Lon Strickler Publishes Book Based on Chicago Flying Humanoid Sightings
Lon Strickler published a press release on Phantoms and Monsters today to announce his new book based on the recent flap of flying humanoid sightings in Chicago. The book, titled Mothman Dynasty: Chicago's Winged Humanoids, includes all of the sightings to-date that have been reported to Phantoms and Monsters, UFO Clearinghouse, the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), and the Singular Fortean Society.
According to the press release:
Lon Strickler, a Fortean researcher, author and publisher of the syndicated Phantoms & Monsters blog, released a new book titled Mothman Dynasty: Chicago's Winged Humanoids. The book gives accounts of the unexplained phenomena related to reports and sightings of Mothman-like flying humanoids in the city of Chicago in the late summer of 2011 and early 2017.
Following these bizarre incidents reported from different locations throughout the metro area of Chicago, Lon Strickler, through his research and reports, was determined to find the truth and cause of these paranormal events.
Mothman Dynasty: Chicago's Winged Humanoids examines these paranormal events, and witness accounts, as well as the thought processes of the investigations. The book also raises a thought-provoking question — Why Chicago? Why now?
A more detailed description of the book was included along with the press release.
The book, Mothman Dynasty: Chicago's Winged Humanoids, gives accounts of the unexplained phenomena related to the reports and sightings of Mothman-like flying humanoids in the city of Chicago in the late summer of 2011 and then throughout 2017.
The strange winged beings, which were first sighted in the city of Chicago in the late summer of 2011, unexpectedly began to resurface in early 2017. A smattering of encounters emerged from different locations throughout the Chicago metro area; until the number reached nearly fifty sightings before the end of the summer.
The book examines the accounts of witnesses and the thought processes of the investigators in charge, as these incidents were brought to the attention of the author, Lon Strickler.
Also included was an author's bio for Strickler.
Lon Strickler is a Fortean researcher, author and publisher of the syndicated Phantoms & Monsters blog. He began the blog in 2005, which has steadily grown in popularity and is read daily by tens of thousands of paranormal enthusiasts, investigators and those seeking the truth. His research and reports have been featured on hundreds of online media sources. Several of these published reports have been presented during various television segments, including; The History Channel’s Ancient Aliens, SYFY’s Paranormal Witness, Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, and Destination America’s Monsters and Mysteries in America. He has been interviewed on several radio broadcasts, including multiple guest appearances on Coast to Coast AM. Lon has written six books and collaborated with Sean Forker and Butch Witkowski at Arcane Radio.
Reception to the book so far has been mixed among investigators, with some questioning why witness information has not been forthcoming; others defend Strickler's adherence to strict witness anonymity. No evidence of deliberate dishonesty on Strickler's part has yet been forthcoming, and the community remains divided on the issue.
One of the book's critics, cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, has himself released a book on the Mothman phenomenon this year, titled Mothman: Evil Incarnate, which has left some in the fortean community wondering if there might be a conflict of interest in his recent review of Strickler's work.
The review itself does a fair job of explaining the frustrations endemic to those researchers who feel they've been left out of the investigation, while Coleman readily admits that Strickler's work does have merit.
"This book should have been written and it was," wrote Coleman.
"Lon Strickler did that," Coleman praised. "He preserved case data and produced a book by the year’s end sharing these cases publicly. He is to be congratulated for that."
However, he also explained some of the reservations held by researchers.
"No secondary levels of verification of these sightings via police reports or even via non-Stickler associates’ field investigations confirm the majority of these cases," Coleman noted.
"It has since come out that several researchers have been interested in investigating these Chicago cases, but have been frustrated by being excluded from a routine lack-of-specifics as to the names of the witnesses (and more), so some double-checking of the cases could occur," he continued.
For his part, Strickler maintains that he has been a strong advocate of witness anonymity for years, and credits his belief in protecting people's privacy with the positive reactions he receives from those who confide in him.
Strickler released a statement regarding the controversy that read:
Not long after I began investigating the Chicago winged humanoid sightings, there were questions as to why I did not disclose witness information. The early sightings were reported to MUFON and Manuel Navarette, and both never shared witness information with me. Manuel forwarded the witness statements to me and we worked together (along with the task force) in a mutual attempt to formulate the reasons why these flying beings were continually observed. I never asked Manuel for contact information, and vice-versa.
I have ascertained during my years of investigation that witness and source information should remain strictly confidential unless I was instructed to do otherwise.
When my recent book was released, there were renewed efforts to discredit me because I refused to provide witness identities and contact information. In my mind, these individuals have their own agendas…be it using the research for their own gain or that they feel slighted somehow. It’s my inclination to ignore people who make judgments based on conjecture and conflict. My only concern is to maintain the confidence of my witnesses and the trust of my readers. Nothing beyond those objectives really matter.