The Penumbra Podcast - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

The Penumbra Podcast — Arts
The Penumbra Podcast

At the Penumbra, you might follow Juno Steel, a brooding, sharp-witted private eye on Mars, as he tangles with an elusive homme fatale, tracks dangerous artifacts of an ancient alien civilization, and faces his three greatest fears: heights, blood, and relationships.

Or you might enter the world of the Second Citadel, where the merciless Sir Caroline must corral a team of emotionally distraught all-male knights to defend their city against mind-manipulating monsters…even the ones they’ve fallen in love with.

Or you might tune into the not-too-distant future of Thirst, a future America somehow even worse than the present, where four couples must survive a dangerous reality TV competition designed by a sadistic host and a cheerfully violent Algorithm.

These audio dramas and more await you in the Penumbra, dear traveler. We hope you enjoy your stay. (Start with “1.01: Juno Steel and the Case of the Murderous Mask” to follow the Juno Steel series, “1.09: Second Citadel – The Head of the Janus Beast” to follow the Second Citadel series, or “THIRST S1E1: Icebreaker” to listen to the Thirst series. Or, listen from oldest to newest to hear everything as we released it.)

The Penumbra is created and produced by Harley Takagi Kaner and Kevin Vibert. Follow us on Bluesky (@thepenumbrapod.bsky.social‬), Tumblr (@thepenumbrapodcast), TikTok (@thepenumbrapodcast), Instagram (@thepenumbrapodcast), or Facebook (The Penumbra Podcast).

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com

You can find all of our transcripts here. If you would like to view trigger warnings or SFX attributions, you can scroll to the end of the appropriate episode transcript: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1bnWLw5dTW4l9A0bmOMzEiy6XqqsXHHi_

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: © Harley Takagi Kaner and Kevin Vibert

Latest Episodes:

4.04: Second Citadel--The Perils of Pellinore (Part 1) Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

On a quiet jungle road deep in the Northern Wilds, a band of feared outlaws strikes.

Welcome to the Penumbra, dear Traveler. We hope you enjoy your stay.

(Trigger warnings can be found at the bottom of this episode description and at the end of the transcript.)

-------

You can find all of our transcripts here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OLddnnYamZuglgZc8pM2gqToPOwEBccM?usp=sharing

Transcripts will come out along with the public release of the episode.

On staff at the Penumbra:

Kat Buckingham -- Head of Merchandise and Outreach

Alice Chuang -- Head of Design

Melissa DeJesus -- Script editing team

Harley Takagi Kaner -- Co-creator, Head of Episode Development, Director, Sound designer

Milo Ellersick -- Promotional artist

Noah Simes -- Production manager

Grahame Turner -- Script editing team

Kevin Vibert -- Co-creator, Head of Operations, Lead writer

Ryan Vibert -- Composer and performer of original music

Recorded by Mertz at The Bridge Sound & Stage

--------

Attribution:

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

"Kind of Girl" by Jeris, featuring spinningmerkaba: http://ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35657

“Horse carriage 2_edited.mp3” by j_o_j https://freesound.org/people/j_o_j/sounds/363018/

“Wind chimes, A.wav” by InspectorJ https://freesound.org/people/InspectorJ/sounds/353194/

“Rockfall in mine.wav” by Benboncan https://freesound.org/people/Benboncan/sounds/60085/

“Snapping-chain” by CosmicEmbers https://freesound.org/people/CosmicEmbers/sounds/161650/

“Drone1” by Koen https://freesound.org/people/Koen/sounds/519122/

"Mysterious Ambience Drone" by EminYILDIRIM https://freesound.org/people/EminYILDIRIM/sounds/576069/

---------

Trigger warnings:

- Violence and threats of violence

- Depictions of sexism and xenophobia

- Body horror

- Sudden loud noises

- Enclosed, claustrophobic spaces

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com(In old episodes, you will often hear us mention Patreon, which was our old platform and is no longer live. Please feel free to ignore!)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.03: Juno Steel and the Embrace of Ice (Part 3) Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

In which Juno Steel, detective wunderkind of the HCPD, becomes Juno Steel, disgraced ex-cop... and his story as we know him really begins.

