Are You Afraid of the Dark Universe?

You've heard us say it before and it's never been more true than it is now: This is the wildest guest pitch we've ever heard. Rax King and Amber Rollo, the hosts of Low Culture Boil, have reimagined the 2011 Edgar Wright film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World as an X-rated bloodbath slasher movie starring a certain very large six-time world champion professional wrestler. How will this new interpretation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels honor its legacy as a genre-mashing transmedia personal critique that went over the head of roughly half of its audience? Listen here to find out! Our partner podcast this week is 52 Pickup! 52 Pickup is a podcast about the strange and wonderful DC Comics series 52. Every other week, join Gita Jackson of Aftermath and Alex Jaffe of the podcast Insert Credit as we take you on an issue-by-issue journey through a comic book series that explains everything about the DC universe, if you only look hard enough.

It's the stunning conclusion of our giant-sized action-horror blockbuster, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Will Victor Frankenstein be able to reconcile with his resurrected son? What will become of Esmeralda? And, crucially, WHO WAS IN THE BATHROOM? These questions will be answered, plus a lot that you probably didn't have about Dylan's chaotic writing process vs. Dalton's more orderly and functional one. PLUS: The hosts get into their most heated argument ever, which will have lasting repercussions on the future of the Dark Universe! 00:00:00 - Start   00:22:14 - Act Two Part Two   00:33:29 - Elsa Discussion   00:35:25 - Act Two Part Two Continued   00:37:26 - THE GREAT ESMERALDA DEBATE   00:46:45 - Act Two Part Two Continued   00:48:21 - THE GREAT ESMERALDA DEBATE CONTINUED   00:55:39 - Act Three   01:18:28 - Mid-Credits Scene   01:19:55 - Post-Credits Scene   01:23:52 - Discussion   01:24:55 - Reshoots   01:36:20 - Discussion

A pitch too big for one episode! Dylan's brought in a whopping 80-page script for his half of the House of Frankenstein duology, The Hunchback of Notre Dame! How will he connect this massive Victor Hugo novel with the mythology of Frankenstein? How accurate are the fan predictions? Will the seeds planted by Dalton in A Native American Werewolf in Paris bear fruit? Find out now, and stay tuned for PART TWO in seven days! Our podcast partner this week is the sci-fi/fantasy book podcast Shit We’ve Read. Think of them as your friendly, neighborhood online book club. Each month, Laura Benson, Jason Rico, and Bella Romero (with the occasional guest host) will read a new book, then discuss it in an episode. 00:00:00 - Start   00:05:43 - Fan Expectations   00:21:59 - Director Choice   00:23:33 - Prologue   00:27:24 - Act One   01:03:40 - Discussion   01:13:52 - Act Two Part One   01:39:01 - Discussion

Comics artist Ramon Villalobos joins our devilish hosts to discuss what might be the worst movie we've ever had to watch for this show, "The Mad Ghoul," a creature feature so forgettable that Universal didn't bother renewing the copyright. Can this rowdy trio salvage a potentially ripe concept into a movie that belongs in our Dark Universe? Can they do it without saying anything inflammatory and losing half their audience? Only one way to find out. Our partner podcast this week is Left Trigger Right Trigger, your video game book club where the hosts discuss games centering around a new theme every week.

At long last, it's Dalton's first solo pitch of Phase Three and the first half of our loose "House of Frankenstein" duology: A Native American Werewolf in Paris! Dalton's all about fulfilling the promise of the premise, so how will they make this story appropriately wolfy, thoroughly Parisian, and respectful towards Gwen's indiginous heritage without overstepping their bounds as a white storyteller? For one thing, Dalton has curated a playlist of songs from Native artists that would be included on the soundtrack, which you can listen to on Apple Music or Spotify. (Don't try to play it overtop of the episode, though - Dylan scored over all of those sections with music evoking the vibes of the suggested songs.) How will Gwen's story play out now that it's in the hands of a different co-host? What kind of traps or trampolines will Dalton lay out for Dylan to use when he picks up the "House of Frankenstein" story in The Hunchback of Notre Dame? Only one way to find out. Our partner podcast this week is Finding Monster Right, where hosts Adam and Allie answer questions you've never asked about monsters from folklore, pop culture, and our own world. 00:00:00 - Start   00:03:18 - Fan Expectations   00:14:01 - Dalton’s Preamble   00:17:58 - Director Choice   00:21:47 - Act One   00:54:07 - Discussion   01:05:50 - Act Two Part One   01:22:37 - Discussion   01:27:39 - Act Two Part Two   01:50:12 - Discussion   01:57:42 - Act Three   02:12:02 - Mid-Credits Scene   02:13:00 - Post-Credits Scene   02:15:28 - Discussion  

It's the Dark Universe's first ongoing TV series pitch! Our hosts are joined by Joseph Fink, the legendary co-creator of Welcome to Night Vale, to workshop a new take on the 1985 sports comedy Teen Wolf! Note that we didn't call it a horror-comedy, and that we're sort of calling it a comedy under protest. (We don't like it very much!) How much inspiration will it take from the original Michael J. Fox vehicle? Will it have anything to do with the popular MTV show? What percentage of the episode will be spent talking about Buffy the Vampire Slayer? There's only one way to find out. Our podcast partner for this episode is The Mirror Universe Star Trek Podcast, a thoughtful program in which an Australian and a Canadian have a conversation about Star Trek: what we think it is, how it's evolved over the years, and how it reflects our culture...like a mirror. Dylan has basically joined the panel for this show at this point, so check it out!

