That's So Morbid

The classic combo of spooky meets merry has been around a lot longer than you may think (or may want to believe).

If your kids just aren't worried about the threat of 'coal in your stocking', how about telling them a couple tales of monsters that drag you to hell if you misbehave or a giant cat that will eat you alive for not getting any new underwear?

This is the Yule episode with everything you need to know about Krampus, The Christmas Cat, sarcastic goats and more!

Still on the hunt for the perfect Dark Fiction definition, this is my very dark chat with author Patrick Barb. We also talk (of course) about horror, horror sub genres and all the types of dark fiction we can think of.

Among all the horror and other theories, Patrick teases with some previews of tales out of his recent collection, upcoming novel and we even discuss the therapeutic value of horror and other dystopias.

This is a fun one for all my fellow horror theorists and dark fiction nerds out there.

Well look who's a teenager!

Not counting Morbid Morsels, this is our 13th episode!!! And also it's a morsel - but just go with it because today is the 13th of November and the 13th episode for me and I'm celebrating with bringing you the history and some possible origins and connections of number phobias.

This month I'm teaching the Dark Fiction writing course so I'll be featuring some other pros in the genre to keep us all inspired.

So what's up with the 'Dark' part of Dark Fantasy anyway? What are the elements? What makes the monsters and themes hit different?And why are we obsessed?!

I pose all my inelegant questions to author JV Hilliard in this week's episode and he graciously lays it all out for us and even makes me question why dragons have gotten so much positive press over the years.

We also get into some other great stuff like working at haunted houses, researching medieval toilets and buying weird Mexican candy. So join us, won't you?

It's Devil's Night, the veil is thin and we're going from Crows to Curses.

Learn more about Scarecrow symbolism, Crow murders (or are they?) and a Holllywood curse to haunt your nightmares tonight!

Let's hang out on Halloween Eve!

What do you really know about the Headless Horseman? Is it a myth, legend or a beloved character from 19th century American literature...or all of the above? Does he really have a jack-o-lantern for a head or does he carry his head around with him?

Which one is it?!

Let's get to the bottom of this before Halloween, shall we? We need to know what we're dealing with...for when he returns...

Kicking off Halloween month with ... ghost stories!!

..some of the OGs in the literature world and some classic modern favourites. What is it about ghosts that we're so eager to learn from them, follow them and remember them from texts?

This week we'll explore how ghosts and ghost stories can guide us to our past, our history and even lure us in for a closer look at ourselves.

If you can't explain the difference between "poisonous" and "venomous" snakes (don't worry - neither could I!) then this is the episode for you.

I bring you all I learned, not only about this linguistic faux pas, but the treatment and potential lasting effects from a snake bite as well.

Plus, a haunting snake bite death story that will chill you in more ways than one!

A small musing on the traditional taboo of telling jokes at a funeral...

Can you stomach a leap from leeches to Angela Lansbury? In this episode we dive into the world of leeches, leeching and bring it all the way from ancient Egypt to the present...and somehow, yes, to Murder She Wrote royalty. How is that even possible? You'll have to listen to find out!

Do you remember your first horror movie? Chances are good that you do since there's research now to suggest that horror movies can cause long-lasting trauma. The other side of this, though, is that helicopter parents might be doing an even greater disservice to their kids by shielding them from experiencing fear, keeping them from safely gaining emotional skills they can use in the real world.

In this episode, my guest, @hazey_dave, gives us insight into how he navigates his daughter's readiness for horror movies and drops some excellent recommendations along the way.

Welcome to Season 2! To kick this off I get into a female monster fave and how the modern perception of Medusa needs a glow up. There's so much more this gorgeous gorgon - mother, matriarch, murderer - than is usually associated with her. So let's take a deeper look (but not directly, of course)!

It's almost time for Season Two but, in the meantime, Ashe brings you a startling discovery she made over the break that puts a spotlight on a very important female character in comic book history. And she's more goth than you ever knew.

While these shorter, 'Morbid Morsel' episodes will be Patron exclusive in the future, today Ashe joins you for a Valentine's Day treat! With Marco taking some time away, Ashe can really get into the mushy, gooey girly stuff––like the romance between one of the world's most talented composers of all time and the woman who loved him and was the reason his disembodied heart wasn't allowed to rest where he requested on his death bed. Also, why in the 1800s there was an obsession with being buried alive and what those kooky Victorians did to ensure it didn't happen...Tongue pinching anyone?... It's SO Romantic! -xo

Death by wallpaper? Women who glow in the dark? The most authentic type of heavy metal?  In this 'colourful' episode Marco shows off his art school training and shares everything about the toxic chemicals in paint and pigments. Ashe is along for the ride, providing hard facts and specific cases where people actually lost their lives because their livelihoods depended on paint.

Did Mary Shelley really carry her dead husband's heart around with her? Why do all cultures revere relics from the dead? Why do we cling to the body when we're so sure the person who inhabited it is gone? Why are some body parts deemed more valuable than others? In this episode, I and my good friend, Marco, dive into these questions and more morbid phenomena surrounding the question of what can really happen to our body when we die?

Here's your host, Ashe Woodward, and your first glimpse into the morbid themes to be covered on the podcast.