The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Bigfoot finds a toehold at returning Wondercon WONDERCON When: Where: Tickets:
Author, television host and researcher Ronny Le Blanc said he uses the mindset of a detective when he’s out in the wild searching for Bigfoot.
He grew up reading Sherlock Holmes and The Hardy Boys books and decided to make it his life’s work to try to solve one of the world’s biggest mysteries: Does Bigfoot (also commonly referred to as a Sasquatch or a Yeti) exist? His answer: Yes, of course. He’s written two books on the subject and starred in two television shows that air on the Travel Channel and Discovery+, including “In Search of Monsters” and “Expedition Bigfoot.” The latter launched its third season this month.
He’s also been mercilessly ridiculed about his quest to prove the existence of Bigfoot.
As much as he loves chatting with aspiring cryptozoologists about cryptids (creatures that have yet to be proven to exist, like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster), UFOS or mysterious orange orbs floating in the sky, he’s also totally fine engaging in spirited debates with those who are skeptical of his findings.
However, he can’t wait to prove them all wrong.
“Usually, jokingly, the question is, ‘Have you found the big guy yet?’ ” Le Blanc said during a recent phone interview regarding the No. 1 thing he gets asked.
He’s looking forward to the questions from fans during a panel discussion at the annual Wondercon, which returns for the first time since 2019 with dozens of film, television and graphic novel panels, autograph and photo experiences, a loaded exhibit hall, sneak peek screenings, exclusive merchandise and collectibles, and more at the Anaheim Convention Center through Sunday.
The crew from “Expedition Bigfoot,” including expedition operations expert Bryce Johnson, primatologist Mireya Mayor and former military survivalist Russell Acord, will share footage from the latest season of the show and discuss the tools and technology used to home in on potential Bigfoot locations during the convention at 3:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday. They’ll also be signing autographs and taking photos with fans from 2-3 p.m.
“It’s great to see life kind of get back to normal. And these types of events, like Comiccon and Wondercon, I think they’re amazing opportunities for people to connect with each other and the shows,” Le Blanc said. “I’m excited to be there and to get to see all of the artists and illustrators and all of the other shows, too.”
Le Blanc said if he wasn’t part of the “Expedition Bigfoot” team, he’d absolutely be watching the show. Of all the world’s elusive creatures, he’s the most fascinated by Bigfoot.
“Part of what we do, too, is just educate people because it’s not like the Loch Ness monster and there’s just one Bigfoot showing up everywhere,” he explained. “There’s pockets all over the country and really on different continents, too, that have different names for this type of creature. I think we’ve compiled some pretty compelling evidence over a short period of time since this team has been out there working together, and it’s just a matter of time where it’s gonna be stacked up so high that it will be undeniable.”
He and the crew have scoured through hundreds of reports of Bigfoot sightings “from credible people including police officers, members of our military and hunters,” he continued.
“A lot of people don’t share their stories about these encounters because of the ridicule factor,” he said. “But I think what our show does and what other shows do is they bring awareness to the subject and I think it’s that awareness that’s driving people to come forward and share their stories. You’d be surprised how many people have actually had encounters.”
One of the biggest pieces of evidence they’ve uncovered on the show, Le Blanc said, is possible Bigfoot DNA found in the soil at the base of a mysterious tree structure built in the Appalachian Mountains in southeastern Kentucky.
“A lot of researchers believe that Sasquatch is building these types of structures,” he added. “We’re not sure if they’re property markers or shrines, but they are built by something that doesn’t seem to be human. Humans can definitely build these things, but these are usually located in places that have a lot of Bigfoot encounters. So I think that helps with bringing the science into it and having the result of finding some sort of chimpanzee DNA. It’s mind-boggling and just the kind of thing we are looking for.”
He said it also helps to get the support of people like famed primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall, who will make an appearance in the exclusive video content shared during the Wondercon panel discussion.
“Dr. Jane Goodall had a conversation with Dr. Mireya Mayor and it was compelling to hear her talk about the idea that it’s possible for something like a Bigfoot creature to exist, and it was encouraging because we do get a lot of naysayers,” he said. “But we’re not doing this for anyone’s approval. We’re trying to bring awareness to it, and the science is all there, so to have a giant like Dr. Jane Goodall in our corner, telling us that what we’re doing is the right thing, to keep an open mind and keep doing what we’re doing, that really energizes our team.”