Small Town Monsters Broadcast Network

Author, researcher and physician Russ Jones joins Heather Moser to discuss Sasquatch research, writing books and plenty of things besides.  Email - Heather@smalltownmonsters.com

The Head Maestro returns to STM Live to discuss the future, present and recent past, including the Ohio Bigfoot Conference, upcoming projects and plenty of audience questions.  Support Eric Fargiorgio's Recovery

Small Town Monsters was honored to be included in the 2025 Ohio Bigfoot Conference, and Mark, Seth and Heather finally found the time to sit down and talk all about it. A little behind the scenes, a little history, and a whole lot of laughs.  Email - Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com

Ryan Sprague, host of the award winning podcast Somewhere in The Skies joins Heather Moser to talk UFOs, ghosts... and wrestling. And much much more.  https://somewhereintheskies.com/ Email - heather@smalltownmonsters.com  

From the World Turtle to the Beast of Busco, join Seth, Heather and Aaron for a deep dive on all things giant turtles.  Email - Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com SHOW NOTES: Monsteropolis - Turtle Town NEWS - We got a DISTRIBUTOR for Lost Contact lined up. Hey! This means you kids get to see it soon, along with some other stuff (right? Am I remembering this right?) that's not presently available (is this wrong?).    (At time of air) - Ape Canyon is screening at the Kiggins Theatre in just a few days! (5/22)    Heartland, Archives, Decoded, Appalachian, BTT all be going on. Finale for Paranormal Horizons! Head to Youtube. Go there now, you can do that while you listen. Hit that subscribe button. They'll all call you Subscribe-o   —   Monsteropolis: Turtle Town. A sub neighborhood of Monsteropolis, like Ape Street, Octopus Alley and Thunderbird Boulevard. Let's do these the whole show instead of the show. Bigfoot Borough. Turtle Town is a quaint little (big) neighborhood. And it's gotta be big, because it's full of real big turtles. Not Ninja Turtle big, those guys were big but like size of a bus big, eat your house big, ride across the ocean on their backs if you forged an unbreakable bond with them by saving their home land from a dragon big, stuff like that.    TURTLES are REPTILES. They live in the WATER, but they breathe AIR. They have SHELLS. What a WEIRD ANIMAL.    If you think about it, turtles are almost like their own cryptid already. Not as weird as the Platypus but still pretty weird. I mean. Shells? Some of them live to be super old too, like 100 years or so.    Intrinsic weirdness aside, there are a lot of legends and cryptid encounters associated with turtles.    THE WORLD TURTLE - Present in a lot of mythologies. Basically the idea is that the WHOLE WORLD sits on top of the back of a giant turtle. Turtle world. Turtle Planet.    The oldest version we know about seems to come from Hindu mythology. The god Vishnu appears in the avatar of a giant turtle named Kurma, which had a mountain on its back.    It also popped up, seemingly independently in First Nations lore, such as the Iroquois and Lenape, who portray it as a giant sea turtle.    It's cool to think of ancient societies observing the world around them and going, “Oh yeah, all this is on a turtle.” If you think about how they would have observed turtles in the wild, you know, algae and stuff growing on their backs, they kind of look like little models of earth.    Historians and scholars also talk about themes that would likely have been in play, such as longevity and continuation, which were important to some of the First Nations tribes and really have been important to human societies for most of history. People would have noticed that turtles lived a long time and also kind of represent security and strength. That's cool.    https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/world-turtle-cosmic-discworld   THE BEAST OF BUSCO - A big old turtle legend from Indiana. Local to Churubusco, Whitley County, Indiana, also referred to by the nickname Turtle Town, which I did not know when I tentatively named this episode. According to one online source, the nickname originally stems from ‘Little Turtle,' the name of a sagamore (chief) of the Miami tribe, but it's later become associated with the giant turtle sighting at Fulk Lake.   First sighting is said to come from 1898 by a guy named Oscar Fulk who spotted it on a large lake on his property. Like, really large, 7 acres apparently.  FIFTY YEARS went by. Then in 1948, two men named Ora Blue (that's a name right there) and Charley Wilson were fishing on the same lake, when they reported seeing a similar creature - just a huge, huge turtle, which they described as looking like a snapping turtle with huge spiky shell “the size of a dinner table,” and now all I can think about is Bowser from Mario Bros.  Gale Harris, who owned the property at the time of the second sighting, got really into the whole thing, and launched multiple expeditions to try and capture it, including one wherein he drained the 7 acre lake. They tried nets and damming streams and all kinds of stuff. They never found the turtle and it nearly bankrupted him.  The local media picked it up a few months after the Blue/Wilson encounter, and it became another Cryptozoological staple. Thrill seekers, monster hunters and now internet weirdos (like us!) became fascinated with the story, and it hangs around in the new millennium.  Turtle Brother is supposed to be around 500 pounds. Adult male alligator snapping turtles (the ones we know for sure exist) can hit over 200 pounds, so maybe Busco Boy was just a really really big turtle, but you gotta wonder how he got that big. By the same token, alligator snapping turtles aren't supposed to live in Indiana, so if it were one of those, it would represent its own anomalous encounter on par with Phantom Big Cats and other out-of-place animals. Some natural historians don't think they ever lived there at all, though specimens have been seen as close as the White River in Morgan County, as recently as 1991, but experts posit that this was likely an escaped or released domestic specimen based on its growth pattern. So, shrugging emoji.  https://www.iflscience.com/the-beast-of-busco-the-mystery-of-indianas-500-pound-turtle-sightings-75278 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/could-citizens-of-this-indiana-town-have-seen-a-500-pound-turtle-180984659/ The Ogua - Another big old turtle guy but this one has two heads (sometimes)! Two head turtle, Turtle Two Head, Turtle Tim and The Two Headed Ogua, I don't know, this would make a great kids movie though. A lot of cryptid stories would make good kids' movies.  Anyway though, this guy shows up in Virginia and Pennsylvania and Ohioooooo, right near you guys. Aleghenny and Monongahela rivers apparently.  Did you, did you check for turtles? Turtle check? When you went outside today? Watch out for this guy because he's- Twenty feet long! That's longer than cars. 500 pounds. Does this seem too long? Like shouldn't something that long weigh more? Unless he's like a really slim cigar shaped turtle? I dunno, I'm not good at math, maybe somebody can figure out what a twenty foot long thing that's also 500 pounds would look like and draw it.  Story goes that in 1745 (before the Revolution) a giant two headed turtle jumped out of the river and ate a 12 year old boy who was fishing. Which is kind of how alligators and predatory turtles hunt you know, like hiding right under the surface. Bummer.  There are supposed to be sightings “all over Marion county” according to online sources but specifics are spotty. Did you guys SEE the Ogua when you were children? Were you WARNED not to get EATEN by two headed turtles? So could any of these guys actually exist? Maybe not the world turtle one unless we're just gonna decide that that's real. I like it so I'm good with it.  The biggest turtle ever known to exist was the Archelon Ischyros, a sea turtle that grew up to 15 feet long and was believed to weigh up to three tons.  See that's what I was saying earlier - something 20 feet long would need to weigh more than 500 pounds. BUT an especially large Alligator Snapping turtle could, maybe, possibly, be MISTAKEN for weighing 500 pounds, or maybe actually weigh close to that much. There are people who are way taller than the average person so it probably happens with turtles. It could be a whole thing where there just were some really big turtles hanging out in these areas and witnesses mistook them for being 20 feet long.  What they're doing in Indiana and Ohio though is another mystery.  Ultimately it's not a question of whether turtles this size/near this size existed - it's a question of whether or not one matching the anatomy of a snapping turtle could get this large, and if it could/did ever exist in some of these northern parts of the country, AND if they could still be hanging around in the modern day. We're essentially talking about dinosaurs here - should the “turtle cryptids” be thought of the same way we think about Plesiosaurs and other “surviving dinosaur” stories? Is this just too many questions?  We're also talking about behaviors really closely associated with gators/crocs (the ambush hunting) so maybe there were some stories about alligators that got mixed up and turned into stories about turtles, but that seems like a stupid guess now that I'm typing it out. And also alligators aren't supposed to be in Ohio or Indiana either.  SOME POP CULTURE REFERENCES - Plenty of giant turtles in Pop Culture. There's that Gamera guy, and the smaller Toho kaiju Kameobas from the cult film Yog: Monster from Space (Kameobas also shows up in Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, 2004). There's the giant turtle from Aladdin and King of Thieves, always liked that guy. The Pokemon Torterra is pretty clearly a take on the World Turtle idea (got trees and mountains on his back and in the Detective Pikachu movie he's the size of a mountain). There's this video game called Fortnite you may have heard of. Giant turtle in there as a part of the Oni/Ninja theme they did for season whatever it was - is that guy still around? I haven't played in awhile. He was cool though you could hide in the trees on his back and find really crappy shotguns and then get killed by a much better player who already figured out that's a bad strategy.  — Thanks for listening everybody! Come to the Ape Canyon screening, listen to The Lore You Know, and maybe by the next episode we'll figure out how to get Aaron out of here. You can (should!) subscribe to Small Town Monsters on Youtube, and if you liked this show, give it a rating or review! If you didn't like it don't. Enough people did that already. You're good. 

