The Devil's Details: The Evolution of the Devil through Art and Literature

A Whole New World: The Chronicle of Young Satan, Chapter 6 • The Devil According to Mark Twain

TruStory FM — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 03:00:00 -0700

Chapter six of The Chronicle of Young Satan takes a hard turn from sibling squabbles into something genuinely devastating. Theodore tries to talk his sister Lily out of her infatuation with Philip Traum, fails completely, and that night Satan wakes him for a tour of the world that lands, somewhat arbitrarily, in China — though almost nothing about China actually makes it onto the page. What follows is the real heart of the chapter: Satan's long explanation of why humanity means nothing to him (he compares it to an elephant's indifference to a red spider) and how every human life is a chain of cause and effect that cannot be altered once the first link falls — except by him.

He proves it by skipping one link in the life of Nikolaus, one of the three boys. Instead of sleeping through a storm, the boy gets up to close a window. That two-minute delay changes everything: instead of heroically saving a drowning girl and surviving forty-six years as a blind, deaf, paralyzed invalid begging for death, he will simply drown alongside her in twelve days. Satan presents this as the kinder outcome and waits for Theodore to agree, which he does — and that agreement is somehow the most unsettling part of the whole conversation.

We dig into why this cold, efficient version of fate-rewriting hits so differently than something like It's a Wonderful Life, Theodore's devastating mental catalogue of every small cruelty he's ever inflicted on his soon-to-be-dead friend, and the long-running joke of Bartel Sperling, the unseen village rival who once went to Vienna and has never been forgiven for it. We also finally learn Father Adolf's fate: he's stuck on the dark side of the moon, mentioned with the same flat tone as everything else.

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Everybody Loves Satan!: The Chronicle of Young Satan, Chapter 5 • The Devil According to Mark Twain

TruStory FM — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0700

Five weeks in Eseldorf and everybody loves Satan — which is turning out to be almost as much of a problem as if they hated him. Philip Traum has been charming the whole village, pulling a famously fat man out of a river without getting his clothes wet, refusing to fill out the standard form for strangers, and generally making things worse for everyone who is supposed to love someone else. The Witch Commission has not summoned Father Adolf for questioning, even though everyone watched him get possessed in the market square, because nobody wants to be the one to say it first — which is, Twain notes, exactly the cowardice they're criticizing the Commission for.

We dig into a chapter that runs like a three-camera sitcom: Theodore's family is mid-conversation about Philip Traum when Lily's actual suitor Joseph Fox walks in, then Wilhelm Meidling — Margit's suitor and a man in open romantic freefall — walks in from the other direction, and then Satan himself shows up and Wilhelm grabs a butcher knife. The knife drops to the floor. For just a moment, something dangerous flashes in Satan's eyes. Then he tells everyone Wilhelm was only playing, sits down with him, and reconstructs all four chess games from memory in roughly fifteen seconds. The key detail Twain slips in: it never occurred to Satan to notice that Joseph's courtship of Lily had evaporated the moment he walked into town. He wasn't trying. He just does this.

We also cover Theodore's mother talking herself into Satan as a potential in-law, the rattlesnake defense, and the Aeolian harp — a string instrument played entirely by wind that is genuinely one of the coolest things that has come up this season.

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It’s A Devil of a Time in Eseldorf: The Chronicle of Young Satan, Chapter 4 • The Devil According to Mark Twain

TruStory FM — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0700

Chapter four of The Chronicle of Young Satan is where Eseldorf stops being a quirky medieval village and starts being a place where people get burned. The witch panic has expanded beyond old women — it's anyone now, children as young as eight or nine — and Twain illustrates this with two stories that land hard: eleven convent schoolgirls starved and isolated until one confessed to dancing with Satan at the sabbath (the commission fed her every detail from a papal checklist two centuries old), and Gottfried Narr's grandmother, who confessed immediately and voluntarily, because she'd done the math on her options.

Into this atmosphere, Father Adolf spots his opening. Margaret's mysterious wealth — the cat's contributions, the lavish spreads, the wine nobody can explain — has people talking. He sends spies in disguised as friends, tests samples of the food, and when it stays real and rots on a normal schedule, decides that proves it's a new kind of witchcraft. Then he crashes her party for forty guests, and Satan slides into him like a transparent film and fills a wine bottle from a two-pint bottle, tells the room "it is nothing, anybody can do it," juggles a hundred brass balls in the market square, and walks a tightrope blindfolded. The crucifix doesn't help. This is Twain at his most subversive — and it's also exactly the scene Paine-Duneka reassigned to a made-up astrologer in the fraud version, because having the devil publicly humiliate an anointed priest was apparently too much.

The chapter ends with Satan at Margaret's, playing Wilhelm's poem back as a full orchestral performance on a jangly old spinet, and Wilhelm correctly identifying him as the devil.

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Cats and Dogs! Living Together! Catholic Mass Hysteria!: The Chronicle of Young Satan, Chapter 3 • The Devil According to Mark Twain

TruStory FM — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0700

Chapter three of The Chronicle of Young Satan is where Twain's argument starts to land. Father Peter is in jail — Father Adolf has remembered losing exactly the right number of ducats at exactly the right time — and the whole town has rediscovered how little they ever liked Father Peter and Margaret anyway. Into this walks Young Satan, who spends the chapter debating theology with a housekeeper, explaining the French-speaking conditions in hell, healing a dog's eye, and delivering the most coldly convincing case against the moral sense that Twain ever wrote.

The moral sense, Father Peter says, is God's greatest gift: the ability to tell right from wrong. Young Satan takes Theodore to a factory in France where workers do fifteen-hour days in filth and poverty while the very holy proprietors profit, and explains: only beings with the moral sense can choose wrong on purpose. Animals kill, but they don't build systems. They don't torture for fun. They don't drive a dog's eye from its socket and then fall off a cliff and lie there while the dog spends two days trying to get someone to come help the man who beat him. That last part actually happens. Satan heals the eye, talks to the dog in dog, and sends the boys to find Hans Oppert dying at the bottom of a cliff. The priest refuses last rites. Seppi takes the dog home and wonders if God will forgive Hans since the dog already did.

