Bigfoot Collectors Club – “Mothman Roundtable” w/ Steve Berg & W. Dave Keith

Date: November 12, 2025
Hosts: Michael McMillan & Riley Bray
Guests: Steve Berg (High Strangeness podcast), W. Dave Keith (Taco the Town podcast, artist)

Episode Overview

This special 350th episode and 8-year anniversary of Bigfoot Collectors Club is a roundtable deep-dive into one of the most iconic figures in cryptozoology and High Strangeness: the Mothman. Hosts Michael and Riley are joined by actor/podcaster Steve Berg and artist/podcaster W. Dave Keith to revisit the Mothman story, its lore, infamous sightings, associated Men in Black encounters, and cultural impact—from the original events in 1966–67 Point Pleasant, West Virginia to present-day musings about what Mothman represents.

The discussion is upbeat, speculative, and full of inside jokes, but also takes a closer look at multiple theories and the phenomena’s social context, blending personal anecdotes, cryptid nostalgia, skepticism, and genuine wonder.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Mood & Guest Introductions

The hosts and guests immediately revisit their recent adventures at Kansas Paracon and ghost-hunting at the Eldridge Hotel (04:00–06:00), setting a relaxed, nostalgic, “clubhouse” tone.
W. Dave Keith plugs his new illustrated “map” of Lawrence, Kansas, which includes local landmarks and cryptid easter eggs (06:36–09:07).

What Does the Mothman Mean? (12:39–19:32)

Steve Berg: “To me, the Mothman symbolizes a bunch of weird stuff. It’s a confluence of all the greatest hits of the high strange world. …The Mothman of the cryptid is super cool, but it’s the least interesting thing about the book. Everything that happened around it—that is the really high strange, weird stuff” (15:55).
Dave Keith: Recalls encountering Mothman in childhood cryptid books—far scarier and more fascinating than Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster. The real fear came from the associated Men in Black and “electronic communication weirdness” in the Keel book (17:20).
Riley Bray: Quips, “For me the Mothman is the hot goth of the cryptid world … a little afraid but kind of drawn in,” also fixated on the shiny, jacked Point Pleasant Mothman statue (18:48, 19:11).
Michael: “There is sort of an inherent horniness when it comes to Mothman, and I even feel like it’s in the book itself” (19:32). Discusses the pulpy, noir, and occasionally uncomfortable tone Keel’s writing style adds to the lore.

Lore, Sightings, and Context (27:02–40:22)

Pre-1960s Lore & Historical Context

Birdman Sightings: “Mothman”/flying humanoid lore dates back to at least 1914, then known as “the Birdman,” with waves of similar sightings through the ‘40s (27:45).
Curse of Cornstalk: Chief Cornstalk and the legend of his curse on Point Pleasant following the Shawnee’s violent expulsion in the 1770s, shaping the region’s sense of doom (29:07–31:16).
Pollution: WWII TNT plant created toxic environmental conditions—potential cryptid mutation or just local “bad vibes” (31:23–32:13).

Point Pleasant Today

Steve’s Visit: Recounts his own “pilgrimage” to Point Pleasant, describing it as a must-see, beautiful region where the cryptid festival and museum are crucial for the town’s survival (32:18–34:41).
Local Economy: “It is kept that town alive where a lot of towns around it have died. It is the industry of the town, which is beautiful. I love when these towns celebrate their folklore” (34:23).
Unexpected Mafia Connection: A failed early ‘90s film adaptation was supposedly derailed by Pittsburgh mob interests fearing exposure from film crews (34:48–35:39).

Mothman’s Appearance and Iconography (36:15–40:27)

Description Discrepancies: The “official” Mothman look (black, moth-like, big red eyes) doesn't perfectly fit witness descriptions, often gray, headless, “all legs, all wings, no head.” (38:42–39:12)
Name Origin: The name “Mothman” was likely a catchy riff on ‘60s Batman mania, not actual witness testimony (39:38–40:22).

Steve Berg: "No one described it ever looking like a moth… The reporter was like ‘Mothman’ because it makes it splashier, like the Kenneth Arnold ‘flying saucer’ thing—it sounded sexy." (39:38)

Men in Black, Indrid Cold, and High Strangeness Flap (40:57–52:06)

Indrid Cold & Woody Derenberger Story

Telepathic contact with man “Indrid Cold,” smiling, human-like, “slicked back hair,” led to years of contact and even (alleged) trips to Saturn (Woody’s book Visitor from Lanulos).
MIBs, pranksters, and potential government psyops: Keel’s paranoia and the possible overlayering of genuine high strangeness and hoaxes or manipulations (via Gray Barker and James Mosley) (47:52–49:25).

