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August 31, 2016 11:15 AM   Subscribe

Thanks to Sci-Fi and Horror fiction podcasts are finally a thing. or perhaps they've been a thing for a bit longer than that.
posted by Artw (59 comments total) 47 users marked this as a favorite
 
I'm assuming the actually meaning of "a thing" is a constantly self regenerating amorphous mass of organ tissue and flailing tentacles, cf Campbell, Carpenter et al.
posted by Artw at 11:18 AM on August 31, 2016 [11 favorites]


I don't really mean this as a snark, but... these are radio plays, right? Like the ones that were super popular in pre-WWII America of the 1900s?

I mean, Orson Welles. War of the Worlds.

If anything, something like actual play RPG podcasts (Friends at the Table et al) feel like a big innovation.
posted by selfnoise at 11:22 AM on August 31, 2016 [5 favorites]


How do today's horror and SF fiction podcasts compare to the horror and SF radio plays of 60 or 70 years ago?

[Jinx, selfnoise.]
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:23 AM on August 31, 2016


It's always been hard for me to see the difference between podcast and "radio show you can download" but other people seem to see it. There are songs on the radio, and songs that aren't, but you can still download them or buy the physical media. Audio plays haven't been all that popular for quite a while, no matter where you get them.

I've always liked old radio shows, but haven't ever committed to any new ones. It's on the list of things I will do.
posted by bongo_x at 11:27 AM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


I sometimes wonder if podcasts would have taken off earlier if they'd been marketed as "on-demand radio". But maybe that's too deadtech.
posted by selfnoise at 11:29 AM on August 31, 2016


I mean, Orson Welles. War of the Worlds.


Mentioned in-article, FWIW.
posted by Artw at 11:39 AM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm a fan of a number of the pre-2010 podcasts, and watched a number of podcasters roll their eyes at the Wired article (and pass around the Tee Morris article).

I think there are a lot of parallels to be drawn to the "blogs started in 2000" or "social media started in 2005" articles: yeah, that's when the mainstream picked it up, but there were actually pioneers there being written out of history, and it stings to be forgotten so quickly.

And as someone who was recently involved in an attempt to revive some 1940s radio shows: yes, this has been done before. Only back then the custodians of the recordings didn't care to keep history, and now copyright and people keeping rights close makes it difficult to recall that history.
posted by straw at 11:42 AM on August 31, 2016 [4 favorites]


re: What about ye-old radio shows?

At some point you have to have categories for media, otherwise all media is just "entertainment" with checkboxes for auditory and visual stimulation. (of which at least one is mandatory)

Podcasts started as nonfiction, of people having conversations and sharing information. Eventually that lead to any episodic audio-based form of entertainment you could download/stream off the internet. It took much longer for fictional podcasts to become popular.

They're radio dramas reborn, but I think it's ok to define them as something separate.

(random showerthought I had while I was pondering this reply: We still call tv shows 'tv shows' even though many people no longer watch them on tv.)
posted by INFJ at 11:46 AM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


Night Vale popularized the War of the Worlds faux-nonfiction style for podcasts, though, didn't they? Didn't invent it, of course, but weren't they the first popular podcast that did the fiction-as-nonfiction thing (rather than stories read aloud or radio theater)? I don't recall encountering any of those before Night Vale.
posted by middleclasstool at 11:49 AM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


Oh neat, this is totally my jam. Ignore the Wired article and start with Radio Drama Revival. They feature a ton of excellent podcasts and shows and have been going since 2007. They'll introduce you to really amazing podcasts on a regular basis. I listen to this type of stuff constantly, and there's some good stuff in the wired article:

Archive 81 is a weirdo slow burn series that pays off in the final two episodes in a small way. It could develop into something great depending on the skills of the writers. I really like the banal evil of Mr. Davenport.

The Black Tapes went through two seasons of mostly loose end go nowhere stuff and then rushed to a clumsy ending in S2. If you like your horror punctuated by THE DRAMA NOISE INDICATING SPOOKINESS and people dumbfoundedly repeating each other or asking "what does that mean", this is a p. good choice. It's sort of like eating a whole bunch of pringles all at once.

I really enjoy the Bright Sessions. Good character development and it does a superb job of managing pacing. The introductory idea is great and what Dr. Bright does and why seems well done.

