could I not?” --Dr. Meldrum after seeing the Paul Freeman tracks

If you have had the fortune of listening to Dr. Jeff Meldrum speak in person, you may have heard his encounter with the Paul Freeman tracks. This was a pivotal moment for Meldrum and there are two things we love about it. First, you become privy to Meldrum's inner thoughts and initial skepticism. Second, you learn what kind of evidence looks for when checking out a trackway.

We don'e think there has been a better retelling of Meldrum's first encounter with the Freeman tracks than what Scott Sandsberry has done below. 

Footprints turn skeptics into believers

June 26, 2012 by Scott Sandsberry  

YAKIMA, Wash. — Jeff Meldrum is a foot guy.

If you want to understand how humans and some apes have evolved to walk on two feet — how the tendons and muscles flex, how the bones work together, how the weight is distributed — Meldrum is your man. A Ph.D. who teaches anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University, he has widely published on bipedal foot function throughout natural history.

Jimmy Chilcutt is a prints guy.

For 18 years he ran the fingerprint portion of the crime lab for the Conroe (Texas) Police Department. His crime-scene investigations put people in prison or demonstrated their innocence.

Sixteen years ago, Meldrum and Chilcutt — the prof from Idaho and the CSI cop from Texas — crossed paths in an arena neither thought he would ever enter: Bigfoot tracks.

Each went in expecting to debunk a hoax.

But a hoax wasn’t what they found.

• • •

In 1996, Meldrum was asked to review a compilation of Bigfoot-related columns by the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin’s Vance Orchard.

One of Orchard’s favorite interview subjects was a man named Paul Freeman, who said he had on numerous occasions found — and cast in plaster — gigantic, human-like footprints. Freeman had either been fired from or quit his Forest Service job — reports vary, and Freeman died in 2003 — several years earlier after quite publicly declaring he’d seen a Bigfoot. He was believed by some, even within the community of Bigfoot believers, to be a hoaxer.

“I’d been given an earful by people about Paul’s reputation, and it was bad,” Meldrum says of Freeman. “I went into it very skeptical.”

He became even so when Freeman blurted, “Would you like to see some fresh tracks? I just found some this morning. First tracks of the season!”

Meldrum’s immediate thought: Right. Fresh tracks. How convenient.

Meldrum and his brother drove with Freeman into the Mill Creek area of the Blue Mountains and stopped in the middle of an open area where, Meldrum recalls, “Here was this long line of tracks, very clear in wet, silty soil.

“We got Paul’s take on it. At this point, I’m still kind of scratching my head thinking, ‘How did he do this?’ Literally. But as I knelt down I saw skin-ridge detail. Just as you have details on your fingertips and palm, the sole of your feet does that as well, as do all primates. One of the ways you could tell the difference between a bear and a gorilla print would be the texture of the skin, the ridging.”

But one thing struck Meldrum as odd. The route of the “footprints” — the legitimacy of which Meldrum still doubted — seemed to start and end at the same place, right where their truck was parked.

“I could just picture this guy jumping out of the pickup truck, running around the field with these (large fake) feet and then coming back and diving into the bed of the pickup, taking off the feet, climbing into the driver’s seat and taking off.”

So Meldrum took Freeman home and returned with the materials to cast some of the prints. “If it’s a hoax, it’s a hoax,” he recalls thinking. “And we can expose it as such.”

• • •

Upon their return to the field, Meldrum and his brother parked near where they had the first time. As they began assessing the tracks again, something different became clear: The tracks hadn’t started and ended at the same place, as Meldrum had initially thought.

They did a complete change of a direction in the middle of the dirt road — directly under where the truck had previously been parked.

Meldrum began following the tracks, far beyond where Freeman’s boot tracks ended, and found additional sets of footprints coming and going. Whatever had made the tracks had apparently come down the Mill Creek drainage, using the brush along an empty irrigation ditch as cover, possibly to raid the apple and plum orchards further below.

“At that point it was clear Paul had read the whole circumstance completely backward,” Meldrum says. “So the thought occurred to me: Well, if he’s responsible for this hoax, why would he portray it so incorrectly on the chance I would read it differently?”

Freeman had not made casts of any of the tracks at this site, Meldrum says. “His attitude was ‘I’ve seen so many footprints I don’t even bother making casts until they’re absolutely perfect,’ and he said these are such that (he) wouldn’t even bother with.”

Meldrum, though, was dumbstruck by what he was seeing — differences between the tracks, places where the foot had slipped or the toes had dragged, the half-tracks.

“These are all the features that make it come to life in my mind and began to cause me to set aside my skepticism,” he says. “While it’s clearly from the same foot, in one instance the toes are tightly flexed and it’s gripping the soil on a slight incline … in one extended and splayed, the first three toes sunken into the soil but the fourth and fifth don’t quite leave a mark.”

In one print, he says, “It had stepped on a stone and the stone was accommodated by the soft tissue, absorbed kind of by the sole pad of the foot.” In another, “There was a protruding rock and you could see the ball of the foot up onto the rock and then the toes had clearly curled over the top of the rock.”
As Meldrum decided the tracks could not have done with a carved set of fake “Bigfeet,” he thought about the creature that must have made them. “And as that realization set in, the hair on the back of my neck sort of stood up.”

Meldrum knew going public about what he now believed to be a large, unknown biped could damage his professional reputation, turning him into that supposed scientist who believes in Bigfoot.

“I thought about the grief I would get from my peers,” he says. “Do I want to go down that road?
“But as I looked at this, how could I not?”

