Last Podcast On The Left – Side Stories: Squatch Watch 2026

Date: March 18, 2026
Hosts: Henry Zebrowski (“Henry Brown Whiskey”) and Ed Larson

Episode Overview

This Side Stories episode is a typically rambunctious outing where Henry and Ed cover a range of pop culture, horror, and true crime topics with their signature irreverence, focusing this week on a major new wave of Bigfoot (“Squatch”) sightings in Ohio. The conversation veers wildly into their live show experiences, impromptu conspiracy talk, audience interactions, and listener mail. True to form, their tone remains comedic, skeptical, and occasionally gleefully crass.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Live Show Debrief: Road Food and Local Color

• Opening Banter (02:05–06:54):
  • Recap of recent Midwest shows in Indiana and Urbana, Illinois.
  • Shout-out to Balderado's Porchetta and Sicilian Sausage, a local sandwich spot the hosts found on their own (04:25).
    • Quote: “I’m such a good sandwich hunter, you have no idea. I’ll find a good sandwich in a fucking pile of dead dogs.” – Ed [04:40]
  • Reveling in interactions with “Italian Midwest ladies” and joking about “borrowing” them, extolling the region’s food and people.
  • Joking about failed crowd food recommendations.
• Brief reflection on the quirky Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana (06:08).

2. Grassroots Conspiracy Evangelism

• Epstein Files Evangelism (07:00–09:00):
  • Despite not doing their regular “update” segment on the episode, the hosts talk about how they’ve become evangelists for Epstein-related conspiracies in person, sharing info with Uber drivers and random couples.
  • Quote: “We are hitting the streets, we’re directly delivering Epstein information to the people.” – Henry [07:29]
• Fun with Roadside Political Discourse (09:00–11:00):
  • Tales of discussing political conspiracy (Trump, Epstein, Clintons) with their Indiana driver, including making him uncomfortable with their dark humor and deep pessimism about politicians.

3. Oscars, Horror Representation, and Wary Celebration

• Horror at the Oscars (11:53–13:32):
  • Celebrating multiple horror films winning and being nominated.
    • Quote: “It’s nice to see people getting murdered and rewarded for it… in fantasy!” – Ed & Henry [14:04]
  • Some skepticism about horror going “mainstream” and concerns about its artistic ecosystem.

4. Conspiracy Theory Check-In: Is Netanyahu Real?

• A.I. Doppelgängers and Media Manipulation (14:11–17:15):
  • Paranoid musings about whether Benjamin Netanyahu is alive, riffing on deep-fake rumors and media trickery.
  • Chatter about fake viral videos (e.g., Ghislaine Maxwell in Canada).
  • Quote: “I don’t believe anything anymore because I got caught by that Ghislaine Maxwell video in Canada and the Epstein one. So I don’t even fucking know.” – Ed [15:31]
• Current Events Paranoia: Iranian Drones & Cash Patel (17:15–19:45):
  • Lampooning Cash Patel and recent fake scare stories about Iranian drone attacks and supposed fraud investigations in California.
  • Quote: “It is literally just making shit up… He literally is an empty vessel just like everybody else inside the administration right now.” – Henry [17:28]

5. Main Event: The Great Ohio Bigfoot Flap of 2026

Bigfoot Flap: What Happened? (24:28–38:15)

• A Significant Cluster of Sightings:
  • Between March 6–10, eight reported Bigfoot sightings in Portage County, Ohio.
  • Two distinct creatures: one 10-foot black Bigfoot and a ~6-foot brown one (“maybe a lady”—jokes abound).
• Sources and Spread:
  • Reports coordinated/collected by Jeremiah Byron of the “Bigfoot Society” podcast, including references to the Bigfoot Mapping Project (with color-coded levels of reported reality).
    • Skeptic Note: Anyone can add a sighting, but some are verified calls by Byron. [27:48]
• Anecdotal Details:
  • Sightings occurred in daylight and at night, with variations in color, size, and movement (notably, Bigfoot “can’t turn its head,” but turns its whole body).
    • Quote: “That’s a big distinct thing about Bigfoot. That’s how Jeremiah knows it’s a Bigfoot.” – Henry [29:38]
  • Reports of Bigfoot vocalizations, found tracks, and frightened pets.
  • Vibes-based methodology for separating “real” from fake sightings; both hosts mock and admire the tenacity of modern-day Bigfooters.
  • Quote: “He says, ‘I know when I hear the truth. And this is what I’m hearing is the truth.’” – Henry, referencing Jeremiah Byron [27:58]
• Skeptical Analyses & Lore:
  • Ed questions who hikes in Ohio winters; both hosts poke fun at the witness pool and suggest maybe it’s just tall Ohioans (32:11).
  • Questions about Bigfoot dietary requirements, bodily remains, and the “ghost theory”—Bigfoot as a ghost of prehuman species, inspired by the Newkirks’ ideas.
    • Quote: “Imagine that Loch Ness Monster was a ghost of a plesiosaur.” – Henry [37:18]
• Media and Fat Men:
  • Both hosts joke about the endless hours of “fat men talking about Bigfoot” podcasts and documentaries. (“You sent me three hours of fat men talking about Bigfoot for this 10-minute bit…” – Ed [34:10])
  • A mock-serious clip from a Bigfoot doc (35:15) about accepting animal miracles and adding Bigfoot to the mix.
• Summary Skepticism:
  • Hosts ultimately remain skeptical but deeply entertained by the scale of the sightings and the culture around “Squatch hunting.”
  • Quote: “I do believe there’s a sort of spiritual, psychic energy to it. There’s something else… There’s something out in them woods, but you never know what it is, and we’ll never know probably.” – Henry [44:07]
• Related Current News:
  • Mention that the infamous Patterson-Gimlin “Patty” Bigfoot film was just thoroughly debunked in a new documentary (51:25).