Heather welcomes paranormal investigator Steve Hummel to The Lore You Know! Steve has years of experience investigating the strange, including a stint working in the Moundsville Penitentiary and curating a paranormal museum. Email - heather@smalltownmonsters.com  

STM Live returns fresh on the heels of the Youtube release of Dogman Territory: Werewolves in the Land Between the Lakes. Joe Doyle of Hellbent Holler joins host Aaron Deese to look back on the film a year and a half after visiting the Land Between the Lakes for the shoot, and for a discussion on the overarching Dogman phenomenon.    Join the Squad to see every video episode of STM Live Email - Aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

Heather sits down with long time researcher and long time STM collaborator Norm Sollie to discuss a lifetime of strange occurrences and researching the paranormal. From Bigfoot to Ghosts and all things in between, Norm has left no stone unturned, and has a wealth of stories to share.  Email - heather@smalltownmonsters.com  

We're tackling a particularly weird case today while Mark takes a much deserved vacation. Seth, Heather and guest host Aaron dive into the 1973 case of Sam the Sandown Clown, one of the most bizarre monsters... well, ever.  Email - Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com   SHOW NOTES: BUFORA Journal Report - 1978 Monsteropolis Sam the Sandown Space Ghost Clown   INTRO   We told you Seth was coming back. Ha! But there's a catch! Mark is on vacation. I know, total rip off. I'm sorry. Some other guy is here to fill the mic.    Announcements? Ohio Bigfoot Conference Dawn of The Dogman is filmed! Thank you Backers. Ogopogo Discount code - 10% off the book, movie or cup until 5/15. No mail this week   Today we're talking about a case that is usually discussed in UFO circles, but we've picked it because it has a very, very weird monster. And really, the incident itself doesn't have any ACTUAL UFO sightings - just some nearby ones that add to the mystery. Get ready.    We're going to the UK today. All the way, all the way over there.    It's May 1973, Tuesday at around 4 PM, the Isle of Wite, near Lake Common, adjacent to the town of Sandown. Two wee children, around age seven. Their names have not been publicly disclosed apparently, even all these darn years later. Can't say I blame them though, and you're about to find out why. They are usually referred to in retellings as “Fay” and “Unnamed boy”   SUDDENLY, they heard a HORRIBLE WAILING NOISE which they described as sounding like an ambulance. Being wee curious children they investigated, following the sound into the woods. Why's there an ambulance in the woods? That's a good question. There's not.    The wee children found themselves near a little bridge running over a little stream, very idyllic except for the wailing, when SUDDENLY A WEIRD GUY WAS THERE.    About seven feet tall and dressed like a clown. Triangle shaped eyes. Three toes and three fingers. Appeared to be made of WOOD. Like, wooden planks for arms. Also wooden antennae poking out from either side of it's head. Red hair that fell to the forehead, and circular marks on his cheeks, even a little bob on top of the hat.     And when we say “dressed like a clown” we're talking green tunic, white breeches, conical yellow yat. Like something straight out of Rankin & Bass, but like, wrong. Also, seven feet tall. You know what? Here's a picture.   I just love this dude so much   He kind of trips and splashes in the water, and he's holding this book. Like a regular book. And he drops the thing, right in the water, sort of playing out this whole cartoonish thing, like you hear the music from the animated movie based on this in your head and it's like “womp WOMP womp WOMP womp womp WOMP WOMP wompy wompy WOMP WOMP WOMP”   Then it picks up the book, jumps up on the riverbank and starts like, DANCING AROUND like it's on the moon or something, lifting it's legs up super high, doing a fancy jig I guess. THEN it turned and ran off towards a small metal hut, which had apparently been there the whole time, and dashed inside.    What? This isn't normal? Seems very normal to me.    And the kids are scared, I mean, you know, they're not having a great time. This isn't what they signed up for. But then the tall weird dude comes back, and he's holding a microphone, and the wailing sound picks back up and the kids are like, nah dude, and they book it.    But then the wailing sound stops, and the weird clown man TALKED. “Hello. Are you still there?”   And the kids can hear him, even though he's “fifty meters” away. Did I mention the microphone? He's talking into the microphone. So they stop and turn back and clown brother takes the book back out, the one he dropped earlier. He scribbled a bunch of stuff in the book and showed it to the kids, but was apparently just a bunch of random words out of order. Then he starts pointing, one word at time, repeating the same sequence over and over again. And the message said,   “I AM ALL COLORS SAM. HELLO AND I AM ALL COLORS SAM.”   Would anyone like to play the part of “kids” for this sequence, I'm down to play Clown, I can also just make scifi noises in the background if you guys wanna do it   KIDS - “Are you a man” CLOWN - “No” KIDS - “Are you human” CLOWN - “No” KIDS - “Are you a ghost” CLOWN - “Not really, but I am in an odd sort of way” KIDS - “What are you” CLOWN - “You know”   Sam also explained that there are others like him on earth, but that they fear human beings. He stated that if he were attacked by humans, he wouldn't fight back.    This is around when they realized the creature could talk without the microphone, but the voice was distorted and the lips didn't really move, like someone trying to use a ventriloquist dummy.   Then he just turns around and walks towards the hut, and invites the kids to follow him inside.    