A TRIP TO WEREWOLF COUNTRY: The Hodag, Part One

The people of Elkhorn, Wisconsin sure could learn a thing or two from the people of Rhinelander, Wisconsin some distance to the north. Whereas I was disappointed to find nothing at all werewolf-related around Elkhorn (though I *did* find some sweet Beast of Bray Road swag not too far away, but more on that in a separate post), the town of Rhinelander has embraced its monster, BIG TIME. The way Fouke, Arkansas has love for its Fouke Monster and the movie based thereupon, THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK, and the way the people of Point Pleasant, West Virginia have embraced their Mothman, and the way the town of Bishopville, North Carolina shows pride in its Lizard Man, the fine folks of Rhinelander are just crazy about their Hodag. In fact, Rhinelander outdoes them all. The Hodag is the town’s official mascot. You see it everywhere. I counted a dozen businesses, at the least, with the word Hodag in their titles. The sports teams from the local schools are named after it. There’s even a statue, a big one, of the Hodag outside the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce!

At the aforementioned Chamber of Commerce, you can pick up a map. Or you can get one at the nearby Pioneer Park Historical Complex. This map shows you all the locations around town where you can find a statue or a mural of the Hodag. Sure I did it, and had a blast doing it. A couple of the addresses provided on the map were wrong, which required some extra searching on my part (and actually added to the fun, making it seem like a real “hunt”) and one of the locations seemingly no longer exists. But then I found a Hodag that wasn’t even listed on the map, so it all balanced out.

Check out a few of the Hodags right here!

By The Evil Cheezman

WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS (www.evilcheezproductions.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/evilcheezproductions), specializing in theatrical performances and haunted attractions. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 MORTUI VELOCES SUNT!

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