Advertise on podcast: Everly Heights Tales

For years, the regulars at Leroy's Pub have treated Zelda Jordan like a drive-thru therapist, spilling their darkest sins over pork rinds and cheap Rolling Rock. Tonight, she's got other plans. Armed with a notebook full of weaponized poetry and a double shot of liquid courage, Everly Heights' favorite punk-rock bartender takes the whole town apart at the Leroy's Pub Open Mic night. A story of a woman who's finally done being the inciting incident in everybody else's story. NEXT TIME: Meet Danny Chance, kid detective with the freaky good luck in our 3-part finale.   SPONSOR CAST LIST Julia Duffy - Zelda JordanMorgan Glennon - Alesha / Kim / WomanBill Meeks - Pastor NateFrank Guglielmelli - Talon the BartenderSkyler Nichol - Coach Dan / Hitch Additional voices by the Cornerstone Theater Players. LINKS Everly HeightsJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showBuy the Infinite Tina bookEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

Twenty-four years old and sleeping on his sister Aurora's couch, Jeremy Hahn is exactly the kind of guy who needs a miracle. What he gets is Zarvan, a clock shop owner who may or may not be a cosmic entity, and an offer that sounds insane: go back to 2016, find the moment the whole thing went sideways, and put it right. But one choice leads to others, and as Jeremy takes a speed run at a new future, he begins to wonder if the past is best left in the past, after all. After the story, creator Bill Meeks pulls back the curtain on the real Los Angeles storefront that inspired Zarvan’s shop, the obscure Canadian sci-fi series that gave him the story engine, and how this episode weaves together threads from across the Everly Heights universe as the last few pieces snap into place. NEXT TIME: In a small town, gossip isn’t actually A Secret to Everybody.   SPONSOR CAST LIST Bill Meeks - Jeremy Hahn / Ricky SpecialAlex Mechanic - Aurora Hahn-JordanSean Siegler - ZarvanSally Swift - Scarlett ColvinRick Reynolds - Hector/LesterTravis Crawford - Older Stage ManagerMichael Everhard - Stage ManagerMike Frankland - DirectorSuzanne Costner - Amanda/Melissa Additional voices by the Cornerstone Theater Players. LINKS Everly HeightsJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showBuy the Infinite Tina bookEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

A decade before she became an Everly Heights hero, Tina Infantino was a "multiverse hopper" in several of my unreleased 2016 novellas. In this archival live stream, my wife Anne Marie DeSimone joins our Universe Box podcast pals for Tina's beta jaunt into a surreal Stepford-esque world where a government experiment has turned every citizen into a telepath. Tina must fix a crumbling marriage before she’s stuck in this reality forever. Stick around for the aftershow to hear the cast discuss this "Quantum Leap in the multiverse" project. Again, all from ten years ago! CASTTINA INFANTINO - Anne Marie DeSimoneVICCI - Rebecca JohnsonJACK STEPFORD - Joel VanValkenburg-HuffANDRE DE FAUSTINO - Bobby HawkeLANA KINCAID - Monica Jones/Rebecca JohnsonGEORGINA DELROY/MRS. INFANTINO/EDNA – Liz PlascenciaTIM DELROY/J.R.REILLY/RADIO HOST – Jason George LINKS Everly Heights Join the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the show Buy the Infinite Tina book Everly Heights Tales Merch Subscribe on YouTube

The woman hunting Tina Infantino across the multiverse has a singular grudge, and she's not backing down. Between a infinite shopping mall, a frozen wasteland with a chilling message, and a full-scale breach inside W.E.I.R.D.E. headquarters itself, Tina's running out of room to figure out what she's supposed to be. A girl who's spent her whole life feeling small finds out she might be anything but. The thrilling origin of Infinite Tina concludes! After the story, creator Bill Meeks brings in voice actress Mandy McCullough where she finally answers "what makes up a Mandy." She also shares her kid perspective on malls like the one Tina visits in this episode. NEXT TIME: In a small town, gossip is nearly impossible to keep A Secret to Everybody.   SPONSOR CAST LIST Mandy McCullough - Tina Infantino / Ken Sako / Mrs. Infantino / Thelma / Susan / Misc. VoicesBill Meeks - Jim Colvin / Hibboticus / Mr. Matheson / Mr. Infantino / Misc. VoicesDan Pavatich - Nosloo the GreatAndrea Lavender - Cynthia PostalSean Weiland - BuckyAllison Cossitt - SusieShelly Meeks - Young Jeremy Hahn Additional voices by the Cornerstone Theater Players. LINKS Everly HeightsJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showBuy the Infinite Tina bookEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

