30 Odd Minutes Missions

In Episode 41 we overcome a few technical difficulties and our host’s cold to bring you alien abductee and Fire in the Sky author, Travis Walton. On November 5, 1975, a group of loggers working in the mountains of northeastern Arizona saw a strange, unusually bright light in the sky. One of the men, Travis Walton, left the safety of his truck to check it out. As he walked toward the light he was blasted back by a mysterious bolt of energy. His fellow loggers left in fear to get help. For five days authorities mounted a massive manhunt for Walton’s body. When he was found, Travis was disoriented and unable to tell the whole story of his encounter. His book, Fire in the Sky, is one of the best-documented accounts of an alien abduction to-date. In 1993 Paramount studios made the book into a movie starring James Garner, Robert Patrick, and D.B. Sweeney… in Episode 41, Travis Walton is all your, Oddballs.

In episode 40 we visit with H.C. Noel — a professional illustrator, cartoonist, and paranormal investigator. His character, Tara Normal investigates with the stars of TV’s Ghost Hunters in a comic published in every issue of TAPS Paramagazine, the official publication of The Atlantic Paranormal Society. Tara Normal has also appeared online in her own award-winning webcomic which won the 2009 WRCA Reader’s Choice Best New Webcomic. Noel’s artwork has helped raise thousands of dollars for charity, and he’s a graduate of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. Don’t miss an interpretive reading of Noel’s comic by the Oddball crew and a live sketch of host Jeff Belanger during the interview. 30 Odd Minutes… if the truth is out there we will find it… but only by sheer accident.

In episode 39 we speak with Bill Chappell, an engineer in the robotics and semiconductor industries who uses microprocessors and electronics skills to solve complex problems. At the age of 47 he was asked if he could build a device to communicate with the dead. At first he thought the whole idea was amusing. On April 23, 2007, he tested the device and the results forever altered his life and perspective on the paranormal. He’s since dedicated his skills to the pursuit of a tangible answer to the paranormal. You may have seen his inventions on: Travel Channel, the Syfy Channel, A&E, Animal Planet, E!, and Good Morning America, just to name a few. In this episode you get to meet the man behind it all. Plus don’t miss our exclusive interview… for the first time on television (and probably the last)… with the Ovilus. Does the Ovilus find our show boring? Tune in to find out!

In episode 38, the Oddball Crew discuss the paranormal community, our favorite legends, and we debate the pros and cons of using equipment in paranormal investigation. Does the show end in an all-out brawl? Tune in to find out!

In episode 37 we visit with Christopher Balzano, the founder and director of Massachusetts Paranormal Crossroads, an online collection of legends and ghost stories from the Bay State. He’s been investigating the unexplained for over 15 years. He’s the author of several books including: Dark Woods, Ghosts of the Bridgewater Triangle, Ghostly Adventures, and Picture Yourself Ghost Hunting. He’s been on dozens of radio programs talking about the legends in our lives and tonight he made his 30 Odd Minutes debut. Don’t miss a field report featuring a Long Island, New York, legend that still gets talked about today! 30 Odd Minutes… if the truth is out there we will find it… but only by sheer accident.

In episode 36 we discuss kids and the paranormal with author, researcher, and talk show host Dave Schrader! What makes Dave uniquely qualified to discuss this topic? First, he was a child once himself (which is pretty scary), plus he’s the father of seven children. And if that isn’t paranormal enough for you, he’s also the co-author of The Other Side: A Teen’s Guide to Ghost Hunting and the Paranormal, he’s the host of the popular Darkness on the Edge of Town radio show that broadcasts on KTLK in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and he’s the host of Darkness Events that feature paranormal investigations at hotspots all over the United States. Are Ouija boards dangerous? Is it safe to take your kids ghost hunting? Should we let our children watch all of these paranormal shows? Tune in to find out!

In episode 35 we explore the Wisconsin Werewolf with noted author and researcher, Linda Godfrey. From this creature’s roots in lore and legend, to medical conditions that cause people to grow hair all over their face and bodies, we explore the werewolf with a focus on the sightings that have occurred in Wisconsin over the last 80 years. Godfrey is the author of: Weird Wisconsin, The Beast of Bray Road, and Hunting The American Werewolf, among many others. Don’t miss a new One Question Interview. Is there a Manwolf lurking in the United States or is this some shape shifter? Tune in to find out!

In Episode 34 we take a special on-location haunted tour of the Houghton Mansion in North Adams, Massachusetts, courtesy of Josh Mantello of Berkshire Paranormal and the Harvest Moon Paranormal Conference, plus paranormal investigators attempt to make contact in the basement. We read your emails, and get a workout running through the mansion uncut in 29 straight minutes. Does Entities-R-Us cartoonist, Terri Garofalo have a psychic vision while locked in the psychomanteum chamber in the mansion? Tune in to find out!

In episode 33 we celebrate our one year anniversary! Donna Lacroix from Syfy’s Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International stops by to wish us a happy birthday, and we hear from each of the Oddball crew about their favorite moment from the past year. We also take live calls from our fans — in fact we got so many calls we brought the phone system down. Don’t miss a field report from the LA Paranormal Alliance, and other general mayhem!

In Episode 32 we explore paranormal in popular culture with columnist and journalist, Aaron Sagers! Sagers is a pop culture expert. His weekly column examines television, movies, music, video games and comic books. He also has extensive experience writing about paranormal investigation groups, has joined numerous groups on cases and is a sucker for the para-mysteries of the world. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Miami Herald, Frommer’s Budget Travel, and MSNBC.com along with many other outlets. He is the editor of ParanormalPopCulture.com and tonight he’s all yours only on 30 Odd Minutes! Don’t miss a new One Question Interview with Grant Wilson from Ghost Hunters and a viewer field report. Have vampires always been sexy? Tune in to find out!