Steve Berg: "They would get high and get drunk and prank John Keel all the time ... Keel was so paranoid, he was such a perfect person to do it to." (48:58)

Witness Testimony

Despite above skepticism, many original witnesses have given consistent personal, on-camera testimony—even decades later (55:10, 67:24).

Famous Sightings & High Strangeness Phenomena (53:53–68:48)

Notable Eyewitness Reports

Bob Bosworth: “It wasn’t like the eyes were illuminated from behind… no discernible neck, more like a robin.”
Scarberry & Mallett Couples: Chased by gray, winged being in their Chevy Bel Air, which “never flapped its wings;” glided after the car at 100 mph (57:17–59:25).
Faye DeWitt: Mothman paces car, jumps on the hood at TNT plant, shows 10 ft wingspan, glides away (64:42–67:24).

Aggression & Motive

Generally non-hostile, more “trickster” than predator—scares people, buzzes cars, disrupts, but rarely attacks (besides devouring a stray dog or chasing one witness to her home) (67:34–68:48).
Debate whether it is a “harbinger of doom” or unfairly blamed for the Silver Bridge disaster (68:48).

The Silver Bridge Collapse & Aftermath (69:22–72:35)

Timeline: Mothman flap runs late ’66–late ’67; after December 15, 1967 Silver Bridge collapse (claimed 46 lives), attention abruptly shifts from the strange to the tragic.
Eyewitnesses heard a “boom” before collapse; rumors (unconfirmed) that someone saw Mothman atop the bridge.
The bridge collapse is seen in hindsight as the capstone to the “curse” or Mothman’s warning.

Conspiracy, Social Context, and Modern Sightings (72:44–83:32)

Sociopolitical factors: Labor unrest, industrial exploitation, and rumors of psychological operations that might have fed high-strangeness reports.
Cultural conflation: As with other “flap zones” (like Bigfoot’s origin), a mix of genuine weirdness, hoaxes, opportunism, and narrative layering.
Chicago Mothman: Steve highlights recent and ongoing flying humanoid sightings reported in the Midwest by truckers, researched by Tobias Wayland (75:38).

Theories & Speculation

Alien/interdimensional scout, mutated bird, military experiment, or trickster entity?

Riley: “I want to write it off as … a mutant bird, but it doesn’t really track ... Is this some sort of psyop? A suit someone’s wearing?... It does feel inextricably linked to the larger paranormal context. It doesn’t seem like a singular cryptid; it’s part of a big soup” (76:41–77:32).
Steve: Favors John Keel’s “super spectrum” theory—UFOs and related phenomena manifest differently for different people/cultures; the Mothman is another mask of the wider, weirder phenomenon, not strictly “aliens from another planet.” (83:26)
Michael: “Flying humanoids are also unidentified flying objects... Mothman is a UFO.”
Notable moments:
- Mary Hire recognized as the true chronicler and “patron saint” of the phenomenon for recording firsthand accounts (62:01–63:33).
- Many different UFO occupant appearances reported in the ’60s, challenging the “gray alien” orthodoxy (85:55–86:59).

Notable Quotes & Moments

Steve Berg: “The Mothman to me symbolizes, like, this harbinger of… where he goes, a bunch of weird stuff is going to happen.” (17:02)
W. Dave Keith: "The phone stuff is the scariest. Like, Mothman isn’t really even as scary as the Men in Black and the electronic communications, the strange noises… that stuff just really scared me as a child..." (17:20)
Michael McMillan: “If Bigfoot is Mario, I think Mothman is Waluigi. He’s the weirdest quadrant out of our four corners of the unknown.” (26:48)
Riley Bray: “For me, the Mothman is the hot goth of the cryptid world.” (18:48)
Riley Bray: “[Mothman] feels inextricably linked to the larger paranormal context... It doesn’t seem like a singular cryptid; it’s part of a big old soup.” (77:32)
Steve Berg: “[Keel] wrote a smut book… He wasn’t afraid, if it paid he would write it.” (20:34)

Key Timestamps of Major Segments

12:39 – Michael gives a dramatic recap of the 1966-67 Mothman/Humanoid flap
15:55 – Roundtable: “What does the Mothman mean to you?”
29:07 – Chief Cornstalk’s Curse and Point Pleasant’s “bad luck history”
32:18 – Steve’s visit to Point Pleasant and museum
38:42 – Mothman’s disputed description: headless, gray, not moth-like
40:57 – Indrid Cold/Woody Derenberger, Men in Black, and Barker/Mosley pranking
53:53 – Detailed witness stories (dogs, families, cars, fear)
68:48 – The Silver Bridge collapse: disaster, aftermath, myth
75:38 – Modern “Chicago Mothman” reports
82:55 – Theories: military, interdimensional, cryptid, or all of the above?

