293: Under the Pyramids

Release Date: 08/08/2024

315: Lovecraft and Art, with Kailas Elmer

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re mulling over bas-reliefs again. Once you start looking into the relationship between Lovecraft and art, the damn things are everywhere. We would say that there’s no relief from them, but that would be beneath us. Main Topic: Lovecraft and Art This episode is the first of a two-part look into the relationship between Lovecraft and art, and how this shaped the Cthulhu Mythos and Call of Cthulhu. Next episode, we’ll be flipping things around and looking for inspiration from the world of art, but here we’re examining the influence it had on Lovecraft’s life...

314: Analogue Horror, with Holly Buteau

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We’re back and we’re twiddling the tracking knob. It’s supposed to help clear up the image on this old videocassette, but maybe that’s just missing the point. The static can be the most interesting part, filled with whispers, ghosts, and ancient secrets. Compared to such wonders, the film itself is a bit disappointing. Then again, analogue horror seems to be more of a vibe than a form of storytelling, so maybe we should just let the white noise wash over us. Main Topic: Analogue Horror This episode sees us explore analogue horror, trying to work out what exactly it is and how to bring...

313: Horror in Space, with Holly Buteau

The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re and we’re answering the call of the void. Really, it’s about the scariest call you can receive, regardless of what Cthulhu may tell you. The yawning darkness of infinity shouldn’t be as tempting as it is. For all our talk about horror in space, maybe the real horror was inside us the whole time. Main Topic: Horror in Space This episode heads into the cold and the dark, exploring just what it is that makes space so scary. We talk about some of the real challenges and dangers posed by space travel and how they can amplify horror, then move on to inspirational...

312: Comedy Horror, with Evan Dorkin

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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

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310: Something Wicked This Way Comes, with Cuppycup

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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

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307: Horror For the Nervous, with Josephine McAdam

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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...

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We’re back and we’re catching up with our sleep. You think we’d be trying harder to escape, given that we’ve been tied up and lowered into the abysmal depths under the pyramids. But, no, we’re just going to nod off for a while and hope our dreams offer some useful clues. It’s how Harry Houdini himself would have handled the situation, at least when he was being written by HP Lovecraft. Now, let’s drift off again and see if we can find a way out of this labyrinth!

Main Topic: Under the Pyramids

Following last episode’s exploration of the life of Harry Houdini, we thought we’d follow up with a look at his collaboration with HP Lovecraft — “Under the Pyramids”, also known as “Imprisoned With the Pharaohs”. We spend a little more time than usual discussing the origins of the story, partly because they offer insight into the unlikely relationship between the two men, but mostly because they’re just so damn weird.

The story itself may be a minor one in Lovecraft’s canon, but we still find gaming inspiration. But, mostly, we delight in the phrase “corpse gurgle”. And why shouldn’t we?

Harry Houdini, trying to work out where that gurgling is coming from

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Matt and Paul at Necronomicon

Matt and Paul will be attending the NecronomiCon convention in Providence this month. Please do say hi if you spot them in the wild!

Main Topic: Under the Pyramids

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Matt and Paul at Necronomicon

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