Trading Card Tuesday: Australian Yowie

The Supernaturalist's Notebook: Chapter 3

Welcome back to the Appalachian Sanctuary for Parabiological Phenomena– popularly known as Cryptid Keep! If you’re joining us for the first time, you can expect updates from our team of world-renowned parabiologists on the third Tuesday of every month.

Nestled in the mountains of Pearl Valley in beautiful Wise County, Virginia, the Appalachian Sanctuary for Parabiological Phenomena is an international, nonprofit organization committed to saving supernatural species worldwide by combining our expertise in parabiological care and education to develop sustainable supernatural conservation solutions.

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Large, hairy, human-like creatures have deep roots in Australian Aboriginal paranormal history, pre-dating European contact. Various Indigenous groups have names for yowie in their own languages (e.g., Quinkin, Jurrawarra, Ghindaring). These beings are often woven into Dreamtime stories and hold different cultural significances for different groups, sometimes as protectors of the land, other times as fearsome entities.

European colonizers began reporting encounters with "hairy men" or "Australian apes" from the late 18th century onward. The term “yowie" gained prominence later, possibly derived from Indigenous terms like "Yō-wī" (a spirit that roams at night) or "Yahoo" (influenced by Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels).

In 1931, Dr. Mako Walker, founding director of Australia’s Blue Mountains Anomaly Group (BMAG), began consulting with the Appalachian Sanctuary for Parabiological Phenomena when a fright of yowie first appeared near Pearl Valley, Virginia. The yowie were drawn to the mysterious energies released by the appearance of the “Pearl of the Valley” on February 16, 1927. The 1931 appearance marked the first time yowie had been sighted outside continental Australia.

Building upon Dr. Walker’s pioneering work integrating the yowie into the larger Sasquatch biome in Cryptid Keep, generations of Australian parabiological researchers have worked to maintain a thriving yowie population within the Appalachian sanctuary. In 2006, to mark the 75^th anniversary of the yowie’s first appearance in the park, Cryptid Keep unveiled The Mako Walker Yowie Experience to promote the ongoing study of one of Australia’s great parabiological treasures.

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Did you learn something, gentle reader? I know I sure did.

Give it up for MJ Hiblen, our featured artist for today’s front-of-card art! Go follow M.J. on social media if that’s your thing, or better yet: subscribe to his Patreon or commission him to do some art! M.J. is always a blast to work with and I have to say, his political horror illustrations release my rage pressure valve just enough to keep me under the threshold for hypertension medication. I forgot to ask M.J. why he chose the yowie, but don’t worry folks, you’ll be seeing more of his work in the Supernaturalist’s Notebook, so I’ll be sure to follow up!

Like many of the other cryptids we’re investigating, it seems that there’s a Yowie Festival in Queensland, Australia, so put this one on the road trip itinerary.

And speaking of road trips, The New Futurists are headed to HeroesCon in Charlotte, North Carolina!

We are SO excited to see all of our new and returning readers at the con this Friday, June 20th through Sunday, June 22nd! Swing by Artist’s Alley 294 for some brand-new print editions of our first set of Omniverse trading cards featuring the incredible art of Luis Valero-Suarez and a limited-run ashcan collecting the first three chapters of American Gothic: The Hand of Poe with astonishing art by Ezequiel Rubio.

If you’re not attending HeroesCon, we WILL make these print editions available via our merch store later this month! If you were a Visionary or paid subscriber in 2024, you’l receive an Omniverse Handbook as a reward for your support. And all 2025 paid subscribers will receive a Hand of Poe ashcan!

If you enjoyed today’s entry, please consider liking this post or subscribing to the New Futurists. Visionary and paid subscribers, please keep scrolling for a few special treats. We appreciate your support like WHOA! And to all of you, thank you for reading! Please remember: