SuperHuman Times: The Stories Thus Far

Established 10/6/2008

NOTE: If you got here from the SuperHuman Times web page,
you're in the right place. Welcome!

Yeah, it's a sneaky way to get you to check out the "Behind the Times" blog as well, but you'll also get what you came for: story summaries and cast/credits for the episodes we've produced so far. Once you do, we hope that you'll click on the story/episode links to hear them, then check out our other fine podcasts at

Hopefully you'll want to read more about the show here, click on the story/episode links to hear them, then check out our other fine podcasts at
NOTE: All Prometheus podcasts are presented in high-definition imagination -- yours!
Enjoy!

True North (Series Pilot)
An all-too-human office drone learns about his late parents’ super-heroic pasts – and a few surprising things about his own.
Cast: John Scheeler, Marty Gear, Cindy Woods, Renfield, Eli Senter, Cindy Shockey, Paul Balzé, Steve Wilson, Renee Wilson, Ethan Wilson and John Weber as Malvolio Nacht

Risk Management (3 parts) 1 2 3
The world’s greatest sorceress faces three challenges: protecting a valuable magical tome during a high-profile museum exhibition; grooming her two daughters to take over the family security firm; and dating – after a 20-year lull.
Cast: Renee Wilson, Heather Mikkelsen, Paige Strehlen-Senter, Eli Senter, Steve Wilson, Scott Farquhar

Servant Problem
The former butler of a dying super-villain receives a gift from his ex-employer that arrives at the worst possible time. Comic mayhem ensues.
Cast: John Weber, Heather Scheeler, Eli Senter, Lance Woods, Steve Wilson and Sandy Zier-Teitler as Mrs. Jensen

Close Encounters
A romance novelist who’s built her career creating dream men for her readers finally meets the man of her own dreams – literally.
Cast: Heather Scheeler, John Scheeler, Maureen Connolly, Renfield, Ethan Wilson, Cindy Woods

Dashing (3 parts) 1 2 3
An arrogant action-movie star with superhuman healing powers is targeted by a mysterious assassin and his only hope of uncovering the killer rests with a meek special effects technician who believes he's Dash Tarragon, the debonair superspy the actor plays onscreen.
Cast: Scott Farquhar, John Weber, Cindy Woods, June Swords, Marty Gear, Renfield

Series Announcer: June Swords

Created & Written by Lance Woods
Directed by Steven H. Wilson

MORE TO COME! HONEST!

Back to SuperHuman Times web page.

No New Times Yet, BUT...

Hi.

Well, I'm writing new SuperHuman Times episodes in hopes that Steve Wilson and Prometheus Radio Theatre will still be standing after the mind-blowing finale to The Arbiter Chronicles (starting this week). But while you're patiently waiting on me, I have great news.

When you get around to listening to Steve's words (while breathlessly awaiting mine), you can do so at the all-new Prometheus website, which you can find here. (NOTE: Although we're still very much with the good folks at libsyn, this site replaces the previous one we had with them.)

If you haven’t checked it out already, please do so before we settle in and mess up the nice, new space. And while you’re there, listen to the new Arbiter episode. Or enjoy some old Times.

Thanks.

-- L.

In This Episode: Nobody Dies! -- UPDATED WITH PICS!

Hi.

I’ve been at kind of a writing lull for the last couple of weeks. I’m in the middle of a Times episode, but I’ve written myself into a corner that I didn’t expect to hit, and I’m trying to figure the way out. This is actually a good situation because it forces a writer to be inventive and examine new ways to resolve a story. So I’m doing that as I write this.

I also thought, after blogging so much about death recently -- our dear Tucker, my pal Robbie – that I’d turn a little non-Times space over to some good news for a change. It’s especially good because September 10 will be the first anniversary of Tucker’s passing. We still miss him terribly, we still fight back tears, but recent events have reminded us how much we love the “sister” he left behind.

Shalla (named for the Silver Surfer’s lost girlfriend, by me) is our terrier mix. We adopted her a year after we adopted Tucker so he'd have company. But she hates other dogs. ALL other dogs. we didn't know this until we got her home, though She and Tucker rarely got along; I often feel guilty for bringing her into the house and stressing him out. But on her own, she’s a sweetie. She’s three years younger than Tucker, based on her shelter records.

This makes her about 12-13, or 69-70 in human years. She’s an old lady, but as anyone who’s been at the other end of her leash can tell you, she’s strong. Strong enough to show her displeasure at being crated last year by walking the crate out of the living room, around a corner, and down the hall, until she hit a wall.

