Ben Hansen is back to talk presidents, UFOs and Aliens!

““If there is Disclosure, every President wants to be that President.” - Ben Hansen (interview extract)”

Ben, looking rather fetching. Photo courtesy of Ben Hansen.

Ben Hansen: all-round great guy, and all-round expert. No, seriously - his interests and expertise stretch a lot further and wider than you might think. With qualifications in Sociology, Criminology and Corrections, and Spanish, as well as certifications as a pilot, radio-operator and SCUBA diver (just to mention a few), Ben really is a well-rounded and fully-equipped guy. It’s no surprise then that we’ve had Ben on the show several times now, usually with a different topic as the focus.

This last Sunday saw us predominantly discussing Ben’s analyses of the President Clinton and the President Obama interviews (taken from the Jimmy Kimmel Show, 2014 and 2015 respectively). Both analyses focus on the question of aliens and potential Government knowledge thereof; and both interviews present us with equally intriguing responses. Ben is incredibly diplomatic and non-biased in his observations, making no claims as to whether the presidents are lying or telling the truth. However, one thing is clear: both presidents answer in an apparently uncomfortable and nervous manner. To find out more, you’ll have to listen to our interview, or even check out Ben’s videos first! (below)

Beyond that, though, we of course discussed the usual UFO business, some good old moon-landing, plus a bit of NASA thrown in (and their seemingly declining vision). We also briefly spoke about the recently-revealed, “Roswell Slide,” originally discovered by Adam Dew, with whom Ben happens to be acquainted.

With that to whet your appetite, we hope you enjoy the interview! (To catch our interviews live, as well as interact with us live on air, be sure to tune in every Sunday, 9pm PDT, at http://www.wotrradio.com/listenlive/ .)

Don’t forget to check out Ben’s

Facebook

Website 

and to follow him on

Twitter @benhansen00 .

PEACE.

Tony Ortega talks Scientology and his new book, "The Unbreakable Miss Lovely"

Tony Ortega. Photo by Bill Wadman. Source: www.billwadman.com

Tony Ortega is the go-to guy when it comes to anything Scientology: if you’ve got questions, he probably has the answers. Reporting about Scientology since 1995, he’s pretty much not been out of the loop since – he currently runs The Underground Bunker, a blog that monitors breaking developments in the international world of Scientology.

"The Big Blue" Scientology building in Los Angeles.

This past May saw the release of Mr. Ortega’s book, “The Unbreakable Miss Lovely,” documenting the story of how Paulette Cooper was harassed by Scientology. Cooper famously wrote, The Scandal of Scientology (1971), following which she experienced years of atrocious torment and harassment by Scientology – at one point, she was even facing 15 years of imprisonment, as well as verging on the brink of suicide. In fact, the Church of Scientology officially launched Operation Freakout in 1997 against Cooper, of which the explicit aim was, "To get P.C. incarcerated in a mental institution or jail, or at least to hit her so hard that she drops her attacks.” Her story is a terrifying one, though definitely not in vain. Now, for the first time, her story can be read in full, thanks to Tony Ortega.

L. Ron Hubbard Way, Los Angeles. Yes, they even named a street after him.

We were lucky enough to catch Ortega for an interview this past Sunday and, needless to say, it was informative and engrossing – though admittedly a type of morbid fascination, it’s a subject that’s nevertheless fascinating, and with Ortega’s encyclopaedic knowledge of Scientology, we were certainly kept on our toes. We talked all kinds of things, including Sea Org; Scientology’s stance on psychiatry; their dwindling numbers (despite their claims of growth); the inhumane treatment of their own members; and of course their personal attacks, both within (most notably on those that try to leave, e.g. Miscavige’s own father) and outside of the organisation (Paulette Cooper, for starters). What’s more important, though, is that people become aware of Scientology and its murky history, and it’s people like Cooper and Ortega that help to spread that information, so cheers to that.

Formerly the executive editor of The Raw Story and The Village Voice, Tony Ortega is currently the executive editor at TheLipTV. Don’t forget to check out:

The Underground Bunker at http://tonyortega.org

his Twitter - @TonyOrtega94 

and his Facebook author-page.

And now for the interview:

Related: Former Scientologist & Sea-Org Member, Lynn Campbell, Talks To WoTR 

Erich von Däniken on UFOs, Aliens and Ancient Civilizations

Erich von Däniken. Promo shot, courtesy of Erich von Däniken.