Alright like we're all parents, so obviously there are some concerns here. It's not looking good. And it's gonna get weirder but not like, in a bad way, so, it's cool. It's cool.    I've been playing a lot of Stardew Valley lately and this is sending me   They crawled through this little hole in the side of the hut. It was two-storied on the inside, and had blue-green walls covered in dials or knobs.   Then Sam pulled out a berry, stuck it in his ear, and the kids saw it roll around behind his eyes. Then it popped up in his mouth I guess, like a reverse nutcracker or something, and then he just eats the berry like normal. Like that's just a normal thing to do.    They hang out with Sam for a little while, just, chatting about space stuff I guess? And after thirty minutes or so they bounced, headed home, play time is over, okie dokie.    The kids keep it largely to themselves, except apparently ran up to the first adult they saw on the way home and said they'd seen a ghost. The unnamed bystander didn't believe them. Stupid idiot. Three weeks later the girl lets it slip to her dad. The report refers to dad as “Mr. Y” to protect his anonymity.    Mr. Y didn't take the story seriously, until his daughter continued to insist that it was an actual event, apparently becoming upset when he didn't believe her. Then he starts to question like you and I probably would, “Wait, what if something bad happened and this is just like the child version of it”   So he goes and asks the other boy about it, and after some prodding Unnamed Boy tells pretty much the exact same story that Mr. Y's daughter did. Uh oh, two witnesses.    Now obviously the kids could have come up with this whole thing on their own. I used to have an imaginary friend that was a giant donut.    But Mr. Y starts taking it more seriously, and contacts BUFORA - The British UFO Research Association. Brilliant name. Blows MUFON out of the water. Our information today comes straight from that report.     But here's another fun fact - Mr. Y had his own UFO sighting in October of 1970 and March of 1972, so as he's hearing this story from his daughter, he's coming off of two really bizarre encounters of his own. Obviously already asking himself what's out there, what's going on, etc. The report specifically states that Mr. Y never disclosed his own experiences to his daughter. I mean, later probably, but not while she was a kid and not during this encounter.    He described a large ring of “seven or more spheres” hovering over a river with no apparent purpose. He had eyes on it for several minutes, and other witnesses passed and remarked on it while it was visible. It moved over trees and between some buildings.    During his second encounter he saw two glowing yellow orbs beneath the surface of the water on Compton Bay, which he was overlooking from a cliff face. It was between 9-10 PM.  In the the BUFORA article Mr. Y is quoted thusly, Sam. This is Sam. Sam the Sandown Space Ghost Clown.    What do you guys think?   I've always felt like maybe this guy is a really bad intergalactic salesperson. The vague answers, flashing fancy goods, obviously really nervous. Like he's here to sell space toys to kids and he just can't hack it, so he gives up half way through the pitch and just invites them in for berries. He's already waving around a sketch book and a karaoke machine. He's clearly conjuring Christmas Elf with this disguise.  Speaking of Rankin and Bass, and bear with me here, because we're gonna go skeptical for a second - the first Rankin and Bass movie to screen in the UK was Willy McBean and His Magic Machine in 1965. Rankin and Bass's Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer premiered in the US in 1964, and while I wasn't able to find a UK release date, we can assume it would have been relatively soon. Maybe before 1973, even. The film features an elf named Hermey who wears your traditional elf garb, not dissimilar to Sam's. Also present is a living snowman voiced by Burl Ives… named Sam. And of course Bumble the Yeti.  I'm NOT saying the kids probably saw this movie and dreamed up some scenario and stuck with it just because that's what kids do sometimes, I'm not saying that at all, but I also kind of am saying that, because ultimately that's the most PROBABLE explanation. Even if they hadn't watched these particular films. One point that's often mentioned is the amount of detail the kids gave when describing the hut and the creature, leading people to assume they couldn't have made it up, but dude? Dude. Kids be mad smart. They can imagine all kinds of stuff and have memories like bear traps when they're interested in something. You ever talk to a nine year old about Pokemon? And also, this was before Pokemon - there wasn't as much entertainment in those days. Dang I feel like I just ruined it. On the other hand, the previous statement is just a theory, and is based on assumptions. There's no direct line that ties the Sam incident to the Rankin & Bass films, or ANY films for that matter.  The more fun, bizarre theory is that this was some kind of space creature or interdimensional interloper, and that it was attempting to disguise itself as a human, and failing. Maybe it wanted to practice blending in, and figured a couple of kids were a great place to start. If they freak out they're a lot smaller than you, and nobody is likely to believe them anyway. The fact that Mr. Y got the same story two times from two different kids helps, as does the fact that he had his own UFO sightings in the same area. Then again, we could flip that and say that Mr. Y wasn't able to remain completely objective due to his own experiences.  WE will simply probably never know what really happened in 1973. Since, as far as we know, the witnesses have remained anonymous, and for all we know may not be with us anymore (fair chance Fay and Unnamed Boy are still around but that's just a guess based on how old they'd be today), this one will likely remain an obscure and incredibly entertaining mystery.   