The crate started in front of the couch, here. Move it left about four feet and forward about six to eight feet and you'll end up...

Here, where Shalla ended up. (This is where, and how, we found her.)

Here's a detail of where she shoved her snoot through the bars to move forward. One of these bars ultimately fell off. She is STILL that strong.

So, she tore what’s called a cruciate ligament in a rear leg that day and, astonishingly, healed very nicely without so much as a limp.

This year, though – and we have no idea how – she tore the same ligament in the other rear leg. This time, it was a complete tear, one that required surgery last week. We were very concerned for several reasons:

1. Shalla hates going to the vet hospital. She’s been there numerous times for exams and boarding, but she shakes like a leaf and is ready to tunnel through the foundation during every visit. This isn't very helpful to the doctors or techs who have to deal with her (never-realized) bite potential.

2. The surgery was $$$$, and we had to wonder if it was worth going through much financial strain – or worth the stress of surgery and recovery -- for a dog her age. (The attending surgeon dispelled that idea quickly, proclaiming her amazingly fit for a dog of her years.)

3. The surgery was routine, but with the anniversary of Tucker’s death approaching, we feared something might happen – like Shalla working herself into shock on the table – that would take her from us.

I am pleased/relieved to report that Shalla has been home for a week now and is progressing nicely. She’s actually walking on her repaired limb tentatively, but with growing confidence. We still have to walk her out in the yard on a leash for bathroom breaks. However, unlike Tucker during his hip replacement surgeries, Shalla is encouraged to walk on the leg when we go out. The max is five minutes, but she’s usually back in the house of her own desire in about one minute. Best of all, after going without an appetite or food for about a week, she’s finally eating meals and biscuits again, a sure sign that we’ve dodged another canine apocalypse for now.

Like I said, some good news for a change. I think Tucker would approve. Then he'd ask me why I wasn’t getting back to work on the script.

So, if you will excuse me, my dog and I will return to my corner.

-- L.

We Interrupt This Interruption for a Bit of Fun

In desperate need of relief from my selfish mourning rage (see last post), I've been watching the just-released two-disc set of Filmation's DC Super Heroes cartoons from 1967 -- 18 cartoons that initially ran between the Superman cartoons that aired on CBS on Saturday mornings and later in syndication.

Historical note to youngsters: in my day, there were no 24/7 kids/cartoon channels like Nick and CN; we ruled the TV ONLY on Saturdays from roughly 8 AM-1 PM, and maybe for a few hours on Sunday mornings, and that was it. If Whitey hadn't taken all the satellite dishes from the much smarter Native Americans, we'd still be getting TV signals for the three main broadcast networks via aerials atop our covered wagons. It's all true! Google it!

(And, yes, I am sure they had some formative influence along with the old '60s Marvel cartoons and the West/Ward Batman series on me that ultimately led me to come up with SuperHuman Times, so there is some relevance to this blog.)

Anyway, the set contains cartoons featuring pre-Paul Dini/Bruce Timm renditions of the JLA, Green Lantern (Hal), the Atom, Hawkman and the Teen Titans. They HAD to have inspired them to become artists so they could create something better.

Among the highlights (for me, anyway):

* The limited animation makes the first season of The Flintstones look like The Clone Wars.

* The menu screen shows stills of Hanna-Barbera's Birdman instead of Hawkman. (At least he earned his own DVD set.)

* Green Lantern is voiced by the animated Fantastic Four's own Reed Richards, radio star Gerald Mohr, and his first cartoon has Paul Frees (the animated FF's Ben Grimm) voicing every other character.

* When Paul Frees doesn't voice all but the central character of every cartoon, Ted Knight does.

* The opening music in the JLA cartoons sounds like they're taking the stage in Vegas instead of preparing to fight evil.

* There are too many "WTF?!" moments in every episode to describe here.

Check it out here if you get a chance. For all their flaws, I treasure them more than ever because they couldn't have come out at a better time.

-- L.

PS: Check out the documentary about Filmation founder Lou Scheimer on disk 2. You may not come away with more respect for the cartoons, but the man responsible for them has class.

We Interrupt This Program to Remember Robbie Greenberger

Yeah, it’s one of those times I have to veer away from the main purpose of this blog (hyping the show) to attend to some personal business.

There’s no other way to start an entry like this, so: last night, a good friend of mine passed away.

Robbie Greenberger – son of Bob & Deb Greenberger, brother of Katie Greenberger – had been diagnosed with leukemia in January. His fight wasn’t a long one, but it was a powerful one, all documented by his dad on his blog. I’m probably getting my chronology wrong, but I think he’d just completed his first semester (year?) at Towson University when he was diagnosed. So he was young. Too young for this.

