MonsterTalk

Bonus - Chaosium and The Malleus Monstrorum

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 11:37:09 +0000

We're making big changes in MonsterTalk, joining up with the AirWave podcasting network. This should mean more regular release schedules! Karen and I have been banking content and I've been working my arse off with behind-the-scenes administrative work.

So our next regular episode is about UFOs and I'm excited about it because there is a lot of really interesting stuff to be said about what's happening in that part of our culture right now. But for now? Let's relax and just talk monsters!

I'm excited to bring on Mike Mason of the roleplaying company Chaosium to discuss their new 2-volume book of Lovecraftian monsters: The Malleus Monstrorum!

MonsterTalk Podcast
Chaosium and the Malleus Monstrorum
Guest: Mike Mason

Episode Summary

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.

Notable Quotes

“Storytelling is a tradition and an art form that goes back to the very beginnings of humanity. And I think role-playing is just a different iteration of the same kind of will to tell stories.” - Mike Mason

“At the very heart of the [Call of Cthulhu], it's a horror role-playing system. And if you want to not use the Cthulhu mythos in any way, and you want to focus on traditional folklore monsters like werewolves and vampires, you can do. You could do a version of Dracula or whatever horror film you want to name, and use the game as a vehicle to do that.” - Mike Mason

“I've described in my own work how important narrative is to literally every culture. Like there's elements that are repeated inside these cultures, in their own different sort of idioms, but the storytelling process itself seems to be a very human thing. I'm not aware of any culture... and I don't know if you can have culture without story.” - Blake Smith

“I've mentioned it before, I'll mention it again. People ask me, wait, if you're going to start with Lovecraft, what do you think the best book to begin with is? And I always say a dictionary.” - Blake Smith

Relevant Links

Chaosium.com

Cthulhu mythos

Call of Cthulhu RPG game

Malleus Monstrorum

Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft

Shadow over Innsmouth by H. P. Lovecraft

The Dunwich Horror by H. P. Lovecraft

Dreams of the Witch House by H. P. Lovecraft

The Horror from Red Hook by H. P. Lovecraft

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

Horror on the Orient Express

RuneQuest

Superworld

George RR Martin's WIldcards to become TV Series

Basic Role-Playing system (BRP)

Lovecraft Country

Re-Animator

From Beyond

Call of Cthulhu Starter Set

Call of Cthulhu Quickstart

Call of Cthulhu Keeper Rule Book

DriveThruRPG.com

Usborne Book of Ghosts

Gef! The Strange Tale of an Extra-Special Talking Mongoose by Christopher Josiffe

In this Episode of MonsterTalk

· (00:00:01) Introducing Mike

· (00:03:04) Call of Cthulhu, the role-playing game

· (00:08:21) Shadow over Innsmouth and The Dunwich Horror

· (00:09:27) Call of Cthulhu and Delta Green

· (00:11:42) The sanity game mechanic

· (00:14:50) Long-form, continuous gaming campaigns

· (00:16:36) Pulp Cthulhu

· (00:18:32) The Malleus Monstrorum, Book One: the monsters

· (00:21:00) The Malleus Monstrorum, Book Two: the deities

· (00:22:40) The art of The Malleus Monstrorum

· (00:26:03) The versatility of Call of Cthulhu’s game mechanics

· (00:30:12) Role-playing games and the pandemic

· (00:33:44) Demon Slayer

· (00:36:36) Role-playing and the cultural importance of storytelling

· (00:40:29) RuneQuest, Superworld, and the Basic Role-Playing (BRP) system

· (00:44:02) Lovecraft Country and the new, diverse voices of Lovecraftian horror

· (00:50:09) How to start playing Call of Cthulhu

· (00:53:35) Mike’s favorite monster

· (00:59:27) Embracing contemporary technology in horror role-playing

· (01:00:43) The importance of “the Onion” in storytelling

Check out Chaosium on social: Twitter | Facebook

Catch Mike Mason on social: Twitter | Facebook

You can also listen to our episodes on:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify| Stitcher | TuneIn

Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Love the show? Support us on Patreon!

233 - Bigfoot: America's Abominable Snowman

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 01 Aug 2021 01:11:24 +0000

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.

This is the extended cut of that interview. The interview was video streamed and if you want to watch this discussion rather than just listen to it, you will find a link in the show notes. Be sure to like and share the video on YouTube and social media if you enjoy it. We're working to grow our video footprint and your engagement through liking and sharing helps that effort.

Special thanks to AIPT's Russ Dobler for setting up the convention AND this interview!

232 - Bacteria

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 12:46:05 +0000

They're everywhere. They're inside you. You can't escape them - and can't live without them: Bacteria!

We're joined by microbiology experts Maddy Love and Kurt Jude to talk about the fascinating (but sometimes disgusting) lifeforms we call "bacteria."

What is bacteria?

Bacterial vs Viral infections

CDC on antibiotics

Additional Links:

The impact of thawing bacteria

Should I freak out about flesh-eating bacteria?

AIPT Presents SciPhi Fest 2021

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 02:17:18 +0000

AIPT Comics - is putting on a free online convention Sunday July 18th.

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.

Other guests include paleontologist Jim Lehane, psychologist Craig Foster, paranormal investigator Kenny Biddle, artist Celestia World, archaeologist David Anderson, and Matt Brady. author of THE SCIENCE OF RICK AND MORTY.

A link to Cryptid Cinemais here: http://bit.ly/CryptidCinema

The convention details are here:

https://aiptcomics.com/2021/06/28/aipt-sciphi-fest-science-skepticism/

The direct ZOOM link is here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86109451697

I hope you can catch the show tomorrow but if you can't, I know that many of the interviews will end up on YouTube and I'm happy to report that Steve Bissette and I talked quite a while longer and the full version of that discussion will be up on YouTube *AND* will drop as a regular episode because it's all right up your alley, dear audience. Fun and informative stuff indeed - and chock full of monsters.

Also chock full of monsters is also my favorite imaginary coffee.

231 - Asian Monsters with Sapphire Sandalo

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 02:14:34 +0000

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.

Sapphire Sandalo's YouTube Channel

Sapphire's IMDB entry

Mentioned in this episode:

Manananggal - bat-winged upper torso monster

Aswang - a class of shape-shifting evil monster

Krasue - the floating head vampire (Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, others)

Duende - mischievous spirit/creatures

Raw Head and Blood Bones

Raw Head Rex - good short story, not a great film

Pre-Colonial deities of the Philippines

Kuchisake-onna - the slit-mouth woman

Hacheshakusama - the eight foot tall woman

(There are lots and lots more such creatures.)

Previously on MonsterTalk:

Yokai

Yurei

Chinese Ghosts

230 - Otter King & Other Things

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 31 May 2021 00:21:30 +0000

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. So... that's on brand right?

Giant Otter Irish cryptid/folklore

Human occupancy of Australia is really, really old

Interactive 3D model of Newgrange tomb

Bridget Cleary "Changeling" murder

Roland Doe "Exorcist" case

Banshee

The Beast of Craggy Island (Father Ted reference)

MonsterFuzz Podcast

229 - Watertown 2: Eclectic Boo-Galoo

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 20 May 2021 17:46:30 +0000

It's been nearly a century since the uncropped photo of the alleged Watertown Ghosts was seen by the public. In that time a tiny cropped version of the original has become an iconic member of the "greatest ghost photos of all time" club. Blake's research which was published in 2010 showed that the photo was manipulated, but he never forgot the missing uncropped photo and unanswered questions about the case.

But thanks to his research we can now see the original photo in its uncropped state and it's a surprisingly dramatic image.

If you'd like to share the story of this photo with friends please consider checking out his write-up of the case on Medium. "Clapping" for the article and sharing it may help other paranormal enthusiasts see the full photo and new details.

