Radio historian Steve Darnall uses classic sound clips from some of radio's best known mystery and horror programs t o illustrate how radio could truly be a "theater of the mind." \;Signu p required.
\nSpeaker bio: Steve Darnall \;disc overed the Golden Age of Radio at age 12\, when his father Jack turned the dial to Chuck Schaden's \;Those Were the Days \;and out came the sounds of Fibber McGee and Molly. Thus began a relationship with the early days of radio that continues to this day.
\nSteve's own radio caree r began as a freshman at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange\, Illinois \, when he joined the school's 10-watt station\, WLTL. Steve was ostensibl y brought on as a newsreader\, but his fascination with the Golden Age of Radio led station management to offer him a two-hour show\, \;Radio's Golden Age\, which would air Saturday mornings. The show ran for six month s as Steve tried to divide his time between radio and his other love\, the atre\; however\, he vowed he would keep the name \;Radio's Golden Age& nbsp\;in case he should need it again.
\nBetween then and now\, Stev e tried his hand as an actor and spent several years as the "voice" of Klo ndike Ice Cream. (This opportunity allowed Steve to work "with" Gary Colem an as Steve asked William Shakespeare "Would you write a TV sitcom for a K londike Bar?") In the 1990s\, he tried his hand as a professional musician with the sardonically named Steve Darnall and the Ultimate Career Move.\n
However\, he wasn't done with comic books yet. In 1994\, Slave Labo r Graphics published the first issue of \;Empty Love Stories\, in whic h Steve and a plethora of talented artists spoofed the breathless world of romance comics. After two issues with Slave Labor Graphics\, Steve decide d to try his own hand at publishing\, and thus Funny Valentine Press was b orn. During this time\, Steve and his good friend Alex Ross collaborated o n \;Uncle Sam\, a two-issue series for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint that won raves from both \;The New York Times \;and \;The People's Tribune. Subsequent comics-related projects have included "Nikki Tesla\, Kid Inventor\," a short-lived strip (produced with artist Greg Hyland) for \;Disney Adventures \;magazine\; the ten-issue series \;Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt\, published by Dynamite Comics\; and \;Marvel\, a six-issue anthology series from Marvel Comics published in 2020-21.
\nIn 2004\, Chuck decided to cut back on his workload and contacted Steve about taking over as publisher and editor of \;Nostalgia Digest Magaz ine. Steve's tenure began with the Summer 2005 issue. In early 2009\, Chuc k announced his plans to retire from radio and Steve agreed to step into t he role of the host and producer of \;Those Were the Days\, beginning with the July 4\, 2009 broadcast.
\nLater that year\, YesterdayUSA f ounder Bill Bragg invited Steve to contribute a weekly program to his inte rnet radio station. Steve agreed\, and in March of 2010 \;Radio's Gold en Age \;made its return. The program ran for six years and some 317 s hows before Steve wrapped up production with the March 27\, 2016 edition\; in 2021\, the internet channel \;Stay Tuned America \;began repla ying past editions of \;Radio's Golden Age. More recently\, Steve prog rammed the World War II music channel for AccuRadio.
\nIn response t o numerous inquiries\, Steve launched the Nostalgia Digest Podcast in 2012 \, producing 100 podcasts over eight years before the series went on hiatu s. The Nostalgia Digest Podcast was devoted to people\, performers\, topic s and shows that have been featured in past issues of \;Nostalgia Dige st \;and can be found at iTunes and by clicking \;here.
\nSt eve lives in Chicago with his wife Meg Guttman.
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