In the first half, D.A. Roberts, author of the Apex Predators book series, joined Richard Syrett (Twitter) to discuss cryptozoology, Bigfoot, and other mysteries—and how they figure into his fiction. He told the story of how, when he was a young boy, his Native American uncle encouraged him to explore the world of cryptids by sharing his own story of encounters with Bigfoot. Variations of Bigfoot, Roberts went on, are in fact found in the legends of virtually every Native American tribe in North America, and predate the arrival of Europeans on the continent.
Roberts also talked about dogmen—humanlike creatures with the head of a dog—which, he noted, appear throughout history in sources as diverse as Greek mythology, the documents of Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus, and sightings reported by early French trappers in the Land Between the Lakes area of Southwestern Kentucky. Typical accounts of encounters with dogmen, which come from around the world, describe them as "hellish" and dangerous creatures known to be aggressive toward people.
When asked about cryptids in his fiction, Roberts related that his extensive research leaves him spooked at times, causing him to take extended breaks between periods of writing. "I do get emotionally invested," he said.
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Paranormal researcher Steve E. Asher shared his research on weird and mysterious Kentucky tales. He cited chapters from his latest book, More Curious Counties from Kentucky, which continues his exploration into the high strangeness across the commonwealth. Asher speculated that Kentucky's rich history of folklore and legends comes from the numerous groups of people that have settled it over time.
Examples of the unusual and paranormal activity found in Kentucky include the "frogmen" of Trimble County, strange creatures that communicated through hisses and clicks. The people of Rockcastle County, on the other hand, claim that they are visited once a year by the Devil, who tries to lure them to the land of the dead. According to a gruesome legend out of Todd County, local resident Frank Millen was driven by mysterious voices to murder several members of his family. And in Pike County, accounts of banshees, hell hounds, and other creatures abound—as well as unexplainable orbs of light that float in formation. More recently, Asher said, during the disastrous tornado that swept through parts of the commonwealth, angels of different types allegedly warned residents of the impending destruction.