Welcome to the Penumbra, dear Traveler. We hope you enjoy your stay.

(Trigger warnings can be found at the bottom of this episode description and at the end of the transcript.)

-------

You can find all of our transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OLddnnYamZuglgZc8pM2gqToPOwEBccM?usp=sharing

Transcripts will come out along with the public release of the episode.

On staff at the Penumbra:

Kat Buckingham -- Head of Merchandise and Outreach

Alice Chuang -- Head of Design

Melissa DeJesus -- Script editing team

Harley Takagi Kaner -- Co-creator, Head of Episode Development, Director, Sound designer

Ellison Estephan -- Promotional artist

Noah Simes -- Production manager

Grahame Turner -- Script editing team

Kevin Vibert -- Co-creator, Head of Operations, Lead writer

Ryan Vibert -- Composer and performer of original music

Recorded by Mertz at The Bridge Sound & Stage

--------

Attribution:

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

"Kind of Girl" by Jeris, featuring spinningmerkaba: http://ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35657

---------

Trigger warnings:

-Isolation

-Dark and claustrophobic spaces

-Sudden loud noises

-Violence; implied torture and death

-Discussion and use of firearms

-Discussion and use of alcohol and cigarettes

-Deception / lying

-Reference to persecution and public humiliation

-Derogatory language regarding mental health

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com(In old episodes, you will often hear us mention Patreon, which was our old platform and is no longer live. Please feel free to ignore!)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.02: Juno Steel and the Embrace of Ice (Part 2) Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

Seventeen years apart, two hot pursuits get hotter.

Welcome to the Penumbra, Traveler. We hope you enjoy your stay.

(Trigger warnings can be found at the bottom of this episode description and at the end of the transcript.)

-------

You can find all of our transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OLddnnYamZuglgZc8pM2gqToPOwEBccM?usp=sharing

Transcripts will come out along with the public release of the episode.

On staff at the Penumbra:

Kat Buckingham -- Head of Merchandise and Outreach

Alice Chuang -- Head of Design

Melissa DeJesus -- Script editing team

Harley Takagi Kaner -- Co-creator, Head of Episode Development, Director, Sound designer

Ellison Estephan -- Promotional artist

Noah Simes -- Production manager

Grahame Turner -- Script editing team

Kevin Vibert -- Co-creator, Head of Operations, Lead writer

Ryan Vibert -- Composer and performer of original music

Recorded by Mertz at The Bridge Sound & Stage

--------

Attribution:

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

"Kind of Girl" by Jeris, featuring spinningmerkaba: http://ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35657

---------

Trigger warnings:

-Isolation

-Dark and claustrophobic spaces

-Sudden loud noises

-Violence; implied torture and death

-Discussion and use of firearms

-Discussion and use of alcohol and cigarettes

-Deception / lying

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com(In old episodes, you will often hear us mention Patreon, which was our old platform and is no longer live. Please feel free to ignore!)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.01: Juno Steel and the Embrace of Ice (Part 1) Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

On the recently-frozen moon Io, Juno meets an old friend and reflects on the worst mistake of his life. It's just as a member of his family once said: "We may look backward only to ensure we have not walked this path before."

Welcome to the Penumbra, dear Traveler. We hope you enjoy your stay.

(Trigger warnings can be found at the bottom of this episode description and at the end of the transcript.)

-------

You can find all of our transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OLddnnYamZuglgZc8pM2gqToPOwEBccM?usp=sharing

Transcripts will come out along with the public release of the episode.

The Wanderer is a predominantly single-narrator queer fairy tale audio drama about being separated from the ones you love to keep them safe, to bring them home. It will delight fantasy fans and audio fiction fans alike, especially those who enjoy books like Silver in the Woods and podcasts like Old Gods of Appalachia and The Far Meridian. Each episode also features an original folk song and score. Visit callofthewander.com or find The Wanderer on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @callofthewander.

