- Jonathan Downes
Infobox Paranormalpeople1|
Class = Cryptozoologist
Image_Caption = Jon Downes atLoch Ness , November 2005
Name = Jonathan Downes
Born = 1959
Blocation =Portsmouth ,England
Died =
Dlocation =
Phd =
Djob =Author Journalist Musician
Pjob = Cryptozoologist
Affiliates =Centre for Fortean Zoology |Jonathan Downes (born
Portsmouth ,England , in 1959) is a cryptozoologist,author , film-maker, journalist, composer and singer-songwriter, with a background in radical politics and mental health care. His father, the explorer and Colonial Service Officer J. T. Downes (1925-2006), authored several books on wide range of subjects, such as African history,theology and Devonshire dialect. His mother Mary Downes (nee Rawlins) (1922-2002) was a broadcaster and author who published several collections of Nigerian folklore under the pen-name `Yar Kunama`. [Downes J.T `Fragrant Harbours, Distant Rivers: The Making of modern Africa` (CFZ, Woolsery, 2006)] [http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/article/1243 Null Hypothesis | The Fortean Zoologist ] ] [ [http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/britishbf.htm Bigfoot: British Controversy Grows 2003 ] ] [ [http://www.blather.net/blather/2003/12/the_centre_for_fortean_zoology.html Blather: The Centre for Fortean Zoology: Jon Downes Interview - Cryptozoology, The Owlman and Other Monsters ] ] [ [http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/northdevongazette/news/story.aspx?brand=NDGOnline&category=news&tBrand=devon24&tCategory=newsndga&itemid=DEED21%20Jun%202006%2008%3A07%3A01%3A443 North Devon Gazette - Expedition to hunt monsters ] ]He is currently the editor of "
Animals & Men "; the journal of theCentre for Fortean Zoology , the editor of Exotic Pets - a magazine published by CFZ Press, and until August 2007 was and the Deputy Editor of "Tropical World" magazine, a tropical fish magazine published in the UK. He has also edited and contributed to several other publications over the years Downes, J `Monster Hunter` (autobiography), ISBN 978-0951287279 (CFZ press, Exeter, 2004)] [ [http://monsterusa.blogspot.com/2007/05/cfz-director-jon-downes-under-spotlight.html Nick Redfern's "There's Something in the Woods...": CFZ Director Jon Downes Under The Spotlight ] ] [ [http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/83/in_search_of_the_mad_gasser.html In Search of the Mad Gasser | Articles | Features | Fortean Times UK ] ]According to his autobiography and other writings, as a child he lived in
Nigeria , and thenHong Kong (then a British Crown Colony), and returned to the UK in 1971, when his father was 'invalided out' of the Hong Kong government. He was educated at Bideford Grammar School, (1971-6) and laterWest Buckland School (1976-7) from which he was expelled. He worked as a psychiatric nurse between 1981-90 and between 1990 and 1994 ran the fan club for Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel. [ Fanthorpe, L and P `The World's Most Mysterious People` (Hounslow Press, Canada, 1998)] [Redfern N `Three men seeking monsters` (Paraview, NYC, 2005) ]He is active in community work, and is part of the team organising the monthly children's service in the village church at Woolfardisworthy, North Devon. Having suffered from manic-depression for years, Downes is an activist for mental health issues. On the 21st July 2007 he married his second wife
Corinna Newton Downes .Cryptozoology
In 1992 Downes founded the
Centre for Fortean Zoology , arguably the world's largest cryptozoological research organization. He is vocal in his opinion that cryptozoology should not be considered to be a branch of paranormal research. Although he has written a number of books on UFOS and other Fortean subjects (sometimes in collaboration with his friend and colleagueNick Redfern ), he considers cryptozoology to be a branch of mainstream zoology, rather than anything more esoteric. [ [http://www.cfz.org.uk CFZ Website] ]Books
He has written the following books:
*"Take this Brother may it serve you well" (1988)
*"Riding the Waves" (1990)
*"El Grand Senor" with Kim Andrews (1991)
*"Road Dreams" (1993)
*"Smaller Mystery Carnivores of the Westcountry" (1996)
*"The Owlman and Others" (ISBN 1-905723-02-4, 1997)
*"The Rising of the Moon" with Nigel Wright (ISBN 0-9544936-5-6, 1999)
*"Weird Devon" with Richard Freeman and Graham Inglis (ISBN 1-899383-38-7, 2000)
*"UFOs over Devon" (ISBN 1-899383-37-9, 2000)
*"Weird War Tales" withNick Redfern (2000)
*"Weird War Tales Volume 2" withNick Redfern (2000)
*"The Blackdown Mystery" (ISBN 1-905723-00-8, 2000)
*"Only Fools and Goatsuckers" (ISBN 0-9512872-3-0, 2001)
*"In the Beginning - Animals & Men Collected Editions Volume One" (Ed)(2001)
*"The Number of the Beast - Animals & Men Collected Editions Volume Two"(Ed) (2001)
*"The Monster of the Mere" (ISBN 0-9512872-2-2, 2002)
*"Monster Hunter" (ISBN 0-9512872-7-3, 2004)
*"Strength through Koi (ISBN 1-905723-04-0, 2006)
*"The Call of the Wild - Animals & Men Collected Editions Volume Three (ISBN: 978-1905723072, 2007)
*"The Island of Paradise: Chupacabra, UFO Crash Retrievals, and Accelerated Evolution on the Island of Puerto Rico (ISBN: 978-1905723324) 2008)His best selling book is
The Owlman and Others . In his 2004 autobiographyMonster Hunter , he discusses his years of substance abuse, as well as his achievements as a cryptozoologist. Once described byNick Redfern as "Cryptozoology's answer toHunter Thompson "," Downes has stated on a number of occasions that this aspect of his life is now firmly in the past. His latest book is a collection of short stories, some fictional, others not, about fish, In addition he has edited ten annual Yearbooks for the CFZ.His new book `Island of Paradise` covers in great depth his two expeditions to Puerto Rico in search of the chupacabra and other animals of fortean interest.
