- What is Shockwave?
Geeze, you ask the hard ones right off the bat. Shockwave is a weekly
radio program without a format. We specialize in science fiction and
science fact, but it is and has been much more, and much less. Basically
it's me being weird on the radio.
- Where can I hear Shockwave?
Shockwave is broadcast at 6:30 pm Central time from KFAI 90.3FM
in
Minneapolis
and 106.7FM
St. Paul
Minnesota.
KFAI Fresh Air Radio, is a
non-profit, listener supported station. I also do live Stage Shows at
science fiction conventions. More on that later.
- You mean, you don't get paid?
Alas, no. I solicit pledges for the station, and I will gracefull accept
any donations you may wish to contribute to my cause, but I am a volunteer.
- How long has Shockwave been on the air?
Since the fall of 1979 (Year of our Moon Landing 10). Now in it's 16th year.
- How did Shockwave get started?
Shockwave was started by three programmers at KFAI, Charles E. Hamilton
III, Everett Forte and Chris Dronen. At the time, the station was only a
year old and was very small. After a few weeks of playing sf music, Chris
and Everett came to a local con and asked if anyone was interested in
helping out. The next week I and a few other fen showed up. Though Chris
and Everett remained engineers for many years, they never produced another
show.
- And then what?
Very quickly, Shockwave started developing a future history, with such
things as the St. Paul Spaceport (78% of the former state of Wisconsin),
Time In A Spraycan, Preconceptions: News of the Future, and so on. Of
course, what was the far future in 1980 is the forseeable future in 1995.
'You're Riding the Shockwave', the 1995
Minicon
Stage Show adresses some of
those issues.
- I see in the credits menitons of 'The Shockwave Riders'. What does
that mean? Who has participated in the show.
The name Shockwave comes from John Brunner's book Shockwave Rider.
Shockwave Riders are either of two groups. First, anyone listening to or
participating in Shockwave is generically a Shockwave Rider. Second,
Shockwave bits, especially early on, were often written by many people. A
group of us would sit down and hash out a script. Those scripts are then
credited to 'The Shockwave Riders'. Often, an idea that came up or was
developed by one or more of the extremely talented and clever people in the
group was then assigned to or appropriated by one person who wrote the
final script. And the performers would often add their own ideas, which
were used. Those scripts are generally credited to The Writer and The
Shockwave Riders.
I would hazard that the majority of material during Shockwave's first two
years was generated by this process. Much of the writing since has built
on or updated our future history.
- Who were the early Shockwave Riders?
There were a lot of people involved, mostly Mpls sf fen. Here is a list of
the major contributers from the first few years, from memory. Please
forgive any ommissions.
Kate Worley, Brian Westley, Jerry Stearns,
Will Shetterly,
Laramie Sasseville, Dave Romm, Barney Neufeld, Curtis Hoffmann, Everett Forte,
Chris Dronen, Kara Dalkey, David Cummer,
Emma Bull,
John Bartelt. In
addition, important contributors and/or actors included John Singer,
Micheal Butler,
Steve Brust,
and the staff of KFAI.
- Does any of this early material survive?
The first few months worth were recorded off the air by Pamela Dean
Dyer-Bennet and/or Mitch Thornhill. Any of the live broadcasts which
survive are owed to those early fans of the show.
- What about the live shows?
The live shows were engineered by Chris, Everett and/or Dave for most of
the run of Shockwave, with Jerry handling many of the shows in recent years
before branching off to his own show, at which point Dave retook the reins.
Shockwave Rider Liz Kingsbury has engineered several recent shows.
- What about the produced skits?
For the most part, the writers served as directors of their own
productions. Because of the multitalented nature of the group, the
distinctions between 'producer' and 'engineer' and 'director' tended to
disappear. The engineering and/or proctuction was handled primarily by
Chris and/or Everett for the first few years, and then by Dave or Jerry in
later years.
There were exceptions, as people did their own projects. 'The Secret Life
of Wally Mitter' is an example.
Many of the early group works were done in Limited Radiomation. We would
gather at Jerry Stearns' appartment (where his reel-to-reel recorder was),
hash out the script, figure out the music and sound effects, and then do
them real time. Anyone who wasn't in the scene was drafted to cue the
record or bang on the effects generators. If we blew the scene, we'd
rewind the tape and do it over. 'The Waiting On Line Show' is a good
example of that.