On staff at the Penumbra:

Kat Buckingham -- Head of Merchandise and Outreach

Alice Chuang -- Head of Design

Melissa DeJesus -- Script editing team

Harley Takagi Kaner -- Co-creator, Head of Episode Development, Director, Sound designer

Ellison Estephan -- Promotional artist

Noah Simes -- Production manager

Grahame Turner -- Script editing team

Kevin Vibert -- Co-creator, Head of Operations, Lead writer

Ryan Vibert -- Composer and performer of original music

Recorded by Mertz at The Bridge Sound & Stage

--------

Attribution:

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

"Kind of Girl" by Jeris, featuring spinningmerkaba: http://ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35657

travelLight by airtone (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/airtone/56883

Xena's Kiss / Medea's Kiss by mwic (c) copyright 2018 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/mwic/58883

“Scanner.Scanning process(7lrs,mltprcssng).wav” by newlocknew https://freesound.org/people/newlocknew/sounds/571123/

“Spaceship Engine - noise + heavy beep.wav” by Nexotron https://freesound.org/people/Nexotron/sounds/371283/

“UI_Microprocess start glitch(3lrs,mltprcssng).wav by newlocknew https://freesound.org/people/newlocknew/sounds/563403/

“UI Futuristic Up Down Scroll” by EminYILDIRIM https://freesound.org/people/EminYILDIRIM/sounds/554428/

“Interesting tech 2.wav” by spoonsandlessspoons https://freesound.org/people/spoonsandlessspoons/sounds/378215/

“BodyDrag2.aif” by bennychico11 https://freesound.org/people/bennychico11/sounds/44407/

“Car over frozen snow ice 002 141228_0475 MS.wav” by klankbeeld https://freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/sounds/259707/

---------

Trigger warnings:

-Isolation

-Dark and claustrophobic spaces

-Sudden loud noises

-Violence; implied torture and death

-Discussion and use of firearms

-Discussion and use of alcohol and cigarettes

-Deception / lying

-Reference to persecution and public humiliation

-Derogatory language regarding mental health

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com(In old episodes, you will often hear us mention Patreon, which was our old platform and is no longer live. Please feel free to ignore!)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season 4 premiere: Juno Steel drops TODAY on Patreon! Sep 26, 2021

Show notes

Harley and Kevin say hello after the hiatus, and remind everyone that the first Juno Steel episode of Season 4 drops TODAY (9/26/21) for $4 Patreon supporters. Plus, if you pledge at any level you will have access to all of the rewards from last season's Bonus Spectacular (with more rewards coming soon!). For everyone else, we'll see you on 9/28/21 for the public release of the episode.

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com(In old episodes, you will often hear us mention Patreon, which was our old platform and is no longer live. Please feel free to ignore!)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Digital live performance(s) of Juno Steel and the Promised Land! May 23, 2021

Show notes

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-penumbra-podcasthyperion-city-productions-31122391343

Tickets will go live on May 25th, 2021, at 1 PM Eastern! Remember, tickets are LIMITED, so get yours while you can.

This is a TWO-PART SHOW, so the performances of Part A will only cover the first half of the plot, while Part B will be the second half. Part A will be performed on June 12th at 7 PM Eastern and June 13th at 1 PM Eastern, so you can choose whichever time works best for you! Part B will be performed only on June 27th at 1 PM Eastern.

Note: Because of the ticketing setup, you WILL need to purchase tickets separately for Part A and Part B. The base price per performance is $10, but we know that people's financial situations vary, so we will also be offering the option to purchase a cheaper ticket, or, if you're feeling generous, to purchase a more expensive ticket to offset the cost of someone else's.

Stay up to date with us by following our social media:

Facebook: The Penumbra Podcast

Twitter: @thepenumbrapod

Tumblr: @thepenumbrapodcast

Instagram: @thepenumbrapodcast

thepenumbrapodcast.com

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com(In old episodes, you will often hear us mention Patreon, which was our old platform and is no longer live. Please feel free to ignore!)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season 3 Q&A Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

This is the audio of our Season 3 Q&A, streamed live on YouTube for Patreon supporters in April of 2021. Noah Simes (Peter Nureyev) hosts, and questions come directly from the live audience. Featuring a special guest appearance by Sophie's dog, Pint Slice!

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com(In old episodes, you will often hear us mention Patreon, which was our old platform and is no longer live. Please feel free to ignore!)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3.25: Juno Steel and What Lies Beyond (Part 3) Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

In which the world gets a little bigger, a little meaner.

