Hello ODD Pod Listeners, and welcome back to another episode. This week, I tell the tale of the Vanishing Hitchhiker and unravel the urban folklore that surrounds this fascinating legend. It’s an old story, some written accounts dating back to 1948, and it seems as if there are many incarnations of this particular urban legend. I’ll get into the history of this legend, dissect the historical tellings that exist, and introduce you to some theories about how it originated. You might even meet some...
May 03, 2020•38 min•Ep. 70
Hello ODD Pod listeners and welcome back! This week, I bring you an in-depth look at Bodie California and the ghostly history that still lingers within some of the dilapidated buildings. I realized recently that I hadn’t taken you to a haunted location for a little while and I thought Bodie would be perfect. This episode contains a possible curse, a wild west ghost town, a lasagna sadly lacking in garlic, and *some* hospitable spirits. Pay your respects to the spirits of Bodie at https://www.bod...
Apr 27, 2020•33 min•Ep. 69
This week, I bring you the tale of a favorite cryptid of mine, The Jersey Devil, and the folklore that surrounds this fascinating creature. This show suggestion has been hanging around for a little while and I thought with all the unknowns we’re dealing with in our crazy world, a cryptid wouldn’t go astray. I’d also like to fill you all in as far as what’s happening in my world right now. Currently, I’m in the process of editing the thesis for my MFA program (a 200-page document) and I’m fitting...
Apr 05, 2020•34 min•Ep. 68
Spiritualism and mediumship, two topics I keep coming back to as this podcast progresses. This week, I bring you the tale of the charlatan who swindled Mary Todd Lincoln and his connections to a presidential assassin and tales of other first ladies who entertained mediums at the White House. I’ll also discuss a medium that Jane Pierce swore was the real deal and even told the woman that, when she resided in the White House, she would bring the woman in via the front door, an illustrious entrance...
Mar 29, 2020•40 min•Ep. 67
S5 Ep 6: Q & A This week I answer listener questions about me, the podcast, and my creepy collection. I welcome my dear friend Patti Wolf to ask away and peel back my crusty layers. :D This episode contains MANY excellent questions, a chat about anxiety and treatment, and various dead things from furry to wet. PLEASE NOTE: Patti had to call in for this episode and the audio is a little odd in some parts. I’ve tried to clean it up as best I can, but without a mixer it’s a bit trying. NEXT EPI...
Mar 09, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 66
S5 Ep. 5: Through A Glass, Darkly Hello ODDPod listeners and welcome back to another episode. This week, I’d like to introduce you to Mary Worth, otherwise known as Bloody Mary (depending on who you ask) and the urban legends surrounding this common childhood experience. The ODDentity Podcast is brought to you on a weekly basis by host Janine Mercer. The podcast is written, produced, and edited by Janine Mercer (unless otherwise stated), and the music is provided by Garage Band. Find the odd pod...
Mar 01, 2020•40 min•Ep. 65
S5 Ep. 4: World’s Fair This week, I’ll be taking you to the Windy City of 1893, the World’s Fair, and introducing you to a, particularly diabolical fellow. A man who saw the fair as an opportunity to swindle and to murder. A man by the name of Herman Webster Mudgett, otherwise known by his alias Dr. Henry Howard Holmes. This episode contains a safe used for a nefarious purpose, the world’s first Ferris wheel, The Windy City, and a Murder Castle. This week, I’d like to thank Cindie Harper, the Di...
Feb 16, 2020•32 min•Ep. 64
S5 Ep. 3: Not in Vein Oddentitypod.podbean.com Boar bile enemas, urine as an antiseptic, and thick needles used to remove cataracts… Medical history is weird and some aspects of it are absolutely horrifying. I mean, I understand that we had to start somewhere. How were we to know that creating a poultice for an open wound using human excrement was a bad idea? We had to try it and see what would happen! Guesswork. All of it. This episode contains bloodletting, other strange practices like cupping...
Feb 02, 2020•34 min•Ep. 63
This week, I wanted to explore the nightmarish vision that is The Man in the Hat, a common figure seen during what many of us know as sleep paralysis. I’ve tackled my rendition of the creature that causes sleep paralysis in my part of the world on a past episode, The Hag and the folklore surrounding it, but I find it very interesting that The Man in the Hat is a commonality in many American cases of sleep paralysis. This episode contains some unpleasant dreams, listener tales of real-life experi...
Jan 27, 2020•34 min•Ep. 62
S5 Ep. 1: Evaporated People Every year, over 100,000 people go missing in Japan and there’s a whole business surrounding orchestrated disappearances. Join me as I take you inside the Night Moving business in Japan and the folklore and spooky tales that permeate this part of the world. Is there a connection? This episode contains a magical body part, a dude who wants to be a rock, some Japanese folklore, and tales of being spirited away. Get Social! Find the odd pod on Twitter and Instagram @odde...
Jan 20, 2020•33 min•Ep. 61
This week, I wanted to draw attention to the reason for the season: ghost stories. An old tradition from the Victorian era was to tell ghost stories over the holidays in front of a roaring fire and I think it’s a tradition that should be rekindled. This episode contains a little communication history, cave drawings, a little Dickens (among others), and a special holiday treat. Get Social! Twitter and IG: OddentityPod Facebook: The ODDentity Podcast Email: theoddentitypodcast@gmail.com Blog: theo...
Dec 16, 2019•43 min•Ep. 60
This week, I present to you one of the most notorious mediums of all time. Even more cringe-worthy (by today’s standards) than The Long Island Medium. I’m speaking of course of Eva Carriere, a woman with the unique ability to produce “ectoplasm” (cheesecloth) from every orifice of her body. She was also super keen on cutting photos out of magazines. This episode contains SO much chewed paper, a 300-year-old spirit, a rousing game of "Hide the Gauze", and a disillusioned German psycho therapist. ...
Dec 09, 2019•32 min•Ep. 59
This week Janine talks to author and journalist Patrick Whitehurst about his new book Haunted Monterey County. Discussion ranges from Whitehurst’s favorite haunted locations to traditional folklore tales and soul-sucking cats. About Patrick Whitehurst Patrick Whitehurst is a fiction and non-fiction author. As a journalist, he’s worked for a number of newspapers and covered everything from the heartbreaking deaths of nineteen Granite Mountain Hotshots to President Barack Obama’s visit to Grand Ca...
Nov 18, 2019•43 min•Ep. 58
This week, Janine introduces us to (supposedly) one of the most haunted places on earth: Dudleytown, Connecticut. Does the Dudley curse keep forest creatures away from Dudleytown? Is there something lurking in the woods surrounding it? Is the Dark Entry Forest Association hiding the true sinister nature of the place? Can the cases of insanity be explained away? We’ll explore the history of the settlement and some of the urban legends surrounding the location. This episode contains sleigh robe st...
Nov 10, 2019•34 min•Ep. 57
