THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM FOR MONSTERPALOOZA!

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD give the last day of their favorite convention all they've got! Can your meaty minds manage the monumental majesty of... MONSTERPALOOZA 2026: PART 3?!!!

MONSTER PARTY would like to express our eternal thanks to all the folks who stopped by our booth on Friday and Saturday. Luckily, Sunday proved to be just as successful. Aside from visits from friends, fans, and cosplayers, we managed to score some monstrously mesmerizing interviews with such diverse talents as comedian BOBBY SLAYTON (THE PITBULL OF COMEDY), artist/sculptor/makeup FX wizard MARK TAVARES (DON POST, KNB STUDIOS), producer/entertainer JOE MOE (2001 MANIACS: BEHIND THE SCREAMS, RED VELVET), author/actor/wrestler RONNIE ANGEL (SLASHED DREAMS: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SLASHER MOVIES PT. 1–2), actor MARK KELLY (BLOOD AND RUST, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD), podcasters MIKE D McCARTY and JAMES KNIGHT (THE HEAD, THE TAIL, THE WHOLE DAMNED THING), Emmy Award-winning, self-titled stuttering director/editor/producer ALLAN HOLZMAN (BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, FORBIDDEN WORLD), and MORE!

And as if the monster kid gods were smiling down on us, we were also granted a brief but incredible audience with musical legend and horror rock trailblazer... ALICE COOPER! Can someone wake up Matt? He just fainted again.

Once again, we urge everyone out there to start making preparations for MONSTERPALOOZA 2027. We guarantee you'll have a memorable experience, and we can't wait to meet all you listeners in person. You are the ones who put a spring in our step and make this podcast possible. Thanks again, Monster Partiers!

DON'T JUST LOVE MONSTER PARTY... LOVE IT TO DEATH!

After a scarily successful Friday night, JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD return to the Pasadena Convention Center for another day of horror-themed hijinks! If it's Saturday, it's... MONSTERPALOOZA 2026 PART 2!!!

The second day of this epic show provided us with another diabolical dollop of vendors, artists, celebrities, panels, cosplayers, SFX makeup demonstrations, and more! And by more, we mean a dazzling array of on-the-spot interviews at the MONSTER PARTY booth!

Joining us that afternoon were a tsunami of exciting guests, including SPOOKYWORLD theme park founder DAVID BERTOLINO, writer/director/producer DANNY WOLF, sci-fi film director GARO SETIAN (SPACE WARS: QUEST FOR THE DEEPSTAR, AUTOMATION), trailer director HUNTER SETIAN, actor and film soundtrack journalist DANIEL SCHWEIGER (PHANTASM: RAVAGER, JOHN DIES AT THE END), magazine editor/journalist/film director DAVID WEINER (IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS), HORROR NERDS COMEDY PODCAST hosts SAMANTHA HALE and BONNIE MARIE WILLIAMS, 2 BLACK GUYS TALK GODZILLA PODCAST host AARON NEUWIRTH, author/comedian/Jumbo Machinder collector TOM FRANCK (JUMBO TITAN X), fantasy illustrator MIRANDA FRANCK, and legendary horror host MR. LOBO (CINEMA INSOMNIA, OSI). Whew!

Of course, what would a day of MONSTERPALOOZA be without visits from fans, friends, and family, including a visit from Larry's niece, who gave us all a schooling on PROJECT HAIL MARY. Did she make some good points? Yes. Did she change any minds? What do you think?

LISTEN NOW TO WHAT YOU MISSED THIS LAST MAY, AND START MAKING PLANS TO ATTEND MONSTERPALOOZA IN 2027. MONSTER PARTY WILL BE WAITING TO GREEEEET YOU!

MONSTER PARTY RETURNS TO MONSTROUSLY UNCONVENTIONAL CONVENTION!

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD storm the gates of the Pasadena Convention Center to once again hold court at their favorite horror expo! Dust off your hockey mask and apply a fresh coat of Art the Clown makeup, as MONSTER PARTY presents: MONSTERPALOOZA 2026: PART 1!!!

