Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals

The Tale of THAT

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 20:49:15 +0000

It’s the night of the full moon, and someone forgot to lock up Stephen King securely. Now Steve’s evil alter ego, Richard Bachman, has escaped! The Pals have no choice but to hear his murder clown hotel story.

CAST

Stephen King/Richard Bachman – JASON ROBINSON
Clive Barker – DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe – RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley – REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft – ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz – WREN MONTGOMERY

with

Bill – BRAD BARNES
Beverly – RAYNA MANDARA
Ben – TENEST TANG
Richie – JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Mr Penny/Clown – DEXTER HOWARD
additional voices by HANNAH BROWN and LORETTA CHANG

Script by Brad Barnes, edited by Bitter Karella and Robin Johnson. Production, audio editing, music and sound design by Robin Johnson. The dialogue editor was Liselle Nic Giollabháin.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-that/transcript

Content notes: This episode contains raised voices, loud noises, gory noises, swearing, violence and threats of violence, sexual references, and references to vomit, fatphobia, racism, addiction, and clowns.

"Richard Bachman" was a pseudonym used secretly by Stephen King early in his career, in order to release "off-brand" books, the first of which was 1977's Rage. The identity was revealed in 1985, by which time five novels had been written under that name, four of which were then republished together as the collection The Bachman Books; "Bachman" has produced two more books since then. Rumors that Bachman is the true father of Stephen's second son Owen King are wholly unsubstantiated.

Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals is a work of social and literary satire. All characters are fictitious, especially the real ones; any resemblance to real-life people, organizations or events, other than with satirical intent, is coincidental; any elements of work not in the public domain are used for the purpose of parody and comment; and no challenge is intended to the ownership or validity of any intellectual property. The Midnight Pals is the creation of Bitter Karella ©

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

Subscribe to Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Pocket Casts, or wherever you find podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a rating or review. For more information, see https://midnightpals.com

The Tale of the Shadow Over Innsmouth

Fri, 7 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It's HP Lovecraft’s turn and nobody can stop it, so he tells a story about a town whose sinister residents guard a dark secret that is almost certainly “There’s a squid”. Howard and Mary go head-to-head in a high-stakes bet.

HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Helen Olmstead — TERRI LYNNE HUDSON
Mr Lillibridge — BRAD BARNES
Preacher Marsh — DAISY McNAMARA
Hick — KATE DAVOLI
Bus Driver — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Gilman — DEXTER HOWARD
Mr Pabody — TENEST TANG

Script by Robin Johnson, edited by Bitter Karella. Production, editing, music and sound design by Robin Johnson. The dialogue editor was Liselle Nic Giollabháin.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-the-shadow-over-innsmouth/transcript

HP Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth, first rejected by Weird Tales in 1933, is one of his longer, better written, and more clearly xenophobic works. The novella, about a coastal town that has been reduced to decrepitude by an influx of immigra– uh, fish monsters, was printed in a run of 400 clothbound copies in 1936, half of which were pulped. This was the only book of Lovecraft's fiction to be published in his lifetime. Lovecraft was unhappy with the print run, which contained innumerable typographical errors, and insisted on the book being distributed with an errata sheet, which was also inaccurate. In 1942, five years after Lovecraft's death, Weird Tales printed an abridged version of the story.

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of Those Bullies at Clarion West

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Those stuck-up snobs at the most privileged literary circle of all, Clarion West, have perpetrated a despicable prank on the Midnight Pals involving a paper bag full of dog poop, a match, and Steve's brand new sneakers. This means WAR!

CAST:

Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft/Michael Swanwick — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz/Harlan Ellison — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Frank Belknap Long — DAVID COURT
August Derleth/Robert Silverberg — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Roger Zelazny — BRAD BARNES
Greg Bear — DEXTER HOWARD

Script by Bitter Karella. Production, editing, music and sound design by Robin Johnson. The dialogue editor was Liselle Nic Giollabháin.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-those-bullies-at-clarion-west/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

Midnight Snack: The Tale of the Talented Mr Ripley

robindouglasjohnson@gmail.com (The Midnight Pals) — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 12:11:20 +0000

In a six-minute mini-episode, Patricia Highsmith tells the Midnight Pals her story of the (maybe not so) Talented Mr Ripley, and then the real Charles Dickens himself drops in at the campfire.

