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The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

Strange True Stories with Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
  • 4.6 (22)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things is a weekly documentary-style podcast about strange true stories, true crime, dark history, scandals, mysteries and remarkable people. Why listen to three podcasts when you can have it all in one? Hosted by Kyle Risi and Adam Cox, each episode takes one fascinating real-life story and gives you the full thing: the context, the characters, the chaos, the terrible decisions, and the tiny details that make you say, “Wait… how did this actually happen?” From infamous crimes and forgotten history to celebrity scandals, survival stories, cults, frauds and real-life mysteries, The Compendium is smart, funny, curious and thoroughly researched — made for listeners who want the whole story in one satisfying listen, without a ten-part homework assignment. New episodes weekly. Step inside the circus tent.

  1. DashCon 2014: The Failed Tumblr Convention and the Ball Pit Meme

    5 DAYS AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    DashCon 2014: The Failed Tumblr Convention and the Ball Pit Meme

    DashCon 2014 was supposed to be Tumblr’s great real-world fandom convention. Instead, it became one of the internet’s most infamous event disasters: a chaotic weekend of guest cancellations, volunteer confusion, a sudden $17,000 hotel panic, the Welcome to Night Vale fallout, and one tiny ball pit that became a meme so powerful it practically achieved sentience. Today we unpack how DashCon went from sincere community dream to public internet humiliation. We’ll trace the Tumblr culture that made the convention possible, the amateur planning and budget fantasy that made it unstable, and the disastrous decisions that turned a fandom gathering into a cautionary tale about what happens when online enthusiasm meets real-world logistics. Was DashCon a scam, a failure of good intentions, or simply catastrophic incompetence with a ball pit attached? Today, we dive into the failed Tumblr convention that became internet history. Topics Include tumblr culture before it spilled across the wider internet how dashcon went from fandom fantasy to real convention the $17,000 hotel panic and the welcome to night vale fallout why the ball pit became the meme that outlived the event the difference between bad intentions and catastrophic incompetence

    1hr 27min
  2. Nepal Royal Massacre: The Prince, the Prophecy and the Palace Killings

    6 DAYS AGO

    Nepal Royal Massacre: The Prince, the Prophecy and the Palace Killings

    Nepal Royal Massacre is one of modern history’s most shocking royal tragedies: a family gathering in Kathmandu that ended with King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, and much of Nepal’s royal family dead. In this dark history podcast episode, we trace the Nepal Royal Massacre through Crown Prince Dipendra, his blocked relationship with Devyani Rana, the Shah dynasty prophecy, and the palace dinner on 1 June 2001 that turned into a massacre. This history podcast episode also examines the official account, Dipendra being crowned king while in a coma, Gyanendra’s succession, the Kathmandu riots, and the conspiracy theories that still surround the Nepal Royal Massacre. It is a story of love, power, dynasty, public distrust, and one of the most unsettling real life mysteries in modern true crime history. Topics Include: The Shah dynasty prophecy and the “tenth generation” curse Crown Prince Dipendra and Devyani Rana Royal astrology, status, and marriage politics The June 2001 family gathering inside the palace The massacre, the “accident” cover story, and Dipendra’s coma Succession, outrage, and the conspiracy theories that followed Resources and Further Reading Nepalese royal massacre - Wikipedia A royal massacre - ABC Massacre at the Palace - by Jonathan Gregson Nepal Royal Family Massacre - Zero Hour Documentry Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland Community & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast Website: TheCompendiumPodcast.com Support us: Sign up to Patreon Certified Freaks: Submit your job Descriptions Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1hr 12min
  3. Michael Jackson Allegations, Part 2: Trials, Settlements and Legacy

    28 APR

    Michael Jackson Allegations, Part 2: Trials, Settlements and Legacy

    Michael Jackson allegations sit at the centre of one of pop culture’s most disputed true crime stories. This episode follows Jordan Chandler, the civil settlement, the Gavin Arvizo case, Martin Bashir, the 2005 trial and Leaving Neverland as we examine how fame, money, power and uncertainty shaped Michael Jackson’s legacy. Topics Include jordan chandler and the first allegations the civil settlement and why it settled nothing martin bashir, neverland, and gavin arvizo the 2005 trial and full acquittal leaving neverland and the legacy war Resources and Further Reading Michael Jackson - Encyclopaedia Britannica Pop Star Michael Jackson Not Guilty of Child Molestation - PBS NewsHour Michael Jackson Acquitted of Child Molestation Charges - ABC News Michael Jackson’s Trials and Tribulations - ABC News Michael Jackson Child Sexual Abuse Allegations: A Timeline - Rolling Stone 10 Undeniable Facts About the Michael Jackson Sexual Abuse Allegations - Vanity Fair Neverland's Lost Boys - Vanity Fair Michael Jackson's Legacy Under Microscope in New Sex Abuse Film - Reuters Leaving Neverland - Netflix Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1hr 36min
  4. Michael Jackson, Part 1: From Jackson 5 to King of Pop