• • •

Some months later, Jimmy Chilcutt was channel-surfing on weekend when he found himself on the Discovery Channel watching some supposed scientist who believed in Bigfoot.

“I was just halfway watching it, waiting for a football game to come on,” recalls Chilcutt. “He was holding a footprint cast and said there were actually dermal ridges on that cast.

“And I said, yeah, I’ll bet that’s from some human. I figured it was some kind of fake.”
And Chilcutt was precisely the person to know the difference.

In addition to his CSI fingerprinting experience, Chilcutt had also begun researching hand and foot print patterns of all the different primate species, arranging with zoos and animal parks in the South to be on hand to print any apes or monkeys being anesthetized for dental or veterinary work.

His reason: While genetic print-pattern differences between human ethnicities have over time become less distinguished because of racial interbreeding, apes and monkeys do not interbreed between species — so the distinctions between their print patterns remain consistent, generation after generation.

“I wanted to get a database of the different primate species to see if they were different, and why and how,” Chilcutt says, “to see if I could relate that to humans and be more precise.”

And, he adds, “Only primates have dermal ridges.”

So Chilcutt called the scientist he’d seen on the TV — fellow named Meldrum — explained his primate print research and asked for permission to assess the mysterious casts himself. Meldrum told him to come on up, and Chilcutt flew to Idaho.

When Chilcutt arrived at Meldrum’s ISU office, Meldrum took him to the lab where the print casts were and went back to his office. “I totally let him go, without giving him any background or my opinion as to any of (the casts),” Meldrum says. “I wanted him to judge it purely on what he was seeing.”

What Chilcutt found floored him. Three of the castings he examined — out of more than 100 over that day and the next two — were clearly from the same foot. “They were definitely non-human,” he says, but “had all the characteristics of dermal ridges.”

The foot had some scarring on the bottom of the foot. “Any fingerprint expert knows,” Chilcutt says, “when the wound heals, the (dermal) ridges curl inward toward the cut.” Upon close examination of the dermal ridges on the bottom of one of the casts, he says, “No question about it: They were curling back in.”

That particular aspect, Chilcutt says, “would be very, very difficult to fake” — requiring both an extensive background in anatomy and anthropology but also the resources to pull off the hoax.
Chilcutt’s conclusion: The prints were not fakes.

Asked if it was difficult to accept what a week earlier he would have considered laughable, Chilcutt says no.
“Any forensic person, any CSI guy, they look for the facts. It is what it is,” he says. “Whether it helps the defense or the prosecution, it doesn’t matter. And when I looked at the prints, there it was.
“We’ve got some kind of primate out there. Non-human.”

Epoch Times: Three Human Species Theory

David defeating Goliath

The Bible has been referenced before regarding Bigfoot. Bigfoot as Cain, Bigfoot as Nephilim, and Bigfoot as the Giant David defeated. We have mixed feelings about this, after all BLC has a core belief that nothing is off the table for discussion. It is the simple reference that we tire of, this ancient text has an oversized bi-ped, it must be Bigfoot doesn't give us much too chew on. 

The article below by the Epoch times satisfies our appetite for multiple references and digging deeper into the bible for more obscure descriptions of creatures unfamiliar to the everyday life. Another plus to the Epoch article is the incorporating of Homo Florensis (the hobbit). Dr. Jeff Meldrum, Professor at Idaho State University, has claimed that the discovery the hobbit has given pause to many academics who previously would not entertain the idea of multiple hominids leaving parallel to each other, including a modern Relict Hominoid (Sasquatch).

The article below digs deeper than most, and is definitely worth the read.

The Theory of ‘Three Human Species’

By Leonardo Vintini

Epoch Times Staff

The Old Testament tells a story in which a diminutive David defeats the giant Goliath. Using just a sling to slay his enormous foe, this unlikely victor became the second Hebrew monarch.

While many consider the tale to be merely a colorful allegory, a recent finding exhibiting the oldest known Philistine inscriptions suggests that Goliath may have actually existed. This artifact—a small clay shard—was found in Israel in 2005 by Tell es-Safi University archeologists.

It is inscribed with the words “Alwt and Wlt” which, according to Professor Aaron Demsky, coincide with the name Goliath. Studies confirm that the carving was made around 950 B.C., which would put it within 70 years of when biblical scholars believe this historic fight occurred.

While the find may lend some new credibility to an ancient tale, it may also serve as a piece to another puzzle that’s even more intriguing. One might assume that, even if the epic battle really did take place, Goliath’s size was surely exaggerated for dramatic effect.

However, evidence collected from around the globe over the last century suggests that the existence of a real giant may not have been that strange after all. In fact, these finds have led some to believe that the mankind of antiquity may have come in three distinct sizes: giants, humans, and hobbits.

In the fall of 2004, a group of investigators working in Indonesia found remains of a race of “hobbit” men measuring just over three feet. Researchers determined that these smaller humans had existed alongside man until about 13,000 years ago.

 The research team—including Indonesian paleoanthropologist Professor T. Jacob—dubbed the small race Homo floresiensis, named after the Indonesian island of Flores where the skeletons were uncovered. Some say these hobbits still roam the jungle, prompting many visitors to the island in recent years in search of a myth incarnate.

The wealth of evidence for a race of giants is even greater. Remains of giant humans have been found in practically every part of the globe: Tunisia; Pennsylvania; Glen Rose, Texas; Gargayan in the Philippines; Syria; Morocco; Australia; and throughout the Urbasa mountain range in Spain. Perhaps the most popular and scientifically recognized example is the “Giant of Java,” found just south of China.

