Momo the Monster

{{Short description|Alleged North American creature}} {{about|the cryptid from Missouri mythology|other uses|Momo (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox mythical creature |name = Momo the Monster |AKA = Momo, Momo the Missouri Monster |image = |image_size = |caption = |Folklore = Cryptid |Grouping = |Country = United States |Region = Missouri, Illinois |Details = |First_Attested = 1945 |Similar_entities = }} {{Paranormal}} '''Momo the Monster''', also known as the '''Missouri Monster''' (''Momo''), is a purported ape-like creature, similar to descriptions of Bigfoot, that was allegedly sighted by numerous people in rural Louisiana, Missouri in 1944 and 1945.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blackburn |first1=Lyle |title=Momo: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster |url=http://www.lyleblackburn.com/works.htm |website=www.lyleblackburn.com |publisher=LegendScape Publishing |access-date=27 July 2022 |date=February 2019}}</ref> Unlike some other areas with similar reports of cryptids such as the Fouke Monster in Fouke, Arkansas or the Mothman in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, Momo did not become a major tourist or economic folklore attraction.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Banias |first1=MJ |title=The Missouri Monster 'Momo' Is the Cryptid Time Forgot |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-missouri-monster-momo-is-the-cryptid-time-forgot/ |access-date=11 March 2021 |agency=Vice (magazine) |date=30 September 2019}}</ref>

==Description== Alleged witnesses describe the creature as a large, bipedal humanoid, with a pumpkin-sized head, about {{convert|7|ft|m|abbr=on}} tall, covered in dark hair, that emits a putrid odor.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Coleman |first1=Loren |title=Momo |url=http://missourifolkloresociety.truman.edu/momo.html |website=missourifolkloresociety.truman.edu |publisher=Missouri Folklore Society |access-date=11 March 2021 |date=2000}}</ref>

==History== The most well known alleged sighting occurred on July 11, 1972, when two young boys were playing in the backyard on the rural outskirts of Louisiana, Missouri. Their older sister, Doris, was in the kitchen when she heard her brothers screaming. When she looked out of the window, she observed a massive, dark haired, man-like creature holding what appeared to be a deceased dog. She described it as having a "pumpkin-shaped head", and large glowing orange eyes.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McFadden |first1=Norm |title=Lincoln County Urban Legend: Momo Monster |url=https://www.lincolnnewsnow.com/news/editorial/lincoln-county-urban-legend-momo-monster/article_b879c202-cb92-11ea-a9c3-9ba57081e90b.html |access-date=11 March 2021 |agency=Lincoln News Now! |publisher=Lincoln Country Journal |date=29 July 2020}}</ref>

Many alleged sightings occurred that year, most notably local fire department chief and member of the city council, Richard Allan Murray, who reported driving along a creek bed when he saw a massive upright creature in his vehicle's headlights. As a result of these reported encounters, a 20-person posse was formed to hunt the creature but nothing was ever found.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weiser-Alexander |first1=Kathy |title=Momo – The Missouri Monster |url=https://www.legendsofamerica.com/momo-monster/ |website=legendsofamerica.com |access-date=11 March 2021 |date=February 2020}}</ref>

In 2019, a docudrama horror film entitled ''Momo: The Missouri Monster'', was released and features a dramatization of the events of 1972. The film's cast includes Cliff Barackman and James "Bobo" Fay, best known for their appearances as Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) members on the Animal Planet series ''Finding Bigfoot''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Momo: The Missouri Monster (2019) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10732682/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 |website=imdb.com |publisher=IMDb |access-date=11 March 2021}}</ref>

American theme park Six Flags St. Louis had a ride that operated from 1973 until 1994 named after the creature.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schremp Hahn |first1=Valerie |title=Jet Scream, MoMo the Monster, Mule-Go-Round and more: Six Flags attractions of yore |url=https://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/hotlist/jet-scream-momo-the-monster-mule-go-round-and-more-six-flags-attractions-of-yore/collection_24261912-63ba-5312-94d2-045d643af7b0.html#2 |website=stltoday.com |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |access-date=4 April 2021 |date=1 April 2019}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==Bibliography== *{{cite book|author=Blackburn, Lyle|title=The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster|year=2019 |url=http://www.lyleblackburn.com/works.htm |url-access=registration |publisher= LegendScape Publishing|isbn=978-1734920635}} *{{cite book |author=Crowe |first=Richard |title=Monster in Missouri |date=December 1972 |pages=58–66 |publisher=Clark Publishing Company}} *{{cite book|author1=Moran, Mark |author2=Scheurman, Mark |name-list-style=amp |title=Weird U.S.|year=2004 |url=https://archive.org/details/weirdus00mark |url-access=registration |publisher=Barnes & Noble Books|isbn=0-7607-5043-2}} * {{cite book| author=Place, Marian | title=Bigfoot All Over the Country| year=1978| pages=130–32| publisher=Dodd, Mead| isbn=0-396-07610-6}} *{{cite book|author=Zullo, Allan|title=The Ten Creepiest Creatures In America|year=1997|url=https://archive.org/details/tencreepiestcrea00alla|url-access=registration|publisher=Troll Publishing|isbn=0-8167-4288-X}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Momo The Monster}} Category:Folklore of Missouri Category:Bigfoot Category:American legendary creatures Category:Hominid cryptids Category:Folklore of the Southern United States