Episode 71: Skinwalkers & Cultural Appropriation with Christopher Allen Brewer

The month of December brings a whole host of traditions for people all across the world. For us on Unspookable, this time of year brings some of the strangest creepy creatures we get to see. After all – it wouldn’t be the holidays for us if we didn’t get to throw in something spooky. So consider it your gift to us to countdown some of the spookiest, witchiest holiday traditions we could scare up on this special holiday episode of Unspookable.   Host: Elise Parisian Written by: Ellenor Riley-Condit  Created, Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Research by: Nate DuFort  Music Direction and Composition: Jesse Case: https://www.jessecasemusic.com/ Logo by: Natalie Khuen You can find Unspookable on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram at: https://www.tiktok.com/@unspookablepodcast https://twitter.com/ImUnspookable https://www.instagram.com/unspookablepodcast/ Looking for merch from Unspookable and your favorite Soundsington Media shows? Head on over to our TeePublic store for t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, hats and more. Unspookable is a production of Soundsington Media, committed to making quality programming for young audiences and the young at heart. To find out more go to http://www.soundsingtonmedia.com  Advertise on Unspookable: [email protected]

This week we are excited to introduce you to one of our favorite podcasts being made today, Twenty Thousand Hertz, a family-friendly podcast that tells the stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds. And this episode features something we can all love... Minecraft. Since its official release in 2011, Minecraft has grown from a small, experimental indie game into the best-selling video game of all time. Today, the game's haunting music and quirky sound effects are just as iconic as its blocky visuals. In this episode, composer and sound designer Daniel Rosenfeld (also known as C418) unpacks how he created the original music and sounds for the game. Your guide on this sonic journey is Dallas Taylor, a sound expert who's been featured in The New York Times, NPR, and is a Ted Mainstage speaker. This episode was written and produced by Leila Battison. To find out more about Twenty Thousand Hertz, you can follow the show on Twitter, Facebook, & Reddit or on their website www.20k.org Looking for merch from Unspookable and your favorite Soundsington Media shows? Head on over to our TeePublic store for t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, hats and more. Unspookable is a production of Soundsington Media, committed to making quality programming for young audiences and the young at heart. To find out more go to http://www.soundsingtonmedia.com  Advertise on Unspookable: [email protected]

Over the last few years, more listeners have requested this topic than any other, but it's a story that isn't ours to tell. And perhaps shouldn't be told at all. Native American Paranormal Adviser, Christopher Allen Brewer, helps us navigate our curiosity without shame as we discuss cultural appropriation and tales of skinwalkers on this episode of… Unspookable.   Host: Elise Parisian Written, Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music Direction and Composition: Jesse Case Logo by: Natalie Khuen You can find Unspookable on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram at: https://www.tiktok.com/@unspookablepodcast https://twitter.com/ImUnspookable https://www.instagram.com/unspookablepodcast/ Special thanks this week to Christopher Allen Brewer. While much of his work is intended for older audiences, you can find out more about Christopher at www.thespiritchasers.com or IMDB  And a big thank you this week to our dear friend Ashley Comeau. The book Living Ghosts and Mischievous Monsters: Chilling American Indian Stories written by Dan SaSuWeh Jones is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever great books are sold. We appreciate and learned a lot from Cherokee Nation researcher, educator, writer, and podcaster Adrienne Keene and her blog Native Appropriations. Looking for merch from Unspookable and your favorite Soundsington Media shows? Head on over to our TeePublic store for t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, hats and more. Unspookable is a production of Soundsington Media, committed to making quality programming for young audiences and the young at heart. To find out more go to http://www.soundsingtonmedia.com  Advertise on Unspookable: [email protected]

