Weird Historian

Why We Love Being Scared: A Conversation with Psychologist and Author Coltan Scrivner

We humans have always been fascinated by the things that frighten us. In this episode of Weird Historian, Marc Hartzman speaks with psychologist Coltan Scrivner, author of Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can’t Look Away (Penguin Books), about why we are drawn to horror films, haunted houses, and true crime, what our fascination with the macabre reveals about human nature, and much more.  Learn more and order the book at ColtanScrivner.com [https://www.coltanscrivner.com] Sign up for Coltan Scrivner’s Morbidly Curious Thoughts [https://www.morbidlycuriousthoughts.com] Substack . Visit WeirdHistorian.com [https://www.weirdhistorian.com] for more of the weird and wonderful.

Freaky Things and Live Shows: George the Giant’s Strange Museum of Oddities and Wonders

Meet George “The Giant” McArthur, a sideshow performer who swallows swords, eats fire, pounds nails into his nose—and collects oddities. Oh, and he was also in Tim Burton’s wonderful film, Big Fish. We first met more than 20 years ago at showman Bobby Reynold’s home while I was writing American Sideshow. As Halloween nears, he’s opening George the Giant’s Strange Museum of Oddities and Wonders for the 7th year in Bakersfield, California. Among those oddities and wonders are two-headed animals, breast milk soap, a killer bat, paintings made in human blood, true crime objects, and as you’ll hear from George, much more.  If you’d like to hear about how George got started in the world of sideshow, please check out my other podcast, co-hosted with sword swallower Dan Meyer, To The Hilt [https://open.spotify.com/show/5f4uImjpm6TOicpyadvL1J]. Find George the Giant online: GiantsOddities.com [https://giantsoddities.com] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/share/162feEZXXu/?mibextid=wwXIfr] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/therealgeorgethegiant?igsh=Y21ieW01eG1tNmM3]

The Martians Are Coming! Author David Baron Speaks About His New Book, "The Martians"

Is there life outside of Earth? More than a hundred years ago, there was widespread belief that intelligent Martians were an advanced civilization and contact with our interplanetary neighbors was inevitable. Science journalist and author David Baron explores this early fascination with Martians in his new book, THE MARTIANS: The True Story of an Alien Craze that Captured Turn-of-the-Century America (Liveright: Aug. 26, 2025), and discusses the many strange and amazing extraterrestrial tales with Weird Historian.

Ripley’s, Roller Coasters, and Roadside Attractions: A Chat with Ambassador of Odd, Tim O’Brien

Tim O’Brien is a photojournalist, publicist, and author who’s covered the odd and unusual throughout his career, from sideshows and carnivals to roller coasters and roadside attractions—and during his time with Ripley’s, just about everything in between. In this episode, you’ll hear about his strange adventures over the years, including his travels to capture America’s biggest and weirdest roadside attractions for his new book, Tim O’Brien’s Pics and Picks: The Huge, the High, the Half-Buried. See Tim’s books here: https://tinyurl.com/p2e8k6dr And for more weird stories, visit https://www.weirdhistorian.com

Don’t Mess With the Knife Thrower: The Great Throwdini Talks Impalement Arts and Murderabilia

The Rev. Dr. David Adamovich is better known as The Great Throwdini—the world’s fastest and most accurate knife thrower. In this episode of Weird Historian, you’ll hear how he discovered his unusual talent for throwing knives, how he developed the Veiled Double Wheel of Death, how he gets through airports with bags of knives, and much more. You’ll also hear about his new venture as the curator of a massive serial killer murderabilia collection. See more at knifethrower.com and serialkillermurderabilia.com.