About this episode

Alexander J. Newall discusses his influences and the challenges of creating horror in various mediums.

This week on Scarred For Life, Andy and Dave are joined by writer, director and producer Alexander J. Newall, the founder of Rusty Quill and the creative force behind the hugely successful horror podcast The Magnus Archives. Alex explains how a childhood obsession with unsettling cartoons, classic horror films and British sci-fi shaped his love of the genre, before diving into the unique challenges of making audiences genuinely afraid in audio, theatre and games. From the eerie existential dread of old Hanna-Barbera cartoons to why immersive theatre might be the most effective horror medium of all, it's a fascinating deep dive into what actually makes something scary. His three scars are the terrifying hopelessness of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the unsettlingly familiar Britain of 28 Days Later, and the enduring brilliance of The X-Files, which he credits with fundamentally changing the way he thinks about storytelling. Along the way, there's chat about creepy service stations, cults, liminal spaces, philosophical zombies, board games, and why some horror lingers long after the credits roll. To join Scarred Club and get fortnightly bonus episodes, ad-free listening and…

People in this episode

Hosts: Andy Bush, Dave

Guest: Alexander J. Newall

Topics covered

• horror
• storytelling
• audio production
• theatre
• cultural analysis
• childhood influences

Keywords

• horror podcast
• audio horror
• immersive theatre
• existential dread
• storytelling techniques
• creepy cartoons
• philosophical zombies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rusty Quill

Books & works: The Magnus Archives, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 28 Days Later, The X-Files

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