Every cryptid fan has a first love. For some, it's the Loch Ness Monster or the Chupacabra. Others may pick a favorite based on where they grew up — for example, Wisconsin has the Beast of Bray Road, Virginia has The Bunnyman, and New Jersey has its Devil.
Matthew Schang started with a classic cryptid, the ever-elusive Bigfoot.
"So initially it was my mother's obsession and interest in Bigfoot," he tells Pittsburgh City Paper. "When I was really young, I used to go to my grandmother's house and print out little facts about different cryptids, and I would hand them out to people and see if I could make any friends."
That interest stuck with Schang into adulthood — he now co-hosts Mothboys, a podcast started five years ago with his brother, Michael Strayer, and friend Jake Haskin. Loosely named after the Mothman, a famed, possibly portentous cryptid associated with Point Pleasant, W. Va., Mothboys is described as covering "Cryptids, Conspiracies, and the Unknown."
Schang also launched Cryptid Bash, a festival for anyone with a taste for dogmen, lake monsters, forest freaks, and other creatures that defy explanation.
This year, Cryptid Bash will take place on Sat., Aug. 17 at Helltown Brewing in the Strip District. The event will feature live music, a vendor market, and a "cryptid costume contest" with a cash prize.
"This year is the fourth year, and we usually hold it in West Virginia, but I figured that the rest of Appalachia needs to have some of that weird cryptid love," Schang says.
Schang expresses his love for Pittsburgh, a city where lived in for "many years" before relocating to his current home in New York. While Pittsburgh lacks a notable cryptid (to be fair, Pennsylvania has a whole list of them, including the weepy Squonk), Schang notes that the city has plenty of paranormal clout, from being situated in the notoriously spooky Appalachian region to boasting Stan Gordon, a local man who dedicated his life to studying the unexplained.
Schang points out that the Pittsburgh region has also seen reports of "mystery lights and orbs and UFOs and Thunderbirds."
"I think there's a lot happening in Pittsburgh and in the surrounding area, but not enough people are looking up to see it," he says.
The live music lineup at Cryptid Bash will showcase local acts Edhochuli, Lexa Terrestrial, Natural Rat, Morning Dew, and Frog Legs, as well as J. Hatfield out of West Virginia. In addition to over 30 vendors selling cryptid-themed merch, the market also includes representatives from The American Snallygaster Museum, described on its website as seeking "to discuss and exhibit the folklore and history of Western Maryland," including its dragon-like cryptid namesake.
"I love the cryptid community because it's just filled with beautiful, strange people," says Schang. "With all these great art vendors and this wonderful music lineup, I have no doubt in my mind that this will be a success."
Cryptid Bash 4. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., Aug. 17. Helltown Brewing. 1700 Penn Ave., Strip District. Free. facebook.com/HelltownTaproomStripDistrict
Bigfoot and Mothman and monsters, oh my! Cryptid Bash skulks into Pittsburgh
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