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Front Street Cowboy Museum: Ogallala, Nebraska
The Front Street Cowboy Museum is all about the wild, wild west and driving Texas Longhorn cattle. Located in Ogallala, Nebraska, this visitor attraction brings the town’s rich Old West history to life.
Front Street in Ogallala, Nebraska. Photo by Linda Aksomitis.Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits
Like most people, I enjoy a good story. And there are no better stories than the myths of supernatural creatures. In Nebraska, that creature is the Sandhills Warrior Rabbit. The museum even has one in its collection!
Nebraska Sandhills Warrior Rabbit – rabbit taxidermy photo taken in the museum and software generated background. Image by Linda Aksomitis.The warrior rabbit draws on the the American traditional tale of the Jackalope. These Jackalope tales originate from hybrid animal stories around the world.
Where did the Jackalope tale originate?One of the earliest stories of a horned rabbit is from 13th-century Persia. The jackalope legend stems from a rare virus called Shope papilloma virus that infects rabbits and causes horn-like keratin tumors to grow. It’s believed that these tumors inspired folklore about horned or “warrior” rabbits.
Scientific research shows that rabbits with these horn-like growths are real but rare. They’re not a distinct species.
But back to the midwest. In 1932 two brothers in Douglas, Wyoming, studied taxidermy by mail order. One day, one of them tossed a carcass they planned to work on into their taxidermy collection where it came to rest beside a pair of deer antlers. That gave young Douglas Herrick an idea.
Doug and his brother mounted the rabbit with horns and sold it to a local hotel owner. From there, the story grew and grew and grew with the brothers’ taxidermy sales. Other taxidermists manufactured the rabbits right into the 21st century.
The jackalope has appeared in books, poems, television shows video games and mokumentaries.
Today, tourists can even buy a Jackalope Hunting License in Douglas.
So, the Nebraska Sandhills Warrior Rabbit is one of a group of tall tale animals. This type of tall tale is known as “fearsome critters” and is common to North American culture since the early 1900s.
Indeed, the warrior rabbit has supernatural powers making it a fierce, resilient animal able to survive in the Sandhills.
If you enjoy fearsome critter tales, The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in Hayward, Wisconsin, is home to another fearsome critter — the hodag.
What’s in the Front Street Cowboy Museum?
Front Street in Ogallala, Nebraska, is a replica town of the 1880s old west cowboy town. At the time, Ogallala was a major cattle-driving and cattle-shipping hub.
How did Ogallala become a cattle-shipping hub?Early in U.S. history, the Chisholm Trail was the trail of choice for driving cattle to the northern states looking for higher prices. The Chisholm Trail ran from the Rio Grande or San Antonio to the railhead of the Kansas Pacific Railway in Abilene. From there, the cattle were shipped to the more populated states in the East.
However, the Chisholm Trail was cut off when farmers began settling and fencing eastern Oklahoma and Kansas. The new Texas Trail (also called Western Trail) grew up from Dodge City to the Union Pacific railhead in Ogallala.
While Dodge City was the end of the trail for some outfits, others with younger stock pushed north to Ogallala. These were sold to ranchers in the area to fatten over the summer and ship out in the fall.
Ogallala became a seasonal gathering place. Saloons were hopping in the spring with Texas cattle bosses selling cattle to local cattlemen. In the fall, action stepped up again as thte ranchers brought their steers off the grass to ship east.
As many as 125,000 head of cattle were brought to Ogallala each year.
Ogallala’s heyday as a cow town ended in 1884, when an epidemic of Texas fever caused heavy losses of cattle in Nebraska. States began to enact quarantine laws to protect their livestock. While a few cattle still trickled into Ogallala, the town soon settled into a farming community.
These connected building fronts are filled with memorabilia and cowboy artifacts from the era. Building fronts include:
- Livery Barn Cafe (Restaurant)
- Crystal Palace Saloon (Cold Beer in Ogallala’s famed saloon that saw many gunfights in its hey-day)
- Front Street Cowboys Rest (Buffalo burgers, mountain oysters, steaks, and more)
- Undertaker (Death by gunfights happened on a regular basis to the undertaker’s shop and hearse were important)
- Tonsorial Palace (1870s style barber shop)
- Jail (includes the Sheriff’s office)
- General Store
Front Street is listed on Wikipedia as being on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Keith County, Nebraska.
Some Front Street Displays
Front Street is all about the stories of cowboys, cattle drives, and outlaws. There are lots of different artifacts and photos to bring the stories to life.
Fast Fact: A Black Cowboy Memorial located at Grand Island, Nebraska, honors Amos Harris who died in February, 1911. Thousands of black cowboys rode the rails, driving millions of cattle north. Many of them were the best riders, ropers and wranglers.
~ Front Street Cowboy MuseumHere are some I particularly enjoyed.
- Soiled Doves – Saloon Women in Ogallala during the Texas Cattle Drive Days. Photos and displays show their costumes, lifestyles, and challenges working for Madams like “Big Alice.”
- Cowboy gear from boots and spurs to holsters and revolvers.
- Sheriffs who served the town. One display honors Martin DePriest, a Texan who came up the trail in 1877. He served for 11 years and was injured a number of times. He was known for his deliberate coolness in the face of danger, rather than relying on punches or his guns.
- Information about Buffalo Bill Cody.
- Native Americans of Ogallala. Various displays provide the history of the local Sioux people.
- Trails West features paintings, artifacts, and books written about life on a cattle drive.
You can also relive the Old West watching the Front Street Crystal Palace Revue. With 60+ seasons, it’s the longest-running summer stock theatre in Nebraska.
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
Ogallala in the Sandhills of Nebraska is a great destination for those who love the old west. Geographically, it’s also fascinating. Sandhill dunes cover about 20,000 square miles and are believed to be the largest dune field in the Western hemisphere. They were formed about 8,000 years ago and designated a National Natural Landmark in 1984.
Boot Hill. Pin me!Be sure to visit Boot Hill while you’re in Ogallala. It was established during the Texas Trail era of the late 1800s.
Some buried there met their end in saloons and gambling halls.
Rattlesnake Ed, who was shot over a card game at the Cowboys Rest Saloon, was one of them.
In direct contrast, you can also visit Mansion on the Hill. This Victorian style home was completed in 1887 — Ogallala’s finest home at the time. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and worth the visit.
Also, be sure to stop at the Petrified Wood Gallery while you’re in Ogallala. It includes a collection of fossils and hand-crafted petrified wood figures made by Harvey and Howard Kenfieldin. I also found the 92 pewter figures of Native Americans, cowboys, and cavalry soldiers impressive.
Who Should Visit Front Street Cowboy Museum?
Front Street Cowboy Museum is a great stop for anyone interested in the wild and rugged days of the old west and cattle drives.
Indeed, the town was integral to the Lonesome Dove tv miniseries.
It takes a couple of hours to go through the exhibits, although you can spend more time stopping for a meal or drink.
The museum is family-friendly. It also has ramps and flat walkways in the replica 1880s street to aid those using strollers or who have mobility issues.
Stagecoach. Pin me!How Do You Visit Front Street Cowboy Museum?
Front Street Cowboy Museum is located at the intersection of Interstate 80 (I-80), US-26, and Nebraska Highway N-61.
Parking: Free parking is adjacent to the museum.
Location: 519 East 1st St Ogallala, Nebraska.
The museum has free / donations only admission and is open year-round. Check for hours on the Front Street Cowboy Museum website.
Take a virtual tour of the museum with Backroads Tourist on YouTube.
Plan your visit with Google Maps.
Acknowledgments
These stops were all part of a Fam tour hosted by the Gering Convention and Visitors Bureau, Scotts Bluff Area Visitors Bureau, and Nebraska Tourism Commission.
More Places to See in Nebraska
Check out all of guide2museum.com’s reviews of museums in Nebraska.
