Returning to guest hosting, Ian Punnett (related article) was joined by author M.L. Behrman who shared bizarre accounts from the desolate Mojave from witnesses, both modern and historical, of things that left them shaken, terrified or worse. The Mojave could be considered a giant triangular area in the middle of Southern California, he explained, that includes both deserts and mountains, with Death Valley at the top, Joshua Tree at the bottom, and the Mojave National Preserve in the center. Many spots are 1-3 days from any roads or rescue, and the remoteness of the desert attracts people that want to hide or do things in secret.
Up in Sandy Valley, on the edge of Death Valley, a Mexican man was hitchhiking to LA and was picked up by two women who offered to make a home-cooked meal for him at an old trailer, Behrman recounted. They ended up drugging him, and when he awoke, he found himself tied up at a Satanic bonfire ritual, with a leader in a black robe encircled by naked followers. Assuming he was going to be sacrificed when the leader pointed a knife at him, he was able to make a break for it. Because they had left his boots on, he was able to escape from the barefooted people who gave chase in the rough terrain.
Behrman also detailed accounts of giant spiders. One was said to have an abdomen the size of a football and was seen dragging off a rabbit. In another instance, a man reported running over one of the enormous spiders in his truck and actually "felt the tires bounce." A mysterious locked iron door in a cave in what is now Joshua Tree National Park was thought to be created by a miner in a spot that someone would have to crawl to get into. One folkloric explanation is that a deformed child was kept there. The "cement monster" or "Yucca Man" is part of the lore he labels as "I saw it on the road," strange things people fleetingly witness by car or truck. Traveling out in the backcountry, as Behrman does, yields other kinds of experiences, such as when he saw inexplicably large footprints in a rocky path up close and personal.
David Mack/ Derek Smalls:
In the first half-hour, artist David Mack shared updates on his comic book art and writing, and various projects with Marvel Studios, including his work on the opening titles for the Jessica Jones Netflix series, which garnered him an Emmy nomination. In the second half-hour, Spinal Tap rocker Derek Smalls chatted about his legacy and comeback at the age of 75. He referred to the Spinal Tap documentary as a "hatchet job" and said the director was trying to help the band break through "by turning them into a laughing stock."