Jonathan Downes

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Jonathan Downes (born Portsmouth, England, in 1959) is a cryptozoologist and author, but is also a musician and songwriter who has made a string of albums which have a cult following. During the late 1980s and early 1990s he was particularly 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, as well as including elements of psychodrama and performance art in the performances.

In 1992 he founded the Centre for Fortean Zoology - now arguably the world's largest cryptozoological research organisation. Since divorcing his first wife Alison in 1996 he has become ever more involved in cryptozoology and has only made a handful of live appearances as a musician.

He is the editor of Animals & Men - the journal of the CFZ - and is also the Deputy Editor of Tropical World magazine - arguably the fastest growing Tropical Fish magazine in the UK.

He has undertaken several cryptozoological research expeditions, including two to Puerto Rico in search of the vampiric chupacabra. Downes also presents his findings at suitable venues and is a regular at the CFZ's Weird Weekend and UnCon.

In 2005, after having lived in Exeter for 20 years, he moved to his old family home in Woolsery, North Devon, where he intends to establish a full-time Visitor's Centre and museum for the Centre for Fortean Zoology. Following his father's death in February 2006, he inherited the old family home and announced that construction of the museum and research facility will start later in the year.

He is also an activist for Mental Health issues, having suffered with Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) for many years.

Downes intends to marry for the second time in 2007 to his fiancee Corinna James.

[edit] Bibliography

He has published 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 with Nick Redfern (2000)
• Weird war Tales Volume 2 with Nick Redfern (2000)
• The Blackdown Mystery (ISBN 1-905723-00-8, 2000)
• Only Fools and Goatsuckers (ISBN 0-9512872-3-0, 2001)
• The Monster of the Mere (ISBN 0-9512872-2-2, 2002)
• Monster Hunter (ISBN 0-9512872-7-3, 2004)

In addition he has edited eight annual Yearbooks for the CFZ, and two volumes of collected editions of the organisation's journal Animals & Men.

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

[edit] Discography

He has released the following records:

• 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)