Stay ConnectedMonsterTalk: The Science Show About Monsters is a free audio podcast that critically examines the science behind cryptozoological (and legendary) creatures, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or werewolves.
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Copyright: © Copyright Monster House LLC
Blake and Karen are joined by Matt Baxter to discuss the 2023 film Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose, based on the story of Gef, the talking mongoose at the heart of the story.
Visit our original coverage of Gef in episode #67
Watch the film (Amazon affiliate link)
A list of the clever things a mongoose might say...
The Haunting of Alma Fielding - a recent book about Nandor Fodor's investigation of an alleged psychic (Affiliate Link)
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We're joined by author and professor Anne McClannan to discuss her new book Griffinology. These monsters are visually easily recognized - but how much do you know about their history?
Links:
Griffinology is available directly from University of Chicago Press.
Coupon code UCPNEW is good through Dec 2024 for 30% off - which brings the price down to $28 off its regular cover price of $40!
Griffins (wikipedia)
Here is a link to some Griffins in ancient artwork. The artwork in Griffinology is a stunning and impressive selection of such examples.
PopSci article on plausibility of Griffin/Fossil Connection
Additional:
The Leucrotta (per Reddit)
The same beast per D&D
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We managed to catch up with Joe Laycock for ONE MORE VAMPIRE EPISODE! This time we're having a look at the world of people who believe they are really vampires. Some drink blood, some drink energy, most embrace vampire gaming.
Joe wrote Vampires Today: The Truth About Modern Vampirism
In fact, Joe has written a lot of books that will be of interest to you guys!
And I'm so excited about Joe's current research - which you'll hear about at the end.
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Blake and Karen are joined again by Matt Baxter to talk about vampires in books, film, tv, and comics! This episode is EXPLICIT and contains adult language.
We talk about a ton of topics in this one and too many shows and movies to list - but I'll try and post a list when I get time to all the things referenced over at this episode's page on MonsterTalk.org - Thanks for your patience!
You can watch this video on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vBNyYz6y0M
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We’re joined by researcher Katarzyna “Kasia” Ancuta to learn more about the Chinese creature known as the Jiangshi – but more famous in the West as “Hopping Vampires.” It turns out that their history is being complicated by their appearances in pop-culture!
Jiangshi Movies: (affiliate links)
Encounters of the Spooky Kind
Mr. Vampire
Rigor Mortis
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
Additional Reading:
The Hun and Po soul
Scared Stiff: Jiangshi and Chinese Vampires – from the Palgrave Handbook of Vampires
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling (wiki)
The Shibian (The Animated Corpse) by Pu Songling (project gutenberg)
Penanggal (pen-nan-gal)
Manananggal (Mana nan gal)
Pop (Thai Ghost) – wiki
Krasue (Thai version of Manananggal) “pop krasue” in episode audio – sounds like “pi-krasue”
Previous Episodes Related:
Chinese Ghosts
Mr. Vampire is available on DVD and Blu-Ray now, but you might have to track down an import. Or you can watch it streaming on The Criterion Channel.
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We kick off our Vampire October with the story of Arnold Paole and we're joined by Matt Baxter. This story appeared in the 1979 edition of Usborne's Haunted Houses, Ghosts, and Spectors.
Arnold Paole
Lee Illis 1964 - Porphyria and Werewolves
1985 - David Dolphin - NYT article on Porphyria and Vampires
Penanggal
Manananggal
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In this episode we look at the history of the Vampire in folklore and literature with professor Nick Groom - aka "The Prof of Goth."
Links related to Professor Groom:
The Vampire: A New History by Nick Groom (affiliate link)
Nick Groom - University of Macau faculty page - NickGroom@um.edu.mo
University of Exeter faculty page - N.Groom@exeter.ac.uk
Times Literary Supplement - articles by Nick Groom
Author's page at Simon & Schuster
Interview with The One Ring about Groom's Tolkien scholarship
Articles at Literary Hub by Groom
Some Vampire Links:
The Vampyre - John Polidori (Full Text - 1819)
The Black Vampyre: A Legend of St. Domingo (Full Text - 1819) (affiliate link) - wiki
Varney the Vampire: Or the Feast of Blood (Full Text - 1847) (affiliate link) - wiki
Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (Full Text - 1872) (affiliate link) - wiki
Dracula by Bram Stoker (Full Text - 1897) (affiliate link) - wiki
Vampire Panics (1790s - 1890s)
The Ackermansion
This episode brought to you by Factor Meals – use our link or code MonsterTalk50 to 50% off your first order!
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Karen and her husband Matt are back from visiting Australia and in this episode we discuss some viral ghost photos. The photos will be in the show notes, and we will cross-post a version of this on our YouTube page with image inserts.
Karen's new book BITCH is on sale now.
Blake's recent article about mind viruses seems to be backed up by an even more recent article confirming that clinical evidence doesn't support a "mind virus" explanation for idea spread.
This episode brought to you by Factor Meals – use our link or code MonsterTalk50 to 50% off your first order!
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Part two of our two-part talk with author Adam Gorightly about his research into the very strange history of Discordianism and The Illuminati. If you have never heard of Operation Mindf*ck, then you didn’t listen to part 1 – so get back over there!
Due to the chance that I might have failed to bleep out an “F-bomb” somewhere, I’m labeling this explicit. LINKS:
Part one of our two-part talk with author Adam Gorightly about his research into the very strange history of Discordianism and The Illuminati. If you have never heard of Operation Mindf*ck, get ready for a ride.
LINKS:
Adam Gorightly Books (affiliate)
Historia Discordia (affiliate)
Illuminati (wiki)
INWO game (SJGAMES) and Board Game Geek review
Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Youtube)
JFK Movie (affiliate link)
The famous Playboy Illuminati Letter
Barkun - A Culture of Conspiracy
60s Counter Culture
Robert Anton Wilson
Kerry Thornley (wiki)
Can’t Get You Out of My Head or Documenting Operation Mindf*ck - POV Magazine
This episode brought to you by Factor Meals – use our link or code MonsterTalk50 to 50% off your first order!
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In this episode Blake continues his conversation with Richard Hatem (Mothman Prophecies, Titans, Under Siege 2) about his new podcast. Karen was away during this episode but will be back next week.
Additional Links:
Spiricom via Encyclopedia.com
Spiricom – by Kenny Biddle via Skeptical Inquirer
Recording of a Spiricom Session (YouTube)
The Mothman Prophecies (amz affiliate link)
Titans (amz affiliate link)
Miracles (amz affiliate link - to DVD)
This episode brought to you by Factor Meals - use our link or code MonsterTalk50 to 50% off your first order!
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In this episode Blake talks with Richard Hatem (Mothman Prophecies, Titans, Under Siege 2) about his new podcast.
Additional Links:
Spiricom via Encyclopedia.com
Spiricom - by Kenny Biddle via Skeptical Inquirer
Recording of a Spiricom Session (YouTube)
This episode brought to you by Factor Meals - use our link or code MonsterTalk50 to 50% off your first order!
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Part two of a two-part discussion with paleontologist Darren Naish about the history of Dogman lore. In part two, we discuss the current state of cryptozoology.
Be sure and check out Darren's Dogman article below:
Darren’s Dogman Article (TetZoo)
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Part one of a two-part discussion with paleontologist Darren Naish about the history of Dogman lore. Next week in part two, we discuss the current state of cryptozoology. Darren's Dogman Article (TetZoo) STM - Beast of Bray Road (YouTube) Drive down Bray Road on your computer (Google Maps) Linda Godfrey's Obituary Beast of Bray Road (wiki) Dogman (wiki)
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We're delighted to welcome back Dr. Ken Feder to talk about his new YouTube series that covers many archaeological frauds & hoaxes, and explains how archaeologists know what they know. Catch his web series here. Ken's books are great - here's an affiliate link to his author's page. Catch our previous episodes with Ken.
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We're excited to bring you an interview with Dr. Emily Zarka, host of PBS's Monstrum series on the humanities web channel Storied.
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Werewolves are an ancient idea, but the meaning and beliefs around the concept have changed over time. How were they viewed in the classical world and even earlier? Find out in this week's episode as we interview Dr. Tanika Koosmen. Dr. Koosmen's thesis at Newcastle online archive The werewolf story in Satyricon Some movies mentioned: Van Helsing (2004) Deep Rising (1998) Interesting terms: Versipellis - In Roman mythology and literature, a "versipellis" is literally a "skin changer" and referred to someone who could change their skin or shape, similar to a shapeshifter. The term is derived from "versus" (changed) and "pellis" (skin). Episode art by Team Smith (my kids worked together on this one)
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We welcome back Dr. Justin Mullis to tell us about the interesting connection he found between Cryptozoology and the Godzilla franchise. He just appeared at G-Fest in Chicago where he spoke on this topic. Justin's profile at Academia.Edu Justin visiting with Cian at The Lost World Podcast talking Kong Skull Island Justin writes for AIPT in NYC The Impossible Archive podcast Justin discussing "little people" with Cian Gill Thanks to Stephen & William Smith for this week's episode art.
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We're joined by mosquito and disease expert Dr. Louisa Messenger of the Las Vegas PARAVEC lab. It turns out that gators and snakes aren't the big danger in a swamp. And this monster isn't constrained to swamps. In fact, it's probably in your own backyard. Mosquito problem in Las Vegas How to fight Mosquitos Dr. Messenger's Lab website Additional Reading: History of antimalarial drugs Modern use of Quinine The Color Mauve History of Malaria Lyle Blackburn's Sinister Swamps (affiliate link) Theodore Sturgeon's IT!
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Karen Stollznow and Matt Baxter recount their journey to solve the mystery of the ghost lights of Silver Cliff Cemetery, in Colorado. Silver Cliff Cemetery Prisoner's Cinema History Colorado Karen's book Haunting America (Amz affiliate link) Announcing the release of Karen's latest title: bitch: The Journey of a Word
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We answer a listener question that takes us down some interesting rabbit holes and face to face with the apparently never-ending tendrils of the Satanic Panic. Photo of Tokoloshe statue courtesy Peter Aller. Lots of show notes for this one: South Africa’s Occult Crimes Unit: How Apartheid shaped South African attitudes toward Paganism and the Occult Dr. Kobus Jonker More on "Donker" Jonker What is a Sangoma? Wikipedia: Tokoloshe A sample of The Daily Sun coverage of Tokoloshe The SAPS Occult Unit was never truly disbanded? How Apartheid shaped SA attitudes about Paganism and the Occult Article about the 666 Gangs and the Occult Task Force Frighteningly familiar SA Police web page about spotting Occult in kids 1999 article about failures of the Occult Task force
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The US Library of Congress says the Cassowary is the world's "Most Dangerous Bird!?" But is it? We talked with biologist Steven Portugal to find out. Steven Portugal's search for the Cassowary trip Cassowary (Wiki) Darren Naish on the 2023 Cassowary Florida Relocation Event
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Blake and Karen discuss some recent werewolf projects, and what to do with all this research material accrued since this project started in 2011. Wolf-related MonsterTalk (previous episodes) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 Jay Smith’s historical research on hyenas and French wolf attacks. (Behind a paywall, but you may be able to get free access at your local public or university libraries. Be sure and check with a librarian.) Scott Lilienfeld (et al) book on Psychology Myths mentioned regarding full moon The Werewolf of Livonia Blake's Werewolf Bibliography
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Friend of the show Ray Garton, author of many horror books including In a Dark Place, passed away April 21, 2024 of lung cancer. This show is largely a rebroadcast of episode #039 from 2011. Ray was one of the first and most prominent people who worked with Ed and Lorraine Warren who then went on to call them out for their duplicity. He wouldn't be the only one either, as we covered in The Warren Omission a few years later. Content Warning: Many of the alleged events that Ray wrote about for the Warrens involved sexual and physical trauma, and this episode needs the explicit tag due to discussion of that content. Ray Garton's Amazon Author page (affiliate link) Ray's Obituary
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We take a look at the 1992 BBC Halloween tv special, Ghostwatch. Ghostwatch (streaming Affiliate Link)
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This week we take a look at some recent news stories that fall within our bailiwick. We've got big cats, big-not-really-cats, and some UFO data to discuss. (with Matt Baxter.) Note - check out the articles for images of the "Thylacine", especially the Reddit thread and Galante's video. Tasmanian Tiger: Forrest Galante's YT Video Coverage in Newsweek Reddit readers have a go at the photos Alien Big Cat in UK BBC says DNA confirms big cat in UK Local news coverage 2023 article with similar findings UFO Hotspot Analysis Axios story about the analysis NUFORC's website Data Analyst considers this data Cool - NUFORC uses an old missile silo as HQ?? About NUFORC (Wiki)
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This week we're going to take a quick peek behind the curtains as to how THE SCIENCE OF MONSTERS came to be published by MonsterHouse, and what you can find inside. Sales of the book directly help the show, and all of that is explained during our MonsterTalking. The Science of Monsters - paperback & kindle The many lives of Joe Nickell
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Blake and Karen are joined by Matt Baxter to discuss the new horror film Late Night with the Devil (AMZ affiliate link), a fictional work that draws very heavily from "real" paranormal history to anchor its verisimilitude. Trailer for LNwtD Don Lane vs Randi incident CSICOP Randi vs James Hydrick Randi vs Popov Randi and Don Lane incident Randi Michelle Remembers Anton LaVey Jim Jones Branch Davidians
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In this episode we talk with professor Jason Josephson-Storm about the concept of Disenchantment, why it's an important and influential concept, and why it is also a pervasive myth. The Dialectic of Enlightenment by Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno Max Weber The Golden Bough by James Frazer Deadly Words by by Jeanne Favret-Saada Our coverage of the homunculus - way back in episode 53!
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Is Bigfoot making peculiar stacks of bones in the forests of Mt. St. Helens? Archaeologist Andy White joins us to discuss the hypothesis that was the topic of a research paper by a Bigfoot proponent Mitchell Townsend. Andy's website (and response to Townsend's claims) Andy also has a YOUTUBE CHANNEL. Taphonomy Bigfoot proponent Townsend has been on Coast-to-Coast-AM more than once, where he also promoted his ideas about hidden images in stones. Mitchell's ideas are VERY reminiscent of the Richard Shaver work which we described as both apophenia and art.
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Karen and Blake discuss three little mysteries they've run across while doing research that didn't quite warrant an individual episode, and which might benefit from some crowd-sourcing. Examples of "Bigfoot Tree Forts" Colorado Site discussing Tik-Tok Bigfoot Structures Fairy-Braids: This is a real phenomenon - example article with photos Loren Coleman discussing MK Davis discussing Bigfoot braids (Cryptomundo) Some examples of algorithmic analysis of biological behaviors (gScholar) Silver and Milk Preservation: Example of claims in modern source: Ask A Prepper Article about historic use of silver in baby bottles The Oligodynamic Effect Side-chat on Rat Kings: An article (with some great photos) on Rat Kings The less regal Squirrel King Who invented Pasteurization? The Smurfing Danger of Colloidal Silver Emily Rosa Science-Fair Program
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Matt and Karen report back from their trip to Devil's Tower, Wyoming. reuters debunk traced to Facebook Satirical Post Watch CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND via Amazon affiliate link
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[This episode contains some adult language.] This is the story of the search for Bigfoot as conducted by the NORTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE RESEARCH CENTER. (Which sounds a lot like the real Bigfoot research group North American Wildlife Research Team that famously setup the only permanent Bigfoot trap maintained by the national park service.) But while a lot of the stuff in this film sounds real - the whole thing is made up. The IMDB page gives you the details on the cast. A very good widescreen version of the movie is available streaming on Amazon. (Affiliate Link) The film follows a team of investigators who travel for months into British Columbia on horseback to find the secret valley of the Bigfoot where they will radio-tag a creature for study. Along the way they will tell Bigfoot stories and watch stock nature footage play out to a Jaws-derivative soundtrack. If that sound sketchy, keep in mind their whole trip was planned by computer. The computer even gave them a sketch of what they should be looking for! The party of adventurers heads off into the wilderness. They will encounter many shadowy creatures along the way. They will try to out-science Bigfoot. Good luck with that. This is a historically significant film in some ways - and has led to some interesting research which will be discussed in a near-future episode of the regular show. I'm still digging. I included a brief snippet from the Eddie Murphy Biopic Dolemite Is My Name, which tells the story of Rudy Ray Moore. I loved this movie and recommend the biopic which is streaming on Netflix. (That's *not* an affiliate link - but you will need a Netflix account to watch it.)
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We're excited to have Professor Chris French back to introduce his brand new book, The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure The Paranormal (Affiliate Link). Links: Wilson & Barber and the "fantasy prone personality" Richard Wiseman appearances on MonsterTalk Susan Blackmore (wikipedia) Anomalistic Psychology
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We catch up with Richard Estep and Bil Bungay, co-authors of The Black Monk of Pontefract: The World's Most Violent and Relentless Poltergeist to talk about the history and strange happenings alleged to take place in the village of Pontefract in Yorkshire. Website of the house (for bookings and photos) You can rent Bil's movie When The Lights Went Out on Vimeo for a small fee. And here is Bil's Parapod movie on Apple's platform. Colin Wilson's book on the topic (Poltergeist) which has the chapter that made Pontefrat famous.
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This week Blake, Karen and Matt Baxter discuss celebrity UFO encounters. Why are they so popular? Why do we care? Some examples: John Lennon Olivia Newton John Elvis Russell Crowe Mick Jagger David Bowie Kesha Demi Lovato Jimmy Carter (see The UFO Movie They Don't Want You To See) Heck - YouTube is just full of these stories.
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Blake and Karen discuss The Secret History of Bigfoot by John O'Connor. The Secret History of Bigfoot (affiliate link) NYT Book Review Trey the Explainer on Bigfoot and Indigenous Culture (YouTube) Michael Barkun's Culture of Conspiracy (affiliate link) Spokane Washington Public Library reading by O'Connor (YouTube)
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There are lots of things to read about this on the Internet and you will not find a definitive answer, I'm afraid. My conclusions are based on parsimony not on explicit proof. Besides, we all know how hard it is to prove a negative. It's a complex topic with many black-box elements and those tend to lend themselves to conspiratorial thinking. If you have things to say on the topic, come comment on the episode on our Patreon. Some articles of interest: Test showing negative results (Wandera) Tests showing the phones are capable of much monitoring (Medium) BBC Coverage of the question ABC deep dive (10 mins) (Australian) Gizmodo - is your phone listening? Conspiratorial Thinking and Mobile Phones (Research Gate)
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A lighthearted discussion of the cryptids of Connecticut with the author and illustrator of Connecticut Cryptids: A Field Guide to the Weird & Wonderful Creatures of the Nutmeg State, Patrick Scalisi and Valerie Ruby-Omen. Patrick's Amazon Author's Page (affiliate link) Valerie's facebook page
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We conclude our two-part look at Boleskine House, on the shores of Loch Ness. Matt Baxter joins Karen and Blake to wrap up this investigation. Links for Part 2: Article about sale of Boleskine Report of death of Major Grant (1960) A Dark Song (movie loosely based on Crowley/Abramelin working) (affiliate link) The Cadco Affair - or the great sausage scandal Pre-fire article (2015) about Boleskine after Page sale Current owners hope link to Outlander series will generate restoration funds The Boleskine House Foundation - seeking to restore the site
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Part 1 of a 2-part look at Boleskine House, the little house on the shores of Loch Ness that allegedly once hosted an infamous ceremony attempt by Mr. Aleister Crowley. Matt Baxter joins Karen and Blake to discuss. Thanks to previous guests Peter Bebergal, Jerry Drake and Al Ridenour for their assistance on preparing this episode. Related Links - Part 1 News article chock full of the legends we discuss What happened to the kids from that Led Zeppelin album cover? Who was Kenneth Anger? Documentary on Crowley (sometimes explicit content - YouTube) The OTHER Loch Ness Monster - doc that Blake thinks influenced expansion of legend Documentarian seeking to capture the restoration and demystify site The Boleskine House Foundation - seeking to restore the site BBC article on restoration efforts Samuel MacGregor Mathers - Crowley's mentor and translator of Abramelin The Golden Dawn - English magical society (1887 - 1903) The English translation of the Abramelin Working by Mathers The Confessions of Aleister Crowley - Internet Archive Images for Part 1: The graveyard downhill from Boleskine YouTube compilation of photos from inside and outside the house Atlas Obscura info on the site Related Episodes: The Great Beast 666 - a look at Crowley Theosophy & Western Esotericism - pt1 Theosophy & Western Esotericism - pt2 Grimoires Part 1 Grimoires Part 2
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Blake wraps up his seven year deep dive into the Kelly-Hopkinsville Goblins case by taking a look at the many myths and misconceptions still enshrined in the Wikepedia article at the time of this recording. Yep - it's Blake rant time again... The two-part article is published in the UK's Skeptic. Part one is live now: https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2024/01/guns-and-goblins-what-really-happened-during-the-kentucky-alien-invasion/ Part two should be live Monday, Jan 29th, 2024. If this link is wrong, I'll correct it. https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2024/01/the-kentucky-alien-invasion-putting-to-bed-the-myths-and-mysteries/ If you're serious about this topic and want more, we've got plenty of places to go: #136 – AMERICAN GOBLINS—PART 1 #137 – AMERICAN GOBLINS—PART 2 #138 – AMERICAN GOBLINS – PART 3 Astonishing Legends podcast coverage: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 The troublesome Wikipedia article on this topic. The journal article by Schmaltz and Lilienfeld. The correction to that article - that still didn't correct the problem.
