Ominous Origins

Much like the Arkansas stories, Colorado has a plethora of scary stories, none of which seem to be too fleshed out. However, there was one place in the Centennial State that stood out amongst the rest; Riverdale road. And, no you won’t find Archie and the gang hanging out on this particular stretch of land. Stories go back decades about strange happenings going on along Riverdale Road in Thornton,...

California, the place of dreams, coastline, mountains, and of course, dark spirits that lurk in the mountain ranges. It’s the perfect getaway. If you’ve never been to the Golden State, I would highly recommend it, actually. It’s the only place on tour I’ve actually been to, and I would kill to go again – but that’s not the point. The point is, there are some dark entities that stalk the Santa Luci...

Our next stop on the Eerie USA tour features not a specific event or location in Arkansas, but a plethora of places, as it turns out, Arkansas is really quite haunted. There were some incredibly fascinating stories, such as the story of Highway 365, which tells the tale of a young girl asking for a ride. She’s cold, and so she’s offered a jacket. The driver drops her off at home, and well, it turn...

Being a Canadian living in a rather generic part of the country, a desert is something that holds a mystical and nearly magical aspect in my imagination. At the heart of that image sits Arizona, a state rich in native lore and culture. Through what I can only picture are large barren plains and magnificent outcroppings of red rock, lies a land full of intrigue and stories that live on throughout t...

We’re all quite familiar with the Bermuda Triangle – right? The part of the world where everything from people to planes go missing, and is full of other paranormal, or extraterrestrial reports, yeah, you know it. But did you know there is another mysterious triangle out there in the world, and it may even be in your backyard. If you live in Alaska, you’ve probably heard of it. It’s a swath of lan...

In the first episode of season 4, I start a 50 episode series on strange and weird happenings within the USA. It will henceforth be called: The Eerie USA. I hope you enjoy the first episode... The Dead Children's Playground! Tucked away in Huntsville, Alabama lies a cemetery – Huntsville's largest in fact. It was founded in 1822, but was believed to be used as a burial ground prior to that. Over t...

Last week we tackled the impending doom of our world through mostly Christian means. We went over what eschatology is, what it means, and how it could potentially affect us in the future. Well, as I mentioned, in that cast, almost every religion or culture believes in some kind of end times, but when it comes to Judaism, few can compare. Jewish eschatology has been studied and debated for centurie...

It’s no secret that throughout the course of history, maybe even since the beginning of human civilization, people have predicted the end of the world. From Y2k to 2012, the world should have ended many times over. However, we’re not just talking about the 2000’s here, it goes well beyond that, predating most of written history – in fact the first sign that people thought the world would end was d...

Back in 1959 a group of hikers went up into the Ural Mountains to embark on an expedition, little did they know, something would happen. Something terrifying. Something unnatural. Something that was so horrible, not a single one of them survived. Of the nine hikers, all of whom were rather experienced, none made it back home, some were found in the most brutal of ways as well. Named after the grou...

Last week we took a gander at the mythical and legendary beast known as the dragon. We touched upon many aspects in that first part, but much of it was an introduction into the vast pool of lore available. Today I want to delve deeper into some of the specifics, like st. George and his slaying to a dragon in exotic lands and what it meant for his own mythos. Secondly, I will be looking deeper into...

Here’s a biggen. I’ve toyed with the idea of doing a cast on dragons, but it seemed like such a large daunting, fire-breathing task, but alas, I’ve decided to cover it no matter how large the job. I think we’re all pretty familiar with the dragon itself. It’s generally a large, sometimes winged lizard like creature that, in fantasy, breaths fire. Of course, dragons have been major players in all s...

In honour of the movie, Midsommar by director Ari Aster, I bring you the demon Paimon. What connection does that have to Midsommar? Well, if you saw Hereditary, then you would know that Paimon features quite prominently within that film. If you need more links, Hereditary was directed by Ari Aster. Boom, connections. Anyway, Paimon is a real demon, and not just a prop name used for plot devices, a...