Similar human remains that were found in nearby southern China reveal large humans who possessed six digits on each extremity. This polydactyl characteristic seems to have been a regular pattern in this race of men, as other examples have shown. In Soviet Georgia, skeletons were found of men between 9 and 10 feet tall that also possessed six digits on the hands and feet.

Among several biblical passages that mention the existence of giants, Samuel 21:20 also observes this extra-digit phenomenon: “In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all.”

Despite the vast amount of skeletal evidence—as well as the unearthed tools and teeth that would otherwise prove comically large by normal human standards—it seems that there are still not a great number of scientists dedicated to studying this phenomenon.

The modern world often regards mention of these different-sized human races in ancient texts and folklore as the product of a vivid imagination—though many different cultures record very similar accounts. However, in light of the various remains uncovered throughout the world, perhaps these “mythical” stories may have actually been accurate depictions of life at that time.

If these races of various size did exist, why three sizes and where did the other two go? Did they have amicable or hostile social relations with our ancestry? Did they help each other? Ignore each other? What social structures did they have? For now we can only look to the stories of the distant past and wonder how many more myths are waiting to reveal themselves with concrete evidence

WATCH SyFy Bigfoot Movie Trailer

Syfy's Bigfoot in the Backgound with Barry Williams and Danny Bonaduce in the foreground

SyFy has released a trailer for the much anticipated Bigfoot movie starring favorites from 60's sitcoms. However, if you think Greg Brady, Danny Partridge, and a Sasquatch are the only reasons to check out the telepic, then you are sorely mistaken. This cinematic tour de force also stars Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks), Howard Hesseman (WKRP in Cincinnati), and shock rocker extraordinaire Alice Cooper (School’s Out). So, it’s basically the BEST CASTING EVER is what we’re saying.

Click the following link to read our complete coverage of SyFy's Bigfoot Movie.

Check out the trailer below, this Bigfoot is large! This is like the King Kong of Bigfoots, and it appeaers Bonaduce's character falls into the pro-kill category.

Mapinguari, The Bigfoot of Brazil and Bolivia

Mapinguari The Bigfoot of Brazil

Today MSNBC reposted a story from Life's Little Mysteries about the cultural variations of Bigfoot.

More than a quarter of Americans believe in Bigfoot, a recent poll found. They claim this legendary bipedal ape, a "long lost relative" of humans, evades detection in remote woodland areas. Although it may seem strange to think a 7-foot-tall land mammal could go unnoticed for so long, the notion is actually widespread.

Along with that sizable minority of Americans, an Angus Reid Public Opinion poll found that 21 percent of Canadians also believe in an undiscovered hairy humanoid, which they prefer to call Sasquatch. In Russia, belief in a similar creature, called the Yeti, is so common that local branches of the Russian government have funded Yeti expeditions, and the country has even considered founding an entire institute devoted to the study of Yetis.

The Yeti is also said to roam the Himalayas, sometimes going by the name of Meh-Teh, or the "Abominable Snowman." Not to be outdone, Australia has the Yowie, and South America, a mythical beast called Mapinguari. Malaysians, meanwhile, fear the orang minyak, or "oily man" monster.

We checked our a/k/a Bigfoot World Map and noticed the Mapinguari was absent for out list of variants and decided to update our map with an entry for the South American Mapinguari.


View AKA Bigfoot World Map in a larger map

Wikipedia offers this brief description of the Mapinguari.

The mapinguari or mapinguary (Spanish pronunciation: [mapiŋɡwaˈɾi]), also known as the Isnashi [isˈnaʃi], is a legendary cryptid said to resemble a ground sloth–like creature with red fur living in the Amazon rainforests of Brazil and Bolivia. The name is usually translated as “the roaring animal” or “the fetid beast”.

Appearance:

According to native folklore the creature has a series of unnatural characteristics related to other fantastic beings of Brazilian mythology. These include the creature only having one eye, long claws, caiman skin, backward feet and a second mouth on its belly. In more recent eyewitness accounts it has consistently been described as resembling either an ape or giant ground-dwelling sloth and having long arms, powerful claws that could tear apart palm trees, a sloping back, reaching heights of 7 feet when standing on its hind legs and is covered in thick, matted fur.

Back in 2005 Craig Woolheater of Cryptomundo wrote a post about the Mapinguari and brought our attention to a Discovery article's description of the Mapinguari.

As a matter of fact, the descriptions of the creature in question sounded more like a bipedal primate than a giant ground sloth to me.

“Covered in long red hair, standing more than 6 feet on its hind legs, emanating a stench so foul it disorients everyone in sniffing distance, the mapinguari is reputed to be the wildest, rarest, most mysterious and terrifying denizen of the rain forest..." 

If you haven't visited the a/k/a Bigfoot World Map it is great way to get lost in the global Bigfoot phenomenon. Plus you get to learn rich details of the Bigfoot Variants from around the world. If you have any suggestion for us to add, pleas submit them to feedback@BigfootLunchClub.com

Attorneys Offer Opinion In Johnsen vs. Cryptomundo, Moneymaker, & Coleman Defamation Suit

"...there is a real danger that a jury may not believe that Mr. Johnsen has been damaged at all. They may even conclude that you can't hurt a professional Bigfoot hunter's reputation by calling him crazy." -- Popehat.com

Established in April 2005, Popehat.com is written by a group of mostly attorneys. Law is a relative constant focus on the site with a splash of cheeky humor.

Yesterday (June 21, 2012) Popehat resurrected the defamation case between Plaintiff JOHN JOHNSEN and co-defendants CRYPTOMUNDO,  INC,  a corporation, MATTHEW MONEYMAKER,  an  individual and LOREN COLEMAN,  an individual.