Below you can see the cropped and uncropped photos:

The uncropped full version of the famous ghost photo, rediscovered after more than fifty years:

228 - The Curious Case of the Creeping Coffins

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 20:58:53 +0000

Karen Stollznow and Matt Baxter team up to discuss one of Karen's favorite mysteries: The moving coffins of Chase Vault, Barbados.

Note:

This episode deals with themes of suicide and death. If you're feeling at all suicidal please get help immediately by calling the national suicide hotline: 1-800-273-8255. (TALK)

Some links for today's episode:

Chase Vault (Atlas Obscura)

Transatlantic Sketches (Vol 1) by By Sir James Edward Alexander

An article with excellent photos of the tomb & cemetery.

Referenced in this episode:
Joe Nickell's 2-part coverage of the Chase Vaults in Fate Magazine:

Nickell, J. "Barbados' restless coffins laid to rest." Fate. 1 Apr. 1982, Volume 35, Number 4: 50-56. (story continues in part 2 in the May 1982 issue pages 79-86.)

Lang & Payley's folklore "bi-located story"

Skeptoid coverage of the case.

227 - Bigfoot and the Paranormal

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 13:35:20 +0000

I don't think it's a conspiracy per se, but there has long been an effort to (as today's guests call it) "Weirdwash" many unusual features out of Bigfoot cryptozoology. To mend that gap, they've co-written a book in two volumes:

Where the Footprints End: High Strangeness and the Bigfoot Phenomenon

Volume I: The Folklore

Volume 2: The Evidence

Joshua Cutchin is the author of several books covering weird topics including cryptozoological, Fortean phenomena, UFOs and fairies. These include A Trojan Feast, The Brimstone Deceit, and Thieves in the Night.

Timothy Renner is an author, illustrator and musician living in Pennsylvania. His work can be found in books, magazines, comics and album covers. He's also a podcaster - creator of Strange Familiars, and has frequently appeared on the show Where did the Road Go. His books include Beyond the Seventh Gate, Bigfoot in PA, Bigfoot: West Coast Wild Man, and Don't Look Behind You.

226 - Usborne book of UFOs

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 20:12:02 +0000

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.

Jon's got a Wikipedia page! In addition to his work on Dead Ringers and BBC Radio adaptations of Doctor Who, Jon will soon be taking to the stage in an adaptation of Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island.

BBC Out of this World (1977) segments mentioned are available on YouTube:

Orange Light

Nordic Aliens

Attached:
I've added a couple of articles by the original author of the UFO book, Theodore Mather Wilding-White, from his 1970s stint as a journalist covering Space. Also, I attached a contemporary review of the book.

225 - Thylacines and Pademelons

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 20:44:59 +0000

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.

Triple M Radio with Neil Waters on Thylacine News

Thylacine probably didn't attack sheep in the way feared by 1920's Sheep Herders.

Was climate change a big factor in the decline of Thylacine?

Thylacine Awareness Group of Australia (TAGOA)

What are pademelons?

Example of a "Buderim Beast" news story.

Karl Shuker on the Buderim Beast.

Previous MonsterTalk coverage of Thylacine.

Some photos from Matt & Karen's trip to look for the Buderim Beast:

MTL014 - DOATS: The Hills Have Eyes

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 03:06:19 +0000

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?

(Originally recorded live and available with Video on YouTube.)

MTL013 - Strange Arrivals with Toby Ball

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 13:29:11 +0000

We interviewed Toby Ball, the host of the podcast Strange Arrivals - a serious deep dive into the foundational UFO abduction case of Betty and Barney Hill.

This interview was recorded as part of MonsterTalk Live on June 29, 2020. The video version of that discussion is available on YouTube.

If you're interested in UFOs you will definitely want to check out this extremely well produced and researched show. There is so much more to this case than the polished, filtered summary that you usually see on UFO documentaries.

MTL012 - Women in Paranormal Research

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 13:00:00 +0000

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.

Some of the people discussed:

Zora Neale Hurston (1891 - 1960) - author, anthropologist and filmmaker. She studied many topics including folklore and wrote a book about Voodoo in Jamaica and Haiti titled Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica (1938).

Catherine Crowe - researcher who brought Poltergeist and Doppelganger into English usage. The Night Side of Nature (book)

Eleanor Sidgwick - the statistician of the paranormal. Phantasms of the Living

Alexandra David-Néel - the woman who gives us "the Tulpa" as we know it in pop culture

Rose Mackenberg (1892 - 1968) - Houdini's Secret Weapon

Mary Hyre - the journalist behind John Keel's mothman news from Point Pleasant.

Plus many more are covered in the show! If you get a chance to see Allison give this talk she's an engaging speaker and one of the most upbeat people we've met.
Allison on Twitter.
Allison on Facebook.

She's started a web series to highlight all the women in this presentation.

224 - Coral Castle Roundtable

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:09:16 +0000

Karen and Blake are joined by Mat Baxter (https://www.youtube.com/c/MonsterTalk) to discuss the mysterious story of Florida's 20th Century Megalith site - Coral Castle.

Note: More images coming soon - I have to dig them out of my 2019 vacation pictures. -B

Links and Images:

The Coral Castle official park website.

Billy Idol - Sweet Sixteen - official video

Special music included in this episode is the song Night Drive by Rettward von Doernberg - there's a link in the show notes if you'd like to check that out without us talking over it. It's a lovely electronic piece mixing world and electronica styles. (world music song) Night Drive

Footage from the 1944 Universal mini-feature was included in the last 3rd of this TV show. (Lots of commercials before you can get to the segment.)

One version of the music-video for Sweet 16 was filmed at Coral Castle - but the only copy I could track down is of really low quality and flickers enough to trigger a seizure.

Animated clip from Coral Castle episode of "Person-Oddity" (1942–1946) human interest documentaries (one-reel) produced by Thomas Mead & Joseph O'Brien:

And here is a tastefully pixelated look at what "Nude on the Moon" - which was a low rent "naturism film" shot on the site:

MTL011 - DeBased on a True Story: The Changeling

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 13:00:00 +0000

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.

MTL0101 - Cicada 3301 - with Jerry Drake

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 13:25:52 +0000

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.

This episode streamed live May 31, 2020 during our MonsterTalk Live series.

MonsterTalk end of year message - 2020

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 18:30:55 +0000

It's been a rough year but we've high hopes for 2021. Hope to see you there.

Remember Karen's got short stories and books available on Amazon, including her latest On The Offensive.

-----

Shop for MonsterTalk gear

Connect with me on Linkedin

223 - The Loveland Frog

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 26 Dec 2020 15:15:26 +0000

Ryan Haupt joins us to discuss the strange case of "the Loveland frog."

Links:

Hot Damn! It's the Loveland Frog! A musical based on the Loveland Frog

Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988) post-apocalyptic movie with Rowdy Roddy Piper

Ryan Haupt podcast Science...Sort Of

Skeptoid on Loveland Frog

Wikipedia on Loveland Frog

Full version: CUFOS doc on KY Goblins (includes Loveland Frog)

Full version: CRIFO 1955 (Leonard Stringfield)

Karen's Frog Boy research

Excerpt from CUFOS PDF

Excerpt from CRIFO PDF

Christmas Ghost Story #008 - The Upper Berth

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 23:22:53 +0000

Turn down the lights and settle in for a nautically themed classic ghost tale from Francis Marion Crawford. A dull dinner party gets quite lively when one of the guests shares the story of the time he had a ghostly encounter on a transatlantic crossing.

We hope you have a safe and healthy holiday!

Wild Thing 2: Space Invaders

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 01:32:30 +0000

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 more and features interviews with scientists and researchers looking into these topics.

