The Bad Articles Audio Drama

I'm not entirely certain how to describe The Bad Articles. It's a podcast that contains horror, improv comedy, audio fiction, a paranormal investigation, and nostalgia. It's the kitchen sink metaphor, except that The Bad Articles is superb in its own wacky way.

Here are the podcast co-creators, JR McCormick & Aidan Kelly: "We are an improvised comedy podcast which follows the chaotic and absurd investigations of the Official Supernatural Neutralisation Agency (O.S.N.A.) as they attempt to stop otherworldly threats across a fictional 1990s Ireland.

They continue: "This is a silly and irreverent love-letter to collaborative story telling, Irish folklore, and 90s nostalgia, with each Article being a standalone investigation into supernatural phenomena, typically split into 3–5 episodes."

The podcast is produced by Felbryn Studios in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Felbryn Studios is a voiceover, Foley, and post-production studio that specializes in video game, audio drama, and animation, with extensive experience in casting, directing, and sound design. Felbryn is dedicated to producing immersive, story-driven audio experiences and building a community for voice actors across Ireland.

This show follows the strange investigations of the Official Supernatural Neutralisation Agency (.O.S.N.A.), an ancient and clandestine society dedicated to protecting Ireland from the Otherworldly.

Blending improvisational comedy with narrative storytelling and rich sound design, The Bad Articles is an immersive audio experience shamelessly lathered in pulpy 90s nostalgia and Irish folklore. As though by some cruel design, each investigation spirals into absurdity as the cast improvise their way through spooky hauntings, eldritch horrors, and mundane conversations.

The show's creators call it: "It’s Father Ted, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files, all seen through the lens of a rules-lite Dungeons & Dragons game."

JR McCormick is the co-creator, writer, and showrunner of The Bad Articles. JR is an improviser with a passion for collaborative storytelling, doing silly voices, and making cool things with the people he loves. He's the Director of Felbryn Studios.

Aidan Kelly is the co-creator, writer, and game master for The Bad Articles. Improviser and film obsessive, Aidan holds the reins on the cast, guiding them through a loose narrative scaffolding before gleefully watching it unravel.

Conleth McVeigh is a seasoned comedian, writer, and creator of Back to Dunbracken, Northern Ireland’s #1 sketch podcast. Conleth brings to The Bad Articles his unique skill and experience for weaving the chaos of improv into engaging narrative storytelling.

Clark Phillips is the Head engineer and sound sorcerer at Felbryn Studios. With an extensive background in audio production and recording, Clark is responsible for the immersive sound design and music that brings the world of The Bad Articles to life.

The Actors are: Conleth McVeigh as Clarry Postman, Laura Conlon as Maddie Murphy, Niall McKenna as Gideon Hubble, Patrick Meier as Dolan Gibbons, and JR McCormick & Aidan Kelly as Everyone Else.

It’s a pulpy serial show with rich soundscapes, bespoke music, and high-end production. Above all, The Bad Articles is a love letter to the best memories of our collective childhoods.

As the co-creators explain: "To all the horror movies, we were too young to be taping off the TV... and watching on repeat. To the dog-eared copies of Goosebumps novels and Hellboy comics. To Young Frankenstein, Stephen King’s IT, and The Lost Boys."

Check out The Bad Articles, unless, as the podcasters say, you're a coward. The show is for the dice slingers, and for the TTRPG and actual play addicts. If you cut your teeth on Mike Mignola, John Carpenter, Mary Shelley, Hammer Horror, and Tales from the Crypt, The Bad Articles is for you.