Read More Reviews of Heritage Museums
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Discover the Mormon Handcart Historic Site & Devil’s Gate in Wyoming
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See 100 Miles Across Nebraska From Scotts Bluff National Monument
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Standout Ranching History at the MonDak Heritage Center: Sidney, Montana
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Myra Museum: Lustron House & More in Grand Forks, North Dakota
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Fort Cody Trading Post: Miniature Wild West Show in North Platte, Nebraska
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Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village & Museum: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
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Museum of Northern British Columbia: Indigenous Art & History in Prince Rupert, British Columbia
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Vermilionville: Living History Open Air Village in Lafayette, Louisiana
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Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience: New Orleans, Louisiana
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Bonanzaville: Open Air Pioneer Village Museum in Fargo, North Dakota
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@kkarhan @kvuzet hi! not sure if this helps- here's the link to the same set on Mixcloud (i have more tracks here, too): https://www.mixcloud.com/djjackalope/def-con-29-miss-jackalope-live-set-here-we-go/
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Bad Taxidermy Advent Calendar?
#NewberryLibrary
#AdventCalendar2022
#December14 Day 14/24Jackalope Advent Calendar!
World's tackiest postcards? Maybe ... These perforated books certainly fulfilled their Jackalopes RDA!
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CW: NSFW furry breast
A few years back there was a picture of a mannequin wearing a shirt that had the world simple in cursive writing. The shirt was pulled down showing the boobs on the mannequin. There were beings drawing their characters in said outfit so I did the same x3
This is my Jackalope gal named Renee. She’s a cutie :3
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Cycads, an ancient plant group, attract beetle pollinators by producing heat, becoming hotter than the ambient temperature by 15-25 degree Fahrenheit. The beetles sense the heated-up plants via infrared radiation.
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Article about butterfly declines across North America, with a focus on monarchs. One of the primary threats is pesticide use.
Researchers analyzed 336 individual plants, including milkweeds, in the US and found only 22 did not have detectable pesticides.
In some cases, 100% of milkweed sold at retail nurseries had detectable levels of pesticides.
#butterflies #entomology #science #biology #monarchs #insects #bugs -
‘Terrifier’s Catherine Corcoran & Alex Mandel Join ‘Too Hot To Handle’ Star Bryce Hirschberg’s Indie Thriller ‘Jackalope’
#Casting #News #AlexMandel #BryceHirschberg #CatherineCorcoran #HowieMandel #Jackalope -
"Sometimes they're just plain weird!" says the Ninja Turtle.
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Pop Cryptid Spectator 20
Hi and welcome to the 20th, and last, edition of PCS. In nine months, this idea has run its course because, frankly, I can’t keep up. Everything is Pop Cryptid. I’ve certainly proven my point – the term “cryptid” now means “any weird and hidden creature”. In popular culture, it is rarely referred to in the context of a scientific effort to discover new species. I mean, when the President is referred to in this context, it’s game over.
That’s not to say that I won’t be writing about such topics in the future. I’ll certainly post more and on Modern Cryptozoology. But this PCS project is tapped; I’m moving on. Before I do, there are a few more things to $ay. So here goes.
In this final edition:
- Nessie, Jr. Another cute cryptid movie
- Faking Bigfoot
- Champ at the Museum
- Mothman says, “You Matter”
- Cryptids overexposed
Nessie, Jr – Another cute cryptid movie
There’s a new movie on the way that will influence how small children think about lakes and the Loch Ness Monster. It’s called Nessie, Jr. and it appears to be another cutified cryptid depiction in the same family-friendly vein as several other past movies – Harry and the Hendersons, Smallfoot, Abominable, Pete’s Dragon, The Water Horse, Baby: Secret of a Lost Legend, etc. It’s fine. I don’t have a problem with it. It’s just so… meh.
But speaking of fiction…
Faking Bigfoot
I wrote a piece on the performance art dude who displayed a fake Bigfoot at the NY state fair as real. It really didn’t go over well with serious Bigfooters, who said this guy was “ruining” Bigfoot research. Nah, the ‘footers do that part on their own – with their awful TV shows, in-fighting, and efforts to gain attention for terrible evidence. Bigfoot hoaxes have been around since the very beginning. In fact, cryptid tales are chock-full of hoaxes to the point where you are hard-pressed to sift through the chaff to find any wheat. Yet, the hoaxes themselves are quite interesting and very much a pop cryptid phenomenon. It’s not about finding the creature, it’s mostly about hope of finding it in what we like to imagine is a world that still holds mystery. And, unfortunately, it is an awful lot about people thinking you found it and usually making bank from that. Check out this short review of a book on how the media created Nessie. By the way, I don’t know how much money this Bigfoot Remains joker pocketed from the gaff, but the gimmick has already been mostly forgotten. We’re so used to such hoaxers.
Champ at the Museum
The monster of Lake Champlain now has its own exhibit. Both Port Henry, NY and Burlington, VT have tributes to Champ as they vie for the official place of the creature. Now Burlington has another attraction besides the Champ memorial and the Lake Monsters team mascot. They have a dedicated spot in the museum. The shore-side Echo Leahy Center at Lake Champlain is perfectly situated to promote the beast. The kiddie-themed gift shop was already full of toys depicting Champ as a cute cryptid. It’s logical they would capitalize even more as well as offering an opportunity to draw kids into learning about the lake’s natural history. I haven’t seen the exhibit because it just opened, and I was there last year. But the museum follows the template of Loch Ness, and other cryptid-themed real and pop-up “museums” that draw in those interested in the topic. And they sell merch.
Do you sense a theme? I’m afraid that I’m pretty jaded on the pop cryptid theme as it relates to cashing in. But that’s the American way these days. Gosh, it’s all so predictable and boring…
Mothman says, “You Matter”
In more rather misappropriate uses of pop cryptids, Mothman is pictured on informational material regarding mental health distributed by a West Virginia police department. This seems cool but using an imaginary creature that was also known as an omen of doom seems slightly clueless. While the project director says that distributing the material at the WV State Fair has let them connect to average people, the “friendly cryptids letting them connect with kids and create conversations”. Ok, sure. But, if people know the story about how Mothman was related to one of the most tragic events in WV history, the collapse of the Silver Bridge, they might struggle with the message “You matter”. Maybe I’m overthinking it…
West Virginia leads all states in the in commodification of their town mascots, like Mothman, Sheepsquatch, Veggie Man, and the Flatwoods Monster.
Cryptids overexposed
I don’t know… it seems to me the mystery is all gone. Cryptids are everywhere. They aren’t hidden anymore. They are losing their mystique. As I’ve noted in other places, cryptids, being copyright-free, are easily adapted for use in consumer products and logos. As the pop cryptid model spreads, where cryptids are seen as fun emblems or symbols, you can bet you’ll see their use increasing.
New Mexico indoor football team reveals new name: New Mexico Chupacabras
For more on the crossover between cryptids and sports teams, see here.
Here are more cryptid related stories from the past month from my main blog:
- If I don’t believe in cryptids, why am I here? – I answer why “skeptics” (those who question claims of cryptids), are bothering with participating if they don’t think there is any truth to the claims.
- Not a mystery beast, just a dog – Two photos on social media reveal that people can’t call a dog “a dog”.
- Pop cryptid in the News: Jackalope – I updated a section from a past Pop Cryptid Spectator to address the recent news of Frankenbunnies.
- Spooky seismic lakes – Loch Ness and its monster – In a crossover of spooky geology and cryptids, I dive into the idea that some people love: that Nessie is related to seismic activity.
The pop cryptid trend would not be icky if it wasn’t for the blatant overexposure and twisting of the concepts so that the original ideas behind them are now totally lost. In a way, this is what the Bigfooters hated about the NY State fake Bigfoot. It was disconnected from their vision and version of what a cryptid is. It mocked their view. Such things disregard the impact of the rich folklore and history by appealing to the casual fan and consumer who just know the stories from comics, games, mass distribution movies and Reddit groups. I can’t help but feel these depictions for the mass market are shallow and pathetic. Many people agree. I’m not sure it’s all that different from depicting other animals in anthropomorphic, cute, or exaggerated ways. This has also always been the way of things. It just took a longer time for beloved cryptids to become familiar enough to use in this way.
Another Bigfoot action figure, this one more pointy and menacing than usual Bigfoots. The Skookum.I’ve learned a lot in the few years that I’ve been examining cryptids in this new frame. I think it’s been highly useful, even if many cryptozoology-minded viewers thought it was dumb or reacted indignantly to what seemed like a cheapening of their belief system. I apologize if you felt aggrieved but, let’s face it, it’s NOT reasonable to view traditional cryptozoology as a useful field of study. You are not going to have success finding new species that correspond to Bigfoot, Nessie, Yeti, etc. However, you have a good chance of success in marketing these creatures’ images and talking about them in cultural terms.
