Centre for Fortean Zoology

Last updated

Centre for Fortean Zoology
Myrtlecot.jpg
AbbreviationCFZ
Formation1992
Type Nonprofit organization
Headquarters Woolfardisworthy, North Devon
Region served
Worldwide
Director
Jonathan Downes
Website Centre for Fortean Zoology

The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) is an organisation dedicated to cryptozoology and allied disciplines. According to the CFZ, it is a non-profit organisation founded in 1992 by Jonathan Downes, and its honorary life president is the British explorer John Blashford-Snell. [1] [2]

Contents

Fortean zoology

According to the CFZ, its primary focus involves unknown animals or cryptozoology, but they also examine unusual and aberrant animal behavior, animal mutilations, animal colour variants, teratology, animal folklore, classic Fortean subjects as creature falls (fafrotskies), and vampire/werewolf reports. [3] [4]

Expeditions

CFZ members have carried out expeditions in the UK, including the Lake District, [5] as well as foreign locations such as The Gambia (2006) [6] and Tasmania. [7]

Wwlogo.jpg

Weird Weekend

From 2000 to 2016, the CFZ promoted an annual conference called The Weird Weekend. [8] [9]

CFZ Press logo CFZ Press logo.jpg
CFZ Press logo

Appearances in media

Related Research Articles

Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience and subculture that aims to prove the existence of entities from the folklore record, such as Bigfoot, the chupacabra, or the Mokele-mbembe. Cryptozoologists refer to these entities as cryptids, a term coined by the subculture. Because it does not follow the scientific method, cryptozoology is considered a pseudoscience by mainstream science: it is neither a branch of zoology nor folklore studies. It was originally founded in the 1950s by zoologists Bernard Heuvelmans and Ivan T. Sanderson.

Penn & Teller American illusionists and entertainers

Penn & Teller, Penn Jillette and Teller, are American magicians, entertainers, and scientific skeptics who have performed together since the late 1970s. They are noted for their ongoing act that combines elements of comedy with magic.

Penn Jillette American magician

Penn Fraser Jillette is an American magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller. The duo has been featured in numerous stage and television shows, such as Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, and is currently headlining in Las Vegas at The Rio. Jillette serves as the act's orator and raconteur.

Karl Shuker is a British zoologist, cryptozoologist and author. He lives in the Midlands, England, where he works as a zoological consultant and writer. A columnist in Fortean Times and contributor to various magazines, Shuker is also the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cryptozoology, which began in November 2012.

<i>Penn & Teller: Bullshit!</i> Television series

Penn & Teller: Bullshit! is an American documentary television series that aired from 2003 to 2010 on the premium cable channel Showtime.

Loren Coleman is an American cryptozoologist who has written over 40 books on a number of topics, including the pseudoscience and subculture of cryptozoology.

The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a non-profit, fat acceptance civil-rights organization in the United States dedicated to improving the quality of life for the obese. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.

Teller (magician) American magician

Teller is an American magician, illusionist, writer, actor, painter, and film director. He is half of the comedy magic duo Penn & Teller, along with Penn Jillette. Teller usually does not speak during performances. Teller is a fellow of the Cato Institute, an organization which is featured prominently in the duo's Showtime series Bullshit!. Teller legally changed his name from "Raymond Joseph Teller" to the mononym "Teller".

Nick Redfern

Nicholas Redfern is a British best-selling author, journalist, cryptozoologist and ufologist.

Anh Do Vietnamese-born Australian author, actor and comedian

Anh Do is a Vietnamese-born Australian author, actor, comedian, and painter. He has appeared on Australian TV shows such as Thank God You're Here and Good News Week, and was runner-up on Dancing with the Stars in 2007. He studied a combined Business Law degree at the University of Technology, Sydney. He is the brother of film director Khoa Do and has acted in several of Khoa's films, including Footy Legends, which he co-wrote and produced. In 2012, his TV show Anh Does Vietnam began airing. He was three times a finalist in the Archibald Prize. Since 2016, Do has hosted Anh's Brush with Fame on ABC TV in which he concurrently interviews and paints a portrait of prominent Australians.

"The Biggest Douche in the Universe" is the 15th episode of the sixth season of the American animated series South Park, and the 94th episode of the series overall. It was first broadcast on Comedy Central on November 27, 2002, and was the last in a mini-arc depicting Cartman being occasionally possessed by Kenny. The episode is centered on Liane Cartman and Chef attempting to exorcise Kenny's soul while Stan deals with trying to debunk self-proclaimed psychic John Edward, whom the entire crew of South Park Studios agreed to be "the biggest douche in the universe."

Richard Freeman (cryptozoologist)

Richard Freeman is a cryptozoologist, author, zoological journalist, and WebTV Presenter. He is also the zoological director of the Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ), and co-edits both the journal, Animals & Men and several editions of the annual CFZ Yearbook. Freeman has written, co-written, or edited a number of books, and has contributed widely to both Fortean and zoological magazines, as well as other newspapers and periodicals, including Fortean Times and Paranormal Magazine.

Rosemary Altea is a British author who describes herself as a medium and healer. She has appeared on various programs, including Larry King Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and featured in the series premiere of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! alongside mentalist Mark Edward. She has written six books and claims to have a "healing foundation".

Michael Carey Goudeau is a juggler and an ex-circus clown who graduated from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. He is a writer and was an executive producer for the Showtime series Penn & Teller: Bullshit!.

<i>Penn & Teller: Fool Us</i> Television series

Penn & Teller: Fool Us is a magic competition television program in which magicians perform tricks in front of American magician-comedian duo Penn & Teller. Its first two seasons were hosted by Jonathan Ross, and the third season onwards by Alyson Hannigan. Fool Us was filmed at Fountain Studios in London, England and the Penn & Teller Theater in Las Vegas. After each performance, if Penn & Teller cannot figure out how a trick was done, the magician(s) who performed it win a Fool Us trophy and a five-star trip to Las Vegas to perform as the opening act in Penn & Teller's show, also at the Rio Hotel & Casino.

References

  1. About the CFZ http://www.cfz.org.uk/admin/index.htm
  2. History of the CFZ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2008-01-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Downes, J. The Owlman and Others (CFZ Press, Exeter, 1997)
  4. Downes, J. The smaller mystery carnivores of the Westcountry (CFZ Press, Exeter, 1996)
  5. "Waking up from a Dream". John Ronson on... Season 3. Episode 2. 5 June 2007.
  6. Rice, Xan (24 July 2006). "'Killer dragon' eludes Fortean team". The Guardian. pp. 17, International News Section.
  7. Shannon, Lucy. "Fresh bid to find Tasmanian tiger". ABC Australia. abc.net.au. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  8. Downes, John (2016). "The Weird Weekend [2000-2016]". Weird Weekend. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018.
  9. Salusbury, Matt. "Weird Weekend 2007". forteantimes.com. Fortean Times. Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  10. "Showtime: Penn & Teller: Bullshit! Season 4 Episode 1". Archived from the original on 2012-09-09. Retrieved 23 May 2011.