We also dig into why fairy money turns to dirt but Satan's gold stays gold, why Paine-Duneka's astrologer is a less interesting villain than Father Adolf in every way, and what the Malleus Maleficarum has to do with Santa Claus coming down the chimney.

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"MISTER Satan is My Uncle!": The Chronicle of Young Satan, Chapter 2 • The Devil According to Mark Twain

TruStory FM — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0700

The Chapter

Chapter two of The Chronicle of Young Satan is where we finally meet our narrator and his two friends — Theodore Fisher, Nikolaus Bauman, and Seppi Vohmeier, three boys with the run of a medieval Austrian castle town who spend their days swimming, boating, and smoking. They're sitting on their favorite hilltop in the woods when a handsome, pleasant stranger appears out of nowhere, lights their pipes without being asked, and within minutes has them completely and helplessly enchanted. His name, offered without drama, is Satan. His uncle is the one you're thinking of.

The Conversation

We dig into what makes this version of the devil so unsettling and so fresh. Young Satan — who asks to be called Philip Traum in public, Traum being the German word for dream — isn't scheming or tempting or brooding. He's just utterly, cosmically indifferent to human life, in a way that reads less like evil and more like a force of nature that happens to be chatting with you. He produces fruit in the boys' pockets without flourish, makes clay animals and then a whole tiny village, brings them to life, and then smashes them when they get noisy — wiping the clay off his fingers on his handkerchief and continuing the conversation without missing a beat. The boys are horrified. Satan literally cannot understand why.

What really lands is the passage where the boys physically cannot leave even after watching him kill people. Twain writes that Satan's voice is like a fatal music, that the boys are drunk with the joy of being near him, that they feel ecstasy from the touch of his hand. It reads less like a magic spell and more like the scariest version of charisma imaginable — not nefarious, not even intentional, just what he is. Meanwhile, Twain has him list humanity's faults in a tone of mild, detached curiosity, the way a person might observe bricks or manure. And at the end of the list, delivered with special disdain: the moral sense. File that one away.

The chapter ends with Father Peter — the good disgraced priest from chapter one — finding a wallet filled with gold coins right where Satan was standing, the boys unable to tell him where it came from, and Father Peter doing the most scrupulously honest thing possible with unexpected money. Whether that's enough to protect him from what's coming is a different question.

We Also Discuss

The astrologer: a character who appears in the Paine-Duneka fraud version but not in Twain's original manuscript, apparently invented to replace Father Adolf as Father Peter's antagonist, and why that change makes no sense and also requires you to accept that a bishop would take the word of a wizard
Felix Brandt, the oldest serving man in the castle, who taught the boys to smoke, drink coffee, and not be afraid of ghosts — because ghosts are just lonely and want compassion — and once saw an incubus, which raises questions nobody asked him to answer
The Wild Huntsman, Odin's court, and how supernatural legends of the 18th century are inevitably colored by the author's own time period no matter how hard they try
The American tall tale tradition of Satan leaving gold in the ground and letting human greed do the rest, from The Devil and Tom Walker through All That Money Can Buy and now here
The moral sense: what it is, why young Satan says it with contempt, and why Twain is going to keep coming back to it

Chapter three is next week. Father Peter has gold he didn't earn, a boy named Philip Traum is wandering around Aseldorf, and nobody suspects a thing.

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The Mysterious Mix-Up: The Chronicle of Young Satan, Chapter 1

TruStory FM — Sun, 31 May 2026 03:00:00 -0700

The Chronicle of Young Satan opens in Eseldorf — or Assville, if you speak German — a small Austrian village in 1702 where it is still the Middle Ages and Twain makes clear it intends to stay that way. Chapter one has no devil in it yet. It has something arguably more interesting: a town built entirely around the idea that knowledge is dangerous, goodness is suspicious, and the loudest most frightening priest is the most respected one.

We dig into the two priests who set up everything that follows. Father Adolf — "the Town Bull," "Hell's Delight" — has met Satan in person and thrown things at him, which earns him both reverence and a wide berth, because even the devil deserves a certain respectful tone and Father Adolf absolutely does not use one. Father Peter, the gentle one who may have said God loves everybody, is living in disgrace. His niece can no longer teach music. The moneylender is about to take their house. A Hussite woman was quietly distributing Bibles to the literate and being prosecuted for heresy. Twain hasn't introduced his mysterious stranger yet. He doesn't need to. The world he's describing is already doing the work.

We also sort out the manuscript situation one more time for clarity: we're reading The Chronicle of Young Satan, Twain's original unfinished text, available free at the Mark Twain Project. The published version called The Mysterious Stranger is a fraud assembled by his executor without disclosure. The wine bottle versus inkstand debate is real and we have opinions.

READ THE CHRONICLE OF YOUNG SATAN FOR FREE HERE.

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Nightmare Fuel: The Mysterious Stranger Claymation Clip from The Adventures of Mark Twain

TruStory FM — Sun, 24 May 2026 03:00:00 -0700

Welcome to our Mark Twain season — and we're starting not with the book but with five minutes of 1985 Will Vinton claymation that has been living rent-free in the corners of the internet ever since someone uploaded it to YouTube and titled it exactly right: The Mysterious Stranger. Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and Becky Thatcher step through a door in Mark Twain's flying Wonkavator into a black void, meet a being made of earth who introduces himself immediately as Satan, creates a tiny clay village, and then destroys it. The whole thing is rated G. We cannot stress this enough.

We dig into what makes this depiction of the devil genuinely one of the best we've encountered: an empty suit of armor with no head, no body, just a white masquerade mask held up on a stick — a devil who exists in a form humans literally cannot perceive and helpfully provides a face so we can follow the conversation. The dual-layered voice, the flowers he grows over the rubble after smashing the villagers who were fighting over an ox, the camera shift that puts us at the clay people's eye level during the earthquake so we're no longer watching a toy world from above but trapped inside it — it all adds up to something that has no business being as affecting as it is. And then Satan says "people are of no value, we could make more sometime if we need them" while his mask turns into a skull, and the kids run.

