So What Happened to the Road Trips?

Many of you have been reading this blog for several years now (and for that, I say “thanks”) and have raised the question about the lack of recent “road trip” articles, especially since this blog was originally started as a means for re-telling said road trip tales. I just wanted to take a moment to reassure everyone that the Road Trip stories have NOT be discontinued and in fact will be making a strong comeback in the coming weeks.

As most of you know, the Road Trip stories were tied into a book I was working on about historic haunts in the state of Ohio. And while this book is still very much alive (and currently slotted for a 2013 release date), I have encountered numerous roadblocks. Without getting into too much detail, while I had originally assumed that the plethora of ghost reality shows would make getting into some of Ohio’s “most haunted” locations, things couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, many of these places want nothing to do with “ghost hunters”, even if they do come with references and the backing of a prominent Ohio university. Seems some of these shows have caused parts of the general public to view the paranormal field as a whole as one that is prone to, shall we say, sensationalism.

That’s not to say I was unsuccessful in my attempts to gain permission to access these buildings. Quite the contrary. It just took a lot more time, phone calls, and even conference calls with Board members, to get me inside.

So rest assured, the Road Trip articles are far from dead! In the meantime, feel free to check out my articles about strange things like funeral flags, petrified mermaids, and urban legends associated with Thomas Edison and his Telephone to the Dead. You can even swing by and vote on which Bon Jovi song you think I’m going to be “busted” by during my travels!

Did You Hear That?

Over the course of the past 6 months, people have been reporting hearing strange sounds coming from the sky. As usual, people have snatched up their camcorders and camera phones and started recording these sounds and posting them on the Web. Descriptions of the sounds by those who have heard them “live” vary widely from “metallic-like” to “a monsterous roar.” Indeed, watching some of the videos on YouTube (and there are a lot), the noise varies widely from clip to clip.

So what’s the deal with these noises? Are they for real or just an elaborate hoax? Those who believe the sounds are real are naturally tying them to the whole Mayan 2012 End of the World belief and say we are officially entering the End of Days. Another group of conspiracy buffs think the sounds are the result of governments around the world drilling to create secret underground bunkers.

Skeptics, however, say the videos are nothing more than the result of some people with too much time on their hands. There’s also another group of people who believe that the videos, while fake, were pieced together by a movie studio looking to create some sort of viral buzz about an upcoming movie. In this case, Cloverfield 2 and a remake of Godzilla are usually fingered as being the likely culprits (Pacific Rim is also occasionally mentioned).

Most believe that the first reported sound came from a video taken on August 11, 2011 in Kiev.

Indeed, if you listen to a bunch of these videos, you will start to hear the audio from the Kiev clip being used to create a fake. To see (and hear) for yourself, here’s a video compilation of all these alleged “noises”. If you watch closely, you’ll also notice such odd things as green grass and leaves from a video said to have been taken in January in Canada. Of course, this is the kind of stuff the skeptics out there use to dismiss all the sounds in one fell swoop.

Now if you’re worried about getting onto YouTube to watch these videos and falling down the rabbit hole as you continue to click away, take heart. An entire website dedicated to the phenomena, Strange Sounds in the Sky, has popped up, allowing you to click away without the fear of ending up watching some Elmo on the Moon video YouTube suggested to you for no apparent reason (which is exactly what happened to me).

Those of you out there thinking this is just a one-off, you’re wrong. This thing has started spreading like wildfire. How do I know? Easy. The YouTube parody videos have already begun!

So what do you think of these noises/videos? Are they real? Are we really nearing the End of Days or have we fallen victim to some sort of viral marketing? And perhaps the biggest question of all: how is it possible for Elmo to dance on the moon? Shouldn’t he be weightless?

More as it develops!

Live Interview on Fox Cities Paranormal Radio

I will be a guest on Fox Cities Paranormal Radio on Thursday, February 16th, 2012. Go here to listen live or to the archives after the show has aired. And if you want to get really crazy, feel free to call in and harass me during the show!

My Strange And Spooky Christmas

I know, the holidays are long over. And yet, one of the questions I still continue to be asked is “so, what did you get for Christmas?” Apparently, the word on the street is that I’m really hard to buy presents for. I don’t see it, but I guess when you’re known as the “weird” guy and your house is filled with things like Bigfoot casts, “haunted” relics, and carnival sideshow leftovers, people might be a bit intimidated when it comes to picking you out the perfect present.

