Launched in September 2021, the bi-monthly Mothman in the Bible Belt Podcast tackles social issues like poverty, drug addiction, homelessness and LGBT rights while also highlighting West Virginia and Appalachian talent.

The Mothman in the Bible Belt Podcast streams on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, IHeartRadio, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.

“I wanted the Mothman in the Bible Belt Podcast to highlight social issues and societal ills impacting everyday West Virginians and Appalachians while also showcasing regional talent,” said Mothman in the Bible Belt Podcast host and creator Buck Fantastic.

Fantastic created the podcast after watching a YouTube podcast where the host asked lame, irrelevant questions to longtime Stevie Nicks’ backing vocalist Sharon Celani.

“I’m listening to this rock music podcast host asking one of Stevie Nicks’ background singers some of the dullest questions,” Fantastic lamented. “Why not ask Sharon about her favorite Stevie song to perform live or why we haven’t heard “Talk to Me” or “Rooms on Fire” in decades, or how many lines of coke she snorted with the Fleetwood Mac songstress?” Though the podcast is West Virginia-based, Fantastic wants his podcast to appeal to a broader audience in and around Appalachia but not feed into negative stereotypes.

“The press focuses too much energy on West Virginia being a poverty and drug ridden hell hole instead of allocating their time looking at how we got this reputation and how we can dig ourselves out of this sad situation. I’m actually discussing solutions with people inside the state and out on my podcast.” Fantastic says what makes his podcast different from a podcast like Appodlachia is that he puts a lot more time into researching his guests and the subject matter being discussed and asks hard hitting questions of his guests.

“I’ve asked my guests about their past drug addiction and defending convicted pill mill docs in court. Sure guests squirm but people don’t want softball questions tossed around in a podcast. They want substance and I’ve brung it!”

Some of the notable West Virginians to grace the podcast include actor Sam Pancake(A Million Little Things, Kitchen Confidential, Lovespring International, Dumpling), author Matthew Browning (“Bookstore Explorer: West Virginia”, “Chicks and the City,” and “The Definitive Golden Girls Cultural Reference Guide”) and former state senator, three-time gubernatorial candidate and activist Charlotte Pritt.

Fantastic’s latest guest Kasha Snyder-McDonald, the president and CEO of WV Black Pride Foundation, spoke about violence against black trans women and why a black LGBTQ advocacy organization like her’s is necessary in a state like West Virginia.

For Mothman in the Bible Belt Podcast guest bios and episode breakdowns, please check out www.mothmaninthebiblebelt.com.