We also cover who Mark Twain actually was before he became the version of himself that used Satan as a mouthpiece for everything he thought about the human race — and why that dark late-period Twain is who we're here for this season.

One more thing: We lied. Not on purpose, but still — the book we told you to read doesn't exist. Not exactly. When Twain died in 1910 he left behind three unfinished manuscripts, and his literary executor Albert Bigelow Paine stitched them together, filled the gaps with his own writing, published the whole thing as The Mysterious Stranger in 1916, and told no one. Scholars didn't catch it until the 1960s. So we're pivoting: this season we're reading The Chronicle of Young Satan — Twain's actual words, the manuscript the claymation scene actually came from — and you can read it free at the Mark Twain Project. Link below. Sorry about that. Blame Paine.

You can read THE CHRONICLE OF YOUNG SATAN for free at marktwainproject.org.

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The End Of The End Times • Revelation, Chapter 22

TruStory FM — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0700

Twenty-two chapters in, and Revelation ends not with a sword or a smiting but with a river, a tree, and the word grace. The New Jerusalem has the tree of life lining its streets — the one humanity was exiled from in Genesis 3, now accessible to everyone — bearing twelve kinds of fruit, its leaves for the healing of the nations. The gates are never shut. The water of life is offered freely. And the very last line of the Bible, for most Christian denominations, is a blessing.

We dig into why this ending is more radical than it gets credit for. John is told explicitly not to seal this book, because the time is at hand — meaning his readers' lifetimes, meaning Rome, not a distant future someone will decode with a timeline chart. The angel corrects John a second time for trying to worship him, and we spend real time on what that means for a style of faith that quotes Revelation fluently while ignoring everything it actually says. The warning against adding to or taking away from the book lands differently when you've just spent a season watching two thousand years of theology do exactly both.

We also sit with the fact that this chapter is landing in a specific moment — reports of US military commanders framing the current war in the Middle East as divinely ordained End Times fulfillment — and what John, who spent twenty-two chapters saying "Babylon is Rome, stop applying this to whatever you're afraid of right now," would make of all that.

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New Earth, Who Dis? • Revelation, Chapter 21

TruStory FM — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0700

After twenty chapters of plagues, beasts, burning cities, and one very full lake of fire, we have finally arrived at the payoff: Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem. God wipes away every tear, there's no more death or pain, and the holy city descends from heaven to earth — not the other way around. That directional detail turns out to change everything about what John is actually saying.

We dig into why this chapter is far more radical than the clouds-and-harps version of heaven most of us inherited. The New Jerusalem coming down to earth is restoration theology, not evacuation theology — God isn't rescuing souls and torching the planet, God is renewing all of creation. The city is shaped like a cube (roughly Boston to Oklahoma City on each side), which John's audience would have recognized immediately as the shape of the Holy of Holies: the whole city is sacred space, the whole renewed earth is where God dwells. The gates are never shut. The water of life is offered freely to anyone who's thirsty. And "fearful" — the ones too afraid to resist — is the very first name on the list of those who don't make it in.

We also reckon with what this means right now, when it's tempting to believe the world is simply too broken to bother with — and land on the same place John's community did: the New Jerusalem isn't waiting for us up there, it's coming here, and every act of love and refusal to worship the beast is part of building it.

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Turns Out The Devil Is A Millennial! • Revelation, Chapter 20

TruStory FM — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0700

Revelation 20 is the chapter that has split Christian denominations for centuries — pre-millennialists, post-millennialists, amillennialists, all of them fighting over fifteen verses — and after a close read, we think we understand why. Satan gets bound for a thousand years (not a literal number — in apocalyptic literature 1000 means completeness), the martyrs reign with Christ, and then Satan gets loose again for "a little season" before being thrown permanently into the lake of fire with the beast and the false prophet. Then the Great White Throne, the Book of Life, the second death. Sounds simple. It is not.

The big discovery this episode is about the lake of fire itself, which makes its first full biblical appearance right here. The Greek word translated as "torment" in relation to it originally meant testing gold and silver coins for authenticity — suggesting purification, not punishment. Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire, which may mean John is deliberately erasing every prior conception of the afterlife — Sheol, Hades, all of it — and declaring the old order finished. If that reading is right, the fire-and-brimstone eternal torture version of hell that has defined (and driven people away from) Christianity for centuries is built almost entirely on a misreading of this one passage.

We also spend real time on why God releasing Satan isn't a theological plot hole — it's John saying empires are persistent, evil keeps cycling back, and defeating one beast doesn't end the story. But the trajectory is clear. And the final judgment, based on works and faithfulness rather than correct theology, is a word of hope.

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This Chapter Is For The BIRDS! • Revelation, Chapter 19

TruStory FM — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0700

Revelation 19 is the pivot point of the whole book: Babylon has fallen, heaven is throwing a hallelujah party (literally — it's the only time that word appears in the entire New Testament), and then Sword Mouth Jesus shows up on a white horse to finish the job. The Beast and the False Prophet get thrown into a lake of fire, and the birds — summoned by an angel standing in the sun — take care of the rest. The good birds. We are rooting for them.

We dig into what's actually going on beneath the action-movie surface. The wedding of the Lamb isn't rapture theology — it's John using a classic Jewish metaphor to contrast the faithful community (clean white linen, righteous acts) against the Whore of Babylon (purple, scarlet, blood). The white horse entrance is a direct parody of the Roman triumph parade, the specific military procession where victorious generals rode into Rome with defeated enemies in chains — and John is flipping it completely. The sword coming out of Jesus's mouth isn't a literal weapon; it's truth, the only force John believed could actually bring empire down.

We also spend real time on the lake of fire, which makes its first biblical appearance right here, and what that means for everything we think we know about hell — including whether our entire inherited conception of it might trace back almost entirely to this one passage.