So with that in mind, I thought I’d share some (but not all) of my top presents from Christmas of 2011. Enjoy!

Vintage Bee Smoker

Many people don’t know this, but I come from a line of Bee Smokers (although, in the case of my father, he just chain smoked a bunch of Camels and burned the bees to death with a propane torch). So this year, after growing weary of hearing me complain about finding yet another hornet’s nest in the yard, Steph decided to kick it old school and get me an antique bee smoker. How cool is that!?
It still works, although I’ve yet to give it the official Bee Test. Worst case scenario, I chuck the smoker at the nest and fire up the propane torch.

Fitzroy Storm Glass

Believe it or not, I actually asked for this! I don’t know about you, but I’m convinced that Columbus, Ohio is home to the most incompetent weathermen the world has to offer. It just seems to me that when they’re not trying to dazzle us with 3-D graphics or scaring the hell out of everyone because that dusting of snow will eventually turn into black ice, causing your car to crash, your prostate to enlarge, and the letter “K” to disappear from the alphabet, they just sit around and guess at the weather…and then blame a “front” for stalling out when they’re wrong. It got to the point where I decided it would be better to guess what the weather would be rather than trust Columbus weathermen. And then I found this little gem: a Fitzroy Storm Glass. It’s supposed to be able to predict the weather just by sitting quietly on your shelf.

Allegedly designed by Admiral Robert Fitzroy (and first used by him on his voyage with Charles Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle), the fluid inside the glass is composed of several ingredients that are said to react based on atmospheric changes. But basically, you just sit this thing down and watch it. Based on the impending weather, the fluid inside will become cloudy and/or the goop inside will take on different shapes, predicting everything from wind and rain to snow.

Studies done on the Glass state that any correct predictions the Glass makes are merely the result of “random probability”, immediately making it about as accurate as any known Columbus weather person!

Flyers Gnome

So what do you get the die-hard Philly fan who has everything? Why, a Flyers garden gnome, of course!

Other than it being a gift from my brother- and sister-in-law, I don’t know much else about this little guy. He’s clearly from Philly, though, so I’m guessing he likes to boo Santa Claus, get tased, throw batteries at babies, and kick lonely puppies. I’m pretty sure he’s the guy who chucked that hot dog at Tiger Woods, too.

Prison Skeleton

How cool is this guy? And check this out; he’s jointed, too, which means he can hang out and guard my ghost book collection, delivering stunning roundhouse kicks to anyone who tries to abscond with one of my books! Best of all, it was a gift from my Mother-in-Law who, as I opened this present and smiled, was heard to remark “well, it took a while, but we finally figured out what Jim likes!”

Casper and the Demon of Darkness

As a child, I couldn’t get enough of these Book-and-Record deals. You know, the ones where you’d put the record on and then follow along in the book as the narrator read? And just in case you weren’t sure when to turn the page, there was that annoying “ding” noise to alert you? Man, I loved these things! In particular, the Troll Records series of ghost stories. But really, if it was ghostly, I had to have it! So imagine my delight when I opened this present from Steph: the 1970s classic, Casper and the Demon of Darkness.

In this tale, it’s Halloween Eve and Casper and his friend, Wendy the Good Little Witch, are planning a happy little party, much to the chagrin of the Ghostly Trio—Fusso, Lazo, and Fatso (yes, I said “Fatso”). When Casper and Wendy leave to go prepare for the party, the Ghostly Trio decides to fly on down to the Spooky Swamp and summon up all the scary spirits they can find. This paranormal posse then creeps from house to house, scaring everyone along the way, eventually finding themselves at the front door of the Witch Sisters. Annoyed that someone is trying to scare them, the Witch Sisters decide to turn the tables by conjuring up the Demon of Darkness.

To be honest, this story really is as dark and twisted as it sounds. In fact, even as an adult, I found some of the sound effects, especially those associated with the Demon of Darkness, to be quite creepy. Granted, the ending is kind of lame. Still, what a great way to pretend I was a kid again, complete with all the skips, clicks, and pops that only good old-fashioned vinyl records can give you!