Wild Thing at foxtopus.ink

The Cult of Alien Gods: H.P. Lovecraft and Extraterrestrial Pop Culture (Amazon)

Jason Colavito's Blog

Previous episode with Laura Krantz (#176)

Annihilation (There is some spoiler discussion about the film after the show credits.)

221 - They Are Already Here - with Sarah Scoles

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 23:18:00 +0000

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.

Links/Additional Reading/Terms:

AATIP - the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program - the pentagon program associated with Luis Elizondo.

TTSA - To The Stars Academy - the entertainment/media company set up by BLINK-182 frontman Tom Delonge and storied paranormal researcher Harold Puthoff.

UAP - Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon - the new terminology used by the military to discuss unknown flying objects while trying to avoid all the connotations of UFOs.

UFO - Unidentified Flying Objects - a perfectly reasonable term for unknown flying things in the sky (coined in 1953), except for the wacky cultural baggage it immediately picked up. Honestly, the term UFO attracts "wacky" like a piece of half-chewed bubble gum dropped in a dog bed attracts hairs.

Robert Bigelow - Hotelier, sugar-daddy to weirdness, and also space entrepreneur.

The New York Times story that broke the AATIP program publicly.

The follow-up story from two of the authors (Kean & Blumenthal)

The incredibly long-running joke Paul Rudd has been doing on the Conan show

220 - Monster Manual

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 20:39:30 +0000

Roll for initiative as Karen and Blake discuss the history of roleplaying games and the Monster Manual with Jon Peterson.

Jon Peterson (@docetist) is the author of PLAYING AT THE WORLD A HISTORY OF SIMULATING WARS, PEOPLE, AND FANTASTIC ADVENTURES, FROM CHESS TO ROLE-PLAYING GAMES. He was also a contributor to the recent retrospective volume looking at the game DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ART & ARCANA: A VISUAL HISTORY.

His latest book is the official D&D cookbook (for real and actual food) titled HERO'S FEAST.

Mentioned in this episode:

Painting miniatures

H. G. Wells' Little Wars

E. Gary Gygax

Dave Arneson

TSR (now Wizards of the Coast)

Telengard (computer RPG)

PLATO computer system

Mazes and Monsters

Backlash against D&D from Patricia Pulling

The "steam tunnel" case of James Dallas Egbert III.

The D&D Cartoon

Dungeons & Dragons today

219 - The Usborne book of Ghosts - Christopher Maynard

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 00:43:21 +0000

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.

Introducing: On The Offensive

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 17:14:58 +0000

Check out Karen's latest book - a linguist's look at the nature of offensive language.

Use this Amazon affiliate link and a small portion of the sale will support MonsterTalk:

http://bit.ly/OnTheOffensive

218 - Season of the Witch

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 17:41:51 +0000

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. Check the attachment to this episode for a bunch of music links relevant to the show and Peter's book Season of the Witch.

Speaking of books - Karen has a new one and I made an easy to remember shortcut to it on Amazon: http://bit.ly/OnTheOffensive
(The lettering case in that link does matter.)

Discussed in the episode:

Image of David Bowie in "Diamond Dogs" album (MOMA)

Made for TV Movie: Devil Dog - The Hound of Hell

The George Harrison "documentary" Karen mentions - Paul McCartney Really Is Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison (There is a lot of mixed messaging out there on whether this is a serious but wacky documentary or a silly but confusing mockumentary. It was originally released as a documentary but the filmmaker has since reclassified it as "mockumentary" - was this for legal reasons?) FYI: The narration is not by George Harrison.

The UFO Club in London was a short-lived hub of early lights & sounds and psychedelic imagery. It only operated over a two-year span but had a tremendous impact on music culture - and on posters for bands.

Peter's original SOTW Spotify List (link)

Song/Album	Notes
Fire (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown)	Starts with the iconic (and parent-frightening) "I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIRE..."
Sacred Songs (Daryl Hall)	Daryl Hall (!?) album inspired by the work of Aleister Crowley
Cross Road Blues (Robert Johnson)	While the legend of the blues musician at the crossroads is often applied to Robert Johnson, it has earlier roots with...
Cool Drink of Water Blues (Tommy Johnson)	Tommy Johnson, not related to Robert, was the focus of an earlier version of the crossroads legend
Anthology of American Folk Music (via archive.org)	A partial selection of the 6-album (3, 2-record ea) set of American Folk Music curated by Harry Smith.
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (Pink Floyd)	The Syd Barrett-led Pink Floyd would change a lot after Barrett's descent into mental illness, but there are psychedelic and occult themes in this eclectic early Floyd album. Interstellar Overdrive is a good long instrumental track to read Bebergal's book to.
My Sweet Lord (George Harrison)	Perhaps the most public of the musician seekers, Harrison's ode to the search for a connection to the numinous was very successful - and also (accidentally?) directly copied He's So Fine by The Chiffons.
Shankar: Dhun (Ravi Shankar)	Sitar would meet Guitar when the Beatles went to India and met gurus and traditional Indian musicians, most famously Ravi Shankar.
Lucifer Rising soundtrack (Bobby BeauSoleil)	The soundtrack to occult filmmaker Kenneth Anger's movie Lucifer Rising was supposed to be done by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, but things happened. (This complicated story is covered in Bebergal's book.)
War Pigs (Black Sabbath)	The Ozzy Osborne led band would take its name from an Italian horror film, but like Alice Cooper, the "occult" aspects of Sabbath appear to be entirely performative. Consider Ozzy's paean to Aleister Crowley in which he fails to pronounce the old occultist's name right. (Crowley rhymes with holy.)
Sympathy for the Devil (The Rolling Stones)	The Stones' "wicked" song - was it inspired by Baudelaire or Kenneth Anger? And how many times do the band sing "who? who?" in this 6-minute treat?
Misty Mountain Hop (Led Zeppelin)	Combining elements of Tolkien fantasy and drug-fueled psychedelic experiences, LZ music combined many elements of fictional and authentic occult imagery. Jimmy Page's interest in Aleister Crowley is legendary with him even buying Crowley's Loch Ness adjacent home Boleskin.
Mephisto Waltz (Misfits)	The punk band Misfits took their imagery and themes from horror movies and the occult as well.
Jack Parsons (The Claypool Lennon Delirium)	This came out after Bebergal's book, but this is an amazing modern throwback to the psychedelic era that also tells a weirdly surprisingly accurate story of Jack Parsons, occultist, and rocketeer.
Hotter than Hell (KISS)	KISS aligned itself with wild stage antics and imagery, but in the 1970s even having the word "hell" in your song titles could lead to allegations that your band's name really stood for "Knights in Satan's Service." (Narrator: It didn't.)
Life on Mars? (David Bowie)	Bowie's role in occult rock history is really quite peculiar and not what I expected. Often in drug-fueled paranoia of the occult, his off-stage behavior stands in stark contrast from the on-stage cool presence. I wanted to include a song from him on this list and this peculiar antithesis to My Way is one I really like.
After Cease to Exist (Throbbing Gristle)	I'm not recommending this 20 min weird and disturbing soundscape - but if you're feeling a bit like Frank in Hellraiser and just wonder what the cenobites probably jam to? Anyway, in Bebergal's book, there are some interesting tidbits about how Throbbing Gristle's members became involved with William S. Burroughs and the occult aspects of his life.
Bela Lugosi's Dead (Bauhaus)	The song that kicked off the goth scene. It doesn't take 9 mins to tell people that Bela Lugosi (the actor who played Dracula in the 1931 Universal horror film) is dead… but it does the Bauhaus way.
Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden)	Peter doesn't write about Iron Maiden in the book, but growing up in the 80s, Iron Maiden was one of the many reasons I refused to get a 96 Rock Card. I was so not into heavy metal and it was weird catching up on that stuff in my 40s instead of my teens.
In Search Of Space (Hawkwind)	Before Motorhead, Lemmy sang about UFOs. (Well, I think that's what he's singing about?)
Door of the Cosmos (Sun Ra)	Sun Ra's jazz music isn't really rock, but it's something. And I think magician Penn Jillette mentions Sun Ra about as often as he mentions James Randi.
Witch Trial (Black Mass Lucifer)	The pioneering electronic album Black Mass Lucifer - or is it Black Mass by Lucifer? - is an album by electronic music audio explorer Mort Garson. It's occult-themed but its weird MOOG tonal tapestries, without the context of title or lyrics, would be hard to classify as specifically "magic" themed.
The Tales of Topographic Oceans (Yes)	A friend once described to me how that in the 1970s it was common to put on long, trippy albums and just stare at album artwork and go on imaginary journeys. With a cover by Roger Dean and just four songs, each about 20 mins in length, I think this is exactly what he was talking about. I once had an angry Navy training instructor basically spit at Yes's "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and shout to the class "It ain't Yes unless it takes 15 minutes to listen to and has a 5-minute guitar solo!"
Apes**t (Beyonce and Jay-Z)	Jay-Z has played around with the imagery of the illuminati and occult. Here's an article about the imagery use in the video for this song.
Secular Haze (Ghost B.C.)	Combines ghoulish occult imagery with monk garb and skeletal makeup. Swedish in origin, but not flat-packed.

