292: Strange NPCs - Houdini

Release Date: 07/28/2024

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re and we’re putting on our ponchos. They look a bit silly, but that works for us here. The important thing is that they’ll keep some of the gore off our clothes. Comedy horror can be a messy business, especially once you bring gardening equipment into play. We’re not sure whether to laugh or cry, so we’ll probably just scream. Main Topic: Comedy Horror This episode sees us delve into the bloody world of comedy horror, trying to pin down what makes the two genres work so well together, looking at some examples from media, and trying to work out how to perform...

311: RPGs and Fiction, with Evan Dorkin

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

310: Something Wicked This Way Comes, with Cuppycup

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

309: Theme Parks and Horror, with Cuppycup

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re learning about protein spills. What sounded like an innocent sexual innuendo has turned out to be more scatological than any of us would have liked. The unpleasant realities of theme parks are well hidden behind twee language and cute costumes. Happily, once we strip them away, we can find some good horror inspiration. Although we do wish it all smelled a bit better. Main Topic: Theme Parks and Horror This episode, we visit the topic of theme parks, amusement parks, funfairs and the like, looking for Call of Cthulhu inspiration. As with so many things rooted...

308: The Appeal of Vampires, With Josephine McAdam

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

307: Horror For the Nervous, with Josephine McAdam

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re hiding behind the sofa. Sure, the monsters, masked killers, and mutants can probably find us back here, but it still feels safer for some reason. Fear is rarely a rational thing, so why should our response to it be? Main Topic: Horror For the Nervous This episode came about when Scott was playing The Between with Josephine McAdam over on and she mentioned that she rarely watches or reads horror media because she finds it upsetting. Given how many horror projects Josephine has been involved with, this seemed like something worth exploring, so we...

306: Quatermass and the Pit

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re digging up the past. Some of this excavation is purely physical, burrowing into the clay under London in search of the usual skulls and spaceships. The rest, however, is more atavistic in nature, uncovering the strange, alien memories buried within our minds. On reflection, we probably shouldn’t have used pickaxes for both jobs. Main Topic: Quatermass and the Pit This episode is our long-overdue exploration of the strange world of Professor Bernard Quatermass, and especially the 1967 film adaptation of Quatermass and the Pit. While we’ve mentioned Nigel...

305: How to be an Investigator

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re blundering. That’s not to say that we don’t have a clue, but we’re not quite sure what to do with the handful we’ve managed to find. We’ve tried pinning them to a board and running strings between them, but the result is more abstract art than anything functional. Maybe we’ll just keep punching NPCs until one of them finally tells us what’s going on. Main Topic: How to be an Investigator This episode is our attempt to sharpen our own skills as investigators, or at least hope that others can learn from our mistakes. Scott and guest host Seth Skorkowsky...

304: Haunted Landscapes

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re digging deep. While you might expect to find ghosts in these haunted landscapes, mostly we’re unearthing history. Oh, and carcinogens. On balance, ghosts seem like the healthier option. Main Topic: Haunted Landscapes Building on last episode’s discussion of Lovecraftian horror and detective fiction explored in Heather Miller’s , we’re delving into another part of the book, which lays out the idea of haunted landscapes. The landscapes in question are haunted by the past rather than ghosts, with layers of history transforming their geography and meaning. We...

303: Call of Cthulhu and Detective Fiction

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re sifting through evidence. Being a good detective requires a keen eye for detail, an analytical mind, and a thorough knowledge of the genre. But that happens when you find yourself in a different genre than you were expecting? Is your uncanny ability to piece together disparate clues really an asset when it leads you to horrifying revelations? Maybe this new dark age thing we’ve heard about isn’t so bad after all. Main Topic: Call of Cthulhu and Detective Fiction This episode delves into the complex relationship between detective fiction and Lovecraftian horror....

More Episodes

We’re back and we’re squirming. Sure, the best way to get out of all these chains would be to have someone undo them, but where’s the fun in that? Then again, now that we’re getting lowered head first into this water tank, just being untied sounds a lot more appealing. At least it’s all less distressing than travelling everywhere by sea. That’s the real ordeal.

Main Topic: Harry Houdini

This is the latest instalment in our Strange NPCs series, offering discussions of the lives of interesting individuals from the classic ages of Call of Cthulhu, along with thoughts about how we might use them in our games. Previous subjects have included Albert Fish, Louis Wain and Edgar Cayce, as well as the various luminaries covered by our Great NPCs of History series.

This episode is an exploration of the life of legendary escape artist Harry Houdini. The word “legendary” is particularly apt with Houdini, as the myths he and others created about him make the truth difficult to ascertain sometimes. This probably makes him a more interesting candidate for games, however, as everything about him is woven in stories.

As many listeners almost certainly know, there is a direct connection between Houdini and Lovecraft, but we shall delve into that next episode as we head “Under the Pyramids”.

News

Big Changes for the Podcast

After 11 years of co-hosting the podcast, Paul is stepping down after the release of episode 300. While this does mean big changes ahead, The Good Friends of Jackson Elias will continue. Matt and Scott have invited an exciting series of guest hosts to keep Paul’s seat occupied, bringing their own special area of expertise to the discussions. We shall announce the first of them soon, once we have a few recordings in the can.

Paul at Gen Con

Paul will be attending Gen Con 2024 as part of the Chaosium presence. Seek him and the rest of the team out on booth 511 or in room 134, off the Hoosier Concourse, or at any of the events in which he is participating. These include the scenario writing seminar and workshop, with Mike Mason, and a game with You Too Can Cthulhu. The Good Time Society will also be running some Call of Cthulhu, and our good friends from the HP Lovecraft Historical Society will be showing their film adaptation of The Call of Cthulhu.

“Getting the Band Back Together” at Gen Con

If you are attending Gen Con, do try to check out the live 1920s Call of Cthulhu game from Glass Cannon, running at 3 PM on the Friday. This will be based on a new scenario written by Scott, called “Getting the Band Back Together”, and run by Troy Lavallee for an all-star cast. Tickets are still available at the time of posting, but they are going quickly.

Matt Running Heaven & Earth for RPG Reanimators

Matt recently ran an actual play of Heaven & Earth for the crew at RPG Reanimators, appropriately enough by resurrecting one of his old convention scenarios. Join a bunch of hapless mafiosi as they track through weird woodland in search of a frog pond.

Main Topic: Harry Houdini

Links

News

Big Changes for the Podcast

Paul at Gen Con

“Getting the Band Back Together” at Gen Con

Matt Running Heaven & Earth for RPG Reanimators

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