6. Other Notable Segments

• Crime Stories:
  • The Legend of Tommy Thompson (52:57–57:35):
    • Treasure hunter found a gold-filled shipwreck, converted the gold into coins no one can find, and was jailed for a decade for refusing to divulge his secret—now released, presumably with his gold hidden.
      • Quote: “This man is a case against the government… He served his time. He did 10 years, earned it. And it was for contempt.” – Ed [57:03]
  • Low-rent Highway Robbers (63:02–72:05):
    • Seven men in a comically inefficient “poker robbery” scam at highway rest stops over three months netted just $21,000—about $1,000 monthly each. Pitched as a lesson in how crime doesn’t pay, with tongue-in-cheek praise for the ineptitude.
      • Quote: “They were all from Ohio and one was from Tennessee, but they got caught in Pittsburgh.” – Ed [63:21]
• Food Safety PSA:
  • Costco meatloaf recall due to salmonella (45:34).
• Celebrity/Sports Listener Mail:
  • Email from a listener about a “Dan Marino obsessed” mom, AOL-era online impersonation, and collecting commemorative dinner plates (73:25–74:46).
    • Quote: “You’re gonna want to hold on to those plates. Or you send one over here—I’ll take one.” – Ed [74:41]
  • Henry recounts awkward celebrity encounters—e.g., John Tesh, and Ed’s botched joke with an actor from “The Pit” (75:28–77:06).
• Pet Ghosts and Grift:
  • Short riff on animal ghosts and woo, soliciting listener stories about pet hauntings (40:13–41:35).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I’m such a good sandwich hunter, you have no idea. I’ll find a good sandwich in a fucking pile of dead dogs.” – Ed [04:40]
• “We are hitting the streets, we’re directly delivering Epstein information to the people.” – Henry [07:29]
• “I don’t believe anything anymore because I got caught by that Ghislaine Maxwell video…” – Ed [15:31]
• “It’s nice to see people getting murdered and rewarded for it… in fantasy!” – Ed & Henry [14:04]
• “That’s how Jeremiah knows it’s a Bigfoot—because it turned its whole body to see him. Bears don’t do that.” – Ed & Henry [29:43]
• “Imagine that Loch Ness Monster was a ghost of a plesiosaur… I just think this is cool.” – Henry [37:18], [37:26]
• “This man is a case against the government… He served his time. He did 10 years, earned it. And it was for contempt.” – Ed [57:03]
• “If you die by meatloaf, we will honor you on the show.” – Ed [46:23]
• “I refuse to learn. Very attractive.” – Ed, after botching a celebrity encounter [77:17]
• “Live every day knowing for a fact you never know when you’re going to meet John Tesh.” – Henry [77:27]

Timestamps – Important Segments

• 02:05 – Live show weekend recap and food adventure
• 07:29 – Roadside conspiracy proselytizing (Epstein files & driver story)
• 11:53 – Horror wins at the Oscars
• 14:11 – “Is Netanyahu alive?” paranoia and deep-fake rumors
• 17:15 – Iran drone scare and Cash Patel mockery
• 24:28 – Ohio Bigfoot flap, main story begins
• 31:04 – Bigfoot on the highway, chase by a dog
• 34:25 – “Fat men talk about Bigfoot” meta-commentary, evaluation of Bigfoot documentaries
• 39:19 – Sidebars on dog theft and listener pet ghost stories solicitation
• 45:34 – Costco meatloaf health warning PSA
• 51:23 – Debunking of the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film
• 52:57 – The legend and legal saga of Tommy Thompson, the gold shipwreck finder
• 63:02 – Pennsylvania “poker” robbery gang, comedic breakdown
• 73:25 – Listener email: mom obsessed with Dan Marino, online trolling and memorabilia
• 74:41 – Ed asks to be sent a Dan Marino commemorative plate
• 75:28 – John Tesh and “The Pit” celebrity encounters

Summary: Tone and Takeaway

This episode is classic Last Podcast On The Left—with Henry and Ed in loose, improvisational form, blending the weirdness of American folklore (Bigfoot), the grind of true crime, a dash of celebrity absurdity, and their ever-present gallows humor about the news and conspiracies. It’s rollicking, occasionally gross, frequently skeptical, and always self-aware. The highlight is the Bigfoot segment: a sincere, funny, and unexpectedly detailed traversal of how American myth persists even in an age of information overload, with plenty of barbs reserved for both believers and skeptics. The final word? Squatch Watch 2026 is in full swing, and even if Bigfoot remains elusive, the laughs (and listener stories) are very real.