332: Religious Horror, with Zach Reeves
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We’re back and we’re trying to muster up some faith. Sure, we understand that the Mythos is utterly indifferent to crucifixes and holy water, but maybe we can still find some comfort in religion. But we’re also worried that the wrong kind of belief could end up doing more harm than good, especially if it all turns a bit fanatical. Maybe religious horror is more complicated than just muttering a few prayers and hoping for the best. We haven’t got a prayer, have we? Main Topic: Religious Horror From vampire hunters wielding crucifixes to Taoist priests battling jiangshi with talismans,...
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331: Connecting Call of Cthulhu Scenarios, with Zach Reeves
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We’re back and we’re stringy Main Topic: Connecting Scenarios in Call of Cthulhu Call of Cthulhu is famous for its epic published campaigns. We’ve all played elaborate treks around the world, punching eldritch evil in the face. But what about the less formal approach where we string together often unconnected adventures into an ad hoc campaign? How do we adapt scenarios to this approach? What are some of the possible pitfalls? And are there any specific tips we’ve picked up over the years? Our Guest Host We are delighted to welcome Zach Reeves to The Good Friends of Jackson...
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330: Cryptids and Call of Cthulhu, with Paula Deming
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We’re back and we’re blurry. Sure, your camera phone might have all the pixels, but we remain resolutely out of focus. You don’t get to maintain your status as a cryptid by being discernible. Mothman would never speak to us again. And before you complain, do you really want a clear picture of the Michigan Dogman’s notorious genitals? Actually, on second thoughts, don’t answer that one. Main Topic: Cryptids and Call of Cthulhu Call of Cthulhu is full of strange creatures that live in the dark corners of the world, only occasionally encountered by unlucky humans. But how does...
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329a: Just One More Thing - sample episode
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
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329: Cthulhu and Board Games, with Paula Deming
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We’re back and we’re wiping ichor off our meeples. Cthulhu and board games can be a messy combination, but also a popular one. Cynics may tell you that this is because Cthulhu is in the public domain, so anyone can slap his tentacles on a game for a bit of brand recognition. We prefer to think the truth is more insidious than that, however. Every die roll, every card played, every token moved towards its inevitable doom is done in Cthulhu’s most terrible name, the terrible luck of the players and the curses they utter when they lose sustaining him deep beneath the waves. Plus, they’re...
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328d: The Great God Pan 4
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We are wrapping up our festive ghost story reading of “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , , , , and , and . You can find the first three parts in your podcast feed, or right here on this very server. So invoke the name of Nodens, practice your knots, and dive into Queer Street with us. , arranged by Jon Fylling, is licenced under the . If you would like to read along at home,...
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328c: The Great God Pan 3
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We are continuing our festive ghost story reading of “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , , , and , and . If you’re reading this shortly after release, you have time to join us for the conclusion at 22:30 GMT on Thursday the 18th of December. So shake the cobwebs loose with a bracing night-time walk, brush up on your Latin, and do try not to dwell on those unsettling illustrations. , arranged by...
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328b: The Great God Pan 2
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We are continuing our festive ghost story reading of “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , Brian Murphy, , , , and . If you’re reading this shortly after release, you have time to join us for part 3 at 22:30 GMT on Wednesday the 15th of December. We shall be continuing at the same time on Thursday the 18th. So put down those Chinese boxes, open up a good bottle of chianti, and listen to our tale of...
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328a: The Great God Pan 1
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
It is time once again for us to all gather around the virtual hearth for another festive ghost story reading. This year, we present “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen, a weird tale of mad science, supernatural horror, and very human revenge. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , , , , , and . If you’re reading this shortly after release, you just have time to join us for part 2 at 22:30 GMT on Tuesday the 16th of December. We shall...