Closing & Plugs (87:31–end)

Dave Keith: Instagram @wdavekeith; commissions open for cryptid/“unusual weirdo” art.
Steve Berg: Host of “Hi, Strangeness” podcast; “Weird, Here To Help” advice podcast.
Michael McMillan: Plugs recent podcast appearances & upcoming live events.
Riley Bray: Announces ongoing “Peace Drone” ambient music web project: peacedrone.net.

Summary

BCC's first-ever “Mothman Roundtable” is a warm, funny, and comprehensive reexamination of Mothman lore—spanning from historical “Birdman” sightings to the complex weave of paranoia, pranks, trauma, and genuine high strangeness in the Point Pleasant saga. The hosts and guests freely move between skepticism and wonder, honoring the original witnesses, speculating on paranormal “flap zones,” and ultimately agreeing that the mystery at the heart of the Mothman remains unsolved—and perhaps, that’s what keeps us all in the Clubhouse.

Final Quote:
Steve Berg: “We solved it! …We solved it.” (87:33)

Listen for:

Deep cuts on lore & local history
Multiple firsthand stories
Speculation with humor and respect
Contemporary cryptid culture
Creative nostalgia for ’60s pulp and the paranormal

(End of Summary)

Bigfoot Collectors Club – “Mothman Roundtable” w/ Steve Berg & W. Dave Keith

Date: November 12, 2025
Hosts: Michael McMillan & Riley Bray
Guests: Steve Berg (High Strangeness podcast), W. Dave Keith (Taco the Town podcast, artist)

Episode Overview

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Mood & Guest Introductions

The hosts and guests immediately revisit their recent adventures at Kansas Paracon and ghost-hunting at the Eldridge Hotel (04:00–06:00), setting a relaxed, nostalgic, “clubhouse” tone.
W. Dave Keith plugs his new illustrated “map” of Lawrence, Kansas, which includes local landmarks and cryptid easter eggs (06:36–09:07).

What Does the Mothman Mean? (12:39–19:32)

Steve Berg: “To me, the Mothman symbolizes a bunch of weird stuff. It’s a confluence of all the greatest hits of the high strange world. …The Mothman of the cryptid is super cool, but it’s the least interesting thing about the book. Everything that happened around it—that is the really high strange, weird stuff” (15:55).
Dave Keith: Recalls encountering Mothman in childhood cryptid books—far scarier and more fascinating than Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster. The real fear came from the associated Men in Black and “electronic communication weirdness” in the Keel book (17:20).
Riley Bray: Quips, “For me the Mothman is the hot goth of the cryptid world … a little afraid but kind of drawn in,” also fixated on the shiny, jacked Point Pleasant Mothman statue (18:48, 19:11).
Michael: “There is sort of an inherent horniness when it comes to Mothman, and I even feel like it’s in the book itself” (19:32). Discusses the pulpy, noir, and occasionally uncomfortable tone Keel’s writing style adds to the lore.

Lore, Sightings, and Context (27:02–40:22)

Pre-1960s Lore & Historical Context

Birdman Sightings: “Mothman”/flying humanoid lore dates back to at least 1914, then known as “the Birdman,” with waves of similar sightings through the ‘40s (27:45).
Curse of Cornstalk: Chief Cornstalk and the legend of his curse on Point Pleasant following the Shawnee’s violent expulsion in the 1770s, shaping the region’s sense of doom (29:07–31:16).
Pollution: WWII TNT plant created toxic environmental conditions—potential cryptid mutation or just local “bad vibes” (31:23–32:13).

Point Pleasant Today

Steve’s Visit: Recounts his own “pilgrimage” to Point Pleasant, describing it as a must-see, beautiful region where the cryptid festival and museum are crucial for the town’s survival (32:18–34:41).
Local Economy: “It is kept that town alive where a lot of towns around it have died. It is the industry of the town, which is beautiful. I love when these towns celebrate their folklore” (34:23).
Unexpected Mafia Connection: A failed early ‘90s film adaptation was supposedly derailed by Pittsburgh mob interests fearing exposure from film crews (34:48–35:39).

