Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals

Latest Episodes:

The Tale of THAT Nov 16, 2025

Show notes

It’s the night of the full moon, and someone forgot to lock up Stephen King securely. Now Steve’s evil alter ego, Richard Bachman, has escaped! The Pals have no choice but to hear his murder clown hotel story.

CAST

Stephen King/Richard Bachman – JASON ROBINSON
Clive Barker – DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe – RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley – REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft – ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz – WREN MONTGOMERY

with

Bill – BRAD BARNES
Beverly – RAYNA MANDARA
Ben – TENEST TANG
Richie – JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Mr Penny/Clown – DEXTER HOWARD
additional voices by HANNAH BROWN and LORETTA CHANG

Script by Brad Barnes, edited by Bitter Karella and Robin Johnson. Production, audio editing, music and sound design by Robin Johnson. The dialogue editor was Liselle Nic Giollabháin.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-that/transcript

Content notes: This episode contains raised voices, loud noises, gory noises, swearing, violence and threats of violence, sexual references, and references to vomit, fatphobia, racism, addiction, and clowns.

"Richard Bachman" was a pseudonym used secretly by Stephen King early in his career, in order to release "off-brand" books, the first of which was 1977's Rage. The identity was revealed in 1985, by which time five novels had been written under that name, four of which were then republished together as the collection The Bachman Books; "Bachman" has produced two more books since then. Rumors that Bachman is the true father of Stephen's second son Owen King are wholly unsubstantiated.

Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals is a work of social and literary satire. All characters are fictitious, especially the real ones; any resemblance to real-life people, organizations or events, other than with satirical intent, is coincidental; any elements of work not in the public domain are used for the purpose of parody and comment; and no challenge is intended to the ownership or validity of any intellectual property. The Midnight Pals is the creation of Bitter Karella ©

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

Subscribe to Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Pocket Casts, or wherever you find podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a rating or review. For more information, see https://midnightpals.com

The Tale of the Shadow Over Innsmouth Nov 07, 2025

Show notes

It's HP Lovecraft’s turn and nobody can stop it, so he tells a story about a town whose sinister residents guard a dark secret that is almost certainly “There’s a squid”. Howard and Mary go head-to-head in a high-stakes bet.

HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Helen Olmstead — TERRI LYNNE HUDSON
Mr Lillibridge — BRAD BARNES
Preacher Marsh — DAISY McNAMARA
Hick — KATE DAVOLI
Bus Driver — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Gilman — DEXTER HOWARD
Mr Pabody — TENEST TANG

Script by Robin Johnson, edited by Bitter Karella. Production, editing, music and sound design by Robin Johnson. The dialogue editor was Liselle Nic Giollabháin.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-the-shadow-over-innsmouth/transcript

HP Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth, first rejected by Weird Tales in 1933, is one of his longer, better written, and more clearly xenophobic works. The novella, about a coastal town that has been reduced to decrepitude by an influx of immigra– uh, fish monsters, was printed in a run of 400 clothbound copies in 1936, half of which were pulped. This was the only book of Lovecraft's fiction to be published in his lifetime. Lovecraft was unhappy with the print run, which contained innumerable typographical errors, and insisted on the book being distributed with an errata sheet, which was also inaccurate. In 1942, five years after Lovecraft's death, Weird Tales printed an abridged version of the story.

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of Those Bullies at Clarion West Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

Those stuck-up snobs at the most privileged literary circle of all, Clarion West, have perpetrated a despicable prank on the Midnight Pals involving a paper bag full of dog poop, a match, and Steve's brand new sneakers. This means WAR!

CAST:

Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft/Michael Swanwick — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz/Harlan Ellison — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Frank Belknap Long — DAVID COURT
August Derleth/Robert Silverberg — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Roger Zelazny — BRAD BARNES
Greg Bear — DEXTER HOWARD

Script by Bitter Karella. Production, editing, music and sound design by Robin Johnson. The dialogue editor was Liselle Nic Giollabháin.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-those-bullies-at-clarion-west/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

Midnight Snack: The Tale of the Talented Mr Ripley Feb 15, 2025

Show notes

In a six-minute mini-episode, Patricia Highsmith tells the Midnight Pals her story of the (maybe not so) Talented Mr Ripley, and then the real Charles Dickens himself drops in at the campfire.

Content notes: swearing, discussion of internalized homophobia, violence and discussion of murder, stalking.

