About Us

My name is Jonathan Stenger and I am 20 years old. As a child I was never really into the traditional examples of monsters like Godzilla or the Megalodon, however I was into entities and spirits which carried the same connotation as a monster. For as long as I can remember, Ghosts and spirits fascinated me because of their elusiveness and the secrets they held when they were alive as humans. Ghosts really scared me but also intrigued me because I have a deep fear but, at the same time, excitement for the unknown. On one hand, ghosts still frighten me because the thought of an entity following you for malicious reasons is chilling, but also the fact that ghosts were once alive almost gives them a sense of "relatability" as they understand the full spectrum of the human experience. As I got older, I developed an unhealthy hyper-fixation on aliens, UFOs, and the x-files. While aliens may not be considered “monsters” I still believe that the fear they potentially conjure up in many individuals still make them fit the bill of a monster. Weirdly enough, aliens make me feel powerful because of the idea that they are able to think outside the box and use their intelligence to travel the galaxies. I have always been insecure about my intellect and aliens almost give me a sense of inspiration to study and be curious about the world around me. 

Hello everyone, my name is Andrew, and I am a senior studying Environmental Studies at UCSC. I love creating stories and I’ve been working on a couple of Sci-Fi/Fantasy stories on my own time.

As a child, my favorite monster had to be Godzilla. He was scary at first, especially in the original black and white movie, Godzilla slowly became the foil to more villainous monsters as time passed. He had an iconic roar and his atomic breath was the coolest thing ever to my younger self. Though I never watched any of the films as a child, I learned about Godzilla through a series of Youtube movie reviews by a channel named Cinnemassacre, whose videos were the first time I saw many iconic monster movies before I even learned how to multiply numbers.  Watching Godzilla fight other movie monsters was incredibly fun and exciting. Though I eventually branched out to the greater cast of Kaiju throughout Japanese Cinema, Godzilla would always be my favorite out of the bunch. Those cheesy guy-in-the-suit monster films are really endearing to my heart, even when I knew that none of them were “real”. They certainly introduced me to the idea of "movie monsters" and was part of what inspired me to take this course in the first place!

-What I worked on-

Visual Research: 

Greek Myth, King Lycaon

The Wolf Man (1941)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Teen Wolf (1985)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Twilight New Moon (2009)

Lykos Anthropos (2022)

Research

The Wolf Man (1941)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Lykos Anthropos (2022)

Misc:

General Editing of Research Paper, Design of Visual Research page

Hello everyone, my name is Samantha Mesta. The monsters that scared me the most as a child were El Cucuy (The Boogeyman) and La Llorona (The Weeping Woman). Growing up in a hispanic household, these monsters/folklore were always mentioned by my parents as a way to scare me into behaving. If a child misbehaved then these monsters were going to get them. El Cucuy can be represented in many different ways, but I imagined him as a tall dark shadow figure that hid in my closet. On the other hand, La Llorona is a very popular ghost mentioned in Latin American folklore who is believed to be a woman who drowned her children. She is now said to wander around areas of water crying and searching for her kids. Monsters that made me feel powerful growing up and still to this day are witches. Watching movies such as Halloween Town, Hocus Pocus, and Kiki’s Delivery Service made me view witches in a positive light. They were magical, strong, and utilized their powers to help others while also going on exciting adventures. These characters that represented witches exhibited admirable qualities such as kindness and courage which were seen as very likable, and they were things I wanted to be as a child and even today.

- What I Worked On -
Visual Research :
The Werewolf (1924), Wolfen (1981),  The Curse of the Werewolf  (1994)

Research :
The Werewolf (1924), Wolfen (1981),  The Curse of the Werewolf  (1994)

Misc:
Edited Visual Research, Works Cited for Research, Edited Research Paper

My name is Riven (he/they), I’m 22 and as a kid my favorite monsters were werewolves and other shapeshifting creatures. The idea of being able to become something beyond, or other than human, always fascinated me since it was something I couldn't immediately understand. Whether it be a power or a curse in whichever story I read or saw- I liked to try to figure out why it was portrayed as such, what the rules were, or how that could have affected the subject's mentality and personality. It was honestly a form of escapism for me at the time. Being able to become a powerful entity and do as I pleased, where I wished to? Or to just see monsters do that within their worlds, good or bad, was like a break from my own life- being able to witness or read the events of another, to try to feel and think what they might, it allowed me to step out of my shoes and into those of something else. Immersing myself in some other life other than mine, even if horrendous, was a fun little trip or experience to me before I would have to turn back to my own reality and continue onward. To put it shortly I’d say it's the same reason people like to read books about other worlds or watch movies as kids, it's something new and like going on an adventure almost. Toss in some abstract gender exploration and processing, some escapism, and a bit of introspection and there you have it. 

- What I Worked On -
Visual Research :
Libahunt, Ginger Snaps, Wolfwalkers

Research Paper :
Libahunt, Ginger Snaps, Wolfwalkers and how they begin to present the werewolf in a new light  (specifically freedom for women)

Misc:
General editing across visual references, research paper, and website design

My name is Kathleen Balaoing, I'm 19 years old and I am a second year at UCSC! I was an Business Economics Major but I switched to Film and Digital Media! My pronouns are she/her and my favorite monster is werewolves. Growing up, I played with Monster High dolls and my favorite character was "Clawdeen Wolf" I loved her because she was confident and energetic and that is something I've always strived to be. As a kid, demons and ghost would scare me as a kid. I would always be home alone and it was always hard for me to sleep. I kept thinking a demon would appear in my dream or a ghost will roam around my house. Also, I didn't really help myself because I would always paranormal videos when I'm alone. Now growing up, it does not scare me but, I do believe in demons and ghosts.  If I were to choose a monster that would make me feel powerful, it would be a werewolf. For example, one of my favorite TV shows was "Teen wolf" and one of the characters will transform into a werewolf and have super strong strength. and super human speed. I believe werewolves can kill other monsters like vampires, zombies, and bigfoot. 

Hello, my name is Edward Gopez, preferred to go by Ed, he/him pronouns, and my relationship with monsters has always been memorable. When I was younger, I was extremely afraid of the Cloverfield monsters due to their mysteriousness. The the way the series feels so grounded with the handheld point of view also extremely terrifying. But slowly as my siblings forcibly made me watch monster movies, I began to find myself more and more invested into their creation and lore. On a side note, I was also really into Power Rangers, with their large robots fighting monsters, which I later discover the hole of tokusatsu. Live-action films making use of very practical effects, and helped create some timeless effects even used in today's media. Where I immediately fell in love with the "Godzilla" franchise, from the original in the 1950's, to the new "Godzilla Minus One" that came out December 2023. But If i had to pick a favorite monster, relating back to Power Rangers, heavily referenced from Godzilla, and whilst not primarily being the subject, the monsters of Pacific Rim end up being my favorite. Their designs border heavy inspiration from Godzilla, but also many of the other kaiju, but in a more modern take, and also just love their neon lights contrasted with their bodies, which Godzilla itself eventually takes inspiration from.

- What I Worked On -
Visual Research :
Van Helsing, One Night Ultimate Werewolf, To Damascus, The Case of Peter Stumpp, To Damascus

Research :
Van Helsing, One Night Ultimate Werewolf, To Damascus, The Case of Peter Stumpp, To Damascus

Misc:
Respected Website Sections pertained from the above, Works Cited for Research, Respected Sections from Research Paper.