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The Maine
Iceman:
Crypto-Gaff For
A Good Cause
The
International
Cryptozoology
Museum,
in its
continuing
effort to reach
creative,
intelligent,
diverse
populations via
its educational
and scientific
mission, and to
be a good
community
partner, has
agreed to create
a “cryptofakes”
display as a
“carnival
sideshow” for
the charity
benefit of a
local low-income
resource center.
This exhibition
will appear,
first, during an
upcoming event
in early May
2010.
The ICM has
learned, early
on, that much
can be shared
through the fun
and critical
thinking
exercise of
displaying
“carnival
gaffs,” for a
few such
taxidermy items
try to overlap
with the
cryptozoological
theme of our
museum. I have
utilized them in
the past to let
people know
these objects
are often shown
as “almost real”
specimens.
Most honest
sideshow owners
displaying such
gaffs often
merely only ask
“What is It?” or
“Is it Real?”
But slowly the
drift has been
for people to
present these
items as
cryptozoological,
from “unknown
animals.” For
cryptozoologists,
we need to be
aware of this
trend, and go
beyond it. But
we cannot
overcome such
trends by
ignoring gaffs.
Partially
embracing them
and using them
as learning
tools is
important. The
trick with
gaffs, however,
is to not let
them rule you.
During this
forthcoming 2010
event, besides
exhibiting the
FeeJee Mermaid
and various
carnival gaffs
(e.g. the
strange “Skull
of Bigfoot,” the
horrible “Hair
of a Yukon
Sasquatch,” the
world’s first
replica of the
“Montauk
Monster,” the
popular “Jackalope,”
he unbelievable
“Fur-Bearing
Trout,” the
ancient “Jenny
Hanvier,” and
the wondrous “Wolpertinger”),
we will be
introducing to
the world a new
“cryptogaff.”
We predict our
new exhibition
will become
world-famous, in
a few years, if
not sooner. It
has been named,
for now, the
“Maine Iceman.”
Perhaps it
should be called
the “Maine
Pendek”? Or
“Maine’s Missing
Link”? In this
business, you
have to be
flexible.
This newly
constructed
five-foot-tall
version of the
“Minnesota
Iceman” (an
unknown hairy
hominid) will be
shown for the
first time ever
on Friday, May
7th, 2010, from
8 PM to 1 AM, at
the Port City
Music Hall,
Portland, Maine,
during the
“Sanctuary
Tattooʼs 10th
Anniversary
Blowout Bash.”
The ICM was
invited to the
event by the
enchanted
maiden, Carrie-anne
Vinette, on
behalf of the
Sanctuary Tattoo
folks. We thank
her for thinking
of us. Photo by
the Green Hand’s
Michelle
Souliere.
The Maine Iceman
then will move
into the
permanent
collection of
the
International
Cryptozoology
Museum.
The construction
of this sideshow
art will be due,
in large part,
to the creative
volunteer work
of local artists
Sarah McCann and
Erin Ellis, with
the cooperative
efforts of
docent
coordinator Jeff
Meuse. The
overall
consultation of
yours truly,
Loren Coleman,
who examined the
1969 version of
the Minnesota
Iceman for Ivan
T. Sanderson and
Bernarnd
Heuvelmans, will
be involved in
this creation
and adventure,
too. Futhermore,
a new sideshow
banner is being
brought from
imagination to
reality for this
exhibition (more
details on that,
soon).
Read More
If you have a question you
would like to submit email us at the
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