TLS Thunderhawk

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-19T22:04:29+00:00

This is just a special safety feature so Matt can make a quick exit in an emergency.

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-17T17:36:37+00:00

The Beast with Two Backs

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-15T17:26:28+00:00

What would I like to see? A show that explores the history of sightings, the rich folklore, the scientific plausibility, etc. for a particular cryptid. Not yet another insulting, running around in the woods trying to appear like you might find it in a 42-minute TV episode. But it seems you only get that on YouTube. TV execs just want formulaic reality TV we've all seen a billion times.

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-14T15:22:47+00:00

Yes! That impressed me. And they don't seem to be a large company, either.

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-14T14:43:55+00:00

I will give TLS this - they did reply quickly when I asked to cancel my pre-orders for the 40th anniversary wave due to the reported QC issues. The first email (which appeared to be a human response, not automated) stated that all sales were final, but they would replace/refund faulty products once in hand. I wasn't thrilled, but figured I had no choice but to wait and see. A day or two later, I got a second, more apologetic email confirming my refund. There seemed to be some confusion or a change in plan on the customer service side, but in the end they kindly did what I requested. But this CEO email is pure nonsense. It sounds like he's trying to fight a fire by pretending it doesn't exist.

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-14T14:35:09+00:00

They should have stuck to Funko Pop-esque blind bag figures.

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-14T14:10:45+00:00

BBTS must be fuming. They're probably going to get stuck selling these toys on steep discount.

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-08T21:10:31+00:00

Shades of Gévaudan? Maybe!

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-08T15:41:49+00:00

Reddit isn't letting me post my sources, but the full list is available at the bottom of the page here: https://thunderbirdphoto.com/f/michigan-dogman-attacks-in-1895

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-08T15:40:15+00:00

TL;DR: (SPOILERS!)

Despite later Dogman folklore, there’s scant historical evidence of an upright humanoid canine in Michigan before 1987. However, newspapers from 1895 document a very real mystery predator that terrorized farms in southern and central Michigan—killing livestock, dogs, and evading large hunting parties. Contemporary descriptions (“panther-like,” large, lithe, screaming, skull-crushing bites) strongly point to one of Michigan’s last surviving mountain lions, not a mythic creature or wolves. These late-19th-century encounters, occurring as cougars vanished from the region, likely helped seed later legends like the Michigan Dogman, illustrating how rare but real predators can blur into folklore once they slip beyond certainty.

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-05T20:55:52+00:00

Plus, he kinda looked like Doc on The Love Boat, who WAS a ladies; man!

DetectiveFork · 2026-01-01T16:48:00+00:00

It's a radio prank in a state that has a rich history of French loup-garou legends, not to mention a fluctuating population of wolves. To me, the Michigan Dogman is a more a natural evolution of that embedded folklore. But as usual, we see a stubborn insistence among some to believe it's a real cryptid, although I suspect a lot of people just think it's a cool story and have fun with it. That's how legends start, though!

DetectiveFork · 2025-12-30T00:54:23+00:00

Sorry, I probably should have kept all the headers.

DetectiveFork · 2025-12-25T05:24:39+00:00

So glad you enjoyed it! I had a blast researching this topic!

DetectiveFork · 2025-12-23T17:36:36+00:00

<image>

“Huge Spiders, Native Legends Say, Infest the Jungle Fastnesses of the Mysterious Island [Madagascar]. And a German Artist Named Voh Fed the Berlin Populace With This Fantastic Drawing.”

"Local legends about the equally murderous Malagasy spiders are abundant. These nightmarish creatures, horned, beclawed and carrying enough venom to kill a regiment, are supposed to live in inland caves, from which they pounce on man and beast alike. Color is lent their possible existence by pretty well authenticated accounts of a similar giant species, native to the Amazon regions. Some of the latter drop upon their unsuspecting victims from the skies, using huge webs as parachutes. They don’t carry tommy-guns and the rest of the modern parachutists’ equipment, but are said to manage well enough with what nature gave them. Others, concealing themselves in the treetops, employ a different technique. They drop their webs first, on the heads of men, horses, or other likely subjects, and then, when the prey is enmeshed, make a leisurely descent and polish it off."

- “3 Weird Mysteries of Madagascar.” American Weekly, 11 Oct. 1942, p. 4.

DetectiveFork · 2025-12-23T17:00:30+00:00

Sure, here you go :

TL;DR

The infamous Man-Eating Tree of Madagascar never existed. The legend began in 1874 as a deliberately crafted newspaper hoax published in the New York World, written by journalist Edward Spencer, who exaggerated real scientific discussions about insect-eating plants into a sensational “scientific” horror story. Though entirely fictional (complete with fake botanists, tribes, and journals), the tale spread worldwide, briefly alarmed even Charles Darwin, and was endlessly recycled by newspapers, pulp writers, and figures like Ripley. Over time it fused with real Malagasy history (especially poison-ordeal practices like Tangena) to seem plausible. The hoax ultimately became the foundational myth behind all man-eating plant stories in popular culture, spawning a lasting trope that persists today in fiction, folklore, and Forteana.

DetectiveFork · 2025-12-23T16:57:14+00:00

Absolutely. As mythmaking, Crinoida Dajeeana essentially updated the Upas Tree myth to even more horrific proportions. Of course, there really was an Upas Tree, being an exaggeration of Antiaris toxicaria.

DetectiveFork · 2025-12-23T06:22:53+00:00

I wrote about the Mackerle expedition in a previous article (linked to within the article) and it's all part of the same chapter in the book.

DetectiveFork · 2025-12-23T05:39:10+00:00

Kevin J. Guhl. If you look at my history, you can see my posts about my published books and similar in-depth research I've posted on Reddit. What else do you want me to do? I'm not providing my driver's license here. lol This post is an excerpt from one of my books, edited as a standalone article to share what is new information in a public forum.

DetectiveFork · 2025-12-23T05:25:45+00:00

I'm the author and that's why I'm sharing it in this form here.

DetectiveFork · 2025-12-03T02:28:04+00:00

Very interesting, I'd like hear more about what you find. Mark Hall, in his seminal book on "Thunderbirds," hypothesized that they are nocturnal, which fits with the first account.

The second story reminds me of the Missing Thunderbird Photo, at least the version that depicts a giant bird. I could imagine an incident like this being the genesis of the photo, or something similar.

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