Terror at Collinwood: A Dark Shadows Podcast

Since 2010, Hermes Press has been releasing high-quality collections and reprints of classic 60's and 70's Dark Shadows publications such as the Gold Key comics and story digest, the newspaper comic strips, and the Paperback Library novels. Managing Editor Sabrina Herman stops by the podcast to talk about the origins of DS at Hermes, the work that goes into putting these books together, and she even drops some tantalizing hints about potential future Hermes Press Dark Shadows books!

Dr. Andrew Higgins is a respected J.R.R. Tolkien scholar and longtime Dark Shadows fan who wrote the essay “The Gothic World-Building of Dark Shadows” for the publication, Exploring Imaginary Worlds: Essays on Media, Structure, and Subcreation. He visits Terror at Collinwood for a fun and insightful discussion about transmedia world-building, the primary vs. the secondary world, formalism, canon vs. non-canon, how spin-off media and fandom enriches and informs story worlds, and much more! Other topics include J.R.R. Tolkien, Andrew's memories of Dark Shadows, the story that inspired the use of I-Ching on DS, Angelique's confusing timeline, Grayson Hall, 1795, 1840, and much more!

This episode features a discussion with editor and writer Jim Beard who, along with Charles R. Rutledge, edited the new book Running Home to Shadows: Memories of TV’s First Supernatural Soap from Today’s Grown-Up Kids from Becky Books. We talk about the book, its contents, how the project came together, and about Jim and his wife Becky's history with Dark Shadows and classic horror movies. This spirited conversation touches on many topics, including Sir Graves Ghastly, Batman, Kolchak, the Planet of the Apes fiction anthology, a proposed Dark Shadows fiction anthology, Universal and Hammer horror, pulp heroes and, of course, running home from school to watch Dark Shadows.

This special episode of Terror at Collinwood is a celebration of the 55th anniversary of Jonathan Frid’s first appearance as Barnabas Collins on Dark Shadows! The show opens with a delightful discussion featuring special guest David Selby, who portrayed the iconic Quentin Collins in Dark Shadows. Following the interview, there’s a fun and spirited chat with special guests Mary O’Leary, Nancy Kersey and Will McKinley, who worked with Jonathan Frid in the development of his one-man shows in the 1980’s era. Finally, the episode concludes with a rare and exciting recording of Jonathan Frid reading Dead Call by author William F. Nolan, featuring music by David Christenberry/RaveDave60 Music. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Kay Fry.

This short episode kicks off with a tribute to the late Mitchell Ryan from Jeff Owens and Richard Chamberlain of the 'Classic Horrors Club' podcast! After that, Penny examines some possibilities about what might have taken place before Barnabas changed history in 1897.

The iconic and beloved 1897 storyline garnered Dark Shadows its highest ratings when it originally aired in 1969. Longtime DS fan and editor of the online eZine 'The Collins Mausoleum', Joe Escobar, visits the podcast to discuss this mega-popular set of episodes. Stay tuned until the end for tributes to the late Mitchell Ryan from Rob and Phyllis Floyd of the 'Fantasmo After Dark' podcast and Jule Saynes of the 'Resident of Collinwood' YouTube podcast.

Another frenzied (and geeky) lecture? You bet! This time, Penny Dreadful tackles major characteristics of gothic horror & gothic romance and illustrates their use in Dark Shadows. Topics include Terror at Collinwood’s Rondo Award nomination for best podcast (!!!), Terror vs. Horror, “spackling” continuity and bloopers, atmosphere of the gothic, otherness, serials, obsession, madness, love triangles, monsters and the supernatural, heightened emotion, the sublime, subverting the gothic, and much more! Be sure to vote in the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards! Terror at Collinwood was nominated for Best Podcast & Penny Dreadful was nominated for Favorite Horror HostThe full ballot can be found here: https://rondoaward.com

Ricardo Rebelo is a filmmaker, professor of communications, and former director of the Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival. In this episode, Ric joins Penny Dreadful as they rank the Dark Shadows remakes and reboots! Other topics include the atmosphere of New England, Ric’s introduction to DS and the horror genre, hopes for the future, and much more!