Because we don't know how not to do shit like this: It's The Dark Universe Holiday Special, a full-script, full-cast episode featuring our entire surviving Dark Legion! What do we have in store for this short, semi-canonical installment in the Death's Door Saga? How silly will we get? Will we be parodying a beloved holiday classic? Which of our heroes will learn the true meaning of Christmas? We address the many terrific predictions from our fan community, which, thank goodness, are mostly incorrect, and take you page-by-page through our creative process for this sweet little treat of an episode. Our partner podcast this week is actually not a podcast, but a crowdfunding effort for a sci-fi short film, Anomaly! Directed by our friend Andy Webb and starring Evan Evagora (Star Trek: Picard) and Zoe Cipres (Roswell, New Mexico), Anomaly is a story about relationships and obsession, combining the look and tone of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The X-Files. SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR CAST Ella Dawson (Jennifer Halsey) is an author and sex and culture critic. Her book The Reunion is coming soon from Dutton Books. She's on Twitter @brosandprose. Gita Jackson (Evelyn O’Connell) is a freelance journalist and critic whose work can be found at Motherboard, Kotaku, GQ, Polygon, and more. They're @xoxogossipgita across social media. Jo Kroger (Cassie Falk) is a New York-based singer songwriter who has toured all across the US and Western Europe. She is also one of the voices of the viral parody band The B-69s. Rachel Millman (Gwen Conliffe) is a writer, social media editor, and the co-host of the delightful wrestling podcast Wrestlesplania. She's on social media @rachelmillman. Steph Salo (Carol Laemmle) is an extremely chill homie and her posts are for homies only. Joe Stando (Jack Griffin) is a midwestern folk hero in New York City, a snappy dresser, and general bon vivant. He's on Twitter @depechejoe and on Instagram @joestando. Kendra Wells (Hunter Marin) is a writer and artist best known for their work on the graphic novels Real Hero Shit and Tell No Tales, and on the D20 liveplay podcast. They are on most social media @kendrawcandraw. MUSIC "New Traditions" by Dalton Deschain & the Traveling Show "Great Shot, Kid!" by No Jersey (previously released by The Hell Yeah Babies) The piano track for the big singalong is by Sing2Piano karaoke instrumentals Everything else is Dylan goofin' off at his keyboard as per usual. 00:00:00 - Start   00:20:16 - The Dark Universe Holiday Special   01:00:10 - Discussion

Because you demanded it: The time has come at last to introduce our Dark Universe's take on the beloved classic, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein! Fans have speculated for the past year how AYADU might incorporate this concept into our ongoing narrative. Will we cast new actors as Abbott & Costello's characters? Will we select a modern comedy duo to goof off with our monster cast? Luckily for us, we don't have to decide, and we've passed that weighty task on to comedian and illustrator Branson Reese, creator of Swan Boy and Rude Tales of Magic! Branson joins us to share his expertise on vintage comedy and his unpredictable new take on the Abbott & Costello monster movie! Our partner podcast this week is 52 Pickup! 52 Pickup is a podcast about the strange and wonderful DC Comics series 52. Every other week, join Gita Jackson of Aftermath and Alex Jaffe of the podcast Insert Credit as we take you on an issue-by-issue journey through a comic book series that explains everything about the DC universe, if you only look hard enough.  

Phase Three is officially in full swing! For the first canon pitch of the season, Dylan takes up the reins of our Mummy franchise, creating a new adventure starring both Nick Morton and Evelyn O'Connell that will change the shape of the Dark Universe forever. What awaits on the other side of Heaven's Gate? How has the world changed since the events of The Mummy's Hand? And what the hell does any of this have to do with The Matrix? Find out in this colossal new episode. Today's partner podcast is Comics-Coffee-Metal, a conversation with creatives about and around Comics, Coffee, and Heavy Metal music. Hosted by Don Cardenas. Check out Dalton & Dylan's appearance in Episode #123, available wherever you stream Are You Afraid of the Dark Universe. 00:00:00 - Start   00:07:44 - Fan Expectations   00:15:15 - Director Choice   00:17:04 - Prologue   00:22:12 - Act One   00:32:00 - Discussion   00:38:20 - Act One Continued   01:01:47 - Discussion   01:08:38 - Act Two   01:21:38 - Discussion   01:27:44 - Act Two Continued   01:35:35 - Discussion   01:41:14 - Act Two Continued   01:48:30 - Discussion   01:53:29 - Act Three   02:07:23 - Mid-Credits Scene   02:08:23 - Post-Credits Scene   02:11:38 - Discussion

Our first guest pitch of Phase Three is a departure from our usual creature feature; It's a bleak 1970s sci-fi thriller, but one that definitely still qualifies as a monster movie. Open your mind to the terror of Colossus: The Forbin Project, a forgotten gem about a surprisingly sassy artificial intelligence, dug up by journalist Gita Jackson. What does Gita have in store for their fresh take on Colossus, and can D&D find a way to fit it into the Dark Universe canon? Our partner podcast this week is Left Trigger Right Trigger, your video game book club where the hosts discuss games centering around a new theme every week.