Werewolves, Witches and Ghosts (Oh My!): New Halloween Podcast Episode
As a Gothic scholar and long-time lover of all things eerie, spooky, and supernatural, I was honoured to chat recently about some of my favourite scary texts and traditions for a new Halloween-themed episode of From the Lighthouse, the podcast run by the English Department at Macquarie University in Sydney. The timing was perfect. A chill has blown over the North of England lately, and as the days grow shorter and the nights longer, it is easy to turn one’s thoughts to what may lurk in the shadows. Pumpkins have sprouted on doorsteps, cobwebs are draped in foggy shop windows, and the last of the golden leaves cling to the spindly fingertips of trees in the woodland graveyard across the road.
Some iconic spooky film characters: The Wicked Witch, Dracula and the Wolf Man
Unsurprisingly, England embraces the traditions of All Hallow’s Eve in a way that I am unused to (trying to feel spooky in Australia’s warm, bright, sweetly-scented Springtime is not quite the same!). Having worked out to record the episode from this side of the world with our last episode about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I was all set for our spooky session. As the clock eked closer to midnight, the wires buzzed, a skype connection was forged, and suddenly I was spirited into the disembodied cybersphere to join podcast host Dr Stephanie Russo and Dr Jimmy Van.
Stills from The Wolfman (2010)
This episode was great fun to record (despite the curse of the skype delay), and the subjects wide and varying, ranging from musings on why we enjoy scary texts, the difference between horror and terror, and whether or not vampires are out and mermaids are the next big thing. We chat about Victorian ghost stories, the spooky architecture of the haunted house, where (not) to listen to horror podcasts, and our scariest literature and film experiences.
Stills from MTV’s Teen Wolf (2011-2017)
I also talk about wolves and werewolves, including my favourite examples in film and TV (from early Wolf Man to recent Teen Wolf), and my childhood memories of the beginnings of this wolfish fascination (I wish I had remembered to mention one of my favourites of all time, and quite possibly one of my earliest encounters: the wolf Gmork from The Never-Ending Story. I was only very small, but according to my parents, when the other children shut their eyes in fear, mine only opened wider in excitement and curiosity).
Gmork from The Never-Ending Story
I hope you enjoy listening to the “Spoooooky” podcast episode below:
Or visit the Podcast Website: https://www.fromthelighthouse.org/special-events/the-spoooooky-halloween-show
Feel free to join the conversation in the comments below.