On April 23rd 2012, Cryptomundo publicized the case by starting a legal defense fund, stating, "Both Cryptomundo and Loren believe the case is baseless. Mr. Johnsen has demanded that he be given ownership of the website to settle the case. This is simply not acceptable."

The gist of the complaint is in paragraph 13 of the Summons Document

On or about June  8, 2011, Defendant Moneymaker published an inaccurate recitation of  his interactions with Plaintiff, during a wildlife expedition in the Ocala National Forest.  During this characterization of Defendant Moneymaker's interactions with Plaintiff, Defendant Moneymaker defamed Plaintiff by stating that Plaintiff was mentally ill and by accusing Plaintiff of  carrying firearms into the Ocala National Forest.

Click the following link if you want to read more details of the Moneymaker Defamation Case. Although you can get a pretty good review in the Popehat.com excerpt below.

If A Bigfoot Hunter Doesn't Have His Reputation, What Does He Have?

America is an increasingly crass nation, true. But there are still some places where decorum and good breeding are expected and even demanded.

For instance, anyone acquainted with cryptid enthusiasts knows that a gentleman seeking introduction to their society must first build a solid repute for probity. In turn, those admitted to the drawing-rooms and salons of the cryptidologists know that only the most polished among them can aspire to the rarefied circle of Bigfoot hunters, the royalty of the cryptid-seeking community. And yet even Bigfoot hunters — elite as they are — can encounter self-doubt when they ask themselves, "yes, my poise and quality have made me a Bigfoot hunter, but do I possess the savoir-faire necessary to achieve a position amongst the Bigfoot hunters ofFlorida? Can I persevere in that imperial land, where the exacting standards for urbanity and good deportment strain the abilities even of graduates of the finest finishing schools in Tampa and Orlando?"

By necessity, when swimming in these heady waters, a good reputation iseverything. So you see, when one Florida Bigfoot hunter accused another Florida Bigfoot hunter of being crazy, the latter had no choice but to sue for defamation.

Our story takes us to the aforementioned Florida, where Bigfoot is sought by our players. I admit that I — embarrassingly untutored in these things — labored under the naive belief that Bigfoot is a phenomenon of the Pacific Northwest. That, apparently, is an error on the level of believing that Duke is one of the Ivies. Bigfoot-hunting has a rich tradition in Florida. Some say that Bigfoot (never say Bigfeet; they'll wonder if you came in by the servant's entrance) migrated to Florida for its warmer climes and the easy supply of food (particularly in the late afternoon and early evening hours); those prone to unkindness suggest that the migration was a result of a Bigfoot flight seeking refuge from the increasing prevalence of Chupacabra-Americans in their traditional realms in the West.

Read the rest at PopeHat.com

Cliff Barackman and Dr. Jeff Meldrum look at London Bigfoot Tracks

Cliff Barackman co-host of Finding Bigfoot and self-described track nerd.

"The problem I found was that there seemed to be little toe splay variation from print to print." --Cliff Barackman on his initial "impression" of the London Trackway Casts

Cliff Barackman is a fountain of Bigfoot knowledge, he is especially keen on Bigfoot tracks. Recently he has had a break in his taping schedule and has taken the opportunity to update us with an update on his discussion of the London Trackway with Dr. Jeff Meldrum. Click the following link to read our previous London Trackway news.

Below is a excerpt from Cliff Barackaman's update. 

While going over the casts on my very short break in April, I discovered some things that made me wonder if the impressions could have been hoaxed.  The problem I found was that there seemed to be little toe splay variation from print to print.  This feature (or lack thereof) might indicate a prosthetic foot, such as a wooden cutout.  

I later discovered that Dr. Jeff Meldrum had an opportunity to examine a small sampling of the London casts obtained by Toby Johnson, Thom Powell, and Guy Edwards at the recent Primal Peoples gathering in Washington.  After seeing the casts, Dr. Meldrum also had some concerns about their authenticity.  

Read the rest of this update at Cliff's Blog NorthAmericnBigfoot.com

Impression 121 of the London Trackway

USA Today Promotes SyFy's Bigfoot Movie

Danny Bonaduce in SyFy's 2012 Bigfoot Movie

"I had one condition, and that was that I could beat the heck out of Danny Bonaduce at some point in the movie," -- Barry Williams (Greg Brady of the Brady Bunch)


USA Today teases at a few updates regarding the much anticipated SyFy movie simply titled Bigfoot. Click on the following link for our previous coverage of the SyFy Bigfoot movie. Below is an excerpt of the USA Today article

•Bigfoot, starring Bonaduce (The Partridge Family) and Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch). Airs June 30. 

"We've put together four fun movies in a row," says Syfy original movies chief Thomas Vitale. "It's June. It's escapist popcorn fare. They're the kind of movies that are released theatrically in the summer — the big, special-effects-driven movies to give you an emotional release."
They may mix fun and fear, but "their production is taken very seriously," says Ken Badish of Active Entertainment, which produced Arachnoquake and past Syfy originals Swamp Shark and SwampVolcano. "We're able to do so much more even on a relatively lower budget than we could a few years ago." 

Badish says technological advancements have enhanced filmmakers' ability to add higher-quality CGI for less. "We have the ability to deliver production values that are comparable to studio films because we're using the same cameras, the same lenses, the same (executive producers) and crews. We're able to make better B-movies." 

And the actors appreciate the benefits of mixing horror with hoke, and are quick to joke about it. 