Ken Gerhard, venerated author, researcher, cryptozoologist and all around really cool guy sits down with Heather Moser to discuss cryptozoology, research, his experiences as an author, his time working in television and much more.  Email - heather@smalltownmonsters.com

You may have heard of Tom Slick, the man who financed many early expeditions in search of Sasquatch both the in US and internationally. But did you know he was also a scientist, military man, inventor, philanthropist, and much more? Learn the strange, fascinating and tragically short history of Thomas Baker Slick Jr. with Heather Moser, Mark Matzke and guest host Aaron Deese.  Email - Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com   SHOW NOTES Monsteropolis: Tom Slick   Welcome back, you lawless knaves.    READER MAIL - got at least one - HERE IT IS, from our friend Christine! — Hi Guys,   First of all, congratulations on the success of your 10th anniversary Kickstarter!  I can't wait to see your new films, especially The Siege of Ape Canyon and The Kinderhook Creature.   I listened with interest to the Monsteropolis episode where you described the changing nature of the appearance of the Wendigo in popular culture from an emaciated human being to one with antlers and a stag's skull. In the fall last year I became aware of the legend of the Leshy of pagan Slavic culture through an excellent YA novel called "Where the Dark Stands Still" by Polish writer A.B. Poranek. When I googled the Leshy I was astounded to see images of what I recognised as the Wendigo. So this got me thinking - is there a Slavic influence at play here too? Perhaps this is something you could look in to!    I am really looking forward to the book and film regarding the Wendigo which I understand may come out next year. I have been fascinated by the Wendigo since reading Algernon Blackwood's novella and there is one passage in particular that always sticks in my mind:   "And soon after he slept, the change of wind he had divined stirred gently the reflection of the stars within the lake. Rising among the far ridges of the country beyond Fifty Island Water, it came from the direction in which he had stared, and it passed over the sleeping camp with a faint and sighing murmur through the tops of the big trees that was almost too delicate to be audible. With it, down the desert paths of night, though too faint, too high even for the Indian's hair-like nerves, there passed a curious, thin odor, strangely disquieting, an odor of something that seemed unfamiliar—utterly unknown."   Christine   (your biggest Scottish fan who lives in Germany

Shane Grove, co-host of the From the Shadows Podcast joins Heather Moser to talk all things strangeness - including his own frightening brushes with the paranormal, and the diverse array of stories he's heard during his time as a researcher.  Listen to From the Shadows Email - Heather@smalltownmonsters.com

STM Live is back, and Eli Watson returns to discuss the second episode of Bigfoot: Mountains of Mystery - Trial of a Bigfoot Killer.  Watch Mountains of Mystery on Youtube    Email - Aaron@smalltownmonsters.com  

Mark, Heather and guest host Aaron Deese (Seth will be back soon, we promise) take a trip around the world in search of the International Bigfoot. Sasquatch legends are all over the world - like, really, all over the world - and some of them may be new to you. Back the 2025 Kickstarter Campaign  Email - monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com 

Amy Bue of Project Zoobook joins Heather Moser to kick off Season 3 of The Lore You Know! Sasquatch, ghosts, teaching and much more - don't miss this in depth interview featuring Amy's own personal potential Sasquatch encounter. Check out Project Zoobook  Question or suggestion? Email Heather@smalltownmonsters.com  

Monsteropolis takes a trip to ancient Greece to meet some of the most well known monsters of all time. Did you know Heather is a professor? You will after today! Featuring guest host Aaron Deese.  Back the 2025 Kickstarter Campaign Theoi Greek Mythology Email - Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com

We're celebrating one year of House of Monsters - and the finale of the first season - with a creature we've met before, but who is more than deserving of a second look. From the earliest writings of human history to the pop culture phenomena of today, the Werewolf re: Dogman has been around for a very, very long time. Are these creatures real, or pure imagination? Featuring Shannon LeGro of Into the Fray Question, comment or suggestion? Email Aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

