Interview with Neil Arnold

Id like to introduce you all to my very good friend Neil Arnold,

author of "Monster! The A-Z Of Zooform Phenomena",a book that has quickly become on of my personal favorites.

http://www.amazon.com/MONSTER-Z-PHENOMENA-Neil-Arnold/dp/1905723105/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218503894&sr=8-1

He is a respected folklorist in merry ol England,and is especiallyknown for his research regarding big cat encounters and sightings throughout thecountry.

As well as doing research and writing books and articles,he also maintains several blogs that I think you'd enjoy as much as I do. Here are links to a couple of them,and you can find them on my home page as well :

http://zooform.blogspot.com/

http://beastsoflondon.blogspot.com/

Neil is very dedicated to his work and his efforts are tireless both out in the field and in his writing.

So,without further delay...My interview with Neil Arnold :

Raven : First Id like to welcome you,Neil,and thank you for doing this interview for myreaders.

It's much appreciated.

Neil : THANK YOU FOR INTERVIEWING ME AND FOR SHOWING AN INTEREST IN MY WORK.

Raven : How did you first get your start into the field of cryptozoology?

Neil : I THINK ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE, OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES, WRITTEN ABOUT MONSTERS, STRANGE CREATURES AND THE LIKES, WILL OFTEN CITE A FILM OR BOOK FROM CHILDHOOD WHICH INFLUENCED THEM TO CONDUCT THEIR OWN RESEARCH. FOR ME, AS A KID IN THE '80S, THE FILM 'THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK' WAS A HUGE TURNING POINT. IT WAS SUCH A SCARY AND MYSTERIOUS FILM ABOUT A SASQUATCH-TYPE CREATURE LURKING IN THE ARKANSAS RIVER BOTTOMS, BUT THE WAY IT WAS FILMED ENABLED IT TO LOOK LIKE A DOCUMENTARY, IT REMAINS MY FAVOURITE FILM EVER TO THIS DAY AND INSPIRED SO MANY OTHER FILMS OF THE ILK SUCH AS 'BLAIR WITCH PROJECT'. ALSO, A BOOK CALLED 'MONSTERS &MYSTERIOUS BEASTS' (1974) BY CAREY MILLER PLAYED A BIG PART TOO. AT THE AGE OF AROUND NINE THE THOUGHT OF CREATURES SUCH AS THE YETI, BIGFOOT AND LAKEMONSTERS ROAMING THE PLANET WAS TERRIFYING BUT ALSO EXCITING. MY FAMILY PLAYED SUCH A GREAT PART ALSO IN TELLING ME FRIGHTENING TALES AS A KID OF UNUSUAL BEASTS AND LEGENDS PERTAINING TO LOCAL AREAS.

Raven : How have your family and friends responded to your work?

Neil : MY FAMILY, ESPECIALLY MY FATHER AND GRANDAD WERE VERY INFLUENTIAL. AS KEEN FISHERMEN THEY ALWAYS USED TO TAKE ME TO DARK, LOCAL LAKES AND THE PROSPECT OF CATCHING A BIG FISH WAS SOMETHING AKIN TO EARLY MONSTER-HUNTING FOR ME. EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS BEEN TREMENDOUSLY SUPPORTIVE, IT HELPS TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING PARTNER AND MY GIRLFRIEND ALWAYS GIVES ME A SUPPORTIVE KICK UP THE BACKSIDE WHEN I'M NOT MAKING THE EFFORT HA! AS FOR MY FRIENDS, I THINK THEY LIKE HANGING OUT WITH A GUY WHO NOT ONLY HUNTS STRANGE CREATURES BUT ALSO THINKS HE'S A ROCK STAR!

Raven : Do you think some of the strange phenomena that people are witnessing across the globe are related in any way?

Neil : YES, OF COURSE, THE FLESH AND BLOOD 'MONSTERS' WE ALL ENJOY SUCH AS BIGFOOT, COULD HAVE CONNECTIONS TO THE ALMAS OF RUSSIA, THE SKUNK APE OF THE AMERICAN SOUTH, THE YETI OF THE HIMALAYAS IN THE SENSE THEY ARE ALL UNDISCOVERED SPECIES OF GIANT APE. HOWEVER, THERE ARE CLEARLY OTHER 'CREATURES' WHICH INHABIT THIS VOID WHICH ARE NOT FLESH AND BLOOD AND ARE FAR MORE COMPLEX TO FIGURE OUT. IF THEY ARE CONNECTED THEN I BELIEVE WE ARE IN AN EVEN WEIRDER REALM THAN ONCE THOUGHT.

Raven : There seems to be a lot of focus right now on the "Montauk Monster",a creaturewhich is currently upstaging celebs and taking up an enormous amount of air and webtime.What are your thoughts on it ?