217 - The Unidentified

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 13:41:03 +0000

Author Colin Dickey is back with another fantastic book - this time it's taking a look at the culture of the weird including UFOs, doorways to Atlantis, cryptozoology, and jarring Fortean events. The Unidentified is available in paper, and audio via audible.

Colin's previous episode was #149 and covered his fantastic book Ghostland.

Discussed in this episode:

Mt. Shasta - the doorway to the hollow earth and Atlantis

The stabilized PGF film of Bigfoot

The Kentucky Meat Shower

Charles Fort

Ignatius Donnelly (father of Modern Atlantis nonsense)

The Maury Island UFO

The patch campaign on Kickstarter from "The Monsterologist" George Coghill still has patches available and they're gorgeous.

Details on the patch give away are here.

Sample: BigFootage - Night of the Demon

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 12:44:33 +0000

Warning: If you're bothered by gore and dismemberment in your horror, this movie ain't for you. But, if you want to watch the film (before or after listening to my coverage) you can find it "uncut" in two places that I was able to locate:

On YouTube (when I posted this)

and

Streaming on Amazon Prime

In this episode, I'm taking a look at perhaps the most controversial Bigfoot movie ever released to big screens.

Here's a recipe for Night of the Demon:

1 lb of finely chopped 1980s slasher movie
1 lb of 1970s Bigfoot movie
1 qt softcore porn
3 gallons of fake blood
a full head of urban legend
and add just a soupçon of Lovecraftian cult magic

Mentioned in this episode:

Interview with Michael Cutt (Professor Nugent) with interesting details behind the scenes.

Night of the Demon listing on IMDB

All 72 films on the British Video Nasty list.

Evil Dead 2 (Amazon Streaming)

Eventually We Find Our Way track by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

216 - Invasive Species

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 16:49:55 +0000

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Steven Johnson of the University of Florida about invasive species and specifically focus on the cane toad. This incredibly robust and prolific toad excretes poison fluid from glands on its back and has been introduced from its native habitat into several locations around the world, most notably (and destructively) in Australia.

Mentioned in the episode

There are two notable documentaries about the cane toad:

Cane Toads: An Unnatural History (1988) - Available through Curiosity Stream if you have that service. (And on YouTube at the time I post this)

Cane Toads: The Conquest - which looks to only be available as a UK DVD
(but is also on YouTube as I post this)

Cane toad near Queensland, AU

Lovecraftian kudzu horrors...

215 - Chinese Ghosts

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 21:30:24 +0000

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.

A wiki page about the character for "ghost": 鬼

Images of Women in Chinese Thought and Culture: Writings from the Pre-Qin Period through the Song Dynasty - a collection of Chinese stories including the Zhiguai stories of Gan Bao.

Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling - a classic collection of weird tales and ghost stories.

A Chinese Ghost Story - 1987 Hong Kong action comedy-drama based on Zhiguai stories

Mr. Vampire - 1985 comedy horror film based on Chinese "Hopping Vampire" lore

Spooky Encounters - 1980 comedy horror with the incomparable Sammo Hung

Legend of the 7 Gold Vampires - 1979 Hammer/Shaw Brothers horror film

(Update: The Radio Lab episode on the computerization of Chinese characters.)

214 - Talos Another Tale of Gods and Robots

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 00:48:35 +0000

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 (book) (audiobook) and how the ancient world envisioned in myth (and reality) early conceptions of automated servants and robotic devices.

Mentioned in the episode:

The Antikythera Mechanism

Jason and the Argonauts (Harryhausen)

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (Harryhausen)

=== Other Works by Adrienne Mayor ===

Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World

The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome’s Deadliest Enemy

Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, & Scorpion Bombs

The First Fossil Hunters: Dinosaurs, Mammoths, and Myth in Greek and Roman Times

MTL - Dr. Kiki - Aliens and Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 12:31:48 +0000

We were delighted to finally meet up with Dr. Kiki - aka Dr. Kirsten Sanford - a science communicator who makes amazing science outreach shows such as This Week in Science and Dr. Kiki's Science Hour. Find all her stuff here.

Karen has known her for a while, but I've somehow evaded actually getting to talk to her until this episode. (Recorded May 24, 2020.).

You can watch this interview on video on YouTube on our MonsterTalk stream. We'd love it if you'd subscribe to us there. Karen and her husband Mathew are adding content all the time.

MTL - Conspiracy Theory with Ashley Landrum (remastered)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 02:20:40 +0000

Ashley Landrum joins us to discuss Conspiracy Theories and why people believe them. Her work has been discussed in The Guardian and The BBC. Karen and I got to meet Ashley last year at Texas Tech, thanks to the generous support of their College of Media and Communication.

That's not an advert - but we did have an amazing time there and I got to eat some amazing Mexican food and had the rare opportunity to hang out with Karen and her husband Matt (and their son).

You can watch this discussion on YouTube.

MTL007 - Banacheck (remastered)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 01:37:54 +0000

1-29-2021 - Remastered Audio

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).

(You can watch this video interview on YouTube)

MTL006 - Speak of the Devil (remastered)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 23:29:04 +0000

Note: 01-29-2020 - remastered audio to normalize and level episode.

Speak of the Devil! No, really! 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. Joseph Laycock, a scholar of new religious movements, contends that the emergence of "political Satanism" marks a significant moment in American religious history that will have a lasting impact on how Americans frame debates about religious freedom. Though the group gained attention for its strategic deployment of outrage, it claims to have developed beyond politics into a genuine religious movement. Equal parts history and ethnography, Speak of the Devil is Laycock's attempt to take seriously The Satanic Temple's work to redefine religion, the nature of pluralism and religious tolerance, and what "religious freedom" means in America.

You can snag it here: https://amzn.to/3er9nTx

You can watch the video of this interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-M4FHE5klQ

MTL005 - Skinwalker Ranch TV - Sara Head (remastered)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 01:16:44 +0000

Note: 01-29-2020 - remastered audio to normalize and level episode.

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.

Archaeological Fantasies Podcast (podcast link)

The Archy Fantasies Blog (blog link)

If you want to watch this episode on video - you can! (youtube link). Be sure to Like and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

MTL004 - Black Eyed Kids - with Jerry Drake (remastered)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 00:43:49 +0000

Note: 01-29-2020 - remastered audio to normalize and level episode.

