

MonsterTalk
Blake Smith
MonsterTalk: The Science Show About Monsters is a free audio podcast that critically examines the science behind cryptozoological (and legendary) creatures, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or werewolves.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 15, 2022 • 32min
Going Nuclear - Introducing Wild Thing S3
A conversation with Laura Krantz about season 3 of her show Wild Thing. It's not monsters, but it's science, history, and the topic has a ton of overlap with Blake's personal life history.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Jun 13, 2022 • 59min
254 - Piranha!
Be sure and check out DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT! We're excited to talk with paleontologist Matthew Kolmann about a fish whose legendary ferocity ranks with the shark and the barracuda - the piranha! Are they capable of turning an animal into a skeleton in minutes? No. But they're still wicked cool. And don't worry - we manage to throw in some cryptid stories too! Content Warning: We do talk a bit about testicles being bitten off by fish. Teddy Roosevelt's book about his trip to South America, Through the Brazilian Rainforest. Then there's the weird back-story about his seeing a cow eaten by the fish, apparently part of a staged event. The legend of the Swedish pacu fish that eats testicles came from a 2013 article that was referencing a less reputable paper that was, in turn, reprinting an urban legend. Pacu don't eat people's testicles, although they do eat nuts. The Piranha film series has done little to further our cultural understanding of these fascinating fish. I slightly messed up the title of the film about Mokele Mbembe. It's Baby - Secret of the Lost Legend (1985). Boto Encantado - the magical shape-changing river dolphin Were-Jaguars are quite common in legends of South & Central America. Here's an academic paper on the topic, specifically referencing the shape changing Kanaima.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

May 30, 2022 • 1h 14min
253 - Yeti Stories You've Never Heard Before - with Eric Mortensen
You've probably heard lots of yeti stories but often the ones that make it through the filter of newspapers, documentaries, and books shave off the weirdest (and sometimes most important) aspects of these tales. Can you really understand the Yeti if you don't even get the full story? We're joined by Eric Mortensen who relates some stories he's collected first-hand in his research and they will likely surprise you. From invisible cities to magic armpit stones, this isn't the yeti from MonsterQuest. I wasn't sure how to write out some of the names Eric uses and here's some guidance he sent: "The creature's name, in Tibetan, is: nags myi rgod (Chinese: yeren). The local pronunciation (in Gyalthang) is close to: na nay gö. I hesitate to offer an "English" rendering (other than, perhaps, "wild people"), but if one had to phoneticize it, it might be something akin to: na-nay-gu (na nay gö is better). It is the same thing some folks render as: migö." and as for the Flying Yeti? Something like "Shershang dudu." Read more about Eric's work (and there's even a chapter by me!) in this volume: Eric D. Mortensen. "Of Monsters and Invisible Villages: Nags myi rgod Tales of the Tibetans of Gyalthang," in Natasha L. Mikles & Joseph P. Laycock, eds. Religion, Culture, and the Monstrous: Of Gods and Monsters. New York: Lexington Books. 2021. pp. 97-115. Loxton and Prothero's Abominable Science warrants another mention! Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas (1957) Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com! MonsterTalk is a proud part of the Airwave Media Network.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

May 16, 2022 • 1h 1min
252 - Intimate Alien with David Halperin
UFOs don't seem to be real - yet they're observed and experienced and have become integrated into cultures around the world. Author David Halperin's book Intimate Alien gives a deep and thoughtful survey of this weird topic and integrates it with biographical elements to tell a story of meaning and mystery. Links for further reading: David's website: http://www.davidhalperin.net/ David's Book (Publisher site) David's Book - Amazon Affiliate Link Additional Links: The Shaver Mysteries (From the MT Archives Part 1, Part 2) The Men In Black Betty & Barney Hill Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com! MonsterTalk is part of the Airwave family of podcasts.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

May 2, 2022 • 1h 6min
251 - DOATS: Communion
We take a look at the 1989 film Communion based on the 1987 paperback by Whitley Strieber. Part of our "deBased on a True Story" series. (affiliate links) Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk Radio on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com! MonsterTalk is part of the Airwave media family.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Apr 18, 2022 • 1h 4min
250 - The Owls Are What They Seem
Since ancient times up until today, we humans have used many different animals to represent our beliefs. One such animal is the owl—from the Greek goddess Athena’s favored animal, to harbingers of death in African and Native American narratives, to bringers of luck and prosperity in Asian cultures. In this episode of MonsterTalk, Blake and Karen welcome the Owl Research Institute’s Director of Communications Lauren Smith to share interesting facts about owls. Owl Links (Science): The Owl Research Institute Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Owls (wikipedia) Owl Links (Weirdness, Folklore, Pop-Culture, and Myth): "The Owl Guy" UFO researcher Mike Clellan on owls and death. A blogger named Steven Miller has compiled a list of the many references to owls in the show Twin Peaks. 1976's Owl Man Owls in Myth and Folklore More on Owls and UFOs from VICE Kelly-Hopkinsville Goblins Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com! MonsterTalk is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Apr 4, 2022 • 1h 15min
249 - Comic Books & Monsters
This episode is a wide-ranging discussion of comic books and monsters with professor Richard Harrison of Mt. Royal University in Alberta, Canada. Superhero Life Lessons - MRU article about comics curriculum A Contract with God by Will Eisner (Amz Link) Comics and Sequential Art: Principles and Practices from the Legendary Cartoonist by Will Eisner The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America (Amz Affiliate Link) Seduction of the Innocent by Frank Wertham (The book that triggered the comics code crackdown) Maus by Art Spiegelman Concrete by Paul Chadwick Tales from the Crypt by EC Comics The Creature from the Black Lagoon (Amz Prime Streaming) Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein (It's out of print and too expensive, but here it is) Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts| Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook| Twitter| YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Mar 21, 2022 • 1h 17min
248 - Reptile Myths
Blake and Karen are joined by Joshua Emms of the The New Mexico Herpetological Society to discuss reptile myths and legends. Footage of Sandhill Cranes (via Mr. Emms) Sandhill Crane Mothman Prophecies (Amz Affiliate Link) Gila Monsters Horned Toad Hoop Snake Joint Snake The Giant Gila Monster (trailer) Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts| Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook| Twitter| YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Mar 7, 2022 • 1h 33min
247 - The Amityville Horror
We take a look at the incredible horror franchise based on The Amityville Horror. Real tragedy compounded by alleged hoaxing forms the basis of films, sequels, books, and a lot of dollars. You can watch this interview on our YouTube channel. The 1979 film (Amazon Affiliate Link) The 2005 remake (Amz) And a bunch of other movies, spin-offs, books, etc. (Also Amz) Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk , click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.

Feb 21, 2022 • 58min
246 - The Exorcist
Blake, Karen and Matt continue their series looking at the true stories behind popular horror movies alleged to be based on fact. This week we cover The Exorcist and discuss the novel, the film, and the many spin-offs and sequels. Passing of "Roland Doe." (The Guardian) Seytan: The Turkish Exorcist The Exorcist (Amz Affiliate Link to MANY choices/versions/sequels/spin-offs) MonsterTalk YouTube The Exorcist novel (Amz Affiliate Link) Can’t get enough of monsters? If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to listen to more from MonsterTalk Radio, click here! Want to talk about a monster we haven’t talked about before? Send us an email! Catch MonsterTalk on All Your Favorite Podcasting Sites Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn Follow MonsterTalk on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Support Love the show? Consider supporting MonsterTalk Radio on Patreon! Interested in Advertising with us? Contact sales@advertisecast.com!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support.