"The Gary Wilcox UFO Encounter" w/ Michael Strayer

Summary

Bigfoot Collectors Club – Episode Summary

Podcast: Bigfoot Collectors Club
Episode: "The Gary Wilcox UFO Encounter" w/ Michael Strayer
Aired: March 12, 2025
Guests: Michael Strayer (Moth Boys Podcast)
Hosts: Michael McMillian, Riley Bray

Episode Overview

This episode of Bigfoot Collectors Club explores personal and historical stories of high strangeness, diving into the weird world of cryptids and UFOs with guest Michael Strayer, host of the Moth Boys podcast. The central focus is an in-depth telling of the 1964 Gary Wilcox UFO encounter—an under-the-radar, but compelling, case of supposed otherworldly visitors in upstate New York. Alongside, Michael Strayer shares his own paranormal history, his mother’s encounters, and his “boots on the ground” investigations into strange local phenomena. The episode blends humor, skepticism, and genuine curiosity, highlighting how personal stories and local legends fuel the world of paranormal podcasting.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet the Guest: Michael Strayer and Paranormal Upbringings

• Background: Michael shares his West Virginia lifestyle, family roots in the paranormal, and how his mother's experiences inspired his interest in the unknown.

• Mother’s Stories: His mother had multiple strange encounters, including seeing a “gnome”-like entity and a UFO with her sisters as a child in Jamestown, NY.

  • Quote [11:32]:
    “She said she can only say it was, like, a tiny person. Just, like, not, like, but, like, tiny tiny, but, like, maybe up to your knees…” – Michael Strayer

• Mothman Inspiration: His fascination was cemented after seeing The Mothman Prophecies movie as a teenager.

  • Quote [10:04]:
    “It was one of the first movies that introduced the idea to me of the Ultra terrestrial or the…Cryptid that might be from a parallel dimension. So that must have been mind blowing for you as a 15 year old kid.” – Michael McMillian

2. Localized High Strangeness & the White Monsters of Sherman, NY

• Boots-on-the-Ground Research: Michael details his quest to track down the witness behind a John Keel footnote about "giant white ground sloths" in Sherman, NY.

• Finding the Eyewitness: Through diligent (and humorous) "detective work," he tracks down John Goodwill, who as a child experienced repeated encounters with these mysterious white creatures.

  • Quote [26:52]:
    “With a little more digging, we found his son…by chance. This is going to sound weird, but did he see giant ground sloths when he was, like, 12 years old? And he's like, that is my dad.” – Michael Strayer

• Family Testimony: John’s whole family corroborates the encounters, including sightings of multiple creatures, some juvenile, often moving slowly and wordlessly—described as very “sloth-like” rather than Bigfoot.

  • Favorite Encounter [30:54]:
    "They see…the creatures out in a cornfield…two big ones and then two…juveniles. And they're just playing…The whole family just sits there and watches them in the car." – Michael Strayer

• Preserving the Story: The Moth Boys help publish “The White Monsters of Sherman, New York” mini-book, supporting the original witness’s legacy.

  • Quote [35:58]:
    “Helping somebody out like that is really, really special. It feels nice to be able to do that for somebody and help them get their story out…” – Michael Strayer

3. Michael Strayer's Own High Strangeness Sighting

• Sherman Swamps UFOs: During a night excursion near Sherman’s notorious swamps, Michael and friends witness a series of unexplainable lights:

  • Star-like Dancers: Lights that moved and zig-zagged in the sky.
  • Triangle Craft: A silent, black triangular object with three red lights passing overhead.
  • Quote [47:55]:
    "Dead silent, triangle shape. Right over our heads. Just kept going." – Michael Strayer

• Ongoing Activity: Michael asserts something strange happens nearly every clear night in Sherman’s swamps.

4. Playful Paranormal Beliefs

• Believe It or Bullshit Game [39:39–41:12]: Michael Strayer quickly asserts belief in almost all classic phenomena (Ghosts, Bigfoot, UFOs, Mothman, ESP, etc.), with a skeptical note only for a couple of cryptids and “bullshit” for Hollow Earth.

5. Story of High Strangeness: The Gary Wilcox UFO Encounter

(Begins [53:54])

Recap:

• 1964, Newark Valley, NY:

  • Farmer Gary Wilcox spots an egg-shaped craft on his property.

  • Physical Description: 20ft long, aluminum, seamless, “like metallic canvas.”

  • Beings: Two short, faceless humanoids in metallic suits, carrying trays of sod.

  • Telepathic Communication: Beings claim to be from “Mars,” ask about agriculture, warn against manned space exploration, claim mutual incompatibility with Earth's environment.

  • Exchange: Gary brings them a bag of fertilizer (which later disappears), and the beings depart in their craft, leaving only red dust.

  • Corroboration: Other locals and a neighbor corroborate seeing UFOs in the area and vouch for Gary’s sincerity.

  • Synchronicity: The incident takes place the same day as the famous Socorro (Lonnie Zamora) UFO encounter with a very similar craft and beings—possibly indicating a shared origin or “road trip” by the UFOnauts.

    • Quote [66:34]:
      “This was the Lonnie Zamora case out of New Mexico…egg shaped craft land that had landed. And he saw two little men walking around the craft…” – Michael McMillian

  • Aftermath: Farm life resumes, no further paranormal activity; the story is documented in Flying Saucer Review (1969), and Gary’s credibility is supported by a psychiatrist.

Discussion & Theories

• Dreamlike Logic: Story has many Keelian “high strangeness” elements—surreal details, contradictory science, unimpeachable witness.

• Mars: Literal or Symbolic? Hosts discuss the use of Mars as a metaphor for “elsewhere,” or a symbolic “planet” in contact narratives.

  • Quote [73:10]:
    “We are from a place that your people would call Mars. Right. We're Martians...” – Michael McMillian

• The Reluctant Witness:

  • Quote [74:29]:
    “I always love a story…I can…it makes me believe even more when the person that has the encounter doesn't really give a shit about the encounter after.” – Michael Strayer

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Paranormal Upbringings:
  “Choosy moms choose Bigfoot.” — Michael McMillian [13:44]

• On Finding Eyewitnesses:
  “Before they called it Internet stalking, it was just called good old fashioned detective work.” — Michael McMillian [25:14]

• Sloth Story Family Encounter:
  "…my favorite encounter…was him and his whole family…they see the creatures out in a cornfield…just playing. The whole family just sits there and watches…" — Michael Strayer [30:54]

• On the White Monsters Book:
  “Helping somebody out like that is really, really special. It feels nice…” — Michael Strayer [35:58]

• On UFO Witness Credibility:
  “…makes me believe even more when the person that has the encounter doesn’t really give a shit about the encounter after.” — Michael Strayer [74:29]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:19] – Welcome & Personal Introductions
• [05:51] – Michael Strayer’s Paranormal Origins
• [11:13] – Mother’s Gnome & UFO Sightings
• [21:30] – Local Legends & Ground Sloth Investigation
• [26:52] – Tracking Down the Sherman Monsters Eyewitness
• [30:54] – Encounter: Pale Sloths Playing in a Field
• [39:39] – “Believe It or Bullshit” Paranormal Game
• [47:55] – Strayer’s Own UFO Sighting (Triangle Craft)
• [53:54] – High Strangeness Story: Gary Wilcox UFO Encounter
• [66:34] – Socorro/Lonnie Zamora Synchronicity
• [76:44] – Hosts’ Reflections & Theories
• [77:47] – Moth Boys Book Plugs, Cryptid Children’s Books

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Additional Points of Interest

• Cryptid Children’s Books: Michael writes and recommends his children’s books about cryptids, including Mothman Learns the ABCs and Curious Creatures series.
• Gray Barker’s Grave: Strayer regularly visits and maintains the grave of legendary UFOlogist Gray Barker and distributes a zine about him.
• Podcast Community & Resourcefulness: The value of skepticism, humor, and empathy in the paranormal podcast world is a recurring theme.

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Final Thoughts

This episode deftly weaves unique personal tales, small-town legends, and unsolved historical encounters, all with a breezy comedic tone. The Wilcox encounter bridges the everyday (“I kicked the damn thing, went back to chores”) and cosmic weirdness—mirroring the hosts' own fascination with the mundane mysteries hiding in plain sight. Listeners are left with the sense that the strangest stories often come from those least interested in the limelight, and that belief and curiosity—tempered with good humor—are at the heart of investigating high strangeness.

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Further Reading/Listening:

• The White Monsters of Sherman, New York (find on Amazon)
• Mothman Learns the ABCs by Michael Strayer
• Bigfoot Collectors Club – “The White Sloth Creatures w/ Steve Berg” (recommended episode)
• Flying Saucer Review (1969) for original Gary Wilcox article

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For more:

• Follow @mothboyspodcast on social media
• Listen to the Moth Boys podcast for deep-dive regional high strangeness
• Support BCC on Patreon for bonus episodes and community access

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

It's Bigfoot Collectors Club with Michael and Ring. I know a story of high strangeness or two. Let's do this.

[A]

Well, hello everyone and welcome to Bigfoot Collectors Club, the show where we talk to amazing guests about their personal paranormal history and share stories of high strangeness. It's a good old fashioned episode this week. I'm your host, Michael McMillan. With me always is your super graphic, ultra modern psychonautical producer.

[B]

Nice. Riley Bray.

[A]

Good. That Riley nickname was submitted to us over on the other side by our dear friend and fellow club scout listener, Frida Bent. Frida. Ah, Frida saying hello all the way from Ireland. Thank you, Frida.

[B]

Thanks for the name, pal.

[A]

How are you, Riley?

[B]

I'm good, man. Really good.

[A]

Good. You know what? We're just gonna do it. We're gonna bring our guest right in. A lot of nonsense up top.

[B]

Okay, let's get into it.

[A]

Our guest this week is a fellow podcaster and host of High Strangeness Club. Scouts of all timelines from the Moth Boys podcast. Please welcome for the first time in the virtual clubhouse, Michael Strayer.

[C]

Hi, everybody. Everybody, please sit down. Sit down. Please sit down. Yeah, please. Come on, guys.

[A]

We can hear those knees popping standing up.

[B]

Yeah, just take it easy. You get up slow. You don't want to pass out.

[A]

Oh, man, let me tell you, my voice is giving out on me. My back gave out on me this week. I'm an old man now and I don't like it.

[C]

How old are you guys? Can I ask how old you guys are? You guys look great. You're young.

[B]

I'm 41.

[C]

You're 42.

[B]

I've never divulged.

