Interview with Curtis “Cole”
In 2002 the Cephalopod Squad was conducting interviews with potential bounty hunters. The following interview took place in Hattiesburg, MS on Saturday, May 4, 2002. Curtis Cole is a 6 foot 6 man in his sixties although he looks very youthful. He has a long, white beard and piercing blue eyes. His voice was gruff, his disposition was deliberate, and his answers were thoughtful.
Can I ask you a few questions?
CC: Sure, go ahead. Is this for the newspaper?
No, just a few questions for our organization…
CC: Okay. What do you want to know?
What do you know about the giant squid?
CC: Well, I was watching a program on the Discovery Channel the other night and they were talking about the search for the giant squid.
Very good. Do you believe in the giant squid?
CC: (looking very skeptical) I, uh, I don’t really know.
Why?
CC: Well, because I’ve never seen one.
So, you’re saying that you would only believe in the giant squid if you saw one?
CC: Yes! Well, let me ask you something. Do you believe in aliens?
I think it would be arrogant of us to believe that we’re the only ones in this universe. Do YOU believe in aliens?
CC: No!
Why not?
CC: Because of the Bible.
Okay, but are you using the Bible as a critical text or for religious values? Forget it, let’s get back to the giant squid. I’m more concerned about the giant squid.
CC: Okay, well, let me ask you another question. Do you believe in Big Foot?
What does that have to do with the giant squid?
CC: What’s this for anyway?
This is for The Cephalopod Squad. We’re an organization that is in search of the truth about the giant squid and all related conspiracy theories.
CC: Conspiracy theories?! What kind?
I’ll tell you when I’m finished asking my questions. All right? Can we get back to this interview?
CC: Sure go ahead, I love this stuff. Ask any question – ask away!
Okay, so you’re saying that you don’t believe in the giant squid because you’ve never seen it. Then, would you call yourself a skeptic?
CC: Yes, I’d say I’m pretty skeptical.
But if you did see a giant squid, you would believe in it. Or, do you need empirical evidence in order to believe in something?
CC: What?
YOU NEED TO SEE IT WITH YOUR OWN EYES.
CC: Well, maybe. Do you believe in the Loch Ness monster?
I don’t know. I’ve never been to Scotland.
CC: But do you believe that the Loch Ness monster exists?
Who knows? I don’t know enough about it to make a judgement and their sightings of the so-called “Loch Ness Monster” could just be large water lizards. Who knows?!
CC: Okay, well, have you ever been to Wyoming?
No, but my dad would like to live there. Why, have you? This better be going somewhere.
CC: No, I haven’t. But can Big Foot live in Wyoming?
I don’t know. You’re asking me two different questions: 1) do I think that big foot exist?, 2) if it does, can it live in Wyoming?
CC: Well, is it possible?
Is it possible? Anything is possible! But is it probable – that is the question! Wyoming is the one state that has smallest population of people, right?
CC: Right! So, there are parts of Wyoming which man has never set foot on…
…just as there are parts of the ocean which have never been explored!
CC: And there are parts of the world that no one has ever been to.
Exactly! So, do YOU think that Big Foot lives in Wyoming?
CC: (shrugging) I don’t know.
Well, it seems to me that you’re more likely to believe that big foot lives in Wyoming than a giant squid living underwater.
CC: Maybe.
So, you’ll believe in the big foot when it’s a creature which isn’t related to any other living animal when the giant squid is, clearly, just a much larger version of smaller squid which DO exist…?
CC: This giant squid – how big are you talking?
3,000-5,000 feet.
CC: That’s pretty long.
I know it is. It’s giant! What’s your name?
CC: Curtis. [watches me as I write it down]
Last name?
CC: [begins to look very hesitant] eeeehhhhh.
You can give me a pseudonym.
Curtis: Okay. Cole.
With a “C” or a “K”?
CC: “C”.
For both?
CC: Yes.
Okay. Good. So, tell me again what you know about the giant squid.
CC: Well, actually not much. The only channels I watch are the Discovery Channel, the Learning Channel, and the History Channel.
Do you have a boat?
CC: No, but I used to own one.
Do you fish?
CC: Yes, but only for food.
Would you like to find the giant squid?
CC: (still very skeptical) Maybe, if there is one. But I don’t know if there is.
But it is possible! There are trees underwater off the coast of California that are two thousand feet tall. That means that there must be different life forms living underwater that we don’t know about. So, wouldn’t it make sense that there are giant squid that live in caves that deep down in the ocean?
CC: I suppose so. But how come no one has ever seen the giant squid?
Because they are too big to come to the surface of the ocean. It would be too little pressure on their body. And their eye balls are the size of dinner plates or even larger so the sunlight would hurt their eyes.
CC: I see. Well, I have diver friends that dive as deep down as 1640 feet.
Wow! 1640 feet? [writing it down] Is that what you said?
CC: No, I mean 1438 feet. [I change it from 1640 to 1438 as he watches to make sure that I cross out the wrong number.] They’re saturation divers that dive down near the oil rigs.
What do they breathe?
CC: Nitrous and helium.
Very interesting. What do they see?!?!
CC: Nothing! They don’t even see fish! So, why would they see a giant squid?
I told you that the giant squid live in caves. And they got that jet propulsion thing going on so they’re able to take off really fast if they feel threatened or something.
CC: Hmmmm.
Well, let me ask you something, Curtis.
CC: What’s that?
Do you think you’d only find something if you were really looking for it, and wanted to find it?
CC: If you go out looking for something, it’s the last thing you’ll find, because you’ll end up finding everything else.
So, if we sent you out to look for the giant squid, could you find it – because you don’t believe in it…? I mean, there are many people trying to cover this up.
CC: Who’s covering it up? Who says the giant squid doesn’t exist? And why?
Many people – scientists, marine biologists, the government, other organizations, a lot of pople – they say that that giant squid doesn’t exist but that’s because they don’t want the general public to know.
CC: There are scientists that say that bumble bees can’t fly. Horse shit! Our f—ing military has a helicopter that can fly upside down. If that don’t run, I ain’t pushin’ it.
Well, let me get one final comment from you.
CC: Hey, you believe in UFOs?
I believe we’re talking about the giant squid here….?
CC: But just answer me this. What about Roswell?
What about Roswell?
CC: Well, do you believe in it?
What – that the place exists? Yes.
CC: No, that aliens landed there and that the goverment is harboring aliens.
No, I don’t believe that. Do you?
CC: No.
Then what do you believe?
CC: I believe that a plane crashed there.
I think that THAT is horseshit.
CC: Then what do you believe happen there?
Well, think about it, what time did all that stuff supposedly happen? In the 1940’s?
CC: (trying to remember) Sometime back then, uh, 1943?
And wasn’t that sometime after WWII?
CC: Sort of.
And what was going on during that time? Huh? Testing of the atomic bomb. And what were people afraid of? Nuclear war and the atom bomb going off. And wasn’t Roswell a place out in the desert? It seems like it’d be a good testing site for bombs? It’s far away from anyone, very secretive. Right?
CC: (nods)
And wouldn’t the government rather have the country in mass hysteria over something as ridiculous as aliens and UFO’s than something more immediate and threatening such as AN ATOM BOMB GOING OFF?
CC: (nodding his head in agreement) Yes.
Right. So NO, I don’t think there are aliens at Roswell and I don’t think that a plane crashed there. I think it was a nuclear testing site. I mean, fear manifests itself in many different and strange ways. Look at all the Asian movies about Godzilla and other big goons that were produced in the 1960’s and 70’s after Hiroshima. That was out of fear. The fear had to be represented as something else, like a crazy ass creature of some magnitude and majesty. Although in the case with the giant squid, this is a creature that IS real! Hmmm, so, are you scared of aliens, Curtis?
CC: No, are you?
Well, that’s another conversation. Are you scared of the giant squid?
CC: Sweetheart, the last thing I was scared of – I shot it and then I f—ed it.
db 