Arcane Carolinas

Did you know a sprawling network of anti-Confederate organizers formed in the Piedmont of NC at the outset of the US Civil War? Join Michael and Charlie for a history deep-dive into a little-discussed corner of the reality of political organizing in the south during that era!

Note: the sound is different on this one because we got to use an awesome podcasting studio and record face to face!

Don't forget, Arcane Carolinas: Volume 2 is out now!

Register & Vote:

• North Carolina voter registration
• North Carolina "One-Stop" voter registration
• North Carolina "One-Stop" early voting
• North Carolina voting by mail
• South Carolina voter registration
• South Carolina early voting
• South Carolina voting by mail
• Voting information for all states

Upcoming Live Appearances:

• SPOOKY SEASON KICKOFF @ ARCANA DURHAM - Michael and Charlie (September 26th - Durham, NC)
• South Carolina State Library in Columbia, SC - Michael solo (December 12, 2024)

Links:

• "The Heroes of America in Civil War North Carolina"
• Civil War in the North Carolina Quaker Belt
• "William W. Holden and 'Disloyalty' in the Civil War"
• "Heroes of America" (NCpedia)

Follow us!

• Arcane Carolinas on Patreon
• Arcane Carolinas on Facebook
• Arcane Carolinas on Instagram
• Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr

Contact us!

[email protected]

From the Devil's Tramping Ground to ghost chickens in the US Capitol, what are our paranormal bucket list items? And what makes any given paranormal hotspot such a focal point for the strange in the first place? Join Michael and special guest co-hosts Gary Mitchel and Tally Johnson for the rest of our ConGregate 2024 conversation!

And don't forget, Arcane Carolinas: Volume 2 is out now!

Upcoming Live Appearances:

• SPOOKY SEASON KICKOFF @ ARCANA DURHAM - Michael and Charlie (September 26th - Durham, NC)
• South Carolina State Library in Columbia, SC - Michael solo (December 12, 2024)

Links:

• A Podcask of Amontillado
• Ret-Con
• Tally's books on Amazon
• DragonCon American Sci-Fi Classics Track on Facebook

Follow us!

• Arcane Carolinas on Patreon
• Arcane Carolinas on Facebook
• Arcane Carolinas on Instagram
• Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr

Contact us!

[email protected]

We've all heard of Route 66, but have you heard of Route 666? Did you know a phantom hotrod terrorizes a two-lane highway through South Carolina and North Carolina by night? Or have you seen the ghostly merchant in downtown Winston-Salem? Join Michael at ConGregate 2024 with special guest co-hosts Tally Johnson and Gary Mitchel to discuss these and other stories!

And don't forget, Arcane Carolinas: Volume 2 is out now!

Upcoming Live Appearances:

• SPOOKY SEASON KICKOFF @ ARCANA DURHAM - Michael and Charlie (September 26th - Durham, NC)
• Southern Gothic Festival in Camden, SC - Charlie solo (October 18-20, 2024)
• South Carolina State Library in Columbia, SC - Michael solo (December 12, 2024)

Links:

• A Podcask of Amontillado
• Ret-Con
• Tally's books on Amazon
• DragonCon American Sci-Fi Classics Track on Facebook

Follow us!

• Arcane Carolinas on Patreon
• Arcane Carolinas on Facebook
• Arcane Carolinas on Instagram
• Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr

Contact us!

[email protected]

As the episode title says, and as we say in the episode, DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE. IT IS ILLEGAL AND IT IS VERY EASY TO DIE THERE. PLEASE DO NOT DO THAT.

Goat-human hybrids: science gone wrong? Or magic gone wrong? Join Charlie and Michael for a lively and hilarious discussion of a unique (or perhaps not so unique!) legend from Kentucky of a deadly railroad trestle and the mutant who stalks those who foolishly visit it. This was recorded live at Ret-Con 2024!

And don't forget, Arcane Carolinas: Volume 2 is out now!

Upcoming Live Appearances:

• SPOOKY SEASON KICKOFF @ ARCANA DURHAM - Michael and Charlie (September 26th - Durham, NC)
• Southern Gothic Festival in Camden, SC - Charlie solo (October 18-20, 2024)
• South Carolina State Library in Columbia, SC - Michael solo (December 12, 2024)

Follow us!

• Arcane Carolinas on Patreon
• Arcane Carolinas on Facebook
• Arcane Carolinas on Instagram
• Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr

Contact us!

[email protected]

On a spring-like December morning in 1954, dozens of school children, their teacher, and one exceptionally brave janitor had an encounter with what came to be known as The Monkey-Dog. Join Charlie and Michael for a discussion of one of the more obscure and fascinating stories out of Robeson County, NC, and a larger conversation about the distinction between a myth and a cryptid!

And don't forget, Arcane Carolinas: Volume 2 is out now!

Upcoming Live Appearances:

• SPOOKY SEASON KICKOFF @ ARCANA DURHAM - Michael and Charlie (September 26th - Durham, NC)
• Southern Gothic Festival in Camden, SC - Charlie solo (October 18-20, 2024)
• South Carolina State Library in Columbia, SC - Michael solo (December 12, 2024)

Follow us!

• Arcane Carolinas on Patreon
• Arcane Carolinas on Facebook
• Arcane Carolinas on Instagram
• Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr

Contact us!

[email protected]

Y'all, this story has it all: country music, 19th century sightings, the Brown Mountain Lights, electoral politics, multiple varieties of entrepreneurship, UFOs, aliens, illegal construction on federal land, trailbreaking, John Keel, curiosity shops, and traffic jams. We don't even know what else to say! Join Michael and special guest co-host Michelle at the Black Mountain Library in May, 2024, as they discuss a story of hope and horror on Brown Mountain and beyond!

