James Kicklighter sent me a link to a new video out with himself, Edith Ivey, Berry Stolch and Jonathan Pope live from the Macon Film Festival.

Hear about the background of the film, what it was like making it, and of course, some delicious tidbits about the golden age of radio!

Do check out James Kicklighter’s site for more information about Theater of the Mind and his projects, and recall our conversation with him a few months ago about turning memories of radio into film!

This week we conclude our trip to a remote mountaintop of Chile, where we encounter four humans on a direct collision with the cosmos, themselves, and the weirdnesses of fate. Who is really in control of our destinies? What’s in a name? Pluto, by Promising Productions, examines these questions in a way that only art can.

Following the conclusion of this production is an interview with Emily Agnew, director of both the stage and radio version of the show, with Mokita Grit productions.

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Radio Drama Revival – Episode 140

This week we talk to Erik Bauersfeld, a producer, director, and actor in audio drama for more than 40 years, and a figure who gets too little attention in the history of the art.

Erik started in the early days of KPFA with the Black Mass series, which is now widely circulated on the ‘net. However, that was only the roughest start of his career – he went on to produce for many more years with a variety of groups, including the founding of Bay Area Radio Drama, and the Horspiel-America project.

Chris Dueker has covered him in the Malleus series, talking about the Horspiel-America project and reviewing a work of Kafka’s Metamorphosis.

I had the opportunity to talk to Erik about four decades of radio drama in the San Francisco Bay Area, including early field recording pieces with Randy Thom and many more works produced with sound designed Jim McKee, who also joined us on the phone.

With no further ado, let’s get into the work of Erik Bauersfeld.

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Radio Drama Revival – Episode 134

This week is the “Halloween in July” episode, so named because we welcome back horror writer Joe R. Lansdale for an interview about his latest two books, Sanctified and Chicken Fried and Vanilla Ride. We talk to Joe about the joy of storytelling, how well stories can be told in audio, and what still intrigues him about the tough men of East Texas.

But before we get to all that, we spook you again with the dramatization of Joe’s story “God of the Razor” by our friends at The Grist Mill.

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Radio Drama Revival – Episode 133

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Bonus: Standalone Interview, Joe R. Lansdale

P.S. The phrase “Halloween in July” is snagged from a killer short story by Kevin Anderson. Kevin’s work frequently appears on two of my favorite podcasts, the Drabblecast and the Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine. He also has his own blog and runs the audio market list for writers seeking audio publication.

Part 2 of my interview with Magic Bullet producer / writer / audio dramatist Alan Stevens picks up where we left off and hits the following topics: knowing when to end stories, the creative potential and individual fulfillment to be had in writing with licensed properties, why Avon and Iago are psychopathic bastards (or are they the same psychopathic bastard?), and of course, Faustian bargains. As in part 1 of this interview, audio clips from Kaldor City are embedded throughout. Additional sound clips from Magic Bullet’s The True History of Faction Paradox audio serial can be found in my overview of that series here.  To go directly to Magic Bullet’s website, click their logo above.

Stevens is a unique voice in the field, and whether you agree with his positions or not, you can’t fault the dedication, quality, or intelligence behind his work. Whether you consider yourself a “genre fan” or “above such things”, if you value good audio drama then you need to read this interview.

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This week we talk to an all-out audiofile — Richard Fish, actor, producer, and promoter based in Bloomington, Indiana. Since first inspired by the merry madness of the Firesign Theater, Rich has been transformed by radio and contributed in big ways to the form. This week we talk to him about his long participation in the National Audio Theater Festivals and the awesome experiences (and interesting people) that he’s encountered because of it.

But first, a visit to a small and tainted town in Maine, where the Hayward Sanitarium houses the most strange inhabitants. What’s wrong with their patients and why do they like to go out at night?

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Radio Drama Revival Episode 126 – Rich Fish Talks NATF, Hayward Sanitarium Episode 2

Cool Links:

In a stunning coincedence, Georgia Southern has just posteda trailer for the radio drama documentary Theater of the Mind to YouTube. Our guest today, Rich Fish, talks about the weirdness of talking about radio in video!

I got a chance to screen the video and think it’s great… especially knowing the kind of time frame they had to put this thing together in. ?More to come on that.

Also, don’t miss Rich’s upcoming live broadcast on WFHB (THIS Saturday, June 13, ?at 8PM EST)… And you can listen to many of his previous shows on the WFHB archives.