A current wrap-up of trends
Some of the other trends I’ve seen lately:
- The #CryptidTok trend is far quieter than it was 2 years ago. It’s still a lot of AI and people performing knowledge (which isn’t knowledge, but stuff they got from other bad videos). I’m not sure how influential this is except for low-value content creators. Maybe people are tired of hearing the same wikipedia-derived info over and over again.
- Weird Appalachia – This genre continues to grow as we see with the prevalence of West Virginia/Pennsylvania/Ohio/Kentucky cryptid content and the marketing of their location-specific monsters. The popular idea now is that the land is haunted and the eldritch creatures or spirits take the form of not-deer, dogmen, shapeshifters and such that are called “cryptids”. It’s a fun and useful idea.
- Town festivals feature speakers who spread new stories as “lore” making it sound more credible than it is. But they aren’t asking any actual folklore or cultural experts, just popular content creators, personalities or artists. This is disappointing and a missed opportunity – I hope it changes.
- The continued gap between original cryptozoology concepts and the current state of things. There is very little solid work being done that produces credible knowledge worthy to be published. Instead, self-styled cryptozoology is still self-published books, YouTube, websites, and facebook posts. This is low value stuff that gets a short bump in interest but does not last.
- Increased use in all forms of merchandising and commercial representation. This means more fiction, movies, promotion, branding, etc. using cryptids.
- Growing popularity of “fearsome creatures” (fictional beings made up as old lumberjack tales such as the squonk, slide-rock bolter, hodag, snallygaster, etc. or indigenous/native stories such as the wendigo, skinwalker, La Llorona, etc.), “creepypasta” creatures (invented monsters from digital storytelling such as Slenderman and the rake), and AI generated monsters. These manufactured beings have nothing in common with traditional cryptozoology but are becoming the best known “cryptids”.
- Overhyping of bad evidence. The “sightings” are just as bad as ever. They are either nothing, obvious hoaxes, or AI generated. There is nothing worth paying attention to here. Yet, people click because it’s fun and they really want to believe.
All those trends say something important about cryptids. I’ve gotten the message – fun cryptid are great but serious interest in the complex folklore, the socio-economic and cultural effects, and the overall phenomena of cryptid encounters is unimportant to the masses. They want the scary, cute, funny, neatly packaged and easily digested popular fluff. But there are still several followers of “scientific” cryptozoology that only want a serious zoological (or supernatural) take on this subject and get angry with a lesser, “fluffier” treatment.
My view is the same as before – there is no value in an effort to search for mystery creatures as new species. It has not been successful and it CAN’T be, considering the modern times in which we exist. New species discovered by zoologists aren’t cryptids, even if they have the occasional help of citizen scientists. The contrived methodology of Heuvelman’s cryptozoology isn’t relevant. However, I’m all for expanding the field into relevant areas of anthropology, cultural studies – folklore, art, media, socio-economic, etc., psychology, wildlife biology, data science, etc. that will provide endless opportunities to research and analyze interest in cryptids. This was my position when I first envisioned the pop cryptid model and it applies just as much as ever. It’s likely to happen on its own.
For more, content and a fuller explanation of Pop goes the Cryptid, visit the subpage.
This has been the Pop Cryptid Spectator. My work here is done. Thanks for indulging me. Keep sending links and messages.
Now back to my regular blog.
Peace out, Bigfoots#Bigfoot #cryptids #cryptidtok #Cryptozoology #Mothman #Nessie #popCryptid #PopCryptidSpectator #popCryptids #popCulture #WeirdAppalachia
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Pop Cryptid Spectator 20
Hi and welcome to the 20th, and last, edition of PCS. In nine months, this idea has run its course because, frankly, I can’t keep up. Everything is Pop Cryptid. I’ve certainly proven my point – the term “cryptid” now means “any weird and hidden creature”. In popular culture, it is rarely referred to in the context of a scientific effort to discover new species. I mean, when the President is referred to in this context, it’s game over.
That’s not to say that I won’t be writing about such topics in the future. I’ll certainly post more and on Modern Cryptozoology. But this PCS project is tapped; I’m moving on. Before I do, there are a few more things to $ay. So here goes.
In this final edition:
- Nessie, Jr. Another cute cryptid movie
- Faking Bigfoot
- Champ at the Museum
- Mothman says, “You Matter”
- Cryptids overexposed
Nessie, Jr – Another cute cryptid movie
There’s a new movie on the way that will influence how small children think about lakes and the Loch Ness Monster. It’s called Nessie, Jr. and it appears to be another cutified cryptid depiction in the same family-friendly vein as several other past movies – Harry and the Hendersons, Smallfoot, Abominable, Pete’s Dragon, The Water Horse, Baby: Secret of a Lost Legend, etc. It’s fine. I don’t have a problem with it. It’s just so… meh.
But speaking of fiction…
Faking Bigfoot
I wrote a piece on the performance art dude who displayed a fake Bigfoot at the NY state fair as real. It really didn’t go over well with serious Bigfooters, who said this guy was “ruining” Bigfoot research. Nah, the ‘footers do that part on their own – with their awful TV shows, in-fighting, and efforts to gain attention for terrible evidence. Bigfoot hoaxes have been around since the very beginning. In fact, cryptid tales are chock-full of hoaxes to the point where you are hard-pressed to sift through the chaff to find any wheat. Yet, the hoaxes themselves are quite interesting and very much a pop cryptid phenomenon. It’s not about finding the creature, it’s mostly about hope of finding it in what we like to imagine is a world that still holds mystery. And, unfortunately, it is an awful lot about people thinking you found it and usually making bank from that. Check out this short review of a book on how the media created Nessie. By the way, I don’t know how much money this Bigfoot Remains joker pocketed from the gaff, but the gimmick has already been mostly forgotten. We’re so used to such hoaxers.
Champ at the Museum
The monster of Lake Champlain now has its own exhibit. Both Port Henry, NY and Burlington, VT have tributes to Champ as they vie for the official place of the creature. Now Burlington has another attraction besides the Champ memorial and the Lake Monsters team mascot. They have a dedicated spot in the museum. The shore-side Echo Leahy Center at Lake Champlain is perfectly situated to promote the beast. The kiddie-themed gift shop was already full of toys depicting Champ as a cute cryptid. It’s logical they would capitalize even more as well as offering an opportunity to draw kids into learning about the lake’s natural history. I haven’t seen the exhibit because it just opened, and I was there last year. But the museum follows the template of Loch Ness, and other cryptid-themed real and pop-up “museums” that draw in those interested in the topic. And they sell merch.
Do you sense a theme? I’m afraid that I’m pretty jaded on the pop cryptid theme as it relates to cashing in. But that’s the American way these days. Gosh, it’s all so predictable and boring…
Mothman says, “You Matter”
In more rather misappropriate uses of pop cryptids, Mothman is pictured on informational material regarding mental health distributed by a West Virginia police department. This seems cool but using an imaginary creature that was also known as an omen of doom seems slightly clueless. While the project director says that distributing the material at the WV State Fair has let them connect to average people, the “friendly cryptids letting them connect with kids and create conversations”. Ok, sure. But, if people know the story about how Mothman was related to one of the most tragic events in WV history, the collapse of the Silver Bridge, they might struggle with the message “You matter”. Maybe I’m overthinking it…
West Virginia leads all states in the in commodification of their town mascots, like Mothman, Sheepsquatch, Veggie Man, and the Flatwoods Monster.
Cryptids overexposed
I don’t know… it seems to me the mystery is all gone. Cryptids are everywhere. They aren’t hidden anymore. They are losing their mystique. As I’ve noted in other places, cryptids, being copyright-free, are easily adapted for use in consumer products and logos. As the pop cryptid model spreads, where cryptids are seen as fun emblems or symbols, you can bet you’ll see their use increasing.
New Mexico indoor football team reveals new name: New Mexico Chupacabras
For more on the crossover between cryptids and sports teams, see here.
Here are more cryptid related stories from the past month from my main blog:
- If I don’t believe in cryptids, why am I here? – I answer why “skeptics” (those who question claims of cryptids), are bothering with participating if they don’t think there is any truth to the claims.
