There's some ghostly goings on in the latest episode... and an introduction to a new character who may well appear again soon. Meet Professor Magnus Talbot, spiritualist. The character has been inspired by an actor I'm admiring greatly at the moment - Patrick Magee.
Made available earlier than intended (I hit the publish button by mistake!), the latest Tale from the Scarlet Vault features 19th century vampire huntress Valentina Balan, last encountered in the episode 'The Loyal Servant'. In this story, she faces her worst fear - turning into one of the very monsters she despises!
You can listen to the episode in the player below or by downloading it from podcast stores.
If you want the show to continue, please leave a rating or review. This acknowledgement that you've listened is really the only thing keeping the show going. I don't even mind if you say you hated it!
-Jason
The latest episode has just been released. 'How Does That Make You Feel' is a tale about bad therapy and voodoo.
There's been some small changes to the opening of the episode. The introduction has been cut down, and we now don't feature the theme tune at the beginning. With each episode only being around 10 to 15 minutes, hearing it twice over is a lot, and feels even worse if you're binge listening several episodes at once.
I've also added a little more background music than usual to the story.
The droning voice of the computer is inspired by the tannoy announcer played by Christine Romero in the original Dawn of the Dead. I wanted to link to an example online, but I can't find one, but if you've seen the film you'll know what I mean when I say 'Attention all shoppers - if you have a sweet tooth we have a special treat for you!'
You can listen in the player below or through any of the podcast stores. Whether you like the episode or not, please consider leaving feedback. I'd like to hear from you, even if you didn't enjoy the show.
After feedback and careful consideration, a few episodes of Tales from the Scarlet Vault have been removed from general circulation:
These episodes are still available to listen to, but only if you access from here: Scarlet Vault Presents: Bonus Episodes
Many listeners, quite understandably, considered these episodes as verging on being overly exploitative and sexual. I have no problem with this as a listener, but many others do, so with the aim of not wanting to offend (well, maybe a little, but not too much!) I have restricted access to the episodes that are becoming a barrier for many new listeners. This has necessitated a re-ordering of episode numbers.
Thank you to everyone who has discussed this with me.
-Jason
I love reviews, even where they aren't entirely positive. I'm just grateful someone has actually listened and gives a damn enough to write in! So, please don't be afraid of being 'that guy' when giving feedback. I will leave the comments open below if you want to add something here.
I have noticed some themes emerging in the small amount of interactions I've had with listeners, and I'll try and cover them here:
Your podcast isn't scary/gross/explicit enough for my tastes, why do you make out it is?
I feel obliged to put warnings in the podcast and episode descriptions that there is some swearing, horror, and sexual content. I don't want someone sensitive to that going in cold. Episodes have to be marked as 'Explicit' as per guidelines of podcast providers like Apple. Anything even remotely offensive - even a mild curse word - has to be marked as such or it risks getting banned. I'm sorry if this led you to believe you were getting something barely legal or hardcore. While the show pushes the limits a little, it isn't intended to provide that kind of content.
Your podcast is frequently too sexual for my tastes. That stuff is unnecessary
You might be right, actually, but I think the podcast should go to uncomfortable places occasionally. This is called out in the description and reflected in the Explicit rating. But I do accept this is a barrier for some folks - so, if I have much more feedback like this I will remove the worst offending episodes from the public feed, and make them available on this website only.
Your podcast triggered me to write a load of political, sexist or homophobic drivel.
Bye then, loser. Welcome to blocksville.
Thanks for listening!
-Jason
You don't need to be an experienced writer to write for Tales from the Scarlet Vault - just a good one!
If you're interested or have questions, please get in touch!