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A look at Blake's ongoing research into the missing history of the Patterson-Gimlin film. This is pre-publication and the raw data is not ready to share yet, but we discuss some of the findings. Episode 12 - Greg Long Cryptid Cinema - Steve Bissette (affiliate link) Cryptid Cinema vol 2 (affiliate link)
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In 1979 a man named Ernest encountered a mysterious creature in a tunnel in the Cabbagetown neighborhood of Toronto. Now, four decades on, we're joined by author Jeff Dupuis to look back on this peculiar incident and ask talk about why some monsters go viral and others remain "deep cuts" of cryptozoology. LINKS: Jeff Dupuis and the TORONTO Cabbage Town Monster: Jeff Dupuis - cryptid-themed novels Additional: The UFO "Commander-X" - possibly Timothy Green Beckley (at least in part) Obit for Timothy Green Beckley Commander-X (the hacktivist) extradition from Mexico Colorful character Salako Kalfou mentioned in the interview Goldenstein's article from 1979 Freak Encounters (2010) - affiliate link Captain Midnight TV hack Vrillon 1977 "Alien" TV intrusion
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We talk with the multi-talented Miles Greb about AI Art in the first part of what will likely be several episodes this year touching on "artificial intelligence." Miles' work can be found on his website and his podcast (Plastic Plesiosaur) can be found on your favorite podcasting platform.* Show Notes Orwell on Politics and the English Language Understanding Machine Learning with Carrie Anne Philbin Recent story about artists not-consenting to be training material for AI Specific AI Art Tools: Dall-E Stable Diffusion Midjourney *the title card for this episode was produced with DALL-E. It took a lot of prompting to get close to what I was looking for.
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A 2023 end-of-year weird story roundup and some lighthearted chatting with Blake, Karen and Matt. Links to coverage follow: UAP Hearings Colorado Bigfoot Nigerian Humanoid Champ Sonar Rat Boy Gaffe Tasmanian Tiger Videos
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Once again we have Ghost Stories for Christmas in the tradition of the BBC's MR James inspired intermittent television series. John Charrington's Wedding is a creepy tale by E. Nesbit. Edith Nesbit may be more well known to you for her series The Railway Children. Patrons get a bonus ghost story The Secret of Macarger's Gulch by Ambrose Bierce. I picked this because of Bierce's brilliant mix of genuine horrors with comedy of manners and wordplay. Happy Holidays from Blake and Karen!
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Dr. Joe Nickell recalls his experiences working on the Season 4 episode of In Search Of… dealing with The Shroud of Turin. note: if you also subscribe to IN RESEARCH OF, the interview audio in this episode is identical to the IRO cut, but the wrapping intro/outro are customized to the respective feeds. -B In Research Of… (Patreon) In Research Of (free feed) In Search Of… The Shroud of Turin (YouTube) Joe Nickell covered by The Daily Mail That's Incredible! segment on THE AMITYVILLE HORROR. (YouTube) Joe Nickell's website Joe's Amazon Author's Page (affiliate link)
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Join us for a continuing discussion of Joe Laycock and Eric Harrelson's new book, The Exorcist Effect. In this part we will discuss the legacy of Ed and Lorraine Warren, and father Malachi Martin and how their imaginative contributions to the field of Demonology riffed on movies and ended up changing how people perceive, practice, and perform modern Exorcisms. Remember that Eric and Joe will be signing their book in December of 2023 in the Austin area. Dec 15th - Signing at Glass Coffin Boutique 3009 N Interstate Hwy 35, Austin, TX 78722 Dec 17th - Curio Arcanum 5924 S Congress Ave Unit 23, Austin, TX 78745 And I should also say that while in Austin you should check out the Minnesota IceMan over at the MUSEUM OF THE WEIRD over on 6th street. Tell 'em MonsterTalk sent you. We don't have any promotional relationship - but it would be pretty cool of a bunch of folks dropped in and said that. Maybe you'd weird them out at the museum of the weird. Worth a shot. If you somehow haven't seen THE EXORCIST you can watch it here. (Affiliate Link)
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We're joined by Joseph Laycock and Eric Harrelson to discuss their new book THE EXORCIST EFFECT. This book is a great deep-dive into how fiction and fact intermingle in culture to generate new ways of interacting with the supernatural and paranormal. It's a feedback loop. It's a mobius strip. It's ouroboros. And it's really informative to be aware of this process. The Exorcist Effect book (Affiliate Link) Remember that Eric and Joe will be signing their book in December of 2023 in the Austin area. Dec 15th - Signing at Glass Coffin Boutique 3009 N Interstate Hwy 35, Austin, TX 78722 Dec 17th - Curio Arcanum 5924 S Congress Ave Unit 23, Austin, TX 78745 And I should also say that while in Austin you should check out the Minnesota IceMan over at the MUSEUM OF THE WEIRD over on 6th street. Tell 'em MonsterTalk sent you. We don't have any promotional relationship - but it would be pretty cool of a bunch of folks dropped in and said that. Maybe you'd weird them out at the museum of the weird. Worth a shot. If you somehow haven't seen THE EXORCIST you can watch it here. (Affiliate Link)
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There's a park in Denver that is home to some macabre legends - and some of those legends are based in fact! Matt Baxter joins us to talk of the strange and macabre history of Cheesman Park. [Warning this episode does contain numerous references to the disposition, disarticulation, and desecration of the dead.] Victorian thoughts on burial The Changeling (discussed via MTLive) Poltergeist (DOATS) The history of Cheesman Park Denver area park vandalism in news What is Bentonite? Stories about "haunted Cheesman park" (note how many are dated to October)
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Blake and Karen discuss their trip to JSU, and begin a conversation about the enigmatic Wampus Cat. Show Notes: Wampus Cat in Potterverse Wampus Cat (wiki) Underwater Panthers (wiki) Example of early 20th century newspaper report (there are many) More on the Wampus (and a list of schools who use it for mascot/team name) Pop Culture: Hunt the WUMPUS ← note spelling M.U.L.E. video game featuring "hunt the mountain wampus" mini-game Some bio on Dani Bunten (whose games were tremendously influential to Blake)
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We continue our discussion of feral hogs as monsters with Dr. John Mayer. He was a forensic investigator on three alleged giant hog cases. Join us as we root around for the facts perhaps left unexcavated by the media at the time. (Sausage?) Links for Part 2 Brucellosis Pseudo-Rabies Rhonda Shearer's site on media & giant pig stories. MonsterQuest tackles giant pigs (full episode) MonsterPig A list of notable pigs - Wikipedia In the media: Razorback (1984) - Amz affiliate link
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Learn about the biology of feral hogs and how their morphology changes when farm pigs go hog wild. Our guest is Dr. John J. Mayer who has spent more than five decades studying pig morphology, and who investigated several famous allegedly monstrous feral pig kills in the mid 2000s. In part one of this interview, we will look into pig biology and discuss the facts and myths around these animals. Next week we will look into the specific news stories around the "giant feral hog" craze of the first decade of the 21st century. Dr. Mayer's webpage USDA Guide to Feral Hogs Pigs have been domesticated since 8,000 BCE Religions that eschew the chewing of pigs The Feral Pig time-bomb
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[Content Warning] Hey we're back again with Dr. Brian Sharpless to talk about more of his new book - which is now available everywhere books are sold: MONSTERS ON THE COUCH - the real psychological disorders behind your favorite movies! This one gets a content warning because many of the things that people with these psychological disorders have gotten up to has been quite disturbing and might not be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised. Show Notes: Brian's Book MONSTERS ON THE COUCH (Amz affiliate link) Brian's Website Movies mentioned (affiliate links): The Thing (John Carpenter) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) It Follows Additional: The Irish Changeling Murder Capgras Syndrome (NIH) Fregoli Syndrome (Wikipedia)
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Buckle up as Blake and Karen are joined by Matt Baxter to discuss haunted automobiles and creepy highway adjacent stuff like cursed vehicles. Spooky stories abound and check the show notes for lots of links. WARNING: This episode does contain brief discussion of suicide and murder. As we always like to mention, if you're having troubling thoughts related to self harm please seek help. You don't have to struggle alone - in the USA you can call 988 any time and get real help immediately from people who care. The Wraith Christine Maximum Overdrive The Manitou Link back to Telly Savalas episode The Hitchhiker (TZ) James Dean's Little Bastard | Jason Colavito on this topic The Golden Eagle (allegedly very cursed murder car) A famous British "ghost car" crash The ghost in the back seat (Blake's research) The Hairy Hands
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We're joined by psychologist, writer, journalist, television personality, and co-founder and executive director of the Italian Committee for the Investigation of Claims of the Pseudosciences (CICAP), Massimo Polidoro to discuss the 1954 Florence "Soccer" mass sighting of UFOs. BBC article: “The day UFOs stopped play” The unlikely story that this case inspired David Bowie Pwdre Ser (Star Jelly)
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Chris French joins us to talk about his career, his upcoming book, and why he says that Parapsychology is not pseudoscience. Robert Morris (Parapsychology) Uncanny Tour Uncanny BBC Radio
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Laura Krantz is back to talk about her new young-adult non-fiction book, IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? This gorgeous book is built from her research on season 2 of her podcast WILD THING.
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Christopher Klimovitz returns to talk to us more about the legends and folklore around Whitby, the town where Dracula comes to England in Bram Stoker's famous novel. Christopher previously talked with us back in #179 about folklore of the Balkans Dracula (full novel) Lych-Wake Dirge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyke-Wake_Dirge Monty Python - Four Yorkshire Men Whitby's Connection to Dracula The Night Frankenstein was Born The Wreck of the Dmitry (inspiration for The Demeter in Dracula)
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A continuation of our look at Georgia Cryptids, excerpted from a DragonCon 2023 presentation. In this episode we take a deeper look at Altie, plus discuss Bigfoot, Aliens, and Hogzilla. 2011 Creative Loafing story featuring Blake Smith & Rick Spears Hogzilla and other giant pigs Georgia Martian Moon Monkey
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Did a European-trained Werewolf haunt late 1800's Georgia? Blake and Karen discuss the case of the Georgia Werewolf. Sheep Ranching in Georgia Red Wolf range today (and historically) Grave of the GA Werewolf (Don't legend trip here - it's private land) Ghostly re-telling of the Emily Burt story Same story - from Week in Weird Georgia Ghosts by Nancy Roberts(affiliate Link) Nancy Roberts Amazon author page(affiliate Link) The Kennesaw House (allegedly haunted location in Marietta, GA) 2017 film loosely based on this story - LYCAN (affiliate Link)
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Blake and Karen interview Georgia paleo-artist Rick Spears and discuss his iconic sculpture depicting the local "estuary monster" that inspired the piece. Currently located in the Darien, GA Welcome Center, the statue is a beautiful reminder of the colorful local folklore that we will be discussing in our interview. Rick Spears' website Darien Welcome Center (home of the statue) 2012 Creative Loafing article that cites Blake and Rick
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Catching up on what we've been working on, what's up next, where you can see Blake talk at DragonCon this next weekend, and other big news relative to Monster House, LLC. October Forsyth County Library - 10/15/2023 DragonCon 2023
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This week we're seeking the truth about the strange but pervasive idea that people can use sticks or rods to mysteriously locate things. Water is often the target, but certainly isn't the only one. It might be considered aqueous yet innocuous when the quest is just for a new well, but what if the seeker is being paid to find treasure? Or oil? Or cancer? Knowing how this stuff works (and doesn't) is a fascinating gateway into understanding the human brain and the tools we can use to test this are a great entrance to the methodologies of Scientific Skepticism. Our guest for this episode is Jonathan Jarry with the McGill University's Office for Science and Society. Jarry's article about Dowsing Uri Gellar's side-hustle as an oil & mineral dowser Gilligan's Island dowsing episode In reSearch of... Water Seekers Skeptoid's coverage of Dowsing Dowsing for explosives (VERY BAD IDEA)
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Chris Woodyard returns to tell us all about the strange and mysterious phenomenon of The Women in Black that erupted in the United States at the end of the 1800s. Patrons can read a selection of contemporary news stories about this outbreak at patreon.com/monstertalk. LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE: Ghost & Witch Panics Victorian Mourning Clothes Whitby Goth Weekend Ohio Cryptid - The Crosswick Monster Gossamer (Looney Tunes) More by Chris Woodyard: Chris' Amazon Author Page (affiliate Link) Victorian Book of the Dead blog Haunted Ohio books blog --------------- Extra: Kickstarter for amazing monster book
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For the next two episodes we'll be in conversation with Chris Woodyard, an author and researcher whose work will likely be of interest to many of our listeners. This week we're discussing omens and it turns omens can be almost anything we find symbolic or evocative - and they're not all bad. Have a listen! Links for this episode (Omens): Black Dogs as Victorian slang for Depression Telling the bees Psychopomps Colony Collapse Disorder Chris' Amazon Author Page (affiliate Link) From the music box insert: The George Hotel Henry Clay Work History of the Tick Tock Music Box Clock Fisher Price Clock Music (YouTube)
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We welcome back Dr. Brian Sharpless to discuss his exciting new book (due in October) called Monsters on the Couch. The book looks at some of our most common monster types and discusses the real psychological conditions that can appear quite similar to these creatures. In this episode we'll be talking about the sensitive topic of necrophilia - and because this is the practice of having sexual relations with a corpse, the episode gets an explicit tag and the Patreon edition includes quite a few extra moments that were excised from the free feed. Brian's previous MonsterTalk episode Brian appeared on our video series MonsterTalk Live! Pre-Order Brian's Book Brian's website
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Part two of our look at time travel stories involving old computers covers the strange and twisted tale of John Titor - aka TimeTravel_0 - a self-described time warrior from the 2030s who has come back to the early 2000s to get an old computer and save the world. Hilarity ensues. Part 2 links: The Hoax Hunter reveals his candidate. Reddit discussion of the Haber identity Rochester Magazine coverage - has interesting counterpoints on Haber identity Old posts about the civil war of 2005 from Titor's perspective The operation manual for Titor's "time machine." Stephen Hawking's Time Travel Party John Titor's final post What is 16-bit computing?
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In 1984 a group of people living in Dodleston, England, began to receive strange messages on a BBC Micro personal computer. Then things got weird... Part 1 of our 2-part coverage of time-travel and vintage computers! Links: Pathological Punning - Witzelsucht A detailed review of The Vertical Plane Where is Dodleston? The book (reprinted recently) The Vertical Plane by Ken Webster (affiliate link) A segment on this topic from the TV show From Out of this World (1996) A more detailed dive into the topic with some with notes about textual analysis Some lengthy podcasts doing a longer-take: The Dark Histories Podcast Astonishing Legends (Part 1, Part 2)
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Richard Sugg joins us again to discuss the weird story of Bobbie the Wonder Dog (aka Silverton Bobbie) - a dog that took a trip of more than 2500 miles to return to its family. The centenary of this event is almost on us - and this is our 300th episode of the show. Lots to think about in this episode and I hope you'll share your own thoughts about what mechanisms might be at play behind the phenomenon of animals that manage to find their way home. Bobbie the Wonder Dog (wiki) News coverage of Bobbie's legend Oregon Encyclopedia coverage Story of homing cats A Singing Mouse at Buckingham Palace: and other amazing animal stories from the nineteenth century Mummies Vampires Fairies Richard's Amazon page Pop Culture: HOMEWARD BOUND THE CALL OF THE WEST 1924 (Partial - via YouTube) Richard's previous visits: #83 - Cures of the Mummy's Tomb #92 - Fangs that go bump in the night
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A discussion with artist and author Florian Schafer on his newest book about German house spirits. Links for this episode: Hausgeister: Household Spirits of German Folklore - pre-Order now (affiliate link) Fiction that inspired D&D: APPENDIX N (affiliate link)
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Richard Estep is a paramedic by day, paranormal investigator by night. Author of Grifters, Frauds, and Crooks: True Stories of American Corruption, he’s written more than 30 books on topics as diverse as serial killers, demons, UFOs, and haunted hospitals. Richard Estep (Amazon Author's Page) Haunted Hospitals (Amazon Streaming) Haunted Case FIles (Amazon Streaming)
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We're delighted to talk today with Professor Jack Longino of the University of Utah as he discusses ants! Can you help Karen & Matt out of a tough financial situation? There's a fundraiser here and they really appreciate any assist you can provide! https://bit.ly/helpkarenandmatt DISCUSSED IN THIS INTERVIEW: "Fringes of Reason" book link (Ted Schultz) Walter Tschinkel -molten metal ant nests Are invasive N. American fire ants moving north due to climate change? Other MonsterHouse Media that covers this topic: In Research of Deadly Ants Monsters in Media - Ants: THEM! Empire of the Ants Phase IV The Naked Jungle (based on Leiningen vs the Ants) It Came from the Desert
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I've replaced the intro on our audio distribution system but the system apparently caches the file and it may take some time for the corrected audio to work its way out to the world. My apologies - the music volume is so high in the first 5 mins of the intro it's very difficult to hear the text but it clears up after that. Still, I worked hard on the intro only to make a rookie mistake when finalizing the project. Hopefully the corrected audio will eventually make it to the public. Mick West continues our discussion of trying to solve UFO mysteries while keeping his cool. Mick is the author of Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic and Respect. He hosts a leading site for analysis of weird aerial phenomenon called Metabunk. He also maintains the site "Contrail Science" which tries to resolve the pseudoscience of "Chemtrails." Source of the latest "coverup" news story - from The Debrief Critique of that same story from The Guardian.
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Mick West joins us to talk about trying to solve UFO mysteries while keeping his cool. Mick is the author of Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic and Respect. He hosts a leading site for analysis of weird aerial phenomenon called Metabunk. He also maintains the site "Contrail Science" which tries to resolve the pseudoscience of "Chemtrails." In the intro there are some clips about NASA and US Congressional looks at the "UAP" phenomenon. I will argue that UAP is just a UFOmism and that the general public is largely unaware these are all just the same old things driven by the same old limitations of human perception and cognition. I mention Jason Colavito in the intro. It's worth checking out his historical take on this modern rebranding. Also mentioned in the episode was the sad (probably psychogenic) syndrome known as "Morgellons Disease." I wanted to include a link for the curious.