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Babylon Is Fallen... And It Can't Get Up! • Revelation, Chapter 18

TruStory FM — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0800

Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen — and it can't get up! Revelation 18 is a taunt song disguised as a funeral lament, and we are here for every delicious, brutal word of it. The highlight of the reading? John's exhaustive merchandise list — gold, silver, pearls, silk, cinnamon, frankincense, fine flour — culminating in "slaves and souls of men," a placement that is very much not an accident.

We break down how John is copy-pasting from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, using the same prophetic language that described the falls of ancient Babylon and Tyre to tell his community: Rome is next, and it's going to collapse from the inside. We bring in scholar James Tabor's Pompeii connection — the shipmasters watching from the harbor map almost exactly onto the eyewitness accounts of Vesuvius — and zero in on the three mourning groups (kings, merchants, shipmasters) who aren't grieving a city so much as an income stream. The phrase "in one hour" appears three times, and it doesn't mean sixty minutes — it means suddenly, completely, and without warning.

We also work through what "come out of her, my people" actually means as a moral and spiritual call to refuse complicity in empire — and sit with why a first-century lament over Rome feels so uncomfortably current.

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Babylon....and on....and on... • Revelation, Chapter 17

TruStory FM — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800

In this episode of The Devil's Details, we dive into Revelation Chapter 17, exploring the symbolism of the Whore of Babylon and its implications for understanding empire and corruption in biblical texts. We discuss the historical context of Revelation, the significance of the beast, and various interpretations of the whore's identity, emphasizing the metaphorical language used by John to convey his message to a persecuted audience. Our conversation also touches on cultural perceptions of virginity and purity, drawing parallels to contemporary issues. We explore the symbolism in the Book of Revelation, particularly focusing on the representation of Rome as the beast and the implications of this for understanding modern political dynamics. We discuss how the coded language used by John serves as a form of resistance against oppressive empires, drawing parallels to contemporary issues of power and cruelty. Our conversation emphasizes the cyclical nature of empires and the importance of hope and resilience in the face of darkness.

keywords: Revelation, Babylon, Whore of Babylon, biblical interpretation, end times, empire, symbolism, historical context, Christianity, metaphors, Revelation, Rome, symbolism, empire, resistance, hope, modern parallels, political commentary, John, beast

The Slightly-More-Than-Halftime-Show! • Revelation, Chapter 16

TruStory FM — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800

In this episode of The Devil's Details, it's our Slightly-More-Than-Halftime-Show! We drink our fill of these seven bowls of wrath, discussing the significance of each judgment and its implications for those who reject God. We explore the themes of Revelation, focusing on the unholy trinity, the final judgment, and the consequences of Empire. We discuss the significance of Armageddon, the moral decay of society, and the metaphorical implications of plagues and disasters. We emphasize the need for vigilance and the dangers of complacency in the face of impending doom, drawing parallels to contemporary issues such as climate change and political corruption.

Can I Get Seven Bowls Of Wrath To Go? • Revelation, Chapter 15

TruStory FM — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800

This is a SHORT chapter! - We got more sevens here! What is this, Vegas? - The last of the plagues! - The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven - Were cherubim ever meant to be angels? - A callback to Egypt? - Moses supposes his toeses are roses, but Moses supposes erroneously - This is a tough read....and we read Paradise Lost! - ...and more!

90's CE Was A Good Year For Wine! • Revelation, Chapter 14

TruStory FM — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800

PSA: Even Hell has laws about drinking and driving - Seven heads, ten horns, and really good legs! - Excuse me, where are your grapes of wrath? - All the popular scholars wear leather jackets - A Dickens of a coincidence....or not? - Greek was not.....or would not have been....his first language. - It would have all been Greek to me - If you die in Revelation, you die for real - someone like the Son of Man? - Louis is the best Ghostbuster - "Might Is Right" is in fact, wrong. - ...and more!

William Blake? More like William CAKE! • The Paintings of William Blake

TruStory FM — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800

Fire up your Google Image search! - BAZAM! - Blake's bodacious badonkadonk - What's the deal with this woman clothed with the sun? - "Your father was a hosier!" - The first paralysis demons? - Milton and Blake: the peanut butter and chocolate of the devil - Blake was a Red Hat? (kinda) - The Ghost of a Flea and Voice Of The Devil - Callback to Thomas Butts - Seven Heads, Ten Horns, and One Whole Bakery - You can see his Great Red Dragon! - He's got butts on his butt! - ...and more!

Get Your Kicks On Route 666! • Revelation, Chapter 13

TruStory FM — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800

We take the scenic route today! Look at that beautiful shoreline! - Taking bus 666 to Hel, Poland - We learn why hotels don't have a 666th floor! - Callback to the Monster Energy Drink Controversy (not that I drink too much Monster Energy Drink - that's ANOTHER controversy!) - isn't a lion's mouth ALSO a leopard's mouth? - TOO MANY BEASTS! - Two Beasts or NOT two Beasts? - Cumber Benny - Wait for chapter 17....religious people HATE it! - ....and more!

DAMN! This Red Dragon is FIENNES! • Revelation, Chapter 12

TruStory FM — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode - This chapter of the bible stars Ralph Fiennes! - "Let's eat Grandma!" - Who is this woman clothed with the sun? - "That thing where you go into the closet with the priest?" - Joseph is a little bit rock n' roll.... - Dragon....deez nuts! - Is the war in heaven PAST tense or FUTURE tense? And why is everyone so TENSE? - DANIEL! - Hey Jude! - Woe unto the inhabiters of the earth AND the sea! (f*ck those fish!) Satan is his own thang! - No scheming devil here, just a raging beast (but not THE beast - that's another guy!) - So Satan is Rufio? - Machiavelli vs.....Good Machiavelli - ...and more!

