Blurry Photos

Dark Mark Soloff returns to Blurry Photos to discuss the ever-fascinating yokai! A refresher and some new stories of yokai await, as Dark Mark nerds out with Flora on Japanese lore. Not visited for over 230 episodes, David brings Mark back to the show to revisit this fun and interesting topic. Japanese lore is rich and deep, and the boys talk about the origins, evolutions, and history of the Japanese ghosts. They also tell about some specific and fun types, including their favorites and ones used often in pop culture. Three stories are also read, all from Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan. Tune in and enjoy the silliness and spookiness from the land of the rising sun on this episode of Blurry Photos! Don't forget to watch me stream games on Twitch!   Sources Hearn, Lafcadio. Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. Republished by Xist Publishing. Tustin, CA. 2015. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1210/1210-h/1210-h.htm#chap09   Music Danse Macabre, Midnight in the Green House, Ice Demon - Kevin MacLeod (incompet

David and Jason return for the second part of Angels! Completing the hierarchy and discussing the evolution of Angels visually, the boys continue their fascinating journey through religious lore. The highest choir is discussed, with 3 more beings and their responsibilities described. Then Flora pivots to how such beings came to be viewed through a modern lens. How did they get wings, lyres, and halos? Is there any origin to how most people view them today? Jason answers with some very interesting scholarly explanations. Polish that halo and tune that lyre, this episode of Blurry Photos might just be heaven on earth! Join me on Twitch to watch some horror games and other fun content! The Dragons in Genesis Podcast Music Danse Macabre - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Flora, Derek, and Zenger are back with a special guest to discuss the 2019 film Hoax! The boys speak to writer/director Matt Allen about his indie film Hoax and get some insights to the making of it. Matt relates several stories and experiences in the making of the film. Flora learns about the dangers lurking in his backyard while Zenger learns his love of bacon outweighs movie gore. Check out the film and then listen to the roundtable (or vice versa) for a great behind the scenes experience! Don't forget to check out another roundtable while you're at it. Find more from Matt on Twitter @RealSlimMattyA Watch the trailer for the film Find Derek at Monsters Among Us Find Zenger at Zeng This!

Jason from the Dragons in Genesis podcast returns to discuss Angels in this 2-part episode! Flora and Jason dive into the history and origins of the concept of Angels in this first part of a two part episode. Where did they come from? Did they always look like what most people picture these days? David and Jason tackle some fascinating comparative mythology and also begin breaking down the hierarchy of these wild religious beings. Leave behind what you think you know - these things have morphed and changed more than a Power Ranger on his tenth cup of coffee! Enjoy this slice of religious mythology on Blurry Photos, then go check out Jason's show for yourself! Join me on Twitch to watch some horror games and other fun content! The Dragons in Genesis Podcast    

EXPLICIT WARNING (some swears) The time has come - the ballots are in and we have an ultimate cryptid to crown in the 2022 Miss Cryptid Contest of Champions! Flora announces the winner of the 2022 Miss Cryptid Contest of Champions as voted by YOU the listening audience! The past 10 years has come down to this: Batsquatch vs. Gef the Talking Mongoose vs. Hoover the Talking Seal. One will walk away with the title of Ultimate Cryptid. And three lucky listeners will win prizes for participating in this year's voting. Find out all the winners (and maybe a little more) in this bonus episode of Blurry Photos!    

Flora welcomes the boys from Monster Fuzz Podcast for a fun and lively discussion! Rob and Eamonn from Monster Fuzz Podcast join to converse about cryptids, podcasting, Lego, Ireland, and more! David waxes about his 10 years of podcasting including favorite episodes and weirdest cryptids. Rob and Eamonn discuss Gef the Talking Mongoose, learn about Hoover the Talking Seal, and ask about David's crazy times in Ireland. Make sure to give them some love wherever you listen to Blurry Photos! And stay tuned later in the week for the Miss Cryptid winner announcement. Find Monster Fuzz here!    

The final contestant has made it to the finals in the 2022 Miss Cryptid Contest of Champions! The winner of week 3 is announced and the 3 finalists are heard once more for the 2022 Miss Cryptid Contest of Champions. You've helped them get this far, the top 3 cryptids of the past 10 years' contests. Now you have a sacred oath to choose the ultimate winner, the people's champeen, the valorous victor of it all! Cast your vote on the Blurry Photos home page and make a dream come true! Make sure to head to the Blurry Photos home page to cast your vote! You can also enter to win a Miss Cryptid prize pack of your very own.    

Our last three winners step into the squared circle for week three of the 2022 Miss Cryptid Contest of Champions! This week, France's Lou Carcolh battles Boston's Hoover the Talking Seal and Australia's Drop Bear in a righteous slugfest! It's a worldwide skirmish of two fantastic creatures and one very real one. And of course, you control their fate. Cast your vote on the Blurry Photos home page for a chance to win a prize pack! Prize pack winners will receive toys, collectibles, a book, shirt, candy, and their very own Golden Goatman Trophy (replica). One runner-up will win a T-shirt, and one lucky entrant will be Miss Congealniality and win some stickers and magnets. Make sure to cast your vote soon, there's only this week and the finals left! Listen and decide, and find out who is moving on from week 2 on this episode! Make sure to head to the Blurry Photos home page to cast your vote! Music Danse Macabre, Chee Zee Jungle, Come Play with Me, Echoes of Time v2, Duet Musette, March of the Spoons - Kevin MacL

The bloodbath continues with week 2 of the 2022 Miss Cryptid Contest of Champions! This week of the Miss Cryptid Contest features the Specter Moose of Maine, Gef the Talking Mongoose, and the Beast of Gevaudan. A phantasmal legend of a creature. A legendary creature of a phantasm. And a creature phantom of legend. These powerful fiends square off for your adoration and entertainment, but who will move on to the finals and who will have their final fight? It's up to you to decide! And speaking of, we learn who you decided should move on from week 1 to be out first finalist for 2022. The contest is hot and heavy, and you are in the driver's seat - choose wisely! Make sure to head to the Blurry Photos home page to cast your vote! You can also enter to win a Miss Cryptid prize pack of your very own. Music Danse Macabre, Interloper - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Sources Copeland and Overson. Maine’s Specter Moose. Williston Graphic. Williston, ND. Dec. 6, 19

Back at the roundtable once again, the boys review the 2014 horror film It Follows! A unique spin on the horror genre, It Follows is a well-thought out and tension-filled film by David Robert Mitchell. That doesn't mean the boys enjoyed it, however. Not all of them, anyway. Flora discusses the plot and behind the scenes details with Derek and Justin while hearing their take. Is it a genre-bending game changer? Or is it a bit too slow to keep the attention? The boys talk all about it in this bonus episode! Don't forget to check out another roundtable while you're at it. Find Derek at Monsters Among Us Find Zenger at Zeng This! #Ad #MeUndies

After 9 years of putrid pageantry, the Miss Cryptid Contest is ready to crown an ultimate champion! The 2022 Miss Cryptid Contest of Champions begins with Batsquatch versus Rusalka versus Pukwudgie in a bloodily-beautiful battle royale! This year's contest pits the beast of the beast against each other, as the winners of every contest will vie for your love and votes. Which conqueror will emerge as the ultimate victor? It's up to you to decide! Cast your vote each week for your favorite on the Blurry Photos Home page. And while there, enter your name and email for a chance to win a Prize Pack with a shirt, book, toys, collectibles, candy, and more! You can vote once per week for 4 weeks. Enjoy the best cryptids and a trip down memory lane with old segments going back to 2013 mixed with new ones for some real nostalgia. Good luck, and enjoy the show! Make sure to head to the Blurry Photos home page to cast your vote! You can also enter to win a Miss Cryptid prize pack of your very own. Get your own copy of Ron

Flora welcomes author WT Watson back to the show to discuss his new work, Mysteries in the Mist: Mist, Fog, and Clouds in the Paranormal. Folklore and Fortean researcher WT Watson brings his expert clarity to foggy topics in Mysteries in the Mist. Just about every Fortean topic is covered in Watson's new book. From aliens and cryptids to Fae folk and physics, there's a little bit of a lot that he found in his research. Fog and mist happens all around the world, as does the odd phenomena that sometimes occurs in/with it. Colorful fogs, sentient mists, teleporting clouds and more have been reported, and Watson has collected many anecdotes to compile them in one work. Bottom line, if you run into some weirdly-colored, foul-smelling, or hot fog, run the other way! And don't let the clouds rain on your parade - check out other episodes on the Blurry Photos website!   Don't forget to check out Travis' book Mysteries in the Mist Biography from Amazon W. T. Watson is a coffee addict and writer of both fiction and non

Season 11 of Blurry Photos kicks off with the Burke and Hare murders! A wild story of 19th century body-snatching, the Burke and Hare murders may have helped advance anatomical science, but definitely regressed ethics. William Burke and William Hare, Irishmen living in Scotland, have become two of the most famous serial killers of the 19th century. When the demands of medical science became too much to keep up with naturally, the two Irishmen stepped in to lend a helping hand. Not grave robbers, or "resurrection men" as they were called at the time,  the duo skipped the whole burial part to provide anatomists with fresh bodies. It's a macabre tale of science and economics gone awry, with a slightly tipsy storytelling element to boot on this episode of Blurry Photos! Don't forget to watch me stream games on Twitch!   Sources Edwards: Owen Dudley Edwards, Burke & Hare, 1983 Roach: Mary Roach, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Norton, 2003 Adams: Norman Adams, Scottish Bodysnatchers: True Accounts,

Season 10 draws to a close with Moosham Castle, a throwback episode from the Extrasode back catalogue. A location rich in gory history, Moosham Castle in Austria is infamous for hauntings, witch trials, and bloody tales among a wild socioeconomic history. David takes you on a tour of castle's history and claims. Tales of werewolves and witches abound, including some of Europe's bloodiest witch trials. He also examines the socioeconomic context in which this gruesome time period was set. Tales of sorcerers and canoodling with the devil is shown against the wishes and actions of society's "elite" and their questionable agendas. Originally released this as an Extrasode to Patreon patrons in December 2017, David brings this to the main feed as an example of what's available on the Blurry Photos Patreon. Check it out and be on the look out for the beginning of season 11 later this month! Don't forget to watch me stream games on Twitch! Music Myst on the Moor, Danse Macabre, Ossuary 5 - Rest, Ossuary 6 - Air - Kevi

David, Derek, and Zenger are back at the roundtable with a review of Stephen Greer's Close Encounters of the 5th Kind! An exploration of disclosure and alien contact by Stephen Greer, Close Encounters of the 5th Kind paints a stirring image of humanity's fight to learn the truth about E.T. contact. The boys discuss what they liked and didn't like about the film. They also briefly explain the Hynek Scale of close encounters. What was Greer's experience and message to people? Do you think the film poses some interesting questions? Or is it all a veiled attempt to sell a product? Your hosts talk about all this and more in this episode! Don't forget to check out another roundtable while you're at it. Find Derek at Monsters Among Us Find Zenger at Zeng This!   Music Myst on the Moor - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  

Part two of Other Dyatlovs continues the dive into these Russian mysteries. Similar to Khamar-Daban, the strange deaths at Chivruay Pass leave nothing but questions for these other Dyatlovs. Flora dives deeply into the mystery to tell the story and explanations of what happened in 1973 on the Kola Peninsula. During a popular hike along a relatively easy path, 10 hikers seemingly split up and died overnight. Explanations range from vengeful spirits to KGB hits. How did these young people meet their fate on that snowy mountain pass? Why were they found in different places with missing eyes and blackened skin? David breaks down each explanation and offers some critical thought in the second part of this episode of Blurry Photos! Don't forget to watch me stream games on Twitch! Music Myst on the Moor, Floating Cities, Hiding Your Reality, Leaving Home, Lonely Mountain, Snowdrop, Spider Eyes - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

David is back with the first part of a deep dive into other Dyatlovs, more Russian mountain mysteries! Similar enough to the infamous Dyatlov Pass Incident, the other Dyatlovs of Khamar-Daban and Chivruay Pass pose equally creepy, unsolved mysteries. Happenings like these occurring in the same place would be one thing, but these all happened in different places around Russia. In the first part of this two-part episode, Flora takes a look at the Khamar-Daban Incident. A tragedy that took place in Southern Siberia in 1993, the Khamar-Daban Incident resulted in the loss of 6 lives. Only one of the 7 to go hiking made it back alive, and her tale is harrowing and perplexing. Listen to the details and see what you think might have happened. Then keep an eye on the Blurry Photos feed for part 2, coming soon! Don't forget to watch me stream games on Twitch! Music Myst on the Moor - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  

Derek blows the horn to assemble the roundtable for a review of the 1981 film The Loch Ness Horror! An indie film with Nessie as its star, The Loch Ness Horror is a campy horror flick with some hilarious moments. Derek, Zenger, and David go over their favorite and least favorite parts. How much Scottish accent is too much for Lake Tahoe? The boys try their best to explain the plot and pick out some positivity. If you like camp and decently-made super low budget works, check this one out - it's free on YouTube! And check out another roundtable while you're at it. Find the film on YouTube The Loch Ness Horror Find Derek at Monsters Among Us Find Zenger at Zeng This! #Sponsored I’ve partnered with Manscaped to bring a special offer for Blurrievers! Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code BLURRYPHOTOS at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod Check out Manscaped.com for great grooming stuff and get 20% off + free shipping with my code “BlurryPhotos”   Music Myst on the Moor, Backbay Lounge - Kevin MacLeo

David welcomes author WT Watson to the show to discuss the phantom black dog phenomenon! Author of Phantom Black Dogs: Walkers of the Liminal Way WT Watson joins the show to talk about his work and research into black dog folklore. Stories and encounters litter his book and he shares some in this episode. Huge black canines, smaller dark dogs, and a range of outcomes abound from Watson's research. Tales from the UK, US, Canada and Mexico are discussed in addition to mythological examples. Bring some bacon and maybe a leash for this episode of Blurry Photos! RIP Esmerelda   Don't forget to check out Travis' book Phantom Black Dogs: Walkers of the Liminal Way Biography from Amazon W. T. Watson is a coffee addict and writer of both fiction and non-fiction. He infuses his work with his expertise in cryptozoology, monster lore, magic, Forteana and the paranormal. W.T. brings a unique shamanic and magical perspective to all his work after over 30 years of exploration in these topics. When he is not writing or readi

Flora is back with a handful of aptly spookily dookilies in the tenth edition of ghost stories! A cursed tub, an Ex to die for, and zombies fill this year's edition of ghost stories. David weaves these yarns and more for your listening pleasure. Stick around after the stories for an important message about the Blurry Photos Audible trial offer. Don't forget to watch me stream games on Twitch! Music Myst on the Moor, Danse Macabre, Midnight in the Greenhouse, One of Them, Ossuary 5 - Rest, Phantasm - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0