Here at Balladeer’s Blog I’ve made clear my love of myths and folklore and ARG’s (Alternate Reality Games). I enjoy the way truth, fiction, pretended truth and pretended fiction can intermingle, especially like the Orion/ Elvis Presley situation or in the participatory manner of ARGs, Adult Swim and CreepyPastas.
For what it’s worth, I would recommend hopping on to Kris Straub’s latest experiment in meta-horror, Local 58 TV, while it is still ongoing. If you’re not familiar with Straub’s work he parlayed his quasi-CreepyPasta tale about Candle Cove, a “forgotten” Children’s Show with horrific undertones into a collection of short stories and later a television series.
In the fashion of the H.P. Lovecraft Fictional Universe, largely centered around the Miskatonic Valley, the Necronomicon and Miskatonic University, Kris’ shared fictional universe largely centers around the nonexistent towns of Ichor Falls, Broodhollow, Edenvale and Lasker City. The towns are located in the real-life Mason County, WV.
Local 58 TV, serving Straub’s fictional towns, is part of his latest ingenious horror project. Like Candle Cove, the tale of this made-up television station has started out as a hauntingly incomplete mosaic.
The station’s vaguely sinister slogan We have always been here is just the opening salvo in its eerie, disturbing and horrific programming. Deepening the mystery is the way in which it is often unclear how much of the unfolding terror is actually the station’s fault and how much is content from vile unknown parties who hijack the station’s signal.
There is something very, very wrong with the Moon and apparently has been for some time. Enigmatic forces seem to be encouraging mass suicide under the guise of an old-fashioned Emergency Broadcast System video. A seemingly benign Sleep Study is more like an attempt to suppress dreaming and ultimately discourage sleep itself. Children’s Programs are aired at 11:56PM or 4:15AM and are more like macabre nightmares.
And maybe you shouldn’t trust the calm, tranquil voice coming from your car’s GPS.
“Concerned citizens” (Straub himself) have taken to uploading some of Local 58’s more menacing broadcasts to a Youtube Channel of the same name. Best of all, creator Kris Straub has openly stated that it is NOT aliens who are behind it all, hopefully ensuring a much more original storyline than it initially looked like we were in for.
As I stated above, this ARG is ongoing, so – if you have the patience since it can be months between episodes – tune in now to enjoy the saga. In the end, Local 58 TV may wind up in book or television show format, too, but you’ll have gotten in on the ground level.
Straub has thrown in some fake “archives” of Local 58 like a Pentathode diagram and this fake TV Guide item (read every word):
Below is just one example of Local 58’s bizarre, disturbing programming. It’s a pastiche of a “vintage” cartoon featuring Kris Straub’s character Cadavre, further cementing Local 58 into his Broodhollow/ Ichor Falls shared universe. If you like the video below, the YT channel is HERE
Balladeer's Blog 
You know about Orion????
Yes, in fact I wrote about it a few years back – https://glitternight.com/2018/01/08/orion-the-elvis-presley-hoax-put-on-tease/
I knew someone who played in Jimmy’s touring band. Wayyyyy back in the day.
Wow! That is great!
So you can imagine how surreal it felt to be reading your blog and see that name!
Yes, that must have been something! Was that before or after Jimmy was shot to death in real life?
Long before Jimmy was murdered!!!
In the early 80’s. In fact, they parted ways in my city. Orion left him because he got drunk during a show and later didn’t show up for the bus the next morning. The band guy stayed in my city for about a year, playing local.
He then moved to Pensacola to play with Papa Joe & The Rest.
He died from suicide in early 2000’s if I remember correctly.
Wow. A lot of unhappiness on all sides in the Orion story.
I watched “The Fastest Available Route”. My GPS has acted in similar fashion…can’t trust ‘em. 🙂
Ha! I know what you mean!
I watched some of those videos and they scared me too much.
I understand.
Kris updates too infrequently for me.
I understand completely.
I could envision a comic book version of this story.
I see.
I went to watch all the episodes and they really messed with my head! Scary! But I want more!
I understand how you feel.
Really good but he needs to update more often.
I certainly agree.
Too scary! Such a macabre cartoon!
I understand.
I used to be into this one but he has taken too long.
I’m getting to that point, too.
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That sounds great!
I don’t get it. Did this woman really exist?
No. Think of it like Laura Palmer.
I stopped following cause he rarely updates.
I understand.