Rec. #303: Welcome to Night Vale

What: Welcome to Night Vale is framed as a community radio show from a fictional town, presumably in the American Southwest. If you listen to podcasts, you've probably already heard of this one. If you haven't, here are a few things that happen in (and to) the town of Night Vale:

• No dogs (or people) are allowed in the dog park. Avoid the dog park.
• A glow cloud attends PTA meetings while dropping dead animals everywhere.
• The hierarchy of the local Boy Scouts includes "Blood Pact Scout."
• Carlos the scientist is perfect and so is his hair, no thanks to Telly.

Comparable to: This is probably how the local news in Sunnydale reported on each Big Bad that crawled out of the Hellmouth. With a twist of Twin Peaks thrown in.

Opening lines: "A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overheard while we all pretend to sleep."

Representative quote: "You shouldn't wear these homemade tinfoil hats because it draws unnecessary attention to yourself. It’s pathetic and paranoid. The Sheriff's Secret Police are embarrassed for you."

You might not like it if: You just don't get the weather report.

How to get it: The twice-monthly episodes are downloadable from the usual sources. You can learn more about the program here and buy stuff about it here. 

And, oh my gosh, the fandom is everywhere and a little rabid and often extremely organized. They also ship Carlos and Cecil like whoa.

Connections to previous Wreckage: If you click on the "buying stuff" link above, you'll see that the creators of Welcome to Night Vale sell their wares through TopatoCo.

Also available from TopatoCo is merch from John Allison (Bad Machinery, Rec. #138), Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant, Rec. #95), and Tom Siddell (Gunnerkrigg Court, List #21).