The AP Strange Show

On this week's show Jay Shenk joins AP for a discussion about art, magic, and technology and how the history and methods behind these subjects intertwine in the 20th century. Jay is a self-described student of the strange, advertising professional, and tech hobbyist who is also pursuing a Masters degree in Art and Technology at the University of Oklahoma. In this conversation, he brings his knowledge of the highly weird to point out connections between subjects as seemingly disparate as Theosophy, surrealism, radionics, Spiritualism, parapsychology, outsider art, and technological advances in mass communications. The far-ranging scope of this episode allows for discussion of plenty of fun subjects, such as the outsider art of Howard Finster, Tony 'Doc' Shiels and his Monstermind experiments, Elvis seances, art as modern shamanism, and also Mothman's butt. Yes, you read that correctly. Follow Jay on Bluesky at @synoisia.bsky.social

As of this month, The AP Strange Show has been around for one whole year! This is a brief bonus for listeners, a thank you to all who have tuned in or appeared on the show, and some thoughts about where it's headed.Along with that stuff, there's a few horror movie recommendations for your spooky season pleasure, and even a seance! Thanks to everyone who has supported the program, there's much more to come... and Happy Halloween!

This week, AP catches up with Adam Sayne, longtime host of the Conspirinormal podcast and organizer of the Strange Realities conferences in Tennessee. The show has been on hiatus, but Adam assures us in this conversation that Conspirirnormal will return- they start off by talking about his thirteen years of hosting, interviewing, and presenting ideas about all manner of weird subjects as well as examining the ever-changing landscape of media and what's generally referred to as "content creation". From there, the discussion becomes more of a paranormal jam session, with lighthearted chat about some of the more insane conspiracy theories, personalities within ufology and ghost hunting, and the ways these narratives overlap and inform beliefs more broadly. From Flat Earth and Tartaria to organic robotoids, the Nephilim, and Bigfoot, they run the gamut of fringe topics- and end with a look at demonology, and the long shadow cast by Ed and Lorraine Warren over paranormal investigation.Check out https://conspirinormal.com/ to see the back catalog of shows Adam has done over the years, and, if you're not already, make sure to subscribe so you're there when the show returns!

This week, returning guest Solomon Pakal joins AP to discuss Mayan Astrology, and how one can use it to enhance their magical and mundane existence. Solomon is a longtime magical practitioner, a historian of Mesoamerican culture and magic, and Brujo through his Guatemalan ancestral lineage. In this episode, the conversation centers around his work with Mayan Astrology, which he will soon be offering a course on through his Substack. In the episode he outlines how the Maya conception of astrology differs from versions in the west, or in the Vedic tradition, involving more terrestrial and spirit based calendars that overlap in multidimensional ways. He further explains the benefits of using such a system for both personal and global predictions, for personal development, and magical timing. Solomon is currently writing and sharing video content on his Substack that is well worth your time, and available to free subscribers. Beginning in November paid subscribers will have access to his course on Mayan Astrology, and listeners are encouraged to check it out here: https://substack.com/@solomonpakal

It's a special double feature Third Time's the Charm episode on this week's show, as AP chats with his old friend Ryk McIntyre about two third installments from classic Universal Monster movie franchises. First, they discuss the relatively obscure offering from the Invisible Man series, 1940's The Invisible Woman- a departure from the gothic horror and suspense of the other films, it's more of a screwball comedy and the only Universal picture to feature one of The Three Stooges. Next, they discuss The Creature Walks Among Us, the very last of the original Universal Monster films which, for better or worse, shows you the Creature from the Black Lagoon like you've never seen him before. Ryk is an actor, a poet, and currently works as a tour guide, researcher, and writer for the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA. Learn more about the location here: https://lizzie-borden.com/

