Another stunning tale by Doug Bost and Jeff Ward haunts the bitstream this week… On Acadia National Park, the crashing waves of Thunder Hole have entranced tourists, and lead to the ugly demise of more than one… Two fraternity-brothers to be confront ghost tales and legends as they spend a night on this haunted beach waiting to enter a cursed cave by early dawn’s light.

Followed by a great chat with Doug Bost and Jeff Ward, two of the greatest audio dramatists you haven’t heard of. Learn a little about their history and what makes their audio tick, and hey — check out their new website! www.dougbost.com/unionsignal. You will NOT be disappointed.

Radio Drama Revival! Episode 44

Terror Stalks the airwaves! On Halloween we heard three tales of horror guaranteed to haunt your dreams “Forevermore.” We kick off a killer fright-night with William Dufris‘ adaptation of “The Statement of Randolph Carter” by H.P. Lovecraft, followed by the Grist Mill production of Joe R. Lansdale’s “God of the Razor,” and conclude with a scathing double feature from FinalRune Productions with the debut of “Dark Passenger” and the replay of “The Blind Man’s Confession,” two tales written and produced by yours truly, to make you fear all things that go bump in the night… Turn out your lights, hide under the blankets, and prepare to get spooked!

Radio Drama Revival! Halloween Special 2007

Well the last few weeks we’ve met some of the most colorful — some menacingly so — characters of the galaxy as conflicting forces collide on the luxurious Huddleston Space Liner.  Now the cries of blood vengeance reach a desperate pitch and the only solution may be the ultimate one.

Radio Drama Revival! Episode 37 

Last week, the Harbinger cried out his fervent message to the world of Moloch… a world not ready for the terrible news he brought.  Now, captured by the authorities and thrown in front of a corrupt tribunal, we learn more about the “justice” of Moloch than we ever cared to imagine and see what hope the Harbinger may yet bring to the world in these darkest moments.

Radio Drama Revival! Episode 33

In our continuing Crazy Dog-liness, we follow the Harbinger in his run from the law and reluctant public appearance to make his dire proclamation to the people of this dying land. But are the people ready for such a revelation? And how will the authorities react to such a blatant affront to their power? Find out in the riveting fourth installment of The Last Harbinger.

Radio Drama Revival! Episode 32

Sorry I’m so late getting the word out for this, but there have been two incredible new Crazy Dog Audio Theatre productions airing this month on RTE 1!   The two stories are about as different as two stories can be, but showcase they the same incredible production and acting value we’ve come to expect from Crazy Dog, while exploring entirely new terrain.

“The Stuff of Myth” particularly attract my attention as it’s based on the myth of Orpheus, which was the myth at the heart of my first production Day of the Dead.  This time, however, it’s a musical comedy, which, as Gregg says, “Summons up scenes that you might have only seen in Greek pottery.”  It’s an adaptation of an acclaimed stage play, and enjoys a seamless transition to the infinite landscape of the ear.

Following it up is the gritty drama “The Salmon of Blackpool,” about a talented young screenwriter hired to write the biopic of a dying Irish movie star.  Yet, rather than finding a hero, the young man finds a terribly disturbed man, and is caught between the needs of his assignment and reality, which never ties up as neatly as the movies.

I’m terribly excited to check out these new Crazy Dog works, though bummed that quite a good chunk of it has already been played.  If you want to catch what I’m sure will be stunning finales to these two compelling serials, tune in this coming Sunday to RTE 1.  The stories air back to back starting at 8PM GMT, which I think lands at 3PM EST
and noon PST, and together run about an hour.

The Harbinger was welcomed to Moloch with missiles, but as he choked on the toxic fumes of the dying plant, a blind blues man hooked him up to his powered suit and saved him.  In turn, the power of the energy suit caused a blind man to see again, and two unlikely strangers to become comrades in a flight from the lubricant-obsessed authorities which are hunting the Harbinger down with deadly efficiency.

Radio Drama Revival! Episode 31 

In our continuing coverage of The Last Harbinger by Crazy Dog Audio Theatre, we follow the Harbinger’s very rough entry into this tainted new dimension, and learn more about the strange characters who inhabit it.

Radio Drama Revival! Episode 30

A fallen psychologist grows more and more deeply obsessed with the occult, leading him to spurning mob bosses and tearing off to forgotten small towns in search of his visions of a drowning woman. Meanwhile, the small town in question is haunted by ghosts of its own, and dark secrets that creep up from the past. Sound like a good start to a ghoulish drama? It sure as hell is, and it’s the premise behind the new podcast series Wormwood, which I had the delight of feasting my ears on this past week.

Wormwood is a new serial which follows in the footsteps of Shadow Falls, though the pace is a tad slower, less epic in scope (at least in the first few episodes) and not as insulated to the confines of the town. There’s still the requisite town diner, the dopey sheriff, and strange happenings galore, albeit with mysterious, rather than apocalyptic, overtones. While the series is still early (it’s only on its third episode) so far there’s a great set up, lots of moving wheels, and a storyline that breezes you through the intriguing narrative.

Not that Wormwood isn’t without its technical snafus. Lamentably, the production suffers from some rather boxy sounding effects, the occasional “is this guy in a well?” phenomena with the voice recording, and a few painfully rough scene transitions that leave you in “what’s happening?” land rather than where you should be — deeply entwined in the story. On the other side of things, the musical score is fantastic, and overall the acting is above the cut.  Besides, the story itself is what makes the series, and good story is in no shortage here.

I admire the commitment to producing an ongoing series, and Wormwood is one of the more promising ones I’ve heard lately (okay, it’s one of the only I’ve heard lately). With what appears to be great community support (com’n, how the heck do you get all those people to comment on your blog?) and an engaging storyline fraught with perils and intrigue, Wormwood should be the next stop on the XML dial for audio mystery enthusiasts.

And so we begin our dark yet funny tale, of a world killing itself, its land, its air…  Crazy Dog Audio Theatre comes to the show with the debut of the marvelous Last Harbinger, which I glowingly reviewed a few months ago.

Well, thanks to the generosity of Roger Gregg, we’ll have the opportunity to hear this cutting radio satire in its entirety during the next few weeks, culminating in an exclusive interview with the man himself!  But for today…

The land of Moloch was dying.  Hope arrives in the form of an outsider from another dimension.  Yet, will his message fall upon deaf ears?  We find out in this nodule-packed first episode.

Radio Drama Revival! Episode 29