The Monster Professor

Pinckney Benedict and I debate Leatherface vs. The Shape, as well as their films, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) vs. Halloween (1978). We end up analyzing, contrasting, and praising more than fighting, but we make progress nonetheless. The YouTube version has full video, including scenes from the films and Pinckney in his monstrous form, which is … Continue reading Leatherface vs. The Shape, with Pinckney Benedict

There is one tradition of including or rendering monsters in tales, but there is a second tradition of directly analyzing and studying monsters. In this episode, I lay out what I consider to be the four distinct schools of studying and analyzing monsters, from ancient times to modern academia. The Monster Professor: a show in … Continue reading The Four Schools of Monster Studies

From Jason in a hockey mask to a recent Ghostbuster, with plenty of weirdness in between, I discuss retro-horror movie influences that are so obscure some of the films’ own directors might not even be fully aware of them. Here is the list of movies discussed: The Monster Professor: a show in which we discuss … Continue reading Obscure Horror Movie Influences

The many-headed monster of Classical mythology holds a secret that is revealed in the fuller story of Herakles, and it might still be relevant today. The Monster Professor: a show in which we discuss and explore monsters in literature, myth, film, games, theater, folklore, culture, and beyond. Podcast host: Josh Woods, author, editor, professor, and … Continue reading The Riddle of the Hydra

From prehistory and ancient myth to modern-day reports of real encounters, shapeshifters and ghosts surround us, so I dig into them with John Kachuba, author of several ghosthunting guides as well as the recent book Shapeshifters: A History (University of Chicago Press). Find more on John Kachuba here: http://johnkachuba.com The Monster Professor: a show in … Continue reading Shapeshifters and Ghost Investigations with John Kachuba

As a last-minute Halloween treat, I discuss the utter brilliance of the original 1978 film Halloween.

It’s time again to discuss (or more accurately, ramble on about) awesome horror and Halloween films I’ve (re)watched recently. Spoiler warning in full effect for the following: Joe Bob’s Last Drive-In ShowTourist TrapBlack ChristmasElijah Wood projects: Mandy, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, The Greasy Strangler, I Don’t Feel at Home in this World … Continue reading Halloween Watch 2021

Were serial killers lurking in the shadows of Classical mythology? To find out, we dig into Theseus’ gantlet of villains, the sphynx, Medea, and more, with Classics professor Debbie Felton, author of Monsters and Monarchs: Serial Killers in Classical Myth and History. Debbie Felton’s site: https://www.umass.edu/classics/member/debbie-felton The Monster Professor: a show in which we discuss … Continue reading Serial Killers in Greek Myth with Debbie Felton

Are Ring-wraiths inspired by Dracula, perhaps even Tolkien’s version of vampires? We go through the details to find out. The Monster Professor: a show in which we discuss and explore monsters in literature, myth, film, games, theater, folklore, culture, and beyond. Podcast host: Josh Woods, author, editor, professor, and monster expert. joshwoodsauthor.com

Special guest Kevin Sorbo joins me to discuss his iconic role as the greatest monster slayer ever, Hercules. We explore the classic hero vs. anti-hero, and the value of hero vs. monster stories in the modern era, as well as Sorbo’s own personal battles and current projects focused on battling darkness with light. Links for … Continue reading Hercules the Monster Slayer with Kevin Sorbo

This episode is the audio of the live Monster Professor/guest author event at the Florida SouthWestern State College Research Expo on April 13, 2021. The full video is on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/6vDj3van8pg In this event, Josh Woods share his ideas about Horror Structure as one of two storytelling archetypes, reads a short story from his … Continue reading Live Event at FSW

Emily Zarka, zombie expert and host of Monstrum (PBS, Storied channel), takes us through the history of zombies, how they’ve changed and fascinated us through films and games, the spiritual traditions that protect their secrets, and even how they help us prep for emergency situations. Zarka’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZarkaEmily Zarka’s website: https://www.emilyelizabethzarka.com/ Monstrum on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_lsQEz7yLOpq278N-4I72cTXlRE1kVUN … Continue reading Zombies with PBS Monstrum Host Emily Zarka

Werewolf expert Michael Chemers returns to take us on his real-life werewolf hunt in Germany. We also reach back to the proto-origins of werewolves and follow werewolf hunts and trials through the ages—including American werewolves in recent years. Chemers is Professor of Dramatic Literature and Theater Arts at the University of California Santa Cruz, and … Continue reading Werewolf Hunting with Michael Chemers

Asa Mittman invites us into the world of Monster Studies as an official academic field in universities, and he reveals Medieval maps of monsters to show us the darker social consequences of such ideas, both then and now. Asa Mittman is the author of Maps and Monsters in Medieval England, a prolific co-author and co-editor, … Continue reading Monster Studies Medieval and Today with Asa Mittman

Dana Gioia brings us into the powerful darkness of his opera libretto Nosferatu, and along the way guides us through the place of monstrous and gothic stories within the literary tradition, and even touches on the truth of evil itself. Gioia is an internationally acclaimed poet, writer, and editor, as well as former California Poet … Continue reading Nosferatu with Dana Gioia

Matt Davids from DiceGeeks.com returns to discuss two man-eating monsters that have captured imaginations both modern and ancient, under the surface and in the maze of the mind. DiceGeeks.com Podcast and Website: https://www.dicegeeks.com/ Matt Davids’s Drive Thru RPG books: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?artist=Matt%20Davids And his Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Matt-Davids/e/B077SBKV9Y?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1605022261&sr=8-1 The Monster Professor: a show in which we discuss and … Continue reading Sharks and Minotaurs with Matt Davids

As an informal Halloween treat, I share some excellent new shows and movies to watch for Halloween, along with some retro gems that might be new to you (as they were to me), and even some unofficial Screen Monster Awards to recent series and films for Best Zombie, Best Water Creature, Best Invisible Person, and … Continue reading Halloween Viewing 2020

I speak with Inklings scholar Amy Trogan and poet Brandi George as we explore the perilous realm where fairies and demons cross paths, especially as they exist in traditional folklore, in the works of C.S. Lewis, in the creative writing process, even in real personal experience. More about Brandi George: https://www.brandigeorgepoetry.com/ More about Amy Trogan: … Continue reading Fairies and Demons with Amy Trogan and Brandi George

The universe as monster: author and editor Simon Strantzas joins the show to discuss cosmic horror in literature, the weird vs. the strange, the exploratory philosophy of horror, and more. Find out more about him and his projects through these links: Simon Strantzas’s website: http://strantzas.com Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Simon-Strantzas/e/B004K34LSU?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1599753250&sr=8-1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thinkinghorror/ Also check out the journal Thinking … Continue reading Cosmic Horror with Simon Strantzas

Real sea monsters staring up at you from the deep, sinkholes suddenly opening under your bed and swallowing you whole, invisible clouds of death seeping from volcanoes and killing whole villages… we explore all these natural horrors and more with Dr. Joseph Van Gaalen, expert in geology and oceanography. The Monster Professor: a show in … Continue reading Monstrous Nature: Ocean and Earth with Joe Van Gaalen