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 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support ....
Mar 27, 2023•49 min•Season 2Ep. 25
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...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 24
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) Wei...
Mar 13, 2023•49 min
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! T...
Mar 06, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 22
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...
Feb 27, 2023•44 min•Season 2Ep. 21
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 B...
Feb 20, 2023•59 min•Season 2Ep. 20
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 Gr...
Feb 13, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 19
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 - Intimat...
Feb 06, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 18
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 on...
Jan 30, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 17
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 ...
Jan 23, 2023•44 min•Season 2Ep. 16
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 ...
Jan 16, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 15
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...
Jan 09, 2023•45 min•Season 2Ep. 14
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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreak...
Jan 02, 2023•41 min
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...
Dec 24, 2022•33 min•Ep. 10
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 y...
Dec 19, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 12
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: Ven...
Dec 12, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 11
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...
Dec 05, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 10
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. Become a suppor...
Nov 28, 2022•56 min•Season 2Ep. 8
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 (journa...
Nov 21, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 8
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 ...
Nov 14, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 7
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 BetterHe...
Nov 07, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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 Mu...
Nov 03, 2022•8 min
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 ne...
Nov 02, 2022•6 min
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 childre...
Oct 31, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 5
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 Of...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 15 min
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 f...
Oct 24, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 4
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. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .
Oct 17, 2022•43 min
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.c...
Oct 10, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 2
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 multi...
Oct 03, 2022•39 min
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 ...
Sep 19, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 261
