Last updated on January 10th, 2018

It seems like we’re reaching a point in the podcast growth curve where experimentation is celebrated. Since it’s an open audio medium, podcasts can really be formatted however. We’re not restrained to interview formats, or talk radio segments, or even daily news. Fictional audio dramas have steadily grown in popularity, and it only makes sense. 10th Rule Books Podcast is pushing this trend with their pulp fiction stylized show.

Todd, the host of 10th Rule Books Podcast, wanted to create a podcast modeled after some old time radio stories, but with some modern twists taken from newer programs.

I got a chance to speak with Todd about the podcast, how he got started, and what initially drew him to the format. Check out our full interview below.

Discover Pods: What’s your podcast about?

Todd: An old school radio serial featuring fast moving, bad ass, pulp fiction that skips the boring parts.

DP: What’s unique about your podcast?

Todd: We are telling stories in quick doses (each episode clocks in between 10 and 15 minutes) in a serial format. Like the books we publish the stories are quick moving and filled with action and a bit of humor.

DP: How’d the idea for a serialized pulp fiction story come about?

Todd: I was looking for something both different and entertaining for a podcast promoting 10th Rule Books. I wanted something people could enjoy that also got the world out about what 10th Rule Books was doing publishing wise. There are plenty of podcasts about books, mostly with people talking about books and authors being interviewed. I figured the world didn’t really need one more. I thought a podcast loosely modeled after old radio serials might be cool idea for getting the 10th Rule brand of story out to people who don’t necessarily spend a lot of time shopping for books. Instead of a podcast just talking about crime fiction or horror the idea would be to actually give people some some crime fiction and horror to listen to set to. Putting it over some original music seemed the way to make it even more something unique. 10th Rule Books published a short by Bodie Myers about rival survival camps exchanging letters during a zombie apocalypse that fit perfectly into the formula I was thinking about. We started with that one and The 10th Rule Old School Radio Serial Podcast was born. Of course once I started doing it I found plenty of other audio drama podcasts out there, but none exactly like ours.

DP: Are there other podcasts, or stories, out there you modeled the format after?

Todd: Not really. I’m not old enough to have heard actual radio serial show. Until I did an audio drama podcast I had never listened to one. What I did think about was MTV’s old animation show, Liquid Television. They had some animated shorts, like Aeon Flux which were only a couple of minutes long but continued week to week building into a longer narrative. When putting together the podcast I wanted to capture that kind of thing.

DP: Why did you choose to podcast?

Todd: It is the perfect format for a radio serial type of thing.

DP: What type of equipment do you use to record?

Todd: I do it all, including the music on my Google Chrome Book.

DP: What’s the biggest challenge for you in regards to your podcast?

Todd: Finding an audience. Once the format is set up for a season getting the podcast put together is fairly easy. It’s work, but it’s fun. Getting listeners beyond a very small but loyal group of people has been difficult.

DP: Where can listeners find you?

Todd: http://10thrulebooks.libsyn.com/Google Podcasts; YouTube

DP: What are your five favorite podcasts?

Todd: Despite doing an audio drama I tend to like the comedy talk shows, I’ve been listening to Doug Stanhope, Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast, and The Joe Rogan Experience. On the not comics front I like Penn’s Sunday School and The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast gets some interesting guests like John Carpenter and Walter Hill that don’t show up elsewhere.

DP: Anything else you’d like to add?

Todd: We are wrapping our second season, featuring the Todd Morr’s 80’s era crime story Fiero. We are planning some flash fiction stand alone episodes before diving into another longer piece. Each podcast is only between ten and fifteen minutes long so anyone coming into the middle of a story could go back and catch up without much trouble.