Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream
Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV

IN THIS EPISODE: It’s an original short holiday horror story from Jon Allen, called “Here Comes Santa’s Claws”. *** (Originally aired December 23, 2021)
SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
“Here Comes Santa’s Claws” by Jon Allen, https://twitter.com/writerjonallen
Visit our Sponsors & Friends: https://weirddarkness.com/sponsors
Join the Weird Darkness Syndicate: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Advertise in the Weird Darkness podcast or syndicated radio show: https://weirddarkness.com/advertise
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Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.
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OTHER PODCASTS I HOST…
Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymag
Micro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrors
Retro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradio
Church of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead
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(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)

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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46

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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.

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https://weirddarkness.com/here-comes-santas-claws/

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream
Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV

Episode 10 of 12 in the #12NightmaresOfXmas series!
In this episode: “Mrs Pickman’s Ghost”, “Haunts of Hartland”, “The Things We Do For Love”, “The Christmas Rosebush”, “Please Help”, “Footprints In The Snow”, “The Chicken Ghost”

SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
All stories in this episode are from the book, “The Spirits of Christmas: The Dark Side of the Holidays” by Sylvia Shults: https://amzn.to/3uT2vMA
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
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https://weirddarkness.com/barefoot-prints-in-snow/

Ho ho ho, kids! If you like the stories Santa is telling, tell your friends and family about the Spooky Santa podcast so they can listen too! 
STORY AND MUSIC CREDITS/SOURCES…
”The Carol Singers”: https://tinyurl.com/s978sjj
“The Sock Puppet”: https://tinyurl.com/wgrpaog
“The Tell-Tale Scarf” by Judith Graves: https://tinyurl.com/wkp7uu6
All music used with permission of the artists. Spooky Santa theme by Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ). All other music by Nicolas Gasparini (http://bit.ly/2LykK0g).
SANTA’S RECORDING TOOLS…
* MICROPHONE (Neumann TLM103): http://amzn.to/2if01CL
* POP FILTER (AW-BM700): http://amzn.to/2zRIIyK
* XLR CABLE (Mogami Gold Studio): http://amzn.to/2yZXJeD
* MICROPHONE PRE-AMP (Icicle): http://amzn.to/2vLqLzg
* SOFTWARE (Adobe Audition): http://amzn.to/2vLqI6E
* HARDWARE (iMac Pro): https://amzn.to/2suZGkA
I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use. If I somehow overlooked doing that for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I’ll rectify it the show notes as quickly as possible.***Spooky Santa™ and Weird Darkness® are creations and trademarks of Marlar House Productions and Weird Darkness, LLC. Copyright © Weird Darkness, 2023
"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
https://weirddarkness.com/sock-puppet/

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream
Info on the next WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:56.000 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Triangle” (July 08, 1975) ***WD
00:48:18.929 = Mystery House, “A Killing In Market” (May 31, 1946)
01:15:13.059 = CBC Mystery Theater, “The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor” (ADU) ***WD
01:46:19.209 = Night Beat, “Harlan Matthews, Stamp Dealer” (May 29, 1950)
02:15:54.429 = CBC Nightfall, “Last Visit” (October 24, 1980) ***WD
02:42:44.469 = Obsession, “Ebb Tide” (ADU) ***WD
03:12:35.409 = Origin of Superstition, “Something Old” (ADU) ***WD (LQ)
03:26:28.109 = Peril, “Three Hunted Men” (ADU) ***WD
03:49:45.229 = Philip Marlowe, “Hard Way Out” (November 28, 1948)
04:19:23.269 = The Price of Fear, “Goody Two Shoes” (ADU) ***WD (LQ)
04:46:38.579 = Quiet Please, “Rain on New Years Eve” (December 29, 1947) ***WD
05:10:56.783 = Show Close

(ADU) = Air Date Unknown
(LQ) = Low Quality
***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode listenable. Audio may not be pristine, but it will be better than the original file which may have been unusable or more difficult to hear without editing.
Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.
= = = = =CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0280

THE TRUE CRIME CASE THIS STORY IS BASED ON: In 1977, a car accident in Michigan killed Susan Klingel while her boyfriend Jarrett Betterson was driving. Their 2-year-old daughter Nikole survived. Shortly after, Jarrett met Barbara, and around Christmas 1977, they left Michigan with Nikole, promising her maternal grandparents (the Klingels) they would take good care of her. However, Nikole seemingly vanished after early 1978, though Jarrett continued collecting her Social Security survivor benefits until she would have turned 18. Twenty years later, when the Klingels hired a private investigator to find their granddaughter, Detective Jeff Rosgen of Las Vegas PD became involved. After Rosgen visited the Bettersons in 1997 claiming he knew what happened to Nikole, the couple died by suicide in their Las Vegas apartment - Jarrett shot Barbara before turning the gun on himself. They left money for their cremation and an apologetic letter but no explanation about Nikole's fate. The case remains unsolved, with police speculating that Nikole either died during the journey west, was given away, or possibly lives somewhere under a different identity.