Nightmare Art Exhibit Invitation

I’m a huge Tim Burton fan, so it probably goes without saying that The Nightmare Before Christmas ranks up there as one of my all-time favorite movies. But even though there is more than enough Nightmare merchandise out there, I rarely buy it. Simply put, most of it is geared towards the teenage Goth segment, which makes me feel…well, old.

Once again, Steph comes through as she managed to track down this simple, yet oh-so-cool piece. It’s an invitation to a special gallery showing of some of the original artwork from The Nightmare Before Christmas. The neat thing is that the invitation is from 1993–October 31st, to be exact.

So there you have it; some of my favorite gifts from Christmas. Hope you guys got all the weird stuff you wanted, too. If you did, feel free to share and send me a couple of pictures of your haul!

Haunted Indiana is Coming!

Look! It’s a brand new book written by yours truly!

It doesn’t hit stores until March 1st, 2012, but you can pre-order your very own copy here.

Brand New Year, Same Old Obsession

Every January, I make it a point to sit down and come up with a list of new things I want to try to experience in the coming year. As always, most of what I end up writing down has to do with ghosts and the usual assortment of weird things. Case in point, I am totally excited that in 2012, The Ghosts of Ohio will be engaging in a whole slew of experiments related to proving or disproving the validity of such old-school means of contacting the other side as séances, mirror gazing, and ITC. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. And I was only able to make it 3 whole days into 2012 before my latest bit of Boy with the Boot memorabilia made its way into my house.

For those of you who are not aware, a large portion of my Strange and Spooky Museum is devoted to the Boy with the Boot—a small, enigmatic statue in Sandusky, Ohio that I first stumbled upon in 2004 during the writing of Weird Ohio. Not knowing anything about the statue, I started asking people about it. Thus began an obsession that has continued to this day.

Tag on bottom says this is from the "Catherine Karnes Munn Collection"

My obsession was fueled by the fact that the statue in Sandusky was not the only one in existence. In fact, there are Boy with the Boot statues all over the world. There’s even a tavern in the UK named after their statue, although there the statue is referred to as the Boy with the Leaking Boot. Strangest of all, however, is the fact that no one has been able to fully explain the significance of the statue, the meaning behind its creation, or who even created it in the first place. But that hasn’t stopped the statue from appearing on everything from postcards and t-shirts to thimbles and cross stitch patterns. And I MUST have it all…but I don’t know why!

My latest acquisition is a pair of identical plates featuring the Sandusky version of the statue. They appear to be very old, but lack any sort of identifying marks, so I can’t seem to place them. But they’re still cool!

Know any inside information on a Boy with the Boot statue?  Got any memorabilia you’re looking to unload? Let me know! In the meantime, if you’re looking for more information on the Boy with the Boot, check out these links:

Wikipedia entry: The Boy with the Leaking Boot

Roadside America: The Boy and the Boot

Random Strange & Spooky Image: Ghostbusters Ghostpopper

Easily one of the neatest Christmas gifts I received this year; a vintage 80s Ghostbusters Ghostpopper. The fact that my co-worker, David, found it in the attic of his family home and didn’t know who its original owner was makes it even cooler!

I admit that while I was (and still am) a huge fan of the original Ghostbusters movie (II is still growing on me) , I was a little too old for these toys when they first came out. So I was unsure as to what type of ghost one would “bust” with a Ghostpopper.

Turning to the ever-faithful YouTube, I was able to track down this commercial which, while not fully explaining the ghosts my Ghostpopper worked against, made me happy David hadn’t found a Proton Pack in the attic. I for one am far too intimidated by the phallic-looking nature of that thing to ever consider whipping it out on an investigation!

Prepping For The Lima Lantern Tours

Well, it’s that time of year again; the weather turns colder, the leaves start falling, and everyone’s thoughts turn to things that go bump in the night. That can only mean one thing–I’m getting ready to take part in the annual Lima Lantern Tours!

Every October, I am usually asked to participate in several walking/ghost tours. And while some of them mark return visits for me and others are first time endeavors, the one that I always look forward to the most is the Lima Lantern Tours. Most people think that’s because of the tour’s truly unique way of dragging guests down the main streets of Lima in a horse-drawn carriage. And while I’ll be the first to admit that the horses are a huge part of it, for me, the best thing about these tours is it allows me to help create a special moment in time for some of the guests, all because of something I did on a whim.