[C]

How old are you, Michael?

[A]

Podcast now.

[C]

That's.

[A]

I'm. I'm 46 years old.

[C]

Are you really? You guys, I need to move California, man. I mean, it's that.

[B]

It's that sunshine.

[C]

I'm 38. I'm West Virginia 38. I guess so.

[B]

Okay, gotcha.

[A]

So, yeah, I drink a lot of water.

[C]

That's probably what it is. I don't drink enough water, so that's probably what it is.

[A]

I don't know. Riley's got that Nephilim jeans going for him, so don't tell him. He's just eternally young. Michael, how the hell are you?

[C]

I'm doing good. It's starting to get nicer here in West Virginia. We were hit with a pretty crazy winter. So it's. It's been nice just to have some. Some nice weather, getting my son outside more and, you know, we go play in our. In our creek and everything and. Yeah, it's nice. It's just nice having, you know, the birds coming out and singing and the sun out. So. Yeah, happy.

[A]

The seasonal change here in LA is very subtle. I know spring is coming when the star jasmine blooms in my neighborhood.

[C]

Oh, that's nice. Yeah.

[A]

It smells so nice. It's so good. What are winters in West Virginia like?

[C]

Well, I've been here. I've been in. I've been in West Virginia for probably what, like four years now? Four or five years. And they're pretty tame, actually, from what I've experienced. So originally I'm from like the Buffalo, New York area. More close to Erie. Boy, Erie, Pennsylvania. So it's even worse where. Where I lived. So it's like I'm used, like pretty intense stuff. So, yeah, it's been pretty mild, but this last winter was crazy. I don't know what was going on.

[A]

But just wondering if maybe the. The winter might bring any sort of supernatural encounters with it in West Virginia.

[C]

Right. A creepy time of year out where I live. I live out in the country. I live out. Out in the holler. So I mean, it's like. It's definitely. You get some weird vibes just sitting. So I'll make a fire and just hang out. You know, the fire at night time, you get some vibes. But I think it's just because it's dark and it's shadowy and it's spooky and I don't think there's anything particularly. I don't know though, maybe something's hiding in the. In the shadows. I don't know about, but have you.

[A]

Ever seen anything from your back deck? I.

[C]

Look, I'll wake up. I'll wake up randomly to like, go pee or whatever at like 2 in the morning, and I'll look out the window and I'll stand there and stare for like five minutes. Just like, I know something's out there. I'm gonna catch it one of these days. But I don't know what it is or where it is, but I'm gonna watch it run by over by my barn or whatever, you know what I mean? So. Yeah, but I haven't got anything yet.

[A]

So 2am in the backyard is prime Bigfoot scrounging.

[C]

It is. It is. I feel like. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

That's the time when Bigfoot digs around in trash cans, right?

[C]

That's when he like, you know, goes and take. Takes peas up behind my house or whatever. So, like. Yeah, yeah. So I don't know. I haven't seen anything yet. I don't know.

[B]

So just pissing right on the edge of the darkness all over my house. Yeah.

[A]

Pissing into the abyss with you.

[C]

That's good. Fishing into the abyss. I like that.

[A]

Michael, how did you get into. Let me just flat out ask you. What's your personal paranormal history? How did you get into this stuff? Why did you pick Mothman as your avatar? No, not that we're complaining, but how did you get. How did you get here? How did you get to becoming a paranormal podcaster?

[C]

Oh, I'm started. Me and my brother Matthew and my friend Jake and his brother Pat went. We went to the Mothmanifest. Well, I guess. Look, I'm gonna go back further. My mom. My mom was like, in the Bigfoot. She was. She's a Bigfoot lady. She's like. She's had some weird experiences herself. UFO encounter. She's had a. A little person. I don't know what to say. I don't know if that's correct, but like a gnome person or something. That kind of stuff. So she was really into ghosts and like Bigfoot TV shows and all that fun stuff. Ghost adventures and all that, or ghost hunters. I don't know. Who had the bald guy? What was the bald guy? See? Ghost hunters. I don't know.

[A]

Ghost.

[C]

There's a show with, like, the real masculine dudes that, like, threaten the ghost.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That'S crazy.

[B]

Whatever. That's on, like in a hotel.

[A]

Ghost hunters. Ghost hunters. Is the bald guy.

[C]

The bald guy, right?

[A]

Ghost adventures. Is the head full of hair guy?

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Zach Baggins.

[C]

Zach Baggins. Okay, cool. She was watched Ghost Hunters then. And so I got into that.

[A]

Jason Hawes.

[C]

Jason. Yeah, yeah. Sorry I called you. Bald guy. Jason Hawes. I don't.

[B]

Yeah, he's probably used to it.

[C]

Yeah, he probably is. But.

[B]

So ghost fighting ghosts.

[A]

So the Ghost column. There's a ball guy in my house.

[C]

So we listen. We watch those shows all the time. So like. Yeah, I just, I just got into that stuff naturally because of her. And then I saw the Mothman prophecies in the movie theaters with my dad and my two brothers. Yeah. And that changed that, like, blew my. Because I had never heard of it. I had never heard of Mothman. I'd never heard of John Keel. I never heard of Mothman prophecies. I didn't know things like that happened. I knew like aliens and stuff. Like, you know, because so that was like, first of all, my brother, like my little brother, he was, I was probably 15 when I saw it, or 14 or 15. So that means my little brother was probably 8 or 9 when he saw it. And he like, it was scared him for a week straight. Like he could not sleep. So. But like we saw that. It was horrible. I thought it was scary too. But that's what, that's what opened my mind into a lot of like, like the weird, weirder stuff. More. The, More like one off sightings and like just going down the rabbit hole with things and like the weirder, the better kind of stuff, the more niche subjects and stuff, stuff like that.

[A]

I don't think I've ever shared this on the show, but they filmed Mothman prophecies outside of Pittsburgh when I was a student at Carnegie Melon.

[C]

Cool.

[A]

And I, I had classmates that were in it that got cast in it. I had a classmate who played one of the eyewitnesses and I. His scenes ultimately got. He had like two scenes and he was like one of the guy. I can't remember who the guy is in the real story who sees it up in the tree in his property with like his mom.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

But he played the character based on that and then it was, it was cut out of the movie ultimately. But I remember hearing about like Mothman Prophecies is shooting in town. You know what I mean? We're all excited and jealous that we didn't get to be in it, you know?

[C]

That's so cool. So you, you went to Carnegie Mellon then? Is that what you said?

[A]

I did, yeah.

[C]

I lived in Pittsburgh for five years. I, I, I lived in the south side of Pittsburgh. I worked at the school for the blind over there.

[A]

Oh, hell yeah. Yeah, I did city shows at City Theater on South, south side.

[C]

That's cool.

[A]

I love Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is a great city. Magical place. Really, really magical place. There is a real energy in that area. And yeah, it was cool they shot that movie out there. I mean, when I ultimately saw it, I was obviously in college and I think it was one of the first movies that introduced the idea to me of the Ultra terrestrial or the, the Cryptid that might be from a parallel dimension. So that must have been mind blowing for you as a 15 year old kid.

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, yeah. I mean, you know, you get to see Richard gear up on the screen, he's handsome as ever, just, you know, doing great. The great acting he does. I mean, you get that he's, he's a hero. And then who else do you have? You have Laura, Deborah Messing. Deborah Messing.

[A]

Will shooting on hiatus between seasons of Will and Grace.

[C]

I watched that movie like once or twice a year and it still holds up, man. I, I, it doesn't, I mean you get, movie gets a lot of flack. A lot of people are like, doesn't stick close to the book or the movie would be a mess if it stuck close to the book. So I'm not sure how people expect that to happen.

[A]

But there's, yeah, no script or plot structure to the book.

[C]

I don't know. But no, the movie's fantastic. I watch, like I said, I watch it once or twice a year. I love it. I fall in love with it every time I watch it. And yeah, that was like the thing that got me into the, the weirder side of the paranormal was watching the movie Mothman Prophecies. And then eventually I got to the book. I think it took me a while. I didn't read it right away or anything. I didn't really have an interest in read, to read the book right away or anything. But the, the movie really, really stuck with me. So.

[A]

But you must have been wondering about entities from other dimensions when you were hearing stories from your mom that she saw gnomes. What happened there?

[C]

All right. Yeah, my mom's, my mom was out with my dad or not my dad, my, her dad one late one night and they, they were going by a park. I grew up in a little, I grew, I was born and raised in a little city called Jamestown, New York, and it's the birthplace of Lucille Ball. If nobody knows what you know, that's our claim to fame. All right.

[B]

That's a good one.

[C]

Yeah, it's Pretty good.

[A]

I love Lucy.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah, I do, too. But they were going past this park in the city, and, like, it was dark, and had. She had his headlights on, of course, and something ran in front of their car. So they, you know, he stopped real quick. They both jumped out of the car, and they, you know, they looked and saw that she can only say it was, like, a tiny person. Just, like, not, like, but, like, tiny tiny, but, like, like, maybe up to your knees or something. I don't know. Like, like. And then it ran off into, like, a little ravine, jumped out into a park, and just, like, kept going, kept running away. She said she can't remember any description of, like, color or hair or, like, noises. She does remember just the size and it, you know, taking off into the woods, though, so.

[A]

And it's Jamestown in the, like, Hudson Valley area.

[C]

It's so. It's. It's not in the Hudson Valley. We're like. It's about an hour outside of Buffalo. It's a very. It's like, the furthest western in New York state. So, like. Yeah. So it's part of the Apple Appalachias. Some people would say yes, some people would say no. On what map you follow or whatever BS that is. But. But yeah, it's. It's. There's. There's some strange stuff that happens in my. My, you know, my hometown after growing up and learning more about it. Like, there's some weird stuff, but that. Yeah, that story that my mom told me about the tiny person running away from their car was what. What. That opened my mind up, too. I mean, that was. That was pretty amazing. So.

[B]

So did you generally grow up with, like, a belief in the paranormal? Like, was your mom saying, like, you know, oh, yeah, Bigfoot is real. Okay.

[C]

Oh, yeah, it was totally like. Yeah. It's like. Yeah. I mean, it also was like, why not? Why not believe it? It's kind of fun. It's, like, fun to believe in it. It's like, even if even as a form of entertainment, I mean, it's like, it's still cool, you know, but, yeah, we all. We always believe in that kind of stuff. We like to get, you know, spooked together and, you know, we lived out in the country. I was born and raised in the country, even probably more country than I live now. So, like, you know, there's. It was definitely more scary woods and stuff. So. Yeah.