With Ken gone and the guilt eating her alive, Tina takes Jim Colvin up on an offer that sounds a lot like a job: join W.E.I.R.D.E., save the multiverse, and maybe find her friend along the way. A whirlwind tour of the strangest headquarters in Everly Heights introduces her to a crew of weirdos she didn't know she needed. Then a punk rock troll with a blowtorch takes her along for a field assignment on the wrong side of the multiverse, where someone familiar is waiting for her. In the aftershow, Bill Meeks brings back voice actress Mandy McCullough for another Saturday morning discussion. They get into cereal loyalty, the multiverse destination Mandy would actually want to visit (she has conditions), and the strange legacy of the Pizza Hut lunch buffet. NEXT TIME: The multiverse is unraveling, W.E.I.R.D.E. is under siege, and Tina Infantino is the only one who can stop what's coming. No big deal. INFINITE TINA PART 3: LET'S GET SINGULAR.   SPONSOR CAST LIST Mandy McCullough - Tina Infantino / Ken Sako / Mrs. Infantino / Thelma / Susan / Misc. VoicesBill Meeks - Jim Colvin / Hibboticus / Mr. Matheson / Mr. Infantino / Misc. VoicesDan Pavatich - Nosloo the GreatAndrea Lavender - Cynthia PostalSean Weiland - BuckyAllison Cossitt - SusieShelly Meeks - Young Jeremy Hahn Additional voices by the Cornerstone Theater Players. LINKS Everly HeightsJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showBuy the Infinite Tina bookEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

In the fallout of a digital betrayal that’s made her a middle school pariah, Tina meets Ken Sako at the Dixon Park swingset for a big talk, and maybe a fresh start. But something they find in the sand has been waiting for a lonely kid just like Ken, and the friendship that was holding him in Everly Heights is on life support. After a world-weary waitress at Gaston's points them toward a mysterious man named Jim Colvin, the two friends discover that the Ometahedron can offer Ken something Everly Heights can't: a clean slate. Ken finally has an option better than computer club, and he’s ready to take it. But can Tina stop him before their friendship disappears? After the story, creator Bill Meeks brings in voice actress Mandy McCullough for a Saturday morning aftershow that's part craft talk, part 90s nostalgia therapy session. They dig into the era's design DNA, weird Prince jokes on Animaniacs, and how Mandy became a voice actor. She also shares what it's like returning to Bill's Everly Heights universe across multiple characters and productions. NEXT TIME: Tina gets a part time job and learns to love the multiverse in INFINITE TINA PART 2: WELCOME TO W.E.I.R.D.E.   SPONSOR CAST LIST Mandy McCullough - Tina Infantino / Ken Sako / Mrs. Infantino / Thelma / Susan / Misc. VoicesBill Meeks - Jim Colvin / Hibboticus / Mr. Matheson / Mr. Infantino / Misc. VoicesDan Pavatich - Nosloo the GreatAndrea Lavender - Cynthia PostalSean Weiland - BuckyAllison Cossitt - SusieShelly Meeks - Young Jeremy Hahn Additional voices by the Cornerstone Theater Players. LINKS Everly HeightsJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showBuy the Infinite Tina bookEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

