Biography:

Cranor is from New York, as is Fink. Both are strictly secretive.

And here is what Cranor has to say for himself (Taken from his alumni page of his old theater troupe The NY Neo-Futurists):

“In the first paragraph, Jeffrey tells you a bit about himself: where he grew up, why he’s here, what living in New York is like. It’s not dissimilar to the traditional journalistic lede (5 Ws and an H).

Next, he delves into some of his previous stage experience and then follows that up with a witty quip befitting a tongue-in-cheek bio.

This part of the bio the longest and most detailed.

Finally, Jeffrey wraps it all up with a neat button that covertly encourages you to see Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind.”

The two met in 2008, shortly after Fink moved to New York, after seeing a performance Cranor did for the NY Neo-Futurists. In the piece, Cranor reveals that he burned a book. Fink approached him afterwards to tell him that the piece was “immoral because there was no reason to ever burn a book”. They became friends instantly. They wrote a play about time travel together before deciding to create a podcast.

 

They knew that they didn’t want it to be like any other podcast and eventually Fink created the idea of “a town were conspiracy theories are real and people just have to go on with their lives.” This idea blossomed into what is now Welcome to Night Vale.

 

Works:

-They are most known for their podcast, Welcome to Night vale, which is a fictional community radio station for a fake town in the middle of the desert.

-Two novels have been written by the pair, both extensions of the podcast. (Welcome to Night vale and It Devours!) As well as two transcript books that contain the scripts for each episode. Two more of those are coming out in May.

-Multiple touring live shows have also been produced, which feature the voice cast performing the podcast on stage and they are all available on iTunes. A usual podcast episode from them is about 25-30 minutes while a live show can be up to an hour and a half. We actually saw one of them live last year because they came to Calgary.

– They each have some individual projects as well; such as Within the Wires (Jeffrey Cranor) and Alice Isn’t Dead (Joseph Fink) but we won’t really go into those. We’re going to focus on what they create together.

Advice to other writers:

Jeffrey: I’ll say this: Night Vale doesn’t pay at all. Maybe it will some day, but it’s already been way more rewarding than I expected it would be.  Night Vale‘s been exactly the sort of thing I’ve been wanting to write for a long time.  I just didn’t know it. I will probably want to write more things sometimes and less things other times, but getting to write for a show you really like and to hear that other people also like it is a real blessing.

Joseph: I’ll agree with that.  Getting messages from people saying “Hey, I like this. This meant something to me.” is one of the most amazing feelings in the world.  And Night Vale is just a joy to put together, even when it’s difficult or stressful.

Finally, I’ll say this: I think right now is the best time in history to be an artist of any kind. It’s not the easiest time.  It’s not the most lucrative time. But it’s the best time. You can do any kind of art you want without filters and distribute it to anywhere in the world in seconds.

So find someone you enjoy working with.  Find something you enjoy working on. Treat each other with respect.  And see if something cool happens. It might.

 

Typicality:

-Deep Lovecraftian Overtones. However where Lovecraft used his brand of cosmic horror to justify hatred of the “other” (ex. His xenophobia), Night vale is designed to make the “other” less intimidating. (See Glow Cloud that is on the PTA board)

-Direct audience address (Dear Listeners). It is styled after old radio broadcasts. Mostly told in 1st person (Like a monologue) but there are a few episodes told in 2nd person (A Story About You.)

-Diverse characters, as well as characters with no set design.

-Paradoxes          

-Repetition

-Hyperbole

-Running Jokes (Names, Interns,etc.)

-Glibness

Glibness is defined as a state of being talkative in a smooth, almost insincere way. The fast, easy, smooth talk of a used car salesman is an example of glibness.

Typicalities Cont.:

Genres:                                                       

-Fiction                                                          

-Psychological Horror/Regular Horror     

-Dark Comedy                                                

-Science Fiction      

Themes:   

-Existentialism

  -Humanity

  -Love     

-Conspiracies

-paranoia

-LGBTQ       

Example of work:

Cut video after “This message brought to you by the City Council”

Analysis:

(Repetition throughout)

And now a message from our sponsors. (Parody)

I took a walk on the cool sand dunes (specifically of consumerism), brittle grass overgrown, and above me in the night sky above me I saw. Bitter taste of unripe peaches and a smell I could not place nor could I escape.(Unique description mixed with comparison)

I remembered other times that I could not escape. I remembered other smells.

The moon slunk like a wounded animal.(Consistent use of personification) The world spun like it had lost control.

Concentrate only on breathing, and let go of ideas you had about nutrition and alarm clocks.

I took a walk on the cool sand dunes, brittle grass overgrown, and above me in the night sky above me I saw.(cliff hanger)

This message was brought to you by Coca Cola.(Anti-consumerist message)

The City Council, in cooperation with government agents from a vague yet menacing agency (Government criticism), is asking all citizens to stop by the Night Vale Elementary School gymnasium tonight at 7:00 (mundanity juxtaposed with absurdity) for a brief questionnaire about mysterious sights that definitely no one saw and strange thoughts that in no way occurred to anyone. Because all of us are normal, and to be otherwise would make us outcasts from our own community.

