It’s Halloween all October on Radio Drama Revival! The third annual scary stories month has tales from both coasts of America and far abroad, culminating in a spooktacular live Halloween radio drama that will be aired live from the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine.

The month comes quick and fast… Don’t miss any of the gore-ious audio treats.

October 1 – “When Yellow Casts a Crimson Shadow” by 19 Nocturne Boulevard
What starts as a bizarre and troubling dream soon leads to a high body count in this homage to Giallo thrillers. Leather-gloved killers, bad dubbing, and hot chicks in danger.

October 8 – “The Grim of Stoddesden Hall” by The Wireless Theater Company
The body count adds up fast in this haunting and hilarious tribute to Edgar Allan Poe.   In a remote and crumbling gothic mansion in the country, the slighted caretaker takes out his misgivings with a very sharp shovel.  Sadly, the police are not so sharp.

October 15 – Nightmares on Congress Street by Bill Dufris
Well known and acclaimed audiobook narrator Bill Dufris is also a hell of an audio producer and a fan of the macabre.  His already has two excellent collections out there – Nightmares 4 and 5, and we’ll be hearing two stories rarely heard before: “The Nephews,” by Rick Hautala, and a haunting Tale from the Crypt.

October 22 – “Sorry, Wrong Number” by FinalRune Productions
FinalRune Productions and The Mad Horse Theater Company team up for their second collaboration tale, a production of the radio classic by Lucille Fletcher. A woman overhears two men plotting a murder over the telephone, and very quickly her whole world starts to unravel.

October 29 – “Listening in the Dark” by the Icebox Radio Theater
Three tales from Northern Minnesota to chill you to the bone. A writer’s notes from a haunted house turn against. A man gets haunted in his fishing shack. Santa Claus may not be who you thought he was.  Jeff Adams shows off his incredible skill in the darker arts in this haunting hour-long special.

Halloween Night – Live radio drama special! 7-9PM EST in Portland, Maine
FinalRune Productions puts on an evening of audio horror with stories near and far afield – tales of haunted houses, undead lovers, ghosts on a Maine lake, and, oh yeah, zombies! A benefit for WMPG, and yes, you can stream it!!! - see the FinalRune website for more details.

In the besieged city of Shunkien, China, only the American consulate remains standing, though their situation looks grim: food is running low and cholera threatens to break out. ?With the United States Army unable to make an official intervention, the fate of the consulate lies in the hands of two clever soldiers, Marine Gunnery Sergeant James Mitchell and Private First Class Spivits.

No one ever told them it would be easy, but the two-hundred mile march across war-torn China is harder than either of them could ever imagine…

Running: March 6, March 13, March 20, March 27

Followed up with an exclusive interview with the show’s creators… Also, stayed tuned for exclusive content from Dublin, Ireland, and short-shorts of my own urging you to donate money to WMPG, the station where Radio Drama Revival originates.

If you love bloodletting, screaming, shrieking and near (and a little past near) scrapes with death, then this is your month to tune into Radio Drama Revival. In the 2nd-annual fright-fest leading up to a 2-hour Halloween special, we dig through the horrifying vaults of modern audio to come up with the eeriest tales to chill your spine.

10/9 – 19 Nocturne Boulevard Presents “Making Book” – What is so interesting about this book that a rare antique dealer in New York will pay five figures for it while insisting that no one open it first?

10/16 – Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater‘s “The Buoy,” Part 1 – Pit and the Pendulum creep you out? Then tune in for this horror masterpiece by our neighbors on the Massachusetts coast. Edward Wolcott is an innocent tourist abducted from his motel room, taken by boat, and strapped to a large sea buoy in the Woods Hole Passage. His strange night bobbing alone at sea turns into one of sheer terror, when he realizes the current is slowly dragging the buoy under.

10/23 – Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater’s “The Buoy,” Part 2 – Conclusion of “The Buoy.”

10/30 – Interview with Horror Master Joe Lansdale – Author of dozens of novels of derelict Texas towns and frights of the imagination, Joe Lansdale joins us to talk about the making of the audio drama adaptation of “God of the Razor” and his latest novel, “Leather Maiden.”

10/31 – 9-11 PM, HALLOWEEN SPECIAL – The gates to hell roll back again in the second annual Radio Drama Revival Halloween Horror Special. Put the kids away and hear the most spine-chilling, gut-wrenching stories ever to be adapted into audio, and keep your ears open for a special live theater event.

Listeners online will be able to stream it ONLY at WMPG — I will rush to get this out on the ‘pod as quickly as possible but it probably won’t be until the witching hour on All Saint’s Day…

SEPT 4 and 11 – THE SPECKLED BAND
We welcome back our friends at the Quicksilver Radio Theater for this diabolical Sherlock Holmes mystery.? Originally performed before a live studio audience, this show was directed by Jay Stern and stars Craig Wichman (also the adapter of the script) as Holmes and John Prave as Watson, and features music by Tony Award winner Mark Hollmann and stunning sound effects by Sue Zizza and David Shinn of Sue Media Productions.? “The Speckled Band,” one of the most diabolic of the Holmes mysteries, runs in two-parts, the first half airing on September 4th and the second half on September 11th (podcast up, as always, the Friday thereafter).