Welcome to Night Vale turned into a self-indulgent hot mess a while ago. It's annoying that anybody thinks of them as defining a genre.

One notable miss is the incredible Radiation World. The first episode is crazy uneven (it features sex-for-reproduction-in-a-wasteland in a way that's not present in the rest of the series), but finds its footing very quickly and runs with a plot that's unique, twisty and satisfying. Ten episodes in the first series and they'll go by fast. There's a lot of good sci-fi influence, but the authors I'm reminded of would give away some of the plot twists.

Probably my favorite series right now is Our Fair City. It's a post-apocalyptic series that's based in New England in the hollowed out office tower of a former insurance company gone amok. Reminds me of the old role playing game Paranoia. There's plenty of rules to follow, plenty of ways to get around them, and plenty of people who are watching you get around them. A lot of Mad Science! in a way that's not super derivative and a cast of stellar voice actors. They also put out a semi-standalone episode based on War of the Worlds called Herbert West vs. the Martians that's a good introduction to some of the core characters.
posted by boo_radley at 11:52 AM on August 31, 2016 [9 favorites]


Two fiction podcasts/radioplays have really caught my attention this year- one is The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium, a Monkey Island-meets-Monty Python type adventure by Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Concords fame. The other is Fruit, a gay coming-out story about a rising football star dealing with life in the closet. I highly recommend both!
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 11:56 AM on August 31, 2016 [3 favorites]


The late Tom Fuller and the Atlanta Radio Theater deserve a mention here, especially since many of their productions are now available as podcasts and downloads. I was present for their performance with Harlan Ellison of "The Rats In The Walls."
posted by octobersurprise at 12:02 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


Night Vale popularized the War of the Worlds faux-nonfiction style for podcasts, though, didn't they?

I thought Limetown was especially good in this regard, though it was more of a fictionalized take on Serial than anything else.
posted by Cash4Lead at 12:04 PM on August 31, 2016 [3 favorites]


Cash4Lead: "I thought Limetown was especially good in this regard, though it was more of a fictionalized take on Serial than anything else."

Man, whatever happened to Limetown? That was just taking off, too.
posted by boo_radley at 12:06 PM on August 31, 2016 [5 favorites]


Oh! Another favorite is Ars Paradoxica, which is about time travel and World War Two and what happens when the OSI focuses on time travel. Well acted, coherent and surprisingly followable given its topic.
posted by boo_radley at 12:08 PM on August 31, 2016 [3 favorites]


> Man, whatever happened to Limetown? That was just taking off, too.

Check out this update. I think it's from this past April.
posted by noneuclidean at 12:11 PM on August 31, 2016 [3 favorites]


I had to bail out of Ars Paradoxica mid-way through the first episode. The actress playing Dr. Grissom was good, but the military guy apparently felt that using a growling voice and stressing random words in a sentence was how acting is done.
posted by haileris23 at 12:16 PM on August 31, 2016


People are talking about "radio shows you can download" and I thought I would mention that in 1967 a radio station recorded Samuel R. Delaney's novella "The Star Pit"--with the main narrator being Delany himself! You can download it here in MP3 format.
posted by foxfirefey at 12:27 PM on August 31, 2016 [6 favorites]


The lack of comma in the middle of that 1st sentence completely flabbergasted me for a good moment there. Can we get a fix?

Other than that, awesome post!
posted by es_de_bah at 12:31 PM on August 31, 2016


At some point you have to have categories for media, otherwise all media is just "entertainment" with checkboxes for auditory and visual stimulation.

I'd be fine with that. We need to stop this trend of people yammering on about this brand new thing they've invented or discovered, when it's really something with a long, rich history. It's been going on forever.
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:34 PM on August 31, 2016 [4 favorites]


Speaking as someone with failed gabfest podcast and plenty of Big Ideas for a fictionalized podcast serial, hearing that Archive 81 was basically two dudes recording in an apartment is heartening - but then it turns out at least one of them has audio production expertise. Dangit. I think we've passed the time when a few folks could get together and try something out on the cheap - the expectations of quality for these free podcasts are actually quite high. Things like voice acting, sound quality, editing, and plotting really make a difference and there's just not a lot of opportunity to learn as you go.

