Author: Jack (Page 1 of 174)

Born to Teachers and Amateur Audio Enthusiasts in the small rural community of Belwood, Jack's first love was stories- writing, reading, telling, and singing. He developed his acting skills through High School, University, and through film and community theatre.
Jack writes the lion's share of Sonic Cinema Production's (previously Electric Vicuna) Audio Drama scripts and has his own writing site at www.jackjward.com. Jack also is the middle of book writing, screenplay production, and is the CEO of the Mutual Audio Network- where he and the best people in the world Listen & Imagine, Together!.
He's thrilled to co-host the Sonic Society with his wonderful, talented, friend David Ault as they enter their second decade in the medium!

Classic Sonic Society #27: Gothic Radio

September 27, 2025 / Jack / 0 Comments

Prologue: Nissa’s thoughts on the Sonic Society!
There are a few genres that work especially well in radio drama- comedy of course is the most popular. Fantasy and Science Fiction are also exciting options because audio cinema really has no limits. It’s as easy to identify an alien planet through sound as it is to have your story earthbound. Suspense and horror are some of my favourites as well because the things that scare us and fascinate us are always best left to the imagination. Willamette Radio Workshop produces a number of audio gems that understand the best ways to use radio drama. This week’s presentation “Next Year’s Girl” offers us a broad stroked look at a gothic fairy tale. The story of “Beauty and the Beast” can titillate the imagination as we ask primal questions… about ourselves, our place in society, our capacity to be loved and to love, and in the case of this week’s feature what we’re willing to sacrifice.
We’ll talk to Sam Mowry from Willamette about his projects and his passion for audio cinema, and finish off this week with a special extended-version of DRE’s Robotz of the Company and the Bot War.

Classic Sonic Society #26: Marital Blitz

September 26, 2025 / Jack / 0 Comments

Prologue: MONA our Mutual Oral Network Assistant waxes on the Sonic Society’s history!
One of the great elements of the Schlock Audio re-mastered masterpieces, is that so many of the “goofs” from the movies can be discarded from distraction or added by the narrator as schlocky flavour. Of all the favoured filmmakers in Schlock audio drama, its hard to find a Director more hallowed than Ed Wood. Ed’s amazing “one shot” direction. His economical sets and scripts, and his ineffable humour permeates all his works. It’s hard to imagine that Bride of the Monster is considered one of the top 100 worst movies. Compared to Plan 9 it’s nearly a masterpiece on celluloid. We’ll talk more about Schlock Audio with one of its founders and producers Bruce Humphries. After, we end this meeting with the 6th and final installment of Biff Straker and Spaceways!

Classic Sonic Society #25: The Shadow Man Cometh

September 25, 2025 / Jack / 0 Comments

Prologue: Robyn Patterson of Kung Fu Action Theatre talks of his love of the Sonic Society!
Before we look into our main feature this meeting, I’d like to thank you the listeners once again for your thoughts on improving our show. You can always send us your thoughts by emailing us at sonicsociety@gmail.com.
In my regular quest to find more audio cinema out in the ethers of the Internet I ran across an immaculately designed webpage from the folks at Dry Smoke and Whispers. Listening to a portion of their show “The ShadowMan” I knew I wanted to include these stories into the Society. Marc Rose gratiously sent me the first episode as a download an followed up with three gorgeous looking CD box sets. In the insert in episode one Marc writes “It all started with David Bowie. We wanted to write a character for Dry Smoke that would suit his character: his mystery, his ambiguity.” With that kind of inspiration we can certainly expect a unique story to be told. After we’ll continue our discussion about podcasting with Andy Doane from Spaceship Radio and of course end this meeting with the 5th installment of Biff Straker and Spaceways!

Classic Sonic Society #24: Love Is In The Air

September 24, 2025 / Jack / 0 Comments

Prologue: Tony Sarrecchia speaks of the first time he encountered the Sonic Society!
I would like to thank those many people who have written in to give us their thoughts and ideas for the continual improvement of our show. From the very beginnings Andrew Dorfman and I have conceived of the Sonic Society as a collective effort. It is a partnership beginning with those who kindly offer us their works, and ending with you our listening members. We believe very deeply in audio drama’s cause and look forward to bringing you more and more of your favourites while presenting new shows you might not have heard before. So please if you haven’t dropped us a line, email us at sonicsociety@gmail.com to give us your thoughts on how we can improve.
The idea for this story came from a simple walk to the local Corner Store. There I met a middle-aged woman buying a pack of smokes. Not exactly an unusual sight. Now I don’t smoke, and I don’t really understand the habit, but neither is it for me to judge. I did note however there was a huge picture of a diseased lung and warning labels all over the package as is the law in Canada. Basically, it struck me, this woman was paying with full knowledge that this was going to kill her. Maybe that’s true, maybe it isn’t. The fact is, it seemed a little absurd and I mumbled out loud yet entirely to myself, “It wouldn’t matter if they attached electrodes to those… would it?” The woman heard me (which startled me to no end) and grinned saying as she opened the pack, “Not a bit.”
There’s a story in that, I was certain. I hope you’ll agree.
Sit back and relax as we present for the first time ever, an old Shadowlands Theatre story, “Spin, Spin, Spin”. Followed by episode #4 of Biff Straker and Spaceways.

