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2019 Episodes
- July 15th: The Mapinguari is Not the Territory (episode 194)
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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.
- June 27th: The Shaver Mysteries (Part 2) (episode 193)
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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). Warning: Listener discretion is advised. Dark, adult topics discussed.
- June 18th: The Shaver Mysteries (Part 1) (episode 192)
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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!
- May 28th: The Zana Problem (episode 191)
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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.
- May 27th: Dragons (episode 190)
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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.
- May 16th: Ghosts of the White House (episode 189)
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An interview with White House historian Lindsay Chervinsky (of the White House Historical Association) about the ghostly legends of the White House.
- May 2nd: Larry Blamire (Patreon Bonus 006)
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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.
- May 1st: Monsters of the Mythos (Patreon Bonus 005)
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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!
- April 15th: Disputin’ Rasputin (episode 188)
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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.
- April 3rd: Hitler’s Monsters (episode 187)
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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.
- March 28th: Humans as Monsters (episode 186)
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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.
- March 8th: The Resurrection of Bob Lazar(us) (episode 185)
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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.
- March 1st: Ghost Hunting Gear (episode 184)
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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.
- February 22nd: Monstrous Medicine: Disease (episode 183)
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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).
- January 31st: Skinwalker Ranch Dressing (Patreon Bonus 001)
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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.
- January 30th: Teaching with Monsters (episode 182)
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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.
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