Content notes: swearing, discussion of internalized homophobia, violence and discussion of murder, stalking.

CAST:

Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Patricia Highsmith — KATE DAVOLI
"Charles Dickens" — BRAD BARNES

Script, audio production and music by Robin Johnson. The Midnight Pals created by Bitter Karella ©

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-the-talented-mr-ripley/transcript

Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr Ripley (1955) is a psychological thriller dripping with the sort of blatant homoeroticism that gets described as "gay undertones". It and its several sequels have been adapted for screen multiple times, including the 1999 movie in which Matt Damon and Jude Law play chess in the bath, and the 2024 Netflix miniseries in which Andrew Scott walks up and down stairs.

Hans Christian Andersen was Charles Dickens' worst fanboy ever. In one episode, he invited himself to the Dickens' home, overstayed by several weeks, and reportedly cried when finally made to leave.

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Interview with the Vampire

Fri, 7 Feb 2025 17:27:55 +0000

Anne Rice comes to the campfire to tell her timeless odd-couple romance about a depressed slave plantation owner who’s swept off his feet by a total jerk. Also, they’re both vampires. Al Copeland gets a taste of his own chicken.

Content notes: swearing, raised voices, gory noises, death, violence, murder, slavery, implied domestic abuse, sexual references, discussion of body dysmorphia, vomit.

CAST:

Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz/Lestat de Lioncourt — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Anne Rice — LORETTA CHANG
Louis de Pointe du Lac/Percy Shelley — LOU SUTCLIFFE
Claudia — MARNIE WARNER
Reporter — DAISY McNAMARA
Bram Stoker — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Yvette — TERRI LYNNE HUDSON
Al Copeland — DEXTER HOWARD

Additional voices by Eve Morris and David Court.

Script by Bitter Karella, edited by Robin Johnson. Audio production, music and lyrics by Robin Johnson. Closing theme performed by Dexter Howard and the cast.

Interview with the Vampire (1976) was the debut novel of Anne Rice (1941-2021). An influential work of gothic gay vampire romance, it was adapted into a Hollywood movie in 1994 and an ongoing AMC TV series since 2022. Rice wrote a large number of increasingly silly sequels, creating the Vampire Chronicles series. As referenced in the episode, she engaged in a bizarre, years-long feud with fried chicken magnate Al Copeland after he opened a restaurant in New Orleans.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-the-interview-with-the-vampire/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Watchers

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 12:42:12 +0000

It’s Edgar’s turn with the flashlight… but, after a heated debate about what makes a better plot device, the death of a beautiful woman or a murderous monkey, little Dean Koontz ends up telling tonight's story instead. It has everything—an all-American Special Army Marine, a poorly written neurodivergent lady, an evil mutagenic monkey who's escaped from science, and a VERY good dog!

Content notes: swearing, loud noises, some sexual references, comedic violence with some gory noises and gunfire, discussion of death and 'fridging' of women, police/fed raids, references to animal testing, drug references, parody of bad neurodivergence representation.

CAST:

Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Travis/Dario Argento — DEXTER HOWARD
Nora — BETH LINDLY
Lemuel Johnson/David DeCoteau — BRAD BARNES
Scientist 1 — LORETTA CHANG
Scientist 2 — KATE DAVOLI
Priest — TERRI LYNNE HUDSON
Roger Corman — BITTER KARELLA
Charles Band — JOEL A.S. BUTLER

and special guests

THE MURDER MONKEY as itself
MULTIPLE DOGS, including REBEL, MAISIE, and various freely licensed hounds of Freesound, as Einstein

Script by Bitter Karella, edited by Robin Johnson. Audio production and music by Robin Johnson.