Classic Sonic Society #23: Baker Street Revisited

September 23, 2025 / Jack / 0 Comments

Prologue: Angela Young looks back at her early days of Audio Drama!
In our previous incarnation as “Shadowlands Theatre” one of my very favourite forays into the past was listening to the old time radio drama series “Sherlock Holmes” with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Rathbone was arguably the best Holmes capturing some of the quirky spirit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation. It was only after Jeremy Brett’s turn on the BBC production that people considered there was a new great Sleuth with the Deerstalker. This tale adapted by Jim Cort was presented to us by our friend and member of the Society “Richard Frolich”.
Later we’ll have a discussion about podcasting with Andy Doane from Spaceship Radio, and our third episode of Biff Straker and Spaceways!
For this month of February I would like any of our listening members to give us an email and tell us what you think. What do we do well? What could we improve on? What would you like to hear for next season? Who would you like us to interview? Would you like to see practical tips on making radio drama, or would you simply want more stories? Do you like serials? Would you prefer anthology stories? Crack your knuckles and tap out a few lines to us at sonicsociety@gmail.com or visit us at www.sonicsociety.org. Let your voice be heard, so we can improve OUR show for the future!

Classic Sonic Society #22: Hot Wax

September 22, 2025 / Jack / 0 Comments

Prologue: The First Sonic Society Fan- Matt Leong talks about his love of the medium!
Audio Drama has its favourites and if you talk to many aficionados of the art they will tell you that there’s more science fiction and comedy in the new Audio works than any other genre. Schlock Audio Theater’s works are some of the very best of the unintended intended comedy you’ll find. Bruce Humphries and Charles E. Pratt have a love for the old- and so bad they are good “B-flick” horrors of the past. What they have discovered is that the 50’s horrors have great new life as radio dramas, especially with their own narrator/host. Tonight we present another of our favourite gut wrenching tales “House of Wax”.
Later we’ll listen in on a conversation I had with Danielle Cutler from the Audio Addicts blog and complete the business of entertainment in our podcast meeting this week with the next thrilling episode of “Biff Straker and Spaceways”.

Classic Sonic Society #21: Pand-at-it-Again

September 21, 2025 / Jack / 0 Comments

Prologue: Tom Konkle brings us his thoughts on Audio Drama and the Sonic Society!
Returning to the Society another great fan favourite- The Red Panda. The Red Panda’s new adventures can be heard regularly through Podcast at the Radio Memories Network or through Decoder Ring Theatre’s website. I love the Red Panda because Gregg Taylor’s humour and alacrity knows exactly how much cheese we want on our meal, and how much meat. Too many turns at the heroic wheel have produced silly stories or super serious ones. The original Red Panda series has just the right mixture. In his new series, Mr. Taylor takes the Red Panda and produces an instant golden age classic to be found in the honoured halls of other greats like The Shadow and The Green Hornet. Canada’s premiere super-hero of the past, has many more adventures waiting for him in the future.
After, part two of our interview with Andrew Dorfman of The Sonic Society and a peek at what is coming up for our listeners next season. We end our meeting with a special treat for our podcasting audience, another hero stemming from the North side of the US/Canadian border. Sonic Society proudly presents the first episode of Biff Straker and Spaceways!

Classic Sonic Society #20: Hardboiled

September 20, 2025 / Jack / 0 Comments

Prologue: Jonithan Patrick Russell brings us the hidden history behind Robotz of the Company and the Sonic Society!
This week our Society meeting looks at Texas Radio Theatre. Our good friend and Society member in good stead Richard Frolick has been writing and creating radio drama for many years now. One of his favourite productions is yet another famous Jack- and that being a hardnosed or rather hardcastled detective.
Jack Hardcastle is a delightful romp in the style that Texas Radio Theatre has become best known for- loving tributes with a wink to the past and an eye to the future. Winners of the Ogle Awards and mentioned honourably by the Mark Time awards for their productions, Texas Radio Theatre produces live performances nearly as often as it works in the studio. Tireless, Mr. Frolick and his theatre players provide a wide variety of fantasy, comedy, drama and suspense in their lineup.
After, we’ll have an interview with myself and Andrew Dorfman from the Sonic Society to talk about how it all began, and where we see the Society going in the future.

Classic Sonic Society #19: Soul Patrolin’

September 19, 2025 / Jack / 0 Comments

Prologue: JV Torres talks about his love of audio drama!
This week in the Society we return to a fan favourite, “The Soul Patrol” by David Koenigsberg. Our heroes of the Soul Patrol investigate the kinds of terrible crimes only humans could commit upon each other. They explore the psyche’s of villains that most likely go undetected by mere mortal law enforcement, and that brings some interesting questions to mind.
There’s some long abiding principles that have run out of favour in our society today. The idea of “sinning in thought” is not considered nearly as important compared to sinning in deed. In the past, even horrendous villainous thoughts had far reaching consequences- in the Soul Patrol they are footprints of crimes to be committed- as much as eyes are the windows to the soul. Writing celestial characters can have real power in stories. They give us the opportunity to look at metaphors and archetypes to shine the lamp of truth upon who we are and where we’re going. Stand by as we go soaring off into another Soul Patrol adventure.
After, an interview with Jonithan Patrick Russell of Dream Realm Enterprises.

Classic Sonic Society #18: Martian Music

September 18, 2025 / Jack / 0 Comments

Prologue: Pete Lutz talks about his memories of Sonic!
The idea in most science fiction is that it’s not science fiction. That is to say, the stories may be set in the near or distant future, but they are about us as people today. Even if the people are future people, their sentiments, their concerns, their lives reflect our sentiments, our concerns, and our lives. Whether the characters are aliens or robots, they represent humanity and all our foibles and hopes.
Great Northern Audio’s “Martian Trombones” takes a page from the classic view of martians as folks just like us. While we recognise this may be entirely flights of fantasy and humour, it is also important to see that no matter what planet you’re from, the same issues remain.
After, an interview with Dr. Kerric Harvey on writing and creating radio drama.