Run, Fool!: How the Nightmare Began
Run, Fool!: How the Nightmare Began
Host of Run, Fool! Rodney Barnes and Campside co-founder Matt Shaer discuss the launch of the horror podcast
This is part of Inside the Tent, a series going behind the scenes of Campside’s award winning podcasts.
Listen to Run, Fool! now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Run, Fool! is a production of Ballen Studios, Campside Media & At-Will Media
A couple years ago, the screenwriter and author Rodney Barnes emailed me a pitch for a horror podcast with an irresistible title. He’s been a writer and producer on Winning Time, The Boondocks, American Gods and much more… so this was one of those emails you immediately open, read and re-read again.
Run, Fool! was both a command to listeners (get ready to be completely and abjectly terrified!) and a stand-in for the vibe of the show itself, which would be conversational and avuncular––a campside yarn spun by an old friend.
Or yarns, rather: Every new story would be set in a different part of the country, in a small town or in-between place full of dark secrets.
I said yes so quickly that we had a pretty-fleshed-out premise for the podcast about seven months before anyone had put pen to paper on the pilot episodes. As we recruited staff and writers, and convened our first few editorial meetings, the show began to take shape: There were monsters, and plenty of them, but the beating heart of each story was the human experience.
A grieving daughter.
A worried sister.
A college reunion that happens to get interrupted by… well, I won’t spoil anything for you.
But I will say that the show worked better than we could have imagined. Every week, more and more listeners come to hear Rodney’s stories, and as we reach the end of our first season, we now have a vibrant, noisy audience that extends around the globe. It’s these listeners we’re always thinking about––it’s these listeners we’re always writing for.
I recently spent some time chatting with Rodney about Run, Fool!, and what he hopes his audience will get out of it. I hope you find the conversation as enjoyable as I did.
Matt Shaer: You've told stories across so many different mediums––you've penned screenplays, comics, and now narrative podcasts. As we near the end of the first season of Run, Fool!, I’m hoping you'll talk a bit about what makes writing for the ear challenging––and rewarding.
Rodney Barnes: It’s incredibly different from anything I’ve tackled before!
Writing to performance, MY performance, is jarring to say the least. But it’s rewarding as most terrifying things are. Finding descriptors that make the most use of medium: atmosphere, emotion, etc. is a welcome challenge.
MS: You know more about horror writing than any man alive. Who do you consider to be the overlooked greats in the field? Who should we all be reading, listening to, or watching?
RB: Thanks for the compliment! There are far too many to name, but off the top of my head; Richard Matheson, Tananarive Due and James Tynion IV.
MS: Run, Fool! has managed to break through a very crowded horror podcast market. How do you account for that? What sets the show apart?
RB: The math of the show is simple: we have an emotional storyline that connects to the horror/spectacle narrative. We’re working to build a deeper relationship with our audience. One that creates a more connective dynamic. There are a lot of great shows out there, but I believe these elements help us stand out.
MS: At the risk of playing spoiler here, I've heard that we've got quite a finale planned for this season. What are you allowed to say about that? What can you tell us?
RB: We do!! I’ve always loved the War of the Worlds idea where there are apocalyptic implications from the story.
Our usual stories are intimate tales in regional settings. Our season finale affects the entire world! That’s all I can say. Oh yeah! It’s an hour long! Okay, that’s it.
Thanks for reading. if you haven’t started listening, you can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure you’re ready to… Run, Fool!
And subscribe now for updates on all of Campside’s hit shows.
Matt