It’s the late 90s, and the World Wide Web is turning Everly Heights into a digital minefield. Tina Infantino is heading for Space Camp, while her best friend Ken Sako is stuck in the Rust Belt channeling his grudge into the hit Game Creation System ZZT from Epic MegaGames. From the cash register at Convenience Market to the pixelated infamy of Princess Puke and the sickening spin of a Space Camp staple, this digital tragedy explores the roles we play to fit in, the buffers that can overflow if you don't clear the cache, and the tragic ease with which we can delete our truest friends just to survive. After the story, stick around as creator Bill Meeks reveals the real-world "Space Camp kerfuffle" at Riesbeck's Food Market in the real Everly Heights (Wheeling, WV) where a missed phone call from a "strange man" may have cost him a trip to the star simulators of Space Camp. He also discusses the legacy of ZZT, the ASCII-based ancestor of Fortnite, and how its "digital clubhouse" offered a home to the weird, the queer, and the homeschooled creators of the 1990s. NEXT TIME: Ken and Tina try to make amends in INFINITE TINA PART 1: WORLDS APART.   SPONSOR CAST LIST Mandy McCullough - Tina Infantino  / Ken Sako / Space Camp Instructor / Mrs. InfantinoBill Meeks - Mr. Matheson / Ricky Special / Mr. Infantino / Evan / Misc. VoicesShelly Meeks - Young Jeremy HahnSean Weiland - Dick Armstrong Additional voices by the Cornerstone Theater Players. LINKS Everly HeightsJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showUltraware ZZT Game Pack (Windows)Riesbeck FoodsEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

In the shivering shadow of the 1994 "Storm of the Century," thirteen-year-old Marcus finds himself trapped in a drafty Ohio house that feels worlds away from his old life in Texas. From the rhythmic, soulless clicking of a Macintosh mouse... to the stubborn smudge of a colored pencil on a composition notebook... and the static-filled weather bulletins from substitute WART-TV meteorologist Mr. Matheson, a generational battle of artistic integrity unfolds. Marcus, a purist clinging to the messy "human touch" of his superhero character Detective Fang, faces off against his father, David, a graphic artist who has traded ink and charcoal for the efficiency of Photoshop and "Bezier curves." A tale about the friction between analog soul and digital convenience. Do the tools matter more than the human using them? In the aftershow, creator Bill Meeks recalls the very real "Storm of the Century" that greeted his own family upon moving to the Ohio Valley from Texas. Plus: Bill reflects on the personal "generation gap" that emerged in his own home when his children began to view his career decisions as a "supervillain" turn and shares how their criticism is partially responsible for this audio drama existing. NEXT TIME: Jim Colvin's W.E.I.R.D.E. world returns in our first trilogy. Come back in a few weeks to meet Infinite Tina!   SPONSOR CAST LIST Bill Meeks - Mr. MathesonPete Lutz - Old MarcusKaleb Deatherage- Young MarcusDaniel Penz- David LINKS Everly HeightsJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

In the wake of a sudden loss, Ricky Special is trying to balance the books on his grief. After delivering a shocking eulogy at his late mother Jennifer's funeral the young conservative retreats to the only place where things still make sense: the analytical sanctuary of Mr. Matheson’s math classroom. From the the relentless ticking of a classroom clock to the ghostly memories of painted triangles, Ricky is forced to find his own solution to the unquantifiable relationship between life, loss, and his mother's legacy. In the aftershow, Bill Meeks takes us behind the scenes to show how he filmed his paper bag puppet short film in his own living room. He breaks down his DIY production process, detailing how he used a TV as his set and his actual living room curtains to frame the stage. He'll also plug the new Retro TV Simulator software he made for this episode to emulate that imperfect tracking-error-laden public access broadcast vibe in a modern studio environment. NEXT TIME: The Storm of the Century hits Everly Heights. Can a father and son survive the snow with their relationship intact?     SPONSOR CAST LIST Bill Meeks - Mr. Matheson / Ricky SpecialSean Seigler – Michael SpecialHoward F. Hulin – Preacher Additional voices provided by the Cornerstone Theater Players. LINKS Everly HeightsBuy A Puppet from the episode and support the showRetro TV SimulatorJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO HERE, featuring footage from the original college production.  In the flickering lights of WART-TV 3’s Studio B, Lester Applebottom is fighting for a second act. Once a theater actor whose career ended in purple-and-gold tights and a five-year sentence, Lester has traded his orange jumpsuit for a bowling shirt and a "wack-a-doo" persona to host "The Storybook Playtime Show." When Zeke, the station's disgruntled one-man graphics department storms the set with a firearm, Lester must find a way to talk Zeke off the ledge before the 'Glen of Happiness' turns into a crime scene. Beaver bears the brunt of Zeke's "Video Toaster" frustrations, forcing Lester to improvise a rescue mission to save the kids and the broadcast. Stick around for the aftershow as creator Bill Meeks reunites with his high school homeroom buddy and longtime collaborator, Justin McConnaughy (the man behind the mustache of Lester Applebottom). They'll reveal how they turned a college TV production final Bill created twenty years ago into a key piece of Everly Heights lore. They also reflect on their shared history in the local theater scene growing up, from performing as Dr. Gibbs and George in Our Town to the real-life mishaps at Brooke Hills Playhouse and Towngate Theatre. Hear the true stories of obscene backstage notebooks and the shared nostalgia for the regional kids' shows that inspired the Glen of Happiness like Wallace and Ladmo and the legendary Bozo the Clown. NEXT TIME: How will Ricky deal with tragedy? A Very Special puppet show!     SPONSOR CAST LIST Justin McConnaughy - Lester ApplebottomBill Meeks - Mr. Matheson, aka "Beaver"Samuel Lewis - Nicky / Chris LeeSean Weiland - Zeke Thorne Additional voices provided by my TV production class at West Liberty State College. LINKS Everly HeightsOriginal broadcast of The Storybook Playtime Show (2004, Digital Download)Join the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