- Not a mystery beast, just a dog – Two photos on social media reveal that people can’t call a dog “a dog”.
- Pop cryptid in the News: Jackalope – I updated a section from a past Pop Cryptid Spectator to address the recent news of Frankenbunnies.
- Spooky seismic lakes – Loch Ness and its monster – In a crossover of spooky geology and cryptids, I dive into the idea that some people love: that Nessie is related to seismic activity.
The pop cryptid trend would not be icky if it wasn’t for the blatant overexposure and twisting of the concepts so that the original ideas behind them are now totally lost. In a way, this is what the Bigfooters hated about the NY State fake Bigfoot. It was disconnected from their vision and version of what a cryptid is. It mocked their view. Such things disregard the impact of the rich folklore and history by appealing to the casual fan and consumer who just know the stories from comics, games, mass distribution movies and Reddit groups. I can’t help but feel these depictions for the mass market are shallow and pathetic. Many people agree. I’m not sure it’s all that different from depicting other animals in anthropomorphic, cute, or exaggerated ways. This has also always been the way of things. It just took a longer time for beloved cryptids to become familiar enough to use in this way.
Another Bigfoot action figure, this one more pointy and menacing than usual Bigfoots. The Skookum.I’ve learned a lot in the few years that I’ve been examining cryptids in this new frame. I think it’s been highly useful, even if many cryptozoology-minded viewers thought it was dumb or reacted indignantly to what seemed like a cheapening of their belief system. I apologize if you felt aggrieved but, let’s face it, it’s NOT reasonable to view traditional cryptozoology as a useful field of study. You are not going to have success finding new species that correspond to Bigfoot, Nessie, Yeti, etc. However, you have a good chance of success in marketing these creatures’ images and talking about them in cultural terms.
A current wrap-up of trends
Some of the other trends I’ve seen lately:
- The #CryptidTok trend is far quieter than it was 2 years ago. It’s still a lot of AI and people performing knowledge (which isn’t knowledge, but stuff they got from other bad videos). I’m not sure how influential this is except for low-value content creators. Maybe people are tired of hearing the same wikipedia-derived info over and over again.
- Weird Appalachia – This genre continues to grow as we see with the prevalence of West Virginia/Pennsylvania/Ohio/Kentucky cryptid content and the marketing of their location-specific monsters. The popular idea now is that the land is haunted and the eldritch creatures or spirits take the form of not-deer, dogmen, shapeshifters and such that are called “cryptids”. It’s a fun and useful idea.
- Town festivals feature speakers who spread new stories as “lore” making it sound more credible than it is. But they aren’t asking any actual folklore or cultural experts, just popular content creators, personalities or artists. This is disappointing and a missed opportunity – I hope it changes.
- The continued gap between original cryptozoology concepts and the current state of things. There is very little solid work being done that produces credible knowledge worthy to be published. Instead, self-styled cryptozoology is still self-published books, YouTube, websites, and facebook posts. This is low value stuff that gets a short bump in interest but does not last.
- Increased use in all forms of merchandising and commercial representation. This means more fiction, movies, promotion, branding, etc. using cryptids.
- Growing popularity of “fearsome creatures” (fictional beings made up as old lumberjack tales such as the squonk, slide-rock bolter, hodag, snallygaster, etc. or indigenous/native stories such as the wendigo, skinwalker, La Llorona, etc.), “creepypasta” creatures (invented monsters from digital storytelling such as Slenderman and the rake), and AI generated monsters. These manufactured beings have nothing in common with traditional cryptozoology but are becoming the best known “cryptids”.
- Overhyping of bad evidence. The “sightings” are just as bad as ever. They are either nothing, obvious hoaxes, or AI generated. There is nothing worth paying attention to here. Yet, people click because it’s fun and they really want to believe.
All those trends say something important about cryptids. I’ve gotten the message – fun cryptid are great but serious interest in the complex folklore, the socio-economic and cultural effects, and the overall phenomena of cryptid encounters is unimportant to the masses. They want the scary, cute, funny, neatly packaged and easily digested popular fluff. But there are still several followers of “scientific” cryptozoology that only want a serious zoological (or supernatural) take on this subject and get angry with a lesser, “fluffier” treatment.
My view is the same as before – there is no value in an effort to search for mystery creatures as new species. It has not been successful and it CAN’T be, considering the modern times in which we exist. New species discovered by zoologists aren’t cryptids, even if they have the occasional help of citizen scientists. The contrived methodology of Heuvelman’s cryptozoology isn’t relevant. However, I’m all for expanding the field into relevant areas of anthropology, cultural studies – folklore, art, media, socio-economic, etc., psychology, wildlife biology, data science, etc. that will provide endless opportunities to research and analyze interest in cryptids. This was my position when I first envisioned the pop cryptid model and it applies just as much as ever. It’s likely to happen on its own.
For more, content and a fuller explanation of Pop goes the Cryptid, visit the subpage.
This has been the Pop Cryptid Spectator. My work here is done. Thanks for indulging me. Keep sending links and messages.
Now back to my regular blog.
Peace out, Bigfoots#Bigfoot #cryptids #cryptidtok #Cryptozoology #Mothman #Nessie #popCryptid #PopCryptidSpectator #popCryptids #popCulture #WeirdAppalachia
-
Pop Cryptid Spectator 20
Hi and welcome to the 20th, and last, edition of PCS. In nine months, this idea has run its course because, frankly, I can’t keep up. Everything is Pop Cryptid. I’ve certainly proven my point – the term “cryptid” now means “any weird and hidden creature”. In popular culture, it is rarely referred to in the context of a scientific effort to discover new species. I mean, when the President is referred to in this context, it’s game over.
That’s not to say that I won’t be writing about such topics in the future. I’ll certainly post more and on Modern Cryptozoology. But this PCS project is tapped; I’m moving on. Before I do, there are a few more things to $ay. So here goes.
In this final edition:
- Nessie, Jr. Another cute cryptid movie
- Faking Bigfoot
- Champ at the Museum
- Mothman says, “You Matter”
- Cryptids overexposed
Nessie, Jr – Another cute cryptid movie
There’s a new movie on the way that will influence how small children think about lakes and the Loch Ness Monster. It’s called Nessie, Jr. and it appears to be another cutified cryptid depiction in the same family-friendly vein as several other past movies – Harry and the Hendersons, Smallfoot, Abominable, Pete’s Dragon, The Water Horse, Baby: Secret of a Lost Legend, etc. It’s fine. I don’t have a problem with it. It’s just so… meh.
But speaking of fiction…
Faking Bigfoot
I wrote a piece on the performance art dude who displayed a fake Bigfoot at the NY state fair as real. It really didn’t go over well with serious Bigfooters, who said this guy was “ruining” Bigfoot research. Nah, the ‘footers do that part on their own – with their awful TV shows, in-fighting, and efforts to gain attention for terrible evidence. Bigfoot hoaxes have been around since the very beginning. In fact, cryptid tales are chock-full of hoaxes to the point where you are hard-pressed to sift through the chaff to find any wheat. Yet, the hoaxes themselves are quite interesting and very much a pop cryptid phenomenon. It’s not about finding the creature, it’s mostly about hope of finding it in what we like to imagine is a world that still holds mystery. And, unfortunately, it is an awful lot about people thinking you found it and usually making bank from that. Check out this short review of a book on how the media created Nessie. By the way, I don’t know how much money this Bigfoot Remains joker pocketed from the gaff, but the gimmick has already been mostly forgotten. We’re so used to such hoaxers.
Champ at the Museum
The monster of Lake Champlain now has its own exhibit. Both Port Henry, NY and Burlington, VT have tributes to Champ as they vie for the official place of the creature. Now Burlington has another attraction besides the Champ memorial and the Lake Monsters team mascot. They have a dedicated spot in the museum. The shore-side Echo Leahy Center at Lake Champlain is perfectly situated to promote the beast. The kiddie-themed gift shop was already full of toys depicting Champ as a cute cryptid. It’s logical they would capitalize even more as well as offering an opportunity to draw kids into learning about the lake’s natural history. I haven’t seen the exhibit because it just opened, and I was there last year. But the museum follows the template of Loch Ness, and other cryptid-themed real and pop-up “museums” that draw in those interested in the topic. And they sell merch.