    21 APR

    Michael Jackson, Part 1: From Jackson 5 to King of Pop

    Michael Jackson became the King of Pop before he was ever allowed to be ordinary. This episode traces his rise from the Jackson 5 and Motown to Off the Wall, Thriller, the moonwalk and Neverland, exploring the family pressure, talent, fame and isolation that shaped one of music’s most remarkable lives. Topics Include Joe Jackson, childhood pressure, and the Jackson family home The Jackson 5, Motown, and Michael’s breakout voice Off the Wall, Thriller, MTV, and the moonwalk The Pepsi burn, image changes, and Neverland Jordan Chandler and the moment everything turns Resources and Further Reading Michael Jackson - Encyclopaedia Britannica The Jackson 5 - Motown Museum Michael Jackson - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Pepsi fire left Michael Jackson in pain - Los Angeles Times Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland Community & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast Website: TheCompendiumPodcast.com Support us: Sign up to Patreon We’re Hiring: Find the perfect job at the circus Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1hr 18min
  5. Peter the Dolphin: The NASA Experiment That Went Too Far

    14 APR

    Peter the Dolphin: The NASA Experiment That Went Too Far

    Peter the Dolphin is one of the strangest true stories in science history: a NASA-funded dolphin communication experiment, a flooded Caribbean lab, and researcher Margaret Howe Lovatt living alongside a dolphin named Peter. This episode explores John C. Lilly, animal language research, LSD, Dolphin House and the bizarre experiment that became infamous for all the wrong reasons Topics include The Dolphin House experiment and its unconventional design John C Lilly’s theories on dolphin communication and sensory deprivation Margaret Lovatt’s role and the emotional reality of long-term isolation Why NASA funded dolphin research during the space race What happened to Peter the dolphin after the experiment ended Resources and Further Reading Margaret Howe Lovatt - Wikipedia The dolphin who loved me - the Guardian John C. Lilly - Wikipedia The Girl Who Talked to Dolphins - BBC Documentry Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    50 min
  6. Marilyn Monroe: How Hollywood Built and Broke an Icon

    12 APR • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Marilyn Monroe: How Hollywood Built and Broke an Icon

    Marilyn Monroe is one of the most recognisable women who has ever lived, but the version the world fell in love with was, in many ways, built in a studio. Today, we trace how Marilyn Monroe emerged from Norma Jean’s unstable and abusive childhood to become the Hollywood icon everyone thinks they know. We follow her early modelling career, her studio-made voice, and the blonde bombshell image she spent years trying to outrun. But there is a darker side to this story too: the marriages, the power struggles, and the myths that shaped her final years. Marilyn Monroe’s story is what happens when public fantasy grows far bigger than the woman forced to carry it. Topics Include norma jean’s childhood, foster homes, and abuse how marilyn monroe was made by hollywood the breathy voice, the bombshell image, and studio control joe dimaggio, arthur miller, and public fascination jfk, conspiracy theories, and the final unraveling

    1hr 51min
  7. Julia Child: The Spy, Chef and Making of The French Chef

    7 APR

    Julia Child: The Spy, Chef and Making of The French Chef

    Julia Child was not born a chef. Before Mastering the Art of French Cooking and The French Chef made her a culinary icon, she worked for the OSS, fell in love with Paul Child and discovered French food in post-war Paris. This episode tells the true story of her late-blooming reinvention and remarkable second act. Topics include Julie & Julia and what the film gets right Le Cordon Bleu, French cuisine, and learning late Mastering the Art of French Cooking and why it mattered OSS shark repellent and the strangest pre-chef CV The French Chef, cooking show chaos, and the Dan Aykroyd SNL skit Resources and Further Reading Julia Child - Wikipedia Julie & Julia - by Nora Ephron SNL The French Chef - youtube Shark Repellant Work - cia.gov Julias Kitchen - Smithsonian Museum Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Wikipedia Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1hr 22min
  8. Zodiac Killer: Murders, Ciphers and the Unsolved Hunt

    5 APR • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Zodiac Killer: Murders, Ciphers and the Unsolved Hunt

    The Zodiac Killer did not just murder people — he turned the whole case into a public game of fear, letters and ciphers. From the first lovers’ lane killings to the murder of Paul Stine, this episode follows the Zodiac Killer’s attacks, the taunting letters, the four ciphers, the surviving witnesses, the suspect trail, and the mystery of why he seemed to vanish. Topics Include zodiac killer murders zodiac killer letters and ciphers z340 cipher and the unsolved codes arthur leigh allen and other suspects why the zodiac killer was never caught

    1hr 24min
See All (148)

Trailer

4.6
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things is a weekly documentary-style podcast about strange true stories, true crime, dark history, scandals, mysteries and remarkable people. Why listen to three podcasts when you can have it all in one? Hosted by Kyle Risi and Adam Cox, each episode takes one fascinating real-life story and gives you the full thing: the context, the characters, the chaos, the terrible decisions, and the tiny details that make you say, “Wait… how did this actually happen?” From infamous crimes and forgotten history to celebrity scandals, survival stories, cults, frauds and real-life mysteries, The Compendium is smart, funny, curious and thoroughly researched — made for listeners who want the whole story in one satisfying listen, without a ten-part homework assignment. New episodes weekly. Step inside the circus tent.

Information

  • Creator
    Strange True Stories with Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    148
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things
  • Show Website
    The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things
  • Provider
    Kyle Risi

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