Title

Live, Laugh, Lurk

Creator

Liz Pavlovic

Preview

Creation Date

2019

Description

Liz Pavlovic is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Morgantown, West Virginia. Her whimsical portrayal of two popular West Virginia monsters captures residents’ affection for their local folkloric monsters and coincides with a growing popular interest in the paranormal and cryptozoology.

Mothman’s legend includes several separate sightings of a winged-humanoid in the mid-1960s. Witness’ reports feature urban legend tropes such as teenagers parking for privacy, in this case near the site of a secret World War II TNT factory.

Mothman investigations took a tragic turn when a sighting was reported coinciding with the Silver Bridge disaster. Forty-six people died when the suspension bridge over the Ohio River collapsed in December 1967.

The Flatwoods Monster, now affectionately called “Braxxie” was sighted in 1952 following a bright object crossing the night sky.

The widely accepted mundane explanation for both monsters are large, rare birds with surrounding atmospheric elements such as a meteor, shadows, and surprise, creating a susceptibility in witnesses for exaggerated experiences and observations.

Mothman and the Flatwoods Monster (aka the Braxton County Monster, Phantom of Flatwoods, Green Monster, or Braxxie) are each celebrated with museums, festivals, and appearances in Fallout 76, the popular post-apocalyptic game from Bethesda Game Studios.