Join Emily Zarka, Ph.D. on a journey to discover humans’ unique drive to create and shape monster mythology through oral storytelling, literature and film.
Curated by: Storied (119 videos)
In 1973, a strange creature reportedly terrorized the small town of Enfield, Illinois. Henry McDaniel claimed he encountered a bizarre, three-legged monster outside his home—and the story quickly became a national sensation. But when sociologists investigated, they discovered something stranger than a monster: how rumors become legends. 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 Creative Director: David Schulte Executive Producer: Amanda Fox Executive Producer: Dr. Emily Zarka Producer: Thomas Fernandes Editor/Animator: P.W. Shelton Illustrator: Samuel Allan Executive in Charge (PBS): Maribel Lopez Director of Programming (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing Assistant Director of Programming (PBS): John Campbell 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 Aaron, Joe. “No More Monster reports from Henry.” Budd, Deena West. The Weiser Field Guide to Cryptozoology: Werewolves, Dragons, Skyfish, Lizard Men, and Other Fascinating Creatures Real and Mysterious. Red Wheel/Weiser, 2010. Clark, Jerome, and Loren Coleman. “Swamp Slobs Invade.” Fate, July 1974. “Folks Don’t Believe in Henry’s Monster.” The Monitor, July 22, 1973. Miller, David L., Kenneth J. Mietus, and Richard A. Mathers. "A critical examination of the social contagion image of collective behavior: The case of the Enfield monster." The Sociological Quarterly, vol. 19, no. 1, 1978, pp. 129-140. Miller, David L. Introduction to Collective Behavior and Collective Action: Third Edition. Waveland Press, 2013. Ocker, J. W. The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters. UniteQuirk Books, 2022. Offutt, Jason. Chasing American Monsters: Over 250 Creatures, Cryptids & Hairy Beasts. Llewellyn Publications, 2019.