Pre-dead Boys

Max and Dorian come clambering back from break to discuss CREMATION, the act of burning dead bodies! Cremation has essentially become end-of-life option number 2 in America today, but the practice has deep and worldwide historical roots. Learn about the roughly 40,000-year-old remains of the earliest known cremation, how open-air funeral pyres are used around the world today, the environmental impact of different cremation techniques, and the communities fighting for global awareness that there is more than one option for your funeral. By contrast, listen as Max oppresses Dorian by limiting his options. Very rude! Check out the show notes on our Patreon, and consider supporting us for extra rewards!

We've got an EXTRA SPECIAL episode for ya - an interview with Human Remains Detection Dog trainer & handler Kyla Rice, and her German Shepherd Emrick! Kyla gives us the lowdown on why she got into this field, how to train and maintain a working dog, and how HRD dogs (a.k.a. cadaver dogs) can help criminal investigations.

Whether or not there's life beyond our planet, there's plenty of death! Max and Dorian discuss these accounts, as well as what happens to bodies in vaccuum, the long list of animals sent into space, and a new method for burying bodies on Mars.

In Spooky Seasons past, the boys have taken on vampires, zombies, and frankensteins. This year, their crosshairs are set on the scammy world of spirits! Retrace the history of ghosts from religious concepts to physical beings, explore the origins of the first-ever haunted house, and expose the misdeeds of the scumbag who tried to weigh the human soul. Is it scary? Nah. Is it SEXY? Oh baby, just wait til our last story.

HAPPY SPOOKY SEASON! Here’s an UNLOCKED BONUS EPISODE. To get access to MORE bonus episodes like this and lotsa extra goodies, support us on Patreon! Patreon.com/PreDeadBoys -- Before there was a cabin-in-the-woods movie trope, an inventive young filmmaker and his friends made their first feature-length movie on a shoestring budget. The result remains one of the most influential and enduring horror films of all time. In this episode, Max and Dorian crack open the book on:  - the history and making of Evil Dead  - how Evil Dead is, in some ways, the most accurate depiction of Lovecraftian horror on film  - the tension between violence and comedy in entertainment  - a brief breakdown of the other movies, shows, and games in the franchise Content warning: we briefly discuss (but not in detail) and critique a sexual assault scene in the film.

Oh, you think the current leaders of the world are old and decrepit? YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHIN' YET. In this episode, Max and Dorian plunge into the wacky world of countries ruled by dead people! But first, the boys discuss the history of city coroners... including the most scandalous ad campaign in coroner history.

Too many bones? Not enough graves? Time for some interior design! Join Max and Dorian as they examine several grim, yet beautiful locations decorated floor-to-ceiling with bones - as well as the reasoning for this surprisingly practical and poignant creative solution. 

The most fascinating organ in the body is still the one we know the least about... But that won't stop Max and Dorian from illuminating what we DO know. Learn more about the exact point when a brain dies, some shockingly well-preserved ancient brains, and celebrity brain theft. We also cover some doofuses that accidentally liquified their own brains. Yum!

The funeral industry faces many challenges. But the segment of it that serves, and is comprised of, Black Americans faces its own unique struggles. Join Max and Dorian as they explore homegoing celebrations, the use of coffins in the Underground Railroad, the distinct issues befalling Black-owned funeral homes, and the open-casket funeral of Emmett Till. Needless to say, this episode gets pretty heavy. But we also talk about a baseball player turned happy funeral director to lighted things up - so give it a listen and tell us what you think!

This week, Max and Dorian look at more animal stories! It’s a little bit of a bummer at first as they examine how animals grieve, but they end on an uplifting note by honoring some HEROIC DOGS. For more animal stories, go back and listen to episode 22. Need a mask? Check out LunarPoison’s shop!

Mere minutes before Dorian sets out on a death-defying stunt, Max teaches him about the religious act of honoring a dead person through relics! Although most of their discussion revolves around the (often dubious) personal items and remains of the Catholic saints, a dramatic Buddhist self-mummification tradition bears mentioning as well. And oh boy, do we have some disturbing news about the planets and a certain famous baby.

In an extremely online world, no one truly disappears when they die. Join Max and Dorian as they explore death in the era of Web 2.0! It's a realm of digital remains, post-mortem social media profiles, public mourning of celebrities... and brands being very, very dumb. Click here to read Natalie Kane's transcribed talk on Death and the Internet. Click here to watch Mark Zuckerberg smoke these meats.

Love food? TOO BAD, according to several cultures! While some funeral celebrations have sweet confections and savory meals for the mourners to enjoy, others strictly prohibit the enjoyment of funeral food and keep things as bland as possible. Listen to this episode to learn all about these traditions, the system of sin-eating, and the worst food America has to offer. Click here to read Gastro Obscura's article on funerary comfort foods.

Dorian found a dead squirrel. He wants its bones. Click here to read Jake's Bones.

Cities of the dead (a.k.a. Necropolises) sound scary, but are actually pretty chill! This week, Max and Dorian learn about the Vatican, the Giza pyramids, and other large burial destinations around the world.  As time goes on, society will have more and more dead to bury. Will we build more of these massive cemeteries in the future? GLAD YOU ASKED... because there's one in progress that's shaping up to be pretty cool.

Whether by heroism, necessity, or both, the essential worker steps up when average people consider a job too lowly or risky. Enter the gravediggers! In this episode, Max and Dorian tell the stories of the faithful workers protecting Jewish bodies from desecration, the brave women who buried victims of disease when no one else would, and the pub that has served gravediggers nearly 200 years of post-burial pints. Finally, we cover some celebrity gravediggers. One of them sure does show up on this podcast a lot!

Are you anxious over the current global crisis? Max and Dorian have the remedy for your socially-distanced blues! For those not on forced quarantine, might we recommend a visit to your local cemetery? Believe it or not, these were originally constructed to be used for relaxation. After covering the history of leisurely cemetery strolls, the boys give you a couple weird death-related research rabbit trails for your personal enjoyment. Stay safe out there folks! -- Click here for a list of terms for dying. Click here to read Caitlin Doughty on serious discussions about death during this crisis. Click here to read Cat Irving on misconceptions about formaldehyde.

Let's look at some BIGTIME mismanagement of dead bodies! Max and Dorian begin their exploration with a long-abandoned island of bummer buildings and overstuffed graves, then wrap up (heh) by uncovering (heh heh) one of the biggest screwups in the history of the death care industry (oops). Hope this episode finds you well - be safe and healthy out there, friends!

Murder! Human sacrifice! And... peat?! It may sound crazy, but that cruddy fossil fuel is key to understanding the incredible things that happen when a corpse is stuffed into a bog. Discover the miraculous ways bogs preserve ancient bodies (and luscious locks), and what forensic analysis of these bodies has taught us. Watch your nipples!

It's the TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the Pre-Dead Boys, and things get a little steamy! Specifically, dead bodies get steamy. And chilly. And eaten by squirrels. And run over by lawnmowers. It all happens at Anthropological Research Facilities, a.k.a. BODY FARMS, where forensic researchers experiment with cadavers to learn about how bodies decompose. Listen and learn all about how they started, why they're so helpful, and what the haters are saying! KISSES <3