If you're a conspiracy-enthusiast, a UFO nerd, or have ever listened to Frank speak, even if just once, you've probably heard of Erich von Däniken. He perhaps doesn't require much of an introduction, but here's a brief summary anyway.

Erich is the author of the international best-seller, Chariots of the Gods? Unsolved Mysteries of the Past, published in 1968. That was his first book, and he has published at least 18 since, totalling over 65 million copies, spanning a minimum of 32 different languages.

Original title and cover of Chariots of the Gods, first published in 1968.

He is best known for popularising the paleo-contact/“ancient astronauts” hypothesis, which theorises that intelligent extraterrestrials visited Earth in the distant past, making contact with long-gone civilisations, thus influencing human culture, religion, and, most significantly, technology. Initially inspired by a number of things he had read and studied in the Bible, he went on to re-interpret numerous ancient texts and historical artifacts, presenting ancient history in a completely new light to many a mainstream reader.

From left: Genevieve, Frank, and Erich, at the 2014 Contact in the Desert event, Joshua Tree, CA. 

Just the other day, Frank and I were trying to figure out what hashtags to use for one of our online posts concerning von Däniken. I told him to use #history as one, to which he responded, “But what if someone gets all worked up and complains that it’s not real history?” To which I responded: “There’ll always be people complaining. He’s as much an “historian,” in the true sense of the word, as any other.” Yes, there are plenty of people out there claiming that von Däniken is not a real historian, not a real archeologist – and I certainly make no claims as to what I, myself, believe, or what you should believe, regarding his work. The purpose of an historian is to figure out what happened in the past, based on given evidence; similarly, in the case of an archeologist. If this is all that von Däniken is trying to do, albeit more speculatively at times, then I have no qualms with calling him an archeologist or historian. I urge you to always keep an open mind, in regards to anything you hear or read, as we try to do at all times – it is completely up to you what you make of von Däniken’s claims. In fact, I haven’t yet come to a solid conclusion myself. However, please don’t just thoughtlessly brush new ideas aside.

With that said, if you haven’t already listened to our interview with him, then here it is. Enjoy!

And the usual – share share share ♥

Oh, and for those of you that haven't been keeping up-to-date (*tut tut*), we are of course now back on iTunes! Check it.

Best-Selling Author and Conspiracy Expert: Jim Marrs

"I think his [JFK’s] biggest mistake was that he truly believed he was President of the United States."  Jim Marrs, Interview Extract

Handbill circulated one day before John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. (Public Domain)

A day like today, 98 years ago, President John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts.  Only 46 years later, on November 22, 1963 he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.  Following, were a series of events that would raise serious questions as to who killed President Kennedy and why...these questions remain unanswered to this day.  On Sunday the 10th of May, we had the incredible honor of speaking with Jim Marrs: conspiracy expert, professional journalist, and multiple best-selling author, most notably of Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy, which went on to reach the New York Times Best Seller List in mid-February 1992.  His book would also serve as a foundation for Oliver Stone's film, JFK (which would be nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director).  Yeah, that movie was based on Jim's book.  Not seen JFK? Well, you definitely should.

The Kennedys aside, though, Mr. Marrs has researched and written about far more than just that - he is an expert on a huge variety of topics, including UFOs and Roswell; the "War on Terror" (and most certainly 9/11); occulted history (see, for example, Our Occulted History); corporate mass-media control; and, most recently, population control.

We talked about a lot. A-lot-a-lot.  I honestly believe that Jim Marrs provided me with the most jam-packed informative two hours of my life (bar that revision session for my finals...).  If you want that same experience (not the college finals), be sure to listen to our interview with Mr. Marrs - the player's right below. If you're a JFK fanatic, a conspiracy buff, or even just vaguely interested in anything, you should definitely tune in for this one and do your own thinking, or, as Jim Marrs himself put it during our interview:

"I'm not asking anyone to believe me, don't believe anything I've said...but just listen to what I've said and then go out and do your own checking and you'll find out what I've told you is true."

And now for the interview. Over and out.

Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes and, as per usual...spread the love!

Robert Perala - Author, Clairvoyant & ET Messenger (and musician!)