Dean Koontz's novel Watchers (1987) really is a story about a really cool smart dog who befriends an ex-military hero and his naive new bride, and how they protect each other from the dog's nemesis, a murderous genetically engineered mutant baboon. The book is credited with establishing Koontz as a bestselling author, and has been adapted into no fewer than four (4) movies. It is unknown whether his mom keeps a copy on the fridge.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-the-watchers/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of Little Red Riding Hood

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

The Pals visit JRR Tolkien and his fantasy storytelling friends at Unicorn F*** Club, where Angela Carter puts a modern, feminist spin on a traditional fairy tale. Hans Christian Andersen is smitten. Frank Belknap Long gets stuck in his fursuit.

Content notes: Swearing, violence, allusion to sexual assault, vomit, gory noises, people being eaten, sex.

CAST:

Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe/JRR Tolkien — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Angela Carter/Mother — NICOLETTA GIUSEFFI
Little Red Riding Hood — TENEST TANG
Wolf — LUPO
Woodcutter — DEXTER HOWARD
Grandmother — TERRI LYNNE HUDSON
CS Lewis — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Hans Christian Andersen — BRAD BARNES
Frank Belknap Long — DAVID COURT

Script by Nicoletta Giuseffi, edited by Bitter Karella and Robin Johnson. Audio production and music by Robin Johnson.

Angela Carter (1940-1992) was a feminist poet, journalist and author known for her fantasy and picaresque novels and stories. She wrote several versions of Little Red Riding Hood, including "The Werewolf", "The Company of Wolves" and "Wolf-Alice", all of which are included in her excellent collection of feminist retellings of folk- and fairy tales, The Bloody Chamber (1979). "The Company of Wolves" was adapted into a movie of the same name in 1984.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-little-red-riding-hood/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Hellraiser

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 10:24:43 +0000

When Edgar Allan Poe is missing after a violent altercation with Henry W. Longfellow, a mysterious puzzlebox leads the Midnight Pals to the ninth circle of Hell, where they confront a gang of sadomasochistic demons. Brian Jacques humorously outwits a cat.

Content notes: violence, gory noises, blood, swearing and raised voices.

CAST:

Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft/Brian Jacques — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Pinhead — DAVID COURT
Thomas the Blue Demon — THADDEUS STRANGE
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Rufus Wilmot Griswold — DEXTER HOWARD

and special guest cat

NINJA KITTY GO as Catterina

Script by Robin Johnson, edited by Bitter Karella. Music and audio production by Robin Johnson.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s02e01-the-tale-of-the-hellraiser/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals: Season 2 trailer

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 14:59:37 +0000

Season 2 of "Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals" releases Friday January 17th, 2025! Living and dead horror authors tell scary stories round the campfire in this audio adaptation of Bitter Karella's Hugo-nominated comedy-horror microfiction. This trailer contains clips from upcoming episodes "The Tale of the Interview with the Vampire", "The Tale of the Watchers", "The Tale of Little Red Riding Hood", and "The Musical Tale of Rebecca". For more information, see https://midnightpals.com

Share and Enjoy!

A transcript of this trailer is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/season-2-trailer/transcript

CAST, in order of appearance:

Edgar Allan Poe—RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley—REBECCA D'SOUZA
Stephen King/Richard Bachman—JASON ROBINSON
HP Lovecraft/Alfred Hitchcock—ROBIN JOHNSON
Daphne du Maurier—JULIA DRAKE
Anne Rice—LORETTA CHANG
Interviewer/Mrs Danvers—DAISY McNAMARA
Dean Koontz—WREN MONTGOMERY
FBI Agent/Hans Christian Andersen—BRAD BARNES
Angela Carter—NICOLETA GUISEFFI
Little Red Riding Hood—TENEST TANG
Wolf—LUPO

Audio production and editing by Robin Johnson. Clips are from episodes written by Bitter Karella, Robin Johnson and Nicoletta Giuseffi. The Midnight Pals is a work of social and literary satire, and any elements of works not in the public domain are used for purposes of parody and comment.