This week's show is an exciting one, as the one-and-only Professor Porterfield joins AP for an in-depth discussion about Hoodoo, the Sporting Life, and spell work with playing cards. Professor Porterfield is an Old Testament, old school reader and root worker and the author of several books including A Deck of Spells: Hoodoo Playing Card Magic in Rootwork and Conjure. He had recently appeared in Salem, MA, presenting at the Salem Witchcraft & Folklore Festival, and in this episode talks about concepts from his lecture 30 Years in the Sporting Life. In both the lecture and in the interview, he gives practical and magical advice for those who "walk on the other side of the street", who are often the more vulnerable and marginalized among us. In doing so he also gets into the history and philosophy of Hoodoo as a practice and as a means of survival.Prof. Porterfield also talks about his personal history and lineage in Hoodoo, discusses his conjuring work and divination, and even a bit about ghosts and other entities!To learn more about the Professor and his work, check out his website here: http://www.professorporterfield.com/

This week Dr. Jerrold Coe, the writer and collector behind Paperbacks of the Gods, joins AP for a freewheeling discussion about the pulpy madness of paperback forteana. Jerrold's site is a treasure trove of quirky titles, replete with wildly weird cover designs and even weirder subjects, and this conversation is a celebration of such cultural oddities. They explore the prolific catalogues of story collectors such as Brad Steiger and Warren Smith, and the dynamics of the publishing world that delivered these tales to the wider culture. In his writing and in this conversation, Coe does an excellent job of tracing the history of various narratives and the authors who promoted them. From T. Lobsang Rampa to Otto Binder, to sci-fi and less fortean paperback kitsch, the exploration of mass media paperbacks in the golden age of paranormal weirdness makes for a very fun and funny discussion.Check out Coe's work here: https://paperbackgods.blogspot.com/Also, subscribe to his YouTube for fortean documentary uploads at @jerrold_coe

This week on the show, Glennie F. Sewell joins AP to discuss his work in paranormal investigation and his academic efforts toward synthesizing lived paranormal experiences and their relation to the imaginal realities with which they interact. He recently led a workshop to discuss these concepts at the 2025 Paranormal Research Symposium in Gettysburg, PA. AP attended the workshop and even had a paranormal event occur in the middle of it! (A description of said event can be found in the episode "Road Trippin' with Tim Binnall.) Glennie's presentation of anomalous activity as a liminal bridge to the imaginal realms are well worth considering, and made him a natural welcome guest on this show.He discusses these concepts and his methodology in approaching stories he sources directly from consenting participants, finding commonalities in lived experiences and analyzing the narratives of what we consider "paranormal". In so doing he pulls upon threads such as choices of words used in the telling to find deeper meaning in what are often transformative or perception altering tales. He and AP discuss the limitations of language to describe the greater reality, and the difficulties inherent in discernment around cultural inborn assumptions.Glennie currently holds an MFA from Goddard College and is the author of an unpublished novel, Guardians of Forever: Earth Gone. He is currently teaching World Literature online and working toward a PhD in Transformative Studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He is also the co-founder of the Messenger Guardians Institute and Messenger Guardians Paranormal Investigation Studies, based out of Vermont. You can follow his work with MGPIS on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@messengerguardiansparanorm8606

On this week's show, Leah Prime drops in to discuss rare and cursed books! From incunabula to anthropodermic bindings, to books of occult lore, Leah shares her wealth of knowledge about rare books and manuscripts from around the world in a fascinating conversation with AP. She discusses her backstory, and what led her to an academic life in rare texts. They also talk about the history of printing, what goes into preservation of old volumes, and the lore surrounding books such as the. Codex Gigas. Also discussed are trends within western esotericism and their Hebrew roots, and works such as The Book of Abramelin, and their impact on modern occultism. The far-reaching conversation also covers The Voynich Manuscript and its attendant mysteries, as well as more modern rare and mythical works such as Agrippa (The Book of the Dead) by William Gibson. It was a fascinating journey through the history of print as a medium, with no shortage of weird items along the way!Leah can be found on Twitter or BlueSky, or on Substack at @leahprime