As the 2025 Kickstarter draws to a close (there's still time to back!) we're looking ahead at one of the major projects we have coming this year - Dawn of The Dogman. But not that, because it's not out yet! Instead Mark, Heather and Seth are talking about the some of the other Monsters of Michigan.  Back the 2025 Kickstarter Campaign  email Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com BONUS: - Aaron's Unedited Producer Notes: Monsteropolis Monsters of Michigan WELCOME BACK KICKSTARTER is still running. Last episode before the campaign ends. To keep the excitement going we're talking about one of our upcoming projects - DAWN OF THE DOGMAN, but not THAT, because that's what the movie is, and you can't see it yet. Instead we're looking at the OTHER Monsters of Michigan. At least a few of them. There might be more.  Wendigo – cannibalistic humanoid monster. Strong association with winter and extreme cold. Comes from native legends.  Has gained a lot of popularity in the modern era, frequently placed alongside other cryptids, but very much its own Native legend.  Comes from the Algonquin language/dialect spoken by tribes like Ojibwe, Kree and Saulteaux.  You can kill a Wendigo by putting hot tallow down its throat, which melts its icy heart and kills it. Otherwise they're pretty much invincible. At least in some legends.  Like a lot of native lore/older legends, as the Wendigo has become more popular it's been adapted as a storytelling motif. A lot of horror/narrative podcasts use it as the “monster of the week,” the video game Until Dawn features the Wendigo as it's primary antagonist (the special edition or secret ending bonus or whatever for that game has Chad Lewis in it talking about the Wendigo)  Loup Garou - You'll have to wait for Dawn of The Dogman. Dogman and Loup Garou aren't exactly the same thing (Rougarou also) and if we wanted to we could get in the weeds and pinpoint differences between what we consider the modern “Dogman” phenomenon and the Loup Garoux vis a vis the term's roots in France but nah, we savin' that.  Sasquatch - The BFRO lists 225 sightings for Michigan, and those are just the ones that made the cut.  I don't really know what else to say about this. Michigan is big and cold and there's woods, so like, Bigfoot can hide there. Hey, here's a cool Class A report from the BFRO!  Spring of 1999, near Copemish/Thompsonville “I was walking in the woods down a two track by Thompsonville in the early spring morning. On these early morning walks I often scare up deer and occationally a bear so when I heard the noises of something running in the woods I expected to see some such animal. Instead I saw what looked to me like a large man dressed in white running at an incredible speed. He was about 50 yards away and I tracked him for some distance. I was amazed at how he ran so fast through the dense undergrowth. He had to have long legs to be able to traverse the fallen trees and swampy areas. The next day I was walking in that same area and discovered tracks that confirmed to me it was not a man I had seen. They were quite large - about 18 inches or so. I could only see three toe prints thought there may have been more that didnt inprint and what may have been claws or long toenails that left a mark. The distance between them was about three of my strides long.” Pressie - five bucks you already know what this is. That's right baby, a WATER MONSTER, ERRBODY got a water monster these days. ERRBODY also be stealing Nessie's alliteration. What happened to originality. Just kidding, no really though I don't like this trend, kind of glad it's died off, anyway PRESSIE is, Supposed to be whale tailed and horse headed and have whiskers. Sort of sounds like a big manatee. It hangs out in Lake Superior. Lots of water there, plenty of places to hide. Very good monster place.  Is Pressie a manatee? Must investigate.  Probably not. It's supposed to be 75 feet long.  First spotted in 1894! Wow. From there it jumps to 1977 with a few sightings in between, and conjecture over rumors of sightings in “the 1990s” Named for Presque Isle River where it has frequently been seen.  Nain Rouge - bon nuit, The Red Dwarf AKA Red Man AKA Little Red Man. I did a House of Monsters on this guy. He's a favorite.  Said to be a harbinger of bad luck and ill fortune Shows up before something bad happens Ya'll know Detroit be real french? City was founded by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in the 1700s. ONE DAY this guy is on a stroll with his wife, when suddenly a TINY RED MAN jumps out of the bushes. Antoine yelled at the tiny man and hit him with his cane, after which he was CURSED. He eventually lost his fortune and died in poverty.  The Nain has been blamed for a number of tragedies over the years, though whether he's supposed to be causing them or is just showing up to give people a warning seems to be a matter of interpretation. 1763 - The Battle of Bloody Run - 60 british soldiers are massacred by Native inhabitants (OH BUT OF COURSE this had nothing to do with the European settlers encroaching upon land and devastating their populations, sure, totally unprovoked, blame the nain, sorry feeling fighty today, been binging Cobra Kai) The great fire of 1805 - Massive city wide fire, destroyed nearly the entire thing. Massive loss of life and property. In the wake of the fire the city's flag was changed to include the phrase “Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus,” which means “We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes.” Man I get chills every time, that's  inspiring. 1967 - The 12th Street Riot - one of the deadliest examples of civil unrest in the United States at that time. Precipitated by a number of onerous conditions, such as racial segregation and over-policing, the riot would result in 43 deaths, nearly 1200 injuries and over 700 arrests. It went on for five days. 1976 - a huge blizzard knocked out and crippled much of the city's infrastructure And other tragic events throughout the years.  The city would eventually embrace the Nain as a local symbol, holding an annual parade where they chase the Nain out of the city to usher out the bad luck. Fun fact, there's an OLDER story about Napoleon taking advice from a Little Red Man who advised him on battle tactics. He only lost when he didn't listen. He's supposed to have met the guy in an ancient egyptian tomb before declaring himself Emperor of France.  PRODUCER'S NOTE - I'm very much of the opinion that the Nain Rouge is a direct folkloric descendent of Napoleon's little red man, not literally but like, there's clearly a lineage there.  Giant Green Squirrel of Amble: “It is literally just a very large, green squirrel.” - Reddit Okay so. I guess this is a squirrel the size of a cow or a small car.  It makes a lot of loud chirping and squeaking noises, and it's also green There, uh... There doesn't seem to be a lot more to this. Or anything else. I like it though, let's make a movie about it.  https://99wfmk.com/monster-squirrel-amble/ Okay also though, there are apparently giant squirrel legends present in some native cultures in Nova Scotia (The Micmac Tribe) - some researchers believe these were derived from stories about giant ground sloths, which were (are?) a thing. So there is some background to this one. No idea if theres a direct link to the Michigan one.  There are OTHER weird Michigan monsters, but because the movie doesn't come out for a bit we're gonna save ‘em. Thank you for listening, and be sure to go back the Kickstarter RIGHT NAAAOOO - Link in the show notes. There are only four days left (counting today at time of air), and then a brief window for late backing with much higher rates due to kickstarter specific policies beyond our control. If you'd like to add on a copy of Mark Matzke's Ten Years: A Decade of Monsters, send an email to Courteney! contactus@smalltownmonsters.com Tune in next time, until we meet again! (Skeletor running away meme)        

