Mischief and Masterpieces (and other artful musings)

About Mischief and Masterpieces (and other artful musings)

Junk and Disorderly is your backstage pass to art, myth, oddities, and the strange little sparks that fly between real and imagined worlds. Hosted by Michael deMeng — artist, author, instructor, and professional rummager of the beautifully peculiar — this podcast wanders through the stories, symbols, films, folklore, objects, and creative misadventures that inspire his work. Some episodes dig into the art of transforming found objects into something mythic. Others follow the trail of legends, monsters, rituals, strange histories, haunted places, favorite films, and curious cultural debris. Along the way, Michael talks with fellow artists, makers, collectors, travelers, organizers, and creative oddballs who know that the best stories often hide in the cracks, cupboards, alleys, attics, and junk drawers of the world. With humor, curiosity, and a healthy dose of artistic anarchy, Junk and Disorderly invites you to embrace the odd, the handmade, the haunted, and the half-forgotten — and to find beauty in the discarded, the mysterious, and the gloriously out of place. Whether you’re an artist, a maker, a mythology nerd, a film lover, or just someone who enjoys a good tale from the weirder side of the road, this podcast may leave you inspired, entertained, and possibly itching to rummage for your next masterpiece. Formerly home to Strange Tales of Myth and Magic, the show continues to explore legend, lore, and the stories from around the world that inspire Michael’s art — now with a wider lens and a bigger junk drawer.

Publisher

Michael deMeng

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Feb 2020

Latest episode

20 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

31 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Jun 2026

   The Rougarou - the Louisiana Lycanthrope

   This week on Junk and Disorderly, we’re heading into the bayous of Louisiana in search of the Rougarou — the Cajun werewolf with claws, teeth, bad hair, and apparently a pretty active social life. Michael deMeng follows the legend from New Orleans to Church Point, from old French loup-garou tales to Cajun Lent curses, from family rumors to unwanted suitors, and finally to Bayou Goula, where werewolves supposedly gathered for moonlit balls and arrived by giant bat. Yes. Giant bats. There’s gum...

2. 

   1 Jun 2026

   Teeny Tiny Shrinies

   In this short episode, I take a look at some teeny tiny shrines I've created, share a bit about what inspired them, and talk about a few upcoming classes where you can make your own. Follow Michael deMeng on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content: • Instagram: @michael_demeng_art • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaeldeMeng • TikTok: @michaeldemeng

3. 

   9 Apr 2026

   Processions of the Living Dead: Day of the Dead Parades

   In this episode of Junk and Disorderly, I’m joined by Oaxaca retreat organizers Mija Matriz and Jon Labrousse for a conversation about Day of the Dead processions in Oaxaca — comparsas, calendas, and muerteadas — and why they feel like much more than parades. We talk about music you hear before you see, masks and costumes that feel more like presence than dress-up, and the way these events turn the street into a temporary world of memory, celebration, theater, and community. We also get into ...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

24 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

21

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

85