SEPT 18 – TALES FROM PORTLAND
We’re joined by Yikes! Monsters, a Portland-area theatre troupe lauded for their irreverence and insight.? In their first appearance on radio, Yikes! will perform a series of monologues based on quirky could-be people of the Portland area, from a divorced father of four to a man who believes in dinosaurs and a man with rocks in his head.

SEPT 25 – WAITING FOR A WINDOW
Written, directed, and produced by my own FinalRune Productions, “Window” recounts the tale of Norman, a sailor who is waylaid on his adventures somewhere else and finds himself trapped on an island where no one seems to leave — or want to escape.? “Waiting for a Window” features a cast of Portland-area voice acting enthusiasts and professionals, including Bill Dufris, Ed Patterson, Joe Duley and Charly Duley among others.? Further contributing to the production’s unique sound is an original score produced by Barbara Truex, southern Maine composer, WMPG DJ and the resident sound designer of the Mad Horse Theatre Company. Recording was completed entirely in the field — at docks, in the woods, and in a created bar.

Tonight a lot of things are hitting the airwaves (or bit stream, but let’s not technical) — FreeQuincy Radio debuts their first studio production, a tale of prohibition and ghost stories that are eerily real, Icebox Radio has posted some of their spooky stories, and the Science-Fiction Fantasy Audio Blog has posted some great links to scary stories on BBC7. Oh, and did I forget to mention, there’s an hour-and-a-half, three part audio horror extravaganza on WMPG?

Tonight’s show kicks off at 8:30PM EST, and will feature three absolutely stellar works — “The Statement of Randolph Carter,” adapted by the acclaimed Bill Dufris, the Ogle-award winning “God of the Razor,” adapted from Joe R. Lansdale’s short story, and my own “Dark Passenger” (produced as part of FinalRune Productions) which is startlingly fresh, dark, and unremitting. Ah… the sweet smell of fear in the air!

If you can’t tune in tonight, well, I’m sorry for you but stay tuned tomorrow for the podcast. And yes, the regular show will continue tomorrow, with “something completely different.”

Download audio file (halloween-promo.mp3)

Nearly even producer out there is making the most of this, including myself, and as I’ve been scrambling to put together the utterly frightful Halloween special, I’ve heard about similar efforts by many other excellent artists… So, to suit your audio listening, here are some other tales to tickle your eardrums with this October!

First would be the FreeQuincy Radio Theater.? They’re a passionately local theater group from Wisconsin, bringing the best elements of classic and new audio drama to their live presentations.? In celebration of the spooky holiday, they’re featuring several new and older works:

Sunday October 14th = Alex Stoli, Private Detective: The Act of Jealousy

Sunday October 21st = When Lightning Strikes

Sunday October 28th = Spring Cleaning Invasion

October 31st = Gangster’s Ghostcapades -FreeQuincy Radio Theater’s first studio recording.

Another exciting announcement came from Willamette Radio Workshop — now, I’m remiss in not having featured their outstanding work yet, but the WRW is a training ground for some excellent dramatists and produces some of the best-sound work you’ll hear anywhere.? Not the least among their great talents is the outstanding work of Sam Mowry, whose bold and commanding voice is far better suited for interesting audio drama roles than radio commercials (at least in *our* humble opinion…)

Hear their contribution to the horrorsphere this Halloween with excellent renditions of Frankenstein and The Confessions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Off the beaten path from horror is a third episode of Dick Dynamo, the absurd transdimensional adventures of a man who is “ready to pack a punch to any villain or meager elderly lady who stands in his way.”? You will find the stories are incredulous as they are amusing, and an apt satire that still honors the works of its origins.

Also, while not producing any new works for the holiday, I’d be remiss in not noting another great producer of audio stories.? The Wireless Theatre Company is a UK-based producer of a range of great stories, tackling the comic to the tragic, with some of the finest writing, acting, and directing talent.? Best of all, it’s all free and available via digital downloadable!

Finally, on Halloween, rumor has it that Dreamseed will finally release the first episode of “Soul Rift,” the series about psychic ghost-hunting detectives.

All of these stories are well worth your ears, and I hope to get the time to review and feature them in greater depth in the coming weeks on the show… And until then, keep your ears open!

At the risk of airing spoilers to my Halloween special later this month, take a sneak preview of the wanton vegetable abuse that goes into the making of a haunting horror audio story

The fright fest kicks off October 4th during WMPG‘s “Begathon” pledge drive with Maine-based audio artistry by Mind’s Eye Productions, headed by Audio-award winning narrator William Dufris.? The “Derelict,” by William Hope Hodgson, tells the unsettling tale of a ghost ship found afloat deep in the ocean… It?s ominous outcome will keep you off the high seas for a while, and maybe even in your home for the remainder of the week (all the better to donate to listener-supported community radio station WMPG, who are very supportive of my audio theater exploits).