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Candyman

Wed, 2 Oct 2024 15:28:55 +0000

Roger Corman attempts to make a series of "Candyman" movies. Can he complete his totally popular, not-at-all-obscure-cult-classic slasher quadrilogy without being thwarted by the bee-adjacent serial killer himself? Oh, and... ONE OF OUR HEROES DIES TRAGICALLY!!!—but gets better, with a brand new face and voice actor.

Content notes: swearing, sexual references, loud noises, violence, gore, death and murder.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Roger Corman (1926–2024), a true pioneer of horror cinema. We've mocked Roger on this show, but the truth is—as with many creators satirized on Midnight Pals—that all the things we mock him for are the very same things that make him awesome. Only Roger could have looked at Edgar Allan Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum" and seen that what it really needed was Vincent Price prancing around a Halloween castle and Barbara Steele in an oubliette. And it worked. Rest in peace, Roger, and thanks for all the fun.

CAST:

Introducing

DAVID AULT as Clive Barker

also starring

Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON

with

Roger Corman — BITTER KARELLA
Tony Todd/Candyman — DASHAWN RICKS
David DeCoteau — BRAD BARNES
Graham Masterton – DAVID COURT

This episode was written by Brad Barnes. Script editing, audio production and music were by Robin Johnson. Daisy McNamara was an audio consultant.

A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-the-candyman/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Tell-Tale Heart

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Low-budget movie mogul Roger Corman sets out to produce a papier maché blockbuster adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale of psychological suspense. Loosely following the plot of the original, Poe is tasked with taking care of a Scottish castle belonging to a certain formerly popular children's author. But uh oh! His wacky pal Stephen King arrives... with his all-amateur band, the Rock Bottom Remainders, in tow! When an electrical blackout results in the Pals smashing a priceless collection of literary awards, it's a race to get the castle presentable again before the gender-critical reptilian returns!

Content notes: swearing, raised voices, sexual references, loud noises, discussion of transphobia, death including drowning. Additional CN, 2025: Neil Gaiman is a character in this episode, which was written, produced and released in 2023, before the stories about Gaiman came to light.

CAST:

Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON

with

Roger Corman — BITTER KARELLA
Neil Gaiman/Dario Argento — DEXTER HOWARD
David DeCoteau — BRAD BARNES
Patricia Highsmith — KATE DAVOLI
Lord Byron — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Percy Shelley — LOU SUTCLIFFE
Secretary — MARNIE WARNER

and special guest villain

HAILEY PIPER as She Who Must Not Be Named
- Hailey Piper is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth, A Light Most Hateful, The Worm and His Kings series, and other books of dark fiction. She is also the author of over one hundred short stories appearing in Pseudopod, Vastarien, Cast of Wonders, Cosmic Horror Monthly, and various other publications. She lives with her wife in Maryland, where their occult rituals are secret. Find Hailey at haileypiper.com.

Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart is available in Volume 2 of his collected works on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/2148/pg2148-images.html

A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e08-the-tale-of-the-tell-tale-heart/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Snow Woman

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0000

It's winter at the campfire, and that means one thing—snow-themed holiday special! The Midnight Pals are visited by Junji Ito, adorable catboy and terrifying master of fucked-up-face-filled manga horror, accompanied by original weeaboo Lafcadio Hearn. The pair narrate an ancient Japanese folktale of ripped samurai, distressed noblewomen, and seasonal ice-demons. Lafcadio helps Junji out by using his insightful perspective as a Greek-Irish academic to explain Japanese tradition and culture. HP Lovecraft nearly has an aneurysm.

Content notes: swearing, raised voices, sexual references, discussion of racism and appropriation, violence, death, references to guns.