Also
Nick Redfern 's 2004 book "Three Men Seeking Monsters: Six Weeks in Pursuit of Werewolves, Lake Monsters, Giant Cats, Ghostly Devil Dogs and Ape-men" is a chronicle of the adventures of Redfern, Downes and Richard Freeman.Film Maker
In his autobiography and in other published writings, Downes admits that one of his earliest ambitions was to make films. He has made a few of them over the years, including:
*"The "Case" for Crop Circles" (1997)
*"The Owlman and Others" (2000)
* [http://www.cfztv.org/eel.htm "Eel or no Eel"] (2006)
* [http://www.cfztv.org/red1.htm "The lair of the Red Worm"] (2007)
* [http://www.cfztv.org/gamfilm.htm "The Dragons of Africa"] (2007)
* [http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2008/05/guyana-savage-land.html "The Savage Land"] (2008)He freely admits that his first two films are "rubbish", the former of which is "a load of avant garde bullshit", and the second "a seedy art movie; a semi homage to John Walters, featuring gratuitous nudity, violence, and a pre-op transsexual Nazi." His more recent films, however, are part of the ongoing CFZtv project, and are rough-cut `Guerilla Journalism` projects available for free on the CFZtv website [ [http://www.cfztv.org/ CFZtv] ] , together with some songs from his albums.
On the Track
In October 2007 Downes announced a new CFZtv project: a monthly webTV show giving all the latest news from the CFZ and cryptozoology news from around the world. It is called `On the Track` and can be found on its own dedicated blog at http://cfzmonthly.blogspot.com/. The eleventhedition was released on June 2nd 2008.
Musical career
1982 - 1996
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Downes was active as a musician and performer, mostly with cult art-rock band "The Amphibians from Outer Space" with whom he sang, played guitar, bass and piano. He integrated elements of psychodrama and performance art into the performances. He has been described as being an ungodly cross between Warren Zevon and Steve Harley.
1996-2008
However, after his divorce which ended eleven years of marriage to first wife Alison in 1996, Downes all but dropped out of the music industry in favor of
cryptozoology , and has since done only four records and a handful of live musical performances.Records released by Downes include:
*"The Mistake" with The Amphibians from Outer Space (1982)
*"You took me up" (1984)
*"Emotional Fascism" (1984)
*"Outside the Asylum" with The Amphibians from Outer Space (1990)
*"Breakfast" with Brian Storer (1991)
*"Pyramidiocy" (1992)
*"SexGodBaby" with The Amphibians from Outer Space (1993)
*"The Chicken Sleeps Tonight" with The Amphibians from Outer Space (1993)
*"The Case" with The Amphibians from Outer Space (1995)
*"Contractual Obligations" with The Amphibians from Outer Space (1996)
*"The Weird World" with Fr Lionel Fanthorpe and The Amphibians from Outer Space (2000)
*"Hard Sports" (2002)
*"Lost Weekend" (2003)
*"Twilight over England" (2007)Politics
Downes describes himself as "basically an anarchist" . As an artist, and indeed in many other ways he was primarily influenced by anarcho-punks
Crass , "not really by the music, but by the D-I-Y attitude." He has always maintained the opinion that "in many ways it is more important to be heard than to get paid for it," and theCFZ , his music and films have always been disseminated along broadly anarchist/libertarian lines.References
External links
* [http://www.cfz.org.uk CFZ website]
* [http://www.cfztv.org CFZtv website]
* [http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/ Jon Downes's blog]
* [http://www.cfz.org.uk/music Jon Downes music online]
* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/s?rs=266239&keywords=jonathan%20downes&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Ajonathan%20downes%2Ci%3Astripbooks%2Cn%3A266239 Jon Downes books online]
* [http://cfzmonthly.blogspot.com/ On the Track]
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