B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping the story of Mothman into the ol’ VCR.

Yes friends, we’re officially launching a new series here on B Movies! 

In Curated Cryptids, we’ll explore the background and lore around some of our favorite cryptids. 

I’ve always been fascinated by cryptids, and I want to kick things off with my personal favorite, Mothman. 

So grab your popcorn and gather ‘round the ol’ campfire as we discuss the story of Mothman in the inaugural edition of Curated Cryptids. 

Picture it. 

You’re trying to enjoy a night out with your partner. Maybe even doing a little smoochin’. 

When, suddenly, you see a tall, muscular creature with bright, red eyes staring at you from the side of the road. 

Frozen in fear, you watch as the creature takes to the sky. You hit the gas as it begins flying over your car, chasing you for the next several miles while you desperately try to escape. 

Well friends, that’s allegedly what happened on the night of November 15, 1966 to Steve and Mary Mallette and Roger and Linda Scarberry of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. 

However, the sightings of what would come to be known as Mothman didn’t stop there. 

For days after the Mallette’s and Scarberry’s report, other residents of Mason County reported sightings of the same creature. 

Authorities and experts tried to explain away the sightings as birds, such as cranes and herons, but things took a more sinister turn the following year. 

On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge collapsed, tragically killing 46 people. 

Now, I’m going to pause here momentarily. 

I want to make it CLEAR that I’m not trying to make light of this absolute tragedy; I’m simply recounting how the legend of Mothman came to be. 

Moving on. 

With the Mothman sightings beginning less than a year before the bridge’s collapse, and becoming more frequent leading up to the tragedy, people believed that Mothman appeared as a harbinger of doom. 

Since then, there have been alleged Mothman sightings before a myriad of global tragedies over the years, ranging from 9/11 to Fukushima. 

(Again, we’re not making light of these events) 

Mothman has also garnered quite a reputation in pop culture, the most famous instance being that of John Keel’s 1975 novel, The Mothman Prophecies, which was also made into a film adaptation of the same name in 2002.  

Additionally, Point Pleasant not only holds an annual festival in Mothman’s honor, but is home to a 12-foot statue of the creature, as well as The Mothman Museum and Reseach Center. 

Out of curiosity, I turned to Google to see if there have been any recent Mothman sightings, and it appears as though the most recent one was in Kane County, Illinois in 2024, but I couldn’t find any additional info. 

For now, the lore of Mothman remains a mystery. 

Does the creature really exist and serve as a harbinger of doom?

Is it some sort of unidentified creature just trying to survive?

Maybe we’ll never know.

But, one thing is certain—if you find yourself in Point Pleasant, West Virginia after dark, be sure to keep your eyes peeled and your wits about you.about you.