CAST:

Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON
HP Lovecraft/Lafcadio Hearn — ROBIN JOHNSON

with

Junji Ito/Osamu Tezuka — TENEST TANG
Lord Fujiwara — JON GUTIERREZ
Lady Minamoto — NICOLETTA GIUSEFFI
Snow-child — CHIBI
Naoko Takeuchi — LORETTA CHANG
Kouta Hirano — JOHN SERRANO

Script by Lou Sutcliffe, edited by Bitter Karella and Robin Johnson. The Japanese sensitivity reader was Minaro Kato-Hopkins, and the Irish accent and swearing coach was Liselle Nic Giollabháin.

Lafcadio Hearn's translation of the Japanese folktale "Yuki-Onna" (The Snow Woman) is included in his collection Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things, which is available from Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1210

A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e07-the-tale-of-the-snow-woman/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Nightbreed

Tue, 5 Dec 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Clive Barker takes the stage and relates his cult classic of an eternal battle—gay monsters versus redneck cops. Cabal has always had unsettling dreams of becoming a gay monster, but his personal journey to gay monsterhood is obstructed by queer-gatekeeping monsters, Nazi sheriffs' departments, and unconvincing gimp-mask serial killer David Cronenberg. Frank Belknap Long teaches Dean Koontz to be a furry.

Content notes: swearing, raised voices, sexual content, violence, discussion of homophobic and transphobic propaganda techniques, homophobic and transphobic state violence, riots, guns and military weapons, death and killing, attempted genocide.

CAST:

Clive Barker—SISTER INDICA
Edgar Allan Poe—RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley—REBECCA D'SOUZA
Dean Koontz—WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King—JASON ROBINSON
HP Lovecraft—ROBIN JOHNSON

with

Cabal—JOHN SERRANO
Lori—LORETTA CHANG
Sheriff—DEXTER HOWARD
Deputy/David Cronenberg—JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Governor/Monster Gatekeeper—CASSIE VULPINE
Frank Belknap Long—DAVID COURT

Script by Bitter Karella, edited by Robin Johnson, inspired by Clive Barker’s 1990 cult film Nightbreed, an adaptation of his novella Cabal. Elements of copyrighted works are used for purposes of parody and comment.

A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e06-the-tale-of-the-nightbreed/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Strangers on a Train

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Patricia Highsmith, crime writer, snail friend, and lovable weirdo known for her shabby trenchcoat, eccentric habits, and possibly imaginary wife, investigates a bizarre double murder. Two people who don't know each other, or if you will, "strangers", meet on a rail vehicle, or as it were, "train", and plan the perfect crime. What really happened with Mary Shelley and her polycule at Lake Geneva last summer?

Content notes: swearing, violence, murder, death including by train and drowning.

CAST:

Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Patricia Highsmith — KATE DAVOLI
Jane Williams — HANNAH BROWN
Percy Shelley — LOU SUTCLIFFE
Mrs Cleveland — JULIA DRAKE
Edward Ellerker Williams — DAVID COURT
Train engineer — CANAVAN CONNOLLY
Human Guy — DEXTER HOWARD
Human Bruno — BRAD BARNES

plus special guest stars

HELEN ARNEY as Mary Wollstonecraft's ghost
MIKE McSHANE as William Huskisson MP

Helen Arney is a science presenter and musical comedienne who has appeared in TV, radio and theatre across the world with her unique mix of stand-up, songs and science. For more information, see helenarney.com.

Mike McShane, veteran of Whose Line is it Anyway?, kindly agreed to record a cameo scream in support of Waverley Care, who provide help to people living with HIV and hepatitis in Scotland. Donations can be made at https://waverleycare.org

Script by Robin Johnson, edited by Bitter Karella, inspired by Patricia Highsmith's novel Strangers on a Train and its film adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock.

This episode takes many liberties with history, the Midnight Pals characters are not necessarily representative of the real-life authors with whom they share names (except when they are), and Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals should on no account be regarded as a historical source... but...

