Strange Creatures

Founding father Benjamin Franklin is partially to blame for the legend of the Jersey Devil. Here's the strange story of this folklore beast.

By Mark Mancini

"Cryptids" are animals whose existence is unproven, but we sure do love to believe in them.

By Mark Mancini

Legend says that jackalopes roam the plains of Wyoming and even like to sing campfire songs. How much truth is there to this mythical creature?

By Mark Mancini

Does everyone's favorite Wookiee call Bigfoot family?

By Robert Lamb

Are these just different names for the same beast or are there subtle differences? We talk with the owner of a Bigfoot museum who's had a close encounter.

By Nathan Chandler

Skinwalkers blur the line between human and beast. They're shape-shifting magical beings that belong to the Navajo spirit world. But how does one become a skinwalker?

By Robert Lamb

How much sci is in your fi? We’re taking a look at physics, biology and everything in between through the lens of monster cinema. You know, all the stuff you'd need to know as a mad scientist's lab assistant. Mwah-ha-ha.

By Mark Mancini

Fire will turn a human's teeth to dust. But what about a dragon's?

By Robert Lamb

Would they be a mating display? A fierce weapon to defend against lions?

By Robert Lamb

Some of us really hope the yeti is a giant snow ape, but new research finds it's just bears out there in the Himalayas.

By Jesslyn Shields

More than 1,000 people have gone missing from U.S. national parks. Are there reasonable explanations or is there something more sinister at work?

By Diana Brown

Dragon fire is an awe-inspiring thing, but exactly how would it happen? Real-world clues from nature point the way.

By Laurie L. Dove

One pursuer of the towering, hairy cryptid actually has figured out how to make a decent full-time job out of it. Here's how.

By Patrick J. Kiger

They weren't always the sparkling, smiling G-rated creatures that they are today.

By Julia Layton

The undead are frightening, brain-hungry monsters, lumbering toward their victims with great purpose. But wait. Can they even digest brains?

By Nathan Chandler

She's a Disney princess, a Starbucks Coffee logo and a metaphor for transformation. Occasionally, she's even "photographed." Why are humans so fascinated with these creatures?

By Julia Layton

Whether we live in fear of a kraken or the Leviathan, humans all around the globe have made sea monsters a part of their cultures. Is there a drop of truth to any of these widespread tall tales?

By Nicholas Gerbis

Very tall, hairy, glowing eyes – that seems to be the go-to description for a lot of mythical monsters out there, especially in America. Here are 10 to keep an eye out for.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

It's a 15-foot man-beast with glowing eyes, doglike teeth, a long tongue and no lips. Gray skin sags off its skeletal frame. We're talking about the wendigo. And it's coming to get you.

By Laurie L. Dove

Blood-sucking vampires and brain-munching zombies tend to hog all the undead credit, but we think ghouls deserve a macabre article all their own. Read it -- if you dare.

By Robert Lamb

Some dragons seem like they'd be fascinating dinner guests, but others might see you as the main course. Here are our top 10 of both types.

By Laurie L. Dove

Dragons have captured imaginations -- and their fair share of maidens -- across the globe. But are they more than mythological?

By Laurie L. Dove

We'd by lying if we said that the sight of the Grim Reaper standing by our bedside, scythe in hand, wouldn't scare the daylights out of us. How did this well-known personification of death become so frightening?

By William Harris

Cryptozoology is the study of creatures that are rumored to exist. But for true believers, these "cryptids" are alive and well and lurking among us. Who are some of the most famous creatures people are looking for?

By Nathan Chandler

Werewolves got their start long before Hollywood ever sank its teeth into the hairy legend. Learn about the folklore and cinematic history at HowStuffWorks.

By Tracy V. Wilson