[B]

Cool mom. That's awesome.

[A]

Yeah, cool mom.

[C]

Good mom. She's a good mom. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Shout out to my mom.

[A]

Choosy moms choose Bigfoot. What. What was. What was. Why. What was her origins in this? Why did she gravitate towards this stuff just because it was fun?

[C]

Well, my guess is the stuff that she saw when she was younger is my. I mean, you know, she. She had that tiny person encounter and she also had a UFO encounter with her sisters one time.

[A]

What happened there?

[C]

Yeah, I guess her and her sisters were sitting on the porch just playing with their toys or whatever, and they see a craft come down and hover above the trees. And it's like they. She remembers the lights coming around, like circling around the craft and like another thing just. They look up for a few seconds and it's there and then it just takes off.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

And like they look that they went and got their parents, you know, my grandma and grandpa, and they went outside and the tree was singed where they had seen the ufo. I mean, it was burnt, like wherever it had been near. Yeah. So there was. There was something. Yeah. So I don't think she's ever had a Bigfoot encounter, but she's definitely had like a UFO and, you know, another strange encounter.

[B]

So that's a strong one, though.

[C]

It's.

[B]

And there's so many times where it's just. Just the children see it.

[C]

Right.

[B]

And then the parents just kind of get the evidence of the aftermath. Like, wait, these kids aren't making this up.

[C]

Right. And that's the thing. I mean, a lot of people are. Are don't tend to believe children because of the over imagination or ever. But I think that's some of the coolest stuff. Whenever I hear stories about, you know, kids seeing stuff. So.

[B]

Totally.

[C]

Yeah, especially. Go ahead.

[A]

I was just gonna say that it is always like the adults are just out just in the other room. Y.

[C]

And it's also like when the kids can like, draw a picture and they all are kind of similar. Like, kind of like when the Flatwoods monster case. They all like drew a picture and it kind of all kind of had the same. They kind of drew the same thing. You know what I mean? So like, it tends to. I don't know. I. I believe. I. I believe, you know, kids, adults, whoever, I mean, I don't tend to tell people that they're wrong about things.

[B]

Yeah, we've talked about too, that like, you know, because kids don't have such a strongly formed sort of rigid reality that they're sort of almost. They're more open to seeing the thing that is right there rather than right not, you know, just not Accepting that that is a real thing or whatever.

[C]

Yeah, or like adults are like. Adults are more clouded or something than. Than kids. They have this. Yeah, that's kind of neat.

[A]

The rational world is right.

[B]

Veil between or something. Who knows?

[C]

But it sucks. It sucks growing up, man.

[A]

It really does. It really does. That's why I refuse to do it.

[B]

Started a Bigfoot podcast.

[A]

That's right. All right, we gotta take a quick break, but when we come back, I want to hear a little bit more about Jamestown and then maybe some stuff that's going on in your local area in West Virginia. Good. After boon podcast listeners, it is I, Augustus G. Periwinkle, the Southern gentleman ghost.

[B]

Oh, hey, Mr. Periwinkle. What's up?

[A]

Mr. Bray, there are only two things I love in this afterlife. The first is sipping on mint juleps in my Aunt Elizabeth's porch swing. And the other is draping my corporeal form in a Miracle made sheet. Did y' all know that traditional bed sheets can harbor more bacteria than the rim of a chamber pot?

[B]

You know, that is tragically true, Mr. Periwinkle. Sleeping in dirty sheets can lead to acne allergy and stuffy noses. And it is pretty gross. Much like your chamber pot, Miracle Made offers a whole line of self cleaning antibacterial bedding such as sheets, pillowcases, and comforters that Prevent up to 99.7 of bacterial growth and require up to 3 times less laundry.

[A]

Now, these sheets are infused with a silver, which help keep those ill humors at bay and were also inspired by NASA, the syndicate of scientists that launched Men to the moon by, I assume, placing them in a giant bullet and firing a large gun at the lunar surface.

[B]

That is actually exactly correct, Mr. Periwinkle.

[A]

And yes, since what wonders will they. What wonders? What wonders, Mr. Bray?

[B]

Well, you know, I mean, you died before we even discovered bacteria in the first place, so I see why you do refer to them as ill humors. But Miracle made sheets are also thermoregulating and designed to keep you at the perfect temperature all night long, no matter the weather, so you get better sleep every night.

[A]

That is, unless I'm looking about.

[B]

Oh, are you like a scary ghost that keeps people up at night or.

[A]

Heavens no. I like to sit at the end of your bed and gaze lovingly at the pocket sized painting of my beloved Annabelle Von Blossom, the esteemed lady of Charleston.

[B]

Oh, that's nice. Was that your lover in life or.

[A]

No, my riverboat.

[B]

Oh, okay. Miracle sheets are luxuriously comfortable without the high price tag of other luxury brands and feel as nice, if not nicer than the sheets used by some five star hotels.

[A]

The riverboat that killed me.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Thank you Miracle Made for sponsoring this episode and my curse in existence. So, Michael, you mentioned before the break that you found out more stuff about Jamestown where you grew up. And I know in our. I'm sure many of our listeners know this. You are like a. A very, I mean, I want to say historian, but like, you know your stuff. You do the research. You have actually done some on the boots, you know, boots on the ground investigation. You have found obscure stories. I'll point people towards the episode of High Strangeness that you did with Steve Berg where you talked about the white sloth creatures that you investigated. I hear the leaf blowers coming. Hold on, everybody.

[C]

Oh, no, those. The leaf blower creatures.

[B]

Oh, wow. Yeah, they're coming. It's just white sloths out there with leaf blowers. This is like so slowly.

[A]

Take a little break there.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Hold on a second. Okay.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Leaf blowers are here.

[A]

Can you grab the dogs?

[B]

We're bringing in side characters now. This is a whole.

[A]

Sorry.

[C]

What a real adventure this is, huh?

[A]

I knew this was gonna happen. Whenever we record on a Monday, these guys always show up and my dogs go crazy. So fortunately, Kate's standing by to go take them for a walk while they're here for 20 minutes. But once they walk by here.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Shout out, Kate.

[C]

Thanks, Gabe.

[A]

Should we just start that section over or.

[B]

Let's just. I mean, sure, whatever. We could have just kept it all. Honestly.

[A]

That's true.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right. Hey, everybody, life happens. Real life always gets in the way of Bigfoot fun.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

So anyway, As I was saying, you know, you are a boots on the ground kind of guy. You've done the work of finding the people behind some old, obscure local legends in your area. I want to hear about Jamestown, and I want to hear more about, like, what's happening in your neck of the woods in West Virginia.

[C]

Yeah. So Jamestown, like I said, it's in western New York, about an hour from Buffalo. Very, very corner. Very western corner of New York State. Growing up, I didn't, you know, other than the stories my mom told me, it was never. I never knew anything weird to happen there. I knew some ghost stories from some local buildings and stuff like that, but I had never, like, thought it was, like, a scary place or anything. There was nothing, like, weird about it or anything. You know, just growing up. But then, you know, I grew up and I was reading when I eventually, you know, got into John Keel, and I read this book, Strange Creatures From Outer Space. Or Time and Space.

[A]

Time and Space, Yes.

[C]

I always forget the title.

[A]

Have it on my shelf.

[C]

Yeah, that's a good book. It's really. It's a nice book. Yeah. So I was. I was. I was looking through that book, and I noticed that there was a anonymous letter to John Keel from a kid who had been. Who had been seeing giant white albino ground sloths around his town and his. In the swamp that he lives next to and his backyard and stuff like that. And this was the 60s, so they're not supposed to be there. Very strange. And I guess to kind of not fast forward, but to. We actually. We found the guy who was the kid growing up because Sherman, New York, is like, a town over from where I grew up. That's like. That's, like my place. I mean, that's like, you know, it's. That's very, very close to where I grew up. And, like, so that was like, whoa, there's something cool that happened that John Keel reported on right here in my backyard, you know.

[B]

Cool. Yeah.

[C]

And I saw. But it was an anonymous letter. I'm like, what the hell are we gonna do with this? I mean, like, there's no. I mean, there no way that we're going to be able to find somebody from an anonymous letter who was a teenager or a kid at the time, in the 60s that wrote this. But, like, we kept at it, and I love the story. We didn't do with it. We didn't do anything with it for a long time, or I didn't even think about it for a long time. And then I went back and reread the book. And I was like, man, I keep forgetting how cool this is. This is like, you know, this is. This is my. My home. This is like my. This. This could become my monster or like my creature kind of.

[A]

And this kid just wrote in saying these monsters were hanging out in the woods around his house or around town.

[C]

Yeah, he says he's seen him several times. You know, he says something along the lines of, you know, I'm young, but I've really seen these things. You know, I. You know, believe me, I've seen these things. His family had seen them. He described them. He described. It was a short. It wasn't very long letter in the book. It's just a very quick snippet in the book, really. But so. So later on as a podcast, you know, I got more interested in it when I started out, I don't know, it was probably three years ago, four years ago, that I really started to, like, dig back into it and be like, I'd like to try to find out if I can find anything else, more about this case. So I just did some weird Internet things, as some people do to find people. What I initially did was a little light Internet stalking. Exactly. That's what I did. I was honest. I was even honest with the eyewitness when we did find him, I was like, before they.

[A]

Before they called it Internet stalking, it was just called good old fashioned detective work.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

Research.

[C]

And that's the way I like to look at it too. Just good old detective work. I don't look at it stalking. So what happened was I went to like a cryptid wiki page or something, and a lot of these people just knew these creatures as the Sherman beasts. Cool. I'm like, that's cool. Sherman beast. That's like, yeah. And I started reading some comments on some of the threads or something, like, from like years ago, and some guy had commented on it, and it was like, I think this was me as a boy that was seeing the creatures. So I'm like, dude, jackpot. What the hell? Yeah. And all he. He says, you know, I'm a retired. I'm a retired school teacher from Chill that lives in Chillicothe, Ohio now. So, like, I was. And he. His little username on the cryptid wiki was like, John G. Or something like that. So we had John G. To go with. So that's what we had to go with. And I think with like, some. Some spy work. And like, we typed in John G. Chillicothe Sherman or something. Like, somehow we Found out that this guy's name was John Goodwill, that. That was seeing. That had seen the creatures. John Goodwill. And so. So with a little bit more digging, we found his son. And then, you know, we hit up his son and said, is John Goodwill your father? And by chance. This is going to sound weird, but did he see giant ground sloths when he was, like, you know, 12 years old? And he's like, that is my dad. And I'm like, oh, man, this is it. So, like, we had. We had it.