On this week's show Randi Bergsma joins AP for a discussion about channeling, seances, and art, particularly in relation to the work of Hilma af Klint. Randi is a witch, a writer, an artist, and a tarot reader whose work has been published in The Feminine Macabre, Haunted Magazine, and, more recently, was featured as a speaker at the 2025 Paranormal Research Symposium in Gettysburg, PA. Her presentation, Creating Channeled Art, forms the basis for this episode.In this conversation AP and Randi discuss her background in art and in the spookier stuff, which culminated in her current interests. Also discussed is Hilma af Klint and her methods, her obscurity until fairly recently, and the ways in which the mystical is often diminished in discussions around art. Finally, some ideas and methods are explored on how to channel one's own art, with Randi explaining her approach to it. Follow Randi on instagram at liminalsister, and be sure to subscribe to her brand new substack here: https://substack.com/@liminalsister1

Recorded on August 23, 2025 at the Paranormal Research Symposium in Gettysburg, PA, this is the live recording of AP's presentation on the various mystical narratives and possible supernatural realities behind the Loch Ness Monster. With a healthy amount of humor and an enthusiastic audience, the presentation was a lot of fun to do and part of a great event organized by the Association for Paranormal Study. For a recap on the weekend, refer to the episode Road Tripping with Tim Binnall- AP extends his gratitude to the organizers, attendees, and other speakers for a wonderful time exploring the weird. This talk goes through the myriad ways Nessie might be interpreted, from pop culture to cryptozoology, folklore and myth, and finally in mysticism- using historical examples such as Aleister Crowley's workings at Boleskine House, the works of F. W. Holiday, the exorcism(s) of the Loch, and the surrealist exploits of Tony 'Doc' Shiels. There was a lot of ground to cover for an hour long talk, so the pace gets a bit frantic, but it's all intriguing and incredibly weird material. Enjoy! 

This week's show is a road recording, as AP and Tim Binnall recap their whirlwind road trip down to Gettysburg for the Paranormal Research Symposium at which AP gave a talk. Recorded in the car as they reached the home stretch back to Massachusetts, the audio quality may be a little different than listeners are used to but the conversation was filled with laughs and paranormal goodness. As a companion to this episode, a bonus episode of the audio from AP's presentation "The Misunderstood Magic of the Monster of Ness" will be in the feed as well, so be sure to check that out!In this road chat Tim and AP talk about the Symposium, the Gettysburg battlefields, new friends and interesting voices from the event, an odd encounter with a butterfly, and a possible ghost biker. Hear about AP's paranormal event during a presentation, culinary cheers and jeers, and about shenanigans at the Vampa Museum on the way back home. The weekend in Pennsylvania was one for the books, and well worth a discussion! Enjoy!

This week's show is a fun one, as Tui Snider joins AP and guest co-host Stephanie Quick to celebrate the release of her new book Around the World in 80 Graves! Tui, as you might have guessed, is an author and world traveler who has had a lifelong interest in cemeteries. She is also one heck of a story teller, and her most recent book- and this wide-ranging conversation- is a great example of her talent. Weaving together stories of her travels, the people she met along the way, and the various cultures and traditions she encountered, she sets out to prove that cemeteries are for more than just funerals. This conversation barely scratches the surface of sites and themes covered in her book, but among the topics covered were Highgate Cemetery and Douglas Adams' grave, graves for amputated limbs, and Tui's origin story as a taphophile. A lot of laughs were had along the way, and it was a lighthearted and wholesome chat about a topic usually considered grim and morbid. From symbolism, history, and recounting embarrassing moments to coffee shops around the world, this episode- much like Tui's book- runs the gamut.Check out Tui's website here: https://tuisnider.com/...and pre-order her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Around-World-Graves-Tombstones-Transformation-ebook/dp/B0FHYJRJ3J