We're joined by Jerry Drake to discuss "Black Eyed Kids" and some interesting timing that suggests a possible origin for the legends.

Archived post from Bethel - July 30, 1997 - discussing Chaos Magick and Bloody Mary.

Reposting of Bethel's original BEK post - but not the original post. His original posting was dated August 28, 1997.

Jerry points out that at this time The X-Files was in its 4th season. A recurring image/concept in that show as "the black oil" virus, an alien mind-control entity that's most visible symptom is that it turns the eyes of the infected...black.

In appearance, it is pretty much identical to the eyes in the kids described in Bethel's story. Multiple episodes with this effect had aired since its first appearance in the episode Piper Maru back in 1996. Further development of the concept (and more visuals) were in the episode Terma which aired quite close to the time of the original telling.

Listen to the episode for more details.

213 - Ghosts and Sociology

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 02:59:07 +0000

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.

Notes:
An article about Dr. Aveline's research

The Thomas Theorem (1928) by William Isaac Thomas and Dorothy Swaine Thomas
“If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.”

The Banff Springs Hotel - allegedly haunted hotel discussed in the episode

The Stanley Hotel - Colorado hotel, inspiration for The Overlook in The Shining

MTL002 - Listener Questions

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 15 May 2020 12:40:44 +0000

(Remastered audio - normalized, leveled)

In the March 29th episode, Karen and Blake hang out and take listener questions.

This discussion on YouTube.

MTL003 - Douglas Tait - acting, makeup and monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 15 May 2020 12:38:27 +0000

1-28-2021: Updated audio file with normalized/leveled version to reduce distortion.

Actor Douglas Tait joins us to talk about playing monsters in film. Douglas has played Bigfoot more than any other actor. (YouTube of this interview)

(IMDB) Douglas Tait 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).

MTL001 - Brian Sharpless - 22MAR2020

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 06 May 2020 00:08:18 +0000

[Remastered audio to reduce distortion - but not perfect.]
[EXPLICIT] Audio (podcast) feed from our MonsterTalk Live - this one with Dr. Brian Sharpless discussing the weird (real life) conditions behind lots of movies and myths.

Brian previously joined us for one of my favorite interviews to discuss Sleep Paralysis.

Find Brian's books and info here: http://briansharpless.com/index.html

Video of this Interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvlN8c-CcZo&t=131s

212 - We Believe in Dinosaurs

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 22:25:48 +0000

[Warning: This episode deals with politics and religion.]

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.

Want to help Dan with his research into the financial entities behind these parks? Reach out to him and volunteer: edrioasteroid@msn.com

We Believe in Dinosaurs is streaming on:
Amazon | Apple TV | Google Play | VUDU | X-Box

Interested in the movie? Join the Virtual Watch Party

THURSDAY, APRIL 30 - 7:00PM CT

Join us from anywhere in the U.S. and watch the film LIVE with filmmakers and select film subjects. Get exclusive commentary and insights, plus submit your Q&As for live replies during the broadcast. REGISTER NOW

Discussed in the interview:

Alien Intrusion - the other Australian Young Earth Creationism we've covered.

NCSE - The national center for science education

Related Articles by Dan Phelps:
2016 article introducing the new Ark Encounter

The Ark Encounter as "Anti-Museum"

Photos from the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum courtesy Dan Phelps:

#211 - The Screaming Skulls

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 01:25:40 +0000

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.

Multiple Examples:

Bettiscombe manor, Bettiscome, Dorset
Dickie – Tunstead Farm, Tunstead Milton, Derbyshire
Skull of St Ambrose Barlow – Wardley Hall, Manchester (1641) - Catholic relic
Skull of (Katherine) Anne Griffith – Burton Agnes Hall, Yorkshire (1620) “Owd Nance” -
Skull of Theophilus Broome – Higher Chilton Farm, Chilton Cantelo, Somerset (1670)
Two skulls – Warbleton Priory ruin, Rushlake Green, Heathfield, East Sussex
Two skulls - Calgarth Hall, Windermere, Cumbria

Possibly dozens more and many have disappeared over time.

1895 book with a chapter on various Screaming Skulls.

Allegedly, Lord Byron had a skull he used to drink from as a part of occult rituals. It, or a copy of it, was sold at auction in 2017 and was expected to fetch a tidy sum.

Patreon supporters can see attachment (PDFs) for various newspaper stories featuring an assortment of Screaming Skull tales.

F. Marion Crawford's famous short story on the topic.

The 1958 film The Screaming Skull. (streaming on Amazon, higher quality)

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 take on The Screaming Skull.

A nice little "documentary" about The Screaming Skull of Theophilus Broome.

Announcement: MonsterTalk Live

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 00:54:19 +0000

We're doing a live video-chat with guest Brian Sharpless.
Sunday night March 29, 2020
9 pm EST

The show is free - but it's being streamed via Facebook so you'll need to join the MonsterTalk Facebook Group to participate.

We plan to switch to streaming via YouTube soon - but this worked well in our small trial run last week. Hopefully, you'll enjoy hanging out with some other listeners and talking monsters.

The topic for this one is the psychological conditions behind popular horror movies!

Hang in there everybody! I hope to talk with you tomorrow.

CDC Virus Info
W.H.O. Virus Info

Spooktator Presents: Hellier (Haylier)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 00:23:25 +0000

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 out our coverage.

(And Hayley's extensive show notes HERE.)

210 - Going Viral: The Covid19 Monster

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 15 Mar 2020 13:37:35 +0000

Discussing COVID19 with virology expert Vincent Racaniello.

Best place to get Covid19 Information:

WHO (World Health Organization) and CDC (Center for Disease Control) sites for the latest factual information on this pandemic.

Non-Profit Vaccine Effort: https://cepi.net/

Tony Fauci - NHI health advisor to US

Master site for Vincent's network:

http://www.microbe.tv/

Shows from the Microbe.TV network:

IMMUNE *

TWiEVO: This Week in Evolution *

TWiM: This Week in Microbiology *

TWiN: This Week in Neuroscience *

TWiP: This Week in Parasitism *

TWiV: This Week in Virology *

YouTube:
Vincent's Video Channel

209 - Strange But True

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 01:20:03 +0000

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.

Find Kathryn on twitter @KHulick.

Introducing Life's Little Mysteries

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 05:01:00 +0000

The world can be a pretty mysterious place and we at Live Science love to ask and answer questions about mysteries big and small: about ancient civilizations, our planet and our solar system, the plants and animals that live alongside us, our bodies and how they work, and the technologies that we use every day. Join us on this exciting voyage of discovery and downright weirdness as we solve… Life’s Little Mysteries.

Find Life's Little Mysteries in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audioboom, iHeartRadio, or whatever your favorite podcast app is!

208 - Monsters in the Media

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 17:41:01 +0000

We welcome Dr. James Mueller, associate dean of Journalism at the University of North Texas.

He's the author of three books (with a fourth on the way) and they are:

Shooting Arrows and Slinging Mud: Custer, the Press, and the Little Bighorn

Tag Teaming the Press

Towel Snapping the Press.

He's also a member of the American Journalism Historians Association, and he joins us to talk about the history of newspapers and journalism and how to contextualize weird stories in the news.

Discussed in this episode:

Newspaper Rock - Petroglyph news

New York Sun - Great Moon Hoax

Gilbert Gottfried Incident after 9/11. (His take on it.)

Jacko the Canadian "Gorilla" hoax

Tombstone "Thunderbird" hoax

The Great Airship Mystery (wiki, book by Dan Cohen)

Historically Black Newspapers archived (Blog-post Newspapers.com)

Stanley & Livingston story

History of photos being used in newspapers (1870s - 1880s)

Saudi involvement in the Sudan civil war (mentioned during the interview) However, Dr. Mueller corrected this via email and said he meant to say YEMEN not SUDAN.