There is real money, beyond even stamps.com cash, at play here. Night Vale tours constantly and has, what, three books out? Limetown and Lore each have book and TV deals. The Message was funded from the start. This isn't hobbyist stuff anymore - The Black Tapes couldn't make it to S2 if it came out today, even though it is one of the pioneers of the genre.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 12:36 PM on August 31, 2016 [3 favorites]


I clearly have Thoughts about this. I'm hoping more creators go the way of A Twilight World of Ultimate Smoothness and release Netflix-style miniseries, but I know that's not where the money is unless you can build up the brand ahead of time like Night Vale did with Alice Isn't Dead and Within the Wires.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 12:40 PM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


Appeltons' Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera, 1912, is all about noiseless airships and new cameras to record exotic places specifically to be shown to audiences.

Oddly follows certain criteria for "podcast".
posted by clavdivs at 12:52 PM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


I'm looking so forward to the recommendations that are going to pop up here. I remember trying to listen to Brave New World and some other sci-fi as audiobooks, and being disgusted by the intense sexism. I haven't had time to look for the current podcasts/radio plays though. Hmm, maybe I should consider it as a potential project...
posted by yueliang at 12:57 PM on August 31, 2016


Night Vale popularized the War of the Worlds faux-nonfiction style for podcasts, though, didn't they? Didn't invent it, of course, but weren't they the first popular podcast that did the fiction-as-nonfiction thing (rather than stories read aloud or radio theater)? I don't recall encountering any of those before Night Vale.

One of the weirdest things about Night Vale is that a lot of the initial boost in popularity was from the Hannibal fandom on Tumblr. Hannibal ended for the season, they went "what do we do now?" and boom, three-eyed Cecils everywhere you can shake a stick at.
posted by the uncomplicated soups of my childhood at 12:58 PM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


Check out this update. I think it's from this past April

That both worries and excites me. I hope it pans out, but projects buckle under that kind of popularity.

Dangit. I think we've passed the time when a few folks could get together and try something out on the cheap - the expectations of quality for these free podcasts are actually quite high. Things like voice acting, sound quality, editing, and plotting really make a difference and there's just not a lot of opportunity to learn as you go.

My life is one boat miss after another like this. I missed the chance in mobile app development too. But I am still thinking about doing my story idea even though fours of people will hear it, because what the hell.
posted by middleclasstool at 12:58 PM on August 31, 2016


Yeah, I'm late to the podcast thing, but I've been checking out more of them. After all the hype of night vale, I just couldn't make it past the godawful cringe-inducing musical acts in the first few eps, along with the garrison-keilor-meets-bored-bookstore-clerks air of the rest of the show. I checked out NoSleep early on and it was pretty rough. Having come around to it more recently, its really improved in terms of story selection and acting. Even if the host is a bit of a tryhard with that super hammy voice trying to cover his canadian accent.

So, I'm a big fan of OTR, especially X-1 and the old Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes episodes. The source material just _kills_ in comparison to some of the newer ones. Like, I've followed The Black Tapes and Tanis, and I like the main personalities, but they both just kinda wandered off into "what the hell were we talking about?" territory.

At the "horror and chill" post last year, I started checking out some of the listed podcasts there, and most of them were either "true stories!" (99% sleep paralysis), or a bunch of jackasses trying to be a zoo crew. Lore is interesting, but the guy reads like he learned public speaking from a text2speech program.

Podcastle/EscapePod/PseudoPod are way too inconsistent, and there's so damn many of them its hard to filter out something I'd actually like.

The Lift has been ok in its first season, but still has its misses. I generally enjoyed Archive 81, but seemed a little abrupt. The rat was fun, though.

Mostly, I think its just that I would like to see a synopsis of some shows, since its very easy to get distracted and if something is going on for an hour, its easy to miss details, so you end up just retreading through the more tedious parts of the episode.

Anyway, as much as I've found enjoyable, it still just doesn't hold a candle of the stuff being put out between Dimension X in the 30's and CBS Radio Mystery Theater in the 70's. But, then again, they had scripts written by asimov and bradbury, shows with Vincent Price as a suave leading man, and some people doing real breakthroughs with audio engineering (the progression of Dragnet comes to mind).

