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) ...
Sep 05, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 260
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 pict...
Aug 22, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 259
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 Amer...
Aug 08, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 258
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 monst...
Jul 25, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 257
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 ...
Jul 11, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 256
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 Instit...
Jun 27, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 255
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 wh...
Jun 22, 2022•18 min
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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Jun 15, 2022•32 min
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, Throu...
Jun 13, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 254
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 MonsterQues...
May 30, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 253
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 M...
May 16, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 252
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 | YouT...
May 02, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 251
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 Researc...
Apr 18, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 250
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 t...
Apr 04, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 249
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 Mons...
Mar 21, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 248
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 abo...
Mar 07, 2022•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 247
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 an...
Feb 21, 2022•58 min•Season 1Ep. 246
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 ...
Feb 07, 2022•58 min•Season 1Ep. 245
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 u...
Jan 24, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 244
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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Jan 10, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 243
(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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.s...
Dec 27, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 242
A reading of "In a Dim Room" by Lord Dunsany. A ghost story for Christmas. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Dec 27, 2021•14 min
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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Dec 13, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 241
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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 240
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 belief...
Nov 15, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 239
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 w...
Nov 01, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 238
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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 237
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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk...
Oct 04, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 236
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] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Sep 20, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 235
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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Sep 06, 2021•1 hr 13 min