What comes to mind when you hear the term "ghost story"? For many Americans, if you don't think of the haunting of the Bell family of Tennessee, you're surely thinking of one of the dozens of stories inspired by this tale. What is it about this chilling legend that still has us talking over 200 years later? Join us as we delve into The Bell Witch, one of America's most iconic ghost stories, on this special crossover episode of Southern Gothic and Unspookable. Hosts: Elise Parisian and Brandon Schexnayder Written by: Nate DuFort and Brandon Schexnayder Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music Direction and Composition: Jesse Case Logo by: Natalie Khuen You can find Unspookable on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram at: https://www.tiktok.com/@unspookablepodcast https://twitter.com/ImUnspookable https://www.instagram.com/unspookablepodcast/ Unspookable is a production of Soundsington Media, committed to making quality programming for young audiences and the young at heart. To find out more go to http://www.soundsingtonmedia.com Southern Gothic is available wherever you get your podcasts and we highly recommend it to adults and to our older listeners. To find out more, go to https://www.southerngothicmedia.com Unspookable Halloween Giveaway Do you have a favorite topic, monster, or cryptid from an episode of Unspookable? Do you like to draw, paint, or sculpt - maybe even write poems or songs? Well, we want to share your work while offering YOU a chance to win an Unspookable t-shirt and other surprises in the first Unspookable Halloween Giveaway.  Here's How to Enter: Pick your favorite Unspookabe topic between now and October 31st Create a piece of art in any medium based on that topic - maybe it’s something you’ve already made!  Have a grown up share your work by either tagging UnspookablePodcast on instagram or by emailing the show at: [email protected] (alternatively you can also just email and say "hi") Then, Unspookable will post the art on our socials and five lucky listeners will be chosen at random to receive the prize packages. No purchase necessary. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C. age 13 or older. Entry period begins at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 10/1/2024 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on 10/31/2024. Void where prohibited. The Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. Advertise on Unspookable: [email protected]

We likely don't have to tell you that Minecraft is a global phenomenon, but that doesn't mean that it's all fun and games. Many listeners of the show have written in to see if we could comment on the spookier side of everyone's favorite blocky sandbox game. So, we're doing just that as we discuss both the popularity of Minecraft and the mysterious figure of Herobrine on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written by: Michael Grathwohl Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music Direction and Composition: Jesse Case Logo by: Natalie Khuen You can find Unspookable on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram at: https://www.tiktok.com/@unspookablepodcast https://twitter.com/ImUnspookable https://www.instagram.com/unspookablepodcast/ Unspookable is a production of Soundsington Media, committed to making quality programming for young audiences and the young at heart. To find out more go to http://www.soundsingtonmedia.com  Unspookable Halloween Giveaway Do you have a favorite topic, monster, or cryptid from an episode of Unspookable? Do you like to draw, paint, or sculpt - maybe even write poems or songs? Well, we want to share your work while offering YOU a chance to win an Unspookable t-shirt and other surprises in the first Unspookable Halloween Giveaway.  Here's How to Enter: Pick your favorite Unspookabe topic between now and October 31st Create a piece of art in any medium based on that topic - maybe it’s something you’ve already made!  Have a grown up share your work by either tagging UnspookablePodcast on instagram or by emailing the show at: [email protected] (alternatively you can also just email and say "hi") Then, Unspookable will post the art on our socials and five lucky listeners will be chosen at random to receive the prize packages. No purchase necessary. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C. age 13 or older. Entry period begins at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 10/1/2024 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on 10/31/2024. Void where prohibited. The Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. Advertise on Unspookable: [email protected]

Washington Irving's 1820 tale of a headless horseman who terrorizes the village of Sleepy Hollow is widely considered to be one of the first American ghost stories and, we'd argue, still one of the scariest. Why has this tale and this figure endured for over 200 years inspiring films, cartoons, games, and even entire podcasts? We talk this week with David Kreizman, the CCO of Gen-Z Media and Co-Creator and Writer of their hit show The Hollow to find out. That and more on this episode of Unspookable. The Hollow is available now wherever you get your podcasts.  And you may want to catch up on the GZM series Nightingale as this month the show returns with the all new Nightingale Halloween, a five episode series where we head back to the mysterious land of Nightingale.  You can find out more about The Hollow, Nightingale, Mina & Lucy’s Guide to Slaying Dracula, and all of the great GZM shows at https://gzmshows.com/shows Unspookable Host: Elise Parisian Written, Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music Direction and Composition: Jesse Case Logo by: Natalie Khuen Episode Artwork: Ichabod Crane, by William J. Wilgus c. 1856 You can find Unspookable on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram at: https://www.tiktok.com/@unspookablepodcast https://twitter.com/ImUnspookable https://www.instagram.com/unspookablepodcast/ Unspookable is a production of Soundsington Media, committed to making quality programming for young audiences and the young at heart. To find out more go to http://www.soundsingtonmedia.com  Unspookable Halloween Giveaway Do you have a favorite topic, monster, or cryptid from an episode of Unspookable? Do you like to draw, paint, or sculpt - maybe even write poems or songs? Well, we want to share your work while offering YOU a chance to win an Unspookable t-shirt and other surprises in the first Unspookable Halloween Giveaway.  Here's How to Enter: Pick your favorite Unspookabe topic between now and October 31st Create a piece of art in any medium based on that topic - maybe it’s something you’ve already made!  Have a grown up share your work by either tagging UnspookablePodcast on instagram or by emailing the show at: [email protected] (alternatively you can also just email and say "hi") Then, Unspookable will post the art on our socials and five lucky listeners will be chosen at random to receive the prize packages. No purchase necessary. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C. age 13 or older. Entry period begins at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 10/1/2024 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on 10/31/2024. Void where prohibited. The Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. Advertise on Unspookable: [email protected]

