Lunatics Radio Hour: The History of Horror

The Lunatics Project

Lunatics Radio Hour is a non-fiction history podcast about the history of horror and the horror of history. Each episode explores real, documented events where fear, violence, survival, and the unknown shaped human lives and cultures. The show also traces how historical events influenced film, examining how real-world horrors became the stories and images that appear on screen. Topics include dark history, psychological phenomena, folklore rooted in fact, and the historical roots of horror cinema. Most episodes focus on researched historical subjects. Occasional short fiction stories are included and clearly labeled. If you’re drawn to the darker side of history and the real events behind horror films, Lunatics Radio Hour explores where history, fear, and cinema intersect.

  1. 17 MAR

    Episode 182 - The Clown Riot of 1855

    In 1855, a bizarre incident in Toronto escalated into one of the city’s strangest riots. After a fight broke out between clowns from a visiting circus and members of a volunteer firefighting company, tensions quickly spiraled. What began as a confrontation in a brothel turned into a mob attack that ended with the circus being burned to the ground. In this episode of the Lunatics Radio Hour, we explore the Clown Riot of 1855, the culture of volunteer fire companies at the time, and how the chaos exposed corruption within Toronto’s police force. The fallout from the riot helped push the city toward major reforms in policing and public order. Episode 182 examines how an unlikely clash between firefighters and circus performers became a turning point in Toronto’s civic history. Sources  An article by Alex Dunne, on The Uncircurriculum: The Great Toronto Circus Riothttps://grandorangelodge.ca/history/BlogTo article by Alice McCurty: This weird event in 1855 sparked the creation of the Toronto Police forcePeter Vronsky – "Rogues, Scoundrels and Screws" (Toronto crime history)Adam Bunch – "The Toronto Book of the Dead"Heritage Toronto article on the circus riotToronto Public Library archivesFirst hand sources, that we will cite as we go. Thanks to April Brenker for finding those for us.Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep. Support the show

    28 min

Ratings & Reviews

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About

Lunatics Radio Hour is a non-fiction history podcast about the history of horror and the horror of history. Each episode explores real, documented events where fear, violence, survival, and the unknown shaped human lives and cultures. The show also traces how historical events influenced film, examining how real-world horrors became the stories and images that appear on screen. Topics include dark history, psychological phenomena, folklore rooted in fact, and the historical roots of horror cinema. Most episodes focus on researched historical subjects. Occasional short fiction stories are included and clearly labeled. If you’re drawn to the darker side of history and the real events behind horror films, Lunatics Radio Hour explores where history, fear, and cinema intersect.

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