The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel is for 8 - 12 year olds (though my 7 year old was also very engaged!) and is the creation of four local Maplewood friends who aim to produce more fun and engaging shows through their brand new podcast network, Blobfish Radio. This winning team includes Emmy award-winning writer and producer David Kreizman; writer and entertainment developer Jenny Turner Hall; musician, writer, producer, and composer Chris Tarry; and writer, attorney and producer Benjamin Strouse. As part of my Community Spotlight Series I spoke with Ben Strouse to learn more about how this all came about, so please read our Q & A below!:
Why a Children's Podcast Network? Why now?
Audio adventures are perfect for kids, because high-quality audio programming leaves room to make up details about the characters and worlds in the story. So while kids are being seriously engaged, they are actively imagining the whole time. That’s a different experience from watching a movie or TV. As one of my partners, Chris Tarry, who creates our sounds design, likes to say, we make TV for the ears.
Among the small world of children’s podcasts, our scripted audio shows are created for middle graders in particular, which sets us apart from Sesame Street and other younger, pre-school audio programming. Also, because kids love to listen to other kids act, we cast kids about the same age as the young middle-grade characters they play, which, as far as I know, is something that is unique among podcasts to Blobfish Radio.
The answer to the question of "Why Now", is because we are living in an age of podcasting, which has meant that everything “audio” finds its audience. So the kinds of exciting audio adventures that would have struggled to find a young listening audience over the radio (at least in the last seventy-five years or so since the Golden Age ended) can connect more easily today, and globally too, as a podcast.
What or who inspired you to take on this project?
I like telling stories, particularly a certain kind of high-concept wonder-and- adventure story that my kids like to hear. Of course, radio plays were popular seventy-five or eighty years ago. But as another one of my partners, David Kreizman, likes to say, it’s pretty cool to be the ones introducing an updated version to kids today.
The team is all from this area. How did everyone meet and decide to work together?
I had been thinking about producing audio stories and other programming for kids as a business, and I pitched Chris, who I met at a local writer’s event. Chris liked the idea, so we decided to run with it. I met David at a get-together for Young Adult authors, which is a genre I write too, and so does he. He loved the concept, so that made three of us. Then Jenny Turner Hall, who runs the writers event where I met Chris (so in a way was responsible for putting us together) joined up. We started brainstorming, writing, casting, recording, and so on. At some point we looked back and realized, we’ve accomplished a lot! Let’s take this to the next level.
A lot of people have great ideas for a business or a creative project, but never get passed the idea stage. How did you go from the idea of Blobfish Radio to actually launching your first show, The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel?
Making an idea into a business means having a vision and working as a team to make it happen. Each of us has different backgrounds and talents and interests, so we play complementary roles. Above all, we’re all writers. We assign each other different episodes, and then re-write as a group, led by David, who has the experience running a writer’s room. I have a legal and business background so take the lead on those issues. Chris is a recording artist and musician so is responsible for our sound design. Jenny has a gift for working with kids and directs our actors. So our first project, The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel, was a collaboration in every sense.
Have there been any unexpected hurdles in getting the Podcast off and running? Any unexpected rewards?
The concept of scripted audio adventures for kids falls somewhere between the very different businesses of book publishing, music publishing and live theater. That’s challenging because it feels a little trailblazing, both creatively and business-wise.
In terms of rewards, every day my kids ask me what happens next in the story. And that’s not just dad talk, because I’ve got plenty of friends whose kids practically knock me down to find out what’s happening next. You can’t beat that. I’m pretty sure my partners would say exactly the same thing.
What are your long term goals for the show and for Blobfish Radio in general?
The character of Mars Patel is on an amazing adventure, and season one has a big, big ending. But the adventure won’t end. The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel will take place over many seasons. We are also creating and producing other scripted audio shows, like The Ghost of Jessica Majors and The Voice of Reason, as well as developing other high-quality audio programming for podcast companies that want to make an impact with middle grade kids.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We’re releasing Episodes 2 & 3 on on Tuesday Oct 11, and a new episode every Tues after that so check it out on Stitcher or iTunes today!
Thanks Ben! Please also check out the Blobfish Radio website for updates and more information: http://www.blobfishradio.com/
Click here for the Stitcher link
Click here for the iTunes link