Many of us have heard of the Lady in White or the White Lady, a ghostly woman in misty white, feeling despair, or anger. Why is this imagery so common, not just in North America, but around the world? Is she someone to be afraid of? Someone who needs help? Who is this woman? We’ll be talking about the White Lady, who she haunts, and why, on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written by: Miden Wood Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music Direction and Composition: Jesse Case Logo by: Natalie Khuen You can find Unspookable on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram at: https://www.tiktok.com/@unspookablepodcast https://twitter.com/ImUnspookable https://www.instagram.com/unspookablepodcast/ In this episode we reference Carvel Wallace's book Another Word for Love: A Memoir, which we definitely recommend for our adult listeners! It does contain some explicit content, so portions of it that may not be suitable for all ages. Unspookable is a production of Soundsington Media, committed to making quality programming for young audiences and the young at heart. To find out more go to http://www.soundsingtonmedia.com  Unspookable Halloween Giveaway Do you have a favorite topic, monster, or cryptid from an episode of Unspookable? Do you like to draw, paint, or sculpt - maybe even write poems or songs? Well, we want to share your work while offering YOU a chance to win an Unspookable t-shirt and other surprises in the first Unspookable Halloween Giveaway.  Here's How to Enter: Pick your favorite Unspookabe topic between now and October 31st Create a piece of art in any medium based on that topic - maybe it’s something you’ve already made!  Have a grown up share your work by either tagging UnspookablePodcast on instagram or by emailing the show at: [email protected] (alternatively you can also just email and say "hi") Then, Unspookable will post the art on our socials and five lucky listeners will be chosen at random to receive the prize packages. No purchase necessary. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C. age 13 or older. Entry period begins at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 10/1/2024 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on 10/31/2024. Void where prohibited. The Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. Advertise on Unspookable: [email protected]

What if we told you that 10,000 years ago there was a sophisticated society ruled by the children of the sea god Poseidon, with stunning architecture and quality of life similar to our own? What if this society contained a city with unimaginable wealth—and maybe even technology beyond our current understanding—but it was swallowed by the sea in a great catastrophe, leaving no trace behind? We’re talking all about the mythical lost city of Atlantis on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written by: Michael Grathwohl Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music Direction and Composition: Jesse Case Logo by: Natalie Khuen You can find Unspookable on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram at: https://www.tiktok.com/@unspookablepodcast https://twitter.com/ImUnspookable https://www.instagram.com/unspookablepodcast/ Unspookable is a production of Soundsington Media, committed to making quality programming for young audiences and the young at heart. To find out more go to http://www.soundsingtonmedia.com  Advertise on Unspookable: [email protected]

More than 100 years after the disaster that sank it, why is our fascination with the RMS Titanic as strong as ever? Who or what was to blame for this tragedy? Was it bad luck, hubris, or simply an iceberg? We'll discuss this and more on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written by: Miden Wood Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music Direction and Composition: Jesse Case Logo by: Natalie Khuen You can find Unspookable on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram at: https://www.tiktok.com/@unspookablepodcast https://twitter.com/ImUnspookable https://www.instagram.com/unspookablepodcast/ Unspookable is a production of Soundsington Media, committed to making quality programming for young audiences and the young at heart. To find out more go to http://www.soundsingtonmedia.com  Advertise on Unspookable: [email protected]

Crows and Ravens are considered to be some of the smartest animals in the world, with intelligence comparable to chimpanzees. But for many, their presence evokes a fear that is hard to put into words. We're on a journey to discover those words and more as we dive into corvids, fact vs. fiction, on this episode of Unspookable. Host: Elise Parisian Written by: Michael Grathwohl Produced, Edited by: Nate DuFort Music Direction and Composition: Jesse Case Logo by: Natalie Khuen You can find Unspookable on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram at: https://www.tiktok.com/@unspookablepodcast https://twitter.com/ImUnspookable https://www.instagram.com/unspookablepodcast/ Unspookable is a production of Soundsington Media, committed to making quality programming for young audiences and the young at heart. To find out more go to http://www.soundsingtonmedia.com  Advertise on Unspookable: [email protected]