Friend of the show Dr. Joe Laycock returns to talk about LIZARD PEOPLE with us. He also has a new book: The Penguin Book of Cults

Joe's Books:
Penguin Book of Cults (publisher) (amazon affiliate link)
The Exorcist Effect: Horror, Religion, and Demonic Belief (affiliate link)

Other topics of discussion:
Shadow Kingdom
Brotherhood of the White Temple
Shaver Mysteries
Kull
Dark Shadows (Soap Opera) "Leviathan" storyline
The Naga who wanted to be a priest
Serpent People
Aum Shenrikyo Japanese death cult
Skeptoid looks at famous rumor that Aum Shenrikyo had a nuclear bomb
The Secret Rulers of the World - Jon Ronson (YouTube)
V - the Mini Series

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It took a minute but I finally managed to read one of these "live" to my own family for the holidays. This is such an evocative story that I wanted to add a little art to the mix. I really want to put together a slow but detailed "animated gif" that goes through the cycles of the print as described in the tale - and maybe I'll get around to that at some point.

But for now here is some really nice artwork that captures the ideas of the tale in gothic majesty. 

This piece is by Catherine Gogerty. (link to her work)
In 1986, the BBC ran a series featuring Robert Powell reading ghost stories. The episode featuring The Mezzotint included creepy illustrations such as this:
I've been unable to track that series down, but the illustration is quite chilling. Artist Richard Svensson produced this remarkable and evocative work - which is available in his self-published collection of M. R. James inspired images. Some previews from that set look really great over at DeviantArt.
Finally - UK artist Rich Johnson has a lovely set of James inspired images that generally aspire to haunt without beating you over the head with explicitness.

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Blake and Karen visit again with Colorado author of paranormal and true crime, Richard Estep. Richard's Books

discussed in this episode:
Ghostly Encounters

The Horrors of Fox Hollow Farm

Mothman: Sightings and Investigations of the Iconic Flying Cryptid

Help is on the Way (pre-order for Feb 2026 Richard's memoir of being a paramedic)

Monsters: Myths, Legends and Real Encounters (pre-order March 2026)

Additional Links:The Hamlyn Book of Ghosts (affiliate)

The Haunting of Borley Rectory: The Story of a Ghost Story by Sean O'Connor (affiliate)

The World's Greatest Ghosts book that Karen remembered from her youth

BBC's 2025 Ghost Story for Christmas







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Episode Summary: In this episode, hosts Blake Smith and Dr. Karen Stollznow catch up on recent headlines and new literature. First, Blake discusses a "ripped from the headlines" update regarding the 2014 Slender Man stabbing case. We revisit the tragic story of Morgan Geyser, her recent escape from a halfway house, and the media’s handling of the mental health and transgender aspects of the story.

Later, Karen reviews a pre-publication copy of the upcoming book How to Build a Haunted House: The History of a Cultural Obsession by Caitlin Blackwell Baines. Does the book provide a blueprint for creating ghosts, or is it a cultural tour of famous haunts? Karen breaks down the architectural history, the folklore, and where the book lands on the spectrum of skepticism.

Key Topics
• Shout-outs for the Cryptid and Godzilla Advent calendars.
• Slenderman Segment:
    • Recap of the 2014 Waukesha stabbing (MonsterTalk Ep #86).
    • Morgan Geyser’s conditional release and subsequent escape attempt.
    • A critical look at the prison industrial complex, mental health care in the US, and the current moral panic surrounding transgender individuals in media coverage.

• Book Review Segment: How to Build a Haunted House (Coming April 2026).
    • A review of the book for the Society for Psychical Research (SPR).
    • Analysis of the Myrtles Plantation, Borley Rectory, and the Winchester Mystery House.

