In part one of this week's show, Ben takes a look at a number of Japanese mythological creatures, and the surprising number of magical spiders that seem to plague the land of the rising sun. 

Next, we look at the life and crimes of Canadian gangster Richard "The Cat" Blass, who's violence against rival mafia painted a huge target on his back that nobody seemed to be able to hit.

Pt 1. Donald Crowhurst was a man on a mission, but it's not really clear what that mission was. His failed journey around the world on a poorly made sailboat leads to conversations of depression, desperation, and the desire to escape society. 

Pt 2. Most ghost stories start with a murder, but the tale of the Hammersmith Ghost ends with one that would influence criminal law in England for centuries.

Marriage is hard, but when Ruth Snyder met a man on the side, her unfulfilling marriage drove her and her lover to commit a bumbling murder. As it turns out, societies' views on the two killers turned out to be more than a little biased. 

Leo Major joined the Canadian military at the onset of World War 2 to prove a point to his father. Apparently that point was that he was an invincible bad ass who wouldn't take crap (or awards) from fools.

Solonik might be the best name ever for a lone killer. This great or possibly terrible marksman became one of Russia's most feared contract killers.

Then, when up to twelve men conspired to kill Michael Malloy in a life insurance scheme, the homeless, elderly alcoholic proved to be a much tougher mark than anyone had guessed.

Giles Corey was a murderer, but he was not a witch. The courts of Salem, Massachusetts sentenced him to death for one of those two things. Hint: It wasn't for murder. 

In 1579, Francis Drake landed somewhere near present-day San Francisco Bay, and left a brass plate to mark the occasion. This would become the basis for one of the dorkiest, history-book altering pranks in recent history.

Part One: Ben brings you some of Africa's most fantastic beasts. From grass goblins and horny penis bats, to a primordial serpent, there are plenty of myths to make you afraid of the dark...est continent.  

Part Two: In the 1860's, New York City became one of the first metropolises in the world to have a working subway; a feat they only accomplished because inventor Alfred Beach was able to trick the government into letting him build it.

In the midst of WWII, the United States Navy was working on a number of top-secret projects. Was a disappearing, teleporting battleship one of them? Guest Kelly Bristol explores the weird, enduring legend known as the Philadelphia Experiment.

Jesse James was, perhaps, the most well known of the Old West outlaws. But after his death, a surprising number of people popped up claiming to be the real gunslinger. Ben tells the weird history of Jesse James impostors.

It's not uncommon for someone to love their work so much that they take it home with them. But for historian and self-proclaimed cemetery expert Anatoly Moskvin, his obsession with his work went just a little too far.

When Dr Ignaz Semmelweis noticed a pattern in the number of "childbed fever" deaths, he devised a cunning plan to correct the problem. Though it worked, it was apparently just too far ahead of its time.

Gather 'round, kiddos, and make sure you get an accurate headcount. We've got more creepypasta this week, as Ben reads the not-at-all confusing tale, Anansi's Goatman Story. 

Next, we explore the creepy, possibly real, story of the ghost ship SS Ourang Medan. What killed the crew, and left them frozen in a state of utter terror? And why did the ship suddenly explode?

This week, Ben tells the story of Johnny Ringo; and Old West outlaw who was as likely to sling lines from Shakespeare as he was his guns. But that's not to say he was a saint.

Then Steve shares the very odd—and very gross—story of Terrare, the French man who could, and would, eat anything he could sink his teeth into.