Wild Thing

Foxtopus Ink

Wild Thing is a long-form, narrative podcast about the obsessions that capture our imaginations. This sound-rich and deeply reported show examines the relationship between science and society—that point where scientific inquiry collides with our very human desire to find answers, even when there are none. Whether it's seeking out Sasquatch, looking skyward for extraterrestrial life, or probing the power of the atom, exploring the unknown helps us better understand ourselves. Every season, host Laura Krantz tackles a brand new topic, so be sure to start with the first episode for each one.

  • 8 minutes 57 seconds
    Letters From Listeners—S1 Bonus

    Wild Thing is rereleasing its bonus episodes! In Ep. 2 of Wild Thing, I mentioned that people went crazy about the gorilla. They even wrote songs about it. But I couldn’t find the music, so I couldn’t play the tune… until now. In a special bonus letters segment, a musical performance from a Wild Thing fan, as well as some of your stories and letters.

    *Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/⁠ to find out more!

    11 November 2025, 8:00 am
  • 18 minutes 39 seconds
    The Saucy Side of Sasquatch—S1 Bonus Interview

    **THIS EPISODE CONTAINS EXPLICIT MATERIAL**

    Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! We talk to Virginia Wade, author of a series of Bigfoot erotica books, about the saucier side of Sasquatch.

    *Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/⁠ to find out more!

    16 October 2025, 7:01 am
  • 15 minutes 48 seconds
    Revisiting Harry & the Hendersons—S1 Bonus Interview

    Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! We hear from William Dear—director of "Harry & the Hendersons"—about how he tried to capture the magic of Bigfoot on the big screen.

    *Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/⁠ to find out more!

    2 October 2025, 7:00 am
  • 13 minutes 44 seconds
    Remembering Jeff Meldrum—S1 Bonus Interview

    On September 10, 2025, Jeff Meldrum passed away after a battle with brain cancer. I interviewed him multiple times for the first season of Wild Thing and he was incredibly generous with his time and extremely patient in answering my questions about Bigfoot. In memory of him, I’ve excerpted a section from one of our interviews, at a 2017 conference held in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Patterson-Gimlin film.

    *Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/⁠ to find out more!

    18 September 2025, 7:01 am
  • 15 minutes 13 seconds
    Talking with Bob Gimlin—S1 Bonus Interview

    Wild Thing is re-releasing its bonus interviews! Hear an extended conversation with Bob Gimlin, half of the famous duo that shot the Patterson-Gimlin film back in 1967.

    *Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/⁠ to find out more!

    4 September 2025, 7:00 am
  • 24 minutes 39 seconds
    In Memory of Peter Byrne—S1 Bonus Interview

    In memory of Peter Byrne, the longest-surviving member of the Four Horsemen of Sasquatchery. After looking for Bigfoot for decades, the 97-year-old tracker passed away in August 2023. Host Laura Krantz had the opportunity to interview him in 2017, and learned that his search for Sasquatch was only one adventure in a life that was jam-packed with them.

    *Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/⁠ to find out more!

    15 March 2024, 9:15 pm
  • 33 minutes 21 seconds
    S3 E9: An Atomic Future

    What were the long-term effects of the SL-1 explosion? Nuclear power is a shrinking part of America’s energy picture; accidents and fear have tarnished it, and the old reactor fleet is reaching its end. Yet nuclear energy could provide a bulwark against the looming threat of climate change. Is it something we can make work for us, in spite of ourselves? Are the costs worth it in the long run? Sixty years on, what do we know—and are we better prepared?

    *Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/⁠ to find out more!

    *Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

    *Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/

    12 July 2022, 8:00 am
  • 28 minutes 14 seconds
    S3 E8: Risky Business

    Incidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima are often what comes to mind when we think about nuclear energy. Thankfully, events like these actually very rare. So does that mean the risks we associate with atomic power are as bad as we think? How good are we at actually assessing those risks? And can we make things even less risky by removing humans from the equation? That’s how some next generation projects hope to make nuclear energy safer.

    *Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/⁠ to find out more!

    *Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

    *Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/

    5 July 2022, 8:00 am
  • 26 minutes 50 seconds
    S3 E7: Half-Life

    The aftermath of SL-1 highlighted a problem that we still haven’t solved, despite decades of searching for a solution: what to do with the waste. Our plans to store nuclear waste inside Yucca Mountain in Nevada fell through. So now what? Can we safely contain these materials? Should the waste be in one location, or many? How do we warn future generations about the dangers these materials pose?

    *Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/⁠ to find out more!

    *Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

    *Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/

    28 June 2022, 8:01 am
  • 32 minutes 18 seconds
    S3 E6: You Look Radiant

    As firefighters and medical personnel staged operations at SL-1, a plume of radioactive gas silently made its way over the Idaho desert, creeping towards the nearby towns. How much of a risk did the explosion at SL-1 actually pose? And what does radiation actually do to the human body? We are constantly bathing in what’s called background radiation—so where is the line? How much is safe and how much is too much?

    *Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/⁠ to find out more!

    *Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

    *Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/

    21 June 2022, 8:00 am
  • 24 minutes 57 seconds
    S3 E5: Trust Issues

    The only three people who really knew what had transpired at SL-1 were dead, and it would take months to determine what likely happened—plenty of time for rumors and gossip to take hold. Was there a love triangle? A fight gone wrong? A murder suicide? A government cover-up? Or was all of this rumor and innuendo simply a distraction from the real problems? And, ultimately, what information could people trust?

    *Become a premium subscriber to Wild Thing! Premium subscribers get ad all three seasons ad-free, not to mention the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting the show. Go to https://wildthing.supportingcast.fm/⁠ to find out more!

    *Season 3 of Wild Thing is produced by Laura Krantz and Scott Carney. Editing by Alicia Lincoln. Music and mixing by Louis Weeks.

    *Find us on social media - @wildthingpod - and on our website https://wildthingpodcast.com/

    14 June 2022, 8:00 am
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