Mothman’s Appearance and Iconography (36:15–40:27)

Description Discrepancies: The “official” Mothman look (black, moth-like, big red eyes) doesn't perfectly fit witness descriptions, often gray, headless, “all legs, all wings, no head.” (38:42–39:12)
Name Origin: The name “Mothman” was likely a catchy riff on ‘60s Batman mania, not actual witness testimony (39:38–40:22).

Steve Berg: "No one described it ever looking like a moth… The reporter was like ‘Mothman’ because it makes it splashier, like the Kenneth Arnold ‘flying saucer’ thing—it sounded sexy." (39:38)

Men in Black, Indrid Cold, and High Strangeness Flap (40:57–52:06)

Indrid Cold & Woody Derenberger Story

Telepathic contact with man “Indrid Cold,” smiling, human-like, “slicked back hair,” led to years of contact and even (alleged) trips to Saturn (Woody’s book Visitor from Lanulos).
MIBs, pranksters, and potential government psyops: Keel’s paranoia and the possible overlayering of genuine high strangeness and hoaxes or manipulations (via Gray Barker and James Mosley) (47:52–49:25).

Steve Berg: "They would get high and get drunk and prank John Keel all the time ... Keel was so paranoid, he was such a perfect person to do it to." (48:58)

Witness Testimony

Despite above skepticism, many original witnesses have given consistent personal, on-camera testimony—even decades later (55:10, 67:24).

Famous Sightings & High Strangeness Phenomena (53:53–68:48)

Notable Eyewitness Reports

Bob Bosworth: “It wasn’t like the eyes were illuminated from behind… no discernible neck, more like a robin.”
Scarberry & Mallett Couples: Chased by gray, winged being in their Chevy Bel Air, which “never flapped its wings;” glided after the car at 100 mph (57:17–59:25).
Faye DeWitt: Mothman paces car, jumps on the hood at TNT plant, shows 10 ft wingspan, glides away (64:42–67:24).

Aggression & Motive

Generally non-hostile, more “trickster” than predator—scares people, buzzes cars, disrupts, but rarely attacks (besides devouring a stray dog or chasing one witness to her home) (67:34–68:48).
Debate whether it is a “harbinger of doom” or unfairly blamed for the Silver Bridge disaster (68:48).

The Silver Bridge Collapse & Aftermath (69:22–72:35)

Timeline: Mothman flap runs late ’66–late ’67; after December 15, 1967 Silver Bridge collapse (claimed 46 lives), attention abruptly shifts from the strange to the tragic.
Eyewitnesses heard a “boom” before collapse; rumors (unconfirmed) that someone saw Mothman atop the bridge.
The bridge collapse is seen in hindsight as the capstone to the “curse” or Mothman’s warning.

Conspiracy, Social Context, and Modern Sightings (72:44–83:32)

Sociopolitical factors: Labor unrest, industrial exploitation, and rumors of psychological operations that might have fed high-strangeness reports.
Cultural conflation: As with other “flap zones” (like Bigfoot’s origin), a mix of genuine weirdness, hoaxes, opportunism, and narrative layering.
Chicago Mothman: Steve highlights recent and ongoing flying humanoid sightings reported in the Midwest by truckers, researched by Tobias Wayland (75:38).

Theories & Speculation

Alien/interdimensional scout, mutated bird, military experiment, or trickster entity?

Riley: “I want to write it off as … a mutant bird, but it doesn’t really track ... Is this some sort of psyop? A suit someone’s wearing?... It does feel inextricably linked to the larger paranormal context. It doesn’t seem like a singular cryptid; it’s part of a big soup” (76:41–77:32).
Steve: Favors John Keel’s “super spectrum” theory—UFOs and related phenomena manifest differently for different people/cultures; the Mothman is another mask of the wider, weirder phenomenon, not strictly “aliens from another planet.” (83:26)
Michael: “Flying humanoids are also unidentified flying objects... Mothman is a UFO.”
Notable moments:
- Mary Hire recognized as the true chronicler and “patron saint” of the phenomenon for recording firsthand accounts (62:01–63:33).
- Many different UFO occupant appearances reported in the ’60s, challenging the “gray alien” orthodoxy (85:55–86:59).