Do you sense a theme? I’m afraid that I’m pretty jaded on the pop cryptid theme as it relates to cashing in. But that’s the American way these days. Gosh, it’s all so predictable and boring…
Mothman says, “You Matter”
In more rather misappropriate uses of pop cryptids, Mothman is pictured on informational material regarding mental health distributed by a West Virginia police department. This seems cool but using an imaginary creature that was also known as an omen of doom seems slightly clueless. While the project director says that distributing the material at the WV State Fair has let them connect to average people, the “friendly cryptids letting them connect with kids and create conversations”. Ok, sure. But, if people know the story about how Mothman was related to one of the most tragic events in WV history, the collapse of the Silver Bridge, they might struggle with the message “You matter”. Maybe I’m overthinking it…
West Virginia leads all states in the in commodification of their town mascots, like Mothman, Sheepsquatch, Veggie Man, and the Flatwoods Monster.
Cryptids overexposed
I don’t know… it seems to me the mystery is all gone. Cryptids are everywhere. They aren’t hidden anymore. They are losing their mystique. As I’ve noted in other places, cryptids, being copyright-free, are easily adapted for use in consumer products and logos. As the pop cryptid model spreads, where cryptids are seen as fun emblems or symbols, you can bet you’ll see their use increasing.
New Mexico indoor football team reveals new name: New Mexico Chupacabras
For more on the crossover between cryptids and sports teams, see here.
Here are more cryptid related stories from the past month from my main blog:
- If I don’t believe in cryptids, why am I here? – I answer why “skeptics” (those who question claims of cryptids), are bothering with participating if they don’t think there is any truth to the claims.
- Not a mystery beast, just a dog – Two photos on social media reveal that people can’t call a dog “a dog”.
- Pop cryptid in the News: Jackalope – I updated a section from a past Pop Cryptid Spectator to address the recent news of Frankenbunnies.
- Spooky seismic lakes – Loch Ness and its monster – In a crossover of spooky geology and cryptids, I dive into the idea that some people love: that Nessie is related to seismic activity.
The pop cryptid trend would not be icky if it wasn’t for the blatant overexposure and twisting of the concepts so that the original ideas behind them are now totally lost. In a way, this is what the Bigfooters hated about the NY State fake Bigfoot. It was disconnected from their vision and version of what a cryptid is. It mocked their view. Such things disregard the impact of the rich folklore and history by appealing to the casual fan and consumer who just know the stories from comics, games, mass distribution movies and Reddit groups. I can’t help but feel these depictions for the mass market are shallow and pathetic. Many people agree. I’m not sure it’s all that different from depicting other animals in anthropomorphic, cute, or exaggerated ways. This has also always been the way of things. It just took a longer time for beloved cryptids to become familiar enough to use in this way.
Another Bigfoot action figure, this one more pointy and menacing than usual Bigfoots. The Skookum.I’ve learned a lot in the few years that I’ve been examining cryptids in this new frame. I think it’s been highly useful, even if many cryptozoology-minded viewers thought it was dumb or reacted indignantly to what seemed like a cheapening of their belief system. I apologize if you felt aggrieved but, let’s face it, it’s NOT reasonable to view traditional cryptozoology as a useful field of study. You are not going to have success finding new species that correspond to Bigfoot, Nessie, Yeti, etc. However, you have a good chance of success in marketing these creatures’ images and talking about them in cultural terms.
A current wrap-up of trends
Some of the other trends I’ve seen lately:
- The #CryptidTok trend is far quieter than it was 2 years ago. It’s still a lot of AI and people performing knowledge (which isn’t knowledge, but stuff they got from other bad videos). I’m not sure how influential this is except for low-value content creators. Maybe people are tired of hearing the same wikipedia-derived info over and over again.
- Weird Appalachia – This genre continues to grow as we see with the prevalence of West Virginia/Pennsylvania/Ohio/Kentucky cryptid content and the marketing of their location-specific monsters. The popular idea now is that the land is haunted and the eldritch creatures or spirits take the form of not-deer, dogmen, shapeshifters and such that are called “cryptids”. It’s a fun and useful idea.
- Town festivals feature speakers who spread new stories as “lore” making it sound more credible than it is. But they aren’t asking any actual folklore or cultural experts, just popular content creators, personalities or artists. This is disappointing and a missed opportunity – I hope it changes.
- The continued gap between original cryptozoology concepts and the current state of things. There is very little solid work being done that produces credible knowledge worthy to be published. Instead, self-styled cryptozoology is still self-published books, YouTube, websites, and facebook posts. This is low value stuff that gets a short bump in interest but does not last.
- Increased use in all forms of merchandising and commercial representation. This means more fiction, movies, promotion, branding, etc. using cryptids.
- Growing popularity of “fearsome creatures” (fictional beings made up as old lumberjack tales such as the squonk, slide-rock bolter, hodag, snallygaster, etc. or indigenous/native stories such as the wendigo, skinwalker, La Llorona, etc.), “creepypasta” creatures (invented monsters from digital storytelling such as Slenderman and the rake), and AI generated monsters. These manufactured beings have nothing in common with traditional cryptozoology but are becoming the best known “cryptids”.
- Overhyping of bad evidence. The “sightings” are just as bad as ever. They are either nothing, obvious hoaxes, or AI generated. There is nothing worth paying attention to here. Yet, people click because it’s fun and they really want to believe.
All those trends say something important about cryptids. I’ve gotten the message – fun cryptid are great but serious interest in the complex folklore, the socio-economic and cultural effects, and the overall phenomena of cryptid encounters is unimportant to the masses. They want the scary, cute, funny, neatly packaged and easily digested popular fluff. But there are still several followers of “scientific” cryptozoology that only want a serious zoological (or supernatural) take on this subject and get angry with a lesser, “fluffier” treatment.
My view is the same as before – there is no value in an effort to search for mystery creatures as new species. It has not been successful and it CAN’T be, considering the modern times in which we exist. New species discovered by zoologists aren’t cryptids, even if they have the occasional help of citizen scientists. The contrived methodology of Heuvelman’s cryptozoology isn’t relevant. However, I’m all for expanding the field into relevant areas of anthropology, cultural studies – folklore, art, media, socio-economic, etc., psychology, wildlife biology, data science, etc. that will provide endless opportunities to research and analyze interest in cryptids. This was my position when I first envisioned the pop cryptid model and it applies just as much as ever. It’s likely to happen on its own.
For more, content and a fuller explanation of Pop goes the Cryptid, visit the subpage.
This has been the Pop Cryptid Spectator. My work here is done. Thanks for indulging me. Keep sending links and messages.
Now back to my regular blog.
Peace out, Bigfoots#Bigfoot #cryptids #cryptidtok #Cryptozoology #Mothman #Nessie #popCryptid #PopCryptidSpectator #popCryptids #popCulture #WeirdAppalachia
-
Pop Cryptid Spectator 20
Hi and welcome to the 20th, and last, edition of PCS. In nine months, this idea has run its course because, frankly, I can’t keep up. Everything is Pop Cryptid. I’ve certainly proven my point – the term “cryptid” now means “any weird and hidden creature”. In popular culture, it is rarely referred to in the context of a scientific effort to discover new species. I mean, when the President is referred to in this context, it’s game over.
That’s not to say that I won’t be writing about such topics in the future. I’ll certainly post more and on Modern Cryptozoology. But this PCS project is tapped; I’m moving on. Before I do, there are a few more things to $ay. So here goes.
In this final edition:
- Nessie, Jr. Another cute cryptid movie
- Faking Bigfoot
- Champ at the Museum
- Mothman says, “You Matter”
- Cryptids overexposed
Nessie, Jr – Another cute cryptid movie
There’s a new movie on the way that will influence how small children think about lakes and the Loch Ness Monster. It’s called Nessie, Jr. and it appears to be another cutified cryptid depiction in the same family-friendly vein as several other past movies – Harry and the Hendersons, Smallfoot, Abominable, Pete’s Dragon, The Water Horse, Baby: Secret of a Lost Legend, etc. It’s fine. I don’t have a problem with it. It’s just so… meh.