Chapter Eleven: Spiritual Bankruptcy • Revelation, Chapter 11

TruStory FM — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode: The Infernal Revenue Service - The Beubeir-beast! - We can't blame King James for this one - Good Will (Have Been) Hunting - The Haves and the Have Had Nots - The Beast is Lucy with the football - An UN - Holy Trinity? - It's A Great Revelation, Charlie Brown - What about Gomorrah? - I never know what to get for Witness Death Day - ....and more!

Eating Is Fundamental • Revelation, Chapter 10

TruStory FM — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode - Tevildo, Prince Of Cats! - John of Patmos eats his words! - In the beginning there was the word....and it was delicious! - What does a Stephen King book taste like? - Bathtub Gin (If you know The Shining, that's really funny) - the literary equivalent of brussel sprout farts - John is pushin' my buttons - Personal Pan Prophecy - Special guest Bing Crosby - Theophany: the appearance of Theo - ...and more!

Abaddon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here! • Revelation, Chapter 9

TruStory FM — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode - Do you have a moment to talk about our Lord and Savior Abaddon? - This is a STING operation! - My windshield is covered in bugs with human faces! - Heeeelllllp Meeee! - Baxter Stockman? What are YOU doing here? - Who left the bottomless furnace open again?! - Satan is FINALLY here! (maybe) - Float like a butterfly, sting like a scorpion - the many names of Hell....that don't actually mean "hell." - Would you rather fight a million locust-sized human-faced locusts, or one human-sized human faced locust? - Like a Magic Eye poster that pokes you in the eye - ....and more!

Wormwood! • Revelation, Chapter 8

TruStory FM — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0800

Worm woulda, shoulda, coulda - The Three Woes - "Woa, woa, woa!" - A want a third of his family DEAD! - The GODfather - Why is the film called the Seventh Seal and not the Fourth Seal? - "ABOUT half an hour?" - the calm before the storm - the trouble with Chernobyl being the beginning of the end is that it was forty years ago - Wormwood, Mugwort, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw - She's so licorice! - How can a star be made out of wood?! - The more you know....the more of a sinner you are! - ....and more!

Six-Seven! • Revelation, Chapter 7

TruStory FM — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode: Who REALLY understand the meaning of "six-seven?" - "And palms in their hands?" - 🎵 One hundred forty four thousand between the six and the seeeeven! 🎵 - At the end of all things, will we finally hear the Monster Mash? - Andrew Lloyd Scripture - My favorite baktun is his Toccata and Fugue - Get a load of THIS diptych! - ... and more!

The Four Horse Mans Of The Apocalypse • Revelation, Chapter 6

TruStory FM — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode: Horse MEN, or Horsemen? - Come and see! - What the HELL is goin' on?! - our first view of the Antichrist (kinda) - NOW I understand Tombstone! - We make some leaps (much like those horses!) - Hold your horsemen! - The wrath of the lamb is an oxymoron....even though it's a lamb - Milton definitely read Revelation - You are two paychecks away from being homeless - "hurt not the oil and the wine" - We are the world, we are the Romans - Don't ALL of these involve death? - The four MODERN horsemen: Pedantism, Punnery, Rulenick and Math - The Pestilence Problem - The Sad Collector! - "Bu-LOOD!" ...and more!

Loose Seal! • Revelation, Chapter 5

TruStory FM — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode: - Bible.com take the wheel! - I obviously don't watch Arrested Development - All English teachers are destined for the fires of hell - Not the beasts we want, but the ones we deserve - If comedy is always funny, why do Lester and Kynan exist? - I dunno, what's a biblion with you? - DANIEL! - Don't let the door of heaven hit ya where your seventh seal is! - pizza be with you (and also with you) - Teenage Mutant Ninja Seals - Mary had a little lamb - Seven is a perfect number because - The lab takes the scroll, the farmer takes the wife - R is our Redeemer - ...and more!

Holy, Holy, Holy! • Revelation, Chapter 4

TruStory FM — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this version: Heavens to murgatroyd! - Must be Maybelline - So are we talking about four beasts with four heads, one beast with four heads, or four beasts with one head? - Twelve is a number of completeness because twelve is a number of completeness - Holy, holy, holy! - Should American students be forced to learn Arabic numerals as part of their math curriculum? - angeLOLogy! - Stick to King Lear, Scofield! - This is the song that never ends! - Who has two thumbs and created all? This guy! - Who runs the world? Girls. - ...and more!

Send This Email To Three More Churches Or The World Will End! • Revelation, Chapter 3

TruStory FM — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:
We're still crackin' that book! - Better watch out, better not cry, better not pout, I'm tellin' you why....Sword-Mouth Jesus is comin' to town! - Where is Dimmy's mother when you need her? - Behold, I stand at the door and knock - I would thou wert cold or hot - heathens vs heretics - Which church are you? Take this Buzzfeed quiz! - I had no idea about the bible verses on the In-N-Out wrappers! - We are the world, we are the Romans - "Bad things happen in Philadelphia." - What happened to Ben Stein? - ...and more!

This Revelation Could Have Been An Email • Revelation, Chapter 2

TruStory FM — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0800

In this episode, we look into Revelation Chapter 2, exploring the letters sent to the seven churches. We discuss the significance of each church's message, the historical context of early Christianity, and the implications of terms like 'synagogue of Satan.' We also look into the complexities of early Christian communities, particularly focusing on the city of Pergamum and the challenges faced by believers in maintaining their faith amidst economic pressures and societal demands. We discuss the martyrdom of Antipas, the implications of the doctrine of Balaam, and the influence of figures like Jezebel and the Nicolaitans!

The Beginning Of The End Times! • Revelation, Chapter 1

TruStory FM — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0700

In this episode, we look into the book of Revelation, exploring its themes, imagery, and interpretations. We discuss the historical context of the seven churches, the political subversion present in the text, and the significance of the Christophany. Finally, we take a look at the differences between popular and scholarly interpretations!

