"Afterhell" story ideas often come from the dark, surreal twists our writers would put on their own experiences or personal observations. Some were also inspired by nightmares. If people feel as if they've overheard someone else's nightmare, we've done our job.
What does the title "Afterhell" mean?
It's a play on several words -- aftermath, afterlife, etc. The series depicts a world after a vast, horrific change. The existence that follows the cataclysm resembles a kind of Hell. The Afterhell.
What is the world of "Afterhell" like? What can happen there?
"Afterhell" depicts a nightmare world in every sense. In it, the dark forces of the world -- whether it's the supernatural or humanity's darker side -- break free of their restraints and take over. They become a real, tangible threat in one form or another. It can appear as monster, madman, or madness itself. People and places change, sometimes from moment to moment. Anything is possible. No one is safe. It's more than a post-apocalyptic world. It's a creepy, surreal mirror image on our personal fears.
Why audio, instead of movies or books?
We're basically fans of audiodrama, whether books-on-tape or classic radio shows of old like "The Shadow," "Lights Out Everybody," and "Nightfall." Movies are more expensive and time-consuming to produce. These days book publication can take almost as long. We'd like to do both soon. In the meantime, audio is a convenient and flexible middle ground.
Will we hear the same characters in each episode?
"Afterhell" is an anthology series, so the cast of characters changes with each story in the same nightmare world. Actors often come back to play different characters on new episodes. This way we never know who will survive this week's episode...or whether anyone will.
What was the deal with the weird text on some pages of the website? What did it mean, and where did it go?
It was supposed to be a psychotic, rambling explanation of "Afterhell." We wanted some page filler that was more creative than the usual "under construction" graphic. Joe wrote a few quick bits of dark stream-of-consciousness writing, then spliced them all together at random, much like William Burroughs' cut-up method. When we need some page filler, we might bring it back...or do something even more strange.
For more about the cut-up method, look here:
http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88v/burroughs-cutup.html
http://www.legendsmagazine.net/104/william.htm
Who made these shows? Who are the writers and actors?
"Afterhell" is brought to you by Ollin Productions, namely producer Jamie Lawson and the show's creator Joseph Medina. The writers and actors of each episode are pros, semi-pros, and other fun-loving goofballs brought together from all over the country through the magic of the Internet and frequent flyer miles.
Can I be a part of "Afterhell?"
Sure! We're always looking for artists of all kinds -- writers, actors, graphic artists, you name it. Contact the producers if you want to work on an episode. No story ideas unless requested. If you want to write an episode, ask about submissions first. This is a precaution to protect you as well as us.
Will we be able to download whole episodes from the Web?
Episodes are available on audio CD, but we're planning out a sneak preview podcast of selected episodes. At first, we've been concerned about leaving out people who didn't have broadband. Now there's a handy work-around. KYOU 1550 AM in San Francisco is airing podcasts for folks stuck in dial-up land. In fact, late one night, you might hear our pilot episode. Stay tuned!