A couple of Sundays ago, Robert Perala graced us with his (virtual) presence on West of The Rockies, delivering a fascinating and mind-opening interview. Mr. Perala is a well-known and unique clairvoyant, having experienced paranormal encounters from a young age. A messenger of sorts, Robert has received a wealth of information from extra-terrestrials over time, in turn sharing that information with the world. He describes some of his amazing experiences to us, explaining their message and what their greater purpose is. In essence, it boils down to this: the world is currently a pretty bad place (to say the least), and we need to bring people back together again. Peace and spirituality are at the core of Perala’s motives – alien encounters may not immediately evoke thoughts of peace in most people’s minds, but give this interview a listen, and you may well come to change yours.

“Our job is […] to move, touch and inspire people.” (interview excerpt)

The interview also covers discussion of Plaedians, Grays, Robert’s work with David Icke, and much much more. In fact, he is also a musician, and we had the honour of premiering his song, “Til We Meet Again,” live on the show!

Robert will be MCing this year’s Contact In The Desert event again, as well as holding a lecture titled, “Extraterrestrials and The Divine Intelligence.” If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the Contact In The Desert website. If you live in the area (and even if you don’t), you should certainly consider going – it’s a truly great event, with an epic line-up of speakers!

To keep up with Robert, check out these websites:

robertperala.com

theperalareport.com

Once again, a massive shout-out to Susan von Seggern, providing us with ever-amazing interviewees! Hats off to you.

West of The Rockies with Special Guest: Robert Perala by West Of The Rockies on Mixcloud

Spread the word and spread the love:

Nuclear Physicist & Ufologist, Stanton Friedman, on WoTR!

Mr. Friedman holding up a photocopy of the Los Angeles Herald-Express from July 8, 1947 - part of his Roswell memorabilia collection. ( © Stanton Friedman)

With a Masters in physics, over 50 years of UFO research under his belt, and currently being the record-holder for having spoken more than anyone else at MUFON Symposia, Stanton Friedman is an expert when it comes to UFOs, there's no doubt about it. Most notably, he was the original civilian investigator of the Roswell Incident, an event in UFO history that doesn't exactly require an introduction. He was also one of few that conducted in-depth research into the Betty and Barney Abduction of 1961, having co-authored two books with Kathleen Marden (Betty Hill's niece) to date.

So there's certainly no question here, it was truly an honour to have had Stanton Friedman on our show last Sunday. We covered general ufology and abduction stories, as well as some more intense discussions, such as interstellar travel and alien visitations. We question the intentions of extraterrestrial intelligence (are they really as benign as some of us would like to believe?), the feasibility of them visiting us at all, and (of course) Government knowledge and involvement.

Be sure to check out Mr. Friedman's website, as well as some of the books that he has on sale (he tells us that he always autographs them!). If you're twitter savvy, then also give this man a follow!

Once again, we warmly thank Susan of Contact In The Desert for making this amazing interview possible. Stanton Friedman, alongside a great many other speakers, will be appearing at this year's event. 

And for all you UFO buffs that haven't already checked out the work of MUFON, make sure you visit their website: www.mufon.com

Oh, and of course check out our WoTR interview with Friedman! Just click below.

As usual, help us spread the word! Follow us, tweet us, Facebook us....you know the drill.

Former Scientologist & Sea-Org Member, Lynn Campbell, talks to WoTR

"I can’t believe I was ever a part of that. They…they’re slaves. And they…I don’t know…they’re just asleep, I just wish they would wake up."  Lynn Campbell.

The "Big Blue" Scientology building in Hollywood.

One of the signs outside the "Big Blue" on Sunset.

Signs posted by Lynn on her shop window.

On the 5th of April we had the pleasure of interviewing Lynn Campbell – former Scientologist, current activist, and all-round lovely person. She had been a Scientologist for a number of years, having been introduced to it by her aunt at a young age. From then on, she became engrossed in Scientology and soon joined the new religion alongside her aunt and mother.

However, over time she drifted away from Scientology, this separation having been instigated by the introduction of David Miscavige as the new leader. Slowly, Lynn opened her eyes to what Scientology truly was and what was happening to it. She now operates a hairdressing salon near the big blue Scientology building in Los Angeles, advertising “a free roll of toilet paper with haircut” for all Sea Org Members.

Last Sunday, Lynn joined us on WoTR to answer all our questions, and provide us with a true insight into Scientology. Genuine in her responses, her honesty tells us what it was really like being part of this organization, loving it, and then having to leave it.