[A]

Wow.

[C]

So we hit up. So we hit him up. We emailed the son, and we did all that. And, you know, I said, if you could give him my email or phone number, you know, if he wants to hit me up on either, you know, feel free. I would love to talk to him. If he doesn't want to, it's totally fine as well. But he says his son got back to me and said he doesn't. He doesn't want to talk on the phone right now. And I go, understandable. But he said he will send you an email, though. So he sent me an email, and we got to talking. I told. I explained, you know, the. What my background and, you know, what I do. I'm, you know, I'm a comedy podcast host. I talk about Cryptids and all the. All this weird stuff. And he was. He was.

[A]

And you've been doing moth boys up to this point for a few years.

[C]

Few years at that point. Yeah. So, you know, I told him we were comedy podcasts, and we like to laugh about his stuff. And so he got. He got a little. Little leery. He was like, I don't know, like, you guys just, like, doing this.

[A]

We're familiar.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally. Yeah. You just want to make fun of me.

[C]

Yeah. I'm like, no, no, no. Because we. As much as we like to make fun of things, we also love this stuff with art, with our whole hearts. So, I mean, it's like, this is our. This is like, our hobby, so this is the stuff we really love. So I told him that. I told him, you know, we're. This is, like, this is important to us. We understand if you don't want to talk about it. But, like, we're from Western New York. We're like, you know, town over. So, like, this is pretty neat. So if we could talk about it. So he said. So we got to talking more, and he kind of, you know, relaxed and understood that we weren't. We didn't have any, you know, bad intentions or anything. And then he ended up sending us a long letter. Like a long, long letter which we have, each of us has copies of hanging on somewhere in our house, like we all have. But like, it's like. So the letters like explaining all the encounters he had with the creatures. And then there's like a little map of where he had hand drawn a map that was showing where he'd seen. There was like eight or nine or ten encounters that this guy had with like these, these giant ground sloths in his childhood.

[A]

And describe one, like, what was, what would a general encounter entail?

[C]

So eventually. Well, his whole family started them too. So it wasn't just him because. So when we got a hold of him, I'll get to an encounter in a second. I just want to explain this real quick. We did a. So we got a hold of him and we said, you want to meet up in Sherman? You live in Ohio. You know, the other co hosts live up there in New York, still up in western New York. And then I live in West Virginia. I'll just drive up, we'll all meet in Sherman together and we'll all start, we'll record an episode, we'll do an interview with you. So we went to like the community center in Sherman, the town where it happened. Yeah. So we. And, and it was me and my, my co host, Matt and Jake. And then across from us was John Goodwill, who saw the, the giant, what he calls the white monsters. That's what he's always called the white monsters of Sherman. And so we were interviewing back and forth. But then it's funny because he, I guess he had invited his whole family. So his whole family was like in a circle around the tables, just, well.

[A]

Sure, this is his moment to be like, see, Dad's not crazy. Yeah, Grandpa saw monsters. People take me seriously.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So his whole family was there watching and just listening and they were, you know, chiming in and stuff. That's my favorite episode that we have put out because, you know, there's very sweet people and like just, it was a good, good story and you know, they were clapping at the end and everybody was. It was, it was good. And then him and his family took us, took us around to all the spots where it happened after the interview. So we went around Sherman, drove around and just like, he's like, I can see it in my head. I can see the creature right over there just walking towards us, me and my brother on our bikes or whatever, you know, I mean, so it's like just real, real good, good dude. And like I just. He just walking around, and him explaining it was like he was just seeing it in his brain. And he just. You know, we went back to his old childhood home, and he was like. He saw one out outside of a tent when he was camping once when he, you know, he randomly woke up and looked out, and there was one out there. But, like, my favorite encounter that he had was it was him and was. It just. It was him and his whole family. They were driving, and they. They see. They see little. They see the creatures out in a cornfield, like, when that's cut down. And so they pull over and just watch them. They pull over and just watch. So it's two big ones and then two, like. Like, baby ones or, like, kid. Kid ones.

[A]

Juveniles.

[C]

Juveniles, yeah. And they're just playing. The juveniles are just playing. Rolling around and playing. And the whole family just sits there and watches them in the car. Just in this field. So, yeah, I mean, that's my favorite encounter. It's just like the whole family watching these things.

[A]

So were these, like, when you say giant ground sloths, I'm imagining, like, from my prehistoric animals book, the giant sloth. Was. Were they sloth, like. Or were these more like white bigfoot creatures? Did you get a sense. Did you get a good description from him?

[C]

A lot. A lot. It was. It was very sloth, like, he said.

[A]

Wow.

[C]

The county over, though, he had read a report that some kids had seen. When was. I forgot when he said it was. But the county over in Cataragus county, that's next to chautauqua county, where we grew up. Three or four kids have seen a big white bigfoot, too. So, like, whoa, Something weird is happening in that area. But yeah, it was more sloth. Like he said. It never made sound. It never ran. Very slow moving, wild, no noise. Just always. Yeah, just always doing. He saw some stand up on two feet. He saw him walk on four. He never seen. I don't think he ever saw them walk on two feet, though. I think it was always either four or standing on two.

[A]

Weird.

[C]

Very weird.

[B]

So and was it just the one time that he saw it with other people, with his family, or.

[C]

No.

[B]

Like, how many times are we talking here?

[C]

I'm trying to think.

[A]

So he saw eight or nine times?

[C]

Yeah, there was, like. There was a couple. His sister saw them by herself when she was on a horse once and it bucked her horse. She was that close where it came. Close enough to, like, bucker off the horse. She said the dad. The dad was like, kind of like, making fun of him when they first. Because they. The first time they saw them, they ran to his workplace and was like, yo, we just saw these. This crazy animal, and they're like, get out of here. Go home. Get out of here.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[C]

But then eventually the dad started to see it, and so there was a few times he's seen him alone a bunch. But then I think there was just mixed encounters with the other family members.

[B]

So are we talking human size? Like, when we say giant sloth, like, what scale?

[C]

Are we saying, what was it? No, it was. They were big. He said, I forgot the exact length. 10 to 12ft tall, maybe.

[A]

Okay, so, like, yeah, yeah.

[C]

I honestly think in the. I think in the letter that he wrote to Keel, it was like, 12 to 18ft. But then. Yeah, but then he explained to us that, like, he thinks that, like, being a kid, everything looks, like, huge. So, like, he thinks now as an adult, they were probably a little bit smaller than that, but, like, still huge. You know what I mean? So.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Actually, going back to that story real quick, he did. He said he did receive a letter back from John Keel, and John Keel had told him he doesn't have time to look into every single. Every single letter he gets. But then he thinks it's funny because John Keel just turned around and used the letter in one of his books anyways. Yeah, screw it. You know what I mean?

[A]

Like, well, Keel was like the. I mean, I feel like Keel. You read his books, he's like, and this guy saw this, and this guy saw this, and I can point to a letter that I got from here. Like, he really did collect so many of these stories. Like the tin cans getting out of the rocket in Minnesota, you know, walking around in the middle of the road. They're kind of like one and done. They're like this letter that you found, which is so cool that you found John, because the author of the letter. Because some of this stuff are just tiny little footnotes in Keel's books. There's been so many times I've been researching being like, I want to know more about this one sentence that John Keel wrote, and you really can't find anything more on it. So it's really cool that you were able to pull that story out of. Out of history.

[C]

Well, yeah, that's the thing, too. Like, he. He was talking, you know, and. Because we all had, like, a Skype meeting or zoom meeting or something before we. Before we went and, like, met in Sherman, and, you know, he was already thanking us and saying, you know, thank you so much. We have a little platform, you know, I mean, we have a little cult following. Our podcast isn't huge or anything, but we do have a following and it's like a pretty die hard following. And, you know, so he was like. And we wanted to try to get his story out any way we could. And, you know, and that. That was helping him. Helping release a little book. We're like, it's a tiny little book. It's like a mini book, we call it. It's like essentially like a case file. Something like you would find in the desk of John Keel or something. And we just made it, you know, essentially the book is. It's illustrated by our friend Jonathan Dodd. And it's like, it's got an interview with, with, with John and then like the encounters and the explanations and then like pictures of like the day we went out to Sherman. Yeah, it's like behind the scenes shots. But yeah, he was like the guy. John was like, you know, if it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't have told my story. This wouldn't be a thing right now. And that. That gave me chills. And it still gives me chills. Like, being able to help somebody like, that means a lot to me. I think that, like, the creatures are cool and the stories are cool, but, you know, helping somebody out like that is really, really special. It feels. It feels nice to be able to do that for somebody and help them get their story out in what little way we could.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So that feels good, you know, and.

[B]

It'Ll live on in the Internet forever.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

And most physical objects that you put out into the world, that. That rules. Yeah, I love that.

[A]

That's really cool. Where can I. Are those in print still? Can we.

[C]

Yeah, Amazon. You can find them on Amazon. And they're like, I think they're 10 bucks or something. I mean, it's nothing crazy. Yeah.

[B]

So, I mean, Clubhouse library.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, for sure. I'll get you guys some. Just send me an address.

[A]

All right.

[C]

Any way I can get this book out to people. I do it so, like, it doesn't matter if I have to order it for people. I'm just happy to get it in people's hands so they can see it. I'm just great. Yeah, I'm very, very excited. I'm still. I think we released it last year. No, two years ago. Two years ago, I think. And I'm still. I'm still just as excited as the day we released it, you know, I mean, I'm still Proud of it.

[A]

So, yeah, that's awesome. Okay, well, while we're on a break, I want everyone listening to go look this up. What's it called?

[C]

The White Monsters of Sherman, New York.

[A]

Great. Go look it up, order yourself a copy, and then by the time you're done with that, we'll. We'll be back with more. Michael Strayer. Labor Day savings are here at the Home Depot with up to 35% off, plus up to an extra $450 off select appliances like LG. Keep your routines running smoothly with an LG refrigerator you can count on from the Home Depot. And with the connected ThinQ app, you'll know if the door is left open and when to replace the filter. Gear up for fall with Labor Day savings on lg, America's most reliable appliance brand at the Home Depot offer valid August 21st through September 10th, US only. See store online for details.

[C]

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[A]

Okay, Michael, we want to get to a game that we play with everybody that comes on the show. We haven't done it in a while, actually, but before we do that, Riley, can you nominate our five star club scout of the week? This is a friend of the show who has gone onto Apple podcasts and given us a five star review which helps get the show to more people.

