The Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom Presents: What Lurks Beyond the Porch Light

A graphic for the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom's series about cryptids, with silhouettes of Bigfoot, Mothman, a werewolf and a UFO. — The Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom is bringing you a series about some of our region's lesser-known cryptids.

When it comes to cryptids, it's always, "Mothman this, Bigfoot that." But the roster of monsters, mutants and mystery creatures is a lot deeper than you might think.

That's especially true in Appalachia, where cryptids are ingrained in local lore. The mountain range is older than dinosaurs, the Atlantic Ocean and the very trees that now stand tall throughout the region's peaks and hollers. Such a prolonged history — almost unfathomable to us mere humans — is bound to hold a bounty of secrets.

The Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom is here to uncover some of them with a series about cryptids that lack the fame of some of their legendary counterparts, "What Lurks Beyond the Porch Light." We'll seek out answers about the Flatwoods Monster in West Virginia, the White Bluff Screamer in Tennessee and the Demon Leaper in Kentucky.

Check back for new features Oct. 5, Oct. 19 and Oct. 26.

This series was produced by the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, a collaboration between West Virginia Public Broadcasting; WPLN and WUOT in Tennessee; LPM, WEKU, WKMS and WKU Public Radio in Kentucky; and NPR. Sign up for the weekly Porch Light newsletter here for news from around the region.