Click below to listen!

And be sure to check out Shear Perfection if you’re in Los Angeles, Lynn’s hairdressing salon. It’s on Fountain Ave, adjacent to the big blue Scientology building.

For more information, see these website suggestions (as posted on Lynn's shop-front windows):

forum.exscn.net
tonyortega.org
whyweprotest.net
xenu.net

Frank getting a haircut from Lynn at Shear Perfection.

Lynn outside her salon, Shear Perfection

Frank and Lynn together.

Sign on Lynn's shop-front window.

And remember to support us on social media!

Welcome Astronaut STORY MUSGRAVE to WoTR!

This past Sunday saw a WoTR double-bill Special, commencing with an amazing interview of Dr. Story Musgrave – former NASA astronaut, motivational speaker, family man, and all-round genius. If the seven graduate degrees and TWENTY honorary doctorates are not enough to convince you of this man’s accomplishments, then surely the six NASA spaceflight missions (only the second human to ever have achieved this record) will. Story provides us with an interview like no one has ever done before – interesting, insightful and, most of all, genuinely “out of this world” (no pun intended).

As a firm believer in alien intelligence, he guides us through one of the most rational and non-biased interviews to date – he provides facts without tainting them, and theories without hyping them up. Truly a one-of-a-kind man, we are honoured to have had Astronaut Story Musgrave on West of The Rockies. Check out his interview right here (see below).

Don't forget to watch out for Story Musgrave at this May's Contact In The Desert, where he'll be presenting a lecture, as well as running a workshop! Special thanks go out Susan (of CitD), for once again making an amazing interview possible. Thank you!

And now to our interview - enjoy!

Don't forget to follow us!

UFOs & Government evidence: Mr. "Marty McFly" gives us a run-down

We were joined on the 1st March by Marty McFly,* UFO researcher and expert on the topic, who provided us with some seriously dumbfounding UFO information (as well as accompanying evidence in the form of Government documents). For all you UFO-fanatics out there, this is what you've been waiting for - actual  documented information concerning UFOs, as released by the US Government. The files were, très unfortunately, taken off the web very soon after (the implications thereof are for you to decide...), but nevertheless, we have some of those documents to show you, all thanks to Marty (thanks Marty!). Of course, you may have your usual doubts: what if these documents are fake? Maybe Marty is tricking us here? Or perhaps the Government released false documents? Maybe they're just inaccurate and outdated? Well, we can't make the decision for you. So have a listen to this WoTR episode, because no one can do that on your behalf.

p.s. We've uploaded some of the relevant documents for you, all in the safest way possible, namely as image files. Scroll through the following photo galleries to view the texts. (Watch this space in the next few days for the second batch of files.)

*name changed for privacy purposes.

Doc No.: 1

Doc No.: 2A

Doc No.: 2B

Doc No.: 3

Doc No.: 4

Doc No.: 5A

Doc No.: 5B

Doc No.: 5C

Doc No.: 6A

Doc No.: 6B

Doc No.: 6C

Greg Ford back on WoTR, blowing our minds again

For the past two Sundays, WoTR has had the honour of welcoming back Greg Ford to the show. A lot of you probably remember Greg from our first interview with him – if you want to catch up with that show, click here.

To summarise an interview with Greg could never do it justice; however, here are a few points that were covered over the past two weeks: WMDs, namely VX/GF gas, in Syria, sold and re-bought by the US; prison conditions and abuse in Abu Ghraib; 9/11 and Government knowledge prior to the attack; the dangers of ISIS; US involvement in Central America’s unrest. Greg’s political knowledge is beyond extensive, giving us insights that amaze (and horrify) us every time. Needless to say, having him as an interviewee always guarantees an edge-of-the-seat show. This is information everyone should know, so be sure to check out both interviews below.

Part I - 15th February 2015

West of The Rockies with Special Guest: Greg Ford, Part 1 of 2 by West Of The Rockies on Mixcloud

Part II - 22nd February 2015

West of The Rockies with Special Guest: Greg Ford, Part 2 of 2 by West Of The Rockies on Mixcloud

Don't forget to follow us on twitter and Facebook.