This week returning guests Stephanie Quick and Professor WHAM join AP for a philosophical deep dive on the works and writings of Michel Foucault, and how the the ideas he talked about could be applied to the subject of UFOlogy. For those unfamiliar with Foucault both Steph and WHAM do a great job of breaking down key concepts and terminology, which opens a wider conversation using examples from UFO narrative history. Such concepts speak to the marginal nature of the subject itself, and especially the common pressures against experiencers in the wider world. Various other themes are explored, such as the attendant paranoia around government and extraterrestrials alike within UFOlogy, power structures in society and culture, and whether the systems we have in place are equipped to address the mystery of the phenomenon.Stephanie and WHAM bring a wealth of knowledge and insight to this discussion, and a fair amount of humor as well. In addition to the philiosophy discussed, the conversation also gets into science fiction portrayals of aliens, personal notes and experiences, and even Weird Alien Sex!*Note- there were some issues with the audio at the beginning of the episode, but these are rectified before long into the chat- so please bear with it!

This week on the show writer, strategist, and founder of The Emperor Norton Trust John Lumea joins AP for an in-depth discussion about an obscure but fascinating historical figure- that of Joshua Abraham Norton, the self-proclaimed Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico. What began as a campaign on John's part to recognize the Emperor's association with the San Francisco Bay Bridge turned into the current Trust, which seeks to honor the legacy of Norton I through archival materials, advocacy, and John's writings about the man. Norton's impact in the latter part of the 19th century extended far beyond San Francisco and his time, showing the power of eccentricity and force of will to carry one's beliefs and ideas into reality. In the interview, John gets into the history of Emperor Norton as well as his ideology, which was surprisingly progressive for his time. In the process, he pushes back on some common misconceptions about the Emperor, painting a picture of a benevolent monarch and poignant, albeit unconventional, thinker. Also discussed are the Emperor's spiritual life, his role as a Discordian saint, and how we can apply the Nortonian ideal in today's age.Keep up with John at The Emperor Norton Trust here: https://emperornortontrust.org/

This week Bradley Plaisier and Robert Skvarla join AP to talk about the classic 90s phenomena that was The X-Files, but more specifically, the episodes written by Darin Morgan. Fans of the TV series know Morgan for his humor and absurdity in stories such as Jose Chung's From Outer Space and War of the Coprophages, "monster of the week" episodes that add levity to the show while at the same time raising important and thought-provoking questions. While he wrote significantly less episodes for the show, the ones he came up with were all instant classics; just as memorable were his appearances onscreen in the episodes Host and Small Potatoes. In addition to a brief but powerful list of writing credits, Morgan also rarely gave interviews. In this discussion a 1996 interview with Cinefantastique is relied upon heavily, bringing insights into the writing behind his first full episode, Humbug, and his most celebrated (and award winning) script for Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose.Bradley and Robert bring their unique perspectives as researchers of the paranormal and conspiracy theory material to what became a wide-ranging discussion about high strangeness, media, perception management, manipulation, and so much more. Robert is a freelance writer and can be found on X @robertskvarla, where you can also find Bradley @bpleasies. Check out Bradley's t-shirt shop as well, which has many great and often obscure paranormal designs to choose from at https://bwp.threadless.com/Discussed as well are the two episodes from the 11th season of the show, as well as Morgan's writing for the spinoff show Millenium. This brings the conversation into some unexpected places, with discussions about the Mandela Effect, Flat Earth, and even Phantom Clowns!