"I had one condition, and that was that I could beat the heck out of Danny Bonaduce at some point in the movie," says Williams, best known for playing squeaky clean Greg Brady. (In a 2002 match on Fox's Celebrity Boxing, Bonaduce, who played the mischief-making Danny Partridge, bested him.) 

Williams knows that casting him and Bonaduce is a publicity stunt with the potential to draw curious fans of these vintage '70s shows. "When you team Barry Williams and Danny Bonaduce in a movie, that's inescapable," he says. 

Bonaduce shares the sentiment. "If you took The Partridge Family-Brady Bunch quantum out of this, you'd have yourself a pretty good sci-fi movie about Bigfoot. It's just that big numbers (of viewers) are going to be coming because of Greg Brady vs. Danny Partridge going after Bigfoot. Otherwise, you'd just have the Bigfoot cult and the sci-fi cult."

Untimely Yeti Footprints found in Siberia

Siberian Yeti foot print (© Photo: «Vesti.Ru»)

We use the word "untimely" because usually Yeti news in the Shoria region falls in late September and early October. This timing usually funnels right into the tourism season starting with Yeti Day on November 11th. Of course this does not dis-qualify the great research (read our Kemerovo news coverage) being done in the region, we are only asserting that the Yeti is not usually on the minds of the population and media until Yeti Day begins to approach.

Below is an article from the Voice of Russia. 

Do yetis exist after all?

Maria Domnitskaya

Jun 19, 2012 18:31 Moscow Time

Fresh footprints of a yeti have recently been found in the region of Gornaya Shoria in Siberia. This picturesque mountainous area is sometimes dubbed a “Siberian Switzerland”.

A group of Italian scientists plans to visit Gornaya Shoria to look for more evidence that yetis really exist.

This is not the first time that footprints which are believed to belong to these mysterious creatures have been discovered in this region. Some local residents claim that they have seen yetis with their own eyes. As a rule, yetis’ footprints are found in the vicinity of the Azasskaya Cave and the Karatag Mountain.

Yetis’ footprints are bigger than those of humans – they can reach 45 cms in length. That’s why yetis are also called “Bigfoot”.

Gornaya Shoria has already become to be associated with claims of evidence that yetis exist. Every year, the tourist season in the local mountains opens with a celebration of ‘Yeti Day’, when tourists can find yeti souvenirs all over Shoria.

Local hunters call Bigfoot “the spirit of the taiga”.

In October 2011, a delegation of US, Canadian, Swedish, Estonian and Russian scientists explored the Azasskaya Cave. They didn’t find a yeti, but discovered a large footprint and small samples of hair inside it.

The hairs were up to 8 cms long, curly, gray along the whole length except at the root which was black.

The hair samples were taken to St. Petersburg and thoroughly examined at a local zoological institute. It turned out that they were identical to which was thought to be yetis’ hairs found earlier in California in the US, as well as outside St. Petersburg and in the Ural Mountains in Russia.

One of the members of the expedition, a member of St. Petersburg and New York academies, Valentin Sapunov says:

“These hairs are very similar to the other hairs which were found in 4 different parts of the world and are believed to be yeti hairs. The results from the tests conducted by the scientists indicate that these hair samples are very likely to belong to creatures of one and the same species. A scientific mistake would be highly unlikely.”

However, only genetic testing can prove or disprove that yetis are related to the Homo Sapiens. An attempt made by Russian scientists to examine the DNA of yetis’ hair samples found near St. Petersburg and in the Urals was unsuccessful due to lack of appropriate equipment. But when US scientists announced that the results of their testing apparently proved that the DNA of the yeti’s hair from California was in no way different to that of the Homo Sapiens, very few people actually believed them.

At present, Russian scientists are trying to extract DNA from the hair samples believed to be those of a yeti, which were found in the Azasskaya Cave.

In the meantime, a well-known genetic Professor Bryan Sykes from Oxford University is concluding his own tests. Using equipment of the latest generation, Professor Sykes is trying to prove that yetis really exist. As a sample, he uses what is believed to be yeti remains, which are held at the Museum of Zoology in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Professor Sykes has posted a request on the museum website, which asks everyone, who may possess what they believe to be yeti remains, to send them to Professor Sykes for testing.

He promises to announce the results of the testing in December.

Bigfoot Hair Samples for 30 Bucks -- While Supplies Last

One of the 100 samples of Bigfoot hair being sold by Ty Shafer

"You would think it would be coarse, but it looks really soft — like you would see on a well-groomed dog or something,” Ty Shafer Collector, Novelty Retailer

UPDATE! After talking to Ty Shafer again, he clarified the man who gave him the hair was from Utah and the hair was, in fact from a trap in Washington. Also the hair is no longer available for $30 it will be available and up for auction July 7th. We also asked about the odor and he said there was no discernible scent to the hair at all.. 

Lufkin man puts 'Bigfoot hair' up for sale

Posted: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 10:26 am | Updated: 10:46 am, Tue Jun 19, 2012.

By ERIN PRADIA/The (Nacogdoches) Daily Sentinel

Monsters may not lurk under beds and in closets, but hair from Bigfoot may be bought at a place near you.

While Lufkin resident Ty Shafer cannot be 100 percent certain the hair he has in his possession is from Bigfoot himself, he is selling the novelty item for $30.

Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is commonly known as a hairy ape-like monster.

Shafer thought local residents may be interested in the novelty item because of the rumors of a Bigfoot wandering wooded areas of East Texas.