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A look at the "incorruptible" corpses of Catholic saints and a discussion of how they got this way - with Elizabeth Harper. Wilhelmina Lancaster (new incorrupt corpse) Joyce Caroll Cruz book on incorruptible saints (affiliate link) The Mummy Congress by Heather Pringle (affiliate link) Essay mentioned The Violent Madonnas by Elizabeth Harper The Order of the Good Death
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A look at the 2012 film The Possession which is allegedly based on the "true story" surrounding a wine cabinet and a creature from Jewish folklore known as a Dybbuk. The 2021 Input Magazine article that "blows the lid off" the story of the Dybbuk Box. Affiliate Link to THE POSSESSION (2012).
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Karen and Blake talk with Professor James Giordano from the departments of Neurology and Biochemistry at Georgetown University Medical Center about the phenomenon called Deja Vu.
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291 - Montauk & Stranger Things (explicit) aka The Philadelphia Experiment pt 3 We take a deep dive into the absolute whackadoodle world of "The Montauk Project" and delve into its connections to the Netflix streaming series Stranger Things. (Karen & I are joined by Matt Baxter) The first book in the Montauk series is The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time. (affiliate link) Brief interview with Preston Nichols - 3 mins long There used to be a very thorough debunking site dedicated to Bielek - but the domain lapsed and now it's a lottery promotion site in non-English. The site is still available via the internet archive wayback machine! Peter Moon is the co-author of the Montauk Project books as well as the Transylvania Series about mysteries discovered beneath the Romanian Sphinx. He is also the proprietor of the online Time Travel Education Center. Previous coverage of the Philadelphia Experiment The Duffer Brothers' MasterClass on TV Series Development Stranger Things (Netflix) The Saucer Life (Podcast)
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Author Sarah Krasnostein joins us to discuss her book The Believer: Encounters with the Beginning, the End, and our Place in the Middle. The Believer on Amazon (affiliate link) Previous episode discussing Australia, UFOs, and young-earth Creationism Previous episode discussing the Ark Encounter park.
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The Myrtles Part 2: Send the Made-Up Continuing our look at the many ghostly legends surrounding the Louisiana plantation-turned-bed-and-breakfast, The Myrtles. Karen & Matt just got back from another visit/investigation so check the show notes for some fresh photos! (see show notes at MonsterTalk.org for photos) The Myrtles Whiskey Rebellion Ghostland by Colin Dickey Haunting America by Karen Stollznow Oleander Yellow Fever
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A look at the many ghostly legends surrounding the Louisiana plantation-turned-bed-and-breakfast, The Myrtles. The Myrtles Whiskey Rebellion Ghostland by Colin Dickey Haunting America by Karen Stollznow Oleander Yellow Fever
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WHAT IF YOUR WILL WERE NOT YOUR OWN? What if your mind were being controlled by something other than your own volition? This isn’t an imaginary scenario. Real lifeforms here on earth can profoundly influence the behavior of other lifeforms, turning them into helpless zombies, forced to do the bidding of their emotionless masters. In this episode of MonsterTalk, we interview entomologist David Hughes about host behavior modification by parasitic organisms. For more information on David’s work, visit Hughes Lab, part of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and The Huck Institute for Life Science at Pennsylvania State University. This episode was previously aired in March of 2013. #FromTheArchives
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Matt Baxter joins Blake & Karen to discuss the case of the allegedly "demon haunted" house of Gary, Indiana. There will be a companion video to this focusing on Zak Bagans' film of the same location in the very near future. You can see a lot of the characters in this story in this Inside Edition clip. Joe Nickell's investigation into this case. Please take a moment and fill out our Airwave survey - just go to the survey page and select MonsterTalk from the show list, then answer the questions. Thanks! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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We chat with podcaster and writer Toby Ball about season 3 of his show Strange Arrivals, which just began dropping new episodes. Discussed in this episode: Strange Arrivals podcast David M. Jacobs, Alien Abduction Researcher Zimbabwe UFO case (Ariel School) Skeptical Inquirer article Abductology Implodes Emma Woods back story
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From our YouTube collection, we bring you a podcast version of our coverage of the 1983 horror/thriller The Entity. CONTENT WARNING: Discusses sexual assault and trauma. SPOILER WARNING: We discuss many plot elements in detail and if you prefer surprises you may want to watch the movie before listening to this episode. Watch the film here (affiliate link) The novel of the story (affiliate link) Watch more of our deBased on a True Story series. Photo discussed in the episode (via Daily Grindhouse coverage of BluRay release)
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We've recently been looking at ghostly hitchhiker legends and in this episode Karen brings us a creepy tale from her childhood that is both a strange twist on the original formulation of the legend, and also one that comes to us from big and small-screen icon from the 60s to the 90s - the bald, Greek, lollipop sucking phenomenon Telly Savalas. Stand by as we take a wild ride with Mr. Savalas into the MonsterTalk Zone. Show Notes: The Extraordinary is available on YouTube for free (currently) Weird JFK PostScript If you want to see some of Mr. Savalas' work, a lot of it is available streaming: https://amzn.to/4002ukj (Affiliate Link) Please take a moment and fill out our Airwave survey - just go to the survey page and select MonsterTalk from the show list, then answer the questions. Thanks! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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We're joined by Karl Mamer (The Conspiracy Skeptic Podcast) to talk about one of the weirder alt-histories out there in the monster-adjacent world of conspiracies. Useful Links for Show Notes Tartaria Mudflood - video overview Karl's Conspiracy Podcast The Skeptics Book of Lists - Karl's book Bloomberg Deep Dive into Tartarian Mud Flood Please take a moment and fill out our Airwave survey - just go to the survey page and select MonsterTalk from the show list, then answer the questions. Thanks! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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Al Ridenour (author & podcaster) joins us to discuss his research into Hellmouths and hell gates. Al's Book - Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas Al's podcast - Bone & Sickle Parco Dei Mostri - 16th century Italian folly 11 mouth-shaped portals from around the world "Gates to Hell" (Wikipedia) "Hellmouth" (Wikipedia) Fulci's "Gates of Hell" trilogy (The Horror Podcast - also by Blake Smith) City of the Living Dead (Streaming) aka The Gates of Hell The Beyond (Streaming) aka The 7 Doors of Death The House by the Cemetery (Streaming) New Orleans Seven Gates of Guineee More gates to Hell via Ripley's (believe it or not!) Poison gas kills animals at Yellowstone Lake Nyos CO2 burp kills 1700+ people and 3500 animals. The Aeneid by Virgil Blake's research into the Stull, Kansas "gate to Hell." Please take a moment and fill out our Airwave survey - just go to the survey page and select MonsterTalk from the show list, then answer the questions. Thanks! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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We're excited to be the premier venue for Joe Nickell's latest research on the case of the Dover Demon. The Dover Demon (Wikipedia) W. Halden Blackman's The Field Guide to North American Monsters Joe Nickell's Amazon Author Page Mysterious America by Loren Coleman NPR Coverage of Snowy Owl in California Please take a moment and fill out our Airwave survey - just go to the survey page and select MonsterTalk from the show list, then answer the questions. Thanks! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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We are delighted to be joined again by David Halperin to discuss part-2 of the convoluted but fascinating history of The Philadelphia Experiment. You can read a deep dive into this by Halperin here: The Revealer Mentioned in the episode: David’s most recent book – Intimate Alien : The Hidden Story of the UFO William Moore (and Charles Berlitz) : The Philadelphia Experiment The movie is loosely based on the story. David Halperin’s website & blog They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers – by Gray Barker The Case for the UFO by Morris K. Jessup Jacques Vallee on the anatomy of a hoax (PDF) Harvey (1950) - AMZ affiliate link Mary Chase - author of Harvey Mary Chase (wikipedia) This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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This story includes the topic of suicide. If you or anyone you love is struggling with thoughts of self-harm please contact your country's suicide prevention network. In the USA this can be reached by dialing 988. --- --- --- We are delighted to be joined again by David Halperin to discuss the convoluted but fascinating history of The Philadelphia Experiment. You can read a fascinating deep dive into this by Halperin here: The Revealer Mentioned in the episode: David's most recent book - Intimate Alien : The Hidden Story of the UFO William Moore (and Charles Berlitz) : The Philadelphia Experiment The movie loosely based on the story. David Halperin's website & blog They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers - by Gray Barker The Case for the UFO by Morris K. Jessup This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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We're excited to chat with Cian Gill, host of Wide Atlantic Weird, about the spooky story of The Walsingham Ghost. It's a tale that scared both Cian and Karen as kids - and they were introduced to it through yet another spooky volume from Usborne publishing! Haunted Houses: Ghosts & Spectres - by Usborne True Ghost Stories by Hereward Carrington (or find it here for free) San Francisco Examiner - Nov 29, 1891 Brooklyn Eagle - Dec 05, 1891 This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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Part 2 of a 2-part interview with Dr. Jeff Kripal of Rice University’s Religious Studies dept. He’s the author of several books that cover topics overlapping MonsterTalk’s bailiwick including: The Superhumanities The Flip: Epiphanies of Mind and the Future of Knowledge Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion The Super Natural: A New Vision of the Unexplained (co-authored with Whitley Streiber) and Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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Part 1 of a 2-part interview with Dr. Jeff Kripal of Rice University's Religious Studies dept. He's the author of several books that cover topics overlapping MonsterTalk's bailiwick including: The Superhumanities The Flip: Epiphanies of Mind and the Future of Knowledge Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion The Super Natural: A New Vision of the Unexplained (co-authored with Whitley Streiber) and Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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Pat Spain joins us to talk about his new book series. Host of NatGeo's Beast Hunter series, Pat has collected gripping tales of travel, terror, and science into a 6-books series that just hit bookstores. Explicit tag because once again we talk about monster genitalia. Pat Spain's BEAST HUNTER on Amazon (affiliate link) Pat Spain's new BOOK SERIES (affiliate link) First person to survive Rabies (that we know about) Update on survivor story (video) 1955 Rabies Training/Education (disturbing) Louis Pasteur and Rabies This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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An interview with Dr. Stephen Hupp, lead editor on the new volume Investigating Pop Psychology: Pseudoscience, Fringe Science, and Controversies co-edited with Dr. Richard Wiseman and featuring contributions from many well known authors including our own Dr. Karen Stollznow. Welcome to 2023 folks! This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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Apologies for my voice - but despite a nasty cold I've done my best to bring you a spooky Christmas Ghost Story - this time from the mind of Charles Dickens! You can read the tale yourself online for free. According to the Dickens Museum, this story was likely influenced by an actual train tragedy. You can read a bit about that on Wikipedia in the article about this story. From my family and Karen's, we wish you a very happy holiday and a very happy new year! Check out episode #267 for more info on Charles Dickens and his supernatural tales. Blake Smith Dec 23, 2022 Kennesaw, GA This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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We're joined by ichthyologist Dr. Nathan K. Lujan to discuss the legendary vampire catfish of the Amazon, the candiru! Explicit Tag on this one for frank talk about vampire fish entering penises. Catfish attacks Dr. Lujan's hand for blood meal (not Candiru) Candiru: Life and Legend of the Bloodsucking Catfishes by Stephen Spotte (affiliate link) Candiru episode clip from River Monsters Stephen Fry duped by Candiru legend/joke The infamous Venture Bros. Candiru Speech This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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We continue our discussion of the platypus with Dr. Gilad Bino. In part 2 we explore the features that make them unique. Their extremely sensitive bills, laying eggs, venomous spurs - they're weird... yet they don't represent "new" so much as a surviving example of extremely old. Long ago mammals weren't the placental creatures that we evolved from. The echidna and platypus are the last two known survivors of our very, very ancient mammal ancestry - the monotremes. Discussed in this episode: Venery Terms for Animals Audubon article skeptical of these terms Platypus Spurs Phineas and Ferb Mind Flayers Dr. Bino's Research This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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The platypus is a fascinating creature from the family called monotremes. There is a lot left to be discovered about these animals and in part 1 we hear about the challenges in studying them. Part 2 will explore the features that make them unique. Our guest is Dr. Gilad Bino. George Kearsley Shaw: science meets the platypus What are monotremes? The amazing penis of the echidna! Lots of cool photos of platypus biological features Maps of complex platypus nesting burrows The Platy-Project (citizen science initiative) This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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We're joined by MonsterTalk family member Matt Baxter (Karen's husband and host of Ask a Paranormal Investigator) to talk about his investigation of an allegedly haunted hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota. Deadwood Series (Amazon Affiliate) Calamity Jane Wild Bill Hickcock Seth Bullock The Bullock Hotel NERF Ballistic Balls (discontinued) This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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In a departure from our normal format, Blake and Karen discuss how science ruins all the fun of some very popular Sci-Fi/Horror tropes. Alternate Realities and the Multiverse Some thoughts about multiverses from SciAm Chronicles of Amber by Zelazny (affiliate link) (apparently I said Avalon in the ep - totally different thing. Avalon is M.Z. Bradley's retelling of the Arthurian tales from a feminist/pagan framing.) Body Swapping Gilligan's Island Body Swapping Russian Dog Head Experiment (journal) More on the Dog Head (wikipedia) Aliens in our Solar System SciAm on Aliens Looking for "alien" artifacts Cryonics This American Life segment on cryonics (powerful but disturbing) In reSearch of… Cryogenics (Note - Cryonics is freezing people for hypothetical later thawing, Cryogenics is the legit study of freezing all sorts of things.) Time Travel Twin Study Confirms Einstein Simulation Hypothesis Just how many bits would be in a model of the universe? Some pro-simulation speculation (I am not remotely convinced) You can find all our contact info here. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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Karen and Blake discuss "the most haunted city in America," Savannah, Georgia. Links: Behind the Bird Girl Statue The Hamilton-Turner Inn The Haunted Pseudo-History of Bonaventure Cemetery (by Karen Stollznow) The Marshall House Hotel 17 Hundred 90 Inn and Restaurant The Kehoe House Moon River Brewing The Pirate's House From the intro - Nick Swardson on Everything in Savannah is Haunted This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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You may know Charles Dickens used ghosts in A Christmas Carol - but did you know his work also included many other weird and quasi-paranormal elements? We discuss this lesser known aspect of the famous English author with Dr. Liz Savage. Seven Ghost Stories by Dickens that aren't A Christmas Carol. Spontaneous Human Combustion (Wikipedia) A fiery death: Murder or SHC? Investigating SHC Read more Dickens for free: Dickens on Project Gutenberg (free read) This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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A hiker terrorized for days by two unknown figures… A man stalked through the woods while camping, who barely escaped with his life… two cops who quit their job at a local theater because of unexplained encounters with an alleged demon… These are just some of the unbelievable cases you’ll hear on the MrBallen Podcast on Amazon Music. Each week you’ll get new inexplicable encounters, shocking disappearances and other strange, dark and mysterious stories. Hey Prime Members, listen to the Amazon Music exclusive podcast, MRBALLEN PODCAST: STRANGE, DARK & MYSTERIOUS STORIES, in the Amazon Music App. Download the app today: www.amazon.com/BALL_us_pfd_AA_110122
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Nothing is as terrifying as the sounds we hear in the dark. The slow creak of a door opening late at night... or a whisper in a room when you thought you were alone... or a distant scream in the wind. One noise at the wrong time or place can scare us for days. Each episode of I HEAR FEAR plunges the listener into a tale inspired by real events, from a deadly dance party to a cursed film set. Join host and two-time. Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan for six immersive stories designed to jangle your nerves and haunt your dreams. Listen – if you dare. Only on Amazon Music. Listen to I Hear Fear: www.amazon.com/IHF_us_pfd_AA_110122
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We continue our look at the Australian legend of Fisher's Ghost, and how the community has responded to the story over the next two centuries. Official legend of Fisher's Ghost - from Campbelltown Government Site, Australia Indigenous Trackers (Australia) (Wikipedia) Ghost Riots (British Newspaper Archive) The Greenbrier Ghost (wiki) The Red Barn Murder (wiki) Indigenous Trackers in Australia Additional: Karen's latest story collection Fisher's Ghost and Other Stories. Laura Krantz's new children's book on Bigfoot and Critical Thinking: Searching for Sasquatch: A Wild Thing Book This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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I had the opportunity to talk with game designer Mike Mulvihill about his cryptid-focused version of the cooperative board-game HORRIFIED. (affiliate link) We get into discussions of gaming as a hobby, how this was designed, how the monsters were chosen, and much more. Thanks to Mike (and Ravensburger) for their generous allocation of time with MonsterTalk. Notes/Links: The Ozark Howler The Banshee of the Badlands See HORRIFIED on Board Game Geek page Mike Mulvihill American Monsters by Jason Offutt This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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Karen takes us down under to discover the tale of FISHER'S GHOST. Murder, intrigue, and the supernatural await in part 1. Show Notes: Official legend of Fisher's Ghost - from Campbelltown Government Site, Australia Indigenous Trackers (Australia) (Wikipedia) Ghost Riots (British Newspaper Archive) The Greenbrier Ghost (wiki) The Red Barn Murder (wiki) Karen's latest story collection Fisher's Ghost and Other Stories. Laura Krantz's new children's book on Bigfoot and Critical Thinking: Searching for Sasquatch: A Wild Thing Book This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self.