Chris Dronen, as Chief Engineer of the station, had access to professional
equipment. Some of our best sounding bits were engineered by him, for
example 'Spindizzy'.
- What about the Live Stage Shows?
Most of the Shockwave Riders are also associated with Minicon and the
Minnesota Science Fiction Society. From the beginning, Dave urged that
Shockwave do skits at the con. Our first Live Stage Show was at Not Anokon
II in the fall of 1980, a nifty collection of stuff for a small audience,
produced by Dave and Jerry and engineered by Chris and Everett. The first
Minicon Live Stage Show followed on Easter weekend of 1981. Jerry went so
far as to volunteer to be Programming Chair just to make sure it happened.
Everyone contributed, and Chris and Everett engineered.
A year-by-year accound of the Minicon Live Stage Shows is in a different
file, which may be incorporated into the FAQ or the web page soon.
- Who is part of Shockwave now?
Dave Romm is the producer, with Liz Kingsbury as mentee. Doug Friauf
and Brian Westley often drop by. Jerry Stearns' branched off to his
own show, Sound Affects, which immediately follows Shockwave,
and sometimes drops in early to help out. Many of the people
mentioned earlier have gone on to other projects, such as novels,
comics, or radio producer. But there are a large number of people who
are available for projects such as the Live Stage Shows or major
productions.
- Are there tapes of the show available?
Funny you should ask. The first few versions of this FAQ were primarily
descriptions of the tapes available. What follows is the long version of
the FAQ I sent out to anyone who wanted further information.
This is a list of Shockwave Distrubution Tapes as of 4/95. Subject to
change. This is the longer version, though still a work in progress.
Unless otherwise specified, all tapes are 60 minutes.
90 Minute compilations
- "Shockwave Bits III" A collection of Dave's personal favorites
-
- 'Spindizzy' (1981) Includes 'Preconceptions, News of the Future',
commercials and 'Captain Audio and the Space Cassettes'. Written and
Starring: Kara Dalkey, David E Romm, Jerry Stearns, Kate Worley and The
Shockwave Riders.
- 'First Anniversary' (live, 8/5/86) 'Wrapping the Border' of the St. Paul
Spaceport; conceptual art by Jason Reignboughs. Written by: David E Romm
- 'The X-Mas Story' (aired in season, 1980) The true story, or at least
one of them. Written by: Kara Dalkey
- 'Waiting On Line' (aired 5/27/80) The cast leaves the studio to wait on
line for 'The Empire Strikes Back'. Written and starring: The Shockwave
Riders.
- 'Closing Ceremonies' (performed before a live audience at Minicon 17,
4/1/83) 'The Fall of the House of Usherette' written by: David E Romm.
'Cerebus the Aardvark' adapted by: Kara Dalkey (with permission of Dave
Sim). 'Dudley Doright' episode written by: Brian Westley. Produced by:
David E Romm
- "Shockwave Bits IV" A collection of parodies and homages
-
- 'Repast of the Jello' (performed and broadcast live as part of
'Weatherproof Windows of the Mind' at Minicon 24, 3/4/89) The third (or
sixth) in the Food Wars Saga. Written by: Kara Dalkey
- 'The Secret Life of Wally Mitter' (aired 3/27/84) Written and
produced by: David E Romm.
- 'The Dead Tribble Sketch' written by Jery Stearns and 'Star Trek
Programming/Star Trek: The Baby Boom Generation' written by David E Romm
(performed and broadcast live as part of 'Colorized Radio' at Minicon 23,
1/1/88).
- selected bits from 'Cable Radio' (performed before a live audience at
Minicon 18, 4/20/84), the Orwell-inspired Big Bozoid show.
Complete Minicon Stage Shows, performed in front of a live audience
- "Amongst The Best of Shockwave Live! Vol. 3" From 1990, which was a
compilation of the best bits from previous live shows.
