1) Hi Bart, firstly, can you tell me a bit about yourself ?
Sure, Neil. I'm just a simple Kentucky boy. That's all. I have no degrees on my wall. I don't consider myself an 'expert' on anything. Just an ordinary fellow who's experienced more than his share of the extraordinary.
2) You wrote the fantastic Mysterious Kentucky which concentrated on local phenomena, please tell the readers the kind of things which happen locally.
The area where I was born and raised in Western Ky is what's known by paranormal and Fortean investigators as a 'window' area. A place where multiple unexplained phenomena tend to overlap, and these places are scattered throughout the Bluegrass State. As a result many of the residents of the commonwealth have been exposed to mysteries such as UFOs, Bigfoot and other strange creatures, Spectral activity, animal mutilation, Skyfalls, Black Panther sightings...the list goes on and on. Fortean activities like these have been happening in Ky. since before the first white settlers set foot here and, in fact, might even be said to be 'on the rise' for the last few years.
3) Your main interest is cryptozoology, what are your thoughts on the recent Georgia Bigfoot corpse fiasco?
I honestly don't believe that I've ever seen such ridiculously pedantic behaviour from two grown men in my life. Shameful. I never for a minute thought they had a Bigfoot body because, quite honestly, I don't believe these things can be killed, but my poker player instincts told me that something was going on. They seemed to be controlling the situation just as planned, and content with the way things were going. Perhaps the only result they had in mind was portraying the cryptozoology field in a bad light, or besmirching or ruining certain researchers reputations. However, I think what they succeeded in actually doing was showing to the world (and particularly the money-men in the various entertainment mediums) the massive amount of public interest in the Bigfoot mystery. Everyone wanted to believe. Everyone. I think that this interest will soon begin to be exploited more thoroughly in the very near future.
4) You made a fine documentary regarding the Dogman legend, please can you tell us a little about the legend and why you decided to make a film ?
Simply because the Dogman phenomenon is too often overlooked by the public. Everyone's heard a hundred Bigfoot stories, but not so much is ever heard about the werewolf subject. And that's really what this is all about. An ancient enigma, steadfast, dangerous and terrifying, with a new name. It's very possible these creatures can be dangerous, even deadly, and the people really have a right to know these things. Those that dare to believe anyway.
5) Many 'monsters' sighted around the world appear to be folklore or based on eye-witness sightings, but in the case of a dogman-type creature, it seems there were actual murders, please tell us more ?
'Alleged' murders. I can't say for sure the killings took place. On the other hand, I see no reason to disbelieve the primary witness in the Dogman Murders. She seemed honest, sincere and very upset as she recounted her tale for John (Johnsen of 'Grendel Films) and I. She also seemed like an observant and reliable witness. If the murders did take place, and I suspect they did, then a highly elaborate and very effective cover up was implemented there in Livingston County, Ky. This is not so unbelievable either when you consider the millions of tourist dollars generated in the LBL area every year that would be jeopardized were this information made public. When we visited the scene of the alleged murders we found a fairly intricate series of abandoned underground bunkers - which really concretes the notion that the government was involved in some way after the fact. What didn't make it onto the dvd were other eyewitness testimonies of werewolf activity in the vicinity. I can tell you for a fact that there are other people in the area who believe that the documented murders are not the only ones committed there attributed to the Beast of LBL.
6) Do you think the Dogman is a flesh and blood creature or a more complex entity ?
I think the Dogman's a more complex entity. Surely. And the truth of all this lies within our own hearts if we don't deny or ignore it.
7) Do descriptions of the Dogman, given by witnesses match up or is there an inconsistency suggesting confusion ?
They match up well for the most part. There seem to be two types of these creatures. The Dogman is basically a hairy man with a dog or wolf's, head and claws. The Mandog, on the other hand, is a large dog that walks and runs upright (although both have the capability of also running quadrupedally). Very different creatures as the Dogman has shoulders and human-like legs, although some have also been reported as having lupine legs bent backwards. Surprisingly, only a few reports that I've read mention tails.