207 - The Guyra Ghost

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 01:10:08 +0000

Karen tells us about her research into the strange 1921 case known as "The Guyra Ghost." Rocks thrown, windows broken, strange knockings, spiritualists, and more! Her write up of this investigation appears in the January 2020 issue of Fortean Times.

Discussed in this episode:

The Guyra Ghost Mystery (1921) - lost contemporary comedy film shot on location

Minnie Bowen, the center of the alleged haunting:

Photograph of window damage at the Bowen home.

Related:

Karen's two recent short stories:
Inspired by the events of The Guyra Ghost: Welcome Home

Inspired by the tale of Lord Dufferin's omen: Room for One More

#206 - Magic: Wicca and Witchcraft

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 22:08:39 +0000

We are joined by Rebecca Fox, who has been both a witch and a science & skepticism advocate, to discuss the history of modern witchcraft.

RIP Terry Jones (of Monty Python) who passed away on Tuesday, Jan 21, 2020.

Discussed in this episode:

Gerald Gardner, father of Wicca

Doreen Valiente

Margaret Murray, an anthropologist whose The Witch-Cult in Western Europe was very influential on both Wicca and H. P. Lovecraft & R. E. Howard

Ronald Hutton, author of Triumph of the Moon and The Witch.

#205 - Burial Practice Makes Perfect

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 04:10:09 +0000

Tana's Thesis: Paying Respects: Death, Commodity Culture, and the Middle Class in Victorian London.

Death Photos of the Victorian Age - memento mori

The Catholic incorruptible saints

British "natural death" burial laws

Garden Cemeteries

The Cremation Society (behind the 1902 UK Cremation Act)

The Highgate Vampire case of the early 1970s

Nicholas Cage's pyramid tomb in New Orleans St. Louis Cemetery

(Source: Atlas Obscura)

New Orleans Above Ground Burial:

"When St. Peter Street graveyard was close to capacity, city officials established St. Louis Cemetery #1. At the time, Esteban Miro was the governor of New Orleans, and his allegiance was to Spain. Therefore, when the St. Louis Cemetery was developed, the wall vault system that was popular in Spain at the time was adopted for those who wished to be buried stylishly above ground. Ground burial also continued at St. Louis Cemetery."

Mort Safes - protected corpses from resurrectionists, not the public from wandering dead.

Burke & Hare - notorious resurrectionists turned murderers, inspired:

The Body Snatcher (1945)
Burke and Hare (2011)
Horror Maniacs aka The Greed of William Hart (1948)
The Flesh and the Fiends aka The Fiendish Ghouls (1960)
Burke and Hare (1972)
The Doctor and the Devils (1985) (amazing cast + produced by Mel Brooks!?)

"Saved by the Bell" etymology derives from boxing, not grave bells

Launching ashes into space

"Jet" the source of the phrase "jet black" and the Whitby Jet mourning jewelry referenced

Key West cemetery

Christmas Special 2019

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 04:32:45 +0000

A reading of The Night Wire by H. F. Arnold. Karen and I wish you all a safe and happy holiday. Oh - and if you're doing any traveling for the season I suggest you steer clear of Xebico.

Some background on Mr. Arnold.

204 - Joe vs the Sea Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 04:11:19 +0000

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.

Case Files discussed in this episode:

Gloucester Sea Serpent

Arkansas White River Monster

Kraken: Monster of the Deep

Also mentioned: Karen has some new short stories on Amazon!

MonsterTalk finally has a shop!

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 17:49:04 +0000

Snag some merchandise based on our new artwork at http://bit.ly/shopmonstertalk - 30% off sale going on right now.

#203 - Will O' The Wisp

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 02:28:35 +0000

[Correction inserted Nov 15, 9:30 AM regarding the gas in the Cameroon lake incident being CO2, not Methane.]

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. We discuss some quite peculiar case details and Jerry has sent me some photos that I've attached here in the show notes. Let us know what you think over at the MonsterTalk Facebook Group.

202 - Monstrous with Carlyn Beccia

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 02:40:09 +0000

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.

But don't think it's just for kids. This book has lots of cool, disgusting, crunchy science morsels in it plus gorgeous art that make it a perfect Coffee Table book for macabre decor.

Here are some sample shots from the book, and there's more like this from cover-to-cover - and this isn't Carlyn's only book. She's got more.

#201 - Serial Killers

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 01:56:34 +0000

We're joined by Stacy Sharp, friend of the show and former USN law enforcement with Blake back in his Navy days in Bahrain. Stacy has spent much of his post-Navy career working in law enforcement, victims rights and the judicial system.

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. The crimes discussed in this episode are graphic, disturbing and will not be suitable for all audience members. Listener discretion advised.

Patreon Bonus segment:
Discussion of Balmain Bug - an edible crustacean of Australia. It looks like an unarmed lobster.

Serial Killers:

Ted Bundy
John Wayne Gacy
Jeffrey Dahmer
Jack the Ripper
Definition of Serial Killer
Richard Chase
Rampage (docu on spree killers, not the giant critter movie with The Rock)
BTK Killer (Dennis Rader)
Ed Kemper (Audiobooks read by Ed Kemper)
Mad Bomber of New York
Profilers
Mindhunter

Introducing "IN RESEARCH OF"

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 23:18:24 +0000

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:
Piri Reis map
Wernher Von Braun
Stonehenge
How did the ancients move stones?

Theme music (updated!) is by Rachel Lackey & Greig Johnson.

200 - In Search Of...

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 05 Oct 2019 22:55:37 +0000

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.

#199 - We Never Play Ouija Bored

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 14:22:24 +0000

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

#198 - The Grotesque 10

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 00:54:25 +0000

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.

The Frighteners

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 12:35:02 +0000

Check out our Audible deal, where you can select Peter Law's book The Frighteners or any of the amazing titles from the Audible collection.

What is it like to be an ordained minister who loves the macabre? And is there a value to the morbid, horrific and dark milieu beyond the financial? What if it turned out that horror can even be therapy? We talk with author Peter Laws about these questions and more.

The Frighteners: A Journey Through our Cultural Fascination with the Macabre

Peter's author page

Peter on Twitter

Peter's website

Want to support MonsterTalk's website re-design? Help us out here: http://bit.ly/gofundmonstertalk

What Makes US Tick

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 12:08:55 +0000

There are a lot of weird Tick stories in the news lately. From stories of exsanguinated cows in North Carolina, to books about government conspiracy and bioweapons testing of ticks as delivery vehicles for disease, it seems everybody's trying to latch onto tick and tick-borne disease stories.

Acarologist Dr. Danielle Tufts, visits with us to help debunk some of the outright myths about ticks, to tell us more about how these diseases are transferred, and to get a better grip on how frightened we should be, and what we can do to protect ourselves from the millions of tiny vampires waiting out there.

Photos of tick lifecycle and academic articles on relevant tick species are attached to the show notes.

Some terms from the show you might not be familiar with:

Serology - the scientific study or diagnostic examination of blood serum, especially with regard to the response of the immune system to pathogens or introduced substances.

We discuss three types of chromosomal polyploidy:

Diploid - containing two complete sets of chromosomes

Triploid - containing three complete sets of chromosomes

Aneuploid - contains an abnormal number of chromosomes

Thomas Jefferson: Monster Hunter

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 21:24:11 +0000

If you thought Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter was fun - wait till you hear the shocking true story of Thomas Jefferson, Monster Hunter! We're joined by Justin Mullis who presented his paper on Jefferson's work in Cryptozoology at the Of Gods and Monsters conference at Texas State in San Marcos, in April 2019.