I’m sure I’m wrong about this, but I can’t bring myself to check for his obit to confirm his age and brief life path. All I know is that the little months-old baby I first met when he wore Superman sleepers, a swell kid who grew into an ace convention masquerade ninja, was snatched too soon.

And having him taken from his family, and from us, so soon really pisses me off. So much so that I can’t even restrain my rage long enough to go to the funeral home’s online condolence book to leave the message I know I should leave.

I’m mad that someone as young and vital as Robbie had to be chosen by The Machine to suffer this fate. I’m mad that his parents and sister have to live the rest of their lives with an unimaginable void that will surely shrink in time, but can never close. And, selfishly, I’m REALLY pissed off that I’ll never get to have breakfast with him again, because the last time I did was one of the most fun times I’ve ever spent around Clan Greenberger. (And we’ve had a busload or two.)

That was back in 2003. Bob and the brood were guesting at a local s-f convention that I couldn’t attend because I was watching Greg at home while Cindy ran the convention art show that weekend. Still, they wanted to get together with us for breakfast at a neutrally located IHOP, so we did. When people you’ve been friends with since ’82 still want to eat with you in public, you go, NQA.

So we arrived, there were hugs and kisses and pancakes and bacon, and Robbie just fell in love with Greg. They sat across the table from each other and played constantly while Bob, Deb and Katie grilled me about the latest that was going on in our lives and beyond. I wish I’d taken a camera, because the boys were distracting -- and hilarious.

But what also stands out about that breakfast was the fact that I’d ordered a large orange juice. And that Greg was having such a great time, he wrapped his little 3-year-old hands around my tumbler at one point and chugged about half of it down. It was the first and only time he ever drank orange juice, and I always wondered if Robbie loosened him up enough to give it a shot. I don’t know if I ever thanked him for that, but I know we mentioned that breakfast to each other on occasion when we intersected at later conventions.

If Greg ever does drink OJ again, I’ll think of Robbie because of the fun he had with him that day. And if he doesn’t, I’ll think of Robbie because we’ll never have another chance to have breakfast with him and test the theory. Maybe we never would have. As Robbie grew older, our time together grew shorter as we – especially he – had other things calling to him. Like the entourage of girls he acquired at the last convention where we crossed paths. It was something to see. I’m not sure, but I think that was the con where Katie, an accomplished ballroom dancer, hauled Robbie’s skinny ass out on the floor to teach him a few steps during the convention’s Saturday night dance. And he went! They were a unique pair of siblings. But they were born of unique parents, so no big surprise.

And none of them deserved this. I know, I know, his fight is done, he’s at peace, and that’s a good thing, but this family holds a special place in my heart for numerous reasons, so I’m mad again at their having to endure this pain. It’s a waste of energy and emotion, and if Bob, Deb and/or Katie ever read this, I hope they’ll forgive me, but this kind of rage has no place in a condolence book or a private email.

Maybe I’ll be able to contact them in a few days, but for right now… I just don’t have the words. None that can help them, anyway.

So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pour myself a tumbler of orange juice and drink a toast to a fine young man, a great kid, and a wonderful friend. (Greg's not here, so I'll get to finish it.)

Later, Robbie.

-- L.

Whither Season Two?

Okay. So if you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you’re wondering what’s going on with Season Two of SuperHuman Times. Or you couldn't get in to any screenings of The Dark Knight.

When we last left our everyday heroes and villains, we’d completed four episodes of the planned six-episode season. But that last episode was released nearly two months ago. Wha’ hoppen?

The answer can be summed up in five words: The Arbiter Chronicles Season Finale.

Briefly, Steve Wilson’s been busting his artistic and technical balls to create a mammoth showstopper that will blow away everyone who hears it. Understandably, this means Times episodes must wait until his deck is clear.

When will that be, you may ask? Well, it could be as late as this fall, in which case the last two episodes I’ve written for Season Two will become early episodes in Season Three – yes, Virginia, we will be making more of these.

Just to give you a quick review/preview of what to expect, we have a nifty, dark supervillain-centric tale coming up, as well as a return case starring the ladies of Tzone Defense Security, and one – possibly two – tales from the notebook of Times reporter Kevin Dunbar, the first character I created for the series and one to whom I’m eager to introduce you, along with Mnemonica the memory lady, Rei Shinozaki (a comic-book artist with a secret), soldier/scientist Rhett Corsair and many others.