Its not really a fair comparison, since that was a major bit of mainstream entertainment. A bit like a 70s floyd tour compared to Chance's high school freestyle tapes, but I'm still looking.
posted by lkc at 12:59 PM on August 31, 2016 [6 favorites]


Is a podcast a radio show? That's a running gag in both Black Tapes and Tanis.

I don't think anyone mention Tanis yet. Good stuff: sprawling, self-deprecating, sometimes lyrical, a mix of urban fantasy, rural sf, and horror.

Wolf 359 is a dramedy taking place in a very isolated space station. The small cast of characters struggles with each other to survive and understand what's really going on.

Seconding support for Limetown, Archive 81, and The Message.

And can we just all applaud Julie Hoverson? She's been creating and running multiple series for years, including different genres, a commentary show, and also professional work.
posted by doctornemo at 1:02 PM on August 31, 2016


Awesome title, Artw. Always loved those bits from Prince of Darkness.
posted by doctornemo at 1:07 PM on August 31, 2016 [3 favorites]


Dangit. I think we've passed the time when a few folks could get together and try something out on the cheap

I don't know, I think you're thinking about it wrong. As lkc pointed out, the ones out now don't compare in a lot of ways to the older ones.

But more importantly, there is Pink Floyd and there is your favorite garage band on Bandcamp. There's probably room for a lot of things, if they're interesting. The only window missed might have been for putting out something half assed and getting way too much unwarranted attention.

All performers and artists learn as they go. It easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you don't put out a masterpiece first try then it's not worth doing. Isn't there a quote about having to make 100 bad paintings before you make a good one?
posted by bongo_x at 1:11 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


That list of 50 fiction podcasts before 2012 missed "Knifepoint Horror"; it's great stuff.
posted by demonic winged headgear at 1:17 PM on August 31, 2016


Knifepoint Horror is great! Long, creepy vague stories, by a single author in a particular style! Different narrators, but since its all done in a first person format, it usually works. Probably my favorite of the bunch because its so resistant to the format: no ads, no long intros, no credits, just cuts right to the chase. I'm so fucking sick of mail-order mattresses, sock endorsements and stamps.com.

Actually, that's i guess the double-edged sword. The transition to "hello from the magic tavern" from being a bunch of improv hacks and local unknowns (mind you, this is why it stuck out as sounding so fresh to me!) trying yet another podcast to being pulled into the earwolf network is that the joke in-universe ads were replaced by breathless testimonials for BlueApron, and now there's an Auckerman outro and cross-promotion to a bunch of other unrelated comedy shit that I don't care about. Good on them, because I think it means they are making more money, and can keep doing it.

NoSleep recently started doing ads, and they are a bit novel, at least. They just do short little skits in the same vein (with their core stable of voice actors), and are just quick and dumb mini-skits that involve the product. The last one involved a maniacal burger shift turning his best customer into burgers because he had stopped coming in because of BlueApron. I can live with that. Being reassured that there is a better way for me to not constantly drive to the post office is like ... I don't have a car and go once a year to file my taxes.
posted by lkc at 1:35 PM on August 31, 2016


Goddammit, I'm within sight of the finishing line of We're Alive and now I have fifty-plus more old ones to check out?
posted by Etrigan at 1:38 PM on August 31, 2016


How do today's horror and SF fiction podcasts compare to the horror and SF radio plays of 60 or 70 years ago?

Radio drama (including Sci Fi/Horror) is still very much a thing here in the UK, both at the Beeb and through independent outfits like Big Finish. It's been really interesting seeing the artform being picked up again in the US through podcasts, it does have that amateur, anything is possible vibe.
posted by brilliantmistake at 1:44 PM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


By the way, many of these newer podcasts are being discussed next door in FanFare, and we would love to have more of y'all discussing them with us.
posted by Etrigan at 2:12 PM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


Perhaps the pinnacle of old-time radio horror: Three Skeleton Key, with Vincent Price.
posted by QuietDesperation at 2:33 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


Y'all should stop complaining about ads on free media. People gotta eat.
posted by Ferreous at 2:35 PM on August 31, 2016 [6 favorites]


Actually, that's i guess the double-edged sword. The transition to "hello from the magic tavern" from being a bunch of improv hacks and local unknowns (mind you, this is why it stuck out as sounding so fresh to me!) trying yet another podcast to being pulled into the earwolf network is that the joke in-universe ads were replaced by breathless testimonials for BlueApron, and now there's an Auckerman outro and cross-promotion to a bunch of other unrelated comedy shit that I don't care about. Good on them, because I think it means they are making more money, and can keep doing it.