Links of interest:

Martin Rudwick - The Meaning of Fossils

Glossopetrae - an outdated theory about fossilized shark teeth

Lee Alan Dugatkin's Mr. Jefferson and the Giant Moose

Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon - "the father of all thought in natural history in the second half of the 18th century "

The full poem about Lewis & Clark's pursuit of Mammoth is on Page 11 of this digitized document.

Some additional reading suggested by listeners:

Big Bone Lick: The Cradle of American Paleontology

American Monster: How the Nation's First Prehistoric Creature Became a Symbol of National Identity

The Mapinguari Is Not The Territory

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 01:52:30 +0000

We've officially hit a decade of MonsterTalk. In this episode we get "old school" and talk about the legendary Mapinguari, and how cryptozoologists have tried to explain the folklore of this massive South American animal by claiming it to be a kind of Bigfoot creature, or even a Giant Ground Sloth. We take a deep dive into what Paleontology can tell us about the real historical records of Giant Ground Sloths (Megatherium) and see how well these creatures line up with the legend of the Mapinguari.Our guest is Uruguayan paleontologist Dr. Richard A. Fariña.

Links

Dr. Fariña's Giant Sloth website (English / Spanish)

Paper describing the site of the Arroyo del Vizcaíno site near Sauce, Uruguay

The Shasta Giant Sloth site

David C. Oren's theory of Sloths as possible explanation of Mapinguari has been covered in The New York Times and Discovery Magazine.

Apparently, Behemoth from Godzilla: King of the Monsters 2019 is a Mapinguari! Who knew?

We also discussed a few megafauna in this episode. Here's our Who's Who for those names:

Gomphothere - similar to an elephant or mammoth

Glyptodon - similar to an enormous armadillo

Megatherium - a gigantic ground sloth that is the main paleontological subject of the episode

And don't forget the question of Sloths and Avocados! The paper for that research is here.

The Shaver Mysteries (Part 2)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 03:12:12 +0000

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

The Shaver Mysteries (Part 1)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 20:29:37 +0000

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!

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The Zana Problem

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 28 May 2019 15:05:44 +0000

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.

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Dragons

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 27 May 2019 19:00:00 +0000

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.

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Ghosts of the White House

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 16 May 2019 15:31:13 +0000

An interview with White House historian Lindsay Chervinsky (of the White House Historical Association) about the ghostly legends of the White House.

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Larry Blamire

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 02 May 2019 19:00:52 +0000

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.

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Monsters of the Mythos

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 02 May 2019 18:51:37 +0000

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.

Disputin’ Rasputin

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 16:51:17 +0000

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.

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Hitler’s Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 17:56:30 +0000

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

Humans as Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 01:59:12 +0000

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.

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The Resurrection of Bob Lazar(us)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 00:34:42 +0000

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

Ghost Hunting Gear

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 09 Mar 2019 00:21:05 +0000

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.

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Monstrous Medicine: Disease

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 04:44:33 +0000

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).

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Skinwalker Ranch Dressing

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:47:19 +0000

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.

Teaching with Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 18:01:00 +0000

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.

The Monkey’s Paw

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 04:18:49 +0000

For the Annual MonsterTalk Christmas Special, Blake Smith reads The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs.

Read the episode notes

La Corriveau

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 03:38:02 +0000

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.

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Ghosts, Gears, Gadgets and Golems

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 19:48:54 +0000

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.

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Monsters and Folklore of the Balkans

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 21:10:08 +0000

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.

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The Bunyip Seal of Approval

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 20:42:43 +0000

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.

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Appalachian Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 01:00:20 +0000

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.

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Big Footprints, Big Voice — Wild Thing

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 17:55:35 +0000

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.

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MT/AF Cross-Over 3: Attack of the Killer Tangents

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 20:23:43 +0000

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.

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Introducing Blackwood

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 11:00:00 +0000

Five years ago, three teenagers set out to investigate the local legend of their small town, The Blackwood Bugman, and the mysterious disappearances and murders connected to him over the years. But as they soon come to find out, getting too close to the truth can be very dangerous.

From the masterminds behind Hunt A Killer comes a chilling tale of secrets, monsters, and murder. Subscribe to Blackwood today at wondery.fm/monster.

The Appeal of Yurei

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 03:11:26 +0000

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

Smalltown Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 03:40:56 +0000

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.

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Jurassic Snark

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 17:06:31 +0000

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.

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Long and Drawn Out: Bigfoot Pictographs

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 03:12:20 +0000

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.

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To Sleep, Perchance to Scream

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 04:45:01 +0000

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.

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Seneca Legends

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 00:14:40 +0000

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.

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Guns & Goblins: CryptidCon 2018

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 03:14:14 +0000

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.

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Werewolves and Change

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 17:29:33 +0000

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.

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Chained Heir: Gothic Horror in Glamis Castle

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 02:14:41 +0000

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.

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Jail Ghost Round Table

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 03:30:00 +0000

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.

Here Come The PERSONS In Black

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 03:25:38 +0000

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.

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The Toll of A. Bell

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 25 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Krampus in July

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 18:13:41 +0000

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.

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The Call of Tut-Thulhu

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Meg

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Nessie Unloched

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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An interview with Richard Hatem (Part II)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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An interview with Richard Hatem (Part I)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 30 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Magic: Sex, Drugs and Rocket Propulsion

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 23 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Greyfriars Kirkyard Ghost

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 16 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Chicago Mothman — Site Seeing

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 01 May 2018 04:44:53 +0000

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.

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Spouting off about Gargoyles

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Rampage: A Huge Croc

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Great Beast 666

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Magic: Spiritualism and Theosophy, Part II

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Winchester’s Cathedral

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Magic: Spiritualism and Theosophy

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 23:22:04 +0000

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.

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Alien Intrusion and the Ultraterrestrial Hypothesis

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Tail of the Lizard Man

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Christmas Special # 5: The Open Window

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 19:01:57 +0000

For the Annual MonsterTalk Christmas Special, Blake Smith reads The Open Window by H. H. Munro (Saki).

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Fermi to Know and UFO to Find Out

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Grimoires—Part II

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Grimoires—Part I

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 04:22:40 +0000

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.

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The Crypto-Kid

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 17:35:27 +0000

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.

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Haunted Objects

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Witches, Pleas

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 02:30:00 +0000

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.

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American Goblins — Part 3

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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American Goblins — Part 2

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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American Goblins — Part 1

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Tracks We Left At DragonCon and CryptidCon

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 01:44:21 +0000

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.

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The Science Behind Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 03:18:14 +0000

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?

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Dropbears

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 03:50:40 +0000

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!

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The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H. P. Lovecraft

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 00:56:41 +0000

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?

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Naming Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 05:01:51 +0000

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.

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England's Most Haunted Village

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Minions, Mobs & Myrmidons

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Spooky Geology

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 16 May 2017 16:45:18 +0000

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.

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Monster Trek

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 02 May 2017 17:08:35 +0000

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.

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The Enfield Poltergeist (Part 2)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Man's Best Fiend

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 21:23:29 +0000

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.

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Crush, Crumble and Chomp

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Enfield Poltergeist

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 04:32:39 +0000

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.

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MonsterTalk Essay 001

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 16:28:56 +0000

Psychic Soldiers and Imperilled Silverware

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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One Rogue Planet: A Star Warrior's Story

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Christmas Special # 4: The Thing in the Cellar

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 19:19:46 +0000

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.

Bitchin' 'bout Sitchin

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 17:42:59 +0000

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.

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Achievement Unloched — Morar Ness

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Science and Sea Monster

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 03:31:57 +0000

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.

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Fairies! An ArchyFantasies Crossover

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 22:31:38 +0000

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.

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Yetipalooza

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 19:11:14 +0000

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.

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MonsterTalk Meets The Lovecraft Geek

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 03:50:53 +0000

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.

