Jean Graham, née Peacock, was one of the founders of ShadowCon, the original Dark Shadows convention which started in 1977, predating the Dark Shadows Festivals by several years. With the last Dark Shadows convention on the horizon, Jean visits the podcast to talk about her memories of the very first one. She also discusses the challenges of early DS syndication days in the 70s, her DS fanfic and how that led to pro fiction publishing, her DS music arrangements and piano playing, and her fandom for The Man from U.N.C.L.E and Star Trek. Other topics include: the appeal of Barnabas, Mr. Spock, and Illya Kuryakin to outsiders, San Diego Comic Con - then vs now, sneaking into a movie theater balcony to watch House of Dark Shadows, and throwing a DS Halloween party in 1970. 

Terror at Collinwood and Shilling Shockers shirts, stickers, mugs, and merch at the Penny Dreadful XIII TeePublic shop

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The irrepressible Jimmy Hutcheson is a stalwart Dark Shadows fan from Texas who wrote fan fiction and articles for DS fanzines such as Inside the Old House and The World of Dark Shadows. A regular attendee at Dark Shadows Festivals, Seaview Terrace parties, and pop culture events, Jimmy developed friendships with the likes of Lara Parker (Angelique from Dark Shadows) and Jonathan Harris (Dr. Zachary Smith from Lost in Space). In this episode, Jimmy shares some of his fandom memories and reads his fascinating DS fanfic story, ‘An Encounter’, originally published in Inside the Old House issue 44, November/December 1993. Other topics include: Lost in Space and Jonathan Harris, Godzilla, I-Ching wands, the 1991 Dark Shadows series, friendship with ITOH editor Dale Clark, and more!

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The Dark Shadows Discord server provides an online space where a new generation of DS fans gather to hang out, discuss DS, post fanfic and fan art, and just have fun. This episode features a lively discussion about this community with moderator Madelyn Marks and active DS Discord members, Tina Marie DeLucia and Max Kern. We also look at Madelyn’s incredible LEGO Collinwood foyer, drawing room, and custom minifigures! Additional topics include: Tubmlr blogs, differences in how younger fans view DS characters, DS merchandise wants, Tina’s article on gender nonconformity in DS and trans Julia theory, subjective nature of DS and the various audiences for the show, critiques of Big Finish Audio plays, future hopes for new media, archiving classic DS fanzines, Madelyn’s DS Spotify playlists, and much more!