February 21, 2022

244 – The Hills Have Eyes (The Legend of Sawney Bean)

While Blake recovers from COVID, we’ll take a listen to the MonsterTalk series “DeBased on a True Story.” The audio isn’t quite up to our regular quality, but we hope you enjoy the content.  This episode deals with the legend behind the 1977 Wes Craven film The Hills Have Eyes. If you’d prefer to watch this episode you can catch it […]

Regular Episode 44 sec read
January 10, 2022

243 – Basilisks are Over-Powered

This episode DEFINITELY is explicit.  Karen and Blake discuss the myths and legends of the Basilisk (and the Cockatrice). The conversation includes ancient legends, medieval legends, alchemy, a whole lot of bird sex, A.I. and information hazards.  Blake learns a bunch of new things about bird reproduction and Karen has to deal with the results. Links for show notes:Medieval references […]

Regular Episode 1 min read
December 27, 2021

242 – The Hairy Hands of Devon

(AKA – The Hairy Hands of Dartmoor, The Unseen Hands)  The legend of the Hairy Hands is set in Postbridge, Dartmoor. The road is now known as the B3212. Since 1921, the road has been the locale of a legendary menace – a pair of powerful unseen hairy hands that occasionally drives people to their death.  But where did this […]

Regular Episode 6 min read
November 29, 2021

240 – Frankenstein and Mermaids

In this episode of MonsterTalk Radio, Blake and Karen have David Farnell of Fukuoka University on the show to talk about Frankenstein and the novel’s—and the monster’s—impact on pop culture, as well as how the definition of what a monster is and how monsters are perceived have evolved through literature. David has published numerous papers on monsters and monsters in literature.

Regular Episode 1 min read
November 15, 2021

239 – Monsterology

When we think about monsters, the number one reaction most people will have is fear. Why is that and where does it come from? How do our brains process the concept of monsters, our gut reactions to them, and about where we stand with all of that? In this episode of MonsterTalk, Blake sits down with author, professor, and artist, Stephen Asma to delve into how monsters evolved with us as humans culturally, how our imaginations play a role in it, and how our minds wrap themselves around our beliefs—among many other things.

Regular Episode 2 min read
November 1, 2021

238 – The Grand Guignol

A look at the brief but influential “life” of the Grand Guignol theater, a Paris stage venue that specialized in gore and terror. We interview Professor Richard Hand, who has co-authored four volumes about this amazing little production company that for a brief while made much of true-crime and visceral nightmarish plots to present gore, horror and terror to Paris audiences. With less than 300 seats but with thousands of performances, the screams that came from its stage still echo through the world of theater to this very day.

Regular Episode 1 min read
October 18, 2021

237 – Lord Dufferin and the Ghost

We’re joined by the Spooky Science Sisters to talk about one of our favorite ghost stories, the psychic/omen/folklore/horror story that has haunted Karen and me since we were kids – the tale of Lord Dufferin and his encounter with the beyond.  Lord Dufferin: Hans Conried as Wrong-Way Feldman (Gilligan’s Island) Links:The Signalman by Dickens – Radio Drama version (Suspense) Room […]

Regular Episode 45 sec read
October 4, 2021

236 – Carnivorous Plants

In this episode, Blake and Karen dive into the world of monstrous plants, with Peter D’Amato as their guide. Having grown them for over 40 years, Peter D’Amato is the authority on carnivorous plants. He also authored the book, The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants, which has been reprinted over 25 times.

Regular Episode 2 min read