Back Away Slowly

Time to wrap up the Babysitter & the Man Upstairs, now focusing on the symbolism within the urban legend. Who is the man upstairs, and why is he even there? We also go back to a few crimes in the 40s and 50s that certainly fanned the flames of the story, if not outright creating it. After this, we’ll have 1 more episode in our season on urban legends.True crime #1 starts: 7:52True crime #1 ends: 9:15True crime #2 starts: 20:04True crime #2 ends: 33:17TW: sexual assault, murder, child assault, child murderSupport the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

We owe a good deal of Halloween as we know it to the babysitter and her terrifying night of phone calls. On today’s episode, we cover versions of the legend itself, track the history of babysitting, and follow the effects of a turbulent society — all to understand how we ended up with the Halloween classics that we watch today. All that and more, on the third Halloween of Back Away Slowly.The Sitter (1977)Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

It’s time to track down this Hookman, this Murderer of Boyfriends. Most of our explorations will take us down to the border of Texas and Arkansas, just after World War II. But this murderer has created one hell of a legacy in the horror zeitgeist. We’ll talk about all that and more, in this episode.TW: murder, sexual violence, child (teen) deathSupport the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

I’m not sure how popular Lover’s Lanes are these days; but even if they aren’t, these stories have immortalized the term seemingly into stone. However, these 2 legends are so close that they almost seem like alternate versions of the other. What does that mean? What exactly are we supposed to learn from a teen being hung upside down over a car? We can only find out.Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

Many shopping malls may be ghost towns now, but at one point, they were the place to be — but were they safe? And would you believe that people have been telling versions of these shopping mall legends for centuries? But without the popularity of shopping malls now, where do these stories go from here? Well come on, then! Let’s go to the mall!TW: child harm & death, sex trafficking Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

We wrap up the Vanishing Hitchhiker urban legend by tracking it all over the world. We do our best to understand its impacts in these countries and on those communities, as well as how the story connects us all. Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

We stop the car to pick up possibly the oldest urban legend in existence. We all know that most ghosts frequent haunted houses and deteriorating estates — but this story is what happens when a spirit interferes with your transportation. And with such an old story, it’ll take an episode to go over what iterations I could find. So tell me, have any of you picked up a ghost?Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

How many of you were warned about razor blades in candy or apples when you were a kid? While one of the more recent urban legends, it’s nonetheless managed to cling onto news reports throughout the 20th century. But how big of a threat is poisoned candy, really? I haven’t heard about reports of razor blades in apples in quite a long time; but if you look around, you can certainly find the descendants of that story. TW: child abuse, child deathSupport the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

Welcome back to a 3rd year of Back Away Slowly! No prizes for guessing what this season’s about. Today’s episode is a crash course on urban legends in general, before we get into the meat & potatoes of individual stories. What is an urban legend? Why do we tell them? Who tells them? How have they changed? How have we participated with urban legends, without even realizing it? We go over all that and more, today.TERM REFERENCE & SOURCESSupport the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

And we're back for the final part of the Jersey Devil saga! We turn a critical eye to the numerous hoaxes and supposed 'Jersey Devils' that have sprung up all over New Jersey for centuries. We then launch headfirst into the numerous theories about what exactly the Jersey Devil is and where it came from. Everything from historical brawls, to rare dinosaurs, to Benjamin Franklin - this episode's got it all!Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

Merry Christmas!As a special Christmas bonus, we take a practical look at ghost hunting culture at large with parapsychologist Dylan Jones. Note: I'm aware that this audio isn't the best in the world, so I've added a transcript to this episode, and there'll be subtitles on the Youtube video.Dylan JonesSupport the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

Let's take a look at a curated selection of Jersey Devil sightings throughout the years (don't worry, there's PLENTY). This will include a fascinating series of incidents, where the Jersey Devil kept people from leaving their homes for an entire week in 1909. Hundreds of sightings, numerous towns, several states - all that and more, on this episode.ANNOUNCEMENT: Between illness and other, I'm going to need a little more time putting together the last episode. I appreciate your understanding, just keep an eye on your podcast updates and our social media profiles @back_away_slowly (Instagram, TikTok, & Ko-Fi)Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

A horse? A donkey? A crane? A kangaroo? A dog? How about all of the above? The Pine Barrens are incredibly old, with an enormous variety of wildlife (I just didn't expect all of that variety to manifest as one creature)! Time to walk through the marshes, savannahs, and swamps of the Barrens, try to disentangle where this... thing came from, and look at a few written encounters. Happy Halloween, everybody!Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

