Jerry Drake returns to discuss his new book: Hazel was a Good Girl: The Murder that Inspired Twin Peaks Jerry has been with quite a few times to discuss Grimoires, Jack Parsons, The Hollow Earth, Internet Mysteries and Ghost Lights and we're excited to see what he makes of this real life unsolved murder with ties to one of the most influential show…

We're back with part two of our 2-part coverage of the 1976 episode of The Six Million Dollar Man that introduced a generation of kids to Bigfoot, and the idea that the creature might be interconnected with space aliens living inside a California mountain.Related Links: The Bionic Book by Herbie Pilato (affiliate link) Operation Plowshare The Six M…

Karen joins Blake to discuss the influential 2-part episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man that introduced a generation of kids to Bigfoot, and the idea that the creature might be interconnected with space aliens living inside a California mountain. This is part one of a two-part special edition. The patron edition has extended footage and no moder…

Blake and Karen take a minute to catch their breath and talk about where things are in their lives and what's up next in MonsterTalk news. Links: Bitch: The Journey of a Word Adhesive Capsulitis Idiopathic Illnesses Mechanical Turk Speaking Machine Replica of Speaking Machine (YouTube) Wolfgang von Kempelen Deep Mind Deep Blue Marvin Minsky John Mc…

This is part two of our two part look at Dragons and how these mythical beasts are being used to promote Creationism. Our guest is Dr. Philip Senter and he's the author of a new book about this topic. We use the word bullsh!t a lot in this episode so I slapped an explicit tag on - but I don't think it's too explicit otherwise. Get Dr. Senter's book…

This is part one of our two part look at Dragons and how these mythical beasts are being used to promote Creationism. Our guest is Dr. Philip Senter and he's the author of a new book about this topic. Get Dr. Senter's book here: The Real Story of Dinosaurs and Dragons Read more about "The Dragon of Bologna" Another Book about fake historical zoolog…

Matt & Karen went out for a little getaway weekend to Victor, Colorado and ended up investigating the allegedly haunted Victor Hotel. Did Eddie die in the hotel elevator? Was Matt caught in embarrassing circumstances? Find out inside! The show notes here won't show the images so you'll need to hop over to our episode webpage to see them. https://ww…

We're excited to welcome back Peter Bebergal. This time we're talking about mysticism and dybbuks. Be sure and check out the links below including the upcoming talk Peter is giving April 14th for The Last Tuesday Society. Peter on Jewish Boston podcast All the Haunts Be Ours (affiliate link) 15-Disk Horror Collection The Ibbur from Jewish mysticism…

We're delighted to get to talk with Adrian Shine, who has worked for decades to raise awareness about Loch Ness and investigated the legendary creature said to inhabit the dark waters of that deep Scottish lake. He's written a new book about Sea Monsters and their connection to the Loch Ness Mystery which releases April 1st, 2025. A Natural History…

We're back with part 2 of our interview with Dr. Eleanor Janega to discuss Demons in Medieval Europe - and a lot of that has to do with sexy sex. So… another EXPLICIT tag! Eleanor's Blog Going-Medieval Eleanor's book The Once and Future Sex The Apocalypse Tapestry of Angers (The Guardian) The Apocalypse Tapestry (Wikipedia) YouTube videos with Elea…

We're joined by the engaging historian Dr. Eleanor Janega to talk about how the people of Europe considered demonic sex during the medieval period of history. This episode is in two parts, and both are explicit. Presenter on the History Hit channel - https://www.historyhit.com/ Blog - https://going-medieval.com/ Medievalist, author, blogs about med…

A brief remembrance of our friend, Joe Nickell. (December 1, 1944 – March 4, 2025) Joe Nickell's extraordinary life came to an end on Tuesday, March 4th and we're posting this brief remembrance this week instead of our regular episode. Check out Joe's many "personas." The Science of Monsters: Tracking the Real-Life Creatures Archive episodes with J…

We're joined by Allison Jornlin (paranormalwomen.com) to talk about the footprint of women in the field of parapsychology and paranormal investigation. We most recently talked with Allison during "the dark times" on our COVID-era MonsterTalk Live series. She also covered the Chicago Mothman flap with us back in 2018! Become a supporter of this podc…

Is the cave of the winds near Manitou Springs, CO HAUNTED!? Matt Baxter has investigated and he joins us to talk about what he found. Related Links: Spooky Science Sisters - Roanoke episode with Karen In Research Of… The Lost Colony - Blake & Jeb Card discuss the In Search Of… episode about Roanoke. Eclectic Shopping options in Manitou Springs The …

We're joined by Dr. Justin Mullis to get a better understanding of the incredibly lore-dense anime series Dan Da Dan. Justin's academia profile Legend of Momotaro Some links recommended by Justin: This is a really good video about the history of the Flatwoods Monster in Japanese video games. Highly recommended. This is the Religious Dispatches arti…

As Valentine's day bears down upon us, we turn to the monsters whose origins lie in passion, betrayal, and tragedy. If love is the strongest human emotion, surely rage at betrayal is its nightmarish mirror - and such emotions are embodied in a variety of creatures around the world and throughout history. Content Warning - this episode contains stor…

