Episode 310 Jason Offutt "Chasing North American Monsters"

Making a return to the Necronomicast, a favorite of mine...Jason Offutt!  Tonight we chat about his newest book "Chasing North American Monsters"! From his website: "Jason Offutt grew up on a farm near the little town of Orrick, Missouri. In his life he's been a farm hand, journalist, photographer, bartender, and the mayor of that same small town. Jason now teaches journalism at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, and keeps the world safe from the forces of evil. Okay, so now that the interview bio's out the way, here's who I really am. I'm a nerd. A Dungeons and Dragons playing, "Star Trek" watching, conspiracy theory Fanboy. "The Twilight Zone" is the greatest television program ever created, author Michael Crichton was a wizard, and I once went to a Halloween party dressed as Gilligan (my wife went as Mary Ann. Hubba hubba). As a kid I looked for Sasquatch footprints in the yard, UFOs over our farmhouse (one night my whole family saw something that shouldn't – couldn't – have been in the sky. Damn straight), and one afternoon, alone, I saw a full-bodied apparition that stared at me through hollow eyes. So, yeah. That's me. If you want to talk writing, nerd stuff, or the paranormal, send me a message. I'll try to respond as soon as possible, but if I'm on deadline, that cute kid in the picture can be kind of a dick." Jason's newest book is another page turner that is just as much fun and is as brilliant as its author!  Have fun with this episode of Necronomicast! Official Website of Jason Offutt Jason's author page at Llewellyn Books Support the Necronomicast with "Buy Me A Coffee"!  Thank you! Necronomicast shirts and merch available here!  Thank you!  

I am excited for you all to hear this episode featuring author Fiona Dodwell as we dicsuss her new book "A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls"! Robert. Annabelle. Peggy. The very names of these dolls can strike fear into your heart. Fiona Dodwell, who has been gripped by the idea of spirit-possessed dolls for years, dives into real world and fictional examples of toys gone bad—playthings meant to comfort children but instead make life a living hell. Fiona presents a comprehensive collection of true-life cases of haunted dolls, including lesser-known ones such as Mandy and Okiku. She also explores the killer dolls that have inspired endless horror movies and books. To chill your spine even further, Fiona shares interviews with Child's Play writer and director Don Mancini, actress Jennifer Tilly, Patti Negri of Ghost Adventures, Jayne Harris of Help! My House Is Haunted, and many, many more. Creepy, addictive, and meticulously researched, this book takes paranormal enthusiasts on a thrilling journey into the dark and fascinating world of haunted dolls.   Fiona's author page at Llewellyn Books Order "A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls" on Amazon! Fiona's Linktree   Support or sponsor Necronomicast Episodes at "Buy Me A Coffee"!

An exciting guest for this episode of Necronomicast....actor Tobias Jelinek! Tobias Jelinek's journey into entertainment began at age 15, when he was cast as Jay in Disney's cult classic Hocus Pocus (1993). Over the past 30 years, he has built a reputation for portraying bold, unpredictable characters across film and television. His screen credits span both the Marvel and DC universes (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Arrow), as well as standout roles in Stranger Things, Mayfair Witches (AMC), Obliterated (Netflix), and Baskets (FX). Jelinek has recurred as a guest star on This Is Us, NCIS, and Shameless, and brought his comedic range to The Mindy Project, Comedy Central Presents, and Rhett & Link's Buddy System opposite Molly Shannon and Tony Hale. Most recently, Jelinek continues to push boundaries in Ryan Murphy's Monsters (Netflix), Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, ABC's High Potential and NBC's The Hunting Party. Also a passionate mentor, Jelinek is the founder of The Inspired Actor, a Chekhov-based acting lab exploring performance, presence, and transformation. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their two sons. Enjoy this conversation with a insightful and talented actor...Tobias Jelinek!   To sponsor an episode of Necronomicast, or to "buy me a coffee" click here!   Necronomicast Opening Theme: "Brand New Graveyard" by N. Barber, B. Corey, J. Dodson, S. Zimmerman. Closing Music:  "Possibly Olives" by Andrew Vogt. All music used with permission.