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S02E02 - We continue our discussion of Tarot with some (hopefully interesting) digressions into Kabbalah and more. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self. Show Notes: The "egg trick" - article by Joe Nickell The Sefirot "explained" - video (there are many of these and I don't know which are most accurate) Ultima IV (from the intro) The lovely art of the Rider Waite Smith deck (from Tartot.com) Kabbalah (wikipedia) The Sefirot (wikipedia) the tree of life of the Kabbalah An interesting video that explains the concepts in the Sefirot (there are MANY of these on YouTube and I'm not endorsing any of them - just sharing an example) Because this is a two-parter and I don't know who will catch only 1 part, I'm including the notes from part 1 here as well: Trick-Taking Games - card games where each round has a winner, usually seeking most points over the duration of multiple rounds. Playing card suits The Marseilles Deck (tarot.com) see also Wikipedia coverage. A lot of what we know about historical Tarot and its relationship to divination comes from Michael Dummett (1925 - 1911) an English philosopher and academic. The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City (1980) is out of print and way, way overpriced but you can read it on Scribd with a basic subscription. A brief history of Playing Cards and further reading on the same topic over at Britannica. A history of Cartomancy (wikipedia) Forms of Divination (wikipedia) What is a stripped deck? A history of Tarot cards (from Bicycle playing card company) Jean-Baptiste Alliette aka "Etteilla" (1738 - 1791) the Frenchman who "invented" the use of Tarot for divination and tied it to ancient Egypt (via a false history, prior to the Rosetta stone and rediscovery of how to read hieroglyphs from Egypt) He wrote a book called Etteilla, ou manière de se récréer avec un jeu de cartes ("Etteilla, or a Way to Entertain Yourself With a Deck of Cards") in 1770. Excerpt from Wikipedia: "In 1781 the French Swiss Protestant clergyman and occultist Antoine Court who named himself Court de Gébelin published in his massive work Le Monde primitif his idea that the Tarot was actually an ancient Egyptian book of arcane wisdom; his work included an essay by the Comte de Mellet who first called tarot cards the Book of Thoth and, crucially, claimed that the Egyptians used the cards for fortune-telling and described what purported to be their method of divination." Note: The key to unlocking ancient Egyptian (the Rosetta Stone) hadn't even been recovered yet so the idea that people are reading ancient Egyptian wisdom and using it to develop card divination to preserve some ancient wisdom is preposterous. The stone with its multiple languages repeating the same text was found in 1799 but wasn't translated until 1822. After the popularity of Court's book, Alliette quickly produces: Manière de se récréer avec le jeu de cartes nommées Tarots ("How to Entertain Yourself With the Deck of Cards Called Tarot") in 1785 Rider-Waite (Smith) Tarot Deck How to play the game Tarot (French style) A Wicked Pack of Cards: Origins of the Occult Tarot - by Michael Dummett and Ronald Decker U. S. Games Systems Inc. brought Tarot to America in 1967. Founder Stuart Kaplan (who passed away in 2021) spent a lot of time researching illustrator Pamela Coleman Smith and restoring her long overdue historical significance. Previous episodes on Western Esotericism
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MonsterTalk begins its second season and its weekly release schedule with a look at the surprisingly mundane origin of the Tarot deck and how the practice of divination emerged in the late 1700s steeped in pseudo-antiquity. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/monstertalk and get on your way to being your best self. Show Notes: Trick-Taking Games - card games where each round has a winner, usually seeking most points over the duration of multiple rounds. Playing card suits The Marseilles Deck (tarot.com) see also Wikipedia coverage. A lot of what we know about historical Tarot and its relationship to divination comes from Michael Dummett (1925 - 1911) an English philosopher and academic. The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City (1980) is out of print and way, way overpriced but you can read it on Scribd with a basic subscription. A brief history of Playing Cards and further reading on the same topic over at Britannica. A history of Cartomancy (wikipedia) Forms of Divination (wikipedia) What is a stripped deck? A history of Tarot cards (from Bicycle playing card company) Jean-Baptiste Alliette aka "Etteilla" (1738 - 1791) the Frenchman who "invented" the use of Tarot for divination and tied it to ancient Egypt (via a false history, prior to the Rosetta stone and rediscovery of how to read hieroglyphs from Egypt) He wrote a book called Etteilla, ou manière de se récréer avec un jeu de cartes ("Etteilla, or a Way to Entertain Yourself With a Deck of Cards") in 1770. Excerpt from Wikipedia: "In 1781 the French Swiss Protestant clergyman and occultist Antoine Court who named himself Court de Gébelin published in his massive work Le Monde primitif his idea that the Tarot was actually an ancient Egyptian book of arcane wisdom; his work included an essay by the Comte de Mellet who first called tarot cards the Book of Thoth and, crucially, claimed that the Egyptians used the cards for fortune-telling and described what purported to be their method of divination." Note: The key to unlocking ancient Egyptian (the Rosetta Stone) hadn't even been recovered yet so the idea that people are reading ancient Egyptian wisdom and using it to develop card divination to preserve some ancient wisdom is preposterous. The stone with its multiple languages repeating the same text was found in 1799 but wasn't translated until 1822. After the popularity of Court's book, Alliette quickly produces: Manière de se récréer avec le jeu de cartes nommées Tarots ("How to Entertain Yourself With the Deck of Cards Called Tarot") in 1785 Rider-Waite (Smith) Tarot Deck How to play the game Tarot (French style) A Wicked Pack of Cards: Origins of the Occult Tarot - by Michael Dummett and Ronald Decker U. S. Games Systems Inc. brought Tarot to America in 1967. Founder Stuart Kaplan (who passed away in 2021) spent a lot of time researching illustrator Pamela Coleman Smith and restoring her long overdue historical significance. Previous episodes on Western Esotericism
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Darren Naish joins us to catch us up on his latest project - a series of dawings and descriptions based on the cryptids of Bernard Heuvelmans! (Patreon Link) The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep (Affiliate Link) Les Félins Encore Inconnus d’Afrique (Affiliate Link - French Edition) The Blue Tiger (Affiliate Link - leatherbound edition) Prehistoric Planet (Apple TV) Darren recently wrote a long piece on the present state of Cryptozoology - worth a read! Huevelman's On the Track of Unknown Animals
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We're joined by folklorist and anthropologist Dr. John Gutowski, a professor at Saint Xavier, to discuss the Beast of Busco and the festivals such creatures often inspire. Paper on giant turtle of Charbusco. Author of The Beast of Busco (currently out of print) Additional: The White River Monster - episode #204 (Joe Nickell) Our coverage of Mothman (several episodes) Arkansas policy on White River Monster Fisher's Ghost (Australia) has a festival The Mothman Festival Boggy Creek (Fouke Monster) Festival The Nantucket Sea Serpent Jackalopes Lizard Man Stomp Roswell UFO Festival Rhinelander, WI (Hodag) Festival Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!
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Dr. Brian Regal joins us again (actually his 6th appearance!) to discuss his latest work, The Battle Over America's Origin Story. We know Columbus didn't "discover" America, yet there are so many competing narratives that seek to topple Columbus yet still not acknowledge the clear and obvious indigenous people who were already here when all of these explorers allegedly arrived. Regal's latest book looks at a broad swath of these fringe historian theories and gives them context in the bigger picture of people's search for national identity in the the United States. Previous Visits from Dr. Regal: YetiPalooza #116 Montague Summers #110 His Story of the Jersey Devil #71 Searching for Sasquatch #36 Darwin vs the Wolf-man #06 Books by Regal: Searching for Sasquatch The Secret History of the Jersey Devil Pseudoscience: A Critical Encyclopedia Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!
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258 - The Winchester Mystery House 258_Monstertalk_Patreon.mp3 Karen and Blake are joined by Matthew Baxter to tell the true story of Sara Winchester and the sprawling mansion in San Jose. Legend says the estate was built to appease the spirits of the victims of the Winchester repeating rifle. But was it? No - but the story behind the story is fascinating. Location: 525 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose, CA 95128 Want to visit it? Tickets here - but get your facts elsewhere. Karen's book Haunting America 1948 was the 75th anniversary of the Winchester 73 repeating rifle. Captive of the Labyrinth - a biography of Sarah Winchester Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!
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We are joined by the incomparable Dr. Irving Finkel to discuss the oldest recorded stories of ghosts in human history. Pliny the Younger - Wikipedia The tale of Athenodorus and the chained ghost How to write cuneiform (video with Dr. Finkel) By Dr. Irving Finkel: The First Ghosts The Ark Before Noah Dr. Finkel teaches how to play The Royal Game of Ur (youtube) PDF of UR rules A replica of the game of Ur A quite expensive version of the game of Ur from the British Museum Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!
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Coll "C.C.J." Ellis joins us to talk about the monsters and folklore of Wales. Their book Welsh Monsters & Mythical Beasts will be out soon and is available for pre-order. Wales is on the western side of the island of Great Britain, and part of the United Kingdom. Despite its size, it survives on a diet mostly composed of krill. Monsters in the book are varied, but include: Dragons, beasts, the fair folk, and spirits. There are many stories, and many gorgeous illustrations. I didn't want to reproduce the book illustrations here, but you can find them on Coll's website by clicking here. And if you came here looking for Cog-Mech-Cog... here ya go! (click to see it) (illustration by WilliamRLiberto via Fiverr)
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Brought to you by DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT! A look at the fascinating and adventurous life of millionaire Tom Slick. Inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, science enthusiast, paranormal investigator, and - of course - monster hunter! Southwest Research Institute (1947) - independent and nonprofit applied research and development (R&D) organization. Institute of Inventive Research (defunct) - an applied science and innovation incubator (in a barn at ESSAR) - closed in 57 - Mind Science Institute - (1957) research facility to conduct consciousness studies Texas Biomedical Research Institute started in 41 - became current name in 52 - largest privately own bio-agents research facility, largest cluster of statistical gene research computing The Argyle Club - run by Tom's sister - was used as a fundraising mechanism for the science institutes including promoting the relatively new idea of memorializing donations instead of sending flows. (Now quite common, but new at the time) … as they say now "in lieu of flowers please donate…" Slick Airways - one of the first cargo transport companies, competed with other early companies and picked up a lot of gov't contracts including some OSS (now CIA) missions Pioneer in developing the Brangus breed of cattle which combined Indian Brahma and Scott Angus breeds for heartier, tastier, heat-resistant breed Books used in the research of this episode (Amazon Links) In Search of Tom Slick - new edition of Catherine Nixon Cooke's book Searching for Sasquatch - by Brian Regal Abominable Science - by Loxton & Prothero Tom Slick: True Life Encounters in Cryptozoology - by Loren Coleman The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas (1957) Hammer Film
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Mike Brumm (author) and Jeff Mack (illustrator) bring young readers a new series about an intrepid gang of kid investigators dealing with the remarkably bizarre appearance of cryptids in their world. Book one of the new series is subtitled Bigfoot Takes the Field and I'm joined by author Mike Brumm to discuss the book and its origin. This is not some dry academic book about debunking bigfoot, nor is it a breathless account of hunting monsters. Instead it's a delightful and silly fantasy world where smarts and chutzpah solves a mystery, and saves the day. Check it out! (This is not a paid advert for the book - but if you use the Amazon link our show does get a tiny bit of the sale.) https://amzn.to/3xLZ5ZP
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A conversation with Laura Krantz about season 3 of her show Wild Thing. It's not monsters, but it's science, history, and the topic has a ton of overlap with Blake's personal life history.
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Be sure and check out DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT! We're excited to talk with paleontologist Matthew Kolmann about a fish whose legendary ferocity ranks with the shark and the barracuda - the piranha! Are they capable of turning an animal into a skeleton in minutes? No. But they're still wicked cool. And don't worry - we manage to throw in some cryptid stories too! Content Warning: We do talk a bit about testicles being bitten off by fish. Teddy Roosevelt's book about his trip to South America, Through the Brazilian Rainforest. Then there's the weird back-story about his seeing a cow eaten by the fish, apparently part of a staged event. The legend of the Swedish pacu fish that eats testicles came from a 2013 article that was referencing a less reputable paper that was, in turn, reprinting an urban legend. Pacu don't eat people's testicles, although they do eat nuts. The Piranha film series has done little to further our cultural understanding of these fascinating fish. I slightly messed up the title of the film about Mokele Mbembe. It's Baby - Secret of the Lost Legend (1985). Boto Encantado - the magical shape-changing river dolphin Were-Jaguars are quite common in legends of South & Central America. Here's an academic paper on the topic, specifically referencing the shape changing Kanaima.
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You've probably heard lots of yeti stories but often the ones that make it through the filter of newspapers, documentaries, and books shave off the weirdest (and sometimes most important) aspects of these tales. Can you really understand the Yeti if you don't even get the full story? We're joined by Eric Mortensen who relates some stories he's collected first-hand in his research and they will likely surprise you. From invisible cities to magic armpit stones, this isn't the yeti from MonsterQuest. I wasn't sure how to write out some of the names Eric uses and here's some guidance he sent: "The creature's name, in Tibetan, is: nags myi rgod (Chinese: yeren). The local pronunciation (in Gyalthang) is close to: na nay gö. I hesitate to offer an "English" rendering (other than, perhaps, "wild people"), but if one had to phoneticize it, it might be something akin to: na-nay-gu (na nay gö is better). It is the same thing some folks render as: migö." and as for the Flying Yeti? Something like "Shershang dudu." Read more about Eric's work (and there's even a chapter by me!) in this volume: Eric D. Mortensen. "Of Monsters and Invisible Villages: Nags myi rgod Tales of the Tibetans of Gyalthang," in Natasha L. Mikles & Joseph P. Laycock, eds. Religion, Culture, and the Monstrous: Of Gods and Monsters. New York: Lexington Books. 2021. pp. 97-115. Loxton and Prothero's Abominable Science warrants another mention! Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas (1957) Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com! MonsterTalk is a proud part of the Airwave Media Network.
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UFOs don't seem to be real - yet they're observed and experienced and have become integrated into cultures around the world. Author David Halperin's book Intimate Alien gives a deep and thoughtful survey of this weird topic and integrates it with biographical elements to tell a story of meaning and mystery. Links for further reading: David's website: http://www.davidhalperin.net/ David's Book (Publisher site) David's Book - Amazon Affiliate Link Additional Links: The Shaver Mysteries (From the MT Archives Part 1, Part 2) The Men In Black Betty & Barney Hill Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com! MonsterTalk is part of the Airwave family of podcasts.
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We take a look at the 1989 film Communion based on the 1987 paperback by Whitley Strieber. Part of our "deBased on a True Story" series. (affiliate links) Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk Radio on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com! MonsterTalk is part of the Airwave media family.
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Since ancient times up until today, we humans have used many different animals to represent our beliefs. One such animal is the owl—from the Greek goddess Athena’s favored animal, to harbingers of death in African and Native American narratives, to bringers of luck and prosperity in Asian cultures. In this episode of MonsterTalk, Blake and Karen welcome the Owl Research Institute’s Director of Communications Lauren Smith to share interesting facts about owls. Owl Links (Science): The Owl Research Institute Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Owls (wikipedia) Owl Links (Weirdness, Folklore, Pop-Culture, and Myth): "The Owl Guy" UFO researcher Mike Clellan on owls and death. A blogger named Steven Miller has compiled a list of the many references to owls in the show Twin Peaks. 1976's Owl Man Owls in Myth and Folklore More on Owls and UFOs from VICE Kelly-Hopkinsville Goblins Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com! MonsterTalk is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.
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This episode is a wide-ranging discussion of comic books and monsters with professor Richard Harrison of Mt. Royal University in Alberta, Canada. Superhero Life Lessons - MRU article about comics curriculum A Contract with God by Will Eisner (Amz Link) Comics and Sequential Art: Principles and Practices from the Legendary Cartoonist by Will Eisner The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America (Amz Affiliate Link) Seduction of the Innocent by Frank Wertham (The book that triggered the comics code crackdown) Maus by Art Spiegelman Concrete by Paul Chadwick Tales from the Crypt by EC Comics The Creature from the Black Lagoon (Amz Prime Streaming) Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein (It's out of print and too expensive, but here it is) Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts| Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook| Twitter| YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!
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Blake and Karen are joined by Joshua Emms of the The New Mexico Herpetological Society to discuss reptile myths and legends. Footage of Sandhill Cranes (via Mr. Emms) Sandhill Crane Mothman Prophecies (Amz Affiliate Link) Gila Monsters Horned Toad Hoop Snake Joint Snake The Giant Gila Monster (trailer) Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts| Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook| Twitter| YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!
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We take a look at the incredible horror franchise based on The Amityville Horror. Real tragedy compounded by alleged hoaxing forms the basis of films, sequels, books, and a lot of dollars. You can watch this interview on our YouTube channel. The 1979 film (Amazon Affiliate Link) The 2005 remake (Amz) And a bunch of other movies, spin-offs, books, etc. (Also Amz) Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk , click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!
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Blake, Karen and Matt continue their series looking at the true stories behind popular horror movies alleged to be based on fact. This week we cover The Exorcist and discuss the novel, the film, and the many spin-offs and sequels. Passing of "Roland Doe." (The Guardian) Seytan: The Turkish Exorcist The Exorcist (Amz Affiliate Link to MANY choices/versions/sequels/spin-offs) MonsterTalk YouTube The Exorcist novel (Amz Affiliate Link) Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk Radio, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk Radio on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!
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Blake, Karen and Matt dig into the alleged true story behind 1980s ghostly chiller The Changeling. A great spooky ghost story - but is there anything to the claims that it was based on a true story? Fantastic research article from Denver Library's Katie Rudolph: A Denver House that inspired a Horror Film Part 2 of her research Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk Radio, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk Radio on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk Radio on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!
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While Blake recovers from COVID, we'll take a listen to the MonsterTalk series "DeBased on a True Story." The audio isn't quite up to our regular quality, but we hope you enjoy the content. This episode deals with the legend behind the 1977 Wes Craven film The Hills Have Eyes. If you'd prefer to watch this episode you can catch it on our YouTube channel. A lot of our research materials have disappeared from the web since we recorded this, but I'll come back to shore up the notes when I can dig up some better references. Fortean Time article on the search for Sawney Bean Sawney Bean the Scottish Cannibal Retelling of Sawney Bean Sawney Bean (Wikipedia) Catch MonsterTalk Radio on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk Radio on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk Radio on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!
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Karen and Blake discuss the myths and legends of the Basilisk (and the Cockatrice). The conversation includes ancient legends, medieval legends, alchemy, a whole lot of bird sex, A.I. and information hazards.
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(AKA - The Hairy Hands of Dartmoor, The Unseen Hands) The legend of the Hairy Hands is set in Postbridge, Dartmoor. The road is now known as the B3212. Since 1921, the road has been the locale of a legendary menace - a pair of powerful unseen hairy hands that occasionally drives people to their death. But where did this story come from? And is it true? Blake discusses his research into the case with Karen, and he thinks he's figured this one out.
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A reading of "In a Dim Room" by Lord Dunsany. A ghost story for Christmas.
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We talk with Dr. Jeffrey Weinstock (Central Michigan University) about "Monster Theory" and his new volume which collects a panoply of essays on this interesting topic.
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In this episode of MonsterTalk Radio, Blake and Karen have David Farnell of Fukuoka University on the show to talk about Frankenstein and the novel’s—and the monster’s—impact on pop culture, as well as how the definition of what a monster is and how monsters are perceived have evolved through literature. David has published numerous papers on monsters and monsters in literature.
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When we think about monsters, the number one reaction most people will have is fear. Why is that and where does it come from? How do our brains process the concept of monsters, our gut reactions to them, and about where we stand with all of that? In this episode of MonsterTalk, Blake sits down with author, professor, and artist, Stephen Asma to delve into how monsters evolved with us as humans culturally, how our imaginations play a role in it, and how our minds wrap themselves around our beliefs—among many other things.
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A look at the brief but influential "life" of the Grand Guignol theater, a Paris stage venue that specialized in gore and terror. We interview Professor Richard Hand, who has co-authored four volumes about this amazing little production company that for a brief while made much of true-crime and visceral nightmarish plots to present gore, horror and terror to Paris audiences. With less than 300 seats but with thousands of performances, the screams that came from its stage still echo through the world of theater to this very day.
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We're joined by the Spooky Science Sisters to talk about one of our favorite ghost stories, the psychic/omen/folklore/horror story that has haunted Karen and me since we were kids - the tale of Lord Dufferin and his encounter with the beyond.
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Here on MonsterTalk, we stretch the idea of what a monster might be in all sorts of interesting ways. In this episode, Blake and Karen dive into the world of monstrous plants, with Peter D’Amato as their guide. Having grown them for over 40 years, Peter D’Amato is the authority on carnivorous plants. He also authored the book, The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants, which has been reprinted over 25 times.
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Was Elizabeth Bathory the most vicious serial killer of all time? We're joined by historian Kayla of Historical AF to talk about the facts behind the brutal legend of the blood countess. [EXPLICIT WARNING]
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Blake and Karen speak with Toby Ball, author and host of the Strange Arrivals, a podcast that presents a historical UFO event within a social and scientific context. They deep dive not just on the UFO phenomenon, but also on ufology, aspects of which Blake has strong feelings about, as he ardently shows throughout this episode.
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In this episode, we’re talking with Mike Mason of Chaosium, the gaming company that makes the role-playing system Call of Cthulhu. Mike is here to talk about the newest version of Chaosium’s monstrous bestiary, which is called the Malleus Monstrorum, for the seventh edition of the classic game ecosystem based on the works of HP Lovecraft, and all kinds of Lovecraft-adjacent horror.
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On July 18, 2021 the AiPT SciPhiFest Conference included a 45 min segment of my interview with author and comic-book artist Stephen R. Bissette (who is probably best known for his work on the Alan Moore run of the DC comic Swamp Thing). The interview is about Stephen's book CRYPTID CINEMA (http://bit.ly/CryptidCinema) with a special focus on the little-known touring film used by Roger Patterson to promote (and profit from) his famous alleged Bigfoot film.
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They're everywhere. They're inside you. You can't escape them - and can't live without them: Bacteria!
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The online convention starts at 10 am and I'll be participating in a couple of ways if you're interested. At noon, I've got a special interview with Stephen R. Bissette. You might know him as a key artist on Alan Moore's run of Swamp Thing in the 80s - but if you've been subscribing to BIG FOOTAGE the Patreon bonus cast, you'll know him as the author of CRYPTID CINEMA. I'll also be on at 3:30 pm with Jeb Card to discuss conspiracies and comics. https://bit.ly/SciPhiFest2021
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Sapphire Sandalo is the host of the web series Stories with Sapphire. She's a writer, animator, podcaster, TV personality, and part-time university instructor. Her series tells stories with distinctive music and animation and has a strong representation of many monsters, ghosts and creatures that come from Asian folklore from multiple cultures and stories submitted by her audience.