In the podcast studio deep inside the Franklin W. Dixon Memorial Library, Jeremy Hahn is recording the latest episode of his Dogboy Adventures fan podcast "Greetings from Colta City." He’s invited his theater buddy Clara Danvers on to dissect Dogboy's "subversive" violence, but he didn't plan for the chemistry crackling across the studio in his meticulous show doc. While Jeremy hides behind his fandom, Clara derails the recording with a plot twist he never saw coming. A romantic story about the roles we play to protect ourselves and the courage it takes to make a move. In the aftershow, creator Bill Meeks chats with Rebecca Johnson (voice of Clara Danvers, host of Supergirl Radio, and the voice of LeAnne Snyder on The Fakist) about their long history as creative collaborators, starting as rival Once Upon a Time podcasters before launching sister podcasts based on DC Comics TV properties. They look back on their history of "bringing the heat" to each other's projects, including the time Bill voiced the spectral Deadman for Rebecca’s Supergirl Radio holiday special. A celebration of the community hiding in the "clerical work" of fan podcasting and the joys of a creative partnership that spans a dozen projects and more than a decade. NEXT TIME: A thrilling action tale set in the TV studios of local TV station WART-TV.     SPONSOR CAST LIST Bill Meeks - Jeremy Hahn / LesterRebecca Johnson - Clara DanversNathan Beatty – Dogboy / Bronson Black / Mr. Horum / Dexter Stonehouse LINKS Everly HeightsSupergirl RadioThe FakistFan Podcasting: The Complete GuideDogboy Adventures CollectionJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

A reunion in a burned-out theater basement forces two former bandmates to confront the lives they picked and the song they never finished. When Marla Harmon returns to Everly Heights for a benefit show for Cornerstone Theater, she finds more than charred Fresnel lights and party snacks. Among the former Rocky Horror cast members in attendance? Calvin Hobbes, her ex-bandmate/boyfriend, now dressed as a man his younger self would label a "sellout." Between a hidden bottle of furnace vodka, a forgotten cassette, and an out-of-tune Stratacoustic guitar, their last unfinished song plucks the strings of the past and reminds them of who they used to be. Will Marla and Calvin grow up and move on from Classic Tragic Hero, or can they finally tighten up the bridge on their abandoned demo? In the aftershow, creator Bill Meeks delivers a personal tribute to his late best friend and bandmate Stephen Carroll, the write of the song "In The Long Run" and the real-life inspiration behind the episode. Bill traces their friendship from teenage collaborations in high school computer labs to early YouTube attention as the basement band Classic Tragic Hero. Framed by Steve’s demo of “In the Long Run,” this aftershow confronts friendship, artistic guilt, and coming back together to make something new. NEXT TIME: Can a fan podcaster find love in the Franklin W. Dixon Memorial Library?     SPONSOR CAST LIST Alex Mechanic - Marla HarmonTravis Crawford (TV's Travis) - Calvin Hobbes LINKS Everly HeightsClassic Tragic Hero YouTube ChannelStephan Carroll YouTube ChannelClassic Tragic Hero Music on Archive.orgJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