Cemeteries Cleaning and Grave Rubbing - Karen and Blake are joined by Matt Baxter to discuss the ethics and best practices around maintaining and preserving graveyards. Links for Grave Rubbers from CyberSpace: The article that inspired this conversation (via The Conversation) Ken Feder (friend of the show and emeritus professor of archaeology) sent…

This week we're welcoming back historian Dr Joseph Gagne to tell us about a ghost story that straddles North America and Scotland. He was last with us to tell us about the legend of La Corriveau in episode 181. Appearances of the Dead: A Cultural History of Ghosts by Ronald C. Finucane - mentioned by Joseph as his introduction to this story. This i…

Recorded LIVE at TetZooCon 2024. The audience laughter is real!By John Conway & Darren Naish

Today we're discussing the strange story of The Houdini Seance and Arthur Ford the Spiritualist. The last Houdini Seance (1936) - Audio + Story Bess Houdini Arthur Ford - Spiritualist Arthur Ford - Obituary The Houdini Code The Bishop James Pike Was Pike Seance Hoax? The Skeptics Dictionary: Arthur Ford Become a supporter of this podcast: https://w…

In the mountains of North Georgia on a spooky civil war battlefield there is a legend of a green eyed monster. This is not that story. This is the story of the new festival set up to commemorate the monster, but also bring people and revenue to this rural southern town. We'll be talking with Nate Tucker and Dillan Whisenant about their experience k…

This is the audio from our 2024 livestream (http://youtube.com/monstertalk). If you saw that live, this is the same audio without the moving picture bits. If you didn't see it but want to see our mugs waggin' synchronously to our voices, you can find this particular episode here. Otherwise - happy new year! We'll be back next week talking about how…

We're joined by fellow podcaster and friend of the show, Andy Driscoll, to introduce a peculiar region in Massachusetts said to be home to concentrated high strangeness. We'll definitely be coming back to deep dive in these swamps for more details on particular claims but Andy gives us a great "hometown" introduction to this fascinating area. Video…

One of the most "Christmas Ghost Story" ghost stories for Christmas that I've ever come across. Smee tells of a night of holiday revelry turned chilling and mysterious by the appearance of an unexpected attendee at the festivities. You can read along with the ebook by purchasing it here. (affiliate Link) Read more about A. M. Burrage if you like. (…

We're excited to have Laura Krantz back to talk about her latest book - a youth-focused look at how to distinguish between magical and scientific thinking: Do You Believe in Magic? Laura's very entertaining and informative podcasts: LINK Laura's other writings (affiliate LINK) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mon…

An interview with writer, researcher and podcaster Aaron Gulyas - host of the UFO themed history podcast The Saucer Life. Gulyas is also the author of many books (affiliate link) including some likely to be of particular interest to MT listeners: Extraterrestrials and the American Zeitgeist: Alien Contact Tales Since the 1950s Conspiracy Theories: …

We welcome back Chris Woodyard to discuss the very odd story of the Wollaton Gnomes - a 1979 reported sighting of little men in little cars by a group of children in a British park. Chris & Simon's podcast Boggarts & Banshees (Apple Podcasts) Transcript of the gnome witness children's Interview (courtesy Simon Young) Wollaton Hall (wiki) Blog by Fr…

We're delighted to celebrate Thanksgiving with the return of Dr. Brian Regal. He's here to talk about a favorite monster film, and announce the release of his autobiography, The Monster from Newark. Links: Brian's autobiography - The Monster From Newark (affiliate link) Karen's anthology of skeptics having weird experiences:Would You Believe It? (a…

Thanks to your generous support I was able to make it to CryptidCon 2024 and this is a chat with Karen and me, reporting on day one. I'll be heading out later today for the five and a half hour drive back home but this has been delightful and you're sure to hear more from the connections I made and the ideas I heard while immersing myself in the cr…

I'm sorry to come to you with hat in hand, but our family vehicle's water pump just went out a day before I was to head up to Kentucky to go to CryptidCon. If just 10% of our listeners would donate $1 it would absolutely cover this repair and restore my confidence in heading out of town. I hate to ask but I don't know any other way to come up with …

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 Fieldin…

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 $…

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…

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 Monste…

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 Th…

We're delighted to have Brian Sharpless (Monsters on the Couch) back with us to discuss some of the Psychology elements of vampirism, as well as some of his favorite historical cases. Be sure and grab his book if you're at all interested in the intersection of monsters and Psychology. Show Notes: Monsters on the Couch Renfield Syndrome (wikipedia) …

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 Become a supporter of thi…

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 - [email protected] University of Exeter faculty page - [email protected] …

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 m…

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 expl…

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 Ca…

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 …

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…

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) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.…

In this long awaited episode, TetZooCon, and dogmen, dogmen, dogmen, and… badgerman.By John Conway & Darren Naish

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 (…

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. Become a supporter of this po…

We're excited to bring you an interview with Dr. Emily Zarka, host of PBS's Monstrum series on the humanities web channel Storied. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.By Blake Smith