GHOST TOWN: A Funny and Entertaining Podcast Journey To Some Of History’s Eeriest Haunts
There are destinations that have a legendary history of their own - The Vatican, The Louvre, The Eiffel Tower, and The White House, among the most iconic. Then there are landmarks that inhabit a rather macabre yet no less intriguing past; sites where some of the most disturbing events in human history have taken place.
It's those destinations that comedians Rebecca Leib and Jason Horton enthusiastically investigate in the popular true crime/paranormal podcast Ghost Town, streaming on iTunes, Stitcher and dozens of other streaming audio platforms. New episodes drop each Wednesday.
On each episode, Leib and Horton add their humorous commentary to counterbalance the show’s ghastly yet thoroughly researched stories of such infamous places as New Jersey’s notoriously dangerous (and sometimes, deadly) thrill ride center Action Park, Los Angeles’ Sowden House (the imposing mansion where the “Black Dahlia”, Elizabeth Short, was murdered in 1947), and the New Orleans theme park Jazzland, which remains a dilapidated reminder of Hurricane Katrina’s tumultuous destruction of the city in August 2005. (Full disclosure: I attended Jazzland long before the storm hit.)
Ranked as high as #2 in iTunes’ comedy podcast category (and at #15 among top iTunes podcasts), Ghost Town has spooked up praise from The A.V. Club, Geek Girl Authority and Brit and Co.
Boosted by the show’s growing audience and critical acclaim, Leib and Horton will present Ghost Town’s first live podcast taping on Thursday, April 25th at 10 PM Pacific at Los Angeles’ Dynasty Typewriter. General admission (audiences 18 and over) is $15 for the podcasting event, which focuses on the haunting yet fascinating histories of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and the Paramount Studios lot.
On Saturday, April 27th at 12 PM Pacific, Leib and Horton will lead VIP ticket holders who attend Thursday's podcast through a guided tour of both aforementioned sites. Tickets for that tour are $35 (again, only for VIPs), and tickets for both events can be ordered on Dynasty Typewriter's web page (link below).
While the co-hosts of Ghost Town aim to do more live events like those planned for the 25th and 27th, they want you - the listener - to send them your memories of the people and incidents that will be discussed on future podcasts. Contact them at GhostTownPod@gmail.com, or on the show’s social media sites (links also below).
L-R: GHOST TOWN co-hosts/co-producers Jason Horton and Rebecca Leib.
Leib and Horton recently talked to me about how their experience in comedy, and their interest in finding out about the world’s most uncommon landmarks - specifically, haunted historical sites and abandoned buildings - compelled them to share their findings in audio form with audiences on the 44 episodes (and counting) of Ghost Town.
What (and/or who) inspired you to create Ghost Town?
Leib: I think our interests inspired us. We've both been longtime cultural adventurers and comedians in our own right. I think Jason (Horton, co-host/co-producer) took (the) initiative and came to me to combine our love of offbeat history and urban exploration and mold it into podcast form. And thus, Ghost Town began!
In what ways (if any) have your personal experiences of learning about and exploring famous haunted sites/scary incidents influenced the creation of the show?
Leib: Oh, gosh, probably a ton. I think we know the interesting ways of talking about a place through what initially interested us. I think we understand, if people are like us, what brings the reader in the details, story, our own outlook and of course, any fun dirt we can get that they wouldn't find elsewhere.
Especially for me, I love bringing my own personal bullsh*t into our podcast (the second date I had at the Los Feliz murder house, for example). How much we showcase place through a personal lens can be a point of contention with fans, but I also think some people find it endearing? Anyone? Bueller?
An earlier episode of the podcast focused on L.A.’s legendary Comedy Store stand-up venue, where you both performed in the past. Considering that the club’s building has an interesting and often creepy history of its own, and considering your history with the venue, what approach did you take to researching and covering The Comedy Store as a topic on Ghost Town?
Leib: Well, firstly, I want to say we are not historians. We are not really professional historic researchers, librarians or scholars. Where we get information is usually from the deep dark web, our own experiences and any word of mouth or points of opinion we think is pertinent. We are comedians and try to use the information to create an accurate and also entertaining (though sometimes, horrifying or creepy) profile of the places we select.
There are many true crime/paranormal podcasts out there. What, in your opinion, makes Ghost Town unique among shows in those genres?
Leib: Oh, boy. Well, according to fans it’s the type of subjects we select. They’re located all over the world, with varying levels of history and infamy, but I think, most importantly, it’s our chemistry (we’ve been performing together for over 10 years) and the humor we bring to each place. At least, I can hope.
As comedians, what do you do to balance the spooky subject matter of each episode with humor in presenting these stories?
Leib/Horton: We try to really break up heavy information with personal stories, jokes, and insight that might feel lighter and a little less dire. We have definitely profiled places with very dark histories. We never shy away from the spooky, macabre, tragic or violent; rather, we hope that you’ll get that information and leave feeling like you’ve learned something and that in the dark spaces of exploration, there’s a little levity.
What was the most fascinating - and scariest - story you’ve discussed on Ghost Town?
Leib: Jason might feel differently, but we just did an episode about Greyhound Bus 1170 (posted last week), where Canadian busker Tim McLean was eaten and decapitated by fellow passenger Vince Li. It’s a truly horrifying story for lots of reasons, as you might imagine, but it also goes into the deeper issues of immigration, captive vs. captor and PTSD. Check it out if you’re looking to jump into the deep end of the Ghost Town public pool.
Were there any instances where you found out something new about a scary location/incident, or about the people involved in it, that you never knew before?
Leib: Literally every time we do an episode, I think we both learn something - if we're the ones driving the episode or not. That's the fun of the podcast for us!
What are your hopes for Ghost Town’s success - both as a creative endeavor and as a means of reaching listeners fascinated by the subject matter you discuss in each episode?
Leib: We just love that people care. It's very rewarding meeting people who love the podcast and who have a similar passion in esoteric history, place, and culture. I think we'd love to keep growing the podcast and make enough money to give viewers a more comprehensive profile of the places by going there, talking to experts, etc.
What do you hope people take away from listening to Ghost Town?
Leib/Horton: Some knowledge, some fun, some laughs, and some camaraderie. We're weirdos, just like you. Let's explore!
Ghost Town can be heard on iTunes and many other podcast platforms:
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ghost-town/id1407606863
To buy your tickets for the live Ghost Town podcast from The Dynasty Typewriter on April 25th, and for the guided tour of Hollywood Forever on April 27th (VIP ticket holders only), visit:
https://www.dynastytypewriter.com/calendar/ghosttownapr25
To share your stories with Rebecca and Jason for a future Ghost Town podcast, contact them at GhostTownPod@gmail.com, or on social media at the following links:
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ghosttownpod/
TWITTER: @GhostTownPod
INSTAGRAM: @GhostTownPod