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Karen and Blake are joined by the hosts of MonsterFuzz, Eamonn O'Neill and Rob Billington, to discuss monsters and folklore of Ireland. Well, that's what we were supposed to talk about but we wandered a bit because it was obvious we all loved talking about monsters.
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Blake Smith has uncovered the uncropped "Watertown Ghosts" photo, lost to the public for more than fifty years, plus more discoveries about this famous alleged ghost photo.
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Did coffins mysteriously move in a crypt in Barbados? Is there a natural explanation?
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Why are so many "weird" aspects to Bigfoot reports missing from the cryptozoology books? Authors Tim Renner and Josh Cutchins examine the hidden "high strangeness" in Bigfoot Lore.
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We are joined by entertainer Jon Culshaw to talk about the influential children's book UFOs, (affiliate link) part of the Usborne "World of the Unknown" series that was recently reissued. Jon brings his love of the mysterious and his uncanny ability to do voice impressions as we talk about how UFOs were presented in the 1970s, the wonders of space, and - of course - Doctor Who.
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Blake and Karen are joined again by Matt Baxter to talk about the latest Thylacine claims from the TAGOA. The photos dropped last night (US Time) and sadly don't meet up with the hype - but there's still much to talk about with this story.
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deBased on a True Story continues with the Wes Craven film The Hills Have Eyes (affiliate link). Allegedly the film was inspired by the "true" story of the Scot cannibal, Sawney Bean! But is that story even true?
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An interview with Toby Ball about his investigative podcast Strange Arrivals. Season one of Strange Arrivals is a deep look into the foundational UFO abduction case of Betty and Barney Hill.
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We were joined by paranormal investigator Allison Jornlin on 6/21/2020 for a discussion of women paranormal researchers. A lot of interesting historically significant figures are largely unknown today because they were limited by gender constraints during their time and we were happy to bring some of them to public attention by discussing Allison's research on this topic.
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Karen and Blake are joined by Mat Baxter to discuss the mysterious story of Florida's 20th Century Megalith site - Coral Castle.
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We kick off a recurring series on the facts behind popular horror films - deBased on a True Story - with the 1980 ghost-story classic The Changeling. Blake and Karen are joined by Mat Baxter. Originally streamed as part of MonsterTalk Live 6-7-2020.
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Do you like puzzles? Were you captivated when you heard how England used a crossword puzzle to recruit code-breakers during WWII? Then join us on this episode of MonsterTalk Live where we talked with return-guest Dr. Jerry Drake to discuss the mystery of Cicada 3301.
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We bid farewell to 2020 and hope for a better and brighter 2021.
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Ryan Haupt joins us to discuss the case of The Loveland Frog.
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Blake Smith reads the Francis Marion Crawford ghost story THE UPPER BERTH.
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Blake and Karen talk with Laura Krantz, host of the podcast Wild Thing, about season two of her show which deals with UFOs, SETI, and features interviews with scientists and researchers looking into these topics.
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Author Sarah Scoles joins us to discuss her amazing book They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers. It's a terrific ride through UFO culture and the fallout from the 2017 New York Times front-page article about the US Government Program to examine unidentified objects in the sky. AATIP, TTSA, UAPs plus Mac & Me!
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Roll for initiative as Karen and Blake discuss the history of roleplaying games and the Monster Manual with Jon Peterson.
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Join us for a very Halloween themed look at a book which was deeply influential on Karen and Blake. Usborne's WORLD OF THE UNKNOWN: GHOSTS authored by our very special guest, Christopher Maynard.
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Karen's latest book is available at Amazon and wherever books are sold. Support MonsterTalk by using the affiliate ad link: bit dot ly forward-slash OnTheOffensive
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Peter Bebergal returns (previously on episode #180 with his book Strange Frequencies) to discuss magic, witchcraft, and the occult and how those things impacted the world of Rock & Roll music.
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Colin Dickey returns to MonsterTalk to discuss his new book "The Unidentified" which deals with fringe culture, paranormal beliefs, alternative religions and the landscape of the paranormal. Bigfoot, UFOs, Mt. Shasta, Atlantis and more.
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A sample of the Patreon bonus feature BigFootage. In episode 5 I discuss the Bigfoot slasher "video nasty" called Night of the Demon (1983).
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A look at invasive species, focusing especially on the cane toad: its biology, its impact, and efforts to control it in Australia and the US. With Dr. Steven Johnson of UFL.
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We are joined by Ph.D. student Minwen Huang, who shares with us the history of the literary genre of Chinese Ghosts called Zhiguai, and how such beings (and literature) are viewed from ancient times to the present.
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MonsterTalk Classic interviews return with a look at robots and automata of the ancient classical world. Adrienne Mayor joins us to talk about her book Gods and Robots. Greek myths, ancient science, and monsters abound.
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A discussion of monsters and aliens of sci-fi and horror with "Dr. Kiki" Kirsten Sanford of THIS WEEK IN SCIENCE and DR KIKI'S SCIENCE HOUR.
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A discussion of conspiracy theory with professor Ashley Landrum of Texas Tech. QAnon and other contemporary conspiracy.
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We got to sit down and talk with the mentalist, magician and skeptic Banachek. You may know him as the creator of Penn & Teller's famous "bullet catch" or as the expert behind the JREF's Million Dollar Challenge testing or from his amazing performances or even from his podcast (Banachek's Brain).
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Our May 3, 2020 interview with Joe Laycock and his spouse and co-conspirator Natasha Mikles is here for you. Talking about his book, Speak of the Devil. Speak of the Devil is the first book-length study of The Satanic Temple.
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Once again we welcome Sara Head from ArchyFantasies on to talk about the strange television show The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch. Is it good? (Spoilers - not if you want anything to happen in your TV shows.) But it was fun to sit down with Sara and talk again.
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Jerry Drake returns to talk BEKs and other strangeness. A MonsterTalk Live recording. Explicit Tag.
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We interview Dr. David Aveline about his new project studying people who see or experience ghosts. He's just getting started, but it's a really interesting conversation about how one puts together research into such a strange and complicated topic.
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In the March 29th episode, Karen and Blake hang out and take listener questions.
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Actor Douglas Tait joins us to talk about playing monsters in film. Douglas has played Bigfoot more than any other actor. Doug was born on December 17, 1978 in Tarzana, California. He is known for his work on Annabelle Comes Home (2019), Hellboy (2019) and Legacies (2018).
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[EXPLICIT] Audio from 22MAR2020 MonsterTalk Live with Dr. Brian Sharpless, discussing real world psychology and monsters. Remastered to reduce distortion - but still has some audio issues.
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Karen and Blake discuss the new film We Believe in Dinosaurs with filmmaker Clayton Brown (who co-directed with Monica Long Ross) and paleontologist Dan Phelps.
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Today Karen and Blake discuss "Screaming Skulls" - a surprisingly common yet particularly English kind of haunting. Karen has a new short story based on this legend.
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It's Blake here! I made a little cameo over at Hayley Stevens' podcast The Spooktator, joining Jeb Card (In ReSearch Of) to talk about the paranormal series HELLIER (Amazon, YouTube). If you're not familiar with that show, it's an independent paranormal show that combines pretty much every kind of paranormal topic you can think of into a strange narrative about... you know what? Just check it out.
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[Reminder: This was recorded in the early days of the pandemic of 2020. Please refer to the CDC for the latest and most accurate information about COVID19 and variants.] Discussing COVID19 with virology expert Vincent Racaniello. Best place to get up to date Covid19 Information: WHO (World Health Organization) and CDC (Center for Disease Control) sites for the latest factual information on this pandemic.
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We are joined by author Kathryn Hulick, author of the new book "Strange but True: 10 of the World's Greatest Mysteries Explained." The book introduces 10 weird topics covering everything from Atlantis to Zombies and meshes it all with skepticism and critical thinking. It's a great way to introduce a curious teen to the strange and unusual while arming them with the right tools to examine the questions critically. Topics include haunted houses, zombies, the mystery of Dyatlov pass and more.
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We welcome Dr. James Mueller, associate dean of Journalism at the University of North Texas, in a discussion of how to read historical (and current) news about monsters.
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Karen Stollznow tells us about the 1921 Australian events known as The Guyra Ghost. (Concurrent with her Fortean Times piece in Jan 2020 edition)
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We are joined by Rebecca Fox, who has been both a witch and a science & skepticism advocate, to discuss the history of modern witchcraft.
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Tana Owens Orman joins us to discuss burial practices. Victorians, mummies, space, tombs, legends and more.
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A reading of The Night Wire by H. F. Arnold.
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We're joined by veteran monster investigator Joe Nickell (of CSI) to discuss three historic sea monster cases he thinks he's solved. Classic monsters and science in this one.
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This episode we look at Will O' The Wisp, Ghost Lights, Ball Lightning and all manner of glowing monstrous and bizarre lucent phenomena. Joining us for the discussion is researcher, Jerry Drake.
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Carlyn Beccia has written a new book for kids that combines Monsters and Science! Monstrous: The Lore, Gore and Science Behind Your Favorite Monsters is an ooey-gooey romp through the world of monsters and the many fascinating things you can learn when you apply science to their premises.
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Discussion is on serial killers, their motivations, their methodologies and how to balance fascination with the macabre with keeping the victims rather than the killers foremost in mind. Listener discretion advised.
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This is a sample episode of our new show In reSearch Of, which I'm co-hosting with Jeb Card. I hope you'll consider subscribing. I'm planning to keep the regular IRO episodes free, but offer bonus content for Patreon supporters. This is the pilot episode of In reSearch Of, the show where we watch the original TV show IN SEARCH OF… and consider some of the explanations that the producers chose not to present. In our inaugural episode, we watch the TV Special In Search of Ancient Astronauts, a repackaged cut of a German documentary about Eric Von Daniken's book Chariots of the Gods. We want to thank Rachel and Chris Lackey for the theme music (And Greig Johnson!). They host the excellent show Rachel Watches Star Trek. Also, we want to credit Jason Colavito for his excellent research into this and many adjacent topics around the Ancient Astronauts and Ancient Aliens tropes of the past fifty years, including his book: The Cult of Alien Gods: H. P. Lovecraft and Extraterrestrial Pop Culture (Seriously - check out this link to Jason's article. He gives some great contemporary detail on the impact of this TV special such as "... within 48 hours of the program’s broadcast, Bantam Books had sold 250,000 new copies of Chariots of the Gods." Amazing.) Oh - so as Jeb mentions, EVD is directly mentioned in the brainstorming session with Lucas, Spielberg, and Kasdan! You can check that out here. Walter Conkrite's UFO's Friend, Foe or Fantasy UFO documentary Show Notes: Dr. Harold P. Klein worked for NASA and was a major figure in the Viking mission. The Baghdad Battery - no reason to believe this was ever used as a battery. More likely a scroll container. (Featured on Episode 16 - season 3 - of Mythbusters) Star Trek Into Darkness (you can watch the clip here) Mesoamerican Sites: Olmec Heads Tula Teotihuacan Chichen Itza Tiwanaku Piri Reis map Wernher Von Braun Stonehenge How did the ancients move stones? Theme music (updated!) is by Rachel Lackey & Greig Johnson.
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A look back at the highly influential television show In Search Of... which was hosted by Leonard Nimoy. Features remembrances from Steven Novella, Lyle Blackburn, Matthew Baxter, and Brian Dunning. Along with archaeologist Jeb Card, I'm launching a new show called In Research Of... which will revisit this original series and add some explanations the producers chose not to include. (Link to show on iTunes.) In Search Of... had 6 seasons in its original run and you can currently (as of this posting) view them all on YouTube. Thanks to everyone for supporting us to reach 200 episodes! Karen and I are excited about producing many more.
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Is the Ouija Board a tool for talking to the dead? Or is it just a game from Hasbro? We dig into the history of Talking Boards with Robert Murch! LINKS: The Talking Board Historical Society (Est. 2013) Helen Peter Nosworthy Michael Faraday & Spiritualism
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In a follow-up to our episode on Gargoyles, photographer and author Mathew M. Duman has produced a new book visiting ten American campuses with gothic architectural and artistic features to document them for your edification and delight. Check out his book, The Grotesque 10 at his website. During our interview, we talked about the term for the sculptures on a church bench. Some of these are called Bench Ends, and others are called Poppy Heads. I thought I should include that detail here. You can check out my new show, The Horror Podcast by subscribing via the links on this page.
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What is it like to be an ordained minister who loves the macabre? We talk with author Peter Laws to find out.
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Ticks, Lyme disease, exsanguinated cows and other fun with Dr. Danielle Tufts.
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The shocking true story of our nation's first president cryptozoologist.
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Are the legends of the Mapinguari based on sightings of a Giant Sloth? Dr. Richard A. Fariña helps us compare the lore to the fossil record.
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In part two of our Shaver Mystery coverage, we look at the influence of Ray Palmer and Richard Shaver on Science Fiction, UFOlogy, and the cultural fringe. (Part two of our Shaver Mystery coverage featuring Drs. Jerry Drake and Jeb Card). Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we get a brief overview of the history of Hollow Earth theories and start our deep dive into the topic of The Shaver Mystery with repeat guests Dr. Jerry Drake and Dr. Jeb Card. Weird-Science, lost civilizations, UFOs, and Nazis — this story has more threads than a fancy bedsheet set! Read the episode notes
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MonsterTalk revisits the story of Zana, the alleged Almasti wild woman of Abkhazia who was the subject of Bryan Sykes DNA research in his book The Nature of the Beast. A legendary forest spirit of the Balkans may have some relevance to the story of Zana and her descendants. Read the epsiode notes
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Where do Dragons come from — and why do so many cultures have them? Learn about the origins of Dragon legends with Eric Mortensen of Guilford College. Our conversation also touches on Fairies and Yeti — and we will doubtless be revisiting both Eric and the topic of Dragons in future episodes. Read the episode notes
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An interview with White House historian Lindsay Chervinsky (of the White House Historical Association) about the ghostly legends of the White House. Read the episode notes
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Larry Blamire, the talented writer, artist and director of the indy homage to 50’s cinema, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra joins us to talk monsters. Hurry up and support Larry’s Kickstarter for the 10-year anniversary BluRay of The Lost Skeleton Returns Again. Read the episode notes
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H.P. Lovecraft Literary Crossover! I’m joined by Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer of the incredible H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast to talk monsters of the mythos. It’s a wide-ranging wild and wacky ride. Hang on to your earbuds! If you’re not already a subscriber to their fine product, I urge you to waste no time in fixing that! Warning: Listener discretion is advised.
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An illuminating discussion about the Russian Monk, Rasputin, by author Douglas Smith. We’ll be discussing the myths and facts about Rasputin as described in Smith’s book, Rasputin: Faith, Power and the Twilight of the Romanovs. Read the episode notes
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In MonsterTalk episode # 187, we talk about the role of the supernatural and occult in Nazi Germany. Our guest is author Dr. Eric Kurlander, author of the book Hitler’s Monsters, which chronicles the rise of the Nazis and their strange relationship with the occult including fringe theories, Border Science, astrology, homeopathy, and even Nostradamus. Read the episode notes
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In MonsterTalk episode # 186 we talk with Dr. David D. Perlmutter, dean of the College of Media & Communications at Texas Tech University in Lubbock about the ways that humans can become monsters, and the ways that humans turn other humans into monsters. We discuss war crimes both recent and ancient, serial killers, and more. We reference his book, Visions of War. This free Patreon-edit of the show is brought to you by TTU’s new STEM Leadership Communication online program. Read the episode notes
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A new UFO/Area-51 documentary by Jeremy Corbell (see Hunt for the Skinwalker mentioned in MonsterTalk Patreon Bonus Episode 001) has been very successful. Blake and Karen discuss the documentary and the legend of Bob Lazar. Some of Lazar’s personal history deals with adult topics, so I’m putting an explicit tag on this episode. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, Karen and Blake are joined by Mathew Baxter (paranormal investigator, lecturer, magician and Karen’s husband) to talk about ghost hunting gear used by amateur investigators. Read the episode notes
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What is a disease? We’re joined by science writer Mike McRae, author of Unwell: What Makes a Disease a Disease? to discuss the history of the whole concept of diseases which turn out to have a large, often hidden, social component. For US audiences, be advised that Mike’s book is not available directly in the US. You’ll need to order it through an International bookseller like Booktopia (link above). Read the epsiode notes
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This is Patreon Bonus content edited slightly for the regular MonsterTalk feed. (Expect more of this content thanks to the generous support of our Patrons.) This episode is a deep dive into the Skinwalker Ranch mystery and a discussion of the new documentary, Hunt for the Skinwalker. Dr. Jeb Card (Spooky Archaeology) joins me for the discussion.
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In episode 182 of MonsterTalk, we are delighted to introduce Dr. Thor Hansen to listeners. For several years he’s been teaching a course at Western Washington University that uses monsters to teach science. I think you’re going to enjoy what he’s been up to — and I know some of you may want to reach out to him about similar projects or check out his course online. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows.
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For the Annual MonsterTalk Christmas Special, Blake Smith reads The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we’re joined by historian Joseph Gagne to discuss the many legends and interesting facts about one of Quebec’s most legendary historical figures. Witch? Murderer? Whatever she was in life, her story has seeded hundreds of legends and fictions. Read the episode notes
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Peter Bebergal studied religion and culture at Harvard Divinity School, and is the author of the new book Strange Frequencies, which chronicles many of the ways people have sought to use technology to transcend the mundane to reach the numinous. We talk about the ways people have used (and continue to use) technology in fringe research, art, entertainment, and in pursuit of revelation. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we are joined by Christopher Klimovitz in a wide-ranging discussion of the history and monstrous folklore of the Balkans. From ghosts and vampires to fairies and Baba Yaga, this region has been fractured by war but bound together with stories. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notes
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In this episode, we go down to the billabong to look for a monster indigenous to Australian folklore and myth — but perhaps with a foot (-er flipper?) in the real world: The Bunyip. We are joined by cultural history professional Paul-Michael Donovan for a fascinating look at the legend (and a possible non-monstrous explanation) for this famous chimeric creek critter. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notes
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Asher Elbein and Tiffany Turrill join us to talk about monsters and folklore of Appalachia. Their new project about fictional witch Anna O’Brien draws heavily from authentic folklore of this storied region of the United States. Read the episode notes
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Bigfoot nests, the Patterson-Gimlin film, DNA testing — it’s all new to journalist and former NPR producer Laura Krantz. She’s digging into the world of Bigfoot in the popular new podcast Wild Thing, and she joins MonsterTalk to discuss what it’s like to walk into the strange world of cryptozoology as an outsider. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notes
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Our third annual cross-over event with the Archy Fantasies Podcast features our combined efforts to find movies which highlight a theme familiar to listeners - and in keeping with our respective shows’ motifs. You’ll find ghosts, mummies, curses and plagues a plenty. We hope you enjoy it. Read the episode notes
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Dr. Chris Harding is a lecturer on Asian History at the University of Edinburgh. He has focused on Indian and Japanese history in his academic work, and recently wrote an article about Japanese ghost stories and their context in time. He joins MonsterTalk to discuss Yurei — the ghosts of Japan. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notes
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Since 2015, Seth Breedlove has been producing documentaries about cryptozoology and the impact that a cluster of monster sightings can have on a small town. His latest film is The Bray Road Beast, and Seth joins us to discuss the peculiar aspects of the creature that some have called a werewolf, a dog-man or even a demonic entity. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notes
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This weekend (Oct 6 & 7, 2018) Darren Naish is hosting TetZoo Con #5. It’s also been 25 years since the release of Jurassic Park. To celebrate, and promote Darren’s convention, I thought it would be fun to talk dinosaurs with a paleontologist. It was. An extended (and somewhat NSFW) version of this interview is available to Patreon supporters of any level. Read the episode notes
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An interview with archaeologist Ken Feder (see numerous other episodes including Giants and Atlantis) about the Tule River reservation Mayak Datat (“Hairy Man”) pictographs which have been called evidence for Bigfoot. Hopefully, this will be part 1 of at least a 2 part look. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notes
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Blake and Karen interview Jeffrey Reddick, a Hollywood screenwriter, producer, and director (perhaps best known for penning Final Destination) about his recent horror film Dead Awake which combines fictional elements with the real-world phenomena of sleep paralysis. Listen to MonsterTalk via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, TuneIn, and Stitcher. Get the MonsterTalk Podcast App for iOS, Android, and Windows. Read the episode notes
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Karen and Blake interview David Shango from the Seneca Nation Museum (in Salamanca, NY) about the legends and monsters of the Seneca people. This is the first part of some dedicated focus on Native American lore which we plan to cover over the next few months. Read the episode notes
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Blake Smith and Jeb Card (Spooky Archaeology) discuss CryptidCon 2018 and Blake’s continuing research into the Kelly-Hopkinsville Goblins Case. (See MonsterTalk’s 3 part previous coverage: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) Additional notes later this week. Please check back. Read the episode notes
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When did full moons become required in werewolf lore? Could the beast of Gevaudan have been a Hyena? Why does silver have such power in folklore? Can silver coins preserve milk? In episode 167 of MonsterTalk, Karen and Blake discuss further discoveries about werewolf lore. Read the episode notes
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Glamis Castle has secrets—and one of them is monstrous. Mike Dash (Spring Heeled Jack) joins us to talk about his research into the dark folklore around this ancient, beautiful household. Read the episode notes
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Blake and Karen are joined again by Hayley Stevens (The Spooktator Podcast) to talk about haunted jails and prisons. Hayley previously appeared on MonsterTalk in episode # 36 to discuss lake monster mysteries. Read the episode notes.
