The Ghoul Guides Association

In our new monthly series, Mary tells us all about the horror film she's watched recently that Lauren is to scared to sit through.

In this month's epsiode we have Presence (2025), Companion (2025), Y2K (2024), Sinners (2025) and a Bong Joon Ho Retrospective.

We're back on our bullshit for more deconstruction of the medieval concept of chivalry went from men on horses with stick to an ideology that was at the heart of Britain's construction of national identity and masculinity in the 1700s: and why Mary Shelley was not a fan.

Join us for the first episode of a two-parter all about chivalry and the Gothic. Here, Lauren discusses the 12th century origins of chivalry, King Arthur, and how it ends up being Gothic - and we may also touch on the 2001 film classic A Knight's Tale (trust us, it's relevant!) -

Beware what goes bump in the night - or what they want you to *think* does, anyway.

This time, Lauren talks about the origins of Nocturnal Ritual Fantasy, the colonial import of fear, and American witch panics including, of course, the Salem Witch Trials.

You love the Gothic, we love the Gothic but what do we actually mean when we call something Gothic? That it's dark and devilish? That it's camp and supernatural? That it's responsible for triggering the fall of the Roman Empire?

In this first Lore Dump - our new minisode format - Lauren explains exactly how Gothic came to be as we know it today and the many meanings of the term.

Have you seen Nicolas Flamel?

Where do Golems come from? How can you create a Golem? And...what is a Golem? Find out all this and more as we dive into the theological, mystical and folkloric history of the Golem and discuss some of the similarities between the Golem legend and the Gothic story of Frankenstein. The Ghoul Guides Association, is a show where Dr Lauren Nixon and Dr Mary Going discuss all things Gothic (or more accurately, why all things are Gothic.) Join the Ghoul Guides as they explore the history of various topics across history and pop culture, and their intersections with the weird and wonderful world of the Gothic. SUPPORT THE GHOUL GUIDES!

Hello -Goodbye - and welcome to the wonderfully mysterious world of Ouija! In this episode Lauren takes us through the origins of Ouija boards, discussing the links between Ouija and the Spiritualist movement in the 19th century as well as its corporatisation. Is this is simply child's game or is there something more nefarious and demonic at hand? Can you actually use the Ouija board to contact ghosts? And how exactly do you pronounce Ouija...? Join us to find out. SUPPORT THE GHOUL GUIDES!

Is there a darker side of Dark Tourism? Join us as we discuss just this and consider the ethics and issues of ghost tours, visiting spooky tourist sites and haunted museums! In this episode Lauren also takes us through the rise and popularity of ghost hunting media through Ed and Lorraine Warren and recent ghost hunting shows like Ghost Adventures.

What's the mystery behind the Toynbee Tiles and who is making them? Should we be worried? And how are they connected to 2001: A Space Odyssey? Find out all of this and more in our bonus episode exploring this unsolved mystery.

Should real life cases be used as the basis for horror films? What are the ethical issues (and the icks) when you base a supernatural horror film about possessions, hauntings, and paranormal activity on tragic and traumatic real life events. Join Lauren and Mary for this episode on real life horror to find out.   CW: discussions of true crime, violence and abuse.

The Ghoul Guides Association, is a show where Dr Lauren Nixon and Dr Mary Going discuss all things Gothic (or more accurately, why all things are Gothic.) Join the Ghoul Guides as they explore the history of various topics across history and pop culture, and their intersections with the weird and wonderful world of the Gothic.  

SUPPORT THE GHOUL GUIDES!  If you enjoyed this episode then why not subscribe to our channel?

We love hearing from you so do like this podcast and leave us a comment telling us what you liked, and let us know if you have any suggestions for future topics. 

Is True Crime Gothic? In this Ghoul Guides Association episode, Lauren and Mary explore the Gothic aspects of True Crime, delving into its history, current obsessions and some recent ethical issues relating to the dramatisation (and Gothicisation) of serial killers.  

SUPPORT THE GHOUL GUIDES!  

If you enjoyed this video then why not subscribe to our channel? We love hearing from you so do like this video and leave us a comment telling us what you liked, and let us know if you have any suggestions for future topics.  

What's Gothic about unsolved mysteries? In this Ghoul Guides Association episode, Lauren and Mary delve into just that and explore the Gothic heart of unsolved mysteries as well as solved unsolved mysteries. We'll take you through the Gothic aspects of unsolved mysteries, how they relate to other True Crime genres, and also discuss the recent developments in some of histories biggest unsolved cases including the Boy in the Box and the Somerton man. 

The Ghoul Guides Association, is a show where Dr Lauren Nixon and Dr Mary Going discuss all things Gothic (or more accurately, why all things are Gothic.)

Join the Ghoul Guides as they explore the history of various topics across history and pop culture, and their intersections with the weird and wonderful world of the Gothic.  

SUPPORT THE GHOUL GUIDES! 

The Hellfire Club. Since the arrival of Hawkin's finest dungeon master, Eddie, to the world of Stranger Things the 'Hellfire Club' has been a pop culture hot topic. But what is - or rather, was - the Hellfire Club? Lauren takes us back once again to Britain's murky past to uncover the true history of the real Hellfire Clubs, what they stood for, and how they've seeped into our cultural consciousness.

More on John Wilkes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilkes

For today's meeting, Lauren takes us through the Gothic history of Gaslighting - exploring the term's Gothic foundations and the iconic 1944 film GASLIGHT as well as the contemporary usage of the term gaslighting.  The Ghoul Guides Association, or GGA if you will, is a show where Dr Lauren Nixon and Dr Mary Going discuss all things Gothic (or more accurately, why all things are Gothic.) Join the Ghoul Guides as they explore the history of various topics across history and pop culture, and their intersections with the weird and wonderful world of the Gothic. 

The Ghouls are back from the depths of the abyss with to bring you the Ghoul Guides Association: membership now open! In this episode, Lauren explains why the history of the French Revolution is even more Gothic than we might think. 

(Note re Napoleon: France had conquered Corsica at the time, so he was Italian but it had just become a French colony.)