Zach Ellenberger - Historical Horror, Wendigos, and Improvised Madness | Ep 9

📄 Episode Description:

In this episode of The Night Crew Podcast, host Brad Ricks welcomes indie horror author Zach Ellenberger for a wide-ranging and hilarious conversation about writing, folklore, and how music and history collide with monsters.

Zach—author of Potato Kingdom and dozens of eerie short stories—shares how his love of history, horror, and punk music shaped his storytelling voice. The two talk about cryptids, creepy facts from history, Slavic and Native American folklore, and why the Wendigo tops Zach’s list of terrifying monsters. Plus, he reveals his process for mixing fact with fiction to ground his horror stories in real-world dread.

You’ll also hear about his comedy storytelling podcast Party Bonus, which combines improv, sketch writing, and mad-lib chaos to hilarious effect. And yes, they absolutely talk about bad signatures, the dancing plague of 1518, and what it’s like being part of the indie horror world.

📚 Topics Covered:

• Zach’s origins in music and how songwriting sharpened his writing voice
• How he blends history with horror in his fiction
• Using real events (like the dancing plague of 1518) to inspire terrifying stories
• The Wendigo, Koshchei the Deathless, and underrated folklore monsters
• The writing challenge of “middle act syndrome”
• How short stories helped build his storytelling discipline

🎧 Also Mentioned:

• Zach’s first novel: Potato Kingdom
• His Wendigo-inspired short story The Resurrectionist
• Favorite literary influences: Edgar Allan Poe, Ambrose Bierce, Robert Louis Stevenson
• Upcoming anthology collaborations with indie authors like Jerry Blaze and Carrietta Dorsch
• Party Bonus podcast – A mix of improv fiction, sketch comedy, and storytelling games

👹 Favorite Monster: The Wendigo

• Cannibalistic forest creature rooted in Native American folklore
• A haunting blend of human hunger, transformation, and icy isolation
• See also: The Ritual (film), early Supernatural episodes, and Our Father’s Burden (novel)

 

🔗 Where to Find Zach:

• 🌐 ZachEllenberger.weebly.com
• 📘 Amazon & Smashwords (Search: “Zach Ellenberger”)
• 🎙️ Party Bonus podcast (Spotify, Apple, etc.)
• 🎬 Socials via his Linktree (user to provide)

 

🧛 Don’t Forget:

If you enjoyed the show, follow, rate, and review The Night Crew Podcast. And check out Zach’s work—especially if you love horror that digs its claws into real-world history.

keywords

 

writing, author, historical fiction, horror, indie authors, storytelling, folklore, collaboration, creative process, literary influences

 

#TheNightCrewPodcast #HorrorPodcast #AuthorInterview #ZechEllenberger