Rish Outcast 2: Subtext

As promised/threatened, here is the first "actual" episode of my solo podcast, essentially designed for me to read one of my stories, then talk about it. It's basically a much more stripped-down version of The Podcast That Dares Not Speak Its Name, which has two more forthcoming episodes, but since I haven't worked on them since February (or earlier), they are distantly forthcoming.

In this episode of the Outcast, I present the extended, full version of my story "Subtext," about the text messages from a dead girl's phone. It has been seen, here and there, in a 500 word edit.

Afterward, I talk about the tale, its point, and the one champion of it over the years.

Right click HERE to download the episode, select Save Link As, and save the file to your hard drive.

Worst Marathon Ever 13: Answering Listener Questions (Part III)

All worst things must come to an end, kids, and to finish up this daily drudgery, Big and Rish answer the rest of their listener questions. Have a nice nap afterward, okay?



Right click HERE to download the episode, select Save Link As, and save the file to your hard drive.

Worst Marathon Ever 12: The Ever-Inspiring Fat Man

In a new, exciting environment, Rish tells Big about the last panel he went to, that of Kevin Smith's Q&A.  Was he excited and inspired like he was in 2011, or depressed like he was in 2012?  Which are you?



Right click HERE to download the episode, select Save Link As, and save the file to your hard drive.

Worst Marathon Evah 11: Future Home of the Dunesteef

In this episode, we change it up a bit, as Big sneaks Rish into what will someday be his new house.  They sit down on the floor of what will be the Dunesteef's new HQ, the currently unoccupied study, and talk about the new house. 

Warning: Midnight lawnmowing.



Right click HERE to download the episode, select Save Link As, and save the file to your hard drive.

Rish's story "White House Tour" in the Masters of the Macabre contest

Wow, this week has been pretty amazing for links to stories and readings.  And my man-crush Ben Affleck got cast as Batman too.  I really must have pleased the Fates somehow.  Next, Disney will announce they've changed their the title of FROZEN back to THE SNOW QUEEN.  Or at least LEE DANIEL'S FROZEN, BASED ON THE BOOK THE SNOW QUEEN WRITTEN BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON.  Either one is better.

So, as you probably know, every year I enter the "Masters of the Macabre" contest over at the Horror Addicts website.  It's a short story contest wherein there’s an overall topic, and specific details given to each participant. 

This is the third one I've done, and its theme was Hauntings, a subject fraught with Horror possibilities.  They gave me the location of The White House, and an instruction to put An Unopened Letter From 1842 in there.  It could only be ten minutes long, so I figured the tale had to be pretty simplistic.  I thought I’d write about a paranormal investigator, or a ghost expert, who goes to the White House to see if there’s any truth to the haunting stories there.
 
I stayed up one night researching the haunting of the White House, and it turns out people way back in the 1800’s claimed to see or hear ghosts there, and various Presidents and civilians have been sighted there ever since. 

But because the story had to be so short, I ignored the tale I was going to write, and simply summed up the character's backstory.  As a boy of ten, he went on a White House tour, and heard about the ghostly sightings.  Even that was hard to sum up in ten minutes.   

I recorded the story, which I creatively called "White House Tour," and once again had my niece voice the part of a kid (I honestly don't know if that makes the listening experience better or worse, but I like it when kids are used instead of adults).  Even that version ended up a couple of minutes too long, but I managed to get it (right around) the correct length.

Here's the link to the aired episode: http://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/horroraddicts-net-093-masters-of-macabre-contest/
 
In a recent That Gets My Goat, I spoke to Big about missing the deadline for submitting this tale, and how it was the sort of stupid mistake I've made all my life, but it turns out there weren't a lot of participants in this year's contest, and they extended the deadline for a few days, so everyone could get theirs in. 

Everyone, in the end, turned out to be three.
 
They've also included the text of the story at this link: http://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/2013/08/24/mmm-contestant-1-rish-outfield/.  If you prefer to read it, there it is, all for free.  All for you, Damien.
 

Rish Outfield, Addict
 
P.S. I did a lengthy write-up about this year's contest a month or two back, which you can check out on my personal blog (if you like).  There I talk about the process and tell you what I really think of the story I wrote (on second thought, maybe you shouldn't check it out).  In there, I said I wouldn't ask our fans to vote for me, and I'm doing the same here.  But I am asking them to go over there, listen to the three stories, and have a good time.  All the stories are short, and feel free to vote for your favorite.  It's your right as an Earthman or woman.

Worst Marathon Ever 10: A Simply Marvelous Panel

Wow, we've got to be be nearing the end of this, don't we?  Rish talks (and gets interrupted) about the Marvel Studios panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2013.



Right click HERE to download the episode, select Save Link As, and save the file to your hard drive.

Rish & Big Perform "Call of the Pancake Factory" on the Drabblecast

After a lengthy absence, Norm over at the Drabblecast recently bribed us to narrate a story for his show.  I would've done it for nothing, and for a crappy story, but the tale, "The Call of the Pancake Factory" by Ken Liu, turned out to be a blast.

It's part of his Lovecraft month, and tells of a representative of a very famous theme park who encounters cultists with a very unique theme park of their own.  It's clever, funny, and did not go where I expected it to.  It also marks the first recording we've made since Big entered his Homeless phase.*

Thanks to Norm Sherman for the invitation, and thanks to you, loyal listener of strange stories (for the invitation to crash on your couch).  Check the episode out here.

I can't guarantee you'll enjoy it as much as I did, but if you don't . . . I'll refund your money.

Rish 'n Big n' A.M.

*And, it turns out, it is also the last recording we made before Rish entered his Nudist phase.