After the laughter, bickering, and power trips that go hand in hand with building the MONSTER PARTY booth, the gang kicks off the first day of MONSTERPALOOZA with a shriek! Friday night yielded a dazzling combination of new friends and old, as well as some much-needed in-person catching up with your beloved, Rondo Award-winning hosts. We've got interviews with comedian BORIS HAMILTON, monster actor GENE LeBROCK, game designer and MP pal SCOTT ROGERS, Culture Crypt film critic IAN SEDENSKY, author/journalist/media historian PAT JANKIEWICZ, and 3-D guru ERIC KURLAND!

But what would a MONSTERPALOOZA show (or any MP show) be without the usual assortment of delightful banter, film criticism, personal attacks, gift favoritism, free goodies for the kids, vodka-fueled Godzilla-themed energy drinks, and a host, for no apparent reason, pretending to be surprised by guests we've obviously lined up? It's a dance we do every year for the benefit of our listeners, where anyone can virtually cut in!

I know we say this every year, but if you've never attended a MONSTERPALOOZA convention, it should definitely be one of your bucket-list destinations. This event always delivers a tantalizing treasure trove of terrorizing treats, including monstrous vendors, props, celebrities, photo ops, cosplayers, panels, SFX makeup demonstrations, artists, and the famous MONSTERPALOOZA museum. Oh, and the snack bar is surprisingly decent!

THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO DROPPED BY OUR BOOTH ON FRIDAY NIGHT, AND PARTS 2 AND 3 ARE COMING SOON! UNTIL THEN...STAY SCARED!

THE YOLK'S ON MONSTER PARTY!

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD hatch a new episode chronicling the egg-citing, eggs-traordinary, and eggs-tensive history of a unique subcategory of genre delicacies. Scramble to your listening devices and enjoy this audio omelet that we're calling... MONSTER EGGS!

Eggs have a reputation for showing up in many of the more unusual horror, sci-fi, and fantasy cinematic offerings. Whether it's the gooey, leathery eggs from the Alien film and TV franchise (including the cracked egg on the first Alien movie poster!), the colorful but gigantic egg of Mothra, the gelatinous eggs of a space vampire in the B-movie classic Queen of Blood, the Horta eggs from the original Star Trek series, or the dragon eggs from Game of Thrones, these shelled showmen have sparked the imaginations of monster kids for generations. And for MONSTER PARTY, they've inspired the question: "I wonder how that egg would taste?"

WE THOUGHT THIS TOPIC WAS SO EGG-CEPTIONAL, WE DECIDED TO FORGO A GUEST AND KEEP ALL THIS HARD-BOILED ACTION TO OURSELVES. MINUS THE EGG SALAD. YOU'RE WELCOME, LARRY.

IS MONSTER PARTY HAVIN' A LAUGH?

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD ponder the age-old question of whether humor and genre topics can live and laugh comfortably together. So, as Elvis Costello might ask… WHAT'S SO FUNNY ABOUT HORROR, SCI-FI, AND FANTASY?

Let's face it, making a truly funny horror, sci-fi, or fantasy film or television show can be tricky business. There's a fine line between a loving send-up and an uninformed attack. And even with the best intentions, that doesn't guarantee you'll be watching a knee-slapper.

In this side-splitting study of genre jocularity, MONSTER PARTY puts all their funny favorites (and not-so-favorites) to the test. How did films like ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN manage to find the sweet spot between over-the-top comedy and a loving homage to Universal horror films? Is SPACEBALLS a better film than we remember, or should we just push that reassessment aside and watch GALAXY QUEST instead? How do genre TV shows like RED DWARF and WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS generate laughs while presenting often thought-provoking horror and sci-fi concepts? Where do cult classics like DR. STRANGELOVE, REPO MAN, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, and THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI fit in? And are superhero vehicles like THE BOYS, PEACEMAKER, and the DEADPOOL film series the best comedies coming out of Hollywood today?

Helping us answer these important questions while tickling our ribs in her own right is a return guest who is no stranger to the world of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy humor. She is a mega-talented writer who has worked on such beloved genre comedy projects as MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 and HANGING WITH DR. Z. Please welcome back… TAMMY GOLDEN!

