Fern Footer
I woke up in the middle of the night terrified of an, I suppose, irrational fear.
October 4th 2013 DuBois, PA
Bigfoot.
Fern Footer circa 1996
I have always been intrigued by the guy even before I knew it was a thing. While on a hike with my family as a 9 year old, my grandfather and I conceptualized a mythical creature named 'Fern Footer'. Neither one of us wanted to be out there hiking that day, and we passed the time by flexing our imaginations. Now later in life knowing that many regional names for Bigfoot exist, it seems we may have just created a new name for the big guy. He is forever memorialized as a father, or grandfather, and a child peering around a tree in a sketch that my grandfather drew for me as a birthday present. My tenth birthday in fact, the last one my grandpa was alive for. It is such a treasured possession of mine, one I definitely could not have taken on my van-life adventure that I did the next best thing. I had my tattoo artist and friend, Eerie Eric, put it permanently on my right leg.
I used to watch VHS tapes a lot as a youngin’, not a lot of VHS tapes though. I would watch the same 2 or 3 over and over. One I must've wore out the film on was Swamp Thing. Swamp Thing was slightly different as he was a genetic experiment gone wrong, but he is quite similar to the Fern Footer or Bigfoot.
Fern Footer Tattoo by Eerie Eric
So Bigfoot has always been on my brain. Maybe watching Swamp Thing on repeat everyday as a young impressionable child instilled me with wonder and belief. Essentially consigning me to always think about this like a deeply carved rut in my brain.
Anyway it happened, I am enthralled by the concept of a large bipedal creature wandering around us in the shadows and under the cover of darkness. In the case of the Fern Footer I helped create, he is a happy guy in the woods. As is the case with Patty, the bigfoot filmed in October of 1966 by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin. It seems that may not always be the case though.
Sassy and I in Illinois
Most my life it had been a novelty to me. A fun idea to think about and joke with. What makes it especially easy to cut up about are the 'researchers' that are out there. A few years ago though I started listening to a popular podcast that focuses more on eyewitnesses than the supposed researchers. Some of these eyewitnesses can be questionable, but many come across as honest people who have seen or had experiences that they can't explain. The worst part though? Many of these people don't describe a happy guy peeking out from behind a tree giving a thumbs up to anyone aware enough to spot him. They describe a vicious evil entity. A predator that doesn't like when they find people have invaded their territory. The host of the show has a few words for people who wish to have an encounter someday... 'Be careful what you wish for.'
I have never seen or heard or experienced anything questionable while out in the woods... Except for that one night I indulged in too much edible marijuana in northern Illinois, but that's a separate story and I would hardly consider myself reliable, or even responsible, that night.
It seems completely implausible that these things are actually out there, but here I am, typing away on the topic. If I had to stake money on it I’m not sure how much I’d be comfortable with throwing down on it, BUT I cannot explain the eyewitnesses!! If it weren't for the ones I've heard I would probably still consider this a fun novelty, a holdover from my childhood. I would describe my stance on the topic as guarded believer. I’m not sure that is a good descriptor, but it’s what popped into my head and I’m just going to roll with it. I truly do not know if these things are out there, but from the stories I have heard, I pray to God that they are not. In fact, if the stories I have heard are true, God either doesn’t exist, or he is not on our team.