[B]

Well, this is from none, no Nino. Great name. And the review follows in this sort of esoteric play with symbols. The. The subject is five stars. It is five emoji stars. We have been awarded five stars and the review is five stars. So that's it, you know, straight to the point. None.

[C]

No Nino.

[B]

You've done well.

[A]

Yes, thank you.

[B]

We appreciate you.

[A]

You are fifth star club.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

15 star review.

[B]

That is our first 15 star review. So we'll take it.

[A]

Yeah, we need it. Okay, Michael, the show's moving along. I have so many more questions, but I think we need to get to the bottom of your thoughts on the paranormal, and I'm going to ask you to come down to the wire here. All right? You, there is an alien ray gun to your head. You're going to have to Decide here. Now, if you believe in these things or you don't believe in these things. All right? I'm going to go down a list of phenomenon, and if you're open to it, you're gonna say, believe it. If you're not open to it, you're gonna say, this is a game that we like to call or believe it.

[C]

All right. This is good.

[A]

Michael Strayer, Moth Boys Podcast. On your mark, get set. Ghosts.

[C]

Believe it.

[A]

Bigfoot.

[C]

Believe it. UFOs. Believe it.

[A]

Mothman.

[C]

Believe it. ESP. Believe it. Those times. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Chupacabra. The Abominable Snowman.

[C]

Believe it.

[A]

Ouija boards.

[C]

Believe it.

[A]

The Loveland Frogman.

[C]

Believe it.

[A]

The Hopkinsville Goblins.

[C]

Believe it.

[A]

Skunk ape. Hollow Earth Bullshit. The Loch Ness Monster.

[C]

Believe it.

[A]

Crystal balls. The Beasts of Busco.

[C]

Is that the turtle?

[A]

Yeah, it's the turtle.

[C]

Believe it.

[A]

Out of body experiences.

[C]

Believe it.

[A]

The Michigan Dog Man. Tarot cards. Wendigo's.

[C]

Believe it.

[A]

Life on other planets.

[C]

Believe it.

[A]

Life after death.

[C]

Believe it.

[A]

Wow, Michael, this is a good one.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

All right.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I feel like you're pretty discerning.

[C]

You know, I'm trying to figure it out. Like, there's some things I kind of believe in and kind of don't. It's like a middle ground. So I'll just. I'll just, you know, say.

[A]

Okay. Believe in. Believe in. Bigfoot.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Draw the line at the Abominable Snowman.

[C]

I don't know what it was. I don't know. I just. I don't know. I don't know what it is.

[A]

I think it's fair. It's a fair argument to say they exist, but maybe not one up there that's too cold up there.

[C]

I don't care enough.

[B]

Also calling on that old lady in Florida with Skunk Ape.

[C]

Yeah. I like the pictures. Don't get me wrong.

[B]

They are cool.

[C]

Oh, yeah. I don't know if I. I don't know. I mean, it could be.

[B]

I kind of think it was a monkey.

[C]

Yeah, it looks like. It looks like. Like a real big monkey. I can't believe you didn't say Fresno Nightcrawlers. A lot of people. I think it's.

[A]

Throw that one in. What do you think?

[C]

It's just a pair of Jinko Jinko jeans.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

A lot of those in Fresno.

[C]

Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Another one. Dogman might get me in trouble, too, with some people. I don't know. So that's a fun one.

[A]

Dog Man's tough. Because, you know, dog men in general. I Came into this podcast not believing in at all, thinking it was goofy. Linda S. Godfrey started changing my mind with some of the encounter stories that she's, you know, beast of Bray Road, all that stuff.

[C]

But the. Did you ever have her on your show?

[A]

Oh, yeah, we did. We were lucky to have her on. Yeah. A couple times before she passed.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But the Michigan Dogman's tough because it is a thing that did start out as a novelty song on the radio. But like these stories go, people started seeing it. So I don't know. It's a weird one. Definitely, definitely weird. What's going on in West Virginia? What. What kind of cryptids? I mean, obviously we have Mothman, we have Flatwoods Monster. But currently, is there any type of strange activity happening?

[C]

I mean, not that I know of. I'm not like soup, I'm not super. Like earlier you said like boots to ground type thing. I'm like, I'm not super. I don't have people like writing in. I don't really seek things out too much. I mean, unless it's like I'm super like hyper fixated it. So I don't like go out and like get people's reports or anything. So I don't really know. I'm sure. I think there's. I know there's a lot of Bigfoot reports. I know that that's happening, but other than that I'm not really sure. I know obviously ghost stuff, but I'm not really sure of anything right now that's going on.

[A]

I can't tell you anything that's happening here in la.

[C]

You know what I mean? You guys probably got hella ghosts in la, right? I mean that's.

[A]

Oh yeah, definitely.

[C]

That's the whole city, man, it must be haunted.

[A]

Hollywood is just the ghost of broken dreams. I'll tell you what though.

[C]

Yeah, go ahead.

[A]

I was going to say update for our listeners. And Michael, you might dig this. My fiance and I both discovered that we've each been seeing a little white shadow running around the apartment out of the corner of our eye. It's been happening since last summer. And she used to have a black and white cat who passed away a number of years ago. And so we're kind of like, is it panda? It looks like a little cat sized animal. But she, we've seen it here. And I hadn't said anything until I really saw it move across the room. And I was like, okay, my dogs are next to me. What the heck was that? And then she confessed. I was like, I've Been seeing something weird out of the corner of my eye. And she goes, the white. The white thing. And I was like, oh, my God, you're seeing it too. And then she saw it in her. She also lives up in Northern California where she goes to school, and she saw it in her apartment as well. So we have a little white ghosty thing following us around. That's the current. That's the current happening here in la.

[C]

That's pretty cool. If. If we have a couple minutes, can I. Can. Can I go back and talk about Sherman for a second, please?

[A]

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

[C]

So. So I never had any experience with anything ever. Any and nothing. I've always wanted something to happen, you know. So last year or two years ago, you know, we started doing the Sherman stuff. We started doing the White Monsters and, you know, John Goodwill stuff and this.

[A]

And that's pretty. For the record, that's pretty boots on the ground. I'm just.

[C]

Pretty boots. It is.

[A]

Stand by this description.

[B]

It's more than we've ever done.

[A]

Exactly.

[C]

Yeah. But I'm only boots on the ground to stuff that I really want to do. Like, I won't go up for, like, you hit me up with like a ghost story. I'm probably not going to come to your house. I'll be honest.

[A]

I'm butts on the couch for everything. So take the credit.

[C]

We're credits too, which I like. I like that. Yeah, I like that too. So we were in Sherman and it must. I don't remember when it was, but it was shortly after we did that interview with John in Sherman. A group of us went out to the swamp where some of the sightings had happened, because there's a little swamp in Sherman and that's where he saw a lot of them. And it was once a railroad track that ran through the swamp or like, and now they made it into a trail, like a rails. Rails to trails type thing where you can go walk on it. So we went out one night looking for freaking sloths, obviously. And over the. And we were out there like midnight 1am looking for sloths on the trails and stuff. But like, like I said, I'd never seen anything in my life. But that night there's. We were. There's like four or five of us out there. And we started. My brother notices, you know, the tree line or over this. Over, like, like on the other side of the swamp. He noticed the tree line from the woods and he noticed it's a star hanging real low right next to like above. Right above the trees. And he goes, that's, like, real weird. That star is, like, real low to the trees. We're like, oh, that is cool. Let's just stand here and, like, look at it for a second. Like, what's going on here? And then we all started to notice it's moving ever so slowly upwards. It's like, real slow. Real, real slow. Real, real. Like, if you wouldn't. If you didn't stand there and watch it, you would have never even noticed. Well, yeah, so we just stood there and watched it move up and up and up, and it kept going and then eventually just disappeared. And then that night, we were seeing these other stars. I don't know how to explain it, but they were like. I call them. I was calling the dancers because they were. They were. They were. They were just moving around. They were just dancing around the sky, just, like, random. And then they would stop, and then they would start zigzagging around. And I was like, okay, so this could be a drone. I don't know of a drone that does that, but, like, I've never seen anything like that in my life. I don't know. It moves like that in the sky. But then eventually there was another. Another craft started to come in and go low, like, go back to where the tree. The tree line was. But it started coming towards us slowly. And then, like, it was real weird because it went right over our heads. It was a triangle with, like, three red lights on it. Dead silent, no noise, no nothing. I mean, like I said, it could have been. It could have been a drone, but I think any kind of drone, they make a little bit of noise.

[B]

You hear that?

[C]

Yeah, some kind of whining noise.

[B]

You hear the fans?

[C]

Yeah, dead silent, triangle shape. Right over our heads. Just kept going. Just right over our heads.

[A]

How close are we talking? Could you cover it up with the palm of your hand? You know, from the perspective that you're looking at it?

[C]

Let's see.

[A]

Yeah, I just covered up with a newspaper. Unfold the newspaper.

[C]

Yeah, you could cut. You could. Yeah, you could cover it. Like, if I put my hand up, I think you could cover it up. Like, okay, so it was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was still pretty far up, but it was, like, close enough to be, like, we could see. It was a black triangle with three red dots on it moving over our head.

[A]

No way.

[C]

So I've never seen anything in my life, but that was, like, the first time I experienced a thing that was unidentified to me. So that was like, it could have Been something man made, I guess. But, like, I've never seen anything like that. Especially the ones that are dancing in the sky. I don't know. It was so erratic and, like, it didn't have any. It would stop and then there were other. There were other ones kind of like going near it, and then they would stop and like, just like, stand there for a second and then move away from it. It was real weird they were interacting with each other or what, but there's something going on there. So.

[B]

And. And the sky dancing ones, these were like points of light, like star size.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, they're star size. I mean, they. I mean, yeah, it looks like a star, but then you just sit there and watch it for a second and it start moving around. Yeah, it goes.

[B]

Changes direction.

[A]

Riley. Yeah, that's like I described. I told you on the show years ago, I saw something very similar in Sedona when I was there with my family. We had a really nice overlook kind of view of the city, and a big bright light came out. I caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. I thought it was a helicopter with a spotlight flying over. No sound. I looked over at it, and the bright. What I would thought was a helicopter spotlight shrunk down.

[B]

Whoa.

[A]

And then it looked exactly like a star in the sky. But it was doing exactly what Michael said. It moved slowly, and then it started dipping, like, doing these like, little loop de loops and dancing in the sky. And I thought, well, yeah, if you're a ufo, why not make yourself look like a single star?