This week's show is another Third Time's the Charm (3xtC) installment with J. R. Hikel joining AP to talk about one of the greatest movies of all time- Army of Darkness! J. R. is a small business owner and a lifelong horror fan, and runs J. R.'s Spooky Shack in Hudson, Massachusetts- a one-stop shop for all manner of horror merchandise. He brings his wealth of knowledge and inimitable sense of humor to a fun discussion with AP about this movie, the Evil Dead franchise more broadly, and an unexpected but welcome allusion to The Three Stooges!Also discussed are the many talents and the legacy of Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi's filmography, and other horror notables involved in Army of Darkness which may have escaped your notice. It was a fun episode and a wonderful excuse to geek out about the movie as well as the other Evil Dead properties- and even the most primitive of screwheads will be able to enjoy it!Find J. R.'s shop here: https://www.jrsspookyshack.com/And follow him on instagram @jrsspookyshack

This week Gabriel Kennedy, aka Prop-Anon, drops in to discuss his book Chapel Perilous: The Life and Thought Crimes of Robert Anton Wilson! This first, and currently only biography of RAW was several years in the making for Gabriel. In this conversation, he and AP discuss how he came to discover Wilson's work, the influences its had on Kennedy as a creative and a person, and much more!Gabriel is a musician and a writer, as well as a student of Wilson's Maybe Logic Academy. In this wide ranging chat, he and AP discuss everything from the Illuminati's tendrils within hip hop, to influences on RAW from Crowley to Reich to Korzybski, to high strangeness events with UFOs and synchronicities. They talk about Kennedy's personal interactions with Wilson, including at the infamous Disinfo Con- as well as some discussion about interviews and research that went into writing the definitive life story of Bob Wilson.Get a copy of Chapel Perilous wherever you buy your books, and keep up with Prop on his substack here: https://substack.com/@gabrielkennedyakapropanon

AP welcomes folklorist and writer Paul A. T. Wilson to the show to discuss the fantastically weird case of Sam, the Sandown Clown- an entity reportedly encountered on the Isle of Wight in the early 1970s by a pair of young children. Listeners familiar with the story will undoubtedly be thrilled to learn that further encounters with the entity variously called the Ghost Clown or All Colours Sam have come to light. Through Paul's work in finding and interviewing "Fey", the young girl in the original story, he has documented her several later meetings with Sam and shared them in a series of presentations for the first time. In this conversation, Wilson discusses these later meetings with the motley being, how he came to uncover them, and the nature of storytelling and reporting weird tales.Paul lives on the Isle of Wight and has a background in pre-medieval history there, as well as with writing and sharing tales of wonder related to the island. He talks about his longtime fascination with the Sandown Clown story, which has for decades been frustratingly limited in scope. In uncovering these further stories from the anonymous witness, new dimensions to the legend of Sam are brought to light which raise a panoply of new and exciting questions. Also discussed is the importance of honoring stories and the people who tell them, and respecting their wishes in regard to anonymity. He and AP also talk a bit about the island itself, and its enchanted history with dragons, mystery fogs, and more!Check out Paul's work on Isle of Wight folklore here: https://www.wihtlore.uk/ 

This week, cartoonist and ultimate Creative Weirdo Todd Purse joins AP for an inspiring and fun conversation about art, imagination, and the power of bringing ideas to life on the page. Todd makes his living, as he says, by "drawing pictures on coffee bags"- but he also consistently produces whimsical and positive paranormal themed art which he shares on instagram (@toddde85), and publishes zines and prints of his work as well. In conversation, AP and Todd get into some of his early influences, talk about the wonderful medium of comic books and comic strips, and the intersection of paranormal concepts and the creative process.This lends itself to a lot of geeking out about everything from Calvin and Hobbes to the Loch Ness Monster, from Star Wars to Mothman, and the various trickster masks of the Kentucky Goblins. Other themes explored include parenting, the timelessness of some forms of media, humor, and underlying faith in humanity despite the horrors of the world.Todd also contributes to the comic book adaptation of Illuminatus!, which was discussed in episode 28- Hailing Discordia with Bobby Campbell- and is the artist behind Welcome UFO People, a collaboration with Rob Kristofferson of Our Strange Skies fame. Todd is always a pleasure to talk to or hear in conversation- and his work is highly recommended! Check it out here:https://www.createmagicstudios.com/