The story that the real Mary Shelley had sex on her mother's grave is often dismissed as myth, but happens to be surprisingly plausible—see this unrolled social media thread by the London Vagina Museum: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1588162489858117634.html
Shelley, despite centuries of historical gal-pal-ization, was certainly bisexual and probably did have an affair with Jane Williams, the widow of the man who drowned alongside Percy. See https://bi.org/en/articles/famous-bis-mary-shelley
William Huskisson, member of parliament for Liverpool, was indeed killed by the first train locomotive, Stevenson's Rocket, during a technical demonstration. He'd probably have survived if he hadn't stopped halfway across the tracks to dither over whether to go left or right, which ought to be a lesson for all politicians. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Huskisson#Death

A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e05-the-tale-of-the-strangers-on-a-train/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Midnight Society

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Arthur Conan Doyle stumbles upon the Midnight Pals' storytelling circle and reluctantly agrees to bring beloved supersleuth Sherlock Holmes back for one last, final, final case. A locked-room murder mystery turns to metafictional highjinks as the Pals are embroiled in the world of Holmes's adventures, sort of like when the holodeck malfunctions on Star Trek.

Content notes: swearing, raised voices, drug references, portrayal of psychologically abusive relationships, threats of violence, guns, discussion of death, loss, grieving and murder.

CAST

Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
HP Lovecraft/Arthur Conan Doyle — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Sherlock Holmes — LOU SUTCLIFFE
Dr Watson — CANAVAN CONNOLLY
Professor Moriarty/Ian Fleming — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Inspector Lestrade — LISELLE NIC GIOLLABHÁIN
Old-timey radio announcer — NOMI IBSEN
Raymond Chandler — DEXTER HOWARD

Script by Robin Johnson, edited by Bitter Karella, based on the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan Doyle. Production and music by Robin Johnson. Daisy McNamara was an audio consultant.

Most of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories (as well as his Professor Challenger ones) are in the public domain and can be found on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/69

A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e04-the-tale-of-sherlock-holmes/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of Dracula

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Neurotic closet-dweller Bram Stoker visits the campfire to tell his iconic vampire story. In Transylvania, hot twink Jon "Jonathan" Harker shacks up with a rich older man who wants to consume his bodily fluids. Meanwhile in England, notorious strumpet Lucy Westenra attempts to ensnare her innocent friend Mina into the dangerous and disgusting world of sex. A cautionary tale about the perils of horniness, as Bram attempts to prove once and for all that vampires are in no way sexy. Mary Shelley invites Anne Rice and Stephenie Meyer just to stir the pot.

Content notes: swearing, raised voices, violence, death, guns, gory sounds, Victorian institutionalisation of mental health patients, strong sexual content.

CAST

Edgar Allan Poe/Dracula — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley/Mina Murray — REBECCA D'SOUZA
Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Bram Stoker/Quincey Morris — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Jonathan Harker — THADDEUS STRANGE
Lucy Westenra — MARNIE WARNER
Dr Van Helsing/Dr Seward — CASSIE VULPINE
Renfield — JOHN SERRANO
Anne Rice — LORETTA CHANG
Stephenie Meyer — NOMI IBSEN
Additional voices — EMILY HANNAK, LOU SUTCLIFFE, DAVID COURT

Script by Bitter Karella, edited by Robin Johnson, based loosely on Dracula by Bram Stoker. Production by Robin Johnson. Music by Alex Rancourt, Robin Johnson and Lou Sutcliffe.

Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula is the codifying example of the vampire story in popular culture. The book is in the public domain and can be found on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/345

Stoker's completely normal letter to Walt Whitman, written on Valentine's Day of 1876, can be read at https://www.themarginalian.org/2019/01/09/bram-stoker-walt-whitman-letter/

A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e03-the-tale-of-dracula/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Tue, 7 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0000

A new candidate for the Midnight Society, insufferable San Francisco hipster Robert Louis Stevenson, attempts to impress the Pals with the story of Henry Jekyll, a Victorian psychiatrist. On the steamship home from a business trip, Jekyll's seemingly chance meeting with a certain Edward Hyde will change his perception of reality forever. In a twist so unexpected that nobody even knows it's a twist, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde turn out to be the same person! An adrenaline-fueled social satire of mischief, mayhem and soup.

