Monster Study Group

January 2, 2026 marked the 60th anniversary of the premiere of Ultra Q, the direct antecedent to Ultraman. This installment of Monster Study Group summarizes and comments on episodes 15--28 of Ultra Q, as well as the one-time special event Birth of Ultraman. The artwork for Monster Study Group is a commissioned piece by Colin Richards. Visit his website at www.colinrichardsart.com

January 2, 2026 marked the 60th anniversary of the premiere of Ultra Q, which I refer to as "one of the most consequential science fiction television shows ever broadcast." To find out why, you're invited to listen to this episode, which summarizes and comments on the first 14 episodes of Ultra Q! The artwork for Monster Study Group is a commissioned piece by Colin Richards. Visit hi...

In this "liminal time" between Christmas and New Years, here's one more ghost story, "The Dream Child" by L. M. Montgomery. More Unseen Cinema coming soon! Monster Study Group's cover art is a commissioned piece by Colin Richards. Visit: www.colinrichardsart.com

In what has become a Christmas tradition, we are going to gather around the virtual hearth and indulge in a few winter chills, beginning with Lucy Maud Montgomery's short story, "The Girl at the Gate." That is followed by Ambrose Bierce's "An Arrest." From Monster Study Group to you, dear listener, a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Blessed Holiday Season! MSG's...

Monster Study Group: Unseen Cinema stalwart Ray Milland stars as the tempter Nick Beal in this 1949 film noir fantasy. The thematic material--along with Thomas Mitchell's (Uncle Billy from "It's a Wonderful Life") lead role--give this movie a vaguely Yuletide feel. Please enjoy! The artwork for Monster Study Group is a commissioned piece by Colin Richards. Visit www.colinrichards...

It's the most wonderful time of the year...perfect for a scary ghost story starring Ray Milland and the otherworldly Gail Russell. Plus, we quickly trace the history of Yuletide ghost storytelling.

Happy Black Friday! It's time to shake off your Thanksgiving food coma with a good old brain transplant, courtesy of Universal Pictures and the tantalizing duo of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Plus, the grand Thanksgiving tradition of watching multiple monster movies is discussed.

Small Town Monsters’ “Invasion on Chestnut Ridge” comes to YouTube May 3rd for Squad members and May 7th for everyone else. This episode takes you behind the scenes of Invasion’s production, and explores the history of STM’s audio podcasts, SasWhat and Monsteropolis.

Jeepers! The Creepers are after Bud & Lou! In this concise entry, I share an article I wrote for Nostalgia Digest (Autumn 2015) about one of my favorite films.

The true story of Peninsula, Ohio’s python outbreak in summer of 1944 is the stuff of legend in the greater Cleveland area. In this episode, you’ll hear a presentation about the Peninsula Python that I gave at 2019’s International Cryptozoology Conference, and you can draw your own conclusions about Cleveland Press writer Robert Bordner’s “beautiful stories.” To learn more about Peninsula’s fascin...

Lions, tigers, and kangaroos. And Bigfoot. All in the Buckeye State. It’s all here, plus information on Monster Fest, coming to Canton, Ohio June 3rd, 2023, plus my list of 21 books about Bigfoot and The Unexplained that You Must Read! Find Monster Study Group on Instagram and get all the updates!

Once upon a time, I wrote a half-hour summary of every Godzilla movie from 1954-2004 to present at G-FEST. This is that presentation, recorded for your enjoyment! You can support Monster Study Group by visiting www.g-fan.com and checking out G-FEST news, subscription info, back issues, and more. Thanks for listening!

New Godzilla and Gamera on the way; remembering Return of Ultraman’s Jiro Dan; my review of Mike Bogue’s “Atomic Drive-in;” exciting G-FAN updates and a full-length Akira Takarada interview! Please support our resource partner, G-FAN magazine, by visiting www.g-fan.com & find Monster Study Group on Instagram. Thanks for listening!

Mark raids the archives of Monsterland Ohio for two articles: a reaction to the film “The Legend of Boggy Creek” and a recounting of an encounter with the cast and crew of Finding Bigfoot. Please your term papers and questions to mark_matzke@yahoo.com or find us on Instagram @monster_study_group

Produced in the shadow of Frankenstein, this movie contains one of Bela Lugosi’s most striking performances. For reference, we highlight “Angels and Ministers of Grace Defend Us!” by Greg Mank, “It’s Alive” by Julian David Stone, and The Lost Films Fanzine. Plus, G-FEST, Monster Kid Radio, and Monster Fest news! Find us on Instagram at monster_study_group

Join Mark as he raids the Monsterland Ohio archives for information about his first G-FEST with his family.

Join Mark for a tubular review of Godzilla 1985 and Allen Debus’ new book, “Kong, Godzilla, and the Living Earth.” Plus, there’s exciting G-FEST news! On Instagram? Check out @monster_study_group

Monster Study Group returns with reviews of the new book “Sasquatch Discovered: The Biography of Dr. John Bindernagel” by Terrance N. James and the 4K BluRay release of “Creature from Black Lake.” There’s also a secret extra credit session that rounds out the episode. Find Monster Study Group on Instagram and catch my Beta Capsule Review each week on Monster Kid Radio, wherever you listen to podca...

Continuing the tradition established by the Monsteropolis podcast, I offer you two chilling short stories: “The Horror Horn” by E. F. Benson and “Just Before Dawn” by Eugene Johnson. You can find me on IG at monster_study_group

This is the final installment of our “Son of…Summer,” and we’re flipping the script with a look at “Dracula’s Daughter,” a Universal Studios production from 1936. Keep an eye on Monster Study Group’s Instagram for news about Season Three, as well as weekly updates regarding Monster Kid Radio. Thanks for listening this summer!

The “Son of…Summer” marches on with a retrospective look at 1967’s “Son of Godzilla.” As you, the listener, might expect, our access to the G-FAN Vault will provide invaluable resources for our examination of this tropical tale. Book your ticket to Sollgel Island and listen today! Those of an arachnophobic bent may want to exercise caution, however…

We are in the thick of MSG’s “Son of Summer,” and this time we head down to the bayou for 1943’s “Son of Dracula,” an extremely interesting blend of horror, film noir, and Southern Gothic. The film stars Lon Chaney, Jr. as Count Alucard, Louise Allbritton as Katherine Caldwell and Robert Paige, who steals the show as Frank Stanley, who loses his fiancée to the Count…or does he? Before that, I talk...

Monster Study Group’s “Son of…Summer” is in full swing with this mini-sode, the first ‘mystery movie’ of Season Two. It’s “Son of Ingagi,” a thriller from 1940 featuring an all-black cast led by Spencer Williams (TV’s Andy Brown in “Amos & Andy), who also wrote the screenplay. I’ll give you my thoughts on the film and its relationship to 1930’s exploitation blockbuster “Ingagi,” as well as the lat...

The “Son of…Summer” continues with my look at 1939’s “Son of Frankenstein,” an underrated entry in Universal’s Monster canon. From a screenplay written on the fly, Rowland Lee and the incredible talent of Basil Rathbone, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff made movie magic in this classic that deserves another look. In this episode, I also update my plans for Monster Bash and talk about m...

Monster Study Group has returned for a second season! Episode One of the “Son of…Summer” is “Son of Kong and the Legacy of Willis O’Brien.” Faced with the prospect of creating a sequel for King Kong, the production team did an intriguing thing…they went small. And the man that brought Kong (and Kong Junior) to life, Willis O’Brien, lived a life of tragedy and triumph. You’ll hear his story from a...