“If I sell it, it’s fine, if not I’ll keep it,” Shafer said. “Since I’ve been buying and selling things, my collection just keeps getting a little bigger.”

Shafer doesn’t have a shop, but he sells novelty items online, in local auctions and by taking out classified ads in the newspaper.

Shafer will appear on the History Channel’s Cajun and Pawn Stars show 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. According to www.history.com, Cajun Pawn Stars, puts a Southern spin on the History Channel’s hit series Pawn Stars, with a cast of quirky characters.

Shafer has taken out a classified ad to sell his lock of alleged Bigfoot hair.

“I got it from a guy out of state, actually. I can’t confirm it’s Bigfoot hair. You’d have to have the actual Bigfoot to match the hair,” Shafer said. “He’s just a big Bigfoot fan.”

The man Shafer purchased the lock of charcoal colored hair from had it labeled number seven of 10.

“You would think it would be coarse, but it looks really soft — like you would see on a well-groomed dog or something,” Shafer said.

Shafer is asking $30 for the lock of hair. So far, he has not had any serious inquiries in the two weeks since he acquired the hair.

“People who call about it are more curious than anything,” Shafer said. “They ask a few questions, but then they say they’ll get back to me.”

For information about the “Bigfoot hair,” or other items sold by Ty Shafer, call (936) 676-6059

Recent Bigfoot News Used to Teach English

 The Voice of America articles covers Bryan Sykes Research,
other cryptids and Oetzi (above) the iceman 

Special English is a controlled version of the English language first used on October 19, 1959, and still presented daily by the United States broadcasting service Voice of America (VOA). World news and other programs are read one-third slower than regular VOA English. Reporters avoid idioms and use a core vocabulary of about 1500 words, plus any terms needed to explain a story. The intended audience is intermediate to advanced learners of English.

Voice of America offers many news items in Special English to help learn not only the english language, but also to improve accents to sound like a native english speaker. Most articles are accompanied with audio as this one is below. The article covers the Collateral Hominid Project conducted by researchers from Oxford University and the Swiss Lausanne Museum of Zoology. So enjoy the audio that goes with the article below.

The Search for DNA from A Creature That May Not Exist

Read, listen and learn English with this story.

BOB DOUGHTY: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I’m Bob Doughty.

BARBARA KLEIN: And I’m Barbara Klein. Today we tell about an appeal for genetic material from a famous creature that may not even exist. We report on the health of a man who lived five thousand years ago. And we tell about the effect of changing weather conditions on human ancestors -- the Neanderthals.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: Scientists have launched a genetic search for a large, ape-like creature called the Yeti. They are appealing to people who claim that Yetis exist to provide evidence of the creature.

Researchers from Oxford University and the Swiss Lausanne Museum of Zoology are calling their study the Collateral Hominid Project. Hominid is the general genetic family of primates. It includes modern human beings, also known as homo sapiens. The family also includes all other early human and human-like species.

BARBARA KLEIN: The Yeti is said to live in the mountains of Nepal and Tibet. It is most often described as a large, hairy hominid. It reportedly stands between two and two and one-half meters tall. The name Yeti means “magical creature” in the Tibetan language. Some people have called the creature, The Abominable Snowman or Sasquatch.

Creatures like the Yeti are known as cryptids. A cryptid is an animal that some people say exists, although there is no strong evidence that it does. There can be what is called “circumstantial evidence,” like unconfirmed sightings that cryptids exist. Yet scientific proof is lacking.

Other cryptids are Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot in North America, and central Africa’s dinosaur-like Mokele Mbembe.

BOB DOUGHTY: Researchers from the Collateral Hominid Project have appealed to individuals and organizations who say Yetis exist. They want to examine organic remains said to belong to the creature. The scientists say they are especially interested in testing pieces of hair. They plan to use recently-developed methods for studying DNA -- deoxyribonucleic acid. They say these methods produce clear results that cannot be falsified. They are planning to write a report about their findings and send it to a scientific journal for all the world to read.

In case you were wondering, the researchers say they do not expect to find any evidence proving Yetis exist. But they are promising to examine what is sent to them. They are accepting organic material for testing until September. The DNA tests are set to last from September through November.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: About twenty years ago, the mummified remains of a man were discovered in a melting glacier in the Italian Alps. The remains were said to be in very good condition. Tests showed that they were about five thousand three hundred years old. The mummy came to be called the Iceman. Scientists called him Oetzi because of where he was found. His body was frozen and mummified in the place where he fell after he was killed.

Over the years, Oetzi came to be buried under layers of ice and snow. But as the Earth’s climate warmed, those layers began to melt. In nineteen ninety-one, two Germans found the body while exploring the Oetztal Alps, near the border between Italy and Austria.

BARBARA KLEIN: Recently, European scientists announced completion of a DNA map of Oetzi. They said the map provided details about his appearance, his ethnic origins and even his health.

The details are described in a paper by scientists at the European Academy for Mummies and the Iceman in Italy, and at the Institute for Human Genetics in Germany. Among the findings is that Oetzi was genetically at risk for heart disease. Yet the scientists say he was not overweight and probably was very active. They say this information is important because it shows that heart disease existed more than five thousand years ago. They say that means the problem cannot be blamed on modern lifestyles or customs.

BOB DOUGHTY: Oetzi’s newly-mapped genome also shows that he suffered from borreliosis, also known as Lyme disease. The scientists say this is the earliest-known case of the disease. They say it proves that the disorder was present in the New Stone Age period.