Neil : I DON'T KNOW WHY SUCH CASES CAUSE SUCH EXCITEMENT. I SEE A HIGH LEVEL OF REPETITION WITH THESE KIND OF CASES WHICH USUALLY TURN OUT TO BE EITHER HOAX OR NATURAL ANIMAL SUCH AS A WRONGLY IDENTIFIED DOG-CORPSE. IT FRUSTRATES ME TO SEE MYSTERIOUS CREATURES SUCH AS THE CHUPACABRAS TURNING UP IN PLACES SUCH AS TEXAS, THEN FLORIDA, MEXICO ETC, AND THEN WHEN WE SEE THE PHOTO'S IT TURNS OUT TO BE A MALNOURISHED COYOTE OR UNWELL DOG. IT'S GREAT WHEN THINGS ARE WASHED ASHORE BUT SURELY ZOOLOGISTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY STRAIGHT AWAY WHETHER THE MONTAUK 'MONSTER' IS A NORMAL ANIMAL OR SOMETHING UNKNOWN ? EVEN SO, THE PUBLICITY SUCH THINGS CREATE IS NOT GOOD.

Raven : Which of the current list of cryptids fascinates you the most?

Neil : WELL, AS CRYPTIDS GO, I THINK THE POSSIBILITY THAT AN UNKNOWN SPECIES OF GIANT APE ROAMS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST OF AMERICA IS FASCINATING. ALSO, THE THYLACINE IS A VERY INTRIGUING CRYPTID AND POSSIBLY THE MOST LIKELY ANIMAL OUT THERE TO STILL BE AROUND. LAKE AND SEA MONSTERS ALWAYS FASCINATE ASWELL.

Raven : If you could change one thing in the current field ofcryptozoology,what would it be?

Neil : I FIND MANY OF THESE FIELDS TO BE VERY 'CLIQUEY', A CLOSE-KNIT FAMILY OF THE OLD GUARD WHO SEEM EITHER RELUCTANT TO EXCEPT NEW FACES OR WHO REMAIN STUCK TOO MUCH IN THEIR OWN AGE-OLD THEORIES, AND THIS KIND OF THING IS PREVELANT IN AREAS SUCH AS GHOSTLY PHENOMENA AND UFOLOGY. IT'S ABOUT TIME TO REALISE THAT IT'S THOSE WHO ARE OUT THERE IN THE FIELD WHO ARE MAKING THE MOST EFFORT, RATHER THAN GIVING OPINION BEHIND A COMPUTER SCREEN.THERE ARE SOME GREAT CRYPTOZOOLOGISTS BUT THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH THIS KIND OF STUDY IS THAT IT GETS LUMPED IN WITH THE 'WEIRD CROWD' TOO OFTEN, OR PUT ALONGSIDE TRAIN-SPOTTERS ETC, AND WHAT MAKES IT WORSE IS THE INTERVENTION OF TERRIBLE TV SHOWS LIKE 'MONSTER HUNTER', WHICH MAKES A FOOL OUT OF CRYPTOZOOLOGY. I ALSO THINK THAT MANY CRYPTOZOOLOGISTS MUST BEGIN TO REALISE THAT NOT EVERY CREATURE THEY SEEK IS FLESH AND BLOOD. I'M NOT INTO THE PARANORMAL, BUT 'MONSTERS' SUCH AS MOTHMAN, DOG MEN, MONKEYMAN OF INDIA, BLACK DOGS, ETC, ARE NOT CRYPTIDS, THEY ARE NOT IN THE WOODS OR THE WATERS, THEY ARE CONNECTED TO THE HUMAN PSYCHE AND OUR CULTURAL BELIEF SYSTEMS AND FEARS.

Raven : I know you've had some amazing experiences in the years that you'vebeen doing this work. Could you share one or two of them with my readers?

Neil : IT'S ALWAYS A PRIVELEGE TO ENCOUNTER A STRANGE ANIMAL SO FOR ME, MY RESEARCH INTO SIGHTINGS OF LARGE, EXOTIC CATS IN THE UK HAS BEEN THE MOST PRODUCTIVE. I HAVE SEEN A BLACK LEOPARD (POSSIBLY THE SAME INDIVIDUAL)THREE TIMES, A LYNX ONCE, A PUMA ONCE AND ALSO A CAT RESEMBLING A CARACAL.THESE CATS ARE CERTAINLY FLESH AND BLOOD AND NOT DEMONIC, PARANORMAL OR GHOSTLY.

Raven : Regarding the word "Zooform". Could you please explain how that wordcame about and what it pertains to?'