[C]

Yeah, you know, exactly.

[A]

That's how it must have been. Much closer, obviously.

[C]

You know, I think that's. I mean, if. Unless you're standing there watching it, you would never know you think it's a star. You know, I mean, it's a camouflage. And that. That. That gives me chills just thinking about it still. And also, like, heading home from the swamp that night, I was. I don't think I've been that. That paranoid in a long time, like, because that's how, like, freaking abduction movies start. You know what I mean?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I'm gonna go to bed that night, and some creatures are gonna come out of the closet, and I'm screwed. You know what I mean? So, like. Yep. So I got real weird. I got real weird after it, you know, I was a little shaky and, like, paranoid, but I was happy. I was, like. I was, like, elated. I was like, this is amazing. Like, this is. I've never seen anything like this. But I'm also Like what's going to happen next, though, you know what I mean? Yeah. So it was a little spooky.

[B]

The combination too, of like the, the one on the horizon and then the, the dancing lights and then the actual, you know, triangle craft. Like. Yep, that's a pretty substantial sighting.

[C]

And I'll tell you every time, anytime we've ever been up to the swamp, if there's a clear night, you're going to see something strange. I've been there probably five or six times this point and we always see something different and it's always some strange craft in the sky. So it's.

[A]

And that's in Sherman.

[C]

Sherman, yeah. In the swamps. Yeah, yeah, it's the, the rails to trails, you know, trail line they have there. So. Wow. Super weird.

[B]

Put. Put it on our, our road trip bucket list, Michael.

[C]

Yeah, I'll come, I'll come up and.

[B]

Hang out with you guys.

[A]

Please do. I'll show you around swamps of Sherman, New York. I love it.

[B]

I love that.

[A]

All right, we're gonna take one more break. When we come back, it's time for this week's story of high strangeness. Hey, Riley, did you know that Mothman?

[B]

That does not surprise me at all. He's got impressive quads and he's quite mysterious.

[A]

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[B]

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[B]

Oh yeah.

[A]

All right kids, everybody at home. Buckle up. We're going in high strangeness country. Michael, I've brought in a case today that I thought you might find interesting. It's perfect piggyback off of the story that you just told. This has very Keel esque vibe about it. In fact, John Keels mentioned in some of the research that I checked out. So here we go everybody.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Back in the early 1960s, a dairy farmer from New York had a close encounter with two possible alien beings that landed on his farm to collect soil samples. Although the farmer was the sole witness to this incredible event. Event. His story has a potentially meaningful connection to another close encounter story that might go beyond coincidence. Get ready Club Scouts. This is the unbelievable story of the Gary Wilcox UFO encounter. Also sounds like a prog rock bandit, doesn't it?

[B]

Yeah, I listen Gary Wilson at your local bar.

[C]

Hell yeah.

[B]

Yeah. They bring their own light rig and set it up hours before.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Let's go back to April 24, 1964. It was a Friday morning in Newark Valley, New York. I don't know how close that is to Sherman if that rings any bells. Around 10am and a dairy farmer by the name of Gary Thalbert Wilcox was spreading manure in his pasture. Gary and his wife Judith Linda Wilcox were a young self employed couple who lived in a quaint farm populated by roaming cattle just off of Davis Hollow Road. The weather was clear that morning. The sky was shining brightly as 28 year old Gary worked his tractor in his fields. Pausing to wipe his brow, Gary looked up and noticed light reflecting off a shiny object at the top of a Hill about 800 yards away. It was the same hilltop Gary used to dump his old refrigerator. So for a moment the farmer thought he was just catching a glimpse of his abandoned appliance. After further reconsideration, however, Gary realized that it must be something else.

[C]

So he was like this is not my Refrigerator.

[A]

He's like, wait a minute, hold on. I dumped my fridge on that side of the hill. This is on the other side of the hill. I don't think I put a washing machine up there. Better go check it out. So he steered his tractor, still trailing his manure spreader, and started creeping up the hill for a closer look. Approaching the top of the hill, Gary spotted a large white object that looks similar to the wing of a fuel tank of an airplane. The wing, fuel tank of an airplane. He turned off his tractor, hopped down to the dry earth and walked up the remaining hundred yards to the hillside by foot. And as he reached the top of the hill, Garry discovered a large white egg shaped object about the length of a car parked over the earth. In a signed affidavit he would later write under the supervision of local law enforcement, Gary described the strange craft. There were no seams, rivets or anything like that. It was completely smooth. It was aluminum color. I touched the thing and the metal was harder than aluminum. And it did not move. I don't know whether it was on legs or hovering in the air. It was about 20ft in length, 4ft high and 15 or 16ft wide. While I was feeling it, there was no vibration or sound and it was not hot or anything. He gave the craft a thump and a kick, and he would later tell his friend and neighbor, Priscilla Baldwin, that it felt like some kind of metallic canvas. Just as the humble farmer began to process the strange object that had landed in his cow pasture, two little figures about four feet tall, clad in skin tight suits of appeared. Gary said one of the men was standing in the rear of the other. I could see that both of these four foot high men had arms and legs same as us. I couldn't tell whether they had feet or hands the same as us. They were quite broad for such short persons or individuals. I could not distinguish whether they had shoulders or not. They seemed to just go straight down. They had no face such as eyes, ears, nose, mouth or hair. They seemed to have a sort of suit on that covered where the head would normally be located all the way down. When they raised their arms, you could see a wrinkle where our elbow, where our elbow would be located. The color of this completely smooth over all type suit was whitish aluminum tint color. There was no evidence of hair. There were no seams or stitches, pockets. The only thing I noticed was the wrinkle when they moved their arms at the elbow. So it's kind of like these suits kind of match the aluminum White color of the of the craft. The two faceless beings hands were obstructed by flat metal trays they were carrying. Gary noted that the trays too seemed to be of the same type of metal as the ship. Laid upon the trees were clumps of sod and alfalfa plants that the beings had apparently gathered from the hillside. The first being then spoke to Gary. It was a strange deep voice that the farmer claimed seemed to be coming from the being's chest rather than its featureless face. Don't be alarmed. We have spoken to people before, the being said in a voice Gary was unable to describe. It was not in English, but Gary was still able to receive the message regardless. The being began to communicate with the farmer, changing from topic to topic quite rapidly. They wanted to know what Gary was doing. He explained to them that he was working his fields and they seemed inquisitive about what he grew and how he grew it. Gary told them about fertilizer. He informed them that he had a bag back down the hill he could grab and show them if they were interested, which they seemed keen to do.

[B]

What an absolute legend.

[A]

I got a 75.

[B]

You'll get much better results. Put some cow shit on there.

[A]

Take it with you. The beings explained that they were from a place that mankind knew as Mars. They only visited the Earth every two years and could only travel safely in areas with clear air as pollutants hovering over cities interfered with the craft's ability to fly safely. They also had a few warnings for mankind, as Gary explained. Well, they mentioned that we should not send people out into space. They said that they have watched us. They said that we could not survive there at Mars and they could not survive here on Earth. They also said that they got stuff out of the air to live on and that they were here to see what they could learn about our organic material because they felt that the Earth and Mars plus some other planets might be changed around. They said that there was a difference in the gravity pull and that there was a change taken place. They seemed to know more about planets, air and all that kind of stuff, but they did not seem to know much about our agriculture. They also said that our people that had entered into space would not survive in over a year. We'll get to that in a minute. When the conversation ended, the two beings turned, ducked under the egg shaped craft and vanished. After a few moments, Gary watched as the egg began to lift into the air, producing a sound similar to that of a soft car engine. The craft rose high into the air and then flew out towards the neighboring Solanski farm and out of view. Gary looked down to see that the only thing the craft had left behind was a fine red dot dust which he thought might have been created by the exhaust of the craft. Gary got back on his tractor, drove down the hill to his house and phoned his mother recounting his exchange with the UFO knots. He then went back to work milking the cows and finishing his chores before around as a farmer.

[B]

Yeah, he's like, well all right.

[A]

I mean, cows aren't gonna milk themselves. And around 4:30 in the afternoon, he grabbed that 75 pound bag of fertilizer and hauled it back up to the hillside where the craft had been and placed it against a small tree for his visit. Visitors to find. The next morning, Gary got up, went back up the hill and sure enough discovered that the fertilizer bag was gone. It rained hard for the next few days, but during that time, Gary's story started to spread around the community. On April 29, his neighbor Priscilla Baldwin asked Gary if he could take her up to the landing area. Gary obliged. And despite the rain washing away any possible physical evidence the egg left behind, Ms. Baldwin took photos of that hilltop. Priscilla then called the sheriff, Paul Taylor, and informed him of Gary's encounter and suggested that the sheriff's department investigate the incident since Gary didn't seem too interested in exploring the case any further. As Priscilla explained in her field notes, I've known Gary since he was a boy and knowing what a quiet, shy fellow he's always been, I have never had any doubts as to what he saw. There are people who would revel in causing that kind of excitement, but I truly believe Gary would have been the last person who would have wanted this type of notoriety. I was in the air Force for three years and my career field was AC&W Raider Radar. In my work, I plotted UFO blips, as they were called at that time, on the radar screen in the control center. Many times blips were not identified. Speed in most cases was unbelievable. However, I don't know if any of that was ever the reason for my interest or not, but I do believe it had a lot to do with it. So this neighbor of his was like, I've seen this stuff, I worked in the Air Force and we should absolutely look into it, you know, so it was kind of cool that she became an advocate for, for Gary in the story.

[C]

Well, I love that, I love that. He was just like, yeah, I'm just gonna go back to Work and that's it.

[B]

What are you gonna do?

[C]

Yeah, I'm not gonna. I don't care. I just saw some weird stuff, but.

[B]

Whatever, you know, I gave him the fertilizer.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I was like, we're good.

[C]

What else can I do?

[B]

Yeah, I love that.

[A]

So it took a few days, but in early May, the sheriff's department finally came out to the site again. They could find no trace of physical evidence after the hard rains, but Gary returned with them to the station where he sat down and wrote and signed the sworn affidavit documenting his case. During this period, though, some locals came forward with information that supported Gary's experience. For one, there have been reports of UFO activity in the area. In that area of New York that week, a farmer over in Berkshire had seen something unexplainable over his field. That same week, a local man by the name of Walter Stevens had seen a blindingly bright UFO fly over his car on Highway 38 on the night of April 18th. And a couple of neighbors reported seeing a strange object above the Wilcox farm the same day as Gary's encounter. However, the most interesting corroboration of this account might come from a complete stranger. Now, Michael, do you want to take a guess what other famous UFO encounter took place on this very same day, April 24, 1964.

