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Currently Playing: How The Internet Created Its Own Viral Monster | Monstrum

A grainy 2007 video from Fresno, California, sparked an internet phenomenon—the Fresno Nightcrawlers. From cryptid lore to viral fame, this video explores how a 20-second clip turned into a legend, inspiring countless theories, debates, and even adorable merchandise. For audio descriptions, go to Settings - Audio Track - English Descriptive. ***** PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateStoried ***** Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka Director: David Schulte Executive Producer: Amanda Fox Executive Producer: Dr. Emily Zarka Producer: Thomas Fernandes Editor/Animator: Ben Harrison Illustrator: Samuel Allan Executive in Charge (PBS): Maribel Lopez Director of Programming (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing Additional Footage: Shutterstock Music: APM Music Descriptive Audio & Captions provided by The Described and Captioned Media Program Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monstrumpbs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bibliography DeMello, Margo. Bigfoot to Mothman: A Global Encyclopedia of Legendary Beasts and Monsters. United Kingdom, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024. Galan, Fernanda. “Cryptid fans are in love with this ‘funky little dude.’ What is the Fresno Nightcrawler?” Fresno Bee, 15 Oct. 2024. Hanks, Michele. “Haunted Objects: English Paranormal Investigation and the Material Mediation of Doubt.” Nova Religio 22, no. 4 (2019): 60–74. Hemmerlein, Sandi. “Reptile Men, Winged Demons and More: Discover 10 Legendary SoCal ‘Monsters.’” PBS SoCal, 28 Oct. 2022. Holmes, Helen. The Materiality of Nothing: Exploring Our Everyday Relationships with Objects Absent and Present, Taylor & Francis Group, 2023. Puglia, David J. “The (Mostly) Unseen World of Cryptids: Legendary Monsters in North America.” Humanities (Basel) 13, no. 1 (2023), pp. 1-15. “Strange creature reported in Carmel area.” The Highland County Press, 19 Dec. 2014.