The scientists found that Oetzi was unable to digest milk products. They say he became sick after eating such products or drinking milk. They say this finding supports the belief that what is called “lactose intolerance” was still a common condition in Oetzi’s time. Yet his people were becoming increasingly involved in farming. And some people raised dairy animals for their milk. Today, most Asians and Africans suffer from lactose intolerance, but few northern Europeans do.

BARBARA KLEIN: The researchers believe Oetzi’s ancestors probably came from the Middle East. The ancestors were thought to have moved to Europe, as agriculture continued to spread. The researchers say few modern-day Europeans share genes with the Iceman. Those who do live mostly in areas separate from the European mainland, like the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica.

Oetzi’s DNA map also has helped researchers recreate his physical appearance. They say he weighed about fifty kilograms, and had brown eyes and long brown hair. He was about one point six meters tall. This was an average height for a man during the New Stone Age.

BOB DOUGHTY: A report on the Iceman’s complete genome is published in the journal Nature Communications. We have included a link to the study on our website, voaspecialenglish.com.

Earlier studies found that Oetzi died at the age of forty-five. Examinations of wounds on his back show he was murdered. He was shot in the back with an arrow and left to suffer a cold and lonely death in the Alps.

Many scientists have noted the high quality of the clothing Oetzi was wearing and the fine copper axe in his possession. They say this likely means he and his family were probably important within their community.

(MUSIC)

BARBARA KLEIN: Finally, another study has found that most Neanderthals had largely disappeared across most of Europe fifty thousand years ago. That is long before our ancestors, homo sapiens, first arrived on the continent.

 A team of researchers says its findings dispute the long-held belief that Neanderthals were in Europe for hundreds of thousands of years until modern Homo sapiens arrived. The researchers based their findings from studies of DNA taken from fossilized remains of thirteen Neanderthals who lived in what is now northern Spain.

BOB DOUGHTY: The scientists say the Neanderthal human species had died off as early as fifty thousand years ago. But they say a small group survived for another ten thousand years in areas of central and western Europe. The results suggest that Neanderthals may have been more affected by the sudden changes in climate during the last Ice Age than had been believed.

The DNA tests showed that older European Neanderthals had a much-greater mix of genes than much later Neanderthal populations. Older Asian Neanderthals also had a much greater genetic variation than the later populations.

BARBARA KLEIN: The researchers say they contacted other experts to help confirm their findings. That is because all of their results are based on severely-degraded, or damaged, DNA. They used both modern laboratory and computational methods to reach their findings.

The scientists say they only felt sure of their findings after an international research team studied them. They believe the genetic information reveals an important and formerly unknown part of Neanderthal history.

 Scientists from the University of Uppsala in Sweden led the study. They worked with researchers from Spain, Denmark and the United States. A report on the team’s findings is published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was adapted into Special English by Christopher Cruise. Our producer was June Simms. I’m Bob Doughty.

BARBARA KLEIN: And I’m Barbara Klein. You can find a link to the Collateral Hominid Project on our website, voaspecialenglish.com.

Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

Kick Ass Oregon History Presents: Bigfoots in Oregon

Imagine you meet a girl who tells you she spent the previous afternoon drinking in a bar with the state of Oregon. During this wet afternoon Oregon spilled it's historical guts. This is the premise of ORHistory.com the home of kick ass Oregon history.

This is a brilliant website finely crafted by Doug Kenck-Crispin, a graduate student at Portland State University in the Public History Program, and Andy Lindberg, an actor, designer, musician.

June is Bigfoot month at ORHistory.com a/k/a Kick Ass Oregon History. In order to celebrate they have already had two podcasts, Bigfoots in Oregon Part 1 and Bigfoots in Oregon Part 2 (embedded at the bottom of the page) and will be speaking this Tuesday (6/19/2012) in Portland, Oregon at Jack London bar (basement of the Rialto, SW 4th and Alder). Free to get in, but must be 21 or over – there’s a full bar!

This will be the history of Bigfoot in Oregon from a bona fide historian! Who also happens to be engaging and entertaining. We can't wait and if you can't make it to the event we will do our best to share it with you after we attend.

Below is an excerpt from the announcement on the Dave Knows Best site.

Stumptown Stories: Bigfoots in Oregon (19-June-2012)
Posted on 17 June 2012
The Stumptown Stories: Free Tuesday Lecture Series, geared to anyone who is curious about the world and community in which we live and loves to learn new things, takes place most Tuesdays at Jack London bar (basement of the Rialto, SW 4th and Alder). Free to get in, but must be 21 or over – there’s a full bar!
This Tuesday, June 19, 2012 join Kick Ass Oregon History‘s resident historian Doug Kenck-Crispin as he presents Bigfoots in Oregon.

You see, June is BigFoot month at OrHistory.com

“So Sasquatch?” you rightfully ask, respectfully skeptical Ass Kicker. “Do we even know if Bigfoot is real, for realz?” And that is a great question to ask. In fact, we THANK YOU for asking such a question. And the answer to that question is, to quote Brandt, “well Dude, we just don’t know…”

If we dig deeper behind the methodology of the question, we might wonder that if something is not real, let’s say a One Eyed, One Horned, Flying Purple People Eater, then can it really be called “History?” And I, the Resident Historian of this learned site, counter with a resounding… “Maybe…”

We don’t know if there are Bigfoots. We do know that Native Americans in the area have disparate oral traditions of things that might be considered Bigfoot-esque. We also know there have been some crazy big prints found, some difficult to identify scat and hair, and almost innumerable sightings reported. But we don’t have a (thank God) Sasquatch in a cage, a body in the woods, or even a portion of the aforementioned to really examine and prove existence definitively. So in a sense, I feel it is a fair statement to proclaim that we don’t have a real history of this beast to present.

