From the ghosts of the Whaley House in Old Town to the Munchkins of La Jolla, “California Cryptid Cast” promises the listener a spine-tingling journey into the unknown.
Hosted by Kyle Young under the alias Blaze, “California Cryptid Cast” explores the realm of paranormal phenomena and mysterious tales that have hounded California for generations.
During San Diego City College’s 20th Annual Student Project and Research Symposium, Young was given the Dean’s Award for producing “California Cryptid Cast.”
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TRANSCRIPT
Warning: the following podcast contains descriptions of paranormal events and dead bodies. Listener discretion is advised.
All around California, there have been reports of strange creatures, unexplained phenomena, and chilling stories dating back centuries. These unexplained encounters with creatures beyond what we know to be our reality have been itching at the back of my brain for years. Now, I will be telling you these stories. From the ghosts of the Whaley House in Old Town, to the Munchkins of La Jolla, to the ChupaCabra of El Monte… This is The California Cryptid Cast.
First, we must know what a cryptid is. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, A cryptid is: “a creature that is found in stories and that some people believe exists or say they have seen, but that has never been proven to exist” Famous examples of a Cryptid are Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. People who research and do their utmost to prove cryptids are real are called cryptozoologists. Unfortunately, I am not one of these, I am just a simple person who finds these stories fascinating.
Our first-ever story on this show will be one of the most famous Californian cryptid stories. The Proctor Valley Monster. I will be telling a dramatized version of events described by third-party sources. So, get cozy, grab a drink, some snacks, and a stuffed animal for comfort, and let’s dive into the horrors of the Proctor Valley monster….
Summer, 1960. A teen couple were driving from a party in Chula Vista back to the small town of Jamul. The two were listening to a mixtape the boy had made for his girlfriend, and the two were having a great time. Drunk, late-night driving on a lone dirt road known as Proctor Valley. The dry grass on ether side of the equally dry dirt cast ominous shadows in the car’s headlights. The singing and talking from the lone car made the only noises of this quiet night. Maybe it’s because he was drunk and couldn’t see. Maybe it was because he was distracted by his love’s beauty, Maybe he loved the song blasting from the car’s speakers so much he was too busy singing, maybe it was all three. Whatever the case, the car swerved. The boy lost his grip on the steering wheel and the couple’s car swerved to the side of the road. Running over a rock or a nail and hitting the trunk of an old tree. The tire hissed with the sound of a death rattle. The couple sat there as the music continued to play from their now-still car. After the shock wore off, the boy turned the radio off. He told his love that he would go check on the damage, see if he could get the car up and running again. He exited the car, leaving her inside. Alone.
After several minutes of unbearable silence… A thud as the boy’s face pressed up against the glass, his eyes wide and terrified as a massive shadow took up the space behind him. The girl screamed, locking the doors and hiding in the gap between the seat and the dashboard. More thuds and the sound of metal scraping followed… then more, unbearable, heavy, silence only penetrated by her short, terrified breaths and a faint, repetitive tapping sound on the roof of the car. Three hours later, police found the car and the girl inside it. They got her out safely, though traumatized from the event. As she stepped out of the car, the first thing she noticed was the massive, humanoid footprint in the dirt in front of her door. Then she noticed the paint on the door was scratched, as if her boyfriend had been scratching against the car. Her eyes followed the scratches up, where they rested on the broken body of her love, hanging over one of the tree branches and dripping blood onto the roof of the car. In the next few decades, the story has evolved, including the reports from a local radio DJ that the creature has similarities to a Minotaur, with massive cow horns, standing at 7 to 8 feet tall, and extremely muscular. But I think it’s better to leave this monster up to the imagination.
The casting of the monster’s footprint can now be viewed at the Bonita Museum in Chula Vista if you would like to check it out for yourself. https://bonitahistoricalsociety.org/
Thank you for listening to the first episode of The California Cryptid Cast. I have been your Host, Kyle. Special thanks to Noah Gisler who composed the music for this. Check him out on Youtube.com: Noah Giesler. If you would like more episodes like this one, check out:
Music composed by: Noah Giesler youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NoahGiesler
This has been a City Times Sound production. The California Cryptid Cast and CT Sound are part of City Times Media, award-winning, student-produced digital news, TV news, magazine, radio/podcast and indie film, all on one platform at San Diego City College. CTM offers hands-on experience for students using new and emerging technologies in state-of-the-art facilities. To read more, visit sdcitytimes.com
