Obsessed With Death

From the Victorian terror of being buried alive to the rise of spiritualist séances, haunted science experiments, and Houdini’s crusade against fake mediums, this episode digs into the true and truly bizarre history behind our fascination with the dead. Happy Halloween!

In this episode of Obsessed With Death, Rob talks with author and artist FREAKBAiT about how mortality fuels creativity, using death as motivation, balancing humor with darker themes, psychedelic experiences, and the idea of leaving behind unfinished work to be shared after death.

Bestselling author Mary Roach joins Obsessed With Death to talk about her new book Replaceable You, the fears of aging vs. dying, what it’s like to step inside a 1950s iron lung, and why she originally fought against the now iconic toe-tag cover of Stiff.

We’re revisiting powerful conversations as part of our Archive Spotlight, where we highlight meaningful conversations from the past.

In this episode we dive into the complex and often misunderstood world of assisted death, exploring the emotional, ethical, and deeply human sides of end-of-life choices. From eligibility requirements and shifting legislation to powerful stories of final moments.

Originally published on February 8th, 2022.

In this episode, Rob is joined by Grace, whose lifelong fascination with death and cemeteries led her to an unexpected career documenting grave sites and sharing the stories of those who’ve passed. Grace shares how her connection to the other side evolved into a meaningful mission to honor the forgotten, support grieving families, and keep memories alive.

Comedian Jay Larson joins Obsessed with Death to talk about growing up with an older family, random chest pains, why being a dad makes him want to stick around a lot longer, and how dark thoughts can still come from a good place.

We’re revisiting powerful conversations as part of our Archive Spotlight, where we highlight meaningful conversations from the past.

In this episode, Rob chats with bestselling author Sam Kean about the dark, bizarre history of grave robbing in the name of science. From drunken med students digging up fresh corpses to the riot-inducing public backlash, they explore how anatomy’s early days were fueled by body snatching—and how some doctors even did the digging themselves. 

Inspired by Kean’s book The Ice Pick Surgeon.

Originally published on 7/16/21.

In this episode of Obsessed with Death, Rob sits down with artist Shampoooty, known for creating nostalgic, adult-themed toys that explore death, addiction, and the messiness of adulthood through humor and physical art. They discuss how a childhood panic about death evolved into a creative mission to spark conversations about mortality using playful objects like toy hearses and funeral sets, even catching the attention of grief therapists looking for tools to help kids process loss.

We’re revisiting a powerful conversation as part of our Archive Spotlight, where we highlight meaningful conversations from the past.

In this episode of Obsessed with Death, we talk with Joshua, who used AI to create a chatbot modeled after his late fiancée, Jessica—a striking and deeply personal attempt to process long-buried grief.

Originally published July 29, 2021

In this episode of Obsessed with Death, Rob is joined by writer and artist Z.G. Burnett, who unexpectedly won a colonial-era gravestone at an auction and is now on a mission to uncover its origins and return it to its rightful resting place. Together, they explore the ethics of buying and selling grave markers, the cultural disconnect from death in America, and the deep and sometimes unconventional ways we try to leave a legacy.