But speaking of fiction…
Faking Bigfoot
I wrote a piece on the performance art dude who displayed a fake Bigfoot at the NY state fair as real. It really didn’t go over well with serious Bigfooters, who said this guy was “ruining” Bigfoot research. Nah, the ‘footers do that part on their own – with their awful TV shows, in-fighting, and efforts to gain attention for terrible evidence. Bigfoot hoaxes have been around since the very beginning. In fact, cryptid tales are chock-full of hoaxes to the point where you are hard-pressed to sift through the chaff to find any wheat. Yet, the hoaxes themselves are quite interesting and very much a pop cryptid phenomenon. It’s not about finding the creature, it’s mostly about hope of finding it in what we like to imagine is a world that still holds mystery. And, unfortunately, it is an awful lot about people thinking you found it and usually making bank from that. Check out this short review of a book on how the media created Nessie. By the way, I don’t know how much money this Bigfoot Remains joker pocketed from the gaff, but the gimmick has already been mostly forgotten. We’re so used to such hoaxers.
Champ at the Museum
The monster of Lake Champlain now has its own exhibit. Both Port Henry, NY and Burlington, VT have tributes to Champ as they vie for the official place of the creature. Now Burlington has another attraction besides the Champ memorial and the Lake Monsters team mascot. They have a dedicated spot in the museum. The shore-side Echo Leahy Center at Lake Champlain is perfectly situated to promote the beast. The kiddie-themed gift shop was already full of toys depicting Champ as a cute cryptid. It’s logical they would capitalize even more as well as offering an opportunity to draw kids into learning about the lake’s natural history. I haven’t seen the exhibit because it just opened, and I was there last year. But the museum follows the template of Loch Ness, and other cryptid-themed real and pop-up “museums” that draw in those interested in the topic. And they sell merch.
Do you sense a theme? I’m afraid that I’m pretty jaded on the pop cryptid theme as it relates to cashing in. But that’s the American way these days. Gosh, it’s all so predictable and boring…
Mothman says, “You Matter”
In more rather misappropriate uses of pop cryptids, Mothman is pictured on informational material regarding mental health distributed by a West Virginia police department. This seems cool but using an imaginary creature that was also known as an omen of doom seems slightly clueless. While the project director says that distributing the material at the WV State Fair has let them connect to average people, the “friendly cryptids letting them connect with kids and create conversations”. Ok, sure. But, if people know the story about how Mothman was related to one of the most tragic events in WV history, the collapse of the Silver Bridge, they might struggle with the message “You matter”. Maybe I’m overthinking it…
West Virginia leads all states in the in commodification of their town mascots, like Mothman, Sheepsquatch, Veggie Man, and the Flatwoods Monster.
Cryptids overexposed
I don’t know… it seems to me the mystery is all gone. Cryptids are everywhere. They aren’t hidden anymore. They are losing their mystique. As I’ve noted in other places, cryptids, being copyright-free, are easily adapted for use in consumer products and logos. As the pop cryptid model spreads, where cryptids are seen as fun emblems or symbols, you can bet you’ll see their use increasing.
New Mexico indoor football team reveals new name: New Mexico Chupacabras
For more on the crossover between cryptids and sports teams, see here.
Here are more cryptid related stories from the past month from my main blog:
- If I don’t believe in cryptids, why am I here? – I answer why “skeptics” (those who question claims of cryptids), are bothering with participating if they don’t think there is any truth to the claims.
- Not a mystery beast, just a dog – Two photos on social media reveal that people can’t call a dog “a dog”.
- Pop cryptid in the News: Jackalope – I updated a section from a past Pop Cryptid Spectator to address the recent news of Frankenbunnies.
- Spooky seismic lakes – Loch Ness and its monster – In a crossover of spooky geology and cryptids, I dive into the idea that some people love: that Nessie is related to seismic activity.
The pop cryptid trend would not be icky if it wasn’t for the blatant overexposure and twisting of the concepts so that the original ideas behind them are now totally lost. In a way, this is what the Bigfooters hated about the NY State fake Bigfoot. It was disconnected from their vision and version of what a cryptid is. It mocked their view. Such things disregard the impact of the rich folklore and history by appealing to the casual fan and consumer who just know the stories from comics, games, mass distribution movies and Reddit groups. I can’t help but feel these depictions for the mass market are shallow and pathetic. Many people agree. I’m not sure it’s all that different from depicting other animals in anthropomorphic, cute, or exaggerated ways. This has also always been the way of things. It just took a longer time for beloved cryptids to become familiar enough to use in this way.
Another Bigfoot action figure, this one more pointy and menacing than usual Bigfoots. The Skookum.I’ve learned a lot in the few years that I’ve been examining cryptids in this new frame. I think it’s been highly useful, even if many cryptozoology-minded viewers thought it was dumb or reacted indignantly to what seemed like a cheapening of their belief system. I apologize if you felt aggrieved but, let’s face it, it’s NOT reasonable to view traditional cryptozoology as a useful field of study. You are not going to have success finding new species that correspond to Bigfoot, Nessie, Yeti, etc. However, you have a good chance of success in marketing these creatures’ images and talking about them in cultural terms.
A current wrap-up of trends
Some of the other trends I’ve seen lately:
- The #CryptidTok trend is far quieter than it was 2 years ago. It’s still a lot of AI and people performing knowledge (which isn’t knowledge, but stuff they got from other bad videos). I’m not sure how influential this is except for low-value content creators. Maybe people are tired of hearing the same wikipedia-derived info over and over again.
- Weird Appalachia – This genre continues to grow as we see with the prevalence of West Virginia/Pennsylvania/Ohio/Kentucky cryptid content and the marketing of their location-specific monsters. The popular idea now is that the land is haunted and the eldritch creatures or spirits take the form of not-deer, dogmen, shapeshifters and such that are called “cryptids”. It’s a fun and useful idea.
- Town festivals feature speakers who spread new stories as “lore” making it sound more credible than it is. But they aren’t asking any actual folklore or cultural experts, just popular content creators, personalities or artists. This is disappointing and a missed opportunity – I hope it changes.
- The continued gap between original cryptozoology concepts and the current state of things. There is very little solid work being done that produces credible knowledge worthy to be published. Instead, self-styled cryptozoology is still self-published books, YouTube, websites, and facebook posts. This is low value stuff that gets a short bump in interest but does not last.
- Increased use in all forms of merchandising and commercial representation. This means more fiction, movies, promotion, branding, etc. using cryptids.
- Growing popularity of “fearsome creatures” (fictional beings made up as old lumberjack tales such as the squonk, slide-rock bolter, hodag, snallygaster, etc. or indigenous/native stories such as the wendigo, skinwalker, La Llorona, etc.), “creepypasta” creatures (invented monsters from digital storytelling such as Slenderman and the rake), and AI generated monsters. These manufactured beings have nothing in common with traditional cryptozoology but are becoming the best known “cryptids”.
- Overhyping of bad evidence. The “sightings” are just as bad as ever. They are either nothing, obvious hoaxes, or AI generated. There is nothing worth paying attention to here. Yet, people click because it’s fun and they really want to believe.
All those trends say something important about cryptids. I’ve gotten the message – fun cryptid are great but serious interest in the complex folklore, the socio-economic and cultural effects, and the overall phenomena of cryptid encounters is unimportant to the masses. They want the scary, cute, funny, neatly packaged and easily digested popular fluff. But there are still several followers of “scientific” cryptozoology that only want a serious zoological (or supernatural) take on this subject and get angry with a lesser, “fluffier” treatment.
My view is the same as before – there is no value in an effort to search for mystery creatures as new species. It has not been successful and it CAN’T be, considering the modern times in which we exist. New species discovered by zoologists aren’t cryptids, even if they have the occasional help of citizen scientists. The contrived methodology of Heuvelman’s cryptozoology isn’t relevant. However, I’m all for expanding the field into relevant areas of anthropology, cultural studies – folklore, art, media, socio-economic, etc., psychology, wildlife biology, data science, etc. that will provide endless opportunities to research and analyze interest in cryptids. This was my position when I first envisioned the pop cryptid model and it applies just as much as ever. It’s likely to happen on its own.
For more, content and a fuller explanation of Pop goes the Cryptid, visit the subpage.
This has been the Pop Cryptid Spectator. My work here is done. Thanks for indulging me. Keep sending links and messages.