This week’s episode is all about the giants that once walked the Earth – the Nephilim, and boy did I open up a massive can of worms with this one. It seems that nobody can 100% agree on just what they were, or where they came from. Theories range from fallen angels, to angel offspring – to bloody aliens that created the human race. It’s been a pretty crazy trip, however the only aspect that is agr...

The lusty, alluring, sexy succubus is a legend as old as demonology itself, with some records even accounting that Lilith, the mother of demons was, in turn, a succubus herself. The story goes, or at least part of the story, is that the succubus is a demon that take the guise of a sensual female in order to seduce men and steal their essence, or soul, or ultimately to just cause disease of the min...

For every fan of any genre, there’s something special that happens during the year, often several times. It’s a time where fans can go out and meet their favourite stars and characters; it’s a time where communities come together; it’s a time where everybody can geek out and not be afraid to be themselves. That special thing is the convention, and horror is known for its convention power, and no m...

In this cast I'll be going over some deals with the Devil, as well as what's involved! As early as the 1400’s, it’s believed that people have been making deals with the Devil. Yes, as farfetched as it may sound, people have been known to sign away their immortal soul to the first of the fallen – or one of his cohorts. Of course, in this instance I’m talking about Faust, maybe the most famous indiv...

Ever since 1973 North America, and most of the western world became a little obsessed with The Exorcist, a film depicting a young girl who’s body and mind are taken over by a demon. It’s a simple, yet terrifying premise, and the film left people reeling in fear and disgust – Hell, even today with all the horror options we have, still holds up and is recognized as not only one of the best horror fi...

June is pride month, and I wanted to explore this time of inclusion, acceptance, and support by looking at some myths and historical characters that either identified as LGBTQ or were suggested as such before terms and titles were placed upon people based on their sexual orientation. With that said, I just wanted to throw my support out there to the community. While not being able to identify as a...

In this episode of the podcast, I talk about the Irish Werewolf. Werewolves have been a part of both popular culture and folklore for centuries, with writings dating back as early as 60 AD. Now, most of us are familiar with the generic, or general werewolf, but did you know that there are cultural variations to said creature? Well, there are – and today I’m looking at the werewolves of Ossory – or...

In this episode of the podcast, I go over the Leshy! The Leshy? You maybe questioning. What the Hell is a Leshy? All great questions. Well, I’ll start with the fact that you probably haven’t heard of the Leshy before due to it being a Slavic entity, mostly around the Polish areas of Europe, and in short is a spirit that rules over the forest, and hunting. Now, forests are often associated with nym...

Note: If you haven’t listened to last week's episode, I would recommend going back and doing so… I mean, of course I would, it’s my podcast! However, if you want a bit of context and information on the legend that is Thunderbird, it’s worth a listen. But onto this week's cast! While last week I went over just what Thunderbird is all about, this week I regale you some fascinating stories and accoun...

In this episode of the cast I take a detour away from the idea and origins of the curse and step back into the realm of mythological creatures. Today I look at the Thunderbird, and no, not the car. The Thunderbird has been, and will always be a staple in the Native American culture. Around since the earliest days of history, the Thunderbird has been worshiped and admired by tribes all throughout N...

In this quick little update, I just wanted to let you know that in the near future, The Horror Shots podcast will be teaming up with Morbidly Beautiful. You might already be familiar with them, but if you're not, it's a site for all things horror, featuring articles from dozens of authors on dozens of topics. You really need to check it out, and look out for the first episode with their sponsorshi...

In this special, and slightly different episode, I'm drawn to the idea of resurrection after the passing of my beloved cat, Shelby. Unfortunately she lost her battle with bone cancer, and so my wife and I decided it was only right to put an end to her suffering. She was a sweet, friendly, and lovable cat who lived a full life of 15 years. So, with that and the recent release of the Pet Sematary re...

In this episode (that I mistakenly call season one! It's season three. Talking is hard) I look at curses and their effect on people dating all the way back to ancient Egypt, potentially before then even,all the way to people of today. The curse is something that everybody is familiar with, but its intricacies are far more nuanced than many might believe. From talismans to wards, to everything in b...