Remember: if you see something, say nothing. And drink to forget. (manipulation of classic sayings)

The Boy Scouts of Night Vale have announced some slight changes to their hierarchy, which will now be the following: Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Eagle Scout, Blood Pact Scout, Weird Scout, Dreadnought Scout, Dark Scout, Fear Scout, and finally, Eternal Scout. (Extensive lists)

As always, sign-up is automatic and random, so please keep an eye out for the scarlet envelope that will let you know your son has been chosen for the process.

This is probably nothing listeners, but John Peters – you know, the farmer (repetition) – he reports that the Glow Cloud (Emblematic of old Lovecraft creatures, think Cthulhu) is directly over Old Town Night Vale, and appears to be raining small creatures upon the earth. Armadillos, lizards, a few crows, (Absurdist, parody of “raining cats and dogs”) that kind of thing.

Fortunately, the animals appear to be dead already,(Morbid humour disguised as normality) so the Night Vale Animal Control Department has said that it should be a snap to clean those up.(Glibness) They just have to be tossed on the eternal animal pyre (Seemingly insane notions are reality) in Mission Grove Park, so, if that’s the worst the Glow Cloud has for us, I say go ahead and do your daily errands. Just bring along a good strong umbrella capable of handling falling animals up to, say, ten pounds.(Acceptance of insanity)

More on the Glow Cloud as it continues to crawl across our sky.(Continuation, parody of news broadcast)

Emulation:

And now, a word from our sponsor.

You cannot see. You grope around wildly as your footing is also unstable. You feel a thin liquid filling your shoes. It is not water; you can tell.

A pungent smell of brine, or anxiety. Your hands strike something solid. A wall, you think. It is soft, leathery, but also wet. You keep your hands to the surface and it is moving in and out, like it is breathing. No. More like…spasms.

You hear a dull rumble from above; a gurgle from below. You still see nothing.

The walls jerk back, quickly. You lose your balance and slide down to the floor, which is the same surface, but now the liquid is sloshing past you. Something grabs your leg. Something is grabbing your leg! You are being pulled down!

You cannot see which way. Madness!

Which way, madness?

You scream, but no sound comes from your stubborn lips, your impudent throat.

You reach…for what, you do not know. Only that you reach.

A blinding flash, a moment of understanding. You are in an empty storeroom, tied to a chair. There are others, but they are hooded and limp.

You recall this living nightmare. You take comfort in its familiar pain.

You smell fermentation and can hear a dull, unending beeping. Someone shouts in a language you do not know. You love your family. You love them!

Welcome to Red Lobster. Come see what’s fresh today.  

 

Overview:

Why did we choose them? How do they inspire us?

Claire: I love the unique, diverse storytelling. I haven’t really found this style anywhere else, and their format has been so inspirational. The direct, to-the-listener perspective has been worming it’s way into my writing. Another trait I realllllllyyyy like is the acceptance of absurd, the un-grounding-of-reality. I love an excuse to not abide by a set of rules, and to just run free.

We also wanted to draw attention to an underappreciated medium and bring light to some of the important topics they cover. Throughout the entire run of the show, they cover LGBTQ issues, political issues, all kinds of societal ailments. The way this show covers them is so respectful and kind (refreshing) . We wanted to introduce all of you to a new form entertainment, one filled with a unique vibe.

 

Emily- I’ve always been a little bit odd, if you have ever met me I have a very vivid imagination to the point where it is terrifying. I discovered this really morbid part of me early on in my life and it scared me. To be honest, I was actually afraid of myself for years and I suppressed these ideas and dreams instead of using them for, what I feel is their true purpose, writing and art.

Through this podcast and these writers I was able to find myself and eventually I wasn’t afraid of myself anymore. I found a sense of humour in my morbidity. I’ve been listening to Welcome to Night Vale for over 4 years and I have never felt better about who I am and it has definitely impacted my worldview as well as my writing. I no longer fear the grotesque and impossible. They create such a unique environment through words and I would suggest any of their works to anyone, even the ones I haven’t listened to or read yet.

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My Emulation:

And now, a word from our sponsor.

Your hands are red. Razors rip into your fingertips; you feel your skin become rough with slits and holes.

The smell of iron; your fingers torn to shreds. A monster, green with sharp spikes. it is angry and hungry, but a beloved pet. You fish your hands through its cage, under the leather collar tight on its throat. The bruising and slicing of tendons.

You hear a growl, a sharp beeping. You still reach; there is nothing but pain.

The teeth rush forward, biting at your knuckles. you lurch back, swearing. Something urges you back into that hell. You hurt even more. Blood sinking into your fingerprints and smearing upon the beast’s flesh.

You cannot stop, pain.

How much can you withstand?

Tears prick but none fall; you still reach but to no avail. You know this pain, it occurs every day.

Capital One, what’s in your wallet?

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Our PowerPoint:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15OMbUdrAXExOedBRvRXt0NMuqrXZSYVbC0vt02P_SJU/edit#slide=id.p