We take monsters seriously
“It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another.”
— Mary Shelley, Frankenstein,
or, the Modern Prometheus
Monsters play a role in the representation of some of the most challenging problems facing our world: matters of race and religion, social justice, and environmental threats. The Center for Monster Studies at UC Santa Cruz aims to explore the role of monsters in culture and humanities.
A Night Parade of Yokai Art heads to UCSC
Crossing Over: Global Transformations in Yokai Art opens at UC Santa Cruz’s Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery in Winter 2026-27. Featuring art by Chubei Yagyu and Adam Cooley, this exhibit and its accompanying events will explore the spirits and supernatural entities of Japanese folklore.
2026 Festival of Monsters in pictures
The 2026 Festival of Monsters—held Oct. 14-18 in Santa Cruz, Calif.,—is at an end, but it lives on in pictures and in news stories.
Chemers included in ‘Werewolves’ for National Geographic
Center Co-Director Michael Chemers was interviewed for the “Werewolves” episode of Monsters: Truth Behind the Myths, a National Geographic documentary television show.
Monster Centre to Open this October in Germany
The Center for Monster Studies is proud to announce the launch of a sister organization in Europe! The Centre for Monster Studies is spearheaded by Dr. Ekaterina Trachsel and her colleagues at the Justus-Liebig-Universität in Gießen, Germany (Image courtesy of Theatre Heilbronn © Tina Gothe).
Documentary Filmed at 2025 Fest, releases 2027
Interviews for Montrose Pictures’ upcoming 2027 film Marvelous Creatures took place at the 2025 Festival of Monsters. Among the luminaries the documentary crew filmed were the Center’s own Renée Fox (left, with director Michael Caplan) and Michael Chemers.