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Study 130 - The Damp Man (Patreon)

Published:
2025-05-15 22:13:41
Imported:
2025-05
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Content

A swimmer is stalked by an inhuman monster in Allison V. Harding's The Damp Man!

Special thanks to reader Travis Bedard! Check out New Play Exchange now!

The Strange Case of Allison V. Harding by Terence E. Hanley

New York Daily News item about Lamont Buchanan's fortune!

Bonus 10 - The Cat People Films

Our reading of The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall by John Kendrick Bangs.

Next up: The Damp Man Returns!

Comments

Allison Albright

Kinda fitting that the records from Weird Tales got eaten by insects and then destroyed in a fire. I honestly don't know what else I would have expected.

Pearce Duncan

That title is also my biggest complaint about rental properties where I live

Iain Hood

This was exactly what I wanted, a weird, creepy, pulpy monster story. I loved all the callbacks to old stories, but I’m surprised you didn’t connect the damp man to Fat Face by Michael Shea. Amazing episode and super glad you guys are covering these stories.

Brian J

Only one minute in but... Werewolf Amadeus... *Werewolfgang* Amadeus, surely

KateSherrod

Wow, Travis Bedard! What a great new addition to the show. He's got great timing, sensitivity and a great voice. And he was absolutely perfect for this creepy, creepy story. I think he gave it more depth than it actually possessed, which is always the mark of a good narrator. More, please!

Breton

When the story started, I had my doubts about it, but as the story continues and the threat of the Damp Man grows, I got into it. Another amazing choice, and an amazing episode.

Richard Horsman

Monsters to one side, wealthy people who aren’t satisfied that their advantages have limits are one of the most terrifying things in and out of fiction for me. If Remsdorf was suddenly in the real world the only thing implausible about him would be the water for blood.

Jb Lee

Don't like THE DAMP MAN stuff --I can imagine Lovecraft calling it "a great idea wasted in a puerile presentation." You're right to compare the bwa-ha-ha Snidely Whiplash guy we get here with the cryptic and much less hackneyed Damp Man in YELLOW SIGN. I will say the READING makes it sound a lot better than it is when you just read it yourself, and I do like a lot of the weird touches -- the face shooting made me think of Arnim Zola's monster Doughboy from Marvel Comics: "he exists WITHOUT vital organs!" But Damp Man is one of those monsters who can't be stopped until he can -- and does it to himself to boot! If you guys haven't done Harding's THE UNDERBODY, I recommend you jump on it. Way better than mad scientist/lecher Damp Man. Quite transgressive, in fact! That said-- hey, Werewolf Bosoms will get you a third paycheck outta that.

Thunk

I like the line "The strange abnormal wetness of those beefy hamlike hands". Beefy and hamlike! Both strange and abnormal! Its up there with "the skyey sky".

Patrick W

Must be something in the algorithm. I’ve been reading weird fiction for 30+ years and only found these stories a month ago. They aren’t my favorites, but they are interesting in their pulpy way.

Thunk

A squidgy figure following a Linda? He blends in with the environment? You shoot him, he keeps coming? You can shatter him after freezing? He's a Terminator T1000! I hope in the next episode we get the badass version of Linda

Jerome Tracy

As soon as I heard Mr. Bedard begin reading, I thought "Holy Cow! Is Stacy Keach a fan of the podcast?!" He has a great voice!

Jim Cannon

The shoutout to _Cat People_ was on point, this story feels a lot like a Universal monster movie. Its got that plodding menace and weird love triangle thing going on, as well as the solution out of nowhere. Canada, sure! It doesn't get Canada-cold in New York City, its the only way he could be stopped. Or maybe its just the titles of the sequel stories that put me in mind of Universal. Good stuff. Silly, but good!

It's a Ghost.

I agree, calling the man damp is gross, but then again, just imagine if he was called the moist man.

Daniel Weber

The Damp Man reminded me a little of the titular character from Michael Shea's "Fat Face." Damp Man is a bit of a weak sauce Shoggoth, though. They seem to do fine in the cold.

Eric - Speaker in Digressions

I assume Linda's neighbor was killed not only because she borrowed her clothes, but because all anyone sees when they look at Linda herself is a general "impression of well-built blondeness." It's the kind of thing that could lead to a Shakespearean comedy of mistaken identity, or it could lead to MURDER. Anyway, after his "Splash" and "Bosom Buddies" rip-offs/homages, I look forward to more of Chad's ongoing series of werewolf adaptations of Tom Hanks' early comedic oeuvre. "The Werewolf with One Red Shoe," for example. And clearly both "Turner and Hooch" and "The 'Burbs" are full of lycanthropic possibilities. I have some serious thoughts on defining "monster," but that's enough from me on this episode.

Gideon Falcon

I followed the link to read ahead for next episode, but couldn't help notice that earlier in the issue featured, there was a rather interesting short story by Clark Ashton Smith that I don't think you've done before; "The Quest For the Golba," a tale involving goat-jumping extendable necromancers, satirical talking bird kingdoms, and an idiot monarch getting his just desserts. Not quite long enough for its own episode, I suppose, but fun enough to keep in mind if you end up with another short to combine it with.

Stanisław Wienkons

Thank you for finally mentioning me on your show! I’ve been listening for many years and have followed—and thoroughly enjoyed—your transition to Strange Studies. I’d love to nominate a story from our Polish contribution to the world of strange literature: The Motion Demon by Stefan Grabiński. He’s often referred to as the “Polish Poe” and his railway-themed tales are eerie, atmospheric, and deeply original. In any case, keep up the good work!

Anne Ominous

Just finished a slog through this story and haven't had a listen yet so I'm trusting that you two will enlighten me on everything I'm missing, just like you always do. Cuz right now, the strangest things about this story are the great lengths the author took to obsfuscate the geography. It's remarkably ambiguous!

Stewart

The police being dismissive of everything except Linda being in a swimsuit when kidnapped reminds me of an FBI file from the 1940s. An FBI agent enclosed a report from someone "who is considered generally dependable" on the No Foreign Wars Committee. Once you get to the descriptions of the women working there you get lines like "Mrs. Nixdorff, a very ugly volunteer." "Mrs. Herrick, combination office liaison and messenger boy, attractive, 35." "Mrs. Brusche... terribly excited about the "cause", unattractive, 30-ish." I think this guy would fit right in with the Damp Man cops.

Jeremy Impson

I always enjoy observing changes in language. Today I think "got the impression" is used to hedge or qualify an opinion, perhaps to protect the speaker in case they are wrong, e.g. "I got the impression he was angry at me " But taken more literally, "got the impression" can mean "after assessing all factors, I make the following conclusion", as per how it was used in the story, with little to no uncertainty.

Jeremy Impson

"A six martini lunch" is definitely a well-known phenomenon in the professional world of the second half of the 20th Century

Jeremy Impson

Uhm, excuse me, but it was the ALSO where Peter Scolari got his start on, as well!

Gideon Falcon

Jokes aside, he could have gotten away with smashing Remsdorf to bits. Remsdorf? Of course not, this is just a snowman he made to LOOK like Remsdorf, got this Calvin kid to help with the details. Just check the body if you want, there's no blood or anything! Clearly no crime has been committed.

Exanimus

Spider Man should be able to palm Kingpin's forehead like a basketball and toss him over his shoulder with his super-sticky spider-hand. Nothin' but net.

Fredrik Bridell

Where, exactly, does one draw the line between stalking and perfectly normal peepin' n' creepin'? 🤔