We're delighted to celebrate Thanksgiving with the return of Dr. Brian Regal. He's here to talk about a favorite monster film, and announce the release of his autobiography, The Monster from Newark. Links: Brian's autobiography - The Monster From Newark (affiliate link) Karen's anthology of skeptics having weird experiences:Would You Believe It? (affiliate link) Lucky Dragon No 5 (wiki) Castle Bravo test & "maru" ship (wiki) List of Giant Ant Movies List of Giant Monster Movies The Pet (1921) The Lost World (1925) Reptilicus MST3K Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Thanks to your generous support I was able to make it to CryptidCon 2024 and this is a chat with Karen and me, reporting on day one. I'll be heading out later today for the five and a half hour drive back home but this has been delightful and you're sure to hear more from the connections I made and the ideas I heard while immersing myself in the cryptid community once more. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

I'm sorry to come to you with hat in hand, but our family vehicle's water pump just went out a day before I was to head up to Kentucky to go to CryptidCon. If just 10% of our listeners would donate $1 it would absolutely cover this repair and restore my confidence in heading out of town. I hate to ask but I don't know any other way to come up with the money on such short notice. So if you enjoy the show and want to hear more cryptid content in particular, please check the show notes and consider giving a buck or two to help me get our family vehicle repaired. Thanks so much for ANY consideration you give this request. https://gofund.me/95e85c4a Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Blake and Karen are joined by Matt Baxter to discuss the 2023 film Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose, based on the story of Gef, the talking mongoose at the heart of the story. Visit our original coverage of Gef in episode #67 Watch the film (Amazon affiliate link) A list of the clever things a mongoose might say... The Haunting of Alma Fielding - a recent book about Nandor Fodor's investigation of an alleged psychic (Affiliate Link) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

We're joined by author and professor Anne McClannan to discuss her new book Griffinology. These monsters are visually easily recognized - but how much do you know about their history? Links: Griffinology is available directly from University of Chicago Press. Coupon code UCPNEW is good through Dec 2024 for 30% off - which brings the price down to $28 off its regular cover price of $40! Griffins (wikipedia) Here is a link to some Griffins in ancient artwork. The artwork in Griffinology is a stunning and impressive selection of such examples. PopSci article on plausibility of Griffin/Fossil Connection Additional: The Leucrotta (per Reddit) The same beast per D&D Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

We managed to catch up with Joe Laycock for ONE MORE VAMPIRE EPISODE! This time we're having a look at the world of people who believe they are really vampires. Some drink blood, some drink energy, most embrace vampire gaming. Joe wrote Vampires Today: The Truth About Modern Vampirism In fact, Joe has written a lot of books that will be of interest to you guys! And I'm so excited about Joe's current research - which you'll hear about at the end. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Blake and Karen are joined again by Matt Baxter to talk about vampires in books, film, tv, and comics! This episode is EXPLICIT and contains adult language. We talk about a ton of topics in this one and too many shows and movies to list - but I'll try and post a list when I get time to all the things referenced over at this episode's page on MonsterTalk.org - Thanks for your patience! You can watch this video on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vBNyYz6y0M Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

We’re joined by researcher Katarzyna “Kasia” Ancuta to learn more about the Chinese creature known as the Jiangshi – but more famous in the West as “Hopping Vampires.” It turns out that their history is being complicated by their appearances in pop-culture! Jiangshi Movies: (affiliate links) Encounters of the Spooky Kind Mr. Vampire Rigor Mortis The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires Additional Reading: The Hun and Po soul Scared Stiff: Jiangshi and Chinese Vampires – from the Palgrave Handbook of Vampires Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling (wiki) The Shibian (The Animated Corpse) by Pu Songling (project gutenberg) Penanggal (pen-nan-gal) Manananggal (Mana nan gal) Pop (Thai Ghost) – wiki Krasue (Thai version of Manananggal) “pop krasue” in episode audio – sounds like “pi-krasue” Previous Episodes Related: Chinese Ghosts Mr. Vampire is available on DVD and Blu-Ray now, but you might have to track down an import. Or you can watch it streaming on The Criterion Channel. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

We're delighted to have Brian Sharpless (Monsters on the Couch) back with us to discuss some of the Psychology elements of vampirism, as well as some of his favorite historical cases. Be sure and grab his book if you're at all interested in the intersection of monsters and Psychology. Show Notes: Monsters on the Couch Renfield Syndrome (wikipedia) 2005 Romanian Vampire case (The Guardian) Richard Chase - Serial Killer (wikipedia) Mercy Brown vampire case (wikipedia) Vlad the Impaler (wikipedia) Example of Vlad's violence on the Turks (wikipedia) Elizabeth Bathory (wikipedia) Hungarian Ghoulish - MT 235 Be sure and check out Karen's new book Bitch: The Journey of a Word from Cambridge University Press! Our show uses Amazon affiliate links to help raise funds to support our research and outreach. Title card image courtesy Brian Sharpless - walkway where alleged vampire Jure Grando was most likely buried Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

We kick off our Vampire October with the story of Arnold Paole and we're joined by Matt Baxter. This story appeared in the 1979 edition of Usborne's Haunted Houses, Ghosts, and Spectors. Arnold Paole Lee Illis 1964 - Porphyria and Werewolves 1985 - David Dolphin - NYT article on Porphyria and Vampires Penanggal Manananggal Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