Content notes: swearing, discussion of colonialism and colonial violence, mention of death, murder and cannibalism, guns, explosions, themes of mental illness and dissociative identity.

CAST

Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Robert Louis Stevenson — DEXTER HOWARD
Dr Jekyll — KARIM KRONFLI
Mr Hyde — SEAN BABAPULLE
The Major — DAVID COURT
Poole — DAISY MCNAMARA
Constable — CANAVAN CONNOLLY
Resurrection Man — BRAD BARNES
Fanny Osbourne — SENI RIVERA

Script by Robin Johnson, edited by Bitter Karella, based (very) loosely on The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson. Production and music by Robin Johnson. The sensitivity reader was Rebecca D'Souza, and Daisy McNamara was an audio consultant.

Stevenson's original novella is in the public domain, and can be found on Project Gutenberg at https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/43

A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e02-the-tale-of-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Frankenstein

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 20:13:04 +0000

Mary Shelley tells her Midnight Pals a chilling tale about a brilliant young researcher, Victor, whose arrogance leads him to pursue a deadly ambition. The experiment has been attempted by generations of mad scientists, but never successfully accomplished: the creation of a Frankenstein! Stephen King gets pedantic about terminology.

Content notes: swearing, raised voices, violence, gore, death including the murder of a child, mention of strangulation.

CAST

Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
Edgar Allan Poe/De Lacey — RODRIGO BORGES
Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON

with

Victor Frankenstein — DOMINIC RYE
The Monster — CANAVAN CONNOLLY
The Bride — BETH LINDLY
Professor Griffin — ANNA LAZAREV
Professor Waldman — BRAD BARNES
Dr Krempe — DAVID COURT
Agatha — LIETTHYS
Captain Walton — LOU SUTCLIFFE
Olaf — DEXTER HOWARD
additional voices — LORETTA CHANG, MERCEDES HESSELROTH, EVE MORRIS, ADAM ROBINSON

Episode written and produced by Robin Johnson, loosely based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and its various adaptations. Script edited by Bitter Karella. Music by Robin Johnson. Daisy McNamara was an audio consultant. Material based on existing works is used for parody and comment.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is often cited as the first science fiction novel and is certainly one of the most important and influential horror novels ever written. Shelley wrote it at the age of 18 (THAT'S LESS THAN 19) as part of a ghost-story writing competition with her pals. It has been adapted to stage and screen countless times, perhaps most notably in James Whale's 1931 film adaptation starring Boris Karloff as the trope-codifying flat-headed monster. The original novel is in the public domain and can be found on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41445

A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e01-the-tale-of-the-frankenstein/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

Midnight Snack: The Tale of the Torture Tower

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 12:20:43 +0000

It's Bram Stoker's turn at the campfire and he's brought a new story, "The Tale of The—" oh dear, we might have to do something about that title.

Content notes: Discussion of racism; human and animal death; discussion of violence and torture.

Season 1 Premiere: Our first full episode, The Tale of the Frankenstein, will release on our podcast feed on Tuesday 31st October— but there will also be a special early streamed premiere and open hangout with the cast and crew on Sunday 29th October at 5PM GMT / 1PM Eastern / 10AM Pacific. Join us on Rodrigo "Poe" Borges's twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/TheCommanderRod

CAST:

BRAM STOKER – Joel A.S. Butler
EDGAR ALLAN POE — Rodrigo Borges
CLIVE BARKER — Sister Indica
HP LOVECRAFT – Robin Johnson
MARY SHELLEY – Rebecca D'Souza
STEPHEN KING – Jason Robinson
DEAN KOONTZ — Wren Montgomery

Script, production and music by Robin Johnson, loosely adapted from The Sq**w by Bram Stoker. The Midnight Pals is created by Bitter Karella. All characters are fictitious, especially the real ones.

Bram Stoker's unfortunately named short story The Sq**w was included in his posthumously published short story collection Dracula's Guest, which can be found on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10150 (CN for explicit racism, torture, gore, and killing of humans and animals.) In adaptations it has been variously renamed Dungeon of Horror, Cat's Cradle and The Torture Tower.