8) Do you believe the Dogman is any relation, or the same animal as the Bray Road Beast of Wisconsin ?
Yes. These things have been seen all over the world for thousands of years. They are all related, I'm sure. What they are, of course, is a matter of debate.
9) You've had a strange encounter with Bigfoot. I've always believed such creatures are an undiscovered primate but you beg to differ, explain ?
I think we need to keep in mind that Bigfoot is merely one aspect of the larger 'Beastman' puzzle. We have the apemen, sure, but we also have dogmen, lizardmen, frogmen, mothmen, birdmen, batmen...the list is almost endless. In some instances like the 'Spottsville Monster' case we have more than one anthropomorphic creature prowling around the same location! Logically, there seems no possibility that all these creatures could merely be undiscovered hominiods living alongside us in the modern world. In some cases these apemen have been described as having supernatural powers and linked with other phenoms like UFOs and hauntings. I've experienced this connection personally and know that its real. And, if even one of these creatures can be linked with anything supernatural, then I think all of them is, at the very least, suspect by association.
10) These ethereal monsters seem to date back since the dawn of mankind.Do you think such mysterious creatures will ever be explained ?
They already are as far as I'm concerned. I've looked into these mysteries for 25 years but it really only takes 1 or 2 to form a basic opinion of what's going on. There's only one logical conclusion and it's inescapable, really. The key is to ask the right questions with an open mind and don't censure the answers to fit some preconceived notion. Let the facts lead where they may. I just want to say that the truth is, indeed, out there.
11) Why doesn't the government spend money or show any interest in cryptid research ?
Most likely because the government already knows what they are, as well as their purpose in the grand scheme of things. And I'm speaking about the more bizarre type cryptids here, not undiscovered species of oxen in Sumatra. Bigfoot, Nessie, Mothman, El Chupacabras, the staples of cryptozoology which, ironically, seem to be more zooform in nature than actual, flesh and blood animals.
12) Which cryptid out there is likely to be found in the next few years ?
There are still millions of species left to discover out there. As of this moment, every one of them are cryptids. I think the most likely ones are the ones that live in water. It's really no stretch at all to envision all manner of aquatic anomalies which may soon be washed ashore or caught in a net. This has already happened many times throughout history but now, in the technologically advanced modern world, there is instant communication and less chance that the next big zoological discovery will be lost or ignored.
13) Many books describe areas of high strangeness which seem hot spots for both mysterious creatures, UFOs, spook lights etc. Do you believe there is a connection ?
Logically speaking, the fact that all these things can and do manifest themselves in the same area during the same time betrays the connection. Glaringly, in my opinion. Each of these enigmas seem to be designed, most cunningly, to illicit a specific reaction or emotional response from the witness. These encounters often result in a paradigm shift for the witnesses, a broadening of their notions of the very nature of the universe. These new beliefs can be very telling if you know what to look for.
14) Are you planning to write any more books ?
Yes. Right now I'm working on "The Inhumanoids: Real Encounters With Beings That Can't Exist", and I also have the beginnings of several more stirring around. Plenty to write about, that's for sure.
15) How often do you get out into the field ?
As often as possible on a weekly salary. This season has been my most inactive one in years due to some personal issues, but I love getting out and chasing down stories of cryptids and other Fortean phenomena. There's really nothing like it.
16) If the Dogman is an ethereal form, why would it murder a family of four, and why have no other murders taken place ?
Well, I honestly can't even begin to attempt to explain the motivations of such a terrible creature as the 'Beast of LBL'. Perhaps it was simply hungry. Or evil. My guess is both. And, as I mentioned earlier, there are those there who believe that this thing has killed before. And will again.
17) Thank you for your time Bart, anything else you'd like to add ?
I'd just like to urge everyone interested in these topics to keep an open mind. Obviously, you can't believe everything you hear, but neither should you discount the data you don't understand. I'd also like to leave this warning: One mystery leads to another...and the truth doesn't come without a price. Happy Hunting!