Now back to my regular blog.
Peace out, Bigfoots#Bigfoot #cryptids #cryptidtok #Cryptozoology #Mothman #Nessie #popCryptid #PopCryptidSpectator #popCryptids #popCulture #WeirdAppalachia
-
went into the library intending to check out 1 book but of course came out with 3 #NoSelfControl
-
Many DJs didn't get to play their sets on the Sat Night of #DEFCON. I was one of those, so the next weekend I played my Saturday set on Twitch.
Here's the audio: https://mixcloud.com/djjackalope/miss-jackalope-def-con-31-is-cancelled-saturday-night-set/
Here is the video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=1fgx1ZvaznA
Twitch: twitch.tv/missjackalope
@defcon
@Defcon_Music
@DefconParrot
#defcon31 #Dc31 #jackalopearmy -
From @Defcon_Music :
THIS SATURDAY there's a party featuring some of the Artists who didn't get to play due to the Forum evac! Starts at 12:00PM PACIFIC time - all on Twitch.tv/(the artists name). Miss Jackalope starts it off at 12pm/3EDT - twitch.tv/missjackalope.Shout out to @luna.sylum and @Syntax976 for organizing this!
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THIS SATURDAY there's a party featuring some of the Artists who didn't get to play due to the Forum evac! Starts at 12:00PM PACIFIC time - all on Twitch.tv/(the artists name). Miss Jackalope starts it off at 12pm/3EDT - twitch.tv/missjackalope.
Shout out to @luna.sylum and @Syntax976 for organizing this!
-
Hihi! I just wanted to mention that the Miss Jackalope Store is huge on customer service, so please let me know (DM) if any issues come up. I'll be happy to help! <3
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Thank you, everyone for coming by this afternoon while I got to play my #DEFCON 31 Sat night set! I had a blast and I hope y'all did, too! See you at 6pm this Mon and Wed for surprise sets! Https://www.Twitch.tv/MissJackalope
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Saturday 12PM PT/ 3pm EDT I'll be playing my missed #DEFCON 31 DNB set on my weekly Twitch show! https://www.Twitch.tv/missjackalope
See ya there! @defconmusic @defcon #jackalopearmy #defcon #defcon31 #dc31@defconparrot
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DEF CON 30 Flashback! Make it through your day with my DC30 Live Set! Y'all remember the Red Stewardess... riiiighhht?
https://mixcloud.com/djjackalope/def-con-30-miss-jackalope-live-dnb-set-red-stewardess-mayhem/
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This Saturday, I'm finally playing my #DEFCON set on https://twitch.tv/MissJackalope on my regular weekly scheduled show at 12noon PT / 3PM EDT. There may be a raid train of usual suspects involved! @defcon
@Defcon_Music #dcparrot #defcon31 #dc31 #pirates #hackers #jackalopearmy -
Canonicalization Attacks occur when a protocol that feeds data into a hash function used in a Message Authentication Code (MAC) or Digital Signature calculation fails to ensure some property that’s expected of the overall protocol.
The textbook example of a canonicalization attack is the length-extension attack against hash functions such as MD5–which famously broke the security of Flickr’s API signatures.
But there’s a more interesting attack to think about, which affects the design of security token/envelope formats (PASETO, DSSE, etc.) and comes up often when folks try to extend basic notions of authenticated encryption (AE) to include additional authenticated (but unencrypted) data (thus yielding an AEAD mode).
Let’s start with a basic AE definition, then extend it to AEAD poorly, then break our extension. Afterwards, we can think about strategies for doing it better.
Turning CTR+HMAC into AEAD
Signal uses AES-CBC then HMAC-SHA2 to encrypt messages between mobile devices.
We often refer to this shape as “CBC+HMAC” (although this is a few typos away from being confused with a very different idea called CBC-MAC).
When CBC+HMAC is used with the AES block cipher with 256-bit keys and HMAC-SHA2, it becomes AES-256-CBC+HMAC-SHA256. What a mouthful!
Yuck! Who let a cryptography nerd name anything?
(Art by Lynx vs Jackalope)In modern designs, AES-CTR is often preferable to AES-CBC, since you don’t have to deal with padding (or padding oracles).
Most systems these days prefer GCM over CBC+HMAC or CTR+HMAC. I don’t like AES-GCM (especially if your use-case is “support platforms without hardware acceleration”), but it’s hardly the worst choice for most applications. AES-GCM is a dedicated AEAD mode, while CBC+HMAC and CTR+HMAC merely provide AE.
Why Does Additional Data Matter?
Art: HarubakiThe main purpose of Additional Data (the AD in AEAD) is to bind an encrypted payload (ciphertext + authentication tag) to a given context. This is extremely helpful in mitigating Confused Deputy attacks.
Critically, this additional data is not encrypted. (At least, on this level; it’s probably wise to communicate over HTTPS!)
Naive CTR+HMAC to AEAD Extension
In a normal CTR+HMAC definition, your algorithm looks something like this:
- Generate a random nonce equal to the block size of your block cipher. (16 bytes for AES.)
- Encrypt your message with AES-CTR, using the given key and IV.
- Calculate the HMAC-SHA2 output of the IV followed by the ciphertext from step 2.
- Return IV, Ciphertext, MAC.
Decryption basically runs steps 3 and 2 in reverse: Recalculate the MAC (in constant-time!), decrypt ciphertext, return plaintext.
The most obvious way to extend this design to support additional authenticated data is to append it to the ciphertext.
This yields the following updated protocol:
- Generate a random nonce equal to the block size of your block cipher. (16 bytes for AES.)
- Encrypt your message with AES-CTR, using the given key and nonce.
- Calculate the HMAC-SHA2 output of the IV followed by the ciphertext from step 2, then the additional authenticated data.
- Return IV, Ciphertext, MAC.
Suffice to say, this is not a secure construction.
The Canonicalization Attack
Let’s say you built this extended protocol to encrypt a payload that looks like a URI string, but wanted to bind the token to a given browser session, so you use the HTTP User-Agent header as the AAD.
When you generate a token, you might produce the following:
const crypto = require('crypto');function splitKey(key) { let hmac; hmac = crypto.createHmac('sha256', key); hmac.update('encrypt-key'); let Ek = hmac.digest(); hmac = crypto.createHmac('sha256', key); hmac.update('hmac-key'); let Ak = hmac.digest(); return [Ek, Ak];}function encryptWithContext(plaintext, aad, key) { let [encKey, authKey] = splitKey(key); console.log(encKey, authKey); let nonce = crypto.randomBytes(16); const aes = crypto.createCipheriv('aes-256-ctr', encKey, nonce); const ciphertext = aes.update(plaintext); aes.final(); // Pay attention to this part: const hmac = crypto.createHmac('sha256', authKey); hmac.update(nonce); hmac.update(ciphertext); hmac.update(aad); return [nonce, ciphertext, hmac.digest()];}let plaintext = [ 'expires=1630223780', 'access_group=1234', 'subject=auth-v2.example.com', 'restrictions=on'].join('&');// expires=1630223780&access_group=1234&subject=auth-v2.example.com&restrictions=on// const key = crypto.randomBytes(32);let [nonce, ciphertext, tag] = encryptWithContext(plaintext, userAgent, key);So here’s the clever attack: If you can shift bytes from the payload into the prefix of your User-Agent string, they’ll produce the same HMAC tag.
Attackers can truncate as much of the payload as they want by prepending it to the User-Agent included in their HTTP request.
You can even turn this:
expires=1630223780&access_group=1234&subject=auth-v2.example.com&restrictions=on
…into this:
expires=1630223780&access_group=1234&subject=auth-v2.example.com
…without invalidating the existing authentication tag–just by ensuring that the last 16 bytes of ciphertext are prepended to your User-Agent and removed from the payload.
More broadly, any time you have a multi-part message being fed into a hash function, if you aren’t careful with how you feed it into the hash function, you can induce trivial collisions.
See also: Iota’s Kerl hash function.
This is obviously true, because hash functions are deterministic: The same input will always produce the same output. If you can control one or more parts of a multi-part message, you can collide the input–thereby creating a collision in the output.
This can affect any protocol that depends on hash functions, but most obviously, HMAC and Digital Signature algorithms are in scope.
But what does “being careful” look like? Let’s look at a safe example.
