Everything about Weird Nj totally explained
Weird NJ (
WNJ) are a semiannual
magazine and two
paranormal guides that chronicle local
legends,
hauntings,
ghost stories,
folklore and anything considered "weird" in the
U.S. state of
New Jersey.
History
Weird NJ began in 1989 as a personal newsletter sent to friends by
Mark Moran and
Mark Sceurman. Gradually it evolved from a
fanzine into a public magazine published twice a year in May and October. Abandoned places, creepy experiences, unique people, and strange landmarks were and still are common subjects for the magazine. Past issues have covered everything from the
Jersey Devil and
UFO sightings to abandoned
Nike missile silos and the life of
Zip the Pinhead.
In 2003 a
Weird NJ book, made up of content from earlier issues, was published. The next year saw the follow up
Weird US, covering sites and stories across the country. That led to a series of books for other states and areas, including
Florida,
Illinois,
Wisconsin,
Pennsylvania,
Texas,
California and
New England, and a
TV series,
Weird U.S., on the
History Channel.
Influence
The painting of a grinning face named
Tillie has appeared in many
Weird NJ books and on the magazine covers. In 2004, the
Palace Amusements building in
Asbury Park with the image of Tillie on it was set to be destroyed to make way for a
hotel. When
Weird NJ readers learned of the planned
demolition, efforts were started to try to save the building. Tillie's face was saved; but the rest of the building, built more than a century ago, was not.
Also covered was the unsuccessful removal (thanks to the efforts of local residents) of the "
Evil Clown of Middletown," a large sign painted to resemble a circus clown that currently advertises a liquor store along
Route 35 in
Middletown.
Additionally,
Weird NJ has also been responsible for saving the historical copper dome in the town center of
Fair Lawn, which was scheduled to be torn down after a fire destroyed the building it sat upon.
Weird NJ has also influenced other similar groups in New Jersey and around the United States. These include "The Midnight Society" (now defunct), "PsychoNJ," "Myth mission," and "Jersey Junkies."
There are many other strange New Jersey locations such as "
Midgetville," "Stairway to Hell," "
Shades Of Death Road," "
Clinton Road" and "
Demon Alley".
Community
The growth of the magazine has led to the creation of a community of sorts for fans of Moran and Sceurman's work. These avid readers often travel to sites listed within the pages of the periodical themselves, which is frequently considered a dangerous practice and is
sometimes illegal. In an attempt to dissuade readers - or at the least, remove legal
liability from the editors and publishers of
Weird NJ - a disclaimer has been posted on the inside cover of each issue.
The most popular locations to explore are usually
abandoned or dilapidated structures, such as
psychiatric hospitals,
prisons and old homes.
Haunted locales are given extra attention. Explorers are known to take pictures and upload them to various websites and online groups for others with the interest to see.
(External Link
) (External Link)
In some areas, small groups -mostly composed of teens or twentysomethings- take weekends of "WNJ Runs" and try to visit the current issue's featured locations.
This is considered by most to be a form of
urban exploration and is very popular, especially given New Jersey's small size and the accessibility of major roads and arteries, such as the
Garden State Parkway, the
New Jersey Turnpike and the
Atlantic City Expressway.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Weird Nj'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://weird_nj.totallyexplained.com">Weird NJ Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
