Mythical creature hunters rejoice: one Philly graphic designer has mapped out where to find Bessie, the Lizard Man and even Big Foot.
Hog Island Press owner and graphic designer Mark Adams has created a hand-drawn, hand-printed “cartographically accurate” map of cryptozoological creatures called
Monsters in America.
For novices on the subject, cryptozoology is the pseudoscience and search for animals whose existence have not been proven.
Adams said of his project:
“I have a strong interest in folklore and storytelling. I feel that in this homogenized age of corporation-steered consumer culture it is more important than ever to embrace the elements that make our town, state and nation special and unique, and hopefully this map serves as a fun collection of some of these stories and traditions,” he said. “Cryptozoology and cartography are fields that have enchanted me since I was very young, and the temptation to create a map that incorporates such a rich fabric of folklore and curious illustration was too strong to deny.”Adams gathered information for the map using research via books, the Internet and a visit to the
International Museum of Cryptozoology in Maine.
While, according to the map, Philly doesn’t have a creature all its own, neighbors in New Jersey boast the Jersey Devil and Western Pennsylvania is home to Thunderbirds.
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