OH, AND YES, WE DID JUST WIN THE 2026 RONDO AWARD FOR BEST PODCAST! OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO ALL THE MONSTER PARTIERS OUT THERE WHO HELPED MAKE THIS HAPPEN! NOW, LET'S START CANVASSING FOR 2027!

MONSTER PARTY TAKES THE STAND!

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD submit this new episode into evidence as to why you need to listen to this podcast! Consider yourself amicus curiae as we partake in a bit of… LEGAL GEEKING!!!

The world of horror, science fiction, and fantasy is a wondrous realm where the incredible and impossible come to life. But how does the law apply to all these fantastic shenanigans? What responsibility does the Weyland-Yutani Corporation have when it comes to the events portrayed in the classic 1982 film Alien? Do robots, androids, and other artificial lifeforms have access to civil rights? How is Willy Wonka still in business? And who do you sue when giant rabbits lay waste to your property?

Helping us find the answers to these important legal questions is a longtime friend of the show—and, get this, an actual lawyer! Yeah, and one of the scrupulous kind! He's also the co-founder and host of the shockingly appropriate-titled blog and podcast, THE LEGAL GEEKS! Please welcome back Monster Party's answer to Matt Murdock… JOSH GILLILAND!

IF YOU THINK THIS EPISODE IS OUT OF ORDER, YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER!

MONSTER PARTY GETS OFF TO A "ROCKY" START!

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD put out the welcome mat for our potential friends and enemies from amongst the stars. Join us for a cinematic close encounter of the audio kind as we celebrate… FIRST CONTACTS!!!

With the box office success of PROJECT HAIL MARY, the world has once again embraced the feel-good concept of first contact with a benevolent alien race. But have these initial interactions with extraterrestrials always been as satisfying for movie and TV viewing audiences?

In this episode, we'll examine the near-universal love of PROJECT HAIL MARY and provide a counterview from some of MONSTER PARTY's best-loved curmudgeons. We'll also examine other first contacts portrayed in films and TV shows, and see how their effectiveness holds up under scrutiny. We'll look at film classics like THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY; the quite unpleasant first contacts that occur in movies like ALIEN, THE THING, and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS; modern first contact films like THE ARRIVAL, NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU, and ANNIHILATION; and soooo much more!

Leading us as Earth's ambassador for this epic event is a longtime friend of MONSTER PARTY who always has a refreshing take on the sci-fi genre. She's an immensely talented comedian, actor, producer, and director who has worked on such iconic programs as THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW, CHELSEA LATELY, and WANDA AT LARGE. Please welcome back the always outstanding… SUE MURPHY!

WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS NUMEROUS SPOILERS! LISTEN AT YOUR OWN SENSE OF WONDER PERIL!

MONSTER PARTY HAS A LIST OF GRIEVANCES. NOW THERE'S A SHOCK!!!

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD have a Jason Voorhees-sized axe to grind with a whole series of genre-related annoyances. We're so ticked off that we decided to have a beastly bitch-fest that we're calling… MONSTER PARTY'S BONE PICKERS!!!

The cast of MONSTER PARTY has never been shy when it comes to "bones to pick" about certain aspects of their individual monster kid experience. Whether it's Comic-Con exclusive hoarders, film logic flaws, or the age-old slow zombie versus fast zombie debate, we'll call it like we see it. But despite our occasional impromptu rants, sometimes it's not enough. So, for us to maintain our overall childlike wonder during these difficult times, what we needed was an episode that was all about venting!

Join us for a hosts-only edition of MONSTER PARTY, where we take aim at a number of hot-button issues, including movie theater vs. home theater, ridiculously expensive autographs, Bava film tampering, scantily clad Leia canceling, Disney gouging, James Cameron cat hate, wondrous website bios, and soooo much more!

MONSTER PARTY HAS A BEEF! IF ONLY IT WAS GERRIT GRAHAM FROM THE PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE. LOOK IT UP, PEOPLE!