During this hiatus, I’m also thinking of adding a couple of minor improvements to the Times website, including – maybe – PDFs of our production scripts that let you see the blueprints we follow for each story. Let me know if you’d be interested in something like that and I’ll spend more money with Go Daddy to make it happen.

So that, in a proverbial nutshell, is where things stand. I will keep you posted as events warrant. In the meantime, I learned tonight that Prometheus Radio Theatre scored MULTIPLE submissions -- not nominations; if we're lucky, that comes later -- in the 2008 Parsec Awards (after winning one trophy last year). Funny thing is, we have no idea who actually submitted us for consideration. We'll find out if we actually win anything at Dragon Con. But for now, at least somebody out there likes us -- and if it’s you, thanks!

If it's not, use this time to hit libsyn and listen to our previous stories so that you, too, can keep up with the Times!

-- L.

"Dashing" is Up & Running Now!

What else can I say but "woo-hoo"

After 25 years since I first came up with the story -- and five months since we opened Season Two with "Close Encounters" -- part one of "Dashing", our three-part,superhuman-murder mystery-Bond movie, is finally online at libsyn & iTunes!

Personally, I think it sounds great, and not just because the Mrs. edited it. Steve directed it nimbly with one of our best casts, and they all sound like they're actually having fun. (They laid down their tracks in one very long day, so you can truly appreciate their acting talents here.)

When you get a chance, please get over to libsyn and check it out. If you like this first episode, you won't want to miss episodes 2 & 3 in the weeks ahead.

And, oh yeah: Steve's letting me host all three episodes.

Check it out anyway.

-- L.

So, Where’s Season Two Already?! / Hello, Minneapolis!

Oi! Where’s the much-ballyhooed Season Two of SuperHuman Times?

Good question. That’s why I thought it was time to post a good answer. I hope this will do.

That answer, in a word, is time. Bear in mind that, as much as we love doing audio theatre, everyone involved with Prometheus has day jobs. That leaves only select evenings and weekends for us to produce these shows. Not a lot of time, but we all treasure it.

And when we do get the time to make them, the Times episodes take a back seat to the group’s flagship show, The Arbiter Chronicles, of which I’ve written much in the past. There are big doin’s afoot in Steve Wilson’s Arbiter-verse, and he’s channeling his Herculean efforts into getting the next story, “Foundation and Desire,” into the can so that he can share them with his large and eager audience. It was recorded in a marathon session on Super Bowl Sunday and is set to air – four months of evenings and weekends later – in early April. See what I mean about time? Anyway, keep checking libsyn.com for it. You won’t be disappointed.

After that comes the next Times, “Dashing,” the three-parter I’ve been crowing about for damn near a year. I can’t wait to find out who Steve casts in it, and I hope you’ll hang around to hear them.

In the meantime: I recently learned that the Times pilot, “True North,” will be airing on March 16 on Great Northern Audio's Sound Affects, KFAI-FM’s “audio playground” hosted by Jerry Stearns of the Twin Cities (where Prometheus won its Mark Time Award in 2003). If anyone reading this discovered Times through Sound Affects, please email me and let me know you’re out there. And, of course, let me know if you want to hear more stories. We certainly have more to tell.

Time permitting, that is.

-- L.

Live at a Comic Convention Near You...?

Hi. Hope you had a good holiday. We adopted a Wii. Surprisingly, I haven't abandoned writing to perfect my fencing technique against Sonic or Mario.

In fact, over the holidays, I finished "No Good Deed" (formerly "Penance"), which completes Season Two of Times. Now, I've embarked on another script after a discussion that Steve Wilson and I had during a recent recording session. (Planet of Dark Shadows. Star Trek meets Dark Shadows. Pure, delightful farce. Look for it on libsyn; it should be posted in the next few weeks.)

Anyway, between takes, Steve brought the possibility of mounting live Times performances at comic-book conventions. He's staged live performances of The Arbiter Chronicles at s-f cons in the past, but never really entertained the notion of doing live Times shows whenever I brought it up. (I'm not surprised. It's a huge undertaking for a small troupe.) Nevertheless, since I have always wanted to get comic fans to check us out, I was still receptive to the idea.

Which brings me to what I'm working on now: our "roadshow," a script with a cast and effects that can be easily transported from village to village. I thought about adapting an existing script, but then worked up a long-dormant idea that I could actually set at a comic con and provide opportunities for willing creators to get in on the fun in guest roles.

And that's where I am right now. I'm not divulging the nature of the show, but I think Steve, the Prometheus crew and any audience that sees it will enjoy it.

I hope you'll be among them. I'll let you know how it goes.

-- L.