The Porcupine Presents ...

The Porcupine
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  • Arts
  • Biweekly

The Porcupine Presents... is a curated audio cabinet of wonders: absurdist original comedy like The World’s Worst Docent series, classic golden-age radio dramas, and smart, salty commentary from your spiky host. Whether it’s a baffling museum tour or a suspenseful tale from 1947, each episode pokes at the strange edges of history, storytelling, and human folly—with affection and bite. Tune in for vintage weirdness, contemporary satire, and the occasional emotional sucker punch. You never quite know what you’ll get—but it’ll be lovingly crafted and unexpectedly sharp.

  1. 19h ago

    Help I’ve Been Kidnapped by Three Bat-Shit Crazy Women in a Crappy Ford Contour | 6: “Weirdness”

    A nostalgic American road trip audio memoir — where the strangest stories are the ones that actually happened. Help, I've Been Kidnapped by Three Batshit Crazy Women in a Crappy Ford Contour – Episode 6: "Weirdness" As the Contour rolls deeper into Oklahoma and Texas, ordinary moments become unexpectedly unforgettable. A harmless family expression reveals surprising origins, a simple grocery run descends into social catastrophe, and a series of delightfully peculiar museums reminds us that even the most ordinary objects can tell extraordinary stories. Along the way, Corie discovers that weirdness often depends on perspective. What seems perfectly sensible to one generation can be deeply bewildering to another, and sometimes the oddest roadside attractions preserve the forgotten inventions that quietly shaped American history. Blending humor, Americana, memoir, and affectionate family storytelling, “Weirdness” explores why every family develops its own customs, sayings, and logic—and why those wonderfully peculiar moments are often the ones we remember longest. Released twice monthly on The Porcupine Presents. Originally aired: November 2026 Approx. runtime: 24 minutes Website: theporcupinepresents.com

  2. 3d ago

    They Hit It Where? | Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator - “Microfilm in the Fishtank” (1951)

    A classic hardboiled detective thriller from the golden age of radio — plus bonus commentary and trivia after the show. Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator – “Microfilm in the Fishtank” (1951) Step back into the golden age of radio with Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator, the fast-talking noir detective series starring William Gargan as a wisecracking New York private eye with a talent for finding trouble. In this 1951 episode, “Microfilm in the Fishtank,” a frightened tailor targeted by a protection racket turns to Barrie Craig for help — launching a dangerous investigation involving arson, murder, fake dentists, organized crime, and hidden microfilm records disguised as dental X-rays. After the broadcast, stay tuned for bonus commentary and behind-the-scenes trivia — including how Barrie Craig balanced noir danger with humor, why William Gargan’s relaxed performance made the character stand out among radio detectives, and how postwar crime fiction became fascinated with hidden records, microfilm, and increasingly sophisticated organized crime networks. Originally aired: October 24, 1951 Approx. runtime: 38 minutes Website: theporcupinepresents.com

  3. 5d ago ·  Bonus

    Bonus: A Vampiric Orson Welles | Mercury Theater on the Air - “Dracula” (1938)

    A legendary gothic horror broadcast from the golden age of radio — plus bonus commentary and analysis after the show. Mercury Theatre on the Air – “Dracula” (1938) For this special Halloween bonus episode, step into the shadows with Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air as they bring Bram Stoker’s Dracula to life in one of the most atmospheric and influential horror productions ever broadcast on radio. First aired in 1938, this chilling adaptation transforms the classic vampire tale into a dreamlike journey through fog-shrouded castles, wolf-haunted mountain passes, storm-tossed ships, lonely graveyards, and the creeping terror of something ancient and immortal stalking the night. Featuring Orson Welles as Count Dracula, this landmark production showcases the Mercury Theatre’s groundbreaking blend of cinematic sound design, psychological horror, gothic atmosphere, and experimental storytelling — years before Citizen Kane and only weeks before the infamous War of the Worlds broadcast would make Welles a national sensation. After the broadcast, stay tuned for bonus commentary and behind-the-scenes analysis as we explore why Dracula works so perfectly as radio horror, how the Mercury Theatre revolutionized dramatic broadcasting, and why this nearly century-old production still feels eerie, elegant, and unsettling today. Originally aired: July 11, 1938 Approx. runtime: 1 hour, 5 minutes Website: theporcupinepresents.com

  4. Oct 29

    The Recorder Never Stopped Running | Suspense - “Ghost Hunt” (1949)

    A classic haunted-house thriller from the golden age of radio — plus bonus commentary and trivia after the show. Suspense – “Ghost Hunt” (1949) Step back into the golden age of radio with Suspense, the legendary anthology series devoted to psychological terror, mystery, and nerve-rattling storytelling. In this 1949 episode, “Ghost Hunt,” wisecracking radio personality Smiley Smith spends the night in a supposedly haunted cliffside house as part of a publicity stunt — recording the entire experience live onto wire recorder as strange sounds, growing paranoia, and mounting terror slowly transform the evening into a nightmare. After the broadcast, stay tuned for bonus commentary and behind-the-scenes trivia — including how “Ghost Hunt” pioneered the “found recording” style decades before modern horror films, why Ralph Edwards’ casual performance makes the story feel disturbingly real, and how the episode turns sound, loneliness, and suggestion into one of old-time radio’s greatest psychological horror experiences. Originally aired: June 23, 1949 Approx. runtime: 30 minutes Website: theporcupinepresents.com