Raptures! • The Rapture, Part 2

TruStory FM — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode:
In Hell , no one can hear you scream (because they're all screaming). Rapture Watch - now they can open doors! - It's always in the last place you look! - "Extra-do?" - The Apocalypse of Elijah - Pseudo Ephram, I presume? - Auntie Christ - Oppa Rapture Style - The Second Coming of Kevin Bacon - The Great Disappointment - tarring and feathering is actually REALLY BAD! - British VS American Fantasy - ...and more!

Rapture?! Damn Near Killed 'er! • The Rapture, Part 1

TruStory FM — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0700

Have we been LEFT BEHIND??? - I can't operate on this plane...because I'm Nick Cage! - Armageddon means Apocalypse and Apocalypse means nobody gets Left Behind - Which came first, American Evangelicals or the Apocalypse? - I'll take "The Ssollonians" for 500, Alex! - Scholars hate it! - The "trump" of God?! - Nothin'! What's a parasang wit' YOU? - "In MY house we call it "Two Corinthians." - Don't go back to the house! - Stay woke, for no man knows the day or the hour - ...and more!

Merry Apocalypse! (The Reason For This Season!)

TruStory FM — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode - We're here! It's the end! (not really) - Apocalypse NOW? - A sheen in the hand - So....he's a Smaug? - The Jesus Club - Earth's Final Season - He's *A* John, not *THE* John - How does "seven heads and ten horns" work? - The actual meaning of The Good Samaritan - Hold your Horsemen - The birth of Christian victimhood - Happy Holidays = being fed to the lions - Terminators hunting down Christians - ...and more!

God, The Devil And Bob

TruStory FM — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode:

Our season finale!
Big Rosie O' Donnell fan....but she's not in this.
We love King of the Hill, but it was made by different people.
Marcy, Karsey and Tom
These characters have FIVE fingers?
Favorite character? Smeck!
Least favorite character? Bob.
Dustin Hoffman is smaller than life
We rant about boomers...like boomers.
...and more!

The Devil And Homer Simpson

TruStory FM — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0700

This week we're diving into "The Devil and Homer Simpson" from The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror IV, where Homer sells his soul for a single donut.

After outsmarting the devil by not finishing the last bite, Homer's midnight snack cravings get the better of him, landing him in Hell's "Ironic Punishments Division" before facing trial with the "Jury of the Damned!" And folks - Kynan and I both agree - THIS is the best ending of all the "Daniel Webster" homages!

The Devil And Robert Johnson

TruStory FM — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0700

Get ready to head down to the crossroads for one of the most legendary "deal with the devil" stories in American folklore. This week we're exploring the myth of Robert Johnson—the Mississippi Delta blues guitarist who allegedly sold his soul for supernatural musical talent at the intersection of highways 49 and 61.

Born around 1911, Robert Johnson was reportedly such a terrible guitarist that fellow musicians wouldn't let him touch their instruments. But after mysteriously disappearing for three years, he returned with skills so extraordinary that witnesses swore it sounded like three people playing at once. In his tragically short life, Johnson recorded only 29 songs before dying under mysterious circumstances at age 27, making him the founding member of the infamous "27 Club."

But there's so much more to this story than supernatural guitar lessons. We'll dig into how this tale became the quintessential American devil legend, explore the racist origins of calling blues "the devil's music," and examine the darker historical context behind songs like "Crossroad Blues" and "Hellhound on My Trail"—which may reference sundown towns and the ongoing terror faced by Black Americans in the Jim Crow South.

From Haitian Vodou and Papa Legba to the birth of American blues culture, we'll trace how crossroads became synonymous with devilish dealings and why Robert Johnson's story continues to influence musicians like Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Led Zeppelin.

The Devil And Daniel Mouse

TruStory FM — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0700

**This week, we're diving into the groovy world of "The Devil and Daniel Mouse," a delightfully strange 1978 Canadian animated Halloween special that's pure 1970s magic. Originally aired on CBC on October 22, 1978, this 25-minute Nelvana production takes Stephen Vincent Benét's classic tale "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and reimagines it with anthropomorphic animals in the world of rock music.**

**The story follows Jan and Daniel Mouse, a struggling folk duo whose old-fashioned sound just isn't cutting it anymore. When the smooth-talking record producer B.L. Zebub (subtle, right?) offers Jan fame and fortune, she signs a contract in blood without reading the fine print. Soon she's the lead singer of "Funky Jan and the Animal Kingdom," topping the charts with her supernatural band of conjured animals. But when the Devil comes to collect her soul at midnight, it's up to Daniel—who's definitely not a lawyer—to defend her in a supernatural courtroom filled with ghostly music industry souls.**

**With music by John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful and animation that screams vintage 1970s, this Halloween special later inspired Nelvana's cult classic feature film "Rock & Rule." Join us as we explore this wonderfully weird piece of Canadian animation history that asks the eternal question: can a song from the heart really beat the Devil every time?**

All That Money Can Buy

TruStory FM — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0700

We cover the 1941 film All That Money Can Buy (also known as The Devil and Daniel Webster), based on the short story The Devil and Daniel Webster!

The Devil And Daniel Webster

TruStory FM — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode:
OLD Scratch is my Father!
And the murderer is....O'Henry?!
Daniel...or Dan'l?
Who's catching butterflies in handkerchiefs?!
Tolkien's elves are like lobsters
Daniel Websters knows front parlours
Hot and heavy!
Like the Good Book says...
This story rips off The Simpsons!
Hathorn, or Hawthorne?
...and more!

The Devil And Tom Walker

TruStory FM — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode:

Listen to our TERRIBLE Bostonian accents!
Friggin Gawker Blockers!
When I showed up late to the party, your sister dropped me like a sack of lobsters!
Prince of the Air Bud
Like the largest pickle in the jar, he's a really big dill.
Fahckin Phileas Fogg!
If You're wicked smaht, you'll get a stickah when you pahk your cawh at hawvahd yahd.
Don't copy that floppy!
...and more!