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Karen and Blake discuss the early history of Men in Black lore going back to some primary sources. Stories of mysterious strangers questioning and intimidating (and confounding) UFO investigators have a strange, continuously evolving history. Read the episode notes
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MonsterTalk host Blake Smith looks back at the career and impact of radio-host Art Bell who passed away on April 13, 2018 at the age of 72. Bell’s influential radio show Coast to Coast AM (still being produced today with George Noory at the microphone) was the launching pad for thousands of stories of the bizarre, the mysterious and the conspiratorial. Was he simply an entertainer? Was he harmful to the American radio listener? Some thoughts on the cultural impact of this titan of the night. Read the episode notes
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On a hot Summer day it’s nice to cool off and contemplate the hairy, horned winter monster of the Alps known as The Krampus. In MonsterTalk # 162, Blake interviews Al Ridenour, author of The Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas. Al is also the host of the folklore and pop-culture podcast Bone & Sickle. Read the episode notes
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Archaeologist and author Jeb Card joins Blake Smith to discuss his new book Spooky Archaeology. The book is about many weird, spooky topics which are tied to the field of archaeology—but this episode spends a lot of time talking about the unusual connection between H. P. Lovecraft and the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb. Warning: Some of the language in this episode may not be suitable for children. Listener discretion is advised. Read the episode notes
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Does a giant prehistoric shark lurk deep in the waters of the ocean, surviving against all odds to surprise us by occasionally biting a giant whale in half? No. But these animals did once exist and we don’t need to pretend they’re still alive to be blown away by their stunning biological features. We talk with Dr. Craig McClain about the amazing animal we call Megalodon. Read the episode notes
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We interview Professor Neil Gemmell (@ProfGemmell) who is currently conducting eDNA research into various lake monsters of Scotland, especially Nessie and Morag. His lab at the University of Otago in New Zealand is hoping to find a lot of new information about the life within these cold, deep lakes using cutting edge techniques for gathering DNA from the waters at various depths. Neil was inspired to this research from reading MT alum Darren Naish’s book Hunting Monsters, which is now available in paperback. Neil was inspired to this research from reading MT alum Darren Naish’s book Hunting Monsters, which is now available in paperback. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we present part two of Blake’s interview with screenwriter Richard Hatem about his work adapting John Keel’s The Mothman Prophecies for the 2002 motion picture. If you missed Part I last week, listen to it first. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, Blake interviews screenwriter Richard Hatem about his work adapting John Keel’s The Mothman Prophecies for the 2002 motion picture. This wide-ranging discussion is broken into two parts. Part two will air next week, but Patreon supporters will have early access through http://patreon.com/monstertalk. Read the episode notes
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The history of magic and science converged in the explosive life of Jack Parsons. By day he was a pioneer in the field of rocket propulsion whose work helped win WWII. By night he performed magic rituals and hoped to invoke powers which would change the world. Researcher Jerry Drake joins us to tell the astonishing story of Jack Parsons, a man whose short life seemed to intersect with some of the most intriguing figures in pop-culture, religion and science, but whose career contributions seemed on the verge of being forgotten until very recently. Parsons is the subject of a new CBS television series, based on the book Strange Angel. Read the episode notes
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Since the late 1990s people have been reporting strange incidents and injuries when touring the graveyard known as the Greyfriars Kirkyard. Some call it The Mackenzie Poltergeist, but whatever you call it it’s been the claimed cause of numerous injuries and scary stories. In this episode we interview City of the Dead tour-guide Fred Fogarty. We discuss the history of the site, some of the stories, and how one might do deeper research into this mystery. Note: Fred will be appearing at the Hawaii Paranormal Conference July 13–15, 2018. Read the episode notes
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Allison Jornlin is a paranormal researcher and host of The Otherside podcast. She’s been diligently researching the recent (2017–present) Chicago Mothman sightings as popularized on Lon Strickler’s Phantoms and Monsters website and book. You can find all of Allison’s on-site video recordings from her Mothman research on YouTube. Read the episode notes
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We’re getting our minds in the gutter this week but hopefully won’t leave you drained as we climb into the nooks and crevices of Yale University’s gargoyles and grotesques with photographer and author Mathew Duman, author of An Education in the Grotesque: The Gargoyles of Yale University. Read the episode notes
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In the new movie Rampage, a giant mutant crocodile joins up with a giant ape and a giant wolf to destroy Chicago. But this is not the first giant croc to hit the big screen. Lake Placid (1999) and Alligator (1980) are just two of the many horror films that pit giant crocodilians against puny humans. The fossil record tells us that giant crocs did once roam the earth, but are they still out there today? Join us as we talk with Dr. Paul Willis about crocodiles, alligators and the facts and myths surrounding these amazing but dangerous animals. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we complete our discussion about Western Esotericism with John L. Crow. In this final part we talk about the life of occultist Aleister Crowley, a man some called The Wickedest Man on Earth. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we continue our discussion about Western Esotericism with John L. Crow. In part two, we talk about the origins of Theosophy, the nature of secret and occult societies in this era, and the groundwork that led to the rise of magical orders in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Theosophy figures into the modern Western conception of Tulpas, which we discussed in episode 86, and also Slenderman. Read the episode notes
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The Winchester Mystery House is a sprawling Victorian mansion in San Jose, California. It is a famous piece of American architectural history, yet nearly every story commonly told about its mysterious history is likely untrue. In this episode of MonsterTalk, we are joined by Colin Dickey, author of the fantastic book Ghostland to discuss the case of the Winchester house and some of the other fascinating places he covers in his fascinating work. Read the episode notes
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The 19th century saw the rise of a variety of secret and secretive movements. Free Masons, Spiritualists, Theosophy and Esoteric Orders give rise to a variety of mystic-themed groups whose influence lurks under the mainstream themes of the 19th century. In this episode of MonsterTalk, we talk with religious studies scholar John Crow about the birth of these movements and how they influenced 19th (and 20th) century thought. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we return to discussion of the Ultraterrestrial Hypothesis (UTH) and what seems to be its growing influence in paranormal circles. It’s been used to explain UFOs, mothman, bigfoot, fairies, dogman, ghosts and many other phenomena which defy scientific demonstrability. Now it crops up again in a new film event titled Alien Intrusion which turned out to be a stealth evangelical creationist film which suggests that aliens and UFOs are actually demonic. We are joined by MonsterTalk alum Joe Laycock, Natasha Mikles and Jeb Card to discuss the UTH and Jeb’s Paranormal Unified Field Theory (PUFT) as it relates to this film and the work of John Keel and others. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we creep narratively into the swamps of South Carolina as we talk of the strange lizard man who is alleged to live in the swamps outside Bishopville. Lyle Blackburn leads our expedition as he recounts the story as told in his book Lizard Man: The True Story of the Bishopville Monster. Lyle previously joined us for episode 106: What The Fouke? The Beast of Boggy Creek. Read the episode notes
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For the Annual MonsterTalk Christmas Special, Blake Smith reads The Open Window by H. H. Munro (Saki). READ episode notes
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MonsterTalk interviews Seth Shostak, chief astronomer for the SETI Institute, and host of their podcast and radio show, Big Picture Science. Our interview questions come from Facebook listeners, and we also comment on recent news regarding secret US government UFO research. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we welcome back alum Don Prothero (Episode 22, Episode 43, Episode 68) and first time guest Timothy Callahan to discuss their new book: UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens: What Science Says. From an introduction to the scientific method, to the often overlooked explanations behind many undying legends of the UFO field, the two authors dive deep into the conspiracies, misconceptions, hoaxes and religions that have emerged from the field of UFOlogy. Read the episode notes
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MonsterTalk continues its series on Magic with Part II of its coverage of Grimoires. We continue our interview with researcher Jerry Drake, and focus on the view of magic books in various magical traditions of Western Europe. Read the episode notes
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In this episode MonsterTalk continues its special series on Magic as it examines the history of Grimoires in Western culture. State Department Archivist Jerry Drake, PhD, discusses the history of magic books, magic writing and how it fits into the history of science. This is the first of a two-part interview. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we interview cryptozoology enthusiast Colin Schneider, a young and enthusiastic researcher of Fortean and paranormal topics about his research into animal exsanguination. It’s a fun discussion of the field of cryptozoology, the disturbing topic of animal mutilation and the work done by the British organization, the Center for Fortean Zoology. Read the episode notes
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Happy Halloween! In this special bonus episode (no charge for our Patreon supporters) we join the Archeology Fantasies podcast crew (Sarah Head, Jeb Card and Ken Feder) to talk about “Haunted Objects” and a variety of other spooky topics. Warning: The language in this episode is uncensored, there are way too many puns, and alcohol was consumed during the recording. You’ve been warned. Read the episode notes.
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Just in time for Halloween, we begin our multi-episode coverage of "magic" by taking a look at the witch in Western European culture with the editor of The Skeptic, Deborah Hyde (@Jourdemayne). In a wide-ranging conversation we talk about the alleged powers of witches, the difference between the more benign figure of the Cunning Woman and the culturally monstrous figure of the witch as viewed during Witch Crazes and Witch Hunts. Read the episode notes.
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Our final part of our three-part look at the Kentucky Goblins case of 1955 concludes with an interview with the hosts of Astonishing Legends, Scott Philbrook and Forrest Burgess. We discuss the facts of the case, possible explanations, and the problems with the Wikipedia entry and the scholarly journal article cited within it. This episode’s topic is also discussed in a blog post by Blake Smith: Astonishing Legends, Questionable Facts. If you missed them, be sure to listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of American Goblins. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk — The Science Show About Monsters, we continue our examination of the case of the Kentucky Goblins. Blake is joined by CSI investigator Joe Nickell to discuss the details of the Kelly-Hopkinsville case and what real world creature Joe thinks best accounts for the mysterious events on that Kentucky farm back in 1955. Read the episide notes
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In August of 1955, a farm family in Kentucky found their home under attack by strange goblin-like monsters. In the years since the attack, the case has retained a perplexing endurance. What happened that night in Kentucky? Were aliens to blame? Underworld monsters? Misidentified natural causes? This is part one of our discussion of what has become known as The Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter. Read the episide notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, Karen and Blake discuss MonsterTalk’s presence at Dragon*Con and CryptidCon 2017. Blake got to travel to Kentucky for the inaugural cryptid-themed convention and had many interesting interactions with monster fans from across the country. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we take a look at the convergence of science and monsters, as Blake Smith prepares to talk at 2017’s CryptidCon in Frankfort, Kentucky. What does science have to tell us about monsters? Read the episode notes
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Australia is home to monsters both real and legendary. In a country where a tiny octopus is toxic enough to kill 20 adults, where huge spiders can catch birds and eat them, where people are so tough that they voluntarily eat Vegemite, what kind of creature could be the apex monster? Not the bunyip. Not the yowie. Keep looking up in the trees; it’s time to face the dropbears! Read the episode notes
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Author Scott Poole (previously with us for Vampira and Monsters in America) joins us to talk about his new biography on American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, In The Mountains of Madness: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H.P. Lovecraft. What is it about the writing of this peculiar and complicated writer from New England that has cast such an oversized shadow over American literature? Read the episode notes
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What’s in a name? More than you might imagine, if you’re a scientist trying to officially name a new species. In this episode of MonsterTalk, we talk to Ichthyologist Ben Frable about the process (and many challenges) of scientifically identifying and naming new species. Read the episode notes
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Is the little village of Pluckley truly the most haunted village in England? We interview skeptical ghost hunter Hayley Stevens (The Spooktater) about the curious little town more famous for its dead than its living. Read the episode notes
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From ancient Greece to modern movies, monsters and villains often get their assistance from mindless mobs of maleficent minions. Are they simply plot devices, or do minions tell us something about the real-world role of the follower when loyal obedience is valued more than heroic ethics? In this episode of Monstertalk, David Perlumtter and Cait Mongrain join us to discuss Minions, Mobs and Myrmidons. Read the episode notes
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In this episode, MonsterTalk welcomes back notable skeptic, scientist, researcher and author (and now Podcaster) Sharon Hill. Sharon’s got a new podcast (15 Credibility Street), new science blog (Spooky Geology), and a book coming out later this year. In this discussion we talk about skepticism, science communication and the mysterious phenomena known as The Stone Tape theory of repetitive hauntings. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk Blake Smith interviews Joe Gisondi, author of Monster Trek: The Obsessive Search for Bigfoot. A journalist professor takes us on a first-hand tour of Bigfoot Hunter culture. Read the episode notes
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Part 2 of our look at the Enfield Poltergeist brings together interviews with Chris French (@ChrisCFrench), Joe Nickell (@RealJoeNickell) and Deborah Hyde (@jourdemayne). We look at why skeptics tend to be so reluctant to accept the existence of poltergeists. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we are joined by folklorist and author Mark Norman to discuss legends of black hounds. Mark is the author of Black Dog Folklore as well as the host of The Folklore Podcast. This is a special cross-over episode with The Folklore Podcast and contains a slightly different edit of the interview audio. Discussion ranges from the legends of dark hounds in European folklore, to the nature of the academic study of folklore. Read the episode notes
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This MonsterTalk is another special literary/pop-culture episode as we take on the biggest topic in monsters: Giant City-Destroying Kaiju! Guests are Ed Godziszewski author of Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa (Oct 2017) and Michael Keller, co-author (with Edward Holland) of the magazine Monster Attack Team and the upcoming podcast Area 42. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk we present an interview with Guy Lyon Playfair, one of the original investigators into perhaps the most famous British poltergeist case in modern times. Read the episode notes
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In this MonsterTalk, we’re pleased to bring you an interview with psychologist Ray Hyman, a long time skeptical activist and educator, a founding member of CSICOP (now CSI) and one of the key investigators into the US government’s program to develop psychic soldiers. Some of this story was revealed in Jon Ronson’s The Men Who Stare at Goats, but in this interview you’ll hear Ray’s personal recollections about magic, skepticism and the mysterious claims of a famous psychic named Uri Geller. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we continue with Part 2 of our coverage of Zecharia Sitchin and “Planet-X” aka “Nibiru” by talking with astronomer Stuart Robbins, host of the Exposing PseudoAstronomy pocast. We discuss rogue planets, exo-planets, and the curious history of “Planet-X” apocalypse stories. Read the episode notes
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Blake Smith reads a story titled The Thing in the Cellar as 2016’s annual Christmas special. MonsterTalk will return to normal science and skepticism episodes in 2017. This story was first published in Weird Tales magazine issue #360 and is read by the author.