CAST:

Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Patricia Highsmith — KATE DAVOLI
"Charles Dickens" — BRAD BARNES

Script, audio production and music by Robin Johnson. The Midnight Pals created by Bitter Karella ©

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-the-talented-mr-ripley/transcript

Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr Ripley (1955) is a psychological thriller dripping with the sort of blatant homoeroticism that gets described as "gay undertones". It and its several sequels have been adapted for screen multiple times, including the 1999 movie in which Matt Damon and Jude Law play chess in the bath, and the 2024 Netflix miniseries in which Andrew Scott walks up and down stairs.

Hans Christian Andersen was Charles Dickens' worst fanboy ever. In one episode, he invited himself to the Dickens' home, overstayed by several weeks, and reportedly cried when finally made to leave.

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Interview with the Vampire Feb 07, 2025

Show notes

Anne Rice comes to the campfire to tell her timeless odd-couple romance about a depressed slave plantation owner who’s swept off his feet by a total jerk. Also, they’re both vampires. Al Copeland gets a taste of his own chicken.

Content notes: swearing, raised voices, gory noises, death, violence, murder, slavery, implied domestic abuse, sexual references, discussion of body dysmorphia, vomit.

CAST:

Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz/Lestat de Lioncourt — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Anne Rice — LORETTA CHANG
Louis de Pointe du Lac/Percy Shelley — LOU SUTCLIFFE
Claudia — MARNIE WARNER
Reporter — DAISY McNAMARA
Bram Stoker — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Yvette — TERRI LYNNE HUDSON
Al Copeland — DEXTER HOWARD

Additional voices by Eve Morris and David Court.

Script by Bitter Karella, edited by Robin Johnson. Audio production, music and lyrics by Robin Johnson. Closing theme performed by Dexter Howard and the cast.

Interview with the Vampire (1976) was the debut novel of Anne Rice (1941-2021). An influential work of gothic gay vampire romance, it was adapted into a Hollywood movie in 1994 and an ongoing AMC TV series since 2022. Rice wrote a large number of increasingly silly sequels, creating the Vampire Chronicles series. As referenced in the episode, she engaged in a bizarre, years-long feud with fried chicken magnate Al Copeland after he opened a restaurant in New Orleans.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-the-interview-with-the-vampire/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Watchers Jan 31, 2025

Show notes

It’s Edgar’s turn with the flashlight… but, after a heated debate about what makes a better plot device, the death of a beautiful woman or a murderous monkey, little Dean Koontz ends up telling tonight's story instead. It has everything—an all-American Special Army Marine, a poorly written neurodivergent lady, an evil mutagenic monkey who's escaped from science, and a VERY good dog!

Content notes: swearing, loud noises, some sexual references, comedic violence with some gory noises and gunfire, discussion of death and 'fridging' of women, police/fed raids, references to animal testing, drug references, parody of bad neurodivergence representation.

CAST:

Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Travis/Dario Argento — DEXTER HOWARD
Nora — BETH LINDLY
Lemuel Johnson/David DeCoteau — BRAD BARNES
Scientist 1 — LORETTA CHANG
Scientist 2 — KATE DAVOLI
Priest — TERRI LYNNE HUDSON
Roger Corman — BITTER KARELLA
Charles Band — JOEL A.S. BUTLER

and special guests

THE MURDER MONKEY as itself
MULTIPLE DOGS, including REBEL, MAISIE, and various freely licensed hounds of Freesound, as Einstein

Script by Bitter Karella, edited by Robin Johnson. Audio production and music by Robin Johnson.

Dean Koontz's novel Watchers (1987) really is a story about a really cool smart dog who befriends an ex-military hero and his naive new bride, and how they protect each other from the dog's nemesis, a murderous genetically engineered mutant baboon. The book is credited with establishing Koontz as a bestselling author, and has been adapted into no fewer than four (4) movies. It is unknown whether his mom keeps a copy on the fridge.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-the-watchers/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of Little Red Riding Hood Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

The Pals visit JRR Tolkien and his fantasy storytelling friends at Unicorn F*** Club, where Angela Carter puts a modern, feminist spin on a traditional fairy tale. Hans Christian Andersen is smitten. Frank Belknap Long gets stuck in his fursuit.

Content notes: Swearing, violence, allusion to sexual assault, vomit, gory noises, people being eaten, sex.