  5. Oct 26

    Tomorrow Is June 15th Again | X Minus 1 - “Tunnel Under the World” (1956)

    A classic dystopian sci-fi thriller from the golden age of radio — plus bonus commentary and trivia after the show. X Minus One – “Tunnel Under the World” (1956) Step back into the golden age of radio with X Minus One, the landmark science fiction anthology series that transformed futuristic storytelling into psychological suspense and existential horror. In this 1956 episode, “Tunnel Under the World,” an ordinary businessman awakens from a terrifying dream only to discover that the same day appears to be repeating itself over and over again — while strange advertisements, missing people, and hidden tunnels hint at a horrifying truth beneath his seemingly ordinary town. After the broadcast, stay tuned for bonus commentary and behind-the-scenes trivia — including how the episode anticipated modern fears about targeted advertising and behavioral manipulation, why 1950s science fiction became obsessed with conformity and manufactured reality, and how Frederik Pohl transformed consumer culture into one of old-time radio’s most unsettling dystopian nightmares. Originally aired: March 14, 1956Approx. runtime: 37 minutesWebsite: theporcupinepresents.com

  6. Oct 22

    Nightmares for Sale | The Shadow - “The Man Who Dreamed Too Much” (1944)

    A classic pulp horror thriller from the golden age of radio — plus bonus commentary and trivia after the show. The Shadow – “The Man Who Dreamed Too Much” (1944) Step back into the golden age of radio with The Shadow, the legendary crime-fantasy series where Lamont Cranston wages war against the forces of evil from the darkness itself. In this 1944 episode, “The Man Who Dreamed Too Much,” a wealthy man becomes trapped in a cycle of terrifying nightmares after receiving extortion demands from a sinister figure known only as “Dr. Nightmare” — forcing The Shadow to investigate a bizarre case where sleep itself has become deadly. After the broadcast, stay tuned for bonus commentary and behind-the-scenes trivia — including how The Shadow blended horror with pulp detective fiction, why wartime audiences were fascinated by invisible psychological manipulation, and how the episode uses dreams, sound, and paranoia to create one of radio’s strangest psychological thrillers. Originally aired: November 19, 1944Approx. runtime: 39 minutesWebsite: theporcupinepresents.com

  7. Oct 19

    Help I’ve Been Kidnapped by Three Bat-Shit Crazy Women in a Crappy Ford Contour | 5: “Chaos & Control”

    A nostalgic American road trip audio memoir — where getting lost reveals far more than the map ever could. Help, I've Been Kidnapped by Three Batshit Crazy Women in a Crappy Ford Contour – Episode 5: "Chaos & Control" As the family leaves St. Louis behind and begins following the fractured remnants of historic Route 66 through Missouri, what should have been a straightforward drive quickly descends into navigational confusion. Wrong turns, contradictory road signs, paper maps, and more than one memorable "Turn around, Jackie!" transform the Mother Road into a comedy of uncertainty. But beneath the laughter lies a deeper story. Why did Corie desperately want every mile to make sense while his grandmother Jackie remained perfectly at ease with the unexpected? Through family history, childhood memories, and one remarkably philosophical road trip, "Chaos & Control" explores how two generations learned very different lessons about uncertainty, resilience, and what it really means to find your way. Along the way, the family debates local restaurants before Yelp existed, encounters questionable Missouri gas station cuisine, discovers that turkey sandwiches aren't as easy to escape as hoped, and learns that sometimes the greatest travel companion isn't a perfect map... ...it's someone who simply reminds you: "We gotta come out somewhere." Blending humor, memoir, Americana, and thoughtful reflection, this episode explores why getting lost can sometimes tell us more about ourselves than ever reaching the destination. Released twice monthly on The Porcupine Presents. Originally aired: October 2026 Approx. runtime: 21 minutes Website: theporcupinepresents.com

  8. Oct 15

    Don’t Trust the Mannequins | Escape - “Evening Primrose” (1947)

    A classic psychological horror tale from the golden age of radio — plus bonus commentary and trivia after the show. Escape – “Evening Primrose” (1947) Step back into the golden age of radio with Escape, the legendary anthology series devoted to danger, paranoia, adventure, and the strange corners of the human imagination. In this 1947 episode, “Evening Primrose,” a struggling poet abandons ordinary society and secretly takes up residence inside a giant department store after closing time — only to discover that an entire hidden society already lives there in the darkness among the mannequins and display windows. After the broadcast, stay tuned for bonus commentary and behind-the-scenes trivia — including how department stores became dreamlike spaces in twentieth-century fiction, why “Evening Primrose” remains one of old-time radio’s most unsettling urban fantasies, and how the episode transforms loneliness, escapism, and consumer culture into existential horror. Originally aired: November 5, 1947Approx. runtime: 39 minutesWebsite: theporcupinepresents.com

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About

The Porcupine Presents... is a curated audio cabinet of wonders: absurdist original comedy like The World’s Worst Docent series, classic golden-age radio dramas, and smart, salty commentary from your spiky host. Whether it’s a baffling museum tour or a suspenseful tale from 1947, each episode pokes at the strange edges of history, storytelling, and human folly—with affection and bite. Tune in for vintage weirdness, contemporary satire, and the occasional emotional sucker punch. You never quite know what you’ll get—but it’ll be lovingly crafted and unexpectedly sharp.

Information

  • Creator
    The Porcupine
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    178
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Porcupine
  • Show Website
    The Porcupine Presents ...