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Ancient Aliens theorists seem to love the work of Zecharia Sitchin (The 12th Planet). Sitchin proposed that mysterious space beings called Anunnaki visited earth to steal our gold, and passed on their wisdom to the ancient people of Sumer. In this first of a 2-part look at Sitchin’s impact on Ancient Astronaut lore, we talk with Dr. Michael Heiser about the plausibility of Sitchin’s views from an evaluation of the ancient texts Sitchin purports to have used for his source material. Read the episode notes
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Writer and researcher Mike Dash (Spring Heeled Jack) returns to talk about the less famous Scottish lake monster alleged to live in Loch Morar. While not as widely known as Nessie, Morag (as she is known) has her own fascinating history. Read the episode notes
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What do you get when you combine a love for statistics, a love for biological maritime mysteries and a relentless curiosity? Dr. Charles Paxton has applied biology and math work to produce several papers on the mysterious creatures called “sea monsters.” In this episode of MonsterTalk, we discuss sea monsters, math and naughty ostriches. Read the episode notes
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The cast of archaeologists from the Archaeological Fantasies podcast join Blake and Karen to talk about fairies, how they’ve evolved culturally, and the ways that archaeology, folklore and the fair folk overlap. Read the episode notes
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In this week’s episode of MonsterTalk, Eugenie Scott, Brian Regal, and Daniel Loxton join Karen Stollznow and Blake Smith to discuss The Yeti. This episode was our first-ever dedicated Yeti talk, as well as our first-ever live streamed show, which aired on YouTube on Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 8 pm EST. Read the episode notes
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A special for the Halloween Season, Robert Price returns to MonsterTalk to give us a raw dripping sample of his podcast The Lovecraft Geek, a kind of secular version of his popular The Bible Geek podcast. Questions from listeners are tossed down into the well of Price’s vast knowledge to see what answers echo back up to drive us mad. Check out our episode notes for lots of links to Lovecraft-inspired books and movies. Read the episode notes
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In this week’s episode of MonsterTalk, we talk about demonic or evil dolls, and look into the history of one of America’s most famous creepy playthings: Robert the Doll. Our interview is with Dr. Cori Convertito, Curator of the Key West Art and Historical Society, which oversees the Fort East Martello Museum, home of Robert the Doll. Read the episode notes
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Ken Feder returns to talk about his new book Ancient America: Fifty Archaeological Sites to See for Yourself, which is available for pre-order now on Amazon. Discussion in this episode centers around the failings of science coverage in the media, the latest on the famous Piltdown Man hoax, and why everyone needs to visit historical archaeological sites when they can. Read the episode notes
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We are joined by Heather Joseph-Witham, Associate Professor in the Liberal Arts and Sciences Department at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. She has a PhD in Folklore and Mythology from UCLA. In this episode, we talk about folklore as an academic field, urban legends, the nature of culture and story, and much more… Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, Karen and Blake thank listeners for their amazing support, and discuss upcoming episodes in the works. Read the episode notes
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MonsterTalk explores the life of author and research Montague Summers, a researcher of dogged determination whose own life is shrouded in mystery and occluded by the theatrical. Brian Regal discusses his research into this fascinating and controversial figure of occult studies. Read the episode notes
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James “The Amazing” Randi joins us to discuss his work on the Long John Nebel “Party Line,” a late-night AM radio show from New York’s WOR that defined the paranormal-themed chat show and was a precursor to shows like those of Art Bell, George Noory and Dave Schrader. This episode features clips from the Long John Nebel show and from Randi’s tenure after he took over Nebel’s slot. Read the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, we talk with Deborah Hyde, editor of the British magazine The Skeptic. Deborah is deeply interested in folklore, anthropology, monsters and skepticism. Our conversation covers a variety of topics including vampires, werewolves, ghosts and movies. Follow Deborah on Twitter @jourdemayne. Read the episode notes
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Rob Brotherton is the author of Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories. Rob has a doctorate in the psychology of conspiracy theories, and taught classes at the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths. He joins us in this episode to discuss the psychology of conspiracies. Read the episode notes
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Lyle Blackburn is a musician, actor, and cryptid researcher who explores the US in search of creatures in swamplands and backwoods. He is the author of The Beast of Boggy Creek: The True Story of the Fouke Monster and Lizard Man: The True Story of the Bishopville Monster. Lyle is a staff writer for the horror magazine Rue Morgue, he has been featured on Coast to Coast AM, and on numerous TV shows on Discovery, Animal Planet and more. Lyle joins us to discuss the history and impact of “the Boggy Creek Monster” on the small town of Fouke, Arkansas. Read the episode notes
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Eugenie Scott is an anthropologist but is probably most well known for her work fighting against Creationism in the American public education system as director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE). Perhaps less well-known is the fact that she’s long been interested in Bigfoot. In this episode of MonsterTalk we discuss Bigfoot, science promotion, and the usefulness of thinking about monsters in honing critical thinking skills. Read the episode notes
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Have you learned most of your UFO stories from The History Channel and motion pictures? Chances are these glossy presentations of aliens and mysterious craft have hidden from you some of the shocking and silly history of this fascinating field. Join us as we interview UFO researcher Robert Sheaffer about Bad UFOs. Read episode notes
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Tales of enormous snakes have been a part of folklore for thousands of years. From myths to legends, to eyewitness testimony and photographs, these stories slither through our culture and seem inescapable. Prepare to recoil in horror as we talk about giant snakes with John C. Murphy, co-author of the fascinating book Tales of Giant Snakes. Do giant man-eating snakes lurk out there waiting to swallow the unwary? The answer is more complicated than you might suspect. Listen to episode 103
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What is a Skeptic anyway? Are they just naysayers? Are they cynics? Do they just automatically say “that’s not real” to anything exciting and mysterious? Find out the true meaning of Skepticism in this MonsterTalk special episode — Skepticism 101, featuring Dr. Steven Novella. Dr. Steven Novella is a clinical neurologist and assistant professor at Yale University School of Medicine. He is a prominent figure in the Skeptic community, he is the host of The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe, and he is actively involved in the promotion of Science Based Medicine. Steve joins us to talk about the basics of Skepticism we’re calling Skepticism 101. Listen to episode 102
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, paleontologist Dr. Darren Naish (@TetZoo) returns to discuss his newest book, an overview of the field of cryptozoology, titled Hunting Monsters: Cryptozoology and the Reality Behind the Myths. READ the episode notes
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In this MonsterTalk Christmas Special episode, Blake Smith reads aloud Pickman’s Model, a story by H.P. Lovecraft and gives a brief update about the MonsterTalk podcast. Read the episode notes
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In the 100th episode of MonsterTalk: The Science Show About Monsters, DNA researcher and author Bryan Sykes discusses the research behind his landmark book The Nature of the Beast: The First Genetic Evidence on the Survival of Apemen, Yeti, Bigfoot and Other Mysterious Creatures into Modern Times; plus, thoughts and reflections on 100 episodes of MonsterTalk, including hearing from many listeners about their own favorite monsters… READ the episode notes
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There are legends from around the world of a creature that comes to you at night and sits on your chest, sucking away your life force. The incubus, the succubus, the old hag — people really report these experiences, but how does science explain it? Dr. Brian Sharpless, co-author of the new book Sleep Paralysis: Historical, Psychological and Medical Perspectives, joins us to discuss the terrifying phenomenon. READ the episode notes
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You’ve heard the legend of Atlantis. But have you ever heard the facts behind the legend? Dr. Kenny Feder returns to talk about the true story of Atlantis and it isn’t what most people think. LISTEN to this episode
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Is the world secretly being controlled by a dark, shadowy cabal? Are many of the world’s leaders actually blood-drinking, child-abusing lizard people? No, they aren’t. But in this episode of MonsterTalk we talk with Jon Ronson about his experiences with conspiracy theorist David Icke. READ the episode notes
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Why do we fear? What is fear? The Ressler Lab is located in the Yerkes Primate Research Center in Atlanta, and the studies they’re conducting seek to understand fear at the cellular, molecular and neural-circuitry level of granularity. Dr. Kerry Ressler, head of the lab, joins us to talk about that research and the neurological basis of fear. READ the episode notes
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The late 1970s and 1980s saw the rise of a new kind of game. Dungeons & Dragons and its many competitors captivated many high-school and college students, but many parents and authority figures feared that these new games were a gateway to Satanic ritual and perhaps even murder. Author Joseph Laycock returns to discuss his new book: Dangerous Games. LISTEN to this episode
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One of the most common fears in the world is the fear of spiders. But what does a rationalist do when gripped by an irrational fear? MonsterTalk interviews author Lynne Kelly about her transition from arachnophobia to spider enthusiast. Note: This episode deals with spider sexual reproduction which includes masturbation and cannibalism. Read the episode notes
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Blake Smith reads aloud An Inhabitant of Carcosa, a story by Ambrose Bierce. The story itself is brief, but its impact on American horror literature is still being felt today.
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We’ve all seen the vampires of cinema and pop culture. Caped aristocrats, sparkling teens, monstrous revenants—which of these best corresponds to the real legends of vampires? Richard Sugg returns to talk about his fascinating research into historic vampire cases. He’s uncovered a recurring relationship between outbreaks of vampirism and poltergeist activity, which will be the subject of his next book. READ the episode notes
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Can a domesticated cat be a monster? What if it can talk, fly, predict the future and grow to enormous size? Get ready for some of the strangest lore we’ve ever covered on MonsterTalk as we interview art historian Dr. Paul Koudounaris about demonically possessed cats. LISTEN to this episode
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When the robots take over, will we all be forced to speak bocce? Author and robotics engineer Daniel H. Wilson visits MonsterTalk to discuss the nature of robots and the risk of a robot apocalypse. Steven Spielberg has purchased the rights to produce a film version of his New York Times bestseller, Robopocalypse. LISTEN to this episode
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, Blake conducts a pop-culture interview with historian Scott Poole on the first monstrous horror movie host, Vampira (Maila Nurmi). His new book is Vampira, Dark Goddess of Horror. READ the episode notes
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Was an African lion wandering the streets of Los Angeles? The case of the Norwalk Lion is solved beyond reasonable doubt—yet why do questions linger? READ the episode notes
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What can a shambling zombie teach us about the human brain? According to Brad Voytek and Tim Verstynen, quite a lot. Their new book is called Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep? and in this episode of MonsterTalk we’ll be talking “Brainssss…” READ the episode notes
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They say Slenderman was created for a contest on a website. But the thin, faceless character has gone viral appearing in numerous art, stories, videos and even games. Some claim that all that combined focus has turned him real — a process known by ancient Tibetan Buddhists as forming a Tulpa. In this episode of MonsterTalk, Blake Smith interviews professor of religious studies Joe Laycock and doctoral student of Tibetan studies Natalia Mikels to discover the truth about Tulpas. Since the creation of Slenderman the character has “gone viral” and spun off numerous art and fiction stories. And some fans of the Slenderman believe that he is real — either existing already from time immemorial, or that he exists now, brought to life by the combined belief of millions of humans in the form of a living creature known as a Tulpa. READ the episode notes
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What causes a person to be possessed? Are there demons? Is it mental illness? Is it abnormal neurology? Does exorcism work? in this episode of MonsterTalk, paranormal researcher psychologist Dr. Chris French joins us to discuss the psychology of demonic possession and exorcisms. READ the episode notes
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The 10 Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty television contest is over and we’re going to talk to the science advisers for the show to see how they felt about the outcome. Did science win the day? Did editing take away the good take-aways? Will Justin Smeja be getting in trouble for hunting feral humans? Check it out in this episode of MonsterTalk! READ the episode notes
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Unwrap the secrets of the Mummy's tomb as we talk to "Mr. Mummy" Dr. Bob Brier about the history of mummies and the world's fascination with Egyptology. And then, we discuss the strange history of mummies as medicine with Dr. Richard Sugg. Join as we learn about The Cures of the Mummy's Tomb! READ the episode notes
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THE MONGOLIAN DEATH WORM—its name conjures up images of fantastic beasts like the sand worms in Dune or the creatures from the film Tremors, but the actual legends are even stranger. We discuss the legends and facts behind this cryptid with the official zoologist for the Center for Fortean Zoology, Richard Freeman. Read the episode notes
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Are mysterious large cats killing livestock and stalking the wilds of Australia? Dr. David Waldron returns to MonsterTalk to discuss his research on alien big cats down under: Snarls from the Tea-Tree: Big Cat Folklore, co-written with Simon Townsend. READ the episode notes
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Did it take a silver bullet to kill the beast of Gévaudan? Is that where Curt Siodmak got the idea for his film The Wolfman? Host Blake Smith reveals his findings from more than two years of werewolf research. This episode is the first to go live with a complete transcript and lengthy bibliography. READ episode notes READ the transcript
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, Blake interviews Junior Skeptic author/artist Daniel Loxton on the final book in his prehistoric animal thrillogy, Plesiosaur Peril. We talk about dinosaur names, raising kids with science literacy, and the reboot of Cosmos. READ the episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, Blake and Karen talk about how skeptics evaluate the Gary Indiana Demon case. READ the episode notes
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Sharon Hill (Doubtful News) joins us to discuss the recent history of Bigfoot bodies. From bigfoot steaks to Russian slavers, it’s time to catch up on some sasquatch news. READ the episode notes
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If Bigfoot is real, would a $10,000,000 bounty be enough to bring the beast down? That’s the premise of a new show on Spike TV. In this episode, MonsterTalk interviews two of the scientists who are working on the show to find out if this is a serious search for Bigfoot, or just folks out in the woods raising cane. READ the episode notes
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A familiar voice returns to MonsterTalk as Dr. Karen Stollznow joins us to discuss her new book, God Bless America. READ episode notes
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Blake Smith reads aloud the M. R. James classic story Casting the Runes. This macabre tale was the basis for the 1957 film, Curse of the Demon. (MonsterTalk theme music by Peach Stealing Monkeys.)
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Darin Naish returns to MonsterTalk to discuss his latest book, Cryptozoologicon: Volume I. From the well known to the very obscure, this book takes three looks at monsters. It critically examines them, but also speculates on what they might be like if they were real — combined with fantastic illustrations by science illustrators John Conway and C. M. Koseman. READ the episode notes
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MonsterTalk welcomes back Bible scholar Robert M. Price to discuss the biggest and most well known villain in Western culture: Satan. Who is this character and how has he changed over the history of Judeo/Christian religions? From servant of God to dark villain, we track the evolution of the Devil. READ the episode notes
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“I know what I saw.” So say many witnesses to the bizarre and unusual—and even the mundane. But do you really know what you saw? In this special episode of MonsterTalk, memory expert Elizabeth Loftus and psychologist Richard Wiseman explain how perilous and frail are the tools and materials we use to build our fortresses of certitude. READ the episode notes
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Was the story of The Conjuring the true story of how Ed and Lorraine Warren fought demonic forces in Rhode Island? In this special episode of MonsterTalk, we hear a different side to the story of America’s first family of ghost hunting. Features interviews with investigators Joe Nickell and Steven Novella. READ the episode notes
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Kean University History Professor, Brian Regal, has tracked the Jersey Devil back to its astonishing historical roots. Religious in-fighting, self-publishing, snarky founding fathers, sorcery and political intrigue make the idea of a flying horse-faced monster almost seem tame. READ episode notes
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Medieval Art expert Asa Mittman discusses his love of monsters, the kinds of monsters that populate medieval land maps, and the persistent practice of monsterization as a cultural method for labeling “out-groups” in human interaction. READ episode notes
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Join us for a fascinating look at the mysterious sea monsters that decorated medieval maps. We talk with Chet Van Duzer about his recent book Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps, which brings to light the remarkable sources behind the strange looking creatures which populate the seas of these beautiful old documents. Chet Van Duzer is a writer and researcher and is currently an Invited Research Scholar at the John Carter Brown Library in Rhode Island. He has published extensively on medieval maps. READ episode notes
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MonsterTalk returns from its break with guests Donald Prothero and Daniel Loxton who introduce their long-awaited book Abominable Science!: Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids. READ episode notes
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The Tetrapod Zoology Podcast Super Cross-Over Tetrapodcats (sic erat scriptum) MonsterTalk host Blake Smith teams up with paleontologist Darren Naish and artist John Conway to introduce MonsterTalk listeners to this entertaining and educational podcast known as “The Tetrapod Zoology Podcast.” Topics include cryptozoology, pterosaur controversy, whale penis commentary and a scientist’s take on the film Cloverfield. Read episode notes
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In this special episode of MonsterTalk, we take a brief break from our break to bring you breaking news about Ben Radford’s monstrous new project Undead Apocalypse—a board game featuring zombies, vampires and other horrors. The interview features artist Jeff Zornow, whose drawings were used to design the miniatures for this kickstarter project. Read episode notes
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On the Isle of Man, between the World Wars, a lonely hilltop was home to a family of hardscrabble farmers. The father was a former piano salesman, and he struggled to make ends meet for his wife and daughter in their windswept cottage. And then one day, from up in the attic and behind the walls they began to hear the whispers of a mongoose-like creature who called itself Gef. READ episode notes
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What if your will were not your own? What if your mind were being controlled by something other than your own volition? This isn’t an imaginary scenario. Real lifeforms here on earth can profoundly influence the behavior of other lifeforms, turning them into helpless zombies, forced to do the bidding of their emotionless masters. In this episode of MonsterTalk, we interview entomologist David Hughes about host behavior modification by parasitic organisms. READ episode notes
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The shores of the lake were packed with strangers looking to catch a glimpse of the beast. A $50,000 reward was issued for its capture. Newspapers around the world carried the story of the strange creature that was said to lurk beneath these waters. Loch Ness? No—this is 1880s Vermont and the monster is alleged to be living in Lake Champlain. in this episode of MonsterTalk, Robert E. Bartholomew joins us to discuss his latest book, The Untold Story of Champ: A Social History of America’s Loch Ness Monster. READ episode notes
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Some people have a fear of bugs and creepy crawlies. Kristie Reddick and Jessica Honaker—collectively known as The Bug Chicks—work to fight myths about these fascinating creatures and to promote science and wonder. In this episode of MonsterTalk, we discuss giant spiders, common misconceptions and the entomologists’ experience on the TV show MonsterQuest. READ episode notes
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London of the 1830s was terrorized by an astonishing figure—a caped man with long sharp metallic claws who spouted blue fire from his mouth and leaped over rooftops. Surely such a creature could be no more than myth, right? Or was there a mysterious aristocrat playing tricks on the working class? In this week’s episode of MonsterTalk, we talk with historian Mike Dash about the legendary figure known as Spring Heeled Jack. READ episode notes
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According to legend, in the early 1800s the farm of John Bell of Tennessee was terrorized by a supernatural assailant who came to be known as The Bell Witch. MonsterTalk hosts Blake Smith, Ben Radford and Dr. Karen Stollznow discuss the case, following a visit to the site of the haunting by Ben and Blake. READ episode notes
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To wind up 2012, MonsterTalk welcomes back Sharon Hill, founder of the Doubtful News website, to talk us through a year’s worth of monstrous topics. READ episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, your hosts interview Dr. Todd Disotell on the recent press release regarding Melba Ketchum’s Sasquatch DNA research. Disotell returns for the second time since his visit on the very first episode of MonsterTalk with news about Spike TV’s new Bigfoot show, Bigfoot DNA, science by press-release, and lots of other goodies. READ episode notes
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There are those who believe the Earth is only about 6000 years old. They believe that the evidence for this is all in the Bible, but as we’ve discussed on MonsterTalk before, they still seek confirmatory evidence from other works. So it was only a matter of time before someone suggested that the epic poem Beowulf helps prove that (a) the earth is indeed very, very young and (b) that the monsters in the poem Beowulf were dinosaurs. Hard to believe? Tune in as we talk to skeptic and Humanities researcher Eve Siebert about the most surprising interpretation of this classic story you’re likely to hear. READ episode notes
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This week on MonsterTalk, we interview Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda, authors of Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, a book which details many folkloric monsters of Japan. From the slash-mouthed woman to a giant disgusting foot—these creatures have inspired fear and wonder in Japan and influenced books, movies and video-games. READ episode notes
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For thousands of years, people who made their living by working the sea have reported creatures that appeared to be half-human and half-fish. Some of these stories are legends and fairy tales, but more recent sightings are reported as real animals. Confounding things even more are mummified mermaids brought to Europe from sailors coming back from Asia. A recent Animal Planet “documentary” claimed that mermaids are real and the US government is hiding the truth. This week on MonsterTalk, we interview museum curator (and mermaid-model expert) Paolo Viscardi. READ episode notes
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For decades, legends of a giant sexually-assaulting bat-creature have trickled out of Zanzibar. In this episode of MonsterTalk we interview Ben Radford about his investigation of the creature and the role that the monster called Popabawa has played in culture and politics in the United States. READ episode notes
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The hosts of MonsterTalk interview Sharon Hill, creator of the website Doubtful News. The discussion includes updates on the latest in monster news trends, as well as information about The Amaz!ng Meeting—the James Randi Educational Foundation’s annual meeting of skeptical scientists, researchers, artists, performers, teachers and other rational-minded folk in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also in this episode, Brian Thompson of the JREF stops by to discuss TAM 2012. READ episode notes