CAST:

Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe/JRR Tolkien — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Angela Carter/Mother — NICOLETTA GIUSEFFI
Little Red Riding Hood — TENEST TANG
Wolf — LUPO
Woodcutter — DEXTER HOWARD
Grandmother — TERRI LYNNE HUDSON
CS Lewis — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Hans Christian Andersen — BRAD BARNES
Frank Belknap Long — DAVID COURT

Script by Nicoletta Giuseffi, edited by Bitter Karella and Robin Johnson. Audio production and music by Robin Johnson.

Angela Carter (1940-1992) was a feminist poet, journalist and author known for her fantasy and picaresque novels and stories. She wrote several versions of Little Red Riding Hood, including "The Werewolf", "The Company of Wolves" and "Wolf-Alice", all of which are included in her excellent collection of feminist retellings of folk- and fairy tales, The Bloody Chamber (1979). "The Company of Wolves" was adapted into a movie of the same name in 1984.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/the-tale-of-little-red-riding-hood/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Hellraiser Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

When Edgar Allan Poe is missing after a violent altercation with Henry W. Longfellow, a mysterious puzzlebox leads the Midnight Pals to the ninth circle of Hell, where they confront a gang of sadomasochistic demons. Brian Jacques humorously outwits a cat.

Content notes: violence, gory noises, blood, swearing and raised voices.

CAST:

Clive Barker — DAVID AULT
Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
HP Lovecraft/Brian Jacques — ROBIN JOHNSON
Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

with

Pinhead — DAVID COURT
Thomas the Blue Demon — THADDEUS STRANGE
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
Rufus Wilmot Griswold — DEXTER HOWARD

and special guest cat

NINJA KITTY GO as Catterina

Script by Robin Johnson, edited by Bitter Karella. Music and audio production by Robin Johnson.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s02e01-the-tale-of-the-hellraiser/transcript

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals: Season 2 trailer Dec 12, 2024

Show notes

Season 2 of "Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals" releases Friday January 17th, 2025! Living and dead horror authors tell scary stories round the campfire in this audio adaptation of Bitter Karella's Hugo-nominated comedy-horror microfiction. This trailer contains clips from upcoming episodes "The Tale of the Interview with the Vampire", "The Tale of the Watchers", "The Tale of Little Red Riding Hood", and "The Musical Tale of Rebecca". For more information, see https://midnightpals.com

Share and Enjoy!

A transcript of this trailer is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/season-2-trailer/transcript

CAST, in order of appearance:

Edgar Allan Poe—RODRIGO BORGES
Mary Shelley—REBECCA D'SOUZA
Stephen King/Richard Bachman—JASON ROBINSON
HP Lovecraft/Alfred Hitchcock—ROBIN JOHNSON
Daphne du Maurier—JULIA DRAKE
Anne Rice—LORETTA CHANG
Interviewer/Mrs Danvers—DAISY McNAMARA
Dean Koontz—WREN MONTGOMERY
FBI Agent/Hans Christian Andersen—BRAD BARNES
Angela Carter—NICOLETA GUISEFFI
Little Red Riding Hood—TENEST TANG
Wolf—LUPO

Audio production and editing by Robin Johnson. Clips are from episodes written by Bitter Karella, Robin Johnson and Nicoletta Giuseffi. The Midnight Pals is a work of social and literary satire, and any elements of works not in the public domain are used for purposes of parody and comment.

No "AI" is used in any part of this production, ever.

The Tale of the Candyman Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

Roger Corman attempts to make a series of "Candyman" movies. Can he complete his totally popular, not-at-all-obscure-cult-classic slasher quadrilogy without being thwarted by the bee-adjacent serial killer himself? Oh, and... ONE OF OUR HEROES DIES TRAGICALLY!!!—but gets better, with a brand new face and voice actor.

Content notes: swearing, sexual references, loud noises, violence, gore, death and murder.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Roger Corman (1926–2024), a true pioneer of horror cinema. We've mocked Roger on this show, but the truth is—as with many creators satirized on Midnight Pals—that all the things we mock him for are the very same things that make him awesome. Only Roger could have looked at Edgar Allan Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum" and seen that what it really needed was Vincent Price prancing around a Halloween castle and Barbara Steele in an oubliette. And it worked. Rest in peace, Roger, and thanks for all the fun.

CAST:

Introducing