The Horror Heals Podcast
The Horror Heals Podcast
How the Cow Ate the Cabbage LLC
The Horror Heals Podcast is about how horror culture, movies, and performers aid so many of us with mental wellness. Firsthand we’ve seen and heard the power of horror to help us feel better mentally. (Being part of the horror convention community is great for lowering our anxiety!)Here’s the “why and how” of the Horror Heals Podcast:Kendall and Corey host the podcast with guests on each episode, including horror enthusiasts who are willing to share their stories about how horror has helped them heal, be it from trauma, anxiety, depression, or whatever their circumstances.They will also feature luminaries from the horror world who will share—one—how being part of the community is great for their own mental health and—two—will share stories of meeting fans and their experiences with healing through horror.After hosting our successful Family Twist podcast for two years, Kendall and Corey pondered a horror podcast, but with so many in existence, we wondered, “How can we be heard in the noise?” Corey had an “aha” moment at the horror convention earlier this year.He was in line to meet director, Sam Raimi, packed in tightly. Corey observed a young man in the next row, clearly nearing a panic attack. He was obviously in distress. Corey was about to ask the people in front of and behind him if they wouldn’t mind holding his spot in line so he could step away if he needed to. Then someone asked the young man about the stack of DVDs he was holding.Immediately, the distressed young man’s demeanor changed. The anxiety seemed to melt away as he chatted with his new friend. He was seemingly fine and relaxed for the duration of the line. That is the healing magic of horror—just one example of many.
How to Build a Nightmare
Send us Fan Mail Haunted house season is here, and we are talking with a man who has been paid to scare people for nearly 50 years. Leonard Pickel has designed or consulted on more than 300 haunted attractions. His résumé includes work for Universal Studios Florida, Six Flags and Madison Square Garden, along with creating Hauntrepreneurs, Haunted Attraction Magazine and HAuNTcon. Leonard gives Corey and Kendall the inside scoop on how haunted houses are designed, what makes a scare work and h...
Sep 15
38 min
The Horror Movies We Just Can’t Watch
Send us Fan Mail Nicole Davis loves horror. Kendall loves horror. But neither one wants anything to do with a home invasion movie. In Part 2, we compare notes on the horror we simply cannot handle. Home invasions are a big one, but caves, claustrophobia and a few other nightmare scenarios make the list, too. Just because you host or appear on a podcast called Horror Heals does not mean you have to watch ALL the horror. We also hear more of Nicole’s adoption story, and this is where things get...
Sep 8
34 min
Freddy Krueger Was More Predictable Than Real Life
Send us Fan Mail Writer Nicole Davis grew up afraid of haunted houses, but not necessarily because of what might jump out at her. She didn’t trust the people inside them. Nicole grew up adopted in rural Alabama, at the end of a road where anyone showing up had a reason to be there. Kids came down specifically to mess with her family. Wild dogs roamed farther back on their property. News of an escaped murderer left her terrified that someone could be outside her window. And she never knew what...
Sep 1
31 min
Welcome Home, Weirdos and Queerdos
Send us Fan Mail In Part 1 with Ash from Dead Puppy Studios, we heard how someone once terrified of horror ended up making human-skin masks and scaring the hell out of people for fun. Part 2 gets even more personal, with a lot of laughs along the way. Ash talks about finding a home in Salem and a horror community where the people who might look scary to outsiders are often some of the warmest and most welcoming people in the room. It’s a place where, as Ash puts it, the “weirdos and queerdos”...
Aug 25
25 min
From Terrified to Terrifying
Send us Fan Mail Ash from Dead Puppy Studios makes human-skin masks, special effects, creepy props and the occasional skin lamp. Ash has also worked as a scare actor, including a memorable turn as a Southern cannibal grandma. Naturally, Kendall and Corey had to know more. But, Ash’s relationship with horror started in a very different place. For much of Ash’s life, scary movies and haunted attractions weren’t fun. They were genuinely frightening. After experiencing trauma and anxiety, horror ...
Aug 18
23 min
Growing Up in the Town of the Living Dead
Send us Fan Mail What happens when you grow up loving horror in the town that gave us "Night of the Living Dead?" Filmmaker and actor Robert Oppel joins Kendall for a trip through Pittsburgh horror history, beginning with George Romero, "Dawn of the Dead" and the Monroeville Mall. Robert remembers being so obsessed with Dawn that he recorded the Goblin soundtrack from the movie onto cassette, dialogue included, then walked around the actual mall listening to it on his Walkman. That kid eventu...
Aug 11
25 min
They Said a Trans Scream Queen Would Never Happen
Send us Fan Mail Timothy Waldron wanted to be a scream queen. The problem? People in the film industry kept telling her it wasn’t going to happen. She had other plans. Timothy joins Corey for a funny, candid and occasionally very bloody conversation about carving out her own place in indie horror as a trans actress. She talks about discovering horror as a kid, her obsession with Sarah Michelle Gellar in I Know What You Did Last Summer and why Helen Shivers helped teach her to be a fighter. Ti...
Aug 11
24 min
Can Horror Help You Heal? A Psychologist Explains
Send us Fan Mail What do donor conception, horror movies, therapy, and horror conventions possibly have in common? More than you might think. In this special crossover episode of Horror Heals and Family Twist, Corey and Kendall welcome psychologist, author, and donor-conceived advocate Dr. Jamie Marich for a conversation that goes far beyond scary movies. Jamie shares how discovering they were donor-conceived sparked a journey of identity and healing, then explains why horror has always been ...
Aug 4
29 min
Demon Twink and the Healing Power of Horror
Send us Fan Mail On the surface, Demon Twink is exactly what the title promises: a stylish, campy queer horror film packed with demons, dark humor and a deal with the devil. Underneath, it is something much deeper. Filmmaker Steven George joins Corey to talk about creating horror that entertains while exploring identity, aging, love, chosen family and the emotional baggage we all carry. Along the way, they discuss why horror has always been a safe place for people to process fear, grief and t...
Jul 28
46 min
Infernal Tramps: Why Horror Helps Us Face Ourselves
Send us Fan Mail What if horror isn't about escaping reality, but facing it? Author Alex Grass joins Horror Heals to discuss his new short story collection, Infernal Tramps, a wildly imaginative blend of unsettling, darkly funny and deeply human horror. Our conversation goes far beyond the page. Alex opens up about recovery, why honesty is essential to healing, and how horror gives us permission to confront the fears we'd rather keep buried. We also dive into growing up on a steady diet of HB...
Jul 21
23 min
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