Graphic designer, Big Finish audio producer, and writer Stuart Manning visits the podcast to discuss his upcoming 'Dark Shadows' print fanzine 'Daytime Gothic'. Other topics include Stuart's work on the Big Finish DS audio dramas, the Dark Shadows News Page, the Dark Shadows Journal, Stuart's introduction to DS, the Burton film, DS in the UK, and much, much more!

Selected listener email messages are read and addressed! Topics include 'Daytime Gothic' 'zine announcement, explanation of the job Willie had to do, was the Leviathan storyline really as bad as some fans say, spinoff media requests, lots of fan memories, and much more!

Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning writer/producer Mark B. Perry visits Terror at Collinwood to discuss his much-anticipated sequel series, Dark Shadows: Reincarnation. Discussion topics include the current status of DS: Reincarnation, Mark's introduction to DS and monster culture, referencing past DS storylines and characters, bringing back actors from the classic show, locations and music, and much, much more! 

Kathleen Resch, a truly instrumental figure in the history of Dark Shadows fandom, visits Terror at Collinwood to discuss the genesis, development, and growth of the post-1971 DS fan community. Kathy was the creator/publisher behind the long-running flagship DS fanzine, The World of Dark Shadows. She also published the beloved Dark Shadows Concordances and was co-writer on official publications such as The Dark Shadows Companion. In addition, Kathy was one of the core founders and organizers behind the celebrated Dark Shadows Festivals. Listen as this fandom legend recounts her many experiences with Dark Shadows and its devoted fan community.

Dark Shadows: A Christmas Carol reunites ten members of the original DS cast for a very special yuletide event presented by Smartphone Theatre. Actress Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans, Josette DuPres Collins from Dark Shadows), Ansel Faraj (filmmaker Loon Lake, Dr. Mabuse series), and Richard Halpern (actor and singer, Mr. Tin Pan Alley, Austin Powers impersonator) visit the podcast for a spirited discussion about this incredible, once-in-a-lifetime event! Other topics include recollections about DS and hopes for DS in the future. 

Rondo Award-winning writer Rod Labbe has interviewed many of the Dark Shadows stars over the years, and even ran the Dennis Patrick fan club in 1969-1970. He visits Terror at Collinwood to discuss his DS and monster memories! After that, Rod and Penny look at the DS actors who played six or more characters on the show and challenge themselves to pick their favorites from each set!

Penny Dreadful launches into a frenzied twenty-minute lecture about Dark Shadows needing more representation in popular culture, after which she is joined by perfumer Roberta Andrade to discuss the short-but-memorable Return to 1796 storyline. Other topics include current DS news and plugs for other DS podcasts. 

This special Halloween installment of the podcast takes place within the eerie halls of Collinwood itself! Recorded on-location at Seaview Terrace aka the Carey Mansion, the episode features interviews with longtime Dark Shadows fans Bob Issel, Jimmy Hutcheson, Helen Samaras, Guy Haines, Vivian Hardwick, Nina Ogle, Mary Wasmer, and Marge Hicks. In addition to talk about Dark Shadows and the annual parties at the great house, Bob talks about the incredible new book ‘Our Shadowed Past’. Finally, several of the guests reveal their own real-life ghostly encounters at the haunted mansion.

Prolific Role-Playing Game designer, author, editor, and artist Stephen D. Sullivan visits the show to discuss the Werewolf and Ghost of Quentin Collins storylines from Dark Shadows. Other topics include speculation about whether Dark Shadows would work as a tabletop RPG plus discussion about horror RPGs, including Stephen's own work on D&D and the original CHILL horror role-playing game.

Author and editor Rich Handley visits the podcast to discuss the Creation of Adam & Eve and Dream Curse storylines. Concurrent plots and characters are also discussed, including star-crossed lovers Jeff/Peter and Vicki, Elizabeth’s obsession with being buried alive, the diabolical machinations of Cassandra and Nicholas Blair, the mad science of Dr. Eric Lang, Diabolos, vampire Angelique, Tom Jennings, Maggie’s memories, Professor Stokes, and more! 

Daytime Emmy Award-winning producer/director Mary O'Leary visits the podcast to discuss her upcoming documentary, Dark Shadows and Beyond: The Jonathan Frid Story. Mary also talks about her Clunes Associates partnership with Mr. Frid, tells stories about what she discovered in her research for the documentary, discusses Jonathan's experiences with acting, and of course shares insights into Jonathan's time on Dark Shadows.

