Blog-o-ween 2022: The Black Mass

It's day three of Blog-o-ween 2022, and today we're again going to look at and listen to a radio program that was broadcast well outside of the usual agreed-upon Golden Age of Radio timeframe (1930s-1950s). The Black Mass aired 31 episodes on KPFA (Berkeley) and KPFK (Los Angeles) from 1963 to 1970. Produced by Erik Bauersfeld, The Black Mass differed from other radio dramas in that most episodes were simply first-person renditions of famous supernatural short stories instead of full-cast dramatic adaptations. This format gives The Black Mass the eerie feeling of a good old fashioned campfire tale. Stories were further enhanced by the sound design of KPFA's Production Director, John Whiting.

The Black Mass's strength lies in the immediacy of its tales' telling. The first-person narration works wonders with authors such as M.R. James, Edgar Allan Poe, and the writer of today's story, H.P. Lovecraft. The Black Mass's adaptation of "The Outsider" is spot on. The baleful echoes, dripping water, and screaming crowds in the background lends Lovecraft's tale the perfect accompaniment. You can listen to "The Outsider" and many other of Black Mass's episodes at Relic Radio.