John Harker's Blog

 Aww. Isn't it cute? Nothing says wholesome fun like a toy that looks freshly summoned from the pits of hell.

In China (and elsewhere), a wave of concern is sweeping social media after people are claiming the popular Labubu toy resembles the demon Pazuzu, known from ancient Mesopotamian lore and The Exorcist. The toy's exaggerated features—bulging eyes, wide grin, and sharp teeth—is sparking fears of demonic influence. Some owners have gone so far as to burn their dolls in ritual-like videos. While the designer says the figure is based on European fairy-tale creatures, others aren’t convinced. A debate has erupted: cute collectible, or occult conduit?

Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, shares a scary but necessary reminder of the dangers of playing with Ouija boards in a recent blog post. He also shares some interesting insights on demons and dogs:

"... in one case of a demonically infested house, the family dog would sit at the bedroom door to protect the family at night. It would howl in an alarming pitch when the demons approached. I do not know if all dogs can see demons, but I am completely convinced some can and I have had solid experiences of this."

To read the whole article, click the link below.

Exorcist Diary #318: Can Dogs See Demons?

 I've just released a new book, and, no, it's not a True Tales volume(!) May I introduce to you:

I have always loved short stories, going back to when I was old enough to read Alfred Hitchcock anthologies and Stephen King collections. In my later years, I dabbled with writing them myself and have had a fair share published in horror and mystery magazines under various pen names. I finally decided to package some of the darker ones into the volume you see above.

I know short fiction isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you'd like to check it out, Hellbound is available at Amazon right now in ebook form, with more formats and outlets to be announced.

Thanks for reading!

Audible

Amazon

Apple via iTunes

A British man recently reported a chilling encounter with a notorious 'Black Eyed Kid' while walking his dog. The unsettling incident allegedly occurred last month near Cannock Chase, a forested area in the UK known for strange phenomena. The unidentified man recounted that their evening walk took a disturbing turn just after dusk when he suddenly felt a sense of impending doom and a sensation of being watched.

His dog seemed equally disturbed, pulling on the leash and barking frantically—behavior the man had never seen before. As he looked around to find the cause, he felt a sudden tug on the back of his coat. Spinning around, he was startled to see a "pale-faced little girl" trying to get his attention. However, this was no ordinary child; she had "completely black eyes."

The witness described the girl as wearing rags and laughing in a way that hurt his ears and sent chills down his spine. The eerie child then skipped off into the trees, leaving the man and his dog unnerved. They quickly left the area, not waiting to see if the black-eyed child would return. Reflecting on the incident, the man doubted the child was human, but like many encounters with these entities, the true nature of what he saw remains a mystery.

Click here to read the original media report.

Only until July 31st . . .

All True Tales books are 50% off at

ORDER NOW!!

And all other online audiobook retailers. 

Seventeen-year-old William "Bill" Bartlett claimed that, while driving on April 21, 1977, he saw an alien-like creature with "tendril-like fingers" and glowing eyes perched on top of a broken stone wall on Farm Street in Dover, Massachusetts. On the same evening, 15-year-old John Baxter reported encountering a similar entity on Miller Hill Road. The following night, another 15-year-old, Abby Brabham, asserted she witnessed the creature on Springdale Avenue.

All three teenagers created sketches of the alleged creature. Bartlett inscribed on his drawing, "I, Bill Bartlett, swear on a stack of Bibles that I saw this creature." A local news report highlighted that the locations of these sightings, when plotted on a map, formed a straight line over the course of 2 miles. The accounts of these sightings did not become public until the first half of May. At that time, a local "investigator of unexplained phenomena" noted the resemblances between the creature described by the teens and those encountered during the infamous 1955 Kelly-Hopkinsville incident.

The 1955 Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter, also known as the Hopkinsville Goblins Case, involved residents of a rural Kentucky farmhouse who claimed they were terrorized by small, goblin-like creatures with claw-like hands, large eyes, and pointed ears. The event lasted several hours and included reports of gunfire from the residents attempting to defend themselves from the perceived threat. Despite a thorough investigation, no concrete evidence was found to explain the mysterious sightings, making the Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter one of the more enigmatic and enduring cases in cryptids/UFO lore.

Recently, GBH News' All Things Considered host Arun Rath spoke about the Dover Demon with Jeff Belanger, a folklore expert and host of the “New England Legends” podcast. Click here to read the transcript.

Two creative college students in Chiang Mai, Thailand, have come up with a unique entrepreneurial solution for landlords and sellers dealing with "haunted" apartments. Wifei Cheng, a 21-year-old Thai-Taiwanese student at Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna, and his friend Sretthawut Boonprakhong, 22, have launched a ghost-free certifying service.

Wifei Cheng, the brain behind the idea, is willing to spend a night in an apartment where deaths have been reported to assure potential tenants or buyers that there are no supernatural entities lurking around. After a ghost-free night, Cheng will issue a certificate to put the minds of renters at ease 

Cheng's services quickly gained attention after he posted about them on social media. Although he hasn't secured a client yet, he has received numerous inquiries. He is also open to taking on similar jobs at places like funeral homes, reception halls, and other possible haunted venues. Currently, the fee for his services is negotiable.

Sretthawut Boonprakhong, Cheng's associate and friend, is also ready to face the challenge, despite his own fear of ghosts. He sees this opportunity as a way to conclusively prove that ghosts do not exist. To ensure his safety on the jobs, Boonprakhong plans to arm himself with sacred amulets as an added layer of spiritual protection.

Grab you copy today!