Yeah, it's more a "the times, they are a changin" feel with podcasts. Ads are fine by me, even if they are for one of a dozen heavily pushed services (glasses, audiobooks, mattresses, snacks, underwear, websites, shirts, monthly box, stamps, fruitbaskets, flowers, etc). It's still a bit jarring, like seeing an ad for 7-11 in your punk rock zine.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:54 PM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


Oh, this is really useful, thanks for the post.

A question people might be able to answer. Do you know of any good improvised fiction podcasts which steer towards drama rather than comedy?

There are lots of great comedy ones, but I'm curious if there's a gap in the market so to say.
posted by Erberus at 2:57 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


All performers and artists learn as they go. It easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you don't put out a masterpiece first try then it's not worth doing. Isn't there a quote about having to make 100 bad paintings before you make a good one?

Oh, totally. I just think the barrier to what I'd have to do to produce a non-embarrassing work is getting higher and higher. I might be able to get a story and plotting down and even if there is an audience for a Sovereign Citizens Bird Sanctuary Takeover With UFOs podcast, I doubt I could bring myself to release it without decent audio, voice talent, and editing, all of which takes time and money I don't have.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:58 PM on August 31, 2016


Also good rpg let's plays which are more character drama than hitting things much appreciated.
posted by Erberus at 2:59 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


Erberus: "Oh, this is really useful, thanks for the post.

A question people might be able to answer. Do you know of any good improvised fiction podcasts which steer towards drama rather than comedy?

There are lots of great comedy ones, but I'm curious if there's a gap in the market so to say.
"

The only one that even comes close to my mind is improvised star trek which is still kinda comedic. I think there's less pressure for improv comedy -- drama tends to want a coherent thread, which is harder to come up with on the fly.
posted by boo_radley at 3:07 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


Ask me how happy I am to see my nephew Dan's horror podcast being lauded by Wired, the AV Club and now here - go on, ask me
posted by Mr.Pointy at 4:04 PM on August 31, 2016 [3 favorites]


I'd ask, but shouldn't you be out there looking for him?

Pointy, search party of two. You can talk about pride after you find Dan!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:07 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm sure he's fine - he's a good boy
posted by Mr.Pointy at 4:13 PM on August 31, 2016


Previously on AskMeFi, a request for "Like a sitcom, but in my ears." (Asking about scripted comedy podcasts. Given the glut of riffy comedy podcasts right now, and their popularity, I think the request is still needed.)
posted by little onion at 4:23 PM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


Oh neat, this is totally my jam. Ignore the Wired article and start with Radio Drama Revival. They feature a ton of excellent podcasts and shows and have been going since 2007. They'll introduce you to really amazing podcasts on a regular basis. I listen to this type of stuff constantly, and there's some good stuff in the wired article:

@Boo_Radley, how sweet of you to mention! I'm the new host of RDR (since February), and I'm so flattered to have our show mentioned. I'm also a producer and writer emeritus on Our Fair City, and happy to answer any questions you have about that show. :D

Many of the podcasts you mentioned ( ars PARADOXICA, Wolf 359, Radiation World, and The Bright Sessions) have been featured on the show, but I suppose you know that!

Another recommendation I'll happily throw out is Uncanny County, which is basically if you set The Twilight Zone exclusively in Oklahoma.
posted by IcarusFloats at 5:04 PM on August 31, 2016 [5 favorites]


@Little Onion, re: that AskMeFi thread:

May I recommend for starters Wooden Overcoats and Hector Versus the Future? Those are very, very solid comedy productions.
posted by IcarusFloats at 5:06 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


There's a nice drama podcast (fiction, but not actual comedy) that hasn't been mentioned yet. Leviathan Chronicles
posted by gideonswann at 5:58 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


> @Boo_Radley, how sweet of you to mention! I'm the new host of RDR (since February)

SIGN MY PODCATCHER. I really enjoyed your last ep. discussing Thing on the Forble Boards -- I'd heard that years ago and you both managed to capture why it's different than a lot of other horror shows of the time, and even what separates it from other episosed of Quiet, Please. The analysis was great.
posted by boo_radley at 7:38 PM on August 31, 2016 [3 favorites]


... okay, has anyone besides me listened to EOS 10? It's like two seasons' worth of light-hearted Star Trek meets House action.
posted by mikurski at 7:40 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


Perhaps the pinnacle of old-time radio horror: Three Skeleton Key yt , with Vincent Price.