Welcome to the Penumbra, dear Traveler. We hope you enjoy your stay.

(Trigger warnings can be found at the bottom of this episode description and at the end of the transcript.)

-------

You can find all of our transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1bnWLw5dTW4l9A0bmOMzEiy6XqqsXHHi_

Transcripts will come out along with the public release of the episode.

On staff at the Penumbra:

Kat Buckingham -- Head of Merchandise and Outreach

Alice Chuang -- Head of Design

Melissa DeJesus -- Script editing team

Sophie Takagi Kaner -- Co-creator, Head of Episode Development, Director, Sound designer

Sharon Oh -- Promotional artist

Noah Simes -- Production manager

Grahame Turner -- Script editing team

Kevin Vibert -- Co-creator, Head of Operations, Lead writer

Ryan Vibert -- Composer and performer of original music

Home recording guidance from Mertz of The Bridge Sound & Stage

--------

Attribution:

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

"Kind of Girl" by Jeris, featuring spinningmerkaba: http://ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35657

Isolation Swing by Admiral Bob (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/admiralbob77/61465 Ft: SmoJos

“Chemistry table crash.wav” by CastIronCarousel https://freesound.org/people/CastIronCarousel/sounds/216748/

“Lasercutting_steel_plate_6mm.wav” by markpSFX https://freesound.org/people/markpSFX/sounds/262155/

“Sizzle (loop).wav” by Everheat https://freesound.org/people/EverHeat/sounds/208748/

---------

Trigger warnings:

-Sudden loud noises

-Threats of violence and death

-Attempted murder

-Forced restraint/hostage situation

-Deception, lies

-Situations that may resemble cruelty to animals

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com(In old episodes, you will often hear us mention Patreon, which was our old platform and is no longer live. Please feel free to ignore!)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3.24: Second Citadel--Judgment of the Empire (Part 2) Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

The hour of judgment is upon the Second Citadel, and its self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner sharpens his blade in wait. It may not be true that might makes right -- but if the mightiest are wrong, who can stop them from saying otherwise?

Some people will do anything to protect their home. The trouble arises when others who live there disagree on what they must be protected from.

Welcome to the Penumbra, dear Traveler. We hope you enjoy your stay.

(Trigger warnings can be found at the bottom of this episode description and at the end of the transcript.)

-------

You can find all of our transcripts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1bnWLw5dTW4l9A0bmOMzEiy6XqqsXHHi_

Transcripts will come out along with the public release of the episode.

On staff at the Penumbra:

Kat Buckingham -- Head of Merchandise and Outreach

Alice Chuang -- Head of Design

Melissa DeJesus -- Script editing team

Sophie Takagi Kaner -- Co-creator, Head of Episode Development, Director, Sound designer

Milo Mars -- Promotional artist

Noah Simes -- Production manager

Grahame Turner -- Script editing team

Kevin Vibert -- Co-creator, Head of Operations, Lead writer

Ryan Vibert -- Composer and performer of original music

Home recording guidance from Mertz of The Bridge Sound & Stage

--------

Attribution:

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

"Kind of Girl" by Jeris, featuring spinningmerkaba: http://ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35657

---------

Trigger warnings:

-Misogyny

-Sudden loud noises

-Violence and threats of violence

- Racism and xenophobia

- Ableism

- References to alcoholism, sexual assault, and abuse of power

- Death and grievous bodily harm

- Violence against children

- Violence against animals

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com(In old episodes, you will often hear us mention Patreon, which was our old platform and is no longer live. Please feel free to ignore!)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Our 5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY + Patreon Bonus Spectacular Feb 18, 2021

Show notes

Five years of the Penumbra Podcast is coming up on March 18th, 2021! Sophie and Kevin talk exciting announcements for the anniversary and our lead-up to the Season 3 finale, including a TON of potential bonuses for our Patreon supporters.

The fun begins TOMORROW (2/18) at 12 PM EST on our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepenumbrapodcast.

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com(In old episodes, you will often hear us mention Patreon, which was our old platform and is no longer live. Please feel free to ignore!)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Related Podcasts