Notable Quotes & Moments

Steve Berg: “The Mothman to me symbolizes, like, this harbinger of… where he goes, a bunch of weird stuff is going to happen.” (17:02)
W. Dave Keith: "The phone stuff is the scariest. Like, Mothman isn’t really even as scary as the Men in Black and the electronic communications, the strange noises… that stuff just really scared me as a child..." (17:20)
Michael McMillan: “If Bigfoot is Mario, I think Mothman is Waluigi. He’s the weirdest quadrant out of our four corners of the unknown.” (26:48)
Riley Bray: “For me, the Mothman is the hot goth of the cryptid world.” (18:48)
Riley Bray: “[Mothman] feels inextricably linked to the larger paranormal context... It doesn’t seem like a singular cryptid; it’s part of a big old soup.” (77:32)
Steve Berg: “[Keel] wrote a smut book… He wasn’t afraid, if it paid he would write it.” (20:34)

Key Timestamps of Major Segments

12:39 – Michael gives a dramatic recap of the 1966-67 Mothman/Humanoid flap
15:55 – Roundtable: “What does the Mothman mean to you?”
29:07 – Chief Cornstalk’s Curse and Point Pleasant’s “bad luck history”
32:18 – Steve’s visit to Point Pleasant and museum
38:42 – Mothman’s disputed description: headless, gray, not moth-like
40:57 – Indrid Cold/Woody Derenberger, Men in Black, and Barker/Mosley pranking
53:53 – Detailed witness stories (dogs, families, cars, fear)
68:48 – The Silver Bridge collapse: disaster, aftermath, myth
75:38 – Modern “Chicago Mothman” reports
82:55 – Theories: military, interdimensional, cryptid, or all of the above?

Closing & Plugs (87:31–end)

Dave Keith: Instagram @wdavekeith; commissions open for cryptid/“unusual weirdo” art.
Steve Berg: Host of “Hi, Strangeness” podcast; “Weird, Here To Help” advice podcast.
Michael McMillan: Plugs recent podcast appearances & upcoming live events.
Riley Bray: Announces ongoing “Peace Drone” ambient music web project: peacedrone.net.

Summary

Final Quote:
Steve Berg: “We solved it! …We solved it.” (87:33)

Listen for:

Deep cuts on lore & local history
Multiple firsthand stories
Speculation with humor and respect
Contemporary cryptid culture
Creative nostalgia for ’60s pulp and the paranormal

(End of Summary)

"Mothman Roundtable" w/ Steve Berg & W. Dave Keith

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Summary

Bigfoot Collectors Club – “Mothman Roundtable” w/ Steve Berg & W. Dave Keith

Episode Overview

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Mood & Guest Introductions

What Does the Mothman Mean? (12:39–19:32)

Lore, Sightings, and Context (27:02–40:22)

Pre-1960s Lore & Historical Context

Point Pleasant Today

Mothman’s Appearance and Iconography (36:15–40:27)

Men in Black, Indrid Cold, and High Strangeness Flap (40:57–52:06)

Indrid Cold & Woody Derenberger Story

Witness Testimony

Famous Sightings & High Strangeness Phenomena (53:53–68:48)

Notable Eyewitness Reports

Aggression & Motive

The Silver Bridge Collapse & Aftermath (69:22–72:35)

Conspiracy, Social Context, and Modern Sightings (72:44–83:32)

Theories & Speculation

Notable Quotes & Moments

Key Timestamps of Major Segments

Closing & Plugs (87:31–end)

Summary

Summary

Bigfoot Collectors Club – “Mothman Roundtable” w/ Steve Berg & W. Dave Keith

Episode Overview

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Mood & Guest Introductions

What Does the Mothman Mean? (12:39–19:32)

Lore, Sightings, and Context (27:02–40:22)

Pre-1960s Lore & Historical Context

Point Pleasant Today

Mothman’s Appearance and Iconography (36:15–40:27)

Men in Black, Indrid Cold, and High Strangeness Flap (40:57–52:06)

Indrid Cold & Woody Derenberger Story

Witness Testimony

Famous Sightings & High Strangeness Phenomena (53:53–68:48)

Notable Eyewitness Reports

Aggression & Motive

The Silver Bridge Collapse & Aftermath (69:22–72:35)

Conspiracy, Social Context, and Modern Sightings (72:44–83:32)

Theories & Speculation

Notable Quotes & Moments

Key Timestamps of Major Segments

Closing & Plugs (87:31–end)

Summary