Back in 2009, while I was attending my first Lantern Tour, I was just hanging out in the back of the carriage with the guests. Since it was my first time on the Tour, I wasn’t actually sure what was expected of me. When we arrived at the Ohio Theatre, the carriage stopped and we were all allowed to go inside. As we were standing in the lobby and the tour guide was talking about the reported hauntings, I instinctively reached into my bag and pulled out an EMF meter. I saw some of the guests look at me kind of strange, so I began explaining to everyone why ghost researchers use EMFs on investigations. Off to my right, there was a young girl, no older than 9 or 10, who just kept staring at the EMF in my hand. Without thinking, I handed it to her and said “here, give it a try.” And boy, did her face light up! She grabbed the device and immediately started scanning the walls, the floor, and, of course, her family and friends! Others in the group looked on, with perhaps a hint of jealousy in their eyes. Before long, I was digging into my bag, dispensing EMFs, ELFs, and IR thermometers to the crowd.

I allowed everyone to keep the devices for the remainder of the evening. Provided, of course, they shared them with the group. At the end of the tour, everyone thanked me and said that they had been dying to use “ghost” equipment ever since they had seen them on television. Even the young girl admitted to me that once she saw her first episode of Ghost Hunters, she wanted to try out an EMF for herself. She said that I made her night. And in saying that, she made mine.

Every year since then, I make sure to pack plenty of handheld devices to take on the Lantern Tours. Recently, I bring so much that I must have a member of The Ghosts of Ohio, usually Darrin or Steph, drag along a big ol’ duffel bag full of stuff to hand out. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t think I will ever get tired of seeing the look on someone’s face, young or old, when I had them a piece of ghost-hunting equipment and they hold it in their hands for the first time. It’s priceless.

Tickets for the Lima Lantern Tours sell out quickly every year, but you can purchase them here.  Hope to see you all out there! I’ll be the one hanging on the back of the carriage with a big duffel bag!

Note the big bag of equipment Ghosts of Ohio member, Darrin Boop, has draped across his chest!

The Ghosts of Ohio T-Shirt Contest!

It’s that time of year again: I’m gearing up to hit the road with The Ghosts of Ohio on our fall tour—giving presentations and making appearances all across the state. If you’re planning on coming out to one of our gatherings, don’t forget to bring along your camera. That’s because all you need to do is snap a photo of The Ghosts of Ohio and you might win a limited-edition shirt!

To enter, here’s all you need to do:
• Come on out and see The Ghosts of Ohio at any of their fall presentations and appearances (visit ghostsofohio.org for a full list of dates and times).

• Take some pictures of The Ghosts of Ohio. These can be posed or action shots. Heck, we don’t even need to be in the picture—snap a shot of our booth or logo. Be as creative as you want! Just please don’t go hunting us down in our hotel rooms!

• Go to The Ghosts Of Ohio’s Facebook page and “like” us:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ghosts-of-Ohio/60704381381

• Upload your photos to The Ghosts of Ohio’s Facebook Wall, making sure to name the event in the caption and, above all, tag yourself in the photo to ensure we know it’s yours!

• You can post as many photos as you’d like, but only 5 photos per venue/appearance will be entered in the contest.

• Cross your fingers that you are one of the 5 lucky winners chosen at random to receive your very own limited-edition “I see people who see dead people” shirt!

And now for all the fun disclaimer stuff: Contest opens at 12:01 am on Monday, October 3, 2011, and closes at 12:01 am on Monday, November 7, 2011. Winners will be chosen at random on Saturday, November 12, 2011, and their names posted the week of November 14, 2011. Shirts will be mailed out at that time.

Any questions? Send them to info@ghostsofohio.org.

THE GHOSTS OF OHIO 2011 SCHEDULED APPEARANCES
Unless otherwise noted (by a $ symbol), all presentations are free and open to the general public. Seating is often limited, so please call the venue beforehand to reserve your seats.

