#083 – THE CURES OF THE MUMMY’S TOMB

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! Dr. Bob Brier, also known as “Mr. […]

#082 – THE MONGOLIAN DEATH WORM

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. Mentioned in the episode Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowman The official […]

#081 – A TIGER BY THE TALE

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. David Waldron and Simon Townsend describe the history and evidence for strange misplaced large cats reported in Australia. Farm animals are being killed — […]

#080 – A WOLF IN THE FOLD

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. Books mentioned in this episode Monsters of the Gévaudan The Werewolf in Legend and Lore The Book of Werewolves Strange Creatures from […]

#079 – PLESIOSAUR PARENTING

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. Mentioned in this episode The 2014 MonsterTalk cruise featuring Dr. Kenny Feder Books by Daniel Loxton Plesiosaur Peril Ankylosaur Attack Pterosaur Trouble Evolution Abominable Science About Plesiosaur Peril A […]

#078 – DEMONS, GHOSTS AND GARY INDIANA

IN THIS EPISODE of MonsterTalk, Blake and Karen talk about how skeptics evaluate the Gary Indiana Demon case. Items of Interest Original News Story (Indiana Star) Indiana DCS Report (Initial Report) Additional DCS (Intake Officer Report) DCS Report on taking custody of children Excerpt from Police Report on the home investigation Additional Police Report excerpt Some of the other outlets that […]

#076 – NATURE’S RICH BOUNTY

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. Natalia Reagan is […]

#075 – ZOMBIES, CULTS, AND DEMONS

A FAMILIAR VOICE returns to MonsterTalk as Dr. Karen Stollznow joins us to discuss her new book, God Bless America. Items of Interest Haunting America on Amazon More information on the case of Anneliese Michel Wade Davis’s book on Haitian zombies — The Serpent and the Rainbow More reading on the Satanic Panic — In Pursuit of Satan: The Police and the Occult Music Monstertalk […]

#074 – CRYPTOZOOLOGICON: VOLUME I

DARREN 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. Darren Naish is co-host […]