Indiana Cryptids: Monsters, Myths, and a Map That Started It All
If you’ve ever taken a late-night drive through the backroads of Indiana, you’ve probably passed more than a few places whispered about in local folklore — places where something strange once stirred. From the Beast of Busco to the Mill Race Monster, these regional legends are part of what makes the Midwest quietly weird and endlessly fascinating.
Part of an ongoing series exploring folklore, place, and illustrated storytelling.
Why This Exists
This project began as an exploration of regional folklore and place-based storytelling — the same approach I use when creating illustrated maps, destination graphics, and experiential design systems.
Indiana’s cryptids offered a playful way to explore how illustration can turn local history, myth, and identity into something memorable, collectible, and deeply rooted in place.
Researching the Cryptids of Indiana
This illustration project began with research for an interactive destination marketing concept — an illustrated “map of the mysterious.” The goal: to blend storytelling, tourism, and design in a way that made people look twice at their own backyard.
We dug through local archives, folklore forums, and the occasional blurry newspaper clipping to uncover over a dozen creatures said to haunt the Hoosier State. Some, like the Green Clawed Beast of the Ohio River, have roots in documented encounters; others, like the Vevay Mud Mermaid, live somewhere between campfire tale and cryptozoological curiosity. And then there’s the Crawfordsville Monster, which made 1890s headlines for being a “rolling cloud of flesh” drifting across the sky. (Indiana doesn’t do subtle.)
From Interactive Map to Pattern Design
The illustrations were originally created as part of a proposed interactive travel experience, where users could explore regional myths, see their locations, and click through to learn more about the towns and parks nearby. The goal wasn’t just to catalog cryptids — it was to turn storytelling into tourism. Imagine a family road-tripping across Indiana with a “Monster Map” as their guide, stopping for selfies at legendary sites along the way.
When that concept wrapped, the artwork took on a second life: a repeating pattern celebrating the state’s strangest stories. Each creature was redrawn with simple linework and personality — part vintage folklore chart, part Happy Monday whimsy. The result? A design that’s equal parts eerie and charming, perfect for prints, merch, or even wallpaper for the monster-curious.
Why Folklore Makes Great Design Fuel
Projects like this remind me that design isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about connection. Whether it’s a map, a mural, or a marketing campaign, stories are what make people care about places. And sometimes, those stories come with claws, scales, and glowing eyes.
How This Kind of Work Shows Up in Client Projects
Destination maps and regional illustration systems
Custom patterns rooted in local lore
Experiential graphics for tourism and hospitality
Keepsake-style print pieces and merchandise