Aleks Petakov returns after another episode of Appalachian Bigfoot Files. Get a look behind the scenes and join us Thursdays at 9 PM EST on Youtube, Facebook or X for STM LIve.  Support Relief for Hurricane Helene through the Red Cross Back the 2025 Kickstarter Campaign Watch Appalachian Bigfoot Files on Youtube Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

Those who live near and along the Chesapeake Bay have an intimate relationship with a particularly monstrous neighbor. Today we dig into the history of the Beast of Chesapeake Bay, featuring special guest Tyler Hall.  Back the 2024 Kickstarter Campaign Email Aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

The 2025 Kickstarter campaign is under way, and Seth and Courteney return to STM Live to talk about the upcoming projects we can't wait to share with you.  Back the 2025 Kickstarter Campaign  Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

Last time we discussed the last ten years of Small Town Monsters - this week we dive into the road ahead and highlight all the ongoing and upcoming projects we're bringing to you RIGHT NOW.  Back the 2025 Kickstarter Campaign Question, comment or suggestion? Email Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com

In 2015 a guy named Seth Breedlove had an idea. That idea was to make a movie, and on a shoestring budget and with the help of a few friends, he did just that. Today House of Monsters investigates the case that started it all, and takes a look back at the last ten years of Small Town Monsters.  Featuring Seth Breedlove Back the 2025 Kickstarter campaign and score exclusive rewards! Question, comment or suggestion? Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

Bigfoot: Mountains of Mystery has arrived, and Eli Watson returns to share behind the scenes and tease what's to come for this groundbreaking series. 

STM Live celebrates the launch of Bigfoot Archives and the latest episode of Strange Places, featuring Aleks Petakov and Heather Moser with host Aaron Deese. 

We're celebrating 10 years of Small Town Monsters, and this week Seth, Heather and Mark look back on the long road that lead to today. Join us as we kick off the 2025 Kickstarter and reflect on a decade of Monsters! Question, comment or suggestion? Email Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com

We're celebrating the release of a new series this week, and Seth and Courteney Breedlove are here to talk all about it.  Watch Bigfoot Decoded on Youtube Question, comment or suggestion? Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

Back the 2025 Kickstarter Campaign Today we visit the Balkan mountains to meet the Drekavac - known in Serbian as The Screamer. This strange and frightening creature appears across the Balkan region in a variety of forms, but does it have anything in common with the notorious Chupacabra? Maybe. Featuring Aleksandar Petakov.  Question, comment or suggestion? Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

Buckeye Bigfoot is midway through its first season with exciting things on the horizon. Seth, Mark and Heather sit down to discuss the show so far, the inspiration for the series, and share some behind the scenes while having an in depth discussion on the Sasquatch of Ohio. Follow the 2025 Kickstarter Campaign Watch Sasquatch Unearthed: Buckeye Bigfoot Question, comment or suggestion? Email Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com

Aleks Petakov, Mike Lucci and Matt Arner visit STM Live to talk about the latest episode of Appalachian Bigfoot Files, available now on Youtube. 

It's time to meet The Trolls. One of the oldest monsters in the house can be traced back centuries, and may even have connections with other monstrous creatures reported in the modern day. Featuring Ron Lanham.  Question, comment or suggestion? Email Aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

Eli Watson returns to the show to look back on 2024 and look ahead to 2025, as we prepare for the ten year anniversary of Small Town Monsters! Follow the 2025 Kickstarter

Youkoso mina-san! Seth is back, and joins Heather and Mark to dive into all things Yokai - beings from Japanese folklore with a wide, frightening variety of shapes, temperaments and behaviors.  Question, comment or suggestion? Email Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com

After the premiere of the latest episode of Sasquatch Unearthed: Buckeye Bigfoot, narrator Mark Matzke returns to STM Live to discuss all things orange eyed bigfoot - and more - with host Aaron Deese.