Super excited to welcome my next guest, Amanda D. Paulson to the Necronomicast!  She is a paranormal investigator, public speaker, and medium based in the Pacific Northwest, with over 17 years of experience and tens of millions of views across multiple social media platforms. You can find Amanda's work featured in Season 1 and 2 of Ghost Files, in publications Apartment Therapy, The Inlander and the 2025 Official Spokane Visitor Guide and her writing published in Haunted Magazine and The Feminine Macabre Vol. 1. Amanda wrote the Paranormal Emotive Touchpoint theory in 2022 and now delivers lectures and workshops about her work on Odd Emotions and spirit communication across the US. ​You can watch Amanda D. Paulson star in the paranormal-true crime documentary The Lady of the Lake, on Amazon Prime. She is also a featured investigator in the documentary Surrounded by Spirits, on Amazon Prime and the upcoming series, Historically Haunted. Amanda's other work includes the creation of the Dark History Tour Series, an educational program about Victorian spiritualism which she wrote for the Campbell House in collaboration with the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture. Visit Amanda Paulson online here! New opening theme music "Brand New Graveyard" by Nate Barber, Brian Corey, Jim Dodson, and Scott Zimmerman. Closing music courtesy of Andrew Vogt

Happy Halloween! For this episode of Necronomicast, it is my pleasure to welcome back former co-host Doug Kabourek!   Doug joins me for a highly spirited conversation centering on his new album released just in time for the Halloween season "Black Walls & William Hall".  A complex and incredible musical tribute to the famed Omaha haunted house attraction "Mystery Manor" which was closed and demolished in 2024 after 40 years of delivering fun filled fright to the citizens of Omaha.  We will sharing the track "Ambulance" from the album! From music journalist Tim McMahan: "The epic new album Black Walls and William Hall by Fizzle Like a Flood, a.k.a. Doug Kabourek, is more than a collection of songs; it's the soundtrack to a horror-filled love story that has festered in Kabourek's psyche for more than a decade.  A kaleidoscope of noise, sound, samples and screams swirl into and around the record's eight songs. The dense, layered production is sure to turn on fans of Flaming Lips' adventurous soundscapes, while the rock songs provide the riffage and melodies to satisfy any true Weezer, Sebadoh or Beach Boys fan.  Headphones are a must to capture Kabourek's intricate, nuanced cacophony as well as to follow the narrative, which is nearly impossible without the lyric sheet printed on the album's sleeve (hopefully he'll be adding them to the Bandcamp liner notes). But with or without the words, the immersive audio experience is a hallucinatory thrill ride on par with the best haunted houses."   Together, Doug and I will recount the years we enjoyed creeping around the halls of Mystery Manor and explore the inspiration, writing, and recording of his celebrated new musical masterpiece!     "Black Walls and William Hall" at Bandcamp   "Black Walls and William Hall" on Spotify   "Black Walls and William Hall" on Apple Music   "Great Monsters Walk These Halls" Mystery Manor Documentary

For this incredible episode, I am joined by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Nancy Schwartzman.  The focus of our conversation centers on the case of Ellen Greenberg, subject of Nancy's sensational HULU docuseries "Death in Apartment 603: What Happened To Ellen Greenberg". Together we will navigate through the strange case of Ellen Greenberg and her mysterious death.  Her death was officially ruled a suicide despite the 20+ stab wounds (10 to her back and neck) and 11 bruises, sparking extensive debate as to whether the cause of death was actually homicide. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the manner of death have prompted significant political activity, legal action, and global media coverage. Nancy's riveting docuseries is streaming now on Hulu and Disney +, from ABC News. Official Website of "Death In Apartment 603" at Hulu Official Website of Nancy Schwartzman Sponsor and support episodes of Necronomicast at "Buy Me A Coffee"!