Take a seat to listen in on my discussion with Professor Brady DeSanti about the windigo, Indigenous history, his own research and more. Needless to say, a huge thanks goes out to Professor DeSanti for making the time to chat with me, as well as guiding my general path through such an intricate subject. IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE/DISCUSSIONBrady DeSantiProfessor of Religious Studies at the University of Nebraska at OmahaDirector of the Native American Studies ProgramEnrolled Citizen of the Lac Court Oreilles Ojibwe Tribal NationCarolyn Fiscus ‘Big Mama’Member of the Winnebago tribe of Nebraska (the Ho-Chunk)Indigenous Studies Professor at the University of Nebraska at OmahaHo-Chunk Nation (a portion of the Winnebago tribe, located in Black River Falls, Wisconsin)Lac Court Oreilles Ojibwe Tribe (tribe located in Hayward, Wisconsin)Anishinaabe (what the Ojibwe, Odawa, & Potawatomie people call themselves, meaning ‘The People’ or ‘Human Being’)Lakota (tribe located near the Sacred Black Hills of South Dakota & neighboring states)The Ponca Tribe of NebraskaOmaha (tribe located in Nebraska)Winnebago (tribe located in Nebraska)Other-Than-Human/Non-Human personsBasil Johnson (Ojibwe author)Ogimaa (an animal spiritual caretaker/representative)Hamblecha (Lakota word for a vision quest)Oyate (Lakota word meaning ‘nation’)Irving Hallowell (anthropologist)The Terror that Comes in the Night (1982 sleep paralysis study & book by David J Hufford)Dead Meat | Episode 36: Indian Burial GroundsBury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese ((auto)biography by Tiffany Midge)Animikii (thunder beings)Antlers (2021 film)Wendigo (2001 film)Island of the Anishnaabeg (a study of Ojibwe experience, written by Theresa Smith)Columbus and Other Cannibals (a book by Jack Forbes)Minobimaadiziwin (an Ojibwe word that means ‘to live a good life’)Keepers of the Game (an examination on the effect of European contact with the Natives of Eastern Canada, by Calvin Luther Martin)Understanding & Teaching Native American History (edited by Kristofer Ray & Brady DeSanti)The Windigo Go South (article by Raymond Fogelson)Alfred Louis Kroeber (anthropologist working with the Washoe California Tribe)Dine (what the Navajo call themselves, meaning ‘The People’ or ‘Human Being’)Hozho (Dine concept of interrelatedness & balance)Hataalii (Navajo word meaning ‘singer)Reservation Dogs (2021 dSupport the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

It's time to dig into what you're all familiar with, so we'll start exploring recent creations that involve the windigo. What media was the most accurate? Where did others fall short? What are the impacts of these choices? All that & more for the final part of my deep dive into the windigo.Dead Meat | Episode 36: Indian Burial GroundsCracked | After Hours: Four Creepy Hidden Truths Behind Popular Scary StoriesThe Quiet Boy (by Nick Antosca)Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

It's week 2, and we're diving right back into the windigo. We'll be looking a little closer at how the indigenous communities interacted with settlers about windigo belief, both positively and negatively. We'll crack open some very old legal cases of windigos, spiritual belief and practice colliding with the beginnings of First Nation and American law. And finally, there's a list of theories to discuss. The reference list is at the end of this description, though it's much shorter this time. A special thanks to Professor Brady DeSanti (University of Nebraska at Omaha). IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE/DISCUSSIONManitou (a belief amongst Algonquian-speaking peoples, referring to the spiritual power inherent in the world)Atchen (werewolf)Loup Garou (werewolf)Algonquian (a collection of North American tribes that speak the Algonquian language)Wapoos (‘hare’)Mitcim (‘meat’)Manitôhkân (wooden effigies)Pâhkak (a Cree ceremony, meant to honor the spirits of those who died of starvation)Pahayo (‘peasant’)Kakisikutchun (‘the swift runner’)Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

The windigo has had a death-grip on pop culture for the past decade or so, but what is it really? For the first part of this deep dive, we'll find out what this creature is, the many appearances it has, some windigo stories from Indigenous tribes, cultural context for the windigo, and what options there were/are to treat a windigo within these communities. There are a lot of terms and names in this episode, so I've prepared a reference section that you can find at the bottom of these show notes. A special thanks to Professor Brady DeSanti (University of Nebraska at Omaha).IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE/DISCUSSIONAlgonquian (a collection of North American tribes that speak the Algonquian language)Cree Peoples (a major Algonquian group, residing mainly in what’s now Canada)Ojibwe (a major Algonquian group, residing mainly around the Great Lakes of North America)Saulteaux (a French translation for ‘people of the rapids’, part of a larger Ojibwa or Chippewa tribe in the Great Lakes region)Métis (according to the Métis Nation of Ontario, this is an Indigenous group comprised of First Nation and European pairs, who live mainly along waterways and the Great Lakes region)Montagnais (also known as the southern Innu, traditionally occupying the large forest along the shores of Northern Canada)Naskapi (a First Nation people in northern Québec)Jessakid (Ojibwe for ‘shaking tent’)Mistassini (a portion of Cree peoples who reside along the shore of Lake Mistassini in Québec Canada)Mista’peo (Mistassini for ‘soul-spirit’)Tebatoimowin (stories of ‘long ago’)Mwoak (meaning ‘loon’, the bird)Sumac (fruiting plant used in Native communities for healing, to treat burns, blisters, and sores)Ponask (a roasting stick)Mikisimoskew (‘He-Always-Barks’)Sump Holes (otherwise known as ‘swallowing places’, are an area where ice or snow is thin, creating a potentially deadly place where a person or animal may fall through)Mino-bimaddiziwin (a Ojibwe lifestyle concept meaning ‘to live a good life’)Pawamiwin (Cree word for ‘dreaming’)Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