[C]

64.

[B]

Really putting them on the spot.

[C]

Well, I'll give you a clue.

[A]

It involves an egg shaped craft, if that rings any bells.

[C]

An egg shaped craft. It wasn't Vegetable Man.

[A]

Not Vegetable Man.

[C]

The one before that his mom saw. The one that. The one before.

[A]

I love that story, by the way.

[C]

I don't know what it was.

[A]

This was the Lonnie Zamora case out of New Mexico, okay. Where police officer Lonnie Zamora was pursuing a speeding car and he heard a roar, saw a flame, and he thought that a local dynamite shack might have exploded. And so he, he dropped the pursuit, drove out to the dynamite shack where he saw an egg shaped craft land that had landed. And he saw two little men walking around the craft, talking to each other, get inside of the craft, slam. He heard a hat shut. And then watch as this egg crate, egg shaped craft flew off. And there was a passenger car, a family of four who saw the same ufo. This happened on the same day as Gary's encounter. Now, Gary Wilcox would have no idea that this encounter took place. And he claims that the beings told them that that day they were exploring the Northern hemisphere.

[B]

They're on a little road trip. And this is, this is this Is the Socorro saucer.

[A]

Yeah, the Socorro sakura, New Mexico.

[C]

Yes, I think I've heard that one. That's awesome.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. This is the exact same type of craft on the exact same day.

[B]

You think it was the same little guys?

[A]

I don't know. I just think it's a pretty cool sightseeing, you know, it's a little bit of a. It's a synchronicity. It's a weird coincidence. And I don't think that Gary Wilcox. Gary Wilcox absolutely did not know about that because it hadn't even been reported yet.

[C]

He didn't really care about seeing these creatures.

[A]

No.

[B]

I love no so much.

[C]

I have a question for you guys real quick. So if there was. If these two little guys were going around Americas or wherever, what, what would be some good alien road trip snacks they'd be grabbing on the way?

[A]

Oh, that's good.

[C]

You think they get corn nuts or.

[A]

I mean, they weren't, they weren't invented yet, but combos would be really good.

[B]

But you know, they're chewing on some sunflower seeds. They're, you know, cruising.

[C]

Yeah, because they were like farmer aliens, right? They were really interested in the land and stuff. So.

[A]

Yeah, they're just, they're like sucking on alfalfa sprouts. You know, they're like, they're like rabbits under the, under the skin, tight masks.

[C]

I'd love to see a buddy, like a buddy buddy road trip movie. But it's just it, two aliens collecting s. Yeah. Yeah, that'd be good.

[B]

Looking for farming tips. Yeah.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

They just want to grow their own herb. That's all they're doing.

[B]

You know, these aliens are trying to grow some weed on Mars.

[C]

It kind of sound like cops a little bit. There was too many questions being asked. There were like, what else? Yeah, what else? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

Gary Stor story eventually found its way into a 1969 issue of Flying Saucer Review, one of my favorite poetry publications, written in a story written by a psychologist by the name of Dr. Berthold Eric Schwartz. Now, Dr. Schwartz, review the affidavit, the sheriff's reports, Priscilla Baldwin's notes. Interviewed Wilcox numerous times and subjected him to psychiatric evaluation. Just walked him through a bunch of the standardized tests and his conclusion was that although a single eyewitness UFO encounter like Gary Wilcox's was impossible to prove by all scientific methods, Gary was a normal, healthy, humble, 28 year old farmer who had no reason to make up a story about a flying egg from Mars. As far as Dr. Schwartz was concerned, Gary believed what had happened to him and believed that it was true, despite how unbelievable it may seem. Now, there's a couple interesting notes to this case. One is this idea of the prophecy that men who'd recently gone to space would not or who would go to space because remember, 64 is before the. The moon landing. But, you know, we're obviously heading up into outer space at this point. So there's a couple interesting notes here. The UFOs as, as Dr. Wilcox noted, or sorry, excuse me, Dr. Schwartz noted in his story, and I quote, the UFO knots prophecy of the death in space of some astronauts was not completely fulfilled as stated. However, it is of interest that Virgil A. Grissom, along with Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee, died in the tragic Apollo capsule fire on January 27, 1967. Although not specifically named by the UFO knots or Russian astronaut, Vladimir M. Kamarov was the first man known to have been killed in actual space flight when his capsule capsule plunged to the Earth under unopened parachutes on April 24, 1967, which is, you know, three years to the day, exactly three years after the prophecy. Keel, John Keel has documented some unusual instances of successful prophecy in connection with. With UFOs. So a little bit of a, you know, maybe a little, little bit of a leap here, but there was some deaths that followed this. This prophecy involving men who went to space.

[B]

I think also where my mind went with that was more about that you wouldn't survive a year in space.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Because of the radiation in space, which we didn't really know very much about yet.

[A]

Totally at that time.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And the other note here is obviously there's a big problem with these beings being from Mars. But Keel talks about that sometimes in these encounters, these beings may not be discussing a literal Mars, but more of a hyperdimensional Mars or a Mars that is sort of a. A symbolic Mars. You know, that the idea that these places are from another place that we humankind might consider to be a Mars, another planet. You know, we have this also problem with the Venusians and Woody Derenberger's, you know, stories that we need to maybe think of these planets is not the literal planets themselves, but another time and space or an alternate Mars or a parallel universe of some kind.

[C]

Right.

[B]

So we're just putting it into the vernacular of the time.

[A]

Right, exactly.

[B]

The concept they can understand.

[A]

Yes. It's something as we are from a place that your people would call Mars. Right. We're Martians, quote, unquote. So just something to think About. But there you go. That's the Gary Wilcox UFO encounter.

[C]

I love that.

[A]

You know, it'll be playing this weekend at Champs and Burbanks if you want to go check it out.

[C]

One of my favorite parts about this story is like, he goes up and hit. Hits it and kicks it. That's one of my, like, there's a big old egg in my. My yard. What's going on? I love that. That's good. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. What do you think, Michael, when you hear a story like that? What. What's your takeaway?

[C]

So did, did, did Keel write about this story specifically or. Just stuff that was kind of.

[A]

I think, you know, I think Dr. Schwartz was referencing things that Keel had said about other UFO cases as, as cross reference. But as far as I know, Keel did not investigate this case directly. He may have referenced it in one of his books and footnotes. But, but Schwartz, in the Flying Saucer Review is just trying to say there is sort of a pattern in these cases, as someone like John Keels pointed out before.

[C]

Right. I love. I thought that story was. I've never heard that one before. I thought that was good. And I always love a story. I can. It makes me believe even more when the person that has the encounter doesn't really give a shit about the encounter after.

[B]

Oh, 100%.

[C]

It's my favorite thing. There's, like, that happened. Okay, cool. I think that's fascinating. I think that makes me believe it even more. I think that, like, yeah, they.

[A]

Yeah, so it's got all the weird, dreamlike lynching qualities of a UFO high strangeness encounter, you know?

[C]

Right. The.

[A]

The weird formless beings. The, the, the. The contradictory science of them saying that they're from a planet that we know they are not from. You know, it's a very strange. You know, another thing that flashed in my head, especially after speaking to Nathan last week, is the idea that maybe this is some sort of, like, government experiment. Maybe this is, you know, some sort of psy ops here. But I don't know. I don't know why you would bother this farmer who's just laying fertilizer in his cow pasture.

[C]

I like the. And also, they were carrying trays around. They didn't have, like, a carrying compartment or they were just carrying these trays putting dirt.

[A]

Like prison lunch trays.

[C]

Yeah, that's why I like that too. Also. Do you, do you two. Do you two think that they took the. What was it manure or like, what.

[A]

The fertilizer.

[C]

Do you think they took it or some Other farmer got up on the hill and got.

[B]

I mean, somebody else was throwing out a refrigerator and they were like, look at that.

[C]

It could have been. It could have been the aliens coming back. You know, maybe.

[B]

I would like to think so. I'm gonna go with.

[C]

That's nice. It's a nice thing to think about.

[B]

So puts a cap on it.

[C]

That story is pretty amazing.

[A]

One other thing that they noted, which is kind of unusual in some of these cases, he did not experience any paranormal activity before or after this event. So this was a. This was an outlier in this man's life. So nothing continued after this. And there's no lead up to it.

[C]

Sometimes people get, like, really, like, ill and, like, sick after having experiences like this. And he, like, went up and touched the thing and, like, he had. Nothing happened. There's nothing. Yeah, there's no other. Wow. Yep.

[A]

And Priscilla Baldwin even collected soil samples and sent it out for radiation testing. And there was nothing out of the normal there. So. I don't know. A really weird story. Maybe a living dream this man had. You know, a waking dream he had. But I like it. This is a good one. This is a really fun story of high strangeness.

[C]

Have you guys ever seen the movie Arrival? Like the communication one or whatever? Yes. I like the way those space ships are. Are shaped. They're kind of egg like. And they're kind of, like, tall, though. They're like, tall. I always. Whenever I think about that, I'm always like, oh, man, that'd be so cool. And I don't know that whenever I think about, like, alien spacecrafts, that's, like, where I go nowadays. But like. Yeah, but this egg shape, though. Yeah, that egg shape is. Do you. Do you remember the. The dimensions of it again, by. Was it huge? Right?

[A]

It was pretty. He said it was about the size of a large car. Yeah, 20, I think 20ft across, about 4ft high. Let me see in. About 15 or 16ft wide. So big. I mean, you know, it's like a big Cadillac.

[B]

It's a cruiser.

[A]

Cute. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

They're road tripping 100. That's what this was.

[A]

Absolutely. I love it. Well, Michael Strayer, thank you so much for joining us. Where can people find the moth boys and you on socials and anything else you're working on? Plug away, please.

[C]

Okay, so Moth Boys, we are, you know, on social media, Facebook, Instagram, we're the only moth boys. If you just type us in, you'll find us. I sell books. We have the White Monsters of Sherman, New York is on Amazon. I also write Cryptid children's books, themed books.

[A]

Awesome.

[C]

So I have two. I have three books. Mothman learns the ABCs which you can find on Amazon. And then I have Curious Creatures, the Vegetable man, which can be found on the Small Town Monsters publishing website and, and Amazon. And then I have Curious Creatures, the Grafted Monster, which I haven't.

[A]

I love Grafton Monster.