The following two weeks (Oct 11, Oct 18) we hear one of the quintessential tales of horror — Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” produced by Quicksilver Radio Theater of New York City.? This haunting adaptation is as true to the original as it is celebrated — with praise from Don Glut, author of “The Frankenstein Legend” and Leonard Maltin, author of “The Great American Broadcast.”? As per usual Quicksilver style, it features a stellar line-up of New York?s finest actors (Joseph Franchini, Clyde Baldo, Craig Wichman…) and a score by Tony-award winner Mark Hollman.? If all you’ve seen is the movies, treat yourself to the real story!? And if all you’ve read is the book, see how inspired actors use the magic of audio to bring this classic to life.

On October 25th we hear The Grist Mill‘s adaptation of “If You Take My Hand My Son,” written by Mort Castle, a master of short horror fiction.? “If You Take My Hand My Son” is the tale of a man on the brink of death forced to confront his abusive father — who haunts him from beyond the grave.? Following this shocking story of reconciliation will be an exclusive interview with Mr. Castle, who is as prolific as he is insightful.? We’ll see how he, as an established writer, looks at audio theater a little differently and learn about his experience with the art.

Finally, the gates of many underworlds line up and crack open for a medley of audio terror to be unleashed on Halloween.? From 8:30-10PM on October 31st all manners of ghouls, gods, and ghosts will infiltrate our eardrums as we air a triple feature with Mind’s Eye Productions/William Dufris, The Grist Mill, and an original by my own FinalRune Productions.? A demon may be loose in the world, but no one believes him.? A god forgotten since ancient days confronts an awestruck human.? Two friends head to a haunted house and awaken an ancient evil.? The terror is non-stop Halloween night as we hear H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Statement of Randolph Carter,” Joe R. Lansdale‘s “God of the Razor” (winner of the 2007 Ogle Award), and Frederick Greenhalgh’s “Dark Passenger.”

Apart from the Halloween special, which will air 8:30-10PM EST on Halloween, all episodes air the usual time, Thursday, 1PM on WMPG.? If for some reason you?re in the Portland, Maine area, you can hear WMPG at 90.9/104.1 on their FM dial, while the rest of us can tune in to www.wmpg.org.? As usual, all episodes will be available through the podcast, accessible via the little RSS icon to the right, and on the iTunes store (by searching “Radio Drama Revival”).

Following up this rare opportunity is another trek through alternate dimensions with our friends at Dry Smoke and Whispers, creators of the riveting ?Shadowman Saga? — the ?Murder on the Huddleston Ferry.? The telepathic detective Emile Song enters deep space in the search for the East End Reaper, a techno-fiend terrorizing the people of Quaymet, while powers of the galaxy grapple for ultimate control.

Upcoming Episodes

September 6: Roger Gregg Speaks
September 13: Part 1, ?Murder on the Huddleston Ferry?
September 20: Part 2, ?Murder on the Huddleston Ferry?
September 27: Part 3, ?Murder on the Huddleston Ferry?

The land of Moloch is dying. While the seas rise and dark pollution saturates the skies, the rich giggle and preen their nodules while delighting in a gigantic festival celebrating… themselves. Those who are poor and dying suffer because God doesn’t like them, and God would have nothing any different. It is to this dark world that the Harbinger comes, bringing a message of hope and peace.

Yet, the powers that be don’t want hope. Or peace.

Tune in Thursdays (1-1:30PM) in August for an incredible ride through a terrifying world that’s all too familiar, riddled with biting satire and compelling characters. Echoes of Dosteovesky and Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” and performances by Ireland’s top talent (with guest appearance by Firesign Theatre’s Phil Proctor) saturate this tale originally produced for RTE1 Radio 1, the national radio station of Ireland.

Needless to say, they have an excellent rapport and some great insights about the state of audio drama as well as what makes a great story work. Tune in today 1PM on 90.9/104.1 in the Portland, Maine area or via WMPG‘s streaming audio.

Of course, you can always stay tuned for the podcast, which I’ll have together either later today or tomorrow.

For the week of May 10th, we’ll be talking with Dreamseed’s Alexander Davis, one of audio drama’s most innovative new producers. Edgy scripts, excellent production and fresh sound and music are just the beginning of his ambitions to bring audio drama to the entertainment limelight. We’ll talk about the technology and stories that drive him.

Then put on your toga as we slip back to ancient Rome for Quicksilver Radio Theater’s performance of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. This contemporary interpretation of the 1599 play features all of the intrigue, betrayal, and passion even for those of us who had trouble finishing it in high school. The broadcast on the 17th and 24th is in tandem with a new film by writer/director Jay Stern, The Changeling — a story of desire, deceit and murder.

Finally, we close the month with an original by FinalRune Productions — the genre-bending fantasy story Fall of the Hero. Sir Grace was a lofty knight, revered throughout the land with a record of dragon-slaying on par with none. Yet, a confrontation with an infamous wizard forces him to face his greatest enemy yet: himself.

Join us every week for a trek through audio adventure and discussion about the forces driving this under-appreciated artform back to the ears of America. Live at Thursdays 1PM EST on WMPG or via podcast before the sun sets on Friday.