SURPRISE! Happy Holidays, everybody! I've got some extra stories, updates, and discoveries for you about the locations of Season 1. Thank you to story contributors (who wished to remain anonymous),  Mammoth Cave National Park, Gatekeeper Paranormal (specifically guide Alex), Bobby Mackey's Music World, and Dacota Pennycuff. Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

What does the mob have to do with Bobby Mackey's? How did the supernatural forces begin to manifest in the building? What are people experiencing in the present day? And finally, let's have a chat with a ghost hunter!(Update: Due to family emergencies, moving, & funding, the video episodes are postponed. I'll be posting updates on socials, so be sure to keep an eye on those.)EVP device: 'Electronic Voice Phenomena', a device that rapidly shifts between radio stations, creating white noise which is believed to allow spirits to speak through the staticREM Pod: 'Radiating ElectroMagneticity', a small device with an electromagnetic field that reacts when it is approachedSupport on Patreon & Ko-FiFor sources, artwork, shop, and more at the Official WebsiteFollow on Instagram, and TikTokThank you to Bobby Mackey's Music World, Steven Egolf of Tri-C, Gatekeeper Paranormal (specifically our tour guide Alex),  the Cincinnati Public Library, the Kenton County Public Library, Annie LaHue, and Dacota Pennycuff.Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

Before we dig into Bobby Mackey’s, we have to cover the haunting history of the Newport area itself. Then we explore the biggest true crime case in Newport-Covington history, argued to be the inciting incident that began Bobby Mackey’s legacy. What happened to Pearl Bryan? What does she have to do with Bobby Mackey’s? It’s time to find out. (Update: Due to family emergencies, moving, & funding, the video episodes are postponed. I'll be posting updates on socials, so be sure to keep an eye on those.)Support on Patreon & Ko-FiFor sources, artwork, shop, and more at the Official WebsiteFollow on Instagram, and TikTokThank you to Bobby Mackey's Music World, the Cincinnati Public Library, the Kenton County Public Library, Gatekeeper Paranormal (specifically guide Alex), Annie LaHue, and Dacota Pennycuff.Correction: Our Bobby Mackey's guide gave me a correction, which will be discussed in Update Episode 1.Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

Was Floyd Collins rescued from Sand Cave? This week, we learn why simple rumors and gossip put a national rescue in danger. What happened to all of those involved with the event? And what insane roller coaster transpired after the crisis was over? Welcome to the final part of the Mammoth Cave National Park marathon: the conclusion of the Floyd Collins story.(Update: Due to family emergencies, moving, & funding, the video episodes are postponed. I'll be posting updates on socials, so be sure to keep an eye on those.)A thank you to the National Parks Service (specifically Mammoth Cave National Park) for preserving these areas of history. A thank you also goes to Dacota Pennycuff.Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

Who is Floyd Collins? What happened to him? Why was this significant for Mammoth Cave National Park? This week will be spent in the backcountry of 1925 Kentucky. We'll review an explorer's route, down into the depths of the earth for the sake of discovery - but at what cost?(Update: Due to family emergencies, moving, & funding, the video episodes are postponed. I'll be posting updates on socials, so be sure to keep an eye on those.)A thank you to the National Parks Service (specifically Mammoth Cave National Park) for preserving these areas of history. A thank you also goes to Annie LaHue and Dacota Pennycuff.Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)

It's episode 2 and we're already at our first national park! Mammoth Cave has had centuries of haunting history, though it seems to have gone fairly undiscussed in recent years. The cave served many other purposes before it became a national park, with countless stories and sightings.(Update: Due to family emergencies, moving, & funding, the video episodes are postponed. I'll be posting updates on socials, so be sure to keep an eye on those.)A thank you to the National Parks Service (specifically Mammoth Cave National Park) for preserving these areas of history. A thank you also goes to Annie LaHue and Dacota Pennycuff.Support the showSupport the show on Ko-FiOfficial Website (sources, artwork, shop, etc)Follow on Instagram & TikTok (The entirety of the show is made without the use of AI; not to write the scripts, research for the episodes, or to create visual. Everything is done by hand, by me. I do not consent for any part of Back Away Slowly to be used to train AI models, or in any other AI use. I do not consent for my voice to be used in training AI models, or in any other AI use.)