Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals

Bitter Karella
  • 4.7 (55)
  • COMEDY FICTION
  • WEEKLY SERIES

Each week, a group of storytellers gathers around a campfire. There's world-weary club MC Edgar Allan Poe, nerd dad Stephen King, violent goth Mary Shelley, squid-obsessed wimp HP Lovecraft, and others. A comedy-horror semi-anthology adapted from Bitter Karella's Hugo-nominated microfiction.

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  1. EPISODE 1

    The Tale of the Hellraiser

    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 AULTEdgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGESMary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZAHP Lovecraft/Brian Jacques — ROBIN JOHNSONDean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERYStephen King — JASON ROBINSONwith  Pinhead — DAVID COURTThomas the Blue Demon — THADDEUS STRANGEHenry Wadsworth Longfellow — JOEL A.S. BUTLERRufus Wilmot Griswold — DEXTER HOWARDand special guest cat  NINJA KITTY GO as CatterinaScript 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 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

    38 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    The Tale of Little Red Riding Hood

    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 AULTEdgar Allan Poe/JRR Tolkien — RODRIGO BORGESMary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZAHP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSONDean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERYStephen King — JASON ROBINSONwith  Angela Carter/Mother — NICOLETTA GIUSEFFILittle Red Riding Hood — TENEST TANGWolf — LUPOWoodcutter — DEXTER HOWARDGrandmother — TERRI LYNNE HUDSONCS Lewis — JOEL A.S. BUTLERHans Christian Andersen — BRAD BARNESFrank Belknap Long — DAVID COURTScript 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 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

    34 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    The Tale of the Watchers

    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 MONTGOMERYClive Barker — DAVID AULTEdgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGESMary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZAHP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSONStephen King — JASON ROBINSONwith  Travis/Dario Argento — DEXTER HOWARDNora — BETH LINDLYLemuel Johnson/David DeCoteau — BRAD BARNESScientist 1 — LORETTA CHANGScientist 2 — KATE DAVOLIPriest — TERRI LYNNE HUDSONRoger Corman — BITTER KARELLACharles Band — JOEL A.S. BUTLERand special guests  THE MURDER MONKEY as itselfMULTIPLE DOGS, including REBEL, MAISIE, and various freely licensed hounds of Freesound, as EinsteinScript 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 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

    39 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    The Tale of the Interview with the Vampire

    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 AULTEdgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGESMary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZAHP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSONDean Koontz/Lestat de Lioncourt — WREN MONTGOMERYStephen King — JASON ROBINSONwith  Anne Rice — LORETTA CHANGLouis de Pointe du Lac/Percy Shelley — LOU SUTCLIFFEClaudia — MARNIE WARNERReporter — DAISY McNAMARABram Stoker — JOEL A.S. BUTLERYvette — TERRI LYNNE HUDSONAl Copeland — DEXTER HOWARDAdditional 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 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

    44 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    The Tale of Those Bullies at Clarion West

    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 AULTEdgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGESMary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZAHP Lovecraft/Michael Swanwick — ROBIN JOHNSONDean Koontz/Harlan Ellison — WREN MONTGOMERYStephen King — JASON ROBINSONwith  Frank Belknap Long — DAVID COURTAugust Derleth/Robert Silverberg — JOEL A.S. BUTLERRoger Zelazny — BRAD BARNESGreg Bear — DEXTER HOWARDScript 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   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

    28 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    The Tale of the Shadow Over Innsmouth

    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 JOHNSONClive Barker — DAVID AULTEdgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGESMary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZADean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERYStephen King — JASON ROBINSONwith  Helen Olmstead — TERRI LYNNE HUDSONMr Lillibridge — BRAD BARNESPreacher Marsh — DAISY McNAMARAHick — KATE DAVOLIBus Driver — JOEL A.S. BUTLERGilman — DEXTER HOWARDMr Pabody — TENEST TANGScript 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.  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

    25 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    The Tale of THAT

    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

    46 min

  8. SEASON 2 TRAILER

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

    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 BORGESMary Shelley—REBECCA D'SOUZAStephen King/Richard Bachman—JASON ROBINSONHP Lovecraft/Alfred Hitchcock—ROBIN JOHNSONDaphne du Maurier—JULIA DRAKEAnne Rice—LORETTA CHANGInterviewer/Mrs Danvers—DAISY McNAMARADean Koontz—WREN MONTGOMERYFBI Agent/Hans Christian Andersen—BRAD BARNESAngela Carter—NICOLETA GUISEFFILittle Red Riding Hood—TENEST TANGWolf—LUPOAudio 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.  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

    2 min

  9. BONUS

    The Tale of the Candyman

    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 Barkeralso starring  Edgar Allan Poe —  RODRIGO BORGESMary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZADean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERYStephen King — JASON ROBINSONHP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSONwith  Roger Corman — BITTER KARELLATony Todd/Candyman — DASHAWN RICKSDavid DeCoteau — BRAD BARNESGraham Masterton – DAVID COURTThis 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   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

    11 min

  10. BONUS

    Midnight Snack: The Tale of the Talented Mr Ripley

    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 AULTEdgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGESMary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZAHP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSONDean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERYStephen King — JASON ROBINSONwith  Patricia Highsmith — KATE DAVOLI"Charles Dickens" — BRAD BARNESScript, 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.  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

    7 min
See All Season 2 (10)

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4.7
out of 5
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About

Each week, a group of storytellers gathers around a campfire. There's world-weary club MC Edgar Allan Poe, nerd dad Stephen King, violent goth Mary Shelley, squid-obsessed wimp HP Lovecraft, and others. A comedy-horror semi-anthology adapted from Bitter Karella's Hugo-nominated microfiction.

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