SOURCES: https://lasvegassun.com/news/1998/jun/15/a-double-suicide-deepens-20-year-mystery-of-vanish/,https://listverse.com/2014/12/22/10-unsolved-christmastime-mysteries/
Music provided by Alibi Music Library
Video version created by https://www.fiverr.com/vane875
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(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately.)
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.
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Originally aired: December 21, 2024

CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/NikoleBetterson-MurderNoir

A witch ends up in court – not as the defendant, but as the plaintiff! 

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream
Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV
IN THIS EPISODE: A witch ends up in court – not as the defendant, but as the plaintiff! (The Litigating Witch Case) *** As you may have heard, nothing sells like sex and death. A Louisville brothel combined the two when someone dropped dead from poisoning. And the media absolutely loved it. (The Brothel Poisoning) *** While out jogging, Sherri Papini inexplicably disappeared. Twenty-two days later she returned home with a story so incredible it was hard to believe. In fact, some people still don’t believe her after all these years. (The Sherri Papini Mystery) *** When groups of sinister drones began hovering over homes in America’s Midwest, the FBI, US Air Force and 16 police forces set up a task force. But the drones vanished. And some wonder if they ever existed at all. (Attack of the Drones)

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Show Open
00:02:16.196 = The Litigating Witch Case
00:17:35.574 = The Brothel Poisoning
00:36:20.476 = The Sherri Papini Mystery
00:43:08.301 = Otto’s (from a Weird Darkness listener)
00:52:46.427 = Attack of the Drones
01:05:41.084 = Show Close
01:07:22.246 = Bloopers

SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Litigating Witch Case” from Esoterx.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ktypnf2b
“The Brothel Poisoning” posted at Strange Company: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3wn6vn74
“The Sheri Papini Mystery” posted at StrangeOutdoors.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/nesbr2yc
“Attack of the Drones” by Amelia Tait for TheGuardian.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yt3s8bb6
Background music by Nicolas Gasparini/Myuu: https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8
Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library.
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(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.
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Originally aired: June 23, 2021

SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/LitigatingWitch

Are changelings and doppelgangers real? You might choose to believe so after hearing about the strange disappearance of Pauline Picard.

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream
Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV
IN THIS EPISODE: Are changelings and doppelgangers real? You might choose to believe so after hearing about the strange disappearance of Pauline Picard. (The Disappearing of Pauline Picard) *** Plus, we’ll look at a few true first-hand accounts of people who have come across doppelgangers – and for them, it was a frightening experience. (Stories of Real Doppelgangers) *** Dubbed "the Oddfather" for his peculiar mannerisms and longstanding history of bizarre behaviour, Gigante was either genuinely mentally ill or the perpetrator of the longest legal charade in New York's history. (The Oddfather) *** A man wearing a ski mask broke into the home, and kidnapped 13-year-old Jayme, but only after murdering both of her parents in cold blood. But why was it done? Even the kidnapper/murderer says he doesn’t know why he did it. (A Murder Without Motive, a Kidnapping Without Cause) *** UFO researcher Raymond Fowler has been investigating UFO sightings and supposed abduction cases since the 1960s – but in his new book he shares what might be the ultimate story of an alien abduction. (The Ultimate Alien Abduction)

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Show Open
00:02:36.319 = The Disappearing of Pauline Picard
00:09:22.295 = Stories of Real Doppelgangers
00:28:46.167 = The Oddfather
00:38:17.418 = A Murder Without Motive, A Kidnapping Without Cause
00:49:25.056 = The Ultimate Alien Abduction
00:56:52.635 = Ghost Follower (from a Weird Darkness listener)
01:04:04.884 = Bigamy Excused
01:05:04.220 = Show Close

SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Disappearing of Pauline Picard” by Addison Nugent for Ozy.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/dtk3pvks
“Stories of Real Doppelgangers” by Nathan Gibson for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y6a3hx7t
“The Oddfather” by Dr. Romeo Vitelli for Providentia: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2wanyfwn
“A Murder Without Motive, a Kidnapping Without Cause” from The Scare Chamber: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/7ksmerus
“Bigamy Excused” from Second Glance History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2zabd2sd
“The Ultimate Alien Abduction” by T.R. Swartz for SpectralVision.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/9d3cpphn
Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library.
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(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.
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Originally aired: June 22, 2021

SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/PaulinePicard

Visit our website: https://MicroTerrors.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/microterrors
Other stories, novels, and more from author Scott Donnelly: https://amzn.to/3LymHaU
Other narrations, podcasts, and audiobooks from voice artist Darren Marlar: https://WeirdDarkness.com
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Weird Darkness®, 2023. Weird Darkness©, 2024
“Micro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids”™ 2024

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream
Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV

IN THIS EPISODE: ‘Tis the season for not only reindeer, grinches and magical snowmen but also fearless children, negligent parents and dumb thieves. “Home Alone” may be the first Christmas movie that comes to mind upon hearing that description, but it turns out there’s a long and storied tradition of true stories of children left alone around the holidays matching wits against would-be robbers. (Home Alone) *** What would you think if you received a Christmas card in the mail that had a picture of a dead bird on the cover? Not very festive, is it? But that’s not what people believed in the past. For a while, a dead bird was synonymous with saying “Merry Christmas!” (Merry Christmas, Here’s a Dead Bird) *** A woman leaves her family to go Christmas shopping at the last minute… and disappears forever. (Mom Vanishes While Christmas Shopping) *** Christmas fun isn’t all about Santa, his reindeer, and a magical snowman come to life thanks to a hat. There are some downright terrifying yuletide monsters that might make you want to stay behind locked doors this year. (Creepy Christmas Characters) *** (Originally aired December 22, 2021)
SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
“Merry Christmas, Here’s a Dead Bird” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9b4f73
“Creepy Christmas Characters” by Molly Mahan for Ranker: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8mf9e9, and Karen Anne for German Girl In America: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckjs6r6
“Mom Vanishes While Christmas Shopping” by Chrissy Stockton for Thought Catalog: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckpe5n5
“True Stories of Kids Home Alone At Christmas” from Second Glance History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/25uum6xj, “Home Alone” theme by John Williams
Visit our Sponsors & Friends: https://weirddarkness.com/sponsors
Join the Weird Darkness Syndicate: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Advertise in the Weird Darkness podcast or syndicated radio show: https://weirddarkness.com/advertise
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Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.
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OTHER PODCASTS I HOST…
Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/paranormalitymag
Micro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/microterrors
Retro Radio – Old Time Radio In The Dark: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/retroradio
Church of the Undead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/churchoftheundead
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)

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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46

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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.

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https://weirddarkness.com/true-stories-kids-vs-burglars-at-christmas/

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream
Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV

Episode 9 of 12 in the #12NightmaresOfXmas series!
In this episode: “The Perfect Christmas Tree”, “A Rose For Her Hair”, “Eternal Love”, “Guides In The Snow”
SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…
All stories in this episode are from the book, “The Spirits of Christmas: The Dark Side of the Holidays” by Sylvia Shults: https://amzn.to/3uT2vMA
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.

https://weirddarkness.com/perfect-christmas-tree/

Ho ho ho, kids! If you like the stories Santa is telling, tell your friends and family about the Spooky Santa podcast so they can listen too! 

STORY AND MUSIC CREDITS/SOURCES…

”The Clown Puppet”: https://tinyurl.com/rmzhwoa
“Devil In The Closet”:  https://tinyurl.com/rbcqqoo
“The Carol” by Jessica Bayliss: https://tinyurl.com/wkp7uu6
All music used with permission of the artists. Spooky Santa theme by Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ). All other music by Nicolas Gasparini (http://bit.ly/2LykK0g).

SANTA’S RECORDING TOOLS…
* MICROPHONE (Neumann TLM103): http://amzn.to/2if01CL
* POP FILTER (AW-BM700): http://amzn.to/2zRIIyK
* XLR CABLE (Mogami Gold Studio): http://amzn.to/2yZXJeD
* MICROPHONE PRE-AMP (Icicle): http://amzn.to/2vLqLzg
* SOFTWARE (Adobe Audition): http://amzn.to/2vLqI6E
* HARDWARE (iMac Pro): https://amzn.to/2suZGkA
I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use. If I somehow overlooked doing that for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I’ll rectify it the show notes as quickly as possible.***Spooky Santa™ and Weird Darkness® are creations and trademarks of Marlar House Productions and Weird Darkness, LLC. Copyright © Weird Darkness, 2023
"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
https://weirddarkness.com/clown-puppet/