[C]

Hell yeah. So I haven't really released that. You could, if you want a copy, just hit up Moth boys and I, I can get you a copy. We'll work that out. But I haven't really put that on Amazon or anything yet. And then what else was there? I already said white monsters. I released a zine called UFO is a Bucket of. And it's about Gray Barker.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. I've done a lot of Gray Barker work. So if anybody wants to copy.

[A]

We didn't even get to the go listen to High Strangeness with Steve Berg. Riley. Michael found Gray Barker's grave site and goes out there routinely to take care of it and make sure that it's. It's like out in the woods and it's like little rural cemetery, which is wild.

[C]

So I released a zine that I just, I. I've been giving out to people for free. I made it and like I've been sending it all over the world. So if anybody wants a copy of the zine, just, just hit me up and I can get you a copy, no problem. Great. But other than that, I mean it's just. Yeah, Mothboys podcast. It's. You can just find us on there and any questions you have for me you can just message us. So.

[A]

Okay, great. Great. Will do. Awesome. Well, thank you so much Michael. We appreciate you and it's so great to. To finally meet you and sit down and talk with you.

[C]

Thanks guys.

[A]

Streaming September 4th on Peacock.

[C]

We sell toilet tissue and local newspapers that is in order of quality.

[A]

From the crew that brought you the office. My name is Ned Sampson. I am your new editor in chief. Comes a new comedy series.

[C]

Have you read this paper? Uh huh. It sucks. But we are going to make it better.

[A]

Meet the underdog journalists.

[C]

I hope it's not too disruptive to have me shake everything up.

[A]

Don't be so self defecating with major issues, Oscar. Oh God, not again. The paper Only on Peacock September 4th.

[C]

Prime delivery is fast.

[A]

How fast are we talking?

[C]

We're talking puzzle toys and lit pad. Delivered so fast you can get this puppy under control fast. We're talking chew toys at your door without really waiting. Fast pads, cooling mat and petcime are fast and fast. And there's training. T, R E a T s faster than you can say sit fast. And now we can all relax and order these matching hoodies to get cozy and cute. Fast, fast. Free delivery. It's on prime.

[A]

Okay, Riley, before. Okay, okay, okay, Riley. Okay, okay, okay, Riley. Before we head over to Collector's corner, we want to give a big thanks to you, the listeners, especially our friends who recently joined us over at our Patreon show, BCC the Other side. So here we go. It's time for some Patreon shout outs. Alicia Lesbarance, Cosmoteer.

[B]

Oh, thank you, Alicia. Welcome.

[A]

Katie Cosmeteer.

[B]

Thank you, Katie. Welcome.

[A]

Spelled with a C and a D. I like that. Jared Finn. Cosmeteer.

[B]

Jared. Thank you very much and welcome to the ranks.

[A]

Amelia Purdy Ketchum. Cosmetier.

[B]

Thank you, Amelia. Welcome.

[A]

And finally, our favorite name of the week. Ztd.

[B]

Ztd.

[A]

Ztd.

[B]

Thank you. Ztd.

[A]

Amelia Purdy. There was a. There was a girl in my sis when I was a kid. My sister's older than me and there was a really pretty girl that she was friends with in her class named Tammy Purdy. And it was one of those things. She's so Tammy. So Purdy. She came over a couple slumber parties. I had a big crush on her. All right, you two can be an official club scout when you join patreon.com Bigfoot Collectors Club and unlock total access to BCC with three bonus episodes every month. Let's see, what have we done recently? We've done a David lynch tribute. We've done fun size high strangeness stories about super soldier. Super soldier Goatman in California. We do movie club reviews. What else have we been working on over there? A bunch of fun stuff.

[B]

Oh, it's hard to even keep track. There's so much of it.

[A]

I know there's. Do you know that we're like creeping up on 300 episodes of the Other side?

[C]

We're going to hit 300. Yeah.

[A]

Insane.

[B]

That's a lot.

[A]

You can also get access to the BCC Discord. Join all of your friends and talking about the show and talking about us behind our backs. Have fun with that.

[B]

I'm creeping, though. I'm creeping.

[A]

So you're creeping. Every now and then we just check in and make sure your kids are playing.

[B]

Sometimes I'll just like, say, hey, you know.

[A]

Yeah, what's up? You can also upgrade to the cosmic Tier membership for ad free Main freed episodes. Main feed episodes like the one you're listening to right now. And exclusive music tracks from the super graphic, ultra modern, psychonautical producer himself, Riley Bray.

[B]

That's right. Actually, we were talking about Bob Dylan the other. The other day because I. I recently saw that movie on a. Was that last episode.

[A]

I think that was in your collector's corner Picks was a complete unknown.

[B]

So I recorded a couple. A couple Dylan covers the other night. I was thinking, you know what, maybe I'll drop these on the cosmetier.

[A]

I think you should.

[B]

I think I will.

[A]

So, you know, do it.

[B]

Well, something over there.

[A]

What's in your collector's corner this week? Anything that you're new, that you're into.

[B]

I went and saw Mickey 17.

[A]

Oh, how was it? The new.

[B]

I liked it.

[A]

Who did? Parasite.

[B]

Yeah. What is his name?

[A]

John. Who? I. John.

[B]

So bad at people's names.

[A]

You know what? Me too, John.

[B]

Oh, Bong Joo. Bong Joon Ho. That's it. He's a great director. I. I think that. That. That movie. Did you see Okja?

[A]

I didn't because I knew I was gonna cry and it was gonna be too hard for me. Yeah, it was. It sounded a little too intense for me.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, it's. It. Yeah.

[A]

I mean, I know, and I know why. And I know why I should, you know, pay attention and watch it and then change the way that I live my life. Okay, I get it.

[B]

Like, I get it.

[A]

I just didn't want to see the sad, cute animal, and I didn't want to see other sad, cute animals like him be factory farmed in the movie. So I didn't watch it. But I've seen Snowpiercer, I've seen Parasite. I've seen some of his other stuff.

[B]

This one, to me, like, weirdly, felt like sort of a meeting point between Okja and Parasite. It was, like, interesting, and there was, like, something about it kind of gave me, like, a John Waters vibe in a way or. I mean, actually. Sorry. A Terry Gilliam vibe.

[A]

Oh, okay. Like, very different.

[B]

Very different. I don't know why my brain did that. Very, very different directors, but in, like, the sort of the world, like, felt very Terry Gilliamy to me.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

This sort of, like, dark, whimsical, kind of playfully surreal. Okay, it was. It's very, very, very clear who the. The. The leader character is referencing based on.

[C]

Okay. Yeah.

[B]

Good at that.

[A]

I can. I can guess.

[B]

Yeah, I bet. I liked it. I. You know, I thought it was it was. It was good. I wasn't as crazy about it as maybe some of his other movies, but I definitely recommend it. It's worth seeing. It's fun. It's weird. Really great performances from the actors. Interesting concept.

[C]

Great.

[B]

Funny. Yeah, it was cool.

[A]

I'm down, dude.

[B]

The little creatures are these like sort of tardigrade, like creatures.

[A]

Oh, there's creatures in it?

[B]

Oh, there's creatures.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

That's what kind of gave me like the Okja vibes.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Do the creatures get tortured?

[B]

You'll have to see them.

[A]

Well, we'll talk off air. I'm. I'm watching something that's not so new. I have finally, after years of prodding by my fiance and my sister, I'm finally watching Peaky Blinders.

[B]

Oh, I have not seen that. That's why it's like, dude, it's a long term list. Yeah. Is it?

[A]

It's great. I mean, I'll tell you, I'm only on season two. Tom Hardy, man. Tom Hardy is just doing. I mean, the guy is weird and sometimes he does like the Venom movies. I think he's just kind of weird for weird sake. I do think there's a method to his madness, but. Oh, my God. He plays this Jewish gangster in London who is a rum runner and he's like, there's a gang war starting in London and our Peaky Blinders boys try to, you know, they come to meet with him, you know, to team up. And he just plays one of the most intimidating, scary, but funny and like oddly cute characters that I've. I've seen. I like. I'm just watching his work on. And also Killian Murphy, me. Dude. This guy's so goddamn good. He's so understated and so good, but great acting, great writing. Sam Neill from Jurassic park turning out like an incredibly great performance as a. As a bad guy in this. I love it. It's really good. I see what all the fuss was about and I see why people are trying to get me to watch it. So Peaky Blinders, that's where I'm at back in like, what, 20, 15, 16.

[B]

Whenever that came out, I love it. I just saw Garden State for the first time, like two months ago.

[A]

Oh, my. Auditioned for Garden State.

[B]

Did you really?

[A]

I met Zach Bra. I got very close to playing. Well, I don't know how close, but I was. I was up for the role of the guy who invented the like a patent on a tennis shoe. And he's got the rich house that they all. He's A rich kid that they all party at. I was, I like really Matt and Red. I was up, up, up for that part.

[B]

I could have seen.

[A]

Didn't get it. Didn't get it. You know, what are you going to do? Hey, I want to thank everybody who checked out my ebay shop and ordered my graphic novel adventure. I still have copies of that left. Lucid is all gone. It's all sold out. So if you got it, you got it. Graham. Graham McDonald from Scotland, our listener, Graham. Hi. Graham was one of the last people to grab a copy of that. So I also threw in some surprises in Graham's package. So, Graham, get ready. You got a couple bonus surprises coming, coming your way for being a long term patreon of the show. So we appreciate you. Okay, that's it. We want to thank Michael Strayer one last time for joining us.

[B]

Dude, we're gonna. What a ledge.

[A]

What a lovely guy.

[B]

Salt of the earth. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Isn't he great?

[B]

I really, really liked hanging with him. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Go check out moth boys.

[B]

Everybody give it a listen.

[A]

Buy his books and then when you're done with that stuff, meet us over on the other side on Friday for a brand new episode. Keep an eye out for that and if we don't see you there, we'll see you back here next week for an all new episode of bcc. Until then, good night.

[B]

Go get regressed.

[C]

For the people watching.

[A]

For the people on YouTube. Bye. Bigfoot collectors Club is produced and engineered by Riley Bray and executive produced by Riley bray and Michael McMillan. Our theme song come Alone is by Suneaters, courtesy of Lotus Pool Records. Follow Suneaters on Spotify for three bonus episodes every month and ad free episodes. Check out BCC the Other side at patreon.com bigfootcollectorsclub.

[B]

Bundle and safe. With Expedia, you were made to follow your favorite band and from the front row we were made to quietly save you. More Expedia made to travel savings vary and subject to availability. Flight inclusive packages are atoll protected.