F. W. Murnau's FAUST!

TruStory FM — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode, we cover F.W. Murnau's Faust: A German Folktale. In this classic of silent cinema, our Mephisto (Emil Jannings) makes a bet with an archangel that Faust's soul can be corrupted. Faust (Gösta Ekman) is desperately trying to save his village from a plague. He is able to help the villagers, thanks to Mephisto, but further dealings with the devil lead Faust on a decadent downward spiral. Can he redeem his soul before it's too late?

Featuring:

"Fauft?!"
The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse (because times were tough in Germany)
You win this round, God!
Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Paradise What Did I Come Into This Room For?
Mephistos Just Wanna Have Fun
Cancel your subscription, Lester!
Otho from Beetlejuice?! What are YOU doing here?
You can see her doublets!
I ALWAYS drink ... wine!
Kynan puts dirty words ... in my MOUTH!
All you need is love, love, love ...
... and more!

JUDGED! SAVED! • Gounod's Faust Acts III-V (Finale!)

TruStory FM — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

"This will probably be a short episode." - Lester
Choruses? Chori? Choropods?
Remember Hoop-On-A-Stick?
"You don't get to murder someone just because they're mean." - Kynan
Fausted by your own petard
"Demons are like vampires." - Lester
There's a PUPPY Bowl???
Team Fluff VS Team Ruff
Mephis-Doubtfire
...and more!

The FAUST Of The Opera! • Gounod's Faust, Acts I-II

TruStory FM — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

Remember compact discs?
No, it's not "CATS!" It's "The English Cat" Completely different!
Hansel and Gretel: Now You Have Nightmares
How Faustus Got HIs Groove Back
Boris n' Bela
Big Top Mephistopheles
Siebel wears the pants in this show
WAGNER?!! What are YOU doing here?
Do YOU know the difference between a coffin and a casket?
Casket - a junk drawer for people
...and more!

Don't Let The Pearly Gates Hit Ya Where The Good Lord Split Ya! • Goethe's Faust Part 2, Act V (Finale)

TruStory FM — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

This show is become FAUST'S details!
YOU SHALL NOT SCRUB!
Now on sale! "No Capitalism" T-shirts
Special guest Jim Baucus
Inside Out 4: with Want, Debt, Distress and Care
....and SURPRISE!
Faust is CONVENIENTLY having second thoughts
Lemures....or lemurs?
GRETCHEN!? What are YOU doing here?!
...and more!

Three Mighty Men from Faust Are We • Goethe’s Faust Part 2, Act IV

TruStory FM — Sun, 02 Feb 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

Three Mighty Men From Faust Are We!
Hellooooo! Welcome to the Church of Mrs. Doubtfire, dear!
This is the Ren and Stimpy of Faust
Ow! This is a very jagged mountain!
Hey Siri - how many boots in a league?
These boots were made for Walken - WOW!
Somehow.....the Holy Roman Emperor has returned!
Bully Boy, Grab-Quick and Hold-Tight
George C. Palpatine!
...and more!

Phorkyas? Damn Near Killed 'er! • Goethe's Faust Part 2, Act III

TruStory FM — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

Schrodinger's Homunculus
Call Sally Struthers now and make a donation
Dr. Jekyll is my FATHER. Actually, no - he's me.
Epic Rap Battle: Helen of Troy VS Phorkyas!
"He's got WHAT, he's got servants and flunkies?!"
Euphorion, My Wayward Son.....
Apparently Euphorion never read the story of Icarus....
...and more!

Homunculus! • Goethe's Faust Part 2, Act II

TruStory FM — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

Sure glad we kept the sets from part 1!
Faust faints. Again.
So Helen is the new Gretchen?
Nothin'! What's a homunculus wit' you?"
Wagner! What are YOU doing here?
Mephis-Doubtfire
Vile vials...
Charlie Kirk is an idiot - debate me. DEBATE ME!!!
Faust II: Faust Goes Greek
Who DOESN'T remember Erictho!
Oh! A trash can in Greece!
...and more!

What the HELL is going on??? • Goethe's Faust Part 2, Act I

TruStory FM — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

If Goethe's Faust Part I was Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, Goethe's Faust Part II is the Beetlejuice Cartoon
Socrates!
Not Without My Sally Field
In sleep, no one can hear you dream
Romantic with a capital R cuz remember - Gretchen is DEAD.
Holy Roman Emperor, Batman!
Myself with my head cut off? What are YOU doing here?!
Those soothsayers always sayin' sooths...
Flower girls or girl flowers?
If a vampire is in the STAGE direction...is it an actual vampire?
...and more!

Krampus!

TruStory FM — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

Deck the halls with Holly's Balls
Krampus Goes Hawaiian (NOT featuring Jeffrey Jones!)
Aren't ALL demons half goat?
Special guest: Hans Muff
"Overwhelmingly White"
"There's a war on Krampus Nacht!"
Remember Krampus? He's back! In Kart form!"
...and more!

Say Good NACHT, Gretchen! Goethe's Faust Part 5

TruStory FM — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

Hey Herr DJ, turn das Musik up!
There were MULTIPLE Mount Olympuses? Olympi?
Little Lord Mephauntleroy
Stay out of the woods!
Could it be....SANTA?! (no)
There's double entendres, and then there's just straight up entendres!
Wraith Fiennes as Medusa
A play within a poem featuring poems within a play
It takes a village....just not this one!
...and more!

Faust Gets Jiggy With It! Goethe’s Faust, Part 4

TruStory FM — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

Steppin' Out With Sssssatan?
I read all of Jack Nicholson's IMDB
Waterfalls will be waterfalls
Can you imagine making love to a Heinrich?
Shout out to our listeners in East Losvekistan....ly
"Oh, no, Stepmaster, I've become stuck in this pentagram!"
Very nice, very Shakespeare...
Water Boy and Guitar Lover
All the men in this story!
Walpurgissacht
...and more!

How To Lose A Soul In 10 Days! Goethe's Faust, Part 3

TruStory FM — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

When Heinrich Met Gretchen
A Meet-Ick
Very demure, very mindful.
Christ is Rizzin'! (And so is Mephisto!)
Faust withdraws from Attorney General consideration.
Cymbeline!
Faust has Skibbidy Rizz! (are we using that right?)
Good news , we found your husband. Bad news, he's dead.
...and more!