Pre-Authentication Encoding (PAE)
Earlier I had mentioned PASETO and DSSE. They both have this notion of a “PAE” algorithm which aims to prevent canonicalization attacks.
PASETO’s definiton for PAE is as follows:
function LE64(n) { var str = ''; for (var i = 0; i < 8; ++i) { if (i === 7) { // Clear the MSB for interoperability n &= 127; } str += String.fromCharCode(n & 255); n = n >>> 8; } return str;}function PAE(pieces) { if (!Array.isArray(pieces)) { throw TypeError('Expected an array.'); } var count = pieces.length; var output = LE64(count); for (var i = 0; i < count; i++) { output += LE64(pieces[i].length); /*** Soatok Note: This JS pseudocode incorrectly assumes strings, rather than buffers. It's only meant to illustrate the idea. In real implementations, don't join Buffers with +. ***/ output += pieces[i]; } return output;}What this does (with all lengths as 64-bit unsigned integers, serialized as 8 bytes):
- Prepend the number of parts being hashed.
- For each part, first prefix its length, then its value.
This is an obvious mitigation for canonicalization attacks:
- If you feed in a different number of pieces, the count (the first 8 bytes) will differ.
- If you try to move data from one piece to another, you’ll produce different lengths for both pieces, which will not yield an input collision to the hash function.
However, it’s important that both mechanism are in play to guarantee security:
- Without the length prefixes, we’re no different than the CTR+HMAC extension we defined above.
- Without the count prefix, it’s possible to drop pieces and then include a dummy “length” in the payload of others to create an input collision.
What’s an Input Collision?
First, you need to know what a collision attack is.
Consider a hash function, H(). If you can identify any two input messages (m1, m2) such that H(m1) = H(m2), you’ve found a collision in the output of the hash function.
An input collision is dumber than that.
If m1 is constructed from multiple segments with different meanings, you don’t need an m2. Just find multiple ways (the collisions) to result in the same m1 value (the input).
That’s what we did earlier when we shifted bytes from the ciphertext to the user agent.
DSSE Leaves Me Dizzy
It should come as no surprise that I find DSSE’s definition of PAE to be somewhat bizarre.
PAE(type, body) = "DSSEv1" + SP + LEN(type) + SP + type + SP + LEN(body) + SP + body+ = concatenationSP = ASCII space [0x20]"DSSEv1" = ASCII [0x44, 0x53, 0x53, 0x45, 0x76, 0x31]LEN(s) = ASCII decimal encoding of the byte length of s, with no leading zeros
The only thing that saves them from canonicalization attacks is that the number of pieces is constant.
If the number of pieces was variable (e.g. if the
KEYIDwas optionally included in the signature, but they forgot to always include a hard-coded 0 length if it was absent), you could defeat their flavor of PAE by constructing two different messages that produce the same hash in the digital signature algorithm.This is because the number of pieces isn’t included in the DSSE definition. (If they ever support a variable number of components, and fail to include the count in the signature, they’ll be vulnerable.)
Amusingly, the rationale page for DSSE using PAE states:
- Why use PAE?
- Because we need an unambiguous way of serializing two fields, payloadType and payload. PAE is already documented and good enough. No need to reinvent the wheel.
…Yet, they didn’t actually use the “already documented and good enough” definition of PAE from PASETO.
Let’s not use DSSE’s definition.
(Art by Lynx vs Jackalope)Fixing AES-CTR+HMAC with PAE
This is pretty straightforward patch:
function encryptWithContext(plaintext, aad, key) { let [encKey, authKey] = splitKey(key); console.log(encKey, authKey); let nonce = crypto.randomBytes(16); const aes = crypto.createCipheriv('aes-256-ctr', encKey, nonce); const ciphertext = aes.update(plaintext); aes.final(); // Pay attention to this part: const hmac = crypto.createHmac('sha256', authKey);- hmac.update(nonce);- hmac.update(ciphertext);- hmac.update(aad);+ hmac.update(PAE([nonce, ciphertext, aad])); return [nonce, ciphertext, hmac.digest()]; }The only conceivable way to attack this design is to aim for an integer overflow, which will require sending at least 2^63 bytes–at which point, you’re more likely to DDoS the target than succeed.
Wrapping Up
Canonicalization Attacks broadly aren’t well-understood or widely appreciated risks with cryptography protocol design outside of specialist circles (although many application security folks are at least aware of specific instances, i.e. Length Extension).
Part of the reason for this lack of knowledge transfer is that all of the AEAD modes defend against it by design, and most artisanal authenticated encryption constructions don’t bother with additional authenticated data, and most home-made cryptography protocols don’t even authenticate their ciphertexts correctly, and …
You get the point, I hope. There’s unaddressed concerns all the way down. Expecting people who aren’t specialized experts in this specific field to get all of them right is frankly unreasonable. In practice, outside of cryptography, canonicalization either doesn’t matter or there’s something else wrong that’s far more urgent.
https://soatok.blog/2021/07/30/canonicalization-attacks-against-macs-and-signatures/
#collisionAttacks #cryptographicHashFunction #cryptography #digitalSignatureAlgorithm #DSSE #HMAC #lengthExtensionAttacks #MACs #PASETO #SecurityGuidance
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I tried out the toony art style for Citrine and...
Honestly? I LOVE this! I should try taking inspo from the toony community more often!
#furry #furryart #jackalopefurry #rabbitfurry #bunnyfurry #furryartist #toony #toonyfurry #newicon -
DJ Jackalope Live Set will Close Out Hackaday Remoticon - Remoticon is almost here, but by Saturday night it’ll be gone! The best sendoff we... - https://hackaday.com/2021/11/15/dj-jackalope-live-set-will-close-out-hackaday-remoticon/ #2021hackadayremoticon #djjackalope #cons
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Dogs were originally thought to be domesticated around 10,000 years ago but new findings have moved that back even farther an additional 5,000 years. Dog remains at a burial site in Turkey confirmed this date when researchers extracted DNA from dog jawbones and compared them to dog and wolf DNA.|
https://www.science.org/content/article/world-s-oldest-dog-identified-ancient-hunter-gatherer-site -
So Oatnom likes being cute and adorable, but he always puts on a tough front. I know what my little adorabun likes, though
• I have my own telegram art channel! (18+) https://t.me/TrevorFoxArt
• Comm form and other places to find me: http://linktr.ee/Trevor_Fox#trevor_fox_character
#jackalope #mouse #rabbit #rodent #blush_lines #male #anthro #trevor_fox #blush #sitting_on_lap #socks #kissing_cheek #furry #horns #dirty_socks #blushing_male #oatnom #nonbinary #tail #chair #dialogue -
So Oatnom likes being cute and adorable, but he always puts on a tough front. I know what my little adorabun likes, though
• I have my own telegram art channel! (18+) https://t.me/TrevorFoxArt
• Comm form and other places to find me: http://linktr.ee/Trevor_Fox#trevor_fox_character
#jackalope #mouse #rabbit #rodent #blush_lines #male #anthro #trevor_fox #blush #sitting_on_lap #socks #kissing_cheek #furry #horns #dirty_socks #blushing_male #oatnom #nonbinary #tail #chair #dialogue -
So Oatnom likes being cute and adorable, but he always puts on a tough front. I know what my little adorabun likes, though
• I have my own telegram art channel! (18+) https://t.me/TrevorFoxArt
• Comm form and other places to find me: http://linktr.ee/Trevor_Fox#trevor_fox_character
#jackalope #mouse #rabbit #rodent #blush_lines #male #anthro #trevor_fox #blush #sitting_on_lap #socks #kissing_cheek #furry #horns #dirty_socks #blushing_male #oatnom #nonbinary #tail #chair #dialogue -
So Oatnom likes being cute and adorable, but he always puts on a tough front. I know what my little adorabun likes, though
• I have my own telegram art channel! (18+) https://t.me/TrevorFoxArt
• Comm form and other places to find me: http://linktr.ee/Trevor_Fox#trevor_fox_character
#jackalope #mouse #rabbit #rodent #blush_lines #male #anthro #trevor_fox #blush #sitting_on_lap #socks #kissing_cheek #furry #horns #dirty_socks #blushing_male #oatnom #nonbinary #tail #chair #dialogue