Saturday, October 8th, 2011
Rotary Ghost Walk: Tales and Tombstones $
Bowling Green, OH
http://www.woodcountyhistory.org/pr_halloween.html

Saturday, October 14th, 2011
Dinner & Spirits with The Ghosts of Ohio $
Michael Anthony’s at the Inn of Versailles
Versailles, OH
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-Anthonys-at-the-Inn-of-Versailles/113263002025635

Saturday, October 15th, 2011
Delaware Ghost Walk 2011 $
Delaware, OH
http://www.delawarenna.org/ghostwalk2011.html

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011
Meet The Ghosts of Ohio presentation
Marion Public Library: Main Library
Marion, OH
http://www.marion.lib.oh.us/

Friday & Saturday, October 21st & 22nd, 2011
Lima Lantern Tours $
Lima, OH
http://www.limalanterntour.com/

Saturday, October 29th, 2011
The Strange & Spooky World of James A. Willis presentation $
Riverbend Recreational Area: Brugeman Lodge
Findlay, OH
http://hancockparks.com/

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
Just How Weird is Ohio presentation
Southern State Community College: South Campus
Sardenia, OH
http://www.sscc.edu/visitors/news/2011/september/2011-fall-quarter-events-south-campus.html

Random Strange & Spooky Image: Mothman Plush Toy

Those of you who have been around me for any length of time know that I am obsessed with the whole idea of Mothman–the bizarre winged creature who is said to have terrorized the town of Pt. Pleasant, West Virginia back in the late 1960s. Some say the creature never left the area and can still be found lurking the countryside, especially out in the woods around what is now known as the TNT Area. So naturally, when I moved to Ohio in 1999, one of the places that was high on my list of locations I have to visit was Pt. Pleasant. In late 2002, long before the annual Mothman Festival had grown to the wonderful spectacle that it is today (even before the unveiling of the Mothman Statue in the center of town), I crossed over the Ohio River and ventured into the sleepy town of Pt. Pleasant.

My first stop was to be Criminal Records, a local record store owned by Jeff Wamsley, which was supposed to be filled with lots of Mothman memorabilia. Sadly, the store was closed when I got there, so I never got the chance to see what was on display there. Oddly enough, years later, I would be contacted by Jeff and asked to speak at the annual Mothman Festival. And while I was sad when I showed up and found that Criminal Records was no more, I was quite excited to find that Jeff had turned his collection of Mothman memorabilia into a full-blown Mothman Museum.

On that particular day, though, there was no memorabilia to be found. There were a few stores that were still open, but there was nothing Mothman-related anywhere (which is quite surprising because today, every store on the main strip has a wide selection). Feeling rather dejected, I decided to stop in at the Harris Steak House to take a few pictures since it had been featured in the Mothman Prophecies movies that had just been released. Peeking inside, I noticed a few Mothman t-shirts hanging on the wall behind a woman sitting quietly at the counter. I walked in and immediately saw this Mothman plush toy and quickly snatched it up. I haven’t seen another one like it since! Right after paying for it (along with several shirts), I placed him on Ol’ Blue’s dashboard and let him lead the way out to the TNT Area.

Acquired in late 2002. Purchased from the famous Harris Steak House before heading out to check out the TNT area.

Looking back, while I must admit that I had no idea who she was at the time, the woman who waited on me was none other than Carolin Harris herself! Today, I’ve not only had the opportunity to speak with her at several Mothman Festivals I’ve attended (and spoke at) over the years, but I even had the unique opportunity to be part of one of Ms. Harris’ evening tours through the TNT area.

As for the plush toy himself, how old he is remains a mystery. A search on the Internet proved fruitless, although versions of him pop up on a few web sites, including Roadside America. No information about the plush is given, however. The tag attached to him reads simply “Mothman / Made especially for Point Pleasant, WV / www.moth-man.com”. The web site no longer exists.

Every year that I’ve spoken at the Mothman Festival, I have taken the plush down off my shelf with the intent of showing it to Jeff Wamsley and asking him if he knows anything about it. And every year, I forget it when I’m packing. Maybe this year, I’ll remember. But if you have any information you can shed on this little guy, drop me a line. I’m all ears!

Until then, here’s some links to more information about the whole Mothman mythos, including Jeff Wamsley’s Mothman Museum, as well as dates for this year’s Mothman Festival. Oh yeah, and if you happen to visit the Museum and bump into Jeff, be sure to tell him that Weird Willis sent you!

Mothman Museum

Mothman Lives!

Annual Mothman Festival