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The field of cryptozoology emerged in the mid-20th century as people began to investigate sightings of mysterious creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster using pseudoscientific methods. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by theorizing that cryptozoology emerged as a way for the United States and other Anglosphere countries to generate their own folklore. They delineate why it is a primarily American phenomenon, pointing to the country's huge swaths of undeveloped land. They then discuss several famous cryptids such as Bigfoot, Mothman, the Michigan Dogman, the Flatwoods Monster, the Loch Ness Monster, and Thunderbirds. They conclude with a discussion of how paranormal media “slopified” cable television in the early 2010s, and how the rise of AI has made photo and video evidence of cryptids even less believable. 

Links:

What is a cryptid?

Cryptomundo

The Cryptid Zoo: Satyrs (or Fauns) in Cryptozoology

On the Track of Unknown Animals by Bernard Heuvelmans 

The Discovery of the Okapi, Part 1

Backwoods Horror

The Maryland Snallygaster: Devil of Racist Politics by Jake Seboe

The racist roots of Maryland’s mythical Snallygaster monster by Julie Scharper 

Patterson-Gimlin Film HD 60fps

The Mothman Prophecies by John A. Keel 

The Mothman Revisited - Unsolved Mysteries

Episode 14: Chicago Tales - Otherworld podcast

Ep. 113: The Michigan Dogman Pt. 1 - Otherworld podcast

Ep. 114: The Michigan Dogman Pt. 2 - Otherworld podcast

#70: Flatwoods Monster - Cryptonauts podcast

Flatwoods Monster - Cryptid Wiki

The Flatwoods Monster

The Cryptid Collector’s Trio

Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster (2004)

Thunderbird - Cryptid Wiki

MonsterQuest (2007-2010)

Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real (2004)

The Truth is out there” the Alan Champagne Morro Bay Disappearance by Katya Cengel

Artwork:

unknown

Recorded on 10/29/2025