In this episode we look at the history of the Vampire in folklore and literature with professor Nick Groom - aka "The Prof of Goth." Links related to Professor Groom: The Vampire: A New History by Nick Groom (affiliate link) Nick Groom - University of Macau faculty page - NickGroom@um.edu.mo University of Exeter faculty page - N.Groom@exeter.ac.uk Times Literary Supplement - articles by Nick Groom Author's page at Simon & Schuster Interview with The One Ring about Groom's Tolkien scholarship Articles at Literary Hub by Groom Some Vampire Links: The Vampyre - John Polidori (Full Text - 1819) The Black Vampyre: A Legend of St. Domingo (Full Text - 1819) (affiliate link) - wiki Varney the Vampire: Or the Feast of Blood (Full Text - 1847) (affiliate link) - wiki Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (Full Text - 1872) (affiliate link) - wiki Dracula by Bram Stoker (Full Text - 1897) (affiliate link) - wiki Vampire Panics (1790s - 1890s) The Ackermansion This episode brought to you by Factor Meals – use our link or code MonsterTalk50 to 50% off your first order! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Karen and her husband Matt are back from visiting Australia and in this episode we discuss some viral ghost photos. The photos will be in the show notes, and we will cross-post a version of this on our YouTube page with image inserts. Karen's new book BITCH is on sale now. Blake's recent article about mind viruses seems to be backed up by an even more recent article confirming that clinical evidence doesn't support a "mind virus" explanation for idea spread. This episode brought to you by Factor Meals – use our link or code MonsterTalk50 to 50% off your first order! =========== Now on to our photos that we talk about in this episode: Giant "humanoid" over mall in Zambia. (Or over photoshop in Internet) Party scene with crying girl also hides "ghost face" 2007 - Parma Gas Station "ghost" or "angel" Ghostly "shadow person" walks through traffic (original video is gone but version here) "Cowboy ghost" at abandoned mine A bird landing can look like a hat in the distance - but we don't know the scale here. It could be a lot of things. This (pretty obvious) long exposure shot shows up on a lot of ghost photo sites. Irish Flax Workers and the mysterious "extra hand" Detail shows "ghost hand" but you can also see manipulation has been done to the plate, erasing some of the pleats in the dress behind the woman with the hand on her shoulder. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Part two of our two-part talk with author Adam Gorightly about his research into the very strange history of Discordianism and The Illuminati. If you have never heard of Operation Mindf*ck, then you didn’t listen to part 1 – so get back over there! Due to the chance that I might have failed to bleep out an “F-bomb” somewhere, I’m labeling this explicit. LINKS: Adam Gorightly Books (affiliate) Historia Discordia (affiliate) Illuminati (wiki) INWO game (SJGAMES) and Board Game Geek review Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (Youtube) JFK Movie (affiliate link) The famous Playboy Illuminati Letter Barkun – A Culture of Conspiracy 60s Counter Culture Robert Anton Wilson Kerry Thornley (wiki) Can’t Get You Out of My Head or Documenting Operation Mindf*ck – POV Magazine The same “immigrants eating pets” rumor explored by folklorist in the 1980s. This episode brought to you by Factor Meals – use our link or code MonsterTalk50 to 50% off your first order! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Part one of our two-part talk with author Adam Gorightly about his research into the very strange history of Discordianism and The Illuminati. If you have never heard of Operation Mindf*ck, get ready for a ride. LINKS: Adam Gorightly Books (affiliate) Historia Discordia (affiliate) Illuminati (wiki) INWO game (SJGAMES) and Board Game Geek review Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Youtube) JFK Movie (affiliate link) The famous Playboy Illuminati Letter Barkun - A Culture of Conspiracy 60s Counter Culture Robert Anton Wilson Kerry Thornley (wiki) Can’t Get You Out of My Head or Documenting Operation Mindf*ck - POV Magazine This episode brought to you by Factor Meals – use our link or code MonsterTalk50 to 50% off your first order! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

In this episode Blake continues his conversation with Richard Hatem (Mothman Prophecies, Titans, Under Siege 2) about his new podcast. Karen was away during this episode but will be back next week. Additional Links: Spiricom via Encyclopedia.com Spiricom – by Kenny Biddle via Skeptical Inquirer Recording of a Spiricom Session (YouTube) The Mothman Prophecies (amz affiliate link) Titans (amz affiliate link) Miracles (amz affiliate link - to DVD) This episode brought to you by Factor Meals - use our link or code MonsterTalk50 to 50% off your first order! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

In this episode Blake talks with Richard Hatem (Mothman Prophecies, Titans, Under Siege 2) about his new podcast. Additional Links: Spiricom via Encyclopedia.com Spiricom - by Kenny Biddle via Skeptical Inquirer Recording of a Spiricom Session (YouTube) This episode brought to you by Factor Meals - use our link or code MonsterTalk50 to 50% off your first order! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Part two of a two-part discussion with paleontologist Darren Naish about the history of Dogman lore. In part two, we discuss the current state of cryptozoology. Be sure and check out Darren's Dogman article below: Darren’s Dogman Article (TetZoo) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Part one of a two-part discussion with paleontologist Darren Naish about the history of Dogman lore. Next week in part two, we discuss the current state of cryptozoology. Darren's Dogman Article (TetZoo) STM - Beast of Bray Road (YouTube) Drive down Bray Road on your computer (Google Maps) Linda Godfrey's Obituary Beast of Bray Road (wiki) Dogman (wiki) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

We're delighted to welcome back Dr. Ken Feder to talk about his new YouTube series that covers many archaeological frauds & hoaxes, and explains how archaeologists know what they know. Catch his web series here. Ken's books are great - here's an affiliate link to his author's page. Catch our previous episodes with Ken. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

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