HP Lovecraft's childhood cat was named either what you're thinking, or something worse.

A transcript of this teaser is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/teaser-12-bram-stoker/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

Midnight Snacks: 10 teaser mini-episodes

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0000

The main characters of Midnight Pals, plus a few regular visitors to the campfire, introduce themselves with a series of short skits based on their most popular works. A medley of midnight-snack size tales from Stephen King, Mary Shelley, HP Lovecraft, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Edgar Allan Poe and more.

This is a consolidation of ten short ‘teaser’ mini-episodes that were released prior to season 1. We’ve done this to clean up our feed and make it easier for new listeners to navigate to the full episodes, which will continue to be released weekly on Tuesdays throughout the season.

Content notes: swearing, sexual references, raised voices, threats of violence, animal death, gory noises, discussion of racism

CAST

Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D’SOUZA
HP Lovecraft/Arthur Conan Doyle — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERRY
Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES

with

Roger Corman — BITTER KARELLA
Robert Louis Stevenson — DEXTER HOWARD
Shirley Jackson — RAYNA MONTGOMERY

The script was written by Robin Johnson, based on tweets by Bitter Karella. Production and music by Robin Johnson. Daisy McNamara was an audio consultant. Liselle Nic Giollabháin was a production assistant.

TIME STAMPS

00:00 — Stephen King (The Tale of the Small Town with a Spooky Secret)
00:55 — Mary Shelley (The Tale of the Hot Monster)
- Inspired by Frankenstein, available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41445; also see our full episode The Tale of the Frankenstein
01:45 — HP Lovecraft (The Tale of the Indescribable Eldritch Abomination)
- Lovecraft’s works are available at https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/
02:30 — Dean Koontz
03:10 — Clive Barker (The Tale of the Horny Ghost)
03:55 — Edgar Allan Poe (The Tale of the Black Cat)
- Poe’s The Black Cat is included in his collected works at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2148
05:00 — Roger Corman
- Read about Roger Corman’s “Edgar Allan Poe’s The Haunted Palace” (1961) at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunted_Palace
06:45 — Robert Louis Stevenson (The Tale of the Bottle Imp)
- The Bottle Imp is included in Stevenson’s collection Island Nights’ Entertainments, available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/329
08:20 — Arthur Conan Doyle (The Tale of Sherlock Holmes)
- Doyle’s works, including many stories of Sherlock Holmes stories as well as those of Professor Challenger, are available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/69
09:40 — Shirley Jackson (The Tale of the Haunted House)
- Inspired by Jackson’s The House on Haunted Hill (1959)

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals: Season 1 trailer

Mon, 4 Sep 2023 12:23:59 +0000

Living and dead horror authors tell scary stories round the campfire in "Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals", a hilarious audio adaptation of Bitter Karella's 3x Hugo-nominated comedy-horror microfiction. For more information, see https://midnightpals.com

CAST, in order of appearance:

EDGAR ALLAN POE – Rodrigo Borges
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON – Dexter Howard
HP LOVECRAFT – Robin Johnson
BRAM STOKER – Joel A.S. Butler
JONATHAN HARKER – Thaddeus Strange
DRACULA – Rodrigo Borges
PATRICIA HIGHSMITH – Kate Davoli
STEPHEN KING – Jason Robison
MARY SHELLEY – Rebecca D'Souza
VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN – Dominic Rye
DEAN KOONTZ – Wren Montgomery
CLIVE BARKER – Sister Indica
SHE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED – Hailey Piper

Trailer edited by Robin Johnson using material from episodes written by Bitter Karella and Robin Johnson.

Find the Midnight Pals at midnightpals.com, or on twitter at @midnight_pals, or on bluesky at @midnightpals.bsky.social. Subscribe to the podcast at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com or via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast site/app of choice.

A transcript of this trailer is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/season-1-trailer/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.