Aleks Petakov is back to discuss the latest episode of Strange Places, with special guest Jonathan Easely and host Aaron Deese.     

Many ideas have come and gone since we first entered the House of Monsters - here are a few that never fully developed as episodes, but are still full of interesting, bizarre paranormal information. Featuring Heather Moser. 

Monsteropolis is back with a very special episode as Yule Tide Ghost Stories returns! Featuring three classic and spooky tales from the turn of the 20th century. Enjoy! The Yule Lads by Johannes Kotlum, read by Heather Moser Between the Lights by EF Benson, read by Aaron Deese The Dream Child by LM Montgomery, read by Mark Matzke Question, comment or suggestion? Email Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com

Eli Watson returns to discuss the latest episode of Mysteries and Monsters, which dives into the notorious case of the Aztec UFO Crash. Hosted by Aaron Deese and featuring special guests Scott and Susanne Ramsey! Watch Mysteries and Monsters on Youtube Question, comment or suggestion? Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com  

It's Christmastime, and that means monsters. Wait, monsters at Christmas? What do you mean? And where's Seth? Featuring Frau Perchta, The Yule Lads, Krampus, the Yule Cat and even the ghostly horse, Mari Lywd. Hosted by Mark Matzke, Heather Moser and guest co-host Aaron Deese.  Question, comment or suggestion? Email monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com

STM Live returns after the thanksgiving break to discuss all things Bigfoot with Eli Watson!   Question, comment or suggestion? Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

Monsters and Christmas have a long relationship. One creature in particular has haunted the nightmares of Icelandic children for generations - also, he's a jerk. Join us for a special holiday episode of House of Monsters as we meet the ferocious Yule Cat, with special guest Heather Moser.  Question, comment or suggestion? Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

Ronald L. Murphy Jr., author, researcher and long-time STM collaborator joins Seth, Heather and Mark to discuss his latest book - Lights in The Mist, available from Small Town Monsters publishing.  Order Lights in The Mist Watch Phantom Lights on Youtube Question, comment or suggestion? Email Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com

Appalachian Bigfoot Files is in full swing, and Aleks Petakov returns to STM Live - with special guest Steve Kulls, AKA the Sasquatch Detective! Join us for an in depth discussion on sasquatch, hoaxes, and much more.  Watch Appalachian Bigfoot Files on Youtube Follow Steve Kulls - The Sasquatch Detective Question, comment or suggestion? Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

There is a small, mischevious, bigfoot-like creature lurking somewhere in the Appalachian mountains. And it likes apples. And it can turn invisible. But does this Appalachian folk tale have connections to a broader concept - one which spans oceans, and even centuries? Visit the Ballyraven Bestiary  Question, comment or suggestion? Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

Everybody knows Bigfoot is weird... but do you know HOW weird? This week Mark, Heather and Seth dive into some of the weirdest bigfoot theories, stories and rumors.  Question, comment or suggestion? Email Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com

Seth and Courteney visit STM Live after the premiere of The Dogman Triangle: Werewolves in the Lone Star State on Youtube to discuss the film, behind the scenes and reflect on the production two years after filming. Author Aaron Deese shares more about the book and movie tie in.  Watch The Dogman Triangle: Werewolves in the Lone Star State on Youtube Question, comment or suggestion? Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

In January of 1959 residents of Ohio were forced to reckon with a frightening, otherworldly creature - or was it just a piece of trash? Today we investigate the Invasion of the Octo People with special guest Easton Hawk.  Follow Easton Hawk on Instagram Question, comment or suggestion for the show? Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com

STM Live returns after a one week hiatus with an explosive guest panel! Aaron is joined by Heather Moser, Tyler Hall, Ron Murphy AND Aleks Petakov to talk bigfoot, ghost lights and much more!

Mark, Heather and Seth are hot on the heels of some of the most interesting Appalachian monsters. Featuring The Apple Devil, Not Dear, Raven Mocker and more! Question, comment or suggestion? Email Monsteropolis@smalltownmonsters.com

Aleksandar Petakov returns to Bluff Creek - and STM Live - on the anniversary of the notorious Patterson Gimlin film.  Watch Return to Bluff Creek on Youtube.     

Today we visit the Sunshine State in search of 65 foot long dragon. The Guardian of Dragon Point is a folktale from Brevard County, Florida - The Space Coast, an area where one might not expect to find a monster. But to many, Annie the Sea Dragon is very, very real.  Question, comment or suggestion for the show? Email aaron@smalltownmonsters.com