But there is NO disputing that there is a phenomenon that is called “Bigfoot.” Thousands of sightings have taken place of this gentle giant of the woods, and he (or the lactating “shes”) have left their imprint on the legacy of Oregon’s History.

The presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. Always free. Always fascinating.
And don’t miss the Bigfoots of Oregon Kick Ass Oregon History podcasts – part 1 and part two (embedded below) are live!

Kick Ass Oregon History: Bigfoots in Oregon | PART ONE



Kick Ass Oregon History: Bigfoots in Oregon | PART TWO

Benjamin Radford Writes Predictable Critique on Bigfoot Conferences

Benjamin Radford, Editor of the Skeptical Inquirer

Benjamin Radford has offered a critique of Bigfoot conferences. The kind of critique that would take little effort to write from the perspective of a skeptic. As many of you readers know, we believe skeptics are a healthy part of the Bigfoot conversation. In fact, we often have high praise for Brian Dunning of Skeptoid and Sharon Hill of Doubtful News. So, we appreciate the the amount of rigor and discipline that comes with most skeptic commentary, even if we don't always agree. What we do not appreciate is when the commentary is predictable and lazy, like Radford's post in today's Huffington Post article, "Bigfoot Conference Cites No Hard Evidence...Again"

You only need to read three paragraphs to know how the rest of the article goes.

There's rarely much new in the way of Bigfoot evidence to offer or discuss; after all, it's not as if researchers can give presentations comparing, say, a Bigfoot body found in Oregon in 1984 with a Bigfoot body found last year in British Columbia. Without hard evidence grounding the discussion, conferences are often heavy on personal stories by people who swear they encountered the world's most famous mystery monster, if only indirectly.

Other than the exotic subject matter, Bigfoot conferences are pretty much like any other conferences. There are guest speakers of varying quality, plus lunches and networking opportunities. And, of course, merchandise: Bigfoot is the most commercialized monster in the world, lending its name and likeness to everything from monster trucks to pizzas to beef sticks. Bigfoot-themed sundries include plaster footprint molds allegedly recovered from sightings, DVDs, books, hats and posters, as well as general camping and hunting equipment that might plausibly be used in an amateur Bigfoot hunt.

How do you organize a conference around a subject that has never been proven to exist? Often the answer is by accepting the assumption that the beast exists, and offering theories about it: what Bigfoot monsters eat, where they sleep, their mating and social habits, and so on. Discussions on the details of Bigfoot ecology and morphology often resemble the classic debate among medieval theologians about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. It makes for a fun parlor game among interested parties, but it's all opinion, theory and wild speculation until we know they exist.

The gist of the article is we bigfooters accept the assumption that the beast exists, and don't even debate if Bigfoot even exist. Guilty as charged. Yes, our starting  position is that there is an unidentified bipedal primate out there, a relict hominid, if you will. It is Bigfoot conference!

If there is a glimmer of novelty in Radfords's article is his paragraph about how sometimes we feverishly debate opposing views that are "putting the cart before the horse" as Radford says.

Many discussions at conferences and within the Bigfoot community tend to put the cart before the horse, a classic example being the long-running "kill or capture" debate: whether it would be ethical to shoot or kill a Bigfoot if it meant that the creature's existence was finally proven. (Ironically, this would be the first step toward protecting these presumably endangered animals.) This debate is taken very seriously and is highly contentious in some circles, especially since it was recently ruled legal to shoot Bigfoot in Texas.

We wish he would have expanded on this point a bit more and fleshed it out. We think this is an important argument, because some of these heated debates create road blocks towards cooperation. Some of these divisive debates are bridges we haven't even crossed yet.

You can read Benjamin Radford's full article here.

Fundraiser: Bigfoot Discovery Museum

Save the Bigfoot Discovery Museum, a fixture in the community for over a decade

The Mission of the Bigfoot Discovery Museum is noble honest endeavor: To create a fulltime research center and library towards educating and inspiring Bigfooters and the general public alike.

Mike Rugg owner and curator of the museum needs your help. We mentioned earlier how you could donate to the Bigfoot Discovery Museum. Now for every $5 donation you can be entered in a raffle/funraiser to win a a chance to host The Extinct? Podcast or a painting by artist Steven DeMarco. Watch the video below as Ro Sahebi describes the details.

 If you still need convincing check out these awsome videos by Amazing Amanda who spent some time with Mike Rugg at Bigfoot Discovery Museum.

Part One



Part Two

Dr. Jeff Meldrum Speaks in North Bonneville Tomorrow Night

Flyer (click image to enlarge) for Dr. Meldrums presentation North Bonneville Fire Hall

The video below is Dr Jeff Meldrum interviewed at the Richland, WA Bigfoot Conference last May. It was uploaded to the Yakima Herald Website yesterday. If you missed him in Richland, WA you will get to see him tomorrow night (June 13th, 2012). All the details from the Fort Vancouver Regional Library are below.

WHEN	Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 7 – 8:30pm
WHERE	North Bonneville Fire Hall 21 E Cascade Dr.  North Bonneville, WA 98639
EVENT TYPE	Author Event, Talk or Lecture
LANGUAGE	English
DESCRIPTION	A program by Dr. Jeff Meldrum, Professor of Anatomy and Anthropology, Idaho State University. Dr. Meldrum will have copies of his book for sale and replica casts of Bigfoot "footprint."
EVENT NOTES	Library events and programs are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is not required.
CONTACT INFO	North Bonneville Community Library (509) 427-4439