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FLASHBACKWe're looking back at October 5, 2011 this week and an interview with Valerius Geist (February 2, 1938 – July 6, 2021) about the myths and reality of wolves.  How dangerous are they? There's complexity and nuance here.  Some people fiercely believe wolves are just peaceful misunderstood beautiful animals that would not hurt a person.  Others believe they're fierce and dangerous predators.  Internet debates will happen but history - and Valerius Geist - suggest using extreme caution if you find yourself in close proximity to these beautiful predators in the wild. MonsterTalk Live (Disco Edition)

----FLASHBACK----

ON NOVEMBER 8, 2005 Canadian geological engineering student Kenton Carnegie went for a walk. He told people that he’d be back by 5 pm. When he hadn’t returned by 7 pm, a search party went out and discovered his remains in the woods. In this episode of Monstertalk (a follow-up to last week’s), we interview professor Valerius Geist about the true cause of Kenton Carnegie’s death. Some people thought he was killed by a bear, but more likely he was killed by a myth.Todd Svarckopf confronting a habituated wolf, four days before the Kenton Joel Carnegie wolf attack. (Photo by Chris van Gelder at North Point Landing Saskatchewan)Further Reading

• When do wolves become dangerous to humans? (by Valerius Geist)
• The Kenton Carnegie Wolf Attack on Wikipedia

Music

• Our Breath Shall Intermix by Symbion Project (used with permission)
• Le Fétichisme Dans L’amour by Symbion Project (used with permission)

Monstertalk Theme: Monster by Peach Stealing Monkeys

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We're joined by Sydney Davidson - student of Dr. Jeb Card (IRO) - to discuss her research into Frogmen Festivals, and to discuss monster festivals and some of the reasons people report they attend. (And it's not all about the plushies and t-shirts.)

Darren Naish on The Loveland Frog

The Myth of Disenchantment

Frogman Festival 2026

Close Encounters at Kelly And Others of 1955 (affiliate link)

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We're joined by Matt Baxter to watch and discuss another vintage BBC look at the paranormal - this time in the form of an allegedly haunted chest of drawers. Check the links and watch it yourself if you've got 12 mins to spare. What do you think of our takes?

Additional Links:

BBC Archive Clip - A Haunted Chest of Drawers

AGT: Special Head (levitation trick)

The Indian Rope Trick - Penn & Teller documentary about the history of the trick

David Berglas - Magician and Skeptical Investigator

Massimo Polidoro - modern skeptical investigator

Tony Cornell - British Parapsychologist and antiquarian

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We're joined by host of the Conspiracy Skeptic Podcast, Karl Mamer. Karl's working on a new book in his series of skeptically themed books of lists (The Skeptic's Book of Lists, The Conspiracy Skeptic's Book of Lists) and has been looking into the origins of demons & devils in Dungeons & Dragons.

Further Reading:

Deities & Demigods
BBC: The Great 1980s D&D Panic
Michael Stackpole and the Pulling Report (counter to B.A.D.D.)
The composite D&D title card is based on the work of David C. Sutherland III.






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In this episode, I talk about why I don't believe in Bigfoot and the core of my basis of doubt. This is part of a new intermittent series wherein we'll be looking at why a lot of monster stories fall apart when you attack them with Occam's Razor and other similarly sharp tools.

The clip in the intro is from In Search Of... Season 1, Episode 5. If you want to hear A LOT more about that episode, check out this episode of In ReSearch Of....

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This week on MonsterTalk, Blake and Karen are joined by Matthew Baxter to revisit Karen’s classic investigation book Haunting America — newly re-released in paperback just in time for Halloween 🎃. Together they discuss how the book began as a project for the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), the fieldwork behind its famous cases, and the updated edition’s new conclusion and color photos.👻 Topics discussed:

• Origins of Haunting America — conceived at the JREF as a skeptical investigation anthology.
• Behind-the-scenes stories from Karen and Matt’s fieldwork across the U.S.

• Visits to legendary “haunted” sites including:
  🏠 The Myrtles Plantation — tracing the truth behind the tale of “Chloe.”
  🏥 Waverly Hills Sanatorium — separating tuberculosis history from ghost folklore.
  🔫 Winchester Mystery House — examining Sarah Winchester’s real story vs. myth.

• Working with the JREF and Tim Farley (“What’s the Harm?”) on skeptical outreach.
• Revisiting historic ghost claims through the historical method rather than gadgets and TV tropes.
• Comparing early 2000s ghost hunting culture with modern media portrayals.
• The enduring folklore vs. fact tension in places like the Stanley Hotel, Amityville, and Lizzie Borden House.
• The value of myth-busting as a form of respect for real history and real people.🕯️ About the new edition:
• Now in paperback with color photographs and updated research.
• Includes follow-up findings on the Myrtles Plantation and San Antonio Railroad “ghost tracks.”
• Adds a new concluding chapter reflecting on skepticism and folklore after a decade of investigations.


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