WoTR checks out The NAMM Show 2015

NAMM oh NAMM. Where would we be without NAMM? Well, we'd certainly be fifty pens and a bagful of candy poorer. With that amount of promotional merchandise, it would be a sin not to load up on free pens, candy, picks and bags, right? I know at least some of you share my passion for free stuff...

"Well, Hello NAMM!" The Anaheim Convention Centre, 2015.

That aside though...MUSIC. Obviously that's what we actually went there for. And as usual, NAMM was nothing short of impressive. Highlights included some serious rocking out at the Wood Violins booth (no, really), a hi-tech new gadget by the name of “REVPAD”, and of course the entire ESP Guitars room. No one puts on quite a display like the ESP custom shop.

The amazing ESP Guitars Custom Shop, NAMM 2015

Rockin' out at the Wood Violins booth, NAMM 2015

A little more about the REVPAD, just because we thought it was #dope. I think the general consensus was that this new little gadget completely blew the Ibanez Kaoss-pad-equipped-guitar out of the water (the Ibanez guitar was released last year at NAMM, and honestly, it seemed pretty cool at the time). It’s essentially everything that Ibanez wanted to achieve and more. The REVPAD is small, inconspicuous, intuitive and easy-to-control; you can link a huge array of guitar pedals and effects to it; and to top it off, you can still connect a Kaoss pad (wirelessly, of course) if you really want to. Basically, it's an amazing remote-control, but without the unsightly custom-made guitar that has a massive chunk cut out of it where the Kaoss pad sits. That’s just silly and impractical. Anyway, I’m not here to advertise it (I should have probably demanded sponsorship for this…). Have a look at it for yourself.

(And for the music nerds out there, here’s a longer demo of the REVPAD.)

Brad and Jeff of Drumsmack TV, NAMM 2015.

We also bumped into the guys of Drumsmack TV, a bunch of super nice and funny dudes. If you’re a drum aficionado (and even if not), you should definitely check out their weekly show sometime. They interview some of the best drummers in the business, opening up a whole new scope of music appreciation.

Tré Cool being très cool, NAMM 2015.

And while on the topic of drums, Mr Tré Cool of Green Day also made an appearance, patiently ploughing through an autograph session that lasted an hour or five. Seriously, I don’t know how some of these guys do it. It was hot, loud and busy, and there he is, smiling, on his feet for several hours, in a suit. Hats off to you, sir.

A special mention is definitely required for Mr Paul Reed Smith, the very man behind PRS Guitars (and one of only a few people with the ability to turn Frank into an over-excited fangurl). Also, a shout-out to Emil Werstler (Chimaira, Dååth), awesome guitarist and demonstrator at the PRS booth; oh, and Ronnie Radke (Escape The Fate; Falling In Reverse), just because I like his bands. Don’t hate on my emo side. Unfortunately, we did miss out on seeing Dustie Waring (Between The Buried And Me), and Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad; The Devin Townsend Project), due to our awful time-management skills. I was pretty sad about this, pretty sad. I’m including a couple of pictures from last year (see slideshow below), just so I can feel a bit better about it.

Mr P.R.S. and our very own Frank, NAMM 2015.

Genevieve with Emil Werstler, in the PRS Room, NAMM 2015.

Saying "hi" to Ronnie Radke. The man in the background makes this picture. NAMM 2015.

Overall, it was a fun few days, spent wishing we were rich (or at least famous), surrounded by light-up instruments, sci-fi gadgets, and more neon colours than Design The Skyline could shake a guitar string at (if you need help with that awful reference, click here. Then proceed to looking the band up on Urban Dictionary.) Thank you, NAMM.

Light-up drums by DrumLite, NAMM 2015.

Lots and lots of neon, Charvel Guitars, NAMM 2015.

Sabian Cymbals, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Orange Wall of Amps. I'd hate to be there when they switch them on... NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

B.C. Rich Guitars, for all those who want to look super heavy. NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

CS Violins, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Some heavy promoting going on for band, "Death Division." NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

11-String ERB Bass, anyone? by SVS Designs, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Stone Custom Drums, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

ESP Custom Guitar, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

REMO booth, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Broken guitar, anyone? Paul Stanley Custom Ibanez Guitar, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

We found Edward at the SPJ Custom Drums shop. NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Now that's a drum kit. Ludwig @ NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Superfunky pedals, by Zvex Effects, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Frank holding one of the limited edition Santana guitars @ PRS. NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