This episode features an interview with three-time Daytime Emmy Award winner Nick Besink, who served as a video engineer on the original Dark Shadows. Nick offers a fascinating look at what it was like to work on DS, and talks about his extensive career in broadcasting and video production.

Wallace McBride and Patrick McCray of the Collinsport Historical Society visit Terror at Collinwood to discuss The Dark Shadows Daybook, a new book written by Mr. McCray and designed by Mr. McBride. It is currently the #1 Best Seller in Horror & Supernatural Literary Criticism. Additional topics include the origins of the Collinsport Historical Society website, Unlovely Frankenstein, Monster Serial, the CHS Podcast, favorite characters and storylines, and more!

Selections from the first batch of listener email messages and comments are read and addressed! Topics include fan memories, character and storyline theories, the evolution of Quentin Collins, Angelique's attempt to undo the vampire curse, a few things Penny liked about the Burton movie (?!), the Monster Craze, classifying Nicholas Blair, and much more!

In this episode, Penny is joined by Tom Diamon, co-host of The Literary License Podcast. They start the conversation with an extensive look at Tom's background in the DS fandom and his interactions with Jonathan Frid, then shift to a discussion about the remarkable Thayer David as they examine each of Thayer's Dark Shadows characters.

Penny is joined by Dominique Lamssies, writer and blogger at the University of the Bizarre and head necromancer at the House of Silent Graves Etsy shop. Dominique and Penny are sent on an uncertain and frightening journey into the past as they explore Dark Shadows' groundbreaking 1795 storyline! Other topics include Dominique’s introduction to DS, the intersection of classism and sexism in 18th century Collinsport, Sarah’s powers, and more!

Dark Shadows has a huge following among LGBT+ fans, and this episode celebrates that fact with fun and insightful audio clips from passionate LGBT 'Dark Shadows' fans who express why DS resonates so strongly with them, and why they love the show so much. Featuring: Peter Mac, John Dimes, Bobby Lugosi, David-Elijah Nahmod, John Faust, and Julie M. Grizzle.

Rondo Award-winning filmmaker Ansel Faraj visits with Penny to discuss his filmmaking experiences and influences, as well as many other Dark Shadows-related topics such as working with the DS stars, info on the 'Night of Dark Shadows' restoration project, what happened with the Burton film, not giving up on 'Dark Shadows: Reincarnation', trying to categorize the classic series, and tons of references to horror movies, TV shows, plays, and stories. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! There's a lot of info packed into this episode!

Author, pop culture specialist, 'Dark Shadows' historian, and retired English professor, Dr. Jeff Thompson, joins Penny for an examination of the storyline that introduced iconic vampire Barnabas Collins to DS, turning the series into a hit and forever cementing its place in pop culture history. Other topics include Jeff's books on Dan Curtis, his magazine articles, Hermes Press book introductions, the Collinsport Players, Barnabas' influence on subsequent vampire depictions, and more! You won't want to miss this episode of Terror at Collinwood – A Dark Shadows Podcast!

Poet and writer Rachel Freitas joins Penny in episode three of 'Terror at Collinwood'. They discuss the pre-Barnabas phoenix storyline, examining the character of Laura Collins and her important role as 'Dark Shadows'’ first supernatural antagonist. Next, they take a look at the Jason McGuire blackmail storyline and the challenges faced by Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. Additional topics include Rachel’s writing and her introduction to 'Dark Shadows', DS' influence on 'Port Charles', and a look at the unaired DS 2004 WB pilot. Join us for another eerie episode of the Dark Shadows podcast, 'Terror at Collinwood'.

Artist and writer Eric Marshall joins Penny for episode two of Terror at Collinwood. In this episode, they examine the show’s earliest Pre-Barnabas storylines and characters as they discuss Victoria Winters’ search for her parentage, Burke Devlin’s quest for revenge, and the death of Bill Malloy. They also take several side trips into other storylines and touch on topics such as whether or not a Dark Shadows remake could actually work.

Welcome to the first episode of Terror at Collinwood, a podcast dedicated to the 1966-1971 gothic television serial, Dark Shadows. Join Penny as she touches upon some characteristics of the gothic TV classic, followed by memories of her introduction to the show and its fandom.