Out now: Arcane Carolinas: Volume 2!

Upcoming Live Appearances:

• SPOOKY SEASON KICKOFF @ ARCANA DURHAM - Michael and Charlie (September 26th - Durham, NC)
• Southern Gothic Festival in Camden, SC - Charlie solo (October 18-20, 2024)
• South Carolina State Library in Columbia, SC - Michael solo (December 12, 2024)

Links:

If your local library doesn't have these books, ask them about interlibrary loan!

• Black Mountain Library
• Lulu Belle & Scotty's "Brown Mountain Light" - YouTube.com
• Ralph Lael's The Brown Mountain Lights - NC Cardinal (NC public libraries)
• Wade Edward Speer's The Brown Mountain Lights - NC Cardinal (NC public libraries)
• UFO Related Entries Catalog entry for Ralph Lael - ufologie.patrickgross.org

Follow us!

• Arcane Carolinas on Patreon
• Arcane Carolinas on Facebook
• Arcane Carolinas on Instagram
• Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr

Contact us!

[email protected]

Lake Norman is sometimes referred to as North Carolina's only inland sea, and a review of its size and dimensions definitely back that up. But it's also a place where strange things are seen in, around, and sometimes over the water! Join Charlie and Michael for a chat about the upcoming spooky season and a discussion of Lake Norman as a locus of the strange!

Out today: Arcane Carolinas: Volume 2! Pick it up now!

Upcoming Live Appearances:

• SPOOKY SEASON KICKOFF @ ARCANA DURHAM - Michael and Charlie (September 26th - Durham, NC)
• Southern Gothic Festival in Camden, SC - Charlie solo (October 18-20, 2024)
• South Carolina State Library in Columbia, SC - Michael solo (December 12, 2024)

Links:

• The original YouTube video - (EXTREMELY SHAKY)
• A later news story - USA Today

Follow us!

• Arcane Carolinas on Patreon
• Arcane Carolinas on Facebook
• Arcane Carolinas on Instagram
• Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr

Contact us!

[email protected]

Do you love spooky tales such as the Boo Hag or the classic legend of The Rattlesnake Honeymoon? Do you love comic books and sequential art produced by folks right here in the Carolinas? Then check out this Arcane Carolinas Case Files episode where Michael interviews Fiona W. Dunn, co-creator and illustrator of Tarheel Tales of Terror!

And, don't forget, we've got Arcane Carolinas, Volume 2 coming out on September 1st! You can preorder paperback and electronic copies now!

AND we'll have some copies on hand for the Spooky Season Kickoff at Arcana on 9/26. Get your free ticket below!

Upcoming Live Appearances:

• SPOOKY SEASON KICKOFF @ ARCANA DURHAM - Michael and Charlie (September 26th - Durham, NC)

Links:

• Tarheel Tales of Terror on Facebook
• Verdancy on Tumblr
• Fiona W. Dunn at fionawdunn.art

Follow us!

• Arcane Carolinas on Patreon
• Arcane Carolinas on Facebook
• Arcane Carolinas on Instagram
• Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr

Contact us!

[email protected]

Michael here! I have no idea how to introduce this episode, honestly, because every time we say anything even remotely snarky about this episode's subject some piece of technology fails us: we had microphones go out in the middle of recording, our hosting provider ate the episode when it was supposed to go out, and even so small a thing as trying to add episode artwork caused me to lose the draft seconds before I would have clicked "publish." That said, I invite you to join us Charlie does a deep dive into the history and lore around Robert the Doll, star of stage and screen, and we discuss how such an item might come to hold powers beyond what one might expect.

(Please, universe, just let me click "publish" and be done with this episode already. Yeesh.)

Upcoming Live Appearances:

• ConGregate 10 - Michael solo (July 12-14, 2024 - Winston-Salem, NC)
• SAGA Professional Genre Writing Conference - Michael solo (July 12-14, 2024 - Winston-Salem, NC)
• HWA NC group reading at Moon Dog Meadery - Michael solo (August 13, 2024 - Durham, NC)
• Arcana Durham - Michael and Charlie (September 26th - Durham, NC)

Links:

• Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory (with live webcam!)
• No, I am not linking to the museum where they display Robert the Doll, I am tired of having every single step of editing and publishing this episode run into some sort of technical problem. Google it yourself IF YOU DARE

Follow us!

• Arcane Carolinas on Patreon
• Arcane Carolinas on Facebook
• Arcane Carolinas on Instagram
• Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr

Contact us!

[email protected]

Hitch up your waders and fetch your log-pokin' stick, as ride along as Charlie and Michael talk about Alabama's Bear Creek Swamp! Do you like ghosts? Do you like creepy dolls? Do you like finding horrible things? Then this is the place for you! Bear Creek Swamp has anything you could want, and plenty you might not!

Tally Johnson's Books:

• Ghosts of the South Carolina Midlands
• Creek Walking
• Ghosts of the South Carolina Upcountry

Upcoming Live Appearances:

• ConGregate 10 - Michael solo (July 12-14, 2024 - Winston-Salem, NC)
• SAGA Professional Genre Writing Conference - Michael solo (July 12-14, 2024 - Winston-Salem, NC)
• HWA NC Group Reading (early August - Durham, NC - Details TBD)
• Arcana Durham - Michael and Charlie (September 26th - Durham, NC)

Follow us!

• Arcane Carolinas on Patreon
• Arcane Carolinas on Facebook
• Arcane Carolinas on Instagram
• Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr

Contact us!

[email protected]