Bill Meeks joins Tom Merritt (Daily Tech News Show) to address the "dark troll wizard" of the project’s history: the years spent fleshing out his six-year old creative writing project Everly Heights using advanced generative AI trained on his own artwork. Bill explains how the artistic community's reaction to AI tools caused him to rethink his approach and abandon them (for the most part) by leaning on his history in audio drama to tell new tales in Everly Heights. He also discusses his work creating custom models to generate character turnarounds, props, and animation assets. PLUS: Explore the real-world inspirations of Wheeling, WV, the geometry of DiCarlo's Pizza, and the"stank" early adoption of concepts (like The Fakist) and technology leaves behind. DTNS Friday Hangout Full Episode (Video)Daily Tech News Show This bonus episode is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

W.E.I.R.D.E. agent Jim Colvin spends his days policing the multiverse, yet he can't find out what his new wife, Ramona, is hiding. His deepening paranoia finds a reluctant partner in Nosloo the Great, a refugee dark troll wizard from the war-torn Land of Fee-Nee who is desperate to return home and save his kingdom. But when Jim hatches a risky scheme to use the wizard to force a moment of radical honesty, the walls begin to close in—both from the secrets in his marriage and the coworkers determined to uncover exactly what contraband he smuggled home from the office. In the aftershow, creator Bill Meeks chats with actor Dan Pavatich (voice of "Nosloo the Great") about the "We’ve Got a Secret" sitcom genre. They discuss their friendship's improv origins, the influence of ALF and other weird TV shows on the story, and the ethical nightmare of the episode’s Men in Black-inspired ending. Plus, Dan shares details on his own project, The Hustle Gods. NEXT TIME: Whatever happened to Cornerstone Theater?     SPONSOR CAST LIST Dan Pavatich - Nosloo the GreatBill Meeks - Jim Colvin / Hibboticus / Evil Jim / Ricky Special / Pirate / Carrot Top / Bob Ross / The PresidentKate Sheridan- Brenda / Ramona / KidAndrea Lavender - Cynthia PostalSean Weiland - BuckyAllison Cossitt - SusieTravis Crawford (TV's Travis) - Plant / DadDean T Moody – Intercom AnnouncerHelena Geraci – Jennifer SpecialRichard Reynolds – Lucian the WaiterWynn Mercere – WomanBrice Bankard - Man LINKS Everly Heights"Nosloo the Great" Pilot (2022)Dan PavatichThe Hustle GodsJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube

High school teacher Bill Matheson lives for the logic of math, but his personal equation has become a mess of negative numbers. As the town’s resident workaholic, Mr. Matheson juggles teaching high school algebra, the daily grind at The Koffee Shop, and programming lights at Cornerstone Theater. Despite double-checking his work, he’s successfully calculated himself right out of his own marriage! Faced with an empty house and a fresh opportunity from the local tax man, Mr. Matheson must decide if he’s ready to stop “showing his work” and finally solve life’s most delicate equation by tweaking some variables. Will an optimistic man crack under the weight of his own long division? In the aftershow, creator Bill Meeks breaks down the math behind the real-world work-life balance struggles that fueled the script and highlights the return of Season 1 favorites like Michael Special and Nosloo the Great. NEXT TIME: Things get W.E.I.R.D.E. in Everly Heights! Bill Meeks - Mr. Matheson / Jim Colvin / Ricky Special / Infomercial AnnouncerKristyna Zaharek - Angel Matheson / BrendaSean Siegler - Michael Special / CustomerDan Pavatich - Nosloo the Great LINKS Everly HeightsMr. Matheson's Arithme-TIPSJoin the EVERLY HEIGHTS ARTS BOARD and support the showEverly Heights Tales MerchSubscribe on YouTube