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328: The Birds, with Ross Bryant
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We’re back and we’re watching the skies. You never know when some gannet might decide to kamikaze its way into your skull, or a mob of hawks take exception to your woodwork and peck it to splinters. We’ve decided to turn to two experts for advice, but their approaches don’t really mesh. Daphne du Maurier would have us hunker down and wait for the inevitable, while Alfred Hitchcock favours stalking your love interest, barely even addressing the avian threat. We’re beginning to think these so-called experts are for the birds. Main Topic: The Birds The Birds is one of Alfred...
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We’re back and we’re watching the skies. You never know when some gannet might decide to kamikaze its way into your skull, or a mob of hawks take exception to your woodwork and peck it to splinters. We’ve decided to turn to two experts for advice, but their approaches don’t really mesh. Daphne du Maurier would have us hunker down and wait for the inevitable, while Alfred Hitchcock favours stalking your love interest, barely even addressing the avian threat. We’re beginning to think these so-called experts are for the birds.
Main Topic: The Birds
The Birds is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best-loved films, and one of his few forays into outright horror. It was also one of three features that he directed based on stories by Daphne du Maurier. But just how much does the film resemble du Maurier’s story? And which version provides better inspiration for Call of Cthulhu?
Our Guest Host
We are delighted to welcome Ross Bryant back as our guest host for this episode. You may know Ross from The Improvised Shakespeare Company, Dropout TV, The Glass Cannon Network, or the many Call of Cthulhu games he and Scott have played together on Ain’t Slayed Nobody.
Most recently, Ross has launched his own podcast, called Push the Roll With Ross Bryant, where he runs fully improvised games of Call of Cthulhu, based on listener suggestions, for various friends from the worlds of comedy, improv, and tabletop gaming. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
- Daphne du Maurier
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
- Rebecca (1940)
- Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
- Jamaica Inn (1939)
- The Infernal World Of Branwell Bronte by Daphne du Maurier
- “Don’t Look Now” by Daphne du Maurier
- Don’t Look Now (1973)
- Wreckers
- Evan Hunter
- 87th Precinct
- Audition by Ryu Murakami
- Audition (1999)
- Psycho (1960)
- Psycho by Robert Bloch
- Big Little Lies
- The Birds by Frank Baker
- The Terror by Arthur Machen
- Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
- Indian ringneck
- Passenger pigeons
- The Blitz
- World War Cthulhu: London
- The Phoney War
- The Happening (2008)
- John Wyndham
- The Death of Grass by John Christopher
- The Rats by James Herbert
- Slugs by Shaun Hutson
- Crabs series by Guy N Smith
- Doomwatch
- Long Weekend (1978)
- Phase IV (1974)
- Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2008)
- Sharknado (2013)
- When the Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs
- High Anxiety (1977)
- “A Streetcar Named Marge” from The Simpsons
- Herschell Gordon Lewis
- Savage by Richard Laymon
- Mulholland Drive (2001)
News
Christmas Ghost Story Reading
Our good friend Mike Perceval-Maxwell of Mr Spike’s Bedtime Stories is once again organising our annual Christmas ghost story reading. This year, we are presenting “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen, with an exciting cast of guest readers.
The readings will take place on The Good Friends of Jackson Elias Discord server over four nights, between the 15th and 18th of December inclusive. Each reading will start at 22:30 GMT and last for 30-40 minutes.
As per previous years, we are recording these readings and releasing them on the Good Friends’ podcast feed. The first part will be going out just after this episode.
You can find our previous Christmas ghost stories below.
- “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
- “The Canterville Ghost” by Oscar Wilde
- “The Viy” by Nikolai Gogol
- “Told After Supper” by Jerome K Jerome
- “The Searcher of the End House” and “The Horse of the Invisible” by William Hope Hodgson
Blasphemous Tome Issue 14
Issue 14 of The Blasphemous Tome will be going out in early January of 2026. This bumper issue includes two new scenarios by Matt and Scott, presenting loose conceptual sequels to “A Social Responsibility” and “Blackwater Creek”.
Anyone backing us at the $5 level or higher at the end of December will receive a print copy of the Tome, signed by our own gnarled hands. Backers at the $3 level will receive a voucher for a heavily discounted print-on-demand copy, and every backer will receive the PDF.