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MonsterTalk Live Stream Event

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 03:12:10 +0000

Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 8 pm EST

Join us for our first ever MonsterTalk live streaming event. Scheduled guests Eugenie Scott, Brian Regal, Daniel Loxton will join Karen and me to discuss The Yeti. So this will be our first dedicated Yeti talk, and our first live streaming show. I hope you can join us.

How do you attend? A link to the show is pinned at our Facebook page, and will be on our website at monstertalk.org. There’s also this short link that is (hopefully) easy to remember: http://bit.ly/monstertalklive2016

We’ll make the audio of that available in the podcast feed, and the resulting video should be posted to YouTube if it all works according to plan.

Watch the live stream on YouTube

Demon Dolls

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 14:04:42 +0000

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.

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Frauds, Hoaxes and Splendor in the Past

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Folklore and Urban Legends

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 04:20:11 +0000

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…

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The Best Laid Plans

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 07:00:00 +0000

In this episode of MonsterTalk, Karen and Blake thank listeners for their amazing support, and discuss upcoming episodes in the works.

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Tell Me Strange Things

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 19:43:22 +0000

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.

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Broadcasting for a Spell

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 20:51:08 +0000

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.

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Skeptics Talking About Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Episode They Don’t Want You To Know About

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 02:09:09 +0000

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.

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What the Fouke? The Beast of Boggy Creek

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Bigfoot Skepticism

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 24 May 2016 17:52:19 +0000

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.

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Bad UFOs

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 04 May 2016 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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A Serpent's Tale

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 21:35:45 +0000

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

Skepticism 101

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 07:00:00 +0000

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

Hunting Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Christmas Special # 3: Pickman's Model

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Conclusions (Episode 100)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 07:00:00 +0000

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…

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Let's Get This Off Our Chest

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Doctor Atlantis

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 20 May 2015 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Shame on the Lizard People

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Fear Itself

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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El D20ablo — The Satanic Panic & Role-Playing Games

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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A Fear of Spiders

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Christmas Special #002: An Inhabitant of Carcosa

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 04:00:00 +0000

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.

Fangs That Go Bump in the Night

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Demon Purrsession: Tales of Demonically Possessed Cats

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Robot Apocalypse

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Vampira

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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City Lion, Country Lion

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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?

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More Brainssss

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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…”

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Slenderman and Tulpas

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Alienable Rites

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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New MT on the Bounty

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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!

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The Cures of the Mummy's Tomb

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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!

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The Mongolian Death Worm

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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A Tiger by the Tale

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 06 May 2014 23:37:32 +0000

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.

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A Wolf in the Fold

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Plesiosaur Parenting

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Demons, Ghosts and Gary Indiana

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode of MonsterTalk, Blake and Karen talk about how skeptics evaluate the Gary Indiana Demon case.

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You Won't Believe What These Skeptics Have To Say About Bigfoot

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Nature's Rich Bounty

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Zombies, Cults, and Demons

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 18:00:30 +0000

A familiar voice returns to MonsterTalk as Dr. Karen Stollznow joins us to discuss her new book, God Bless America.

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MonsterTalk Christmas Special #001 — CASTING THE RUNES

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 06:08:00 +0000

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.)

Cryptozoologicon: Volume I

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Speak of the Devil

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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MonsterTalk Special #003: Seeing is Believing

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 07:00:00 +0000

“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.

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The Warren Omission

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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His Tory of the Jersey Devil

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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More Map Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 04:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Key to the Legend of the Map Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Return of the Revenge of the Son of the Bride of MonsterTalk

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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MonsterTalk Special #002

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:42:30 +0000

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.

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MonsterTalk Special #001

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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What's Good for the Mongoose...

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Zombie Antpocalypse

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:21:50 +0000

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.

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Weak Are The Champ Puns

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Arachnophilia

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Hop Springs Eternal

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Witch You Talkin' About?

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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2012-The Year in Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Sasquatch: Ketchum If You Can

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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YEC and Beowulf: It's verse than you think

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Yokai Attack!

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:21:30 +0000

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.

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The Blair Fish Project

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Assault and Giant Battery

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Skeptics are Redoubtable

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Qu'est Que C'est?

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 02 May 2012 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Onan the Jar Burying

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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ThylaCinema and Nocturnal Submissions

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:54:02 +0000

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.

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What the Bigfoot market will bear

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Hell Hath No Furry!

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 01:06:12 +0000

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.

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Internet Video Hoaxes: A Mammoth Undertaking

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:47:30 +0000

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!

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Monsters in America (interview with Scott Poole)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:13:58 +0000

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.

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Something Wiccan This Way Comes

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Squatching with The Krampus

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Unbottling some Jinn

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:39:35 +0000

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!

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Paranormality: Psychic Dogs, Ghosts and Silly Voices-an Interview with Richard Wiseman

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Crypt O' Zoology: Dinosaurs in Africa!

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Bad Wolf

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Big Bad Wolf

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Dead Men Are a Ghoul's Best Friend

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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A Connecticut Haunting in a Keen Author's Court

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Ancient Alien Astronauts: Interview with Ken Feder

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Hayley Stevens’ Lake Monster Mysteries

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Searching For Sasquatch

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Zombie Autopsies

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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.

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Tracking the Manbeasts

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Resurrecting the Extinct

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Is The Skookum Fair Dinkum?

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 04:24:00 +0000

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.

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Tracking the Chupacabra

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:46:00 +0000

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.

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Tracking the Chupacabra (exclusive preview)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:04:00 +0000

Exclusive for MonsterTalk listeners, an audio preview from Ben Radford’s latest book Tracking the Chupacabra. This 32 minute selection contains material from the opening of this new book, which provides the solution to the mysterious bloodsucking beast known as El Chupacabra. Read by the author, you’ll get a taste of the book — which is now available for order at radfordbooks.com and chupacabramystery.com. We hope you enjoy this free sample. Please feel free to share it with your friends.

Unmasking the Ninja

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Ethnobiology - A Lizard's Tale

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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A Bestiary of Creatures

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Iceman Goeth

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 07:21:00 +0000

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.

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On Monsters

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 03:59:00 +0000

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.

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The Rise of Bat Boy

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Dragon*Con's Skeptrack 2010

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 04:12:00 +0000

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!

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Just Scratching the Surface

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:28:00 +0000

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!

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Cryptozoology & Science, Part 2

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:25:00 +0000

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.

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Cryptozoology & Science: Part 1

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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The Columbus Poltergeist (featuring James Randi)

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Cthulhu Rises

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0000

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!

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Bringing Light to a Moth

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 26 May 2010 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Monsters from the Lab

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 05 May 2010 07:00:00 +0000

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!

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Historical Ghost Investigations Part II: Sinking the Watertown

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 07:00:00 +0000

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!

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Historical Ghost Investigations Part I: Kimo / Therapy

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Ghost Bird

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

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.

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Getting into the Spirit of Things

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Suitable for Framing

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

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…

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Bigfoot: First Impressions

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum!

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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I'm Gonna Get You, Goat Sucker!

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:00:00 +0000

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.

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They Came From Outer Space!

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:00:00 +0000

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!

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Horrifying Hybrids

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000

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...

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DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:57:20 +0000

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DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:56:49 +0000

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DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:56:15 +0000

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DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:54:39 +0000

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DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:54:19 +0000

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DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:53:15 +0000

Darwin vs. the Wolfman

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:26:00 +0000

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.

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Pterosaurs

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:47:00 +0000

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.

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The Plesiosaur Hypothesis

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:14:00 +0000

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.

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Fins & Fossil Footprints

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:11:00 +0000

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.

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Anatomy of a Beast

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:58:00 +0000

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.

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Bigfoot DNA

DoctorAtlantis@gmail.com (DoctorAtlantis) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:12:00 +0000

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.

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