For this episode of Necronomicast, I am super excited to welcome to the show Matt Roller, the creator and writer behind the smash new Netflix adult animated series "Haunted Hotel"! Already renewed for a second season, this show conceived by the Rick and Morty veteran materializes on Netflix with its spirited tale of a single mom who inherits a spooky Gothic inn named the Undervale, which incidentally comes complete with a menagerie of undead, unhappy spirits. Along with the ghost of her deceased brother and two precocious kids, this reluctant innkeeper must try to work with these phantom inhabitants to manage a successful hotel for sleepy overnight guests. Join Matt and I as we trace the true paranormal events and his twisted path bringing "Haunted Hotel" to life! "Haunted Hotel" Official Netflix site! Support Necronomicast!  Buy me a coffee...thank you!

For this episode of Necronomicast, I am thrilled to bring you a conversation with a legend in the motion picture industry...Alan Howarth! Alan Howarth's award–winning film work started on Star Trek–The Motion Picture, launching him as a sound designer for the following 6 Star Trek feature films. Next was "Escape From New York", collaborating on music with director and composer, John Carpenter, and scoring for "Halloween sequels 2–6″, "Christine", "Big Trouble in Little China", "Prince of Darkness" and "They Live". He has since composed music for over 50 films.  His sound design work placed him on the Oscar–winning sound effects teams for "The Hunt for Red October" and "Dracula" directed by Francis Ford Coppola, as well as receiving awards and nominations for sound design on The Little Mermaid, Back to the Future II and III, Stargate, Die Hard II, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Alan's audio expertise in music and sound has been utilized for cutting edge projects in virtual and augmented reality projects and supervised immersive, interactive game audio. He has been a creator of music and sound effects libraries and 3D audio system production and installations. He is recognized as an expert in analog synthesizers, authored several patents for Natural Frequency Spectrum Music Conversion, and has served as musicologist for Academy of Future Science doing field research into ancient structure acoustical properties. Alan is also performing music live at conventions, special events and seminars in USA, Europe, and Asia. Alan Howarth's official website! Sponsor an episode, buy me a coffee! Thank you!

I am very excited to welcome to the Necronomicast an incredible guest...Ryan Sprague! Ryan is a regular on Ancient Aliens (History Channel) and a lead investigator and co-host of Mysteries Decoded (The CW) and Haunted (Eastlink). He is the author of Somewhere in the Skies: A Human Approach to the UFO Phenomenon which has been implemented into college courses at Webster University and Mercyhurst University. He is also the author of Stories from Somewhere in the Skies. Both books hit #1 on Amazon's Best-Sellers list. He is the creator and host of the Somewhere in the Skies podcast on SpectreVision Radio. Speaking on UFOs, Ryan has been featured on ABC, CBS, NewsNation, and 7News Australia. He has consulted for Amblin Entertainment and Netflix and has been featured in Newsweek, The NY Post, and VICE. Listen to Ryan on your favorite podcast platform! You can learn more about Ryan here: Somewhere In The Skies official website.

The "Good Witch of Hollywood," Patti Negri, is a Psychic-Medium, and Good Witch best known for her recurring role on the Discovery Channel's top rated series "Ghost Adventures." Her wildly popular television and streaming series appearances have garnered over a billion views. The Parapod Awards recognized Patti as "Best TV Psychic 2023," and "Best Psychic Podcast 2024." Patti is the international best-selling author of "Old World Magick for the Modern World: Tips, Tricks, & Techniques to Balance, Empower, & Create a Life You Love." Patti was voted #1 psychic, medium, trance medium, tarot reader, and witch/ magickal practitioner in the world in the internationally recognized competition by Times Square Press. Patti's body of work includes appearances on such shows as MASTER CHEF, AMERICA'S GOT TALENT, and PORTALS TO HELL. Patti hosts her popular podcast, THE WITCHING HOUR, and can be heard on nationally syndicated radio with Adam Corolla, Jason Ellis, Mancow Muller, and Coast to Coast with George Noory. Patti has collaborated with some of today's hottest creators and influencers Lilly Singh, LaurDIY, FazeRug, Good Mythical Morning, The Sturniolos and TFIL Overnight. She has graced numerous magazine covers, contributed to over 20 books, and conducted seances on radio, film, and TV, working with such legends as Emma Stone, Josh Duhamel, Martin Sheen, and Gregory Hines.   Official Website of Patti Negri