Take My Soul.....PLEASE! Goethe's Faust, Part 2

TruStory FM — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

Well, it's Faust...again
Faust must be really fun at parties...
Hitler reacts.....to Faust!
Of COURSE I know about Pascal's Wager!
Mrs. Faustfire
The Mephisto Clause
Shout out to Auerbach's Cellar!
Monkees vs Beatles
...and more!

Bruno Ganz is FAUST

It's FAUSThog Day! Goethe's Faust, Part 1

TruStory FM — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

Well, it's Faust.....again....
The second part of our "Faust Arc"
DOCTOR Faustus was my forefather...
This isn't about us (yes, it is).
In the beginning(s)...
That J-J-J-Joker Face
Lustige how? Like a clown, lustige?
Raph, Mike, and Gabe
A poodle?!
Follow along with the FAUST RADIO PLAY ON YOUTUBE

YAAASS QUEEN! - Lilith

TruStory FM — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

I laugh so hard I actually pull something...
Lilith's - where everybody knows your name
What's the deal with Genesis?
Angelolololological texts
Lamashtu?! What are YOU doing here?!
🎵Asmodeus, Asmodeus....🎵
...and more!

The Devils Made Me Do It! Doctor Faustus, Part 5 (Finale)

TruStory FM — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

Romeo never mentions the horns...
Wagner! What are YOU doing here?
Trojan Explosion (volume 8)
Beelzebub and Mephistopheles reconcile and sake's on the house!
I've placketed to worse....
The face that launched a thousand ships!
I deserve Cheez-Its less than the serpent who tempted Eve!
What will folks say?
...and more!

Why So...Horny? Doctor Faustus, Part 4

TruStory FM — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

The new musical: "Cuck!"
Why are horns the sign for being cheated on?
Methinks Benvolio doth protest too much!
Who heckles a magic show?
Laurel and Yanny
"Alexander the Ok"
Romeo, Mercutio and Paulio
Don't look a gift horse in the buttock
Ninety-nine bottles of hay in the lake....
...and more!

It's a POPE - OFF! Doctor Faustus, Part 3

TruStory FM — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 03:00:00 -0800

On this episode:

A DIY Dick Joke!
This devil's a real MELPH.
He said, she said, A said B said...
Marlowe couldn't Imagine Dragons...
Toy Pope, Toy Pope, Toy Pope....
We don't talk about Bruno....or the Pope will torture us to death!
Virgil is NOT available for babysitting any more protagonists
...and more!

DAM, Faustus! Doctor Faustus, Part 2

TruStory FM — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details:

Valdez and Cornelius DEFINITELY have a podcast
Did you know it's actually pronounced "sake?"
🎵Mephistopheles Gotta Feelin🎵
"Our Company Loves Misery"
The DIET of Worms, not the diet of WORMS!
"No Homo Fuge"
Fictional Wittenberg = Fittenberg
Squirrel Merlin = Squerlin
"Take me soul....please!"
"Better be......Ravendick!"
Robert Newton: The Bela Lugosi of Pirates! "Arrrrrr!"
...and more!

Umm, Actually, The Name Of The Monster Is DOCTOR Faustus! Doctor Faustus, Part 1

TruStory FM — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0700

In this episode, we get into the Faust legend, focusing on Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. We chat about the original legend, Faust’s famous deal with the devil, the character of Mephistopheles, and how Marlowe's version of the story influenced a ton of later film and literature. We also touch on the mystery surrounding Marlowe's death!

We then get into Act 1 of Doctor Faustus, exploring Faustus’ interactions with Mephistopheles, the play’s mix of humor and tragedy, Wagner’s comic relief and the whole idea of hell as presented in the play. We wrap up by looking ahead to Act 2 and where the story's headed!

Everyone's An A$$hole! The Seven Princes Of Hell

TruStory FM — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details:

This is no recording, this is really happening!
Who's that Goetia-mon!
Is this Moloch fake of Baphomet fake?
The 7 Levels of Fake!
Sloth is a Gateway Sin!
PWGGLES!
Beelzebub was Satan before it was cool
Could it be.....SATAN?!

....and more!

The Last Temple-tation of Christ! Paradise Regained, Books 3-4 (Finale)

TruStory FM — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details, we conclude John Milton's Epic sequel, Paradise Regained!

Now With 30% More Satan! Paradise Regained, Books 1-2

TruStory FM — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil’s Details, we cover the first two books of Paradise Regained!

Bible History CliffsNotes! Paradise Lost, Books 11-12 (Finale)

TruStory FM — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this fuzzy-wuzzy episode of The Devil's Details, we discuss books 11 and 12 of John Milton's Paradise Lost. Highlights include:

the problem of evil, free will, and the inferiority of humans to cats
Cory the capybara.
living forever and the inevitability of death.
Why aren't we all vampires?
Tom and Larry
Michael is less like Raphael and more like Leonardo, it turns out.
Bible History Cliffs Notes
A Babbling Nimrod
Bating at noon: it's perfectly normal

....and more!

Falling Action! Paradise Lost, Book 10

TruStory FM — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this intergalactic Episode:

A long time ago, in a garden far, far away...
...and that's why we have Adams Apples...
Falling Action!
Please reply to this prophecy with your favorite cheat meal
Milton is the George Lucas of the Bible
The first scapegoat....or scapesnake

...and more!

Satan’s Been All Around the World (LaLaLaLaLaLa) Paradise Lost, Book 9

TruStory FM — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this bamboo-licious episode:

Wait, we're here already?!
Adam wants his baby back (rib!)
Lester and Kynan's Bamboo Forest of Facts!
Satan's been all around the world (lalalalalala)
Sus is the default for snakes
This poor snake!
We're the WORST debate judges!
Not as the snake.....in the snake!
The Last Temptation of Satan

...and more!

New segment music: "TV Intro Music" composