Just A Story: Urban Legend Podcast

What gives art its value? Is it beauty? Is it history? The artist’s signature? The fact that the piece is housed in a prestigious institution? Maybe it’s the story of the work of art and it’s creator. Maybe the legend of the art is as important as the work itself. Join us this week for the tales of art heists, forgeries, and true masters of their craft as we ask what makes a pretty painting, into art.  Special Guest Story Teller: The Lonely Palette Podcast: http://www.thelonelypalette.com

Sometimes the character of a place is so apparent that one can help but feel the stories that formed it. Natchez, Mississippi is one of those places. History has always brought conflicted, complicated characters to this city on the bluffs, and it seems that those characters and the spaces that he inhabited are still around. Natchez held on tight to its history, and today, legends abound. Join us this week as we discuss the southern character itself, focusing on stories from this sleepy Mississippi town: from the haunting of King’s Tavern, to the town’s ties to the infamous Harpe Brothers; from the trial of Aaron Burr, to murder at Goat Castle.

There is a time honored tradition in America of elevating the heroes amongst us, who are willing to take matters into their own hands. They quickly become legends. We seem to love an antihero, and at no time was this more apparent than in the 1970s. The heyday of the vigilante film, saw such classics as Shaft, Taxi Driver, Foxy Brown, and Dirty Harry hit screens for the first time. So, what does this tell us (other than that Tarantino was a child of this era)? What can we learn by looking at the people who are willing to put their lives on the line to either preserve an order that benefits them, or upends system that oppresses them? Can extralegal justice ever be a good thing? Join us this week as we talk about historical vigilantes, from twelfth century Gaul, to the Wild West, to World War I and the legends they have become.

Rock and roll is here to stay, and that’s why some truly enduring urban legends have sprung up around the landmark hits and the bands that performed them.  Before there was Instagram, or even MySpace; before AOL instant messenger, before MTV, or John Hughes; before arcades and shopping malls; before all that: there was rock and roll. For teenagers, by teenagers, about teenagers; rock was going to be a voice of its generation for generations to come. Music journalism, festivals and concerts created a true grapevine. So of course, there was gossip, and where there’s gossip, urban legends can grow wild. So join us this week as we explore the true stories behind such classic as “In the Air Tonight,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and the most storied song of the 20th century, “American Pie.” Kick off your shoes, let’s dig those rhythm and blues.

Shadow People are an international phenomenon. As far as paranormal experiences go, seeing a fleeting dark figure in you peripheral vision, or waking up to a sensation of being unable to move as a dark figure stares at you, or seeing a dark silhouette in a spooky building; are very common happenings. However there is definitely more to these mysterious entities than meets the eye. Join us this week as we discuss the particulars of shadow people. From the Dark Watchers of Big Sur, to the Hat Man and his minions, to possible omens associated with true crimes, to the dark influence of Walking Sam on the Pine Ridge Reservation; we will do our best to unravel the seemingly simple question, what are they? Guest Story Tellers: Our Amazing Listeners  Music Credit: Purple Planet Music     

So often when we picture an enemy, a true threat; they become bigger, stronger, faster, or smarter in our mind’s eye. So it’s only natural that for thousands of years, the terrifying ‘other’ has been painted as more than a man, and the warrior on the opposing side has been given super powers, if only in the imagination of those opposing him. Super soldiers are as natural a feature in stories as conflict, or war itself. Join us this week as we begin by discussing the star spangled poster child for performance enhancing drugs, Captain America and then survey the theme of the super soldier throughout history, around the world. From the Sacred Band of Thebes, to the sect of Assassins in Persia; from secret Nazi meth and Übermensch envy, to monkeying around with hybrids in the USSR, we will see what happens when the enemy we imagine is, well, super.

First of all, spoiler alert... content warning ... ick alert, we are actually going to be discussing necrophilia and its many forms on this charming episode of Just A Story. So, yeah. Join us as we discuss the historical accounts, legal statutes, and cultural interpretations of necrophilia. From Carl Tanzler to Karen Greenlee and beyond, we’ll mention all the unmentionables. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod    

Okay. We’ve finally done it. It’s Nessie’s turn for the Just A Story treatment. The Loch Ness Monster is said to occupy the vast expanse of water in Scotland, but alas, our dear lake monster remains in the realm of myth to this day. Of course there are numerous sightings each year, but there are not so much in the way of proof. This raises obvious questions, like: when and how did these sightings start; what evidence has accumulated; and just what the loch is going on in that lake? Join us this week as we explore the sordid history of Nessie hunters, the story of the princess of paleontology, a primer on water horses and kelpies, and so much more.

Have you heard of that abandoned town in Ohio where absolutely every urban legend ever happened? No seriously. According to lore, Boston, Ohio (or Hell Town, if we are going with the lore) is home to all manner of phenomena and conspiracies. But what really happened there? And what happens when people on power act for the good of all, at the expense of the few? Join us as we explore the origins of helltown, the Osage reign of terror, and the time that the Bronx was burning. 

What happened to Olivia Mabel? The internet wants to know. Could grief and longing have created an entity that took on thoughts all its own; after the death of her son? Why would anyone believe that could happen? Well, as you might have expected, it’s kind of a long story. Join us this week as we explore the roots of Theosophy and its founder Madame Blavatsky. We will discuss where the belief system drew on Tibetan ideas emanations and where the concept of the tulpa drifted into uncharted territory. Oh. And we’ll talk about that one time in the 70s when some Canadians made a fake ghost... his name was Philip.

When we close our eyes at night, we all become mysteries. Dreaming is one of the most miraculous and least understood things humans can do. It seems that many miraculous, misunderstood dreams have been spent on this man. Who is this man? Join us this week as we do our best to answer that question. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

So, how do we go from seeing disc in the sky (I hear it was all the rage in 1947); to spending time with aliens on their crafts and being probed? Seems quite a leap, no? Well brothers, sisters and gentle people of earth, it was a long strange trip. Join us this week as we talk about some truly historic abduction stories, like the one that started it all: the Betty & Barney Hill case. We’ll also  discuss whether this type of story is a new imagining of the future, or a deeply hidden memory of a distant past buried under decades of folklore. This episode is all about alien abductions, because, you know, the truth is out there.  Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375        

  When looking back to the Roswell Incident, it isn’t hard to imagine a cowboy with a thousand yard stare sitting next to his old friend with wraparound eyes surveying a southwestern scene, and saying, ‘So, this is where it all started.’. You see, once upon a time, in the lonely New Mexico desert all those years ago back in 1947, a flying saucer crash landed on a ranch. At least that is what the ARMY press release stated. It’s easy to see the how a UFO incident outed by the military would stick in the popular imagination. But was Roswell always the legend that we know today? Well, that’s kind of a funny story. Join us this week as we explore the way that the events in Roswell, New Mexico transformed from the death-knell for the ‘Flying Disc Craze’ to the lynchpin for all those who want to believe. ?? For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod  

American tall tales are an odd branch of the folkloric family tree. Younger than fairy tales, but older than urban legends; they seem to have descended into a kind of awkward adolescence around the end of WWII. Yes, they’re stuck at the kids’ table within the collective unconscious, and they totally don’t get their younger cousins’ pop culture references. How did this happen? Who decided we needed tall tales in the first place? What has become of American Mythology today? Join us this week as we set out on a mission to define the American character, and when we are done; we’re going to Disneyland. Guest Story Teller: The Mellomen - Paul Bunyan (1958, Disney)    For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

Everything you’ve ever heard about New Orleans Mardi Gras is true. The floats, the beads, the craven apocalypse party - that is all there. What’s more surprising, is that there are parts of Mardi Gras that you haven’t heard of. Join us this week as we explore the secretive culture of the Mardi Gras Indians, and their role in creating the unique character of the city.

Most of the authors we meet in school don’t stick with us as personalities. We remember the stories they create more than we remember them. That’s not true for dear Edgar. In fact the lines between fact and fiction become so blurry when he’s nearby that it’s no small task to keep the man and his work separate. And that’s just the way he wanted it. Join us this week as we discuss a plethora of Poe urban legends. From his persona, to his death to the Poe toaster; to all the true stories he molded into legends in his writing. Come on, let’s dive in before something starts rapping at your chamber door. Guest Story Teller courtesy of Libravox For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod     

Why do we like to imagine that the world was once full of giants? All cultures seem to have a version of a myth or legend that mentions that how much bigger our ancestors were once upon a time. Is it the idea that our human history was once part of something bigger and more fantastic? Sure, that is basically all nostalgia is, when you put it like that. But why have people believed it? Why have generations of people in every region of the globe, at some point in time *believed* that there were giants upon the earth in those days? That’s what we will be exploring this week, the evidence of giants and what people believed about them. Join us as we discuss The Postdam Grenadiers, Greek hero cults, circus giants, a notorious discovery made in Cardiff, New York, and a real life love story of epic proportions. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

This week we put together some new stories that tie to some of our early episodes. We really just wanted to send the year out by looking back at what we’ve put together so far, and finding even more to explore. Maybe we all just want to catch our breath before we dive headlong into a whole new year. So we’ve taken the opportunity to revisit the stories we missed and the things that have changed since we finished these episodes. We also wanted to thank our listeners, so we’ve included some new stories from the episodes that you told us were your favorites. Join us as we re-explore the satanic panic, the sausage king of Chicago, hotel mysteries, Bluebeard. Killer clowns, organ theft and of course; Nazi cows.

No one in the history of Christmas has ever truly wanted nothing from Santa but their two front teeth. No, no, no, kids want toys. The modern contract between parents, children, Santa, and his army of elves is centered on this basic truth. But which toys? Should kids get only wholesome, politically correct playthings? Should boys and girls receive different toys? Do they want different toys? Join us this week as we try to get to the bottom of the gendering of children’s toys. Using Barbie as a case study, we will discuss the way certain toys acquire a reputation for being bad for kids, and the common arguments for and against different types of play. We will explore her less than innocent origins and the years of controversy that she has left in her hot pink, glittery wake.  For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod.         

Playing detective is all fun and games until you uncover a real clue. Story-lovers have few universal traits. But for the most part, we love a mystery. We love to see disjointed snippets of information begin to form a meaningful picture, so of course we love to think we could solve a real case. And sometimes we get so carried away with that idea that we end up creating a brand new fiction. Join us this week as we discuss what went wrong with ‘Hi, Walter’ and decrypt some mysteries surrounding other Youtube mysteries like ‘Deeper’. But really. Our main question, though, is: was the Zodiac Killer just a story?  For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod.  

Each time a new media technology arises, people fear what it will mean for our culture. It’s as if the new platform threatens to melt away all our credulity and healthy skepticism melt away in the burning rapture of our wonderment. Whether it’s genre fiction, radio, television or social media - we were told to approach with caution when each arrived on the scene. But once in a generation a piece of fiction comes along that takes that apprehension, the unfamiliarity of a new medium, and clever storytelling and captures lightning in a bottle. Is this the case in the Twitter phenomenon known as Dear David? Join us this week as we explore the powerful ways media has blurred the lines between fantasy and reality throughout history.  For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod.     

Ever have a blemish that just seems ... weird? Worse than usual? Maybe it hurts or makes the entire area around it red, or it almost itches... whatever the case, once you’ve noticed it; you can’t forget it’s there. You know you shouldn’t pick, but you just can’t help yourself, and when you do ... OUT RUSH A HORDE OF BABY SPIDERS!!  OH MY GOD! NO! I LIKED THEM IN CHARLOTTE’S WEB, BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH! AGH!!! - you might say.  ‘Can that really happen?’ you might be saying... Lucky for you, we’ve got the answer on this week’s episode, along with stories of Salvador Dali and his ill-fated pet bat, the care and keeping of lepers; and secret government experiments that you’ve probably been subjected to according to the only source you can trust, the internet. Join us as we discuss the creepy crawlies of the world, and why, how, and if, they get under our skin. Guest Story Teller:  Sarah Steele from Let's Talk About Sects. Check her podcast out: http://www.ltaspod.com For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod.         

Delivering mail is not exciting. It’s certainly not fascinating. No, It’s definitely not in the business of providing thrills and changing history. And while you may not have picked up on my tone, I am being sarcastic; surprisingly enough. The story of mail delivery is the story of ideas being shared. So, from the early days of colonial era, the post boys who ran along the post roads were essential to, well, uniting the states. It’s no wonder that those struck down on the job, not having fulfilled their all important mission were never able to Rest In Peace. Join us this week as we examine the legend of Ohio’s Post Boy Road and the way mail delivery evolved into the grand experiment that has become a Wild West icon, the Pony Express. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod.  

Once upon a time a very rich beer brewer had a son and locked him away in the tippy top floor of his mansion. He didn't let him play with other boys or girls. He didn't let him out into the sunlight. He didn't eve let him exist in any official records. No, this boy was a secret, but one day, he would make himself known. This is the story of the Monkey Faced Boy of Lemp Mansion, but it's not the only one of its kind. Join us this week as we explore the hidden history of hidden rooms and the unfortunate souls allegedly hidden within them. From Monster of Glamis Castle in Scotland; to the Chuas of Gujarat; the newly horrifying disappoint rooms of aristocratic America; we will explore hidden places and practices and the people for whom they were created.  For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod.  

Picture it. You come upon a vehicle, maybe a limo, marooned alongside the highway. You offer your assistance, just because you’re a nice person. Sometime later on you receive a letter saying that you’re mortgage has been paid off; or a check with your name on it is dropped off at your house; or you learn you’ve been named in the will years later. The person you helped was incredibly wealthy, and they were incredibly grateful. Sounds like an 80s movie, doesn’t it? Join us this week as we take a look at the MTV generation and their love affair with capitalism. We’ll also learn about Reagan’s use of Hollywood to amplify his messages to America. Of course, no story of eccentric tycoons is complete without Howard Hughes. We’ll discuss the rise and fall of the un-spruced goose, who defined the darkness of power in America. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod.  

Can objects be cursed? Haunted? Possessed? Can they kill people just by being nearby?  Join us this week as we dive into two urban legends that begin in two very unlikely places. First, we’ll go back to a time when Jennifer Love Hewitt was America’s sweetheart and the biggest national debate we had going was over Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC, it was a kinder, gentler era. It was the internet infancy moment that allowed a spooky eBay listing to make the news, and spawned the legend of the Dybbuk Box. Then we will travel to mid century Kentucky, and speak to Mama about the history of some of the family antiques and gives a terribly verifiable list of people the curse has killed. This legend starts with a letter sent with a chest of drawers she ships to her daughter. We’ll finish up curse month with an announcement of our magical mystery winner. Happy Halloween! *Just a heads up, we’re going to discuss sexual abuse in this episode, near the end. After the Conjure Chest (about the last 15 min) is all you’ll need to skip if you’d like to avoid that discussion*  For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod.      

Is there more to the story of the Sacrifice Sect and Clementine Barnabet? Join us for this extra from our Patreon show where we dive into the story of the Axe Murder Jake Bird. Could he have been the Human Five? ***Please listen to episode 101 prior to this Extra****      

Somewhere between the bayou and the Bywater; somewhere between Congo Square and the Cathedral; somewhere between Bourbon Street brochures and Big Chief's secrets, between what you imagine the Crescent City to be and what you cannot even imagine, hiding in Pirate's Alley, or buried in St Louis No 1, through wrought iron and sweet jasmine, clinging to a long, low note from a clarinet... yes, somewhere down yonder in New Orleans, there is Marie Laveau, and she is somewhere between the lady and the legend. Join us this week as we discuss the history of Voodoo in Louisiana, its reputation and evolution, as well as crimes which have been erroneously linked to the practice. Of course, we could not talk about New Orleans Voodoo without mentioning Queen Marie Laveau, and her place in the history of the city. We are so excited to share a little of our local lore with you on this special episode of Just A Story! For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod.  

As we celebrate a true milestone moment, our 100th episode, we would like to invite you all to join us in exploring a cultural crossroads that has inspired our love of stories from the beginning. Join us this week as we discuss Vodou, the lore and legend which surrounds it and it’s deep connections to the island of Haiti. Did the revolution truly begin with a blood sacrifice? Are zombies real? What’s a lwa? Was Duvalier a dictator or something more terrible still? Did Vodou have something to do with the 2010 earthquake? We can’t promise we’ll have all the answers, but we will certainly have some fantastic stories, and they’re certainly not Just A Story.  Guest Story Teller: The Curator of Audio Dime Museum https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/audio-dime-museum-carnivale/id1096211271?mt=2 For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod  

It’s ‘I Put a Spell on You’ Month all October! Happy Halloween?? There is an ancient legend that proclaims: “Darkness falls across the land/ The midnight hour is close at hand/ And whosoever shall be found/ Without the soul for getting down/ Must stand and face the hounds of hell/ And rot inside a corpse’s shell/ The foulest stench is in the air/ The funk of forty thousand years/ And grizzly ghouls from every tomb/ Are closing in to share your doom/ And though you fight to stay alive/ Your body starts to shiver/ For no mere mortal can resist/ The evil of the thriller.” Or maybe that's a Michael Jackson song, I can never remember. At any rate, prepare to stand and face the hounds of hell, this week we are talking werewolves! That's right from Lycanthropy, to the Beast of Gevaudan, to Rabies and the scientific superhero Louis Pasteur; we will be asking if this legend's bark is as bad as its bite.  For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

  It’s ‘I Put a Spell on You’ Month all October! Happy Halloween?? When you really think about it, we all live in mystery houses. Secrets and blood are two things that really help shape our notions of ‘family’. Perhaps the most well known mystery house of all, that of Widow Winchester in San Jose, California had one more feature that helped define it, a family curse. Join us this week as we explore family curses throughout history. from the Hapsburgs and their ravens to Henry VII and his monks, a good curse seems to be almost status symbol for European royalty. We’ll discuss the machinations of general cursing and the curse of original sin before taking a look at one of America’s own cursed Colt family. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

Whether it's a ghostly double staring at you from across the street, or a mirror image whose expression doesn't quite match your own; finding 'twins' in unexpected places is quite unsettling. Having an experience like this can make us confront aspects of ourselves we'd really like to ignore; unmoor relationships with reality; and send even the most self-assured into an identity crisis. Doppelgängers are haunting manifestations of the uncanny, a thing that is, or almost is, and yet cannot be. It is little wonder then that so many 19th century writers explored this territory as they searched for their own voice. Join us this week as we discuss the phenomena of doppelgängers and the ways they have haunted authors from Poe to Wilde; from Maupassant to Anderson. Can this all be explained away by Jung's theory of the shadow self? Or is there something more sinister, perhaps even supernatural behind these battles? For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

How can the adoration of a traitorous act against the US sit side by side with American patriotism? What are the intentions behind the lofty monuments and wistful narratives constructed in the south after the American civil war. Join us this week as we dive into a land where cotton was king, the belles were pure, the bondsmen were happy, the yankees were agitators, and the truth didn't matter. That's right. We're tackling the myth of the Southern Lost Cause.

The secret to eternal life has long eluded all of us mortals. The secret to perpetual youth? Also a tricky thing to pin down. That has not stopped wild speculation about what these secrets might be, and who might know them. No, the gossip about immortals is as old as the fear of not being one of them. Lace up your best pair of wandering shoes, and join us as we try to locate the fountain of youth, and gaze at the many guises of the perpetual stranger cursed to roam the earth for eternity. Of course, any story of mysterious immortals that does not mention Count St. Germain is a story half told. We will spend some time unraveling his complicated pasts, and asking the questions no one has dared to ask, and forming some new theories you won't find anywhere else. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

When someone says, 'what is an urban legend?' Which story do you reach for to illustrate the concept. If you said, 'I just text them a link to your show,' you get a prize; but thats not the point. The point is, you probably, at some point in this hypothetical discussion, bring up the story of alligators in the sewers. Yes, this is, in many ways, the quintessential urban legend. It is necessarily urban, sufficiently widespread, and despite its easily disproven premise, quite persistently shared. Join us this week as we discuss this iconic urban legend; the human relationship to the sewers and their history; and the persistent fears that threats to society lurk just beneath our feet. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod  

The boogeyman will get you if you don't mind your manners... or go to sleep... or listen to your parents. Everyone knows that. But who is he? Where did he come from? What does he want? This week we will look at the shadowy characters who keep children in line and seem to have a natural appetite for destruction. Join us as we discuss villains from El Hombre de Saco to the Beast of Jersey. We'll also discuss Goya's Saturn, and the ways in which it shows it's not only our kids who should fear these men.   For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

The Mandela Effect is a modern discovery that explains everything about why our current world has stopped making sense. It's a pretty great get-out-of-jail-free-card for the year 2017, which really does owe us all an explanation. What is the Mandela effect? You will have to join us to learn the mind-bending secrets of mysteriously changing vowels and subtle shifts in historical memories when compared to the facts. This week we are exploring alternate universes and the humans who have slipped into them by accident. Don't worry, much like string theory this episode will either explain absolutely everything; or absolutely nothing. Also we will determine once and for all whether Schrödinger's cat is alive in a box, just waiting to be rescued. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

It's that wonderful, whimsical twist you've been hoping for... Just A Story is once again becoming Just A Movie for one whole episode! This week we are taking a look at the spy who loved us all; drank martinis like it was January 28, 1919; and had license to both thrill and kill. We explore the legendary character James Bond and the man who dreamt him up, Ian Fleming. What makes us love Bond? Where did Fleming find his inspiration? And in the case of this bombastic, over-the-top series of stories; could the truth be stranger than fiction? Join us as we reveal the mysterious history of the English spy ring that inhabited Washington DC in the years preceding World War II. The Baker Street Irregulars, as they called themselves, included people like Ian Fleming and Roald Dahl, and they just might have helped inspire the most well known secret agent of all time.    For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod    

What is it about ravens that captures the collective imagination? With their prominence in so many cultures, and importance in so many legends the raven is an iconic symbol, and revered, though sometimes feared, creature the world over. Join us this week as we search for answers to questions to the riddles of ravens? We'll ask; what happens if they leave the Tower of London? Is the raven a symbol of good, or evil? And, just how smart are they? For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod  

We all know that Lizzie Borden took an axe. We know she gave her father forty whacks; her mother forty-one; and that she got away with murder. Or do we? Her father received under twenty axe wounds, her STEPmother under ten. The murder weapon was probably a hatchet; not an axe, but nothing rhymes with 'hatchet' in the same catchy way. If we are honest about the number of whacks we lose that attractive assonance with 'Borden' and 'forty'. Do these poetic elements justify Lizzie's bad wrap? What really happened on  August 4, 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts? Join us this week as we take a look at the famous unsolved murders of Abby and Andrew Borden, and the things about their daughter Lizzie that made people believe she was just dangerous enough to be suspected. We will take a look at the cultural ideas of spinsters, and the rise of the independent women in America; as we try to separate fact from fiction. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod  

Cemetery memorials are synonymous with gothic horror. Dark, haunting and beautiful they capture the imagination of those who wander in their midst. Chances are, though, if you are wandering through a cemetery, you're likely to ponder the kinds of thoughts that belong there: life, death, and the things that slip in between. One particularly notorious memorial statue was the Agnus Memorial. This sculpture was so imposing that the locals in Baltimore took to making up dark tales of its metaphysical misdeeds and gave 'her' the nickname 'Black Aggie'. What inspired these stories? More importantly, what inspired her creation? Join us this week for a tale of intrigue, artistry, love and grief; as we explore the tragic history of Henry and Clover Adams, and the monument that went on to have a life all of its own.

You may have noticed the irony that can be attached to the phrase, 'what do we have to lose?' So often things can go horribly wrong just after someone asks that fateful, seemingly rhetorical question. That's sort of what happened once people decided to stop just confining people with mental illness, and started trying to 'cure' them. Join us this week as we explore medical treatments for mental illness from shock therapy to lobotomy; and meet those whose voices sounded alarm from Kesey to Kennedy. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod    

  The Lunatic Asylum has loomed large in the public imagination since its very establishment as an institution. We have never been sure what to do with the mad, to use the vernacular of a bygone era. Despite our admitted ineptitude, we have been more than willing to try and do something with them for ages. Most of the things we did for most of recorded history have been horrifying, barbaric and ineffective. Join us this week as we explore the history of asylums and treatments for the mentally ill. We will discuss Nellie Bly's breakthrough account of her experiences in the Blackwell's Asylum, and the documentary that recorded World War II veterans' experience PTSD, 'Let There Be Light'. We will even spend a little time discussing the death of George Washington, and being glad that medicine has made a few advances since then. Guest Story Teller: Not Alone Podcast Check out this great new podcast: http://www.notalonepodcast.com For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

We, as humans, enjoy our place atop the food chain. Whether it’s true or not, we’ve done a great job convincing ourselves we are basically invincible when it comes to predators. Lions, tigers, and bears, oh, balderdash. However, what if it wasn't an animal that was pursuing us? Join us this week as we explore the myth of Man the Hunter; the story of The Most Dangerous Game, and the truth that makes them resonant.    For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

Join us this week for a special broadcast from under the sea! We will be exploring the long history of people who live underwater and the various purported forms they've taken throughout history. From fish, to dolphins, to seals and even walruses; the human/animal hybrids who populate the seven seas are incredibly diverse, and we will discuss them all right here! Let's see if we can't figure out why the world has been, and continues to be, so enamored with mermaids and their mythic kin while we're here. (And maybe make some fish puns). For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

In WWI an urban legend was born that has persisted for a century. Its parents? British intelligence officers. They spread a nasty story about the Germans turning their own war dead into soap. And it stuck. But have people been turned into soap? We'll examine the true stories of inhumane craft projects and the dirty secrets of notorious detergent-rendering diabolicals. We'll also look into real world war crimes that yielded their own array of macabre souvenirs, concluding with the story of Ilse Koch and her infamous table lamps. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

Why do we tell jokes? They're sticky little stories with set-ups and punchlines, and they spread like wildfire. The epitome of the modern oral tradition, jokes have more to say than it might originally appear. Join us this week for a crash course in the history of gallows humor, and way it shaped the history of professional comedians in America. We'll also discuss the elusive line between profanity and art; humor and harassment; hysterically funny and horribly cruel. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod    

Do you know why that house, school, building, fairground, place, etc. is haunted? It's because it was built atop an ancient Indian burial ground. Or at least that is what popular culture would have you believe. Especially in the 1970s. Why is that idea so, pardon the pun, haunting? We'll explore the origins of the notion, and the ways in which its power has been reinforced by fact and fiction. We'll be tackling topics from pilgrim plundering, to Jacksonian jackassery; from Manifest Destiny to dysentery; we will leave no stone unturned as we examine the history of settlements, perhaps entire nations, built upon the bones of Native Americans. Join us as we discuss the ghosts created by America. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod

It seems like the history of definitions and dictionaries might be a bone dry topic. However, things are seldom what they seem. Things are complex, and complicated, and dark and ill-defined. Until they are not. This is the story of how words come to have definitions; and the battles, and madness, and passions that have shaped the language and the meanings we agree upon today. We'll kick this week off by exploring the fascinating false etymology of everyone's favorite foul word. Then learn about the American language, and the way in which its chief lexicographer hoped to shape the national identity. Finally we will explore the relationship between a criminally insane American Civil War doctor and the finest dictionary ever compiled.  For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod    

The monsters will get you, if you don't watch out. They're all around. They're just waiting for their chance to come out. Or are you waiting for yours? Join us this week for a series of strange cases as we learn that the worst place for monsters to hide, is inside.   For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod    

What's more frightening than the idea of your own child being kidnapped or harmed? Nothing. Right. Now that we've established that, let's look at the legend of the phantom social worker with fresh eyes. This story is not a boogeyman tale for children, it's a boogeyman story for their parents. This week we will explore the world of parental paranoia and the realities that fuel those fears. From Irish orphanages' hidden burial ground; to the Angel Maker, Amelia Dyer; to ninos rabados in Spain, we will find there is much to fear when you're trying to keep your babies safe. We'll conclude with an in depth look at the forgotten history of midcentury American maternity homes and the marks they left on our cultural landscape. For more on this week's episode, and every episode: justastorypod.com Twitter: @justastorypod  Instagram: justastorypod  Leave a voicemail on the Urban Legend Hotline 1-(512)-222-3375       Help support the show: https://www.patreon.com/justastorypod