-
- [side 1] 'Introduction' by Dave Romm
- 'Pete Moss, Space Detective' by Brian Westley
- 'His Master's Voice' by Will Shetterly and Emma Bull
- 'Alaister Crowley School of Speed Chanting' by the Shockwave Riders
- 'PBS Liavek (excerpt)' by Dave Romm, Kara Dalkey and Jerry Stearns
- 'The Landing At Davis Corners, Iowa' by Kate Worley and Jerry Stearns
- 'Westley's Improbable Advertising' by Brian Westley
- [side 2] 'Interview with a Crackpot' by Kara Dalkey
- 'Jews For Elvis' by David E Romm
- 'When The Chips Are Down (short version)' by David E Romm
- 'The Dead Tribble Sketch' by Jerry Stearns
- 'Star Trek Programming' by David E Romm
- 'Generic Movies (excerpt)' by Jerry Stearns, Mark Rotzien and Brian Westley
- 'Ending' by David E Romm
- "You, The Jury"
- From 1991. Bigger-Than-Light space travel has stopped
working. Will executing the disbeliever save the stranded humans? The
audience must decide! By David E Romm, Brian Anderson, Kara Dalkey, Brian
Westley and Jerry Stearns.
- "The Keep It Moving Show"
- From 1993. A helzapoppin' hour of science fiction
comedy. By Brian Westley, Jerry Stearns, David E Romm & Kara Dalkey with
special material by Terry Garey.
- "The Adventures of Jason Reignboughs"
- From 1994. What happens when
Conceptual Artist Jason Reignboughs, at last star of his own adventure
series, dies in the first episode? Bonus: "Hands Across Anoka". By David E
Romm.
Broadcast Shows
- "TV Theme Songs/The Gigamall"
- Broadcast 12/30/86, Side 1 has 'Folk Songs for Yuppies', a
compilation of tv themes with a few surprises. Broadcast 10/27/92,
Side 2 takes place in the Gigamall, that large shopping center in the
St. Paul Spaceport.
- "Minus 500/Plus 500"
- The station was really into the 1992 Columbus
Quincentennial and wanted programmers to program around that theme. Here are
two shows broadcast 1/14/92 and the following week 1/21. The first is a
roundtable discussion of science fiction from roughly the time of Columbus to
the present. The second is a rountable discussion of science fiction from
the near future to half a millenium farther...
- "Reviews of Writing Software/Dave Romm Interviews:
Douglas Adams"
- Broadcast 2/5/94, Side one features reviews of creative writing
tools for the Macintosh, and a
Roger Zelazny
story about the computer
he uses for writing. Broadcast 11/9/93, Side 2 features the creator
of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy' talking about his latest
book, his Newton, time zones, and more.
Other Stuff
- "Dave Romm Interviews: The Scribblies"
- The Mpls-based writers group is
interviewed about their formation and the creation of the shared world series
'Liavek'. At the time, the Scribblies included
Patricia C. Wrede,
Pamela Dean, Kara Dalkey,
Emma Bull,
Will Shetterly,
Steve Brust and Nate Bucklin.
Included excerpts from 'PBS Liavek', the 1987 Minicon Stage Show. The
excerpts include the acting talents of all of the above except Nate and Will,
and also include Jerry Stearns, David E Romm,
Jane Yolen,
and
John M. Ford.
- "Goblin Tax/Promos & Pledge Raps"
- Side 1 has Allen Varney's story about a
D&D game which inadvertently gets out of hand. Side 2 has a collection of
various promotions and other bits for Shockwave for the non-profit station
it's broadcast on plus a few other.
Availability: "First one's free"
These are not for sale. However, Shockwave is a non-profit effort and all
expenses for these tapes come out of my pocket. I will gladly give you one
tape, if it's in person and I can just hand you one and watch your
expression. After the first one, or any by mail, I ask for a donation of
$5 to cover my expenses. Overseas is $15 per tape. I'll make Special
Request tapes of other Shockwave material which isn't in Distribution Tape
format, for $15.
Tapes:
Unless you make other arrangements, all tapes are standard Type I,
duplicated at 2x speed on my double cassette deck.
Shockwave is the only tactile radio program in Earth's history, now in its
16th year. Broadcast Saturdays at 6pm on KFAI, 90.3FM - Mpls, 106.7 - St.
Paul MN.