Neil : ZOOFORM' IS A WORD THAT WAS COINED IN THE EARLY '90S BY FORTEAN ZOOLOGIST JONATHAN DOWNES WHO RUNS THE CENTRE FOR FORTEAN ZOOLOGY (WWW.CFZ.ORG.UK).ZOOFORMS ARE CREATURES SUCH AS MOTHMAN, BLACK DOGS, BRAY ROAD BEAST,WINGED HUMANOIDS, SKY SERPENTS, PARANORMAL MANIMALS,CREATURES WHICH RESEMBLE ANIMALS BUT HAVE HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS AND SUPERNATURAL AURA. ZOOFORMS ARE TRUE MONSTERS IN THE SENSE THEY CAN BE MANIFESTATION, AGE-OLD BELIEF (I.E. JERSEY DEVIL) BUT THERE CAN BE A FINE LINE BECAUSE CREATURES SUCH AS LIZARD MAN AND THE BRAY ROAD WEREWOLF COULD WELL CROSS INTO BIGFOOT TERRITORY. IT'S A COMPLEX PHENOMENA WHICH IS WHY I WROTE THE BOOK.

Raven : What are some of your favorite books on the subject of hidden critters?

Neil : MY FAVOURITE CRYPTOZOOLOGY BOOKS, WELL, ANYTHING BY KARL SHUKER IS ALWAYSA GOOD READ, 'MYSTERY CATS OF THE WORLD', 'IN SEARCH OF PREHISTORIC SURVIVORS', ETC, AND I ENJOYED LOREN COLEMAN'S 'MYSTERIOUS AMERICA', MOSTOF GROVER KRANTZ BIGFOOT MATERIAL. ON THE ZOOFORM FRONT I LOVE LINDA GODFREY'S 'THE BEAST OF BRAY ROAD' AND 'HUNTING THE AMERICAN WEREWOLF'.ANY BOOK THAT DOESN'T REGURGITATE IS FINE BY ME, I ALSO RECOMMEND SCOTT CORRALES 'CHUPACABRAS & OTHER MYSTERIES', 'OUT OF THE SHADOWS' BY CROPPERAND HEALY WHICH CONCERNS MYSTERY ANIMALS OF AUSTRALIA AND ALSO THEIR 'YOWIE' BOOK. SO MANY GOOD ONES AROUND PLUS THE OLD JOHN KEEL CLASSICS.

Raven : "Monster! The A-Z Of Zooform Phenomena" has been a great success. What promptedyou to write it?

Neil : IT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. THERE ARE SO MANY CRYPTO BOOKS WHICH INCLUDED CREATURES WHICH CLEARLY WEREN'T CRYPTIDS. IT BEGAN LIFE AS ANARTICLE FOR JON DOWNE'S AND HIS 'ANIMALS & MEN' MAGAZINE AND THEN I TURNEDIT INTO A BOOKLET CALLED 'ALIEN ZOO'. JON DOWNES AND THE GUYS AT CFZ PRESSTHEN SAID THEY WANTED TO PUBLISH IT AND IT WAS GOING TO BE CALLED'MONSTROUS MANIFESTATIONS' BUT THE TITLE 'MONSTER!' WAS BETTER BECAUSE IT BROUGHT BACK THOSE DAYS OF 'JAWS' AND THE LIKES, A SIMPLE TITLE, A GREAT COVER, AND CONTENTS THAT NO-ONE ELSE HAD THOUGHT OF AND HOPEFULLY A GREAT REFERENCE GUIDE TO CREATURES WHICH EVADE CRYPTOZOOLOGY AND ALWAYS WILL.

Raven : Any plans for another book in the near future?

Neil : I'VE ALREADY FINISHED 'MYSTERY ANIMALS OF KENT' FOR CFZ PRESS AND ALREADY WRITTEN A BOOK ON STRANGE CREATURES AROUND LONDON. IN THE PAST ISELF-PUBLISHED 'ODD-BODIES' AND 'CLANDESTINE CREATURES'. NOT SURE WHAT'S NEXT, MAYBE A BOOK ON CRYPTOZOOLOGY IN THE MOVIES AND MAYBE ONE DAY A SEQUEL TO 'MONSTER!'.

Raven : What advice would you give someone just coming into this field of study?

Neil : GET OUT INTO THE FIELD, LOG EVERYTHING AND TRAWL THE ARCHIVES BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY GEMS TO BE FOUND.

Raven : Do you have any parting thoughts or words of wisdom you'd like to leave myreaders with?

Neil : IF THERE IS NO-ONE THERE TO SEE A ZOOFORM CREATURE...DOES IT STILL APPEAR? AND...BUY THE BOOK!

Raven : lol. Awesome words of wisdom,my friend. You heard it here first,folks!

Thanks again for being here Neil. It has been a great pleasure and an honor interviewing you.

Neil : MANY THANKS RAVEN, ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

Ta ta for now,my fledglings!

Your Mistress of the Mysterious, Raven