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Remorseless killers are the stuff of countless films. Sadly, the real world has even more of them. Jack the Ripper, Ted Bundy, H. H. Holmes, John Wayne Gacy—these remorseless psychopaths filled graveyards with corpses and sleeping minds with nightmares. But these aren’t monsters—they’re real people who have a brain that developed differently than most peoples. Author Jon Ronson joins us on this episode of MonsterTalk to discuss the condition of psychopathy—and to share with us his journey into the world of these dangerous people. READ episode notes
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In modern science the homunculus refers to various models of the human mind, but in medieval times it was something quite different. Join us for a fascinating interview with professor William R. Newman, of Indiana University’s Department of History and Philosophy of Science. He is the author of seven books, including Promethean Ambitions: Alchemy and the Quest to Perfect Nature—a book which provides much insight into the seedy back-story of this strange creature. This episode contains adult material and may be unsuitable for junior skeptics. READ episode notes
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Join the hosts of MonsterTalk for an interview with Daniel Nettheim, director of a new film about a man hunting for thylacines. The Hunter stars Willem Dafoe as the eponymous character tasked with seeking out the last living thylacine in the wild. Also, Scott Sigler calls in to discuss his newest monster book, Nocturnal. READ episode notes
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In the forests of Pennsylvania, on a dark September night, a trail-cam took a series of controversial pictures. The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) still claims they show a juvenile Bigfoot. Skeptics claim the photos show a bear. Join the hosts of MonsterTalk as they discuss Bigfoot photos, fair-use and the economics of unusual photos. READ episode notes
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Episode 50 of MonsterTalk takes us to a small English village in the 1570s where a morning church service is interrupted by a horrific storm which heralds, perhaps, the appearance of Satan himself in the form of a huge black hound. Join us as we talk with David Waldron (author of Shock! The Black Dog of Bungay) as he helps us discover the facts behind this creepy tale—a tale which influences paranormal literature even today. READ episode notes
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Did you see that popular Internet video that allegedly showed a mammoth crossing a river in Siberia? You probably figured it was a hoax—and we did too—but we decided to get to the bottom of the matter. Join us as we discuss the methods and motives for Internet hoax videos. This episode also includes interviews with documentary film maker Ludovic Petho and Alan Melikdjanian (aka Captain Disillusion). Was there really something fishy about that video? Listen to see if you can bear the truth! READ episode notes
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This week on MonsterTalk, the hosts talk with the author of Monsters In America, Dr. Scott Poole. His book chronicles the history of monsters from colonial America to modern times—and tries to tackle the issue of meaning in a world where monsters are “meaning machines.” Content Advisory: The content in this episode is rated is PG13. Be sure to read the episode notes to see the winners of the MonsterTalk t-shirt design contest and see the three winning designs. READ episode notes
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In this episode of MonsterTalk, two skeptics interview a witch about how to battle evil with magic. Emily Carlin is a magical instructor at The Grey School—an online magical university and the author of Defense Against the Dark: A Field Guide to Protecting Yourself from Predatory Spirits, Energy Vampires and Malevolent Magic. Is magic the best defense against evil monsters? Or is skepticism? Pull up a chair and sit a spell to find out. READ episode notes
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By popular demand, we take a brief aside into fantasy to talk with one the more sinister figures associated with the Winter Holidays: The Krampus. Then we get a bit more serious as we welcome one of the co-hosts of the popular podcast The Bigfoot Show, documentarian and comedian, Scott Herriott. Scott has made several films about walking the Pacific Coast Trail and about his personal quest to find Bigfoot—and the people he’s met in that search. This MonsterTalk interview includes a detailed recounting of his own brush with what he believes may have been a Sasquatch. READ episode notes
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If you think Genies are funny like in Aladdin, or sexy like in I Dream of Jeannie get ready to have your assumptions challenged. In the Middle East, Jinn aren’t whimsical characters of fantasy. They are considered to be frightening, real entities that haunt desolate places and can perform terrible magic. In this episode of MonsterTalk we interview author Robert Lebling about his book Legends of the Fire Spirits: Jinn and Genies from Arabia to Zanzibar. If you miss this episode you’ll wish you hadn’t! READ episode notes
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WHILE AT TAM9, the hosts of MonsterTalk sat down to talk with psychologist Richard Wiseman about his new book Paranormality: Why we see what isn’t there. It was supposed to be a chat about the paranormal, ghosts and Wiseman’s findings. But a conversation with Richard Wiseman is rarely so simple as that. READ episode notes
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From The Lost World to Alley Oop to The Flintstones, the idea of dinosaurs and humans living together has captured the imagination of readers across the globe. But there are some who believe that this idea isn’t fictional. Is there a population of sauropod dinosaurs living in Africa in modern times? In this episode of MonsterTalk, we interview paleontologist Dr. Donald Prothero at TAM9 about his research into the creature known as Mokele Mbembe! Cryptozoology, paleontology and creationism converge in the jungles of the Congo. READ episode notes
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On November 8, 2005 Canadian geological engineering student Kenton Carnegie went for a walk. He told people that he’d be back by 5 pm. When he hadn’t returned by 7 pm, a search party went out and discovered his remains in the woods. In this episode of Monstertalk (a follow-up to last week’s), we interview professor Valerius Geist about the true cause of Kenton Carnegie’s death. Some people thought he was killed by a bear, but more likely he was killed by a myth. READ episode notes
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CHANCES ARE IF YOU LISTEN to MonsterTalk you probably like nature documentaries. No doubt you’ve seen stories about wolves and heard words to the effect that wolves are often maligned and that wolves have an undeserved reputation for being killers. Yet how does one reconcile the idea that dangerous wolves are a myth with the many myths and fairy tales which feature wolves as the villain? In this episode of MonsterTalk we take on the legend of the big, bad wolf and what we find may surprise you. This episode features an interview with author Jay M. Smith, about his book Monsters of the Gévaudan: The Making of a Beast. READ episode notes
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IN THIS EPISODE of MonsterTalk we discuss Ghouls and their real world counterpart: cannibals. The hosts are joined by Carole A. Travis-Henikoff, author of Dinner With A Cannibal: The Complete History of Mankind’s Oldest Taboo. This episode also features guest MonsterTalker Adam Levenstein, a long-time friend of the show whose background combines anthropology and skepticism. READ episode notes
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The 2009 film The Haunting in Connecticut is purported to be based on true events. Similarly, there was the 2002 documentary A Haunting in Connecticut (which aired on The Discovery Channel and helped spawn the series A Haunting). These true events have been compiled by author Ray Garton into his book In A Dark Place: The Story of a True Haunting. The shocking tale contains adult elements of a graphic nature, and if true, described a terrifying case of a demonic and ghostly attack on a family. But Garton now says that the allegedly true events weren’t quite what they seemed. READ episode notes
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Did ancient humans gain their technological achievements through the assistance of creatures from other planets? This week on MonsterTalk, Dr. Feder, an archaeology professor who has taught a course on the topic, shares his thoughts. Feder is the author of Frauds, Myths and Mysteries—a book with more good scientific content on the cover than most TV shows have in an entire season. READ full episode notes
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There are very few people who make their living hunting monsters. For most of us who investigate such mysteries, it is a labor of love. Today on MonsterTalk we get to talk with one of our listeners about her investigation into a lake monster. In her investigation she went where few would dare to tread. Join us as we talk with amateur investigator Hayley Stevens about her dive into lake monster mysteries. READ full episode notes
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Is cryptozoology science or pseudoscience? Do scientists ever really study cryptozoology, or merely ignore the field entirely? This week we dig into the history of Cryptozoology itself—focusing on the search for America’s most famous cryptid: Sasquatch. This week on MonsterTalk, we’re joined by Dr. Brian Regal to talk about his latest book, Searching For Sasquatch: Crackpots, Eggheads and Cryptozoology. READ full episode notes
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This week on MonsterTalk, we interview Harvard medical doctor Steven Schlozman, author of The Zombie Autopsies and get inside the walking dead to discuss a plausible mechanism for the zombie apocalypse. READ full episode notes
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Renowned investigator Joe Nickell returns to MonsterTalk to discuss his latest book Tracking the Man-beasts: Sasquatch, Vampires, Zombies, and More—a survey of a human-like monsters that runs the gamut from Almas to Zombie. The book covers scores of monsters from legend and lore, and many entries include insights from Joe’s personal investigations. READ full episode notes
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Plenty of people have hypothesized about being able to bring back an extinct animal, but (so far as the MonsterTalk team knows) the only person who has successfully brought an extinct animal’s gene back to be able to express itself in a living organism is Dr. Andrew Pask and his team of genetics experts. Tasmania’s marsupial tiger, the Thylacine, appears to be extinct. But today MonsterTalk interviews Dr. Pask about his experiments, the best chances of resurrecting dead species, and what makes the Thylacine so interesting to evolutionary science. READ full episode notes
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In the year 2000 startling claims of a body cast of a Bigfoot emerged from the deep woods of Washington State. More than a decade later, MonsterTalk interviews Bigfoot researcher Daniel Perez about the facts behind this contentious artifact — which some still claim to be one of the best pieces of evidence for the existence of Bigfoot. READ full episode notes
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This week MonsterTalk co-host Benjamin Radford becomes the interviewee! Radford discusses his newest book, Tracking the Chupacabra. The culmination of a five-year investigation, this book may provide an actual solution to these mysterious humanoid sightings. READ full episode notes
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This week the hosts of MonsterTalk take on the mysterious, mystical, legendary menace of the ninja! Should ninjas be considered monsters? They come out at night, have mysterious powers and use fear and lethality to wreak havoc. But to be sure, we Ask a Ninja. Also, we interview Matt Alt, co-author (with Hiroko Yoda) of Ninja Attack: True Tales of Assassins, Samurai and Outlaws. READ full episode notes
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IN THIS EPISODE, the MonsterTalk crew interviews Dr. Tony Russell, a professor at the University of Calgary who studies evolutionary and functional morphology in geckos. Dr. Russell’s work includes ethnobiology — the utilization of folklore to guide his research. He discuss the uses and limitations of this mode of research, as well as the remarkable features of the lizards that he studies. READ full episode notes
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Author Christopher Dell has collected an astonishing array of art from around the world depicting many obscure and mysterious creatures in his new book Monsters: A Bestiary of Devils, Demons, Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Magical Creatures. Christopher Dell joins the MonsterTalk crew to discuss why humans are so fascinated by these bizarre entities. READ full episode notes
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Late in the 1960s, in the era which gave us the famous Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film, fairgoers in Minnesota were confronted with a marvel: a hairy, primitive-looking humanoid frozen in a block of ice. Was it an anthropological relic? Was it a sasquatch? As investigators from the Smithsonian Institute and cryptozoological researchers studied the frozen creature, they came to very different conclusions as to what it represented. The MonsterTalk hosts interview Bigfoot researcher and former side-show performer Matt Crowley — and try to crack the case of The Minnesota Iceman. READ full episode notes
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This week on MonsterTalk, author Stephen Asma (Professor of Philosophy at Columbia College Chicago) speaks about his comprehensive book surveying Western monster-lore. Is humankind’s fascination with monsters broader than any single cause? Asma’s On Monsters examines hundreds of legends — and their cultural, psychological and social implications. READ full episode notes
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In the pantheon of American monsters, only one truly dominated the newspapers of the 1990s. Checkout lines everywhere were haunted by the bald-headed, wide-mawed visage of Bat Boy. What was Bat Boy, and where did he come from? The MonsterTalk team interviews cartoonist Tye Bourdony, a former employee of the Weekly World News. Bourdony shares his insights about Bat Boy and the rise and fall of the famous tabloid paper. READ full episode notes
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THIS WEEK’S EPISODE was recorded before a live studio audience at Dragon*Con’s Skeptrack 2010 (in Atlanta, Georgia). MonsterTalk hosts Ben Radford and Blake Smith bravely faced the horror of live questions from listeners — including Australian skeptical activist Dr. Rachael Dunlop, Skeptoid’s Brian Dunning, and others! READ full episode notes
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MonsterTalk frequently explores tales of imaginary monsters — creatures of myth, fiction, and folklore. Today, the hosts consider a real creature, one that preys on humans and their closest animal companions. It is often invisible. It drinks blood to survive. And, it is responsible for many of the sightings of the dreaded chupacabra. Podcast audiences may cringe and recoil in horror to learn the true facts of the creature known as — Sarcoptes scabiei! READ full episode notes
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This week, MonsterTalk continues its discussion of the intersection between science and cryptozoology. The hosts interview Dr. Donald Prothero and Daniel Loxton, who are working on a book that will give a deep overview of the field of cryptozoology and how it intersects with actual science. This interview was recorded at The Amaz!ng Meeting 8 in Las Vegas. READ full episode notes
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What is cryptozoology? Is it science? Is it folklore? Does it make predictions? In part 1 of a 2-part series, MonsterTalk examines cryptozoology as a field, including speculation on the cryptids most likely to turn out to be real. Guest Dr. Darren Naish, paleontologist and science blogger, makes some surprising statements about the field, its role in science and culture, and the intersection of amateur and professional science. READ full episode notes
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In 1984, objects began to fly around the room in the presence of a Columbus Ohio teen named Tina Resch. The local paper claimed this was a poltergeist attack, and published photos to prove it. Tina’s story caught the attention of a young organization called the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal [CSICOP, now Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI)] and its chief investigator, James “The Amazing” Randi. In this episode, Randi tells the MonsterTalk hosts about the outcome of this case — and shares his personal views about the unfortunate impact it may have had on Tina’s life. READ full episode notes
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In this special literary edition, MonsterTalk ventures into a dark domain that can be confidently called fiction: the monstrous, genre-defining oeuvre of horror writer Howard Philips Lovecraft. Joined by noted Lovecraft scholar Robert M. Price and biologist PZ Myers, the MonsterTalk hosts discuss Lovecraft’s life and works, and dare to confront his most famous creation: the vast alien monstrosity Cthulhu. Can the hosts gaze into the shrieking outer darkness and return with their sanity intact? Find out on this episode of MonsterTalk! READ full episode notes
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In this episode, Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly CSICOP) investigator Joe Nickell joins the MonsterTalk crew for a look into the West Virginian legend of Mothman — allegedly a human-sized creature with wings and glowing red eyes. Nickell discusses the ways monsters evolve following a community’s initial reports, and the cyclical nature of spates of sightings. READ full episode notes
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In this week’s episode, MonsterTalk looks once again at genetics and creatures created in the laboratory. Dr. Marcus C. Davis joins the hosts to discuss what constitutes a “monster.” In his work, Davis deals with paleontology, as well as embryological manipulation — which, by some definitions, means he literally creates monsters. What kinds of creatures are scientists making in labs today? What is the scope of their power? What guides their ethics? Learn more this week on MonsterTalk! READ full episode notes
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This week, MonsterTalk continues its two-part discussion of historical ghost investigations. Blake Smith describes his investigation into a famous photo that allegedly shows two dead sailors floating off the side of a 1920’s oil tanker. Methodology for conducting historical investigation is detailed, using Ben Radford’s upcoming book on scientific paranormal investigation as a basis for the talk. Did two sailors haunt their fellow shipmates? Does the photo really show two ghosts? Find out the answers in this informative conclusion — and find out how you can solve your own cases! READ full episode notes
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Ghost investigations often feature in television shows and other media. Typically, these amount to people wandering around at night with EMF detectors, talking into the darkness and jumping at shadows and noises. But how does one do a scientific paranormal investigation? On this first half of a two-part MonsterTalk, the hosts review two past ghost investigations (Ben Radford’s “Kimo Theater Ghost” and Dr. Karen Stollznow’s “Waverly Hills Sanatorium” investigations) and discuss some of the techniques that can help solve such cases. What steps are common to this type of research? Learn more this week on MonsterTalk. READ full episode notes
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What happens when a creature thought to be extinct is spotted alive in the swamps of Arkansas? Can such a creature have survived? Can scientists verify the story? And when a town’s hopes and a school’s grant money are on the line, to what lengths will people go to find proof? This week on MonsterTalk we discuss these issues with Scott Crocker, the documentary filmmaker behind Ghost Bird — a feature length exploration into the mystery of the Ivory-billed woodpecker. READ full episode notes
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What does neuroscience have to say about the possibility of consciousness or mind existing outside the body — or continuing on after the body has died? This episode’s guest is neurologist Dr. Steven Novella (veteran of on-site ghost investigations, and host of the Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast, who shares his insights on brains, minds, and specters from beyond the grave. READ full episode notes
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In this episode, the hosts of MonsterTalk talk with Greg Long, author of the 2004 book The Making of Bigfoot (which was reviewed at the time by Skeptic’s own Daniel Loxton). Long’s book is built from hours of interviews with surviving contemporaries of Roger Patterson, the filmmaker who shot the influential Patterson-Gimlin footage. For many people, this film remains the best evidence that Bigfoot is real. However, Long’s research uncovered a side of Patterson most people had never heard of before — and it isn’t pretty. According to Long, the famed Bigfoot film shows nothing more than a man in a modified gorilla suit. Moreover, Long may have found the man who wore it… READ full episode notes
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In the world of Bigfoot, good evidence is hard to come by. Anecdotes and blurry photos keep the documentaries coming, but most skeptics agree that a body or a living specimen are needed to confirm the existence of a large North American mystery mammal. But what of alleged Bigfoot footprints? One expert claims that at least some track castings contain proof of an actual unknown ape. That expert is retired law enforcement agent Jimmy Chilcutt — and he’s agreed to come talk with the skeptics on MonsterTalk. READ full episode notes
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Giants appear in cultures around the world: Biblical tales of giants more than ten feet tall; Roman and Greek stories of titans and heroes; European stories of giants of mountain and hill. They all have one thing in common: enormous monsters. On this episode of MonsterTalk we chat with archeologist Dr. Ken Feder about giants, biblical archeology — and one of the biggest hoaxes in American history. READ full episode notes
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The most famous of the Latin American cryptids is El Chupacabra, the goat sucker. This episode of MonsterTalk examines the lore behind this slinking, sinister, blood-sucking creature. Is it a real animal? A creation of secret scientific experiments? An alien’s pet accidentally released on Earth? Co-host Benjamin Radford takes the guest spot this week as we discuss the research behind his upcoming book (tentatively titled) Tracking the Vampire: Chupacabras in Fact, Fiction and Folklore. READ full episode notes
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Are creatures from other planets visiting the earth, trampling our crops to create cryptic messages, violating people in their sleep, and doing terrible things to our livestock? How plausible is it that we are being visited by intelligent beings from beyond Earth, or that we’ve been visited in the distant past? This week on MonsterTalk, astronomer Dr. Phil Plait, author of Death from the Skies! joins us to talk about monsters — from outer space! READ full episode notes
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In this episode, MonsterTalk examines monsters that genetically blend humans with the other. Hosts Blake Smith, Ben Radford, and Dr. Karen Stollznow explore the plausibility of alien-human hybridizations, dig into the real science of genetics -- and consider the ethical questions involved. Weighing in on these issues is Dr. Steven Jones -- noted geneticist, teacher, and television presenter. (He is also the author of many books including Darwin's Ghost, Introducing Genetics, Coral: A Pessimist in Paradise.) Did Stalin really want to build an army of gorilla-human hybrids? Is the upright-walking chimp called Oliver really some kind of chimpanzee-human mix? The plausibility of such creatures may surprise you... READ full episode notes
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In this week's Halloween episode, MonsterTalk ventures into the realm of the werewolves -- and asks what Charles Darwin's Origin of Species implies for this fearsome monster's plausibility. Guest Dr. Brian Regal (Assistant Professor for the History of Science at Kean University) discusses his lecture about whether Darwin slew the last of the werewolves. Professor Regal also explores the relationship between creationists and cryptozoology, and introduces his new book, Pseudoscience: A Critical Encyclopedia. Read full episode notes
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Paleontologist Dr. David Martill joins us to talk about prehistoric flying reptiles and his visit to Papua New Guinea with the TV show MonsterQuest to search for the legendary Ropen, an animal which some say is a modern day surviving Pterosaur. Dr. Martill is a reader in Paleobiology with the University of Portsmouth and he joins us to talk about the current state of Pterosaur science and to discuss the plausibility of surviving populations of these fascinating creatures. Read full episode notes
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Is there a mysterious prehistoric "living fossil" lurking beneath the waters of Loch Ness? The idea that a colony of Plesiosaurs might have survived into modern times in the deep dark waters of Loch Ness has long captured the imagination of cryptozoology fans. But what do we know about these mesozoic marine animals whose fossils disappear from the record at the same time as the dinosaurs? MonsterTalk found an expert to answer some of our questions about what science can tell us of these magnificent beasts. Dr. Adam Stuart Smith is a specialist in aquatic prehistoric reptiles. He runs the website www.plesiosauria.com and works for the National Museum of Ireland where he is part of a team dedicated to documenting and databasing the Natural History collections. Read full episode notes
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Did a Japanese fishing vessel catch the body of a prehistoric aquatic dinosaur? In this week's MonsterTalk, we interview Glen Kuban to discuss the 1977 case of the Zuiyo-Maru, dinosaurs, paleontology, cryptozoology and why so many creationists want to find living dinosaurs. Kuban has done extensive research on two cases important to monster enthusiasts. His article explaining the true nature of the 'mysterious' carcass netted by the Japanese fishing vessel Zuiyo-maru and his decades long investigation into the alleged 'giant humanoid tracks' in the Paluxy fossil bed in Texas both highlight the importance of a thorough investigation before assuming the remarkable is true. Read full episode notes
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In this week's MonsterTalk, we interview Michael McLeod, a writer, producer, and director who has created documentaries for PBS, the PBS series Frontline, the Discovery Channel, and other national venues. His book "Anatomy of a Beast" is an in-depth look at the origins of the Bigfoot mythology that culminated in the Patterson-Gimlin film. He examines the lives and beliefs of the men (for it was mostly men) whose writing, research, hoaxes, stories and films brought us the Bigfoot we know today in popular culture. The book gives a very humanizing look at people whose efforts range from the silly to the desperate. Read full episode notes
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Our panel (Ben Radford, Dr. Karen Stollznow and Blake Smith) interview Professor Todd Disotell, PhD. Todd has been a guest on multiple television shows to examine potential Bigfoot and Yeti DNA. We ask him about the science of DNA analysis, his thoughts on cryptid-TV, and what he's found in his studies. Read full episode notes
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