Johm E.L. Tenney has built an unusual career by asking unusual questions.

Born in Royal Oak in 1971 and a third-generation resident, Tenney has spent more than three decades researching folklore, UFOs, the occult, cryptids, and strange experiences.

“I’m a historical researcher," Tenney said. "I'm interested in why people believe what they believe and what actually happened."

Tenney attended Dondero High School before finishing at Kimball High School. He later studied at Wayne State University but left after about a year and a half when an unusual opportunity arose.

"A friend in Los Angeles saw an ad that Unsolved Mysteries needed researchers," he recalled. "I got the job and bounced between Detroit, Los Angeles and New York. That changed everything."

As a teenager, one of his most influential mentors was Dr. Jack Kevorkian, whom he met regularly at the Royal Oak Library.

"I used to skip school and meet him there three times a week," Tenney said. "He'd give me book recommendations and challenge me to think differently about history, philosophy and science. Jack lived in an apartment above Mr. B’s (now Alchemi).”

At age 17, Tenney experienced a cardiac arrest and briefly flatlined. Unlike classic near-death accounts, his experience was something very different.

"It wasn't a tunnel of light," he said. "It was what I call the null experience. I was dead and floating in a timeless void."

Today, Tenney's research focuses on what scholars call anomalistic experiences: déjà vu, sleep paralysis, hearing one's name called, apparitions, missing time, shadow figures, synchronicities, UFO encounters, and other unusual phenomena. Yet he remains skeptical of easy answers.

"Claims shouldn't automatically be accepted or dismissed," he said. "They should be investigated."

Tenney is a noted expert on Michigan's famous 1966 "Swamp Gas" UFO incident, which generated more than 3,000 witness reports and attracted national attention.

Outside of research, Tenney's interests are remarkably varied.

“I formed my first punk band, Degeneration, at age 14,” he said. “We opened for Social Distortion, Agent Orange, The Dwarves, Reagan Youth. Then in 1995, I opened Neo Tokyo at Main Street and Catalpa, a Japanese popculture store for fans of Godzilla, Ultraman, comics, toys, and imported collectibles.”

A lifelong collector himself, Tenney particularly enjoys Marvel and DC comics from the ‘60s and ‘70s.

"My favorite has always been Swamp Thing by Bernie Wrightson," he said. Today, he hosts the renowned What's Up Weirdo? podcast and continues presenting his Weird Lectures series several times each month.

After more than 35 years investigating unusual claims, Tenney remains comfortable with uncertainty.

"I still don't know if any of the paranormal stuff is real," he said. "Ghosts, UFOs, cryptids and folklore may all be different expressions of the same thing that we're simply misidentifying. There may never be definitive answers to the world's weirdest questions and that’s okay."

Despite his travels and unusual career, Royal Oak remains home.

"Royal Oak has always felt like the perfect blend of a busy little city and a small town," he said. "I especially love Gusoline Alley and St. Mary Cemetery."

Tenney is currently writing a book exploring magic and ritual for caregivers, inspired in part by caring for his mother during her battle with Alzheimer's. Contact John at john@weirdlectures.com