YEAH, 'MURICA! NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

The Peacekeeper, by thepeacekeeperguitar.com, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

PRS 30th Anniversary Dragon (Private Stock), NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

I love me some Schecter guitars. NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Ogre with their cool pedals and gadgets, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Because she said three is always better than one. Minarik Guitars, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

More cool Ogre pedals, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

EVH Guitars, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

DW Drums, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

ESP Limited Edition guitars, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

"Lil' Devils Want To Rock" Fender guitars, hand-painted. NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

"Lil' Devils Want To Rock" artist, live painting in the Fender room. NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Dee Dee Ramone shrine @ Fender. NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Oi, who parked their bike in the Fender room?! NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Fender, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Another bike! What's going on, Fender? NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Fender, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Travis Larson jammin' at the Ernie Ball booth, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Jackson guitars, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Marshall Amplifiers, NAMM 2015. ©WoTR Radio

Devin Townsend, at last year's show, NAMM 2014. ©WoTR Radio

Dustie Waring at last year's show, NAMM 2014. ©WoTR Radio

Chad Lindberg talks "Ghost Stalkers" on WoTR

"We're going to spend 48 hours isolated in some of the rawest, grittiest haunted locations in the world."

The new paranormal TV show, Ghost Stalkers, has just seen the end of its very first season, and has managed to impress the public. With its innovate new take on the "standard" ghost-hunting routine, this show sees the stars of the program (Chad Lindberg and John E.L. Tenney) each spend a night alone in an haunted location every episode, moving through the building and collecting data. With a premise like that, the show promises more evidence and more scares than your usual ghost adventure.

On this episode of West of The Rockies, we interview Chad Lindberg, grilling him on all aspects of his experience and giving him a chance to clarify any issues or queries that people may have regarding the show. Chad is one of the nicest and sincerest guys you could hope to meet in showbiz, providing us with a genuinely fascinating and honest interview.

Ernie Alonzo (Haunted OC) also joins us on this interview, sharing some of this ghost-hunting experiences, as well as promoting his upcoming event in partnership with Chad.

Check out Chad's past interview on WoTR with Jason Gates (of SyFy's Haunted Collector) and Ernie Alonzo here. 

If you're a fan of the show and would love to see another season made, then be sure to hit up Destination America, by either writing to them or bugging them on their twitter account: @destamerica

The Ghost Stalkers Twitter account: @ghoststalkers1

Say hi to Chad: @chadlindberg

And now for the interview!

West of The Rockies with Special Guest: Chad Lindberg by West Of The Rockies on Mixcloud

Don't forget to follow "West of The Rockies" on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook.

West of The Rockies @ Comikaze Expo 2014

This picture is a perfect snapshot into the world of ComiKaze - courtesy of Jorge Diaz.

Comic conventions really are a different world. Actually, conventions in general are, but this type in particular. (→)

We hit the road on good old All Hallows' Eve (OK, so it's a ten minute drive, but we still hit the road), and braced ourselves for the three days of pop-culture and geek mayhem that is Comikaze. Here's our story.

---

Frank fangurling on Brian Pulido.

So, Frank has this love for Lady Death. I'm not sure if it's solely platonic, but let's just say it's his favourite comic ever.  We walk into the exhibition hall, and BAM, guess who we first encounter? Brian Pulido at his Lady Death booth. So here is Frank's first chance to nerd-off, and nerd-off he does. In fact, it looks as though it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to hold back his inner fangurl. Honestly though, Brian is a cool guy. Like, totally cool. We chat a bit, buy half of his memorabilia inventory, and try to leave as suavely as possible.

Horror Panel on Friday. From left to right: Ace Marrero, Gabriella Waljs, Jorge Diaz, Christiane Elin, Josh Henaman.

Friday seems to be pretty chill, and we try to appreciate it before the throngs of Saturday march in. We wander around a little, before heading to a panel titled, "DEMONS AND MONSTERS: A SUPERNATURAL HORROR MASH-UP," hosted by our friend, Christiane Elin (Haunted OC). This panel saw Ace Marrero, Jorge Diaz, Gabrielle Walsh & Joshua Henaman talk all things weird and supernatural. Regular WoTR listeners will probably know Jorge and Josh by now. It was certainly nice seeing these guys again, and we even snuck in a couple of Bigfoot comics for Josh to sign.