Seconded! The one about the rats!
posted by lkc at 7:41 PM on August 31, 2016 [1 favorite]


@Erberus: there's Campaign if you are into Star Wars at all! It's Chicago improv/comedians running a Star Wars rpg, but the DM, Kat, tries to keep it focused on an over-arching story/drama, too, in addition to comedy.
posted by astrid at 7:45 PM on August 31, 2016 [2 favorites]


I saw there isn't a link to Alice isn't Dead, which is one of the few horror podcasts I've been enjoying listening to.

One thing I'm utterly thrilled by is that podcasts have done so much to revitilize the SF&F short story format. Aside from Escape Pod, Podcastle and Pseudopod, there's Clarksworld, Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, Starship Sofa, Beneath Ceaseless Skies...

Just a few years ago I was lamenting the decay of the SF&F fantasy magazines, and now look at this. It's not only giving more stories than one can read, it's also providing a venue for groups that have normally been marginalized in the SF&F community. this is really the new golden age of Science Fiction writing.
posted by happyroach at 9:41 PM on August 31, 2016 [5 favorites]


A problem that afflicts a lot of these series is trying to be open-ended. Nightvale seems to have gone awry trying to be a weird PHC but also tell narratives. Black Tapes and Tanis Appear to be making it upas they go along, with no sense of direction, and are further complicated by having some characters "cross over" but the two shows don't seem to be in exactly the same world, which is confusing. Limetown was originally pitched as a contained set of 7 episodes, then it suddenly shifted to "Season 1." Tell, your story, people! If it's a good one, you can tell another. Drama podcasts should be following a Telenovela model, not an American TV series model.

Also, I'm ok with ads in my podcasts, although it's nice if they vary them every few episodes (Ken and Robin Talk about Stuff have been running mostly the same ads for the last 6 months, and it's torture -- record another blurb, guys! And the Earwolf attempts to get you to listen to some bland comedy show in each episode of Yo, Is This Racist? is a little bewildering -- just pitch me socks or a mattress, thanks.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:18 AM on September 1, 2016 [2 favorites]


GenjiandProust: I reallllly didn't want to record ads when I started my hosting gig, because I identify very strongly with the "Oh Christ, not *this* ad again" feeling—it made me feel like the podcast producers just straight-up weren't paying attention to their show (especially when you'd hear the same ad spot twice in one episode; I'm looking at you, Vox's The Weeds).

Our podcast is now hosted on a service that does this dynamic ad placement; I point out where in the finished MP3 an ad will go, and it gets slotted in when the podcast is distributed, depending on who we have an ad contract with that week. I think more and more podcasters are going to adopt this model, because not only does it prevent ads from getting stale, it allows you to keep making ad revenue off your back-catalogue.

astrid: Seconding your vote for Campaign! Oh my god it's so much fun for me. I think it and The Adventure Zone have really changed the way I play roleplaying games: I'm much more excited to fail now, because I love the way Tryst Valentine fails.
posted by IcarusFloats at 9:48 AM on September 1, 2016 [3 favorites]


"Lore is interesting, but the guy reads like he learned public speaking from a text2speech program."



That sums up my feelings about that show better than i have been able to.

I tried to listen to three of them; just couldn't, it was terrible
posted by das_2099 at 6:22 PM on September 1, 2016


Ditto Limetown is good.

If anyone likes a tongue-in-cheek old-timey throwback pulp radio drama, Decoder Ring Theatre does a good job. I'm more of a fan of the Black Jack Justice series than the Red Panda, but when I had more time to listen to more stuff I used to listen to them both.
posted by juv3nal at 2:50 PM on September 4, 2016




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