There was the usual talk, ranging from horror movies to UFOs, but the "Anecdote of the Evening" prize surely goes to Jorge, with his story about a real-life vampire family. No, really. Apparently this family used to frequent the supermarket that Jorge's brother used to work at and, well, let's just say they were really into this vampire thing. They came out only at night, drank each other's blood, and lead incestuous relationships with each other. Yeah.

Camilla D'Errico with the print she signed for WoTR.

So Friday was chill, Saturday was when mania set in. Highlights include Camilla D'Errico's art, coincidentally stumbling upon the creator of the Hello Kitty zombie t-shirt I'd bought a while ago, seeing DMC doing his new comic thing, and having a cold beer. We also attended another one of Christiane's panels, titled, "PARANORMAL ADVENTURES IN TELEVISION," this time alongside Ben Hansen, Susan Slaughter, and Dana Workman. All three of them have a background in paranormal television, so there was certainly no lack of ghost and UFO stories; of course, most of you already know Ben from past WoTR shows, and I think we can safely say that there's never a boring moment when he's talking (check out a past show here).

Sunday: day of mourning. Alright, not quite so bad, but it's always sad to see a fun event like this wind down. We still had a few tasks to accomplish though, including getting a signed print by J. Scott Campbell (longest queue ever), and attending the Lady Death/Brian Pulido panel ("LADY DEATH 20TH ANNIVERSARY: HOW YOU CAN CREATE & PUBLISH ICONIC CHARACTERS"). We also took this time to talk to a few of the smaller businesses, including the creator of a new interactive type of movie called, "Movie Maze," (download their first movie, The Mechanic, for FREE; at very least check out the ridiculous trailer here), and steampunk comic creator, Alejandro Lee, who impressively writes, draws and colours his own comics (check out his Sally Sprocket & Piston Pete comic). We also stumbled across a geek dating website, soulgeek.com (yep, this is actually a real thing), which we immediately signed up to. OK, we didn't, but in all honesty, I think this is a pretty fun idea. Perhaps some of you may even want to check it out and get back to us about it, yeah?

Anyway, Comikaze - it's been real.

LA convention center in Comikaze regalia. ©West of The Rockies

Welcome to Comikaze. ©West of The Rockies

A view of the exhibition hall from above. ©West of The Rockies

We want YOU to listen to WoTR. ©West of The Rockies

Jus' chillin' in the DeLorian. ©West of The Rockies

R2D2s hanging like hoodlums. ©West of The Rockies

Jurassic Park jeep. ©West of The Rockies

Frank on a bad day. ©West of The Rockies

Paranormal Adventures panel. From left to right: Dana Workman, Ben Hansen, Susan Slaughter, Christiane Elin. Photo: Rich Rodriguez

Brian Pulido at the Lady Death 20th Anniversary panel. ©West of The Rockies

Left: J. Scott Campbell having a little doodle. Right: Our signed copy of sexy Alice. ©West of The Rockies

The amazing Hello Zombie t-shirt, by TeeNoEvil (Zany Zombie Shirts). ©West of The Rockies

Slenderman and Genevieve on a date. ©West of The Rockies

Wall-E and Eve posing for WoTR. ©West of The Rockies

Our signed copy of Sally Sprocket & Piston Pete, by Alejandro Lee. ©West of The Rockies

And goodbye it is. Alas. ©West of The Rockies

Interview with Occultist Jymie Darling

On this episode of West of The Rockies, an interview that has been months in the making: Jymie Darling, who was featured in the documentary, "I Sold My Soul To Satan," joins us tonight and brings with her a wealth of information and knowledge pertaining to all things occult.  Jymie was tasked with guiding Kai Blackwood through the intricate, and at times morbid, steps to conjure up a demon and make a pact with the devil: Fame, wealth and worldly riches in exchange for his eternal soul.  If you missed our interview with Kai, click here; also, be sure to watch the original documentary (below).  Do yourself a favor and listen to this WoTR instant classic!

For more info on Jymie Darling, be sure to visit Babylon Gardens Apothecary.  You can also follow her on Twitter and find her on Facebook.

West of The Rockies with Special Guest: Jymie Darling by West Of The Rockies on Mixcloud

WoTR Hits The Road To "Contact In The Desert"

On this episode we talk about the Contact In The Desert Conference, which included a workshop led by Travis Walton and a presentation by Erich von Daniken. You may also want to check out our previous interviews with Travis Walton, Dr. David Jacobs and Laura Eisenhower.  We also welcome back Leslie and Jennifer into the studio, long time listeners and supporters of WoTR. They share their accounts of paranormal activity in Jennifer's home, which seems to be highly active and sees many occurrences of other-worldy activity. UFOs, aliens and the paranormal galore, all the ingredients you'd expect from West of The Rockies.

West of The Rockies - Contact In The Desert Conference and Real Life Account of Paranormal Activity by West Of The Rockies on Mixcloud

Competition for WoTR Merchandise! Woop woop!

Right, so yesterday we launched a little competition for some WoTR merchandise. It's pretty simple. Go to our Facebook page, and the first THREE people to get us TEN likes get a couple of keyrrings/charms sent to them. So just to recap, get 10 friends to like us. Three prizes to give away ^^

Get on it!

For reference, see below for a photo, courtesy of @bluestarlight72:

Aliens and Mars Special, with Dr. David Jacobs & Laura Eisenhower

We're on a roll, providing you with more interviews than your body has room for! The first hour of this show sees us talking to Dr. David Jacobs, world-renowned expert on UFOs and abductions. For a brief overview of his work, check out this previous post, which also provides a summary on Laura Eisenhower. Honestly, we doubt there are many people who could give a more knowledgeable insight into UFOs than Dr. Jacobs. So listen up, UFO-buffs, this one's definitely something for you.

If that were not enough though, we also had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Eisenhower, an intuitive Astrologist, Global Alchemist, and Cosmic Mythologist, as well as the great-granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. On this show, we focus predominantly on her whistleblowing concerning a government mission to colonize Mars, a jaw-dropping revelation. She also touches on some of the other things that she works on and speaks about at conventions, centered around her spiritual beliefs concerning Magdalene and Gaia-Sophia energies.

For more info on Dr. Jacobs, visit I.C.R.A. (International Center For Abduction Research). As for Laura, visit her Cosmic Gaia or Dream Team pages.

Again, a special mention to Susan von Seggern, of Contact In The Desert, who made these two interviews possible. Thank you!

West of The Rockies with Special Guests: Dr. David Jacobs and Laura Eisenhower by West Of The Rockies on Mixcloud

Travis Walton Interview, up now! (pun intended)

We had the amazing opportunity and honor of speaking to UFO legend, Travis Walton, who talks to us about his 1975 alien-abduction, quite possibly the most compelling and well-documented abduction-tale to date. Travis is the author of the book, The Walton Experience, which provides a detailed account of his abduction and its aftermath. This was later turned into a movie, namely Fire In The Sky. For a quick summary, check out our previous post on Travis, right here.

Needless to say, this interview was nothing short of mind-blowing. Aware of the fact that Travis has given countless interviews and talks in the past, we did our best to keep things interesting, hopefully providing our listeners with a new insight into Travis' experience. To really get the most out of our interview, we recommend watching the movie first, since it provides a brief-but-useful overview for those that are not quite familiar with the story.

Be sure to keep an eye out for an updated version of The Walton Experience in the future!

Special thanks go out to Susan von Seggern, of Contact In The Desert, who made this interview possible for us.

West of The Rockies with Special Guest: Travis Walton by West Of The Rockies on Mixcloud

Now Online: A.P.R.A. Show Special, with Brandon Alvis, Dr. Harry Kloor and Matt Goldman

Hugely fascinating, this one was definitely not to be missed. If you somehow did miss it though, or simply want to listen to it again, then here's your chance.

This show had us interviewing some of the guys from the American Paranormal Research Association (A.P.R.A.), namely Brandon Alvis (the founder of the organisation, whom we've had on WoTR before), lead-investigator Matt Goldman, and fellow investigator & science/tech-specialist, Harry Kloor.

We discussed all things paranormal, plus had a good listen to some of the most compelling (and scariest) EVPs quite possibly ever recorded.

Last, though by far not least, be sure to check these guys out on an upcoming show of The Unexplained Files on The Science Channel, airing September 9th at 7pm (Pacific Time). We're excited, and you should be too.

West of The Rockies with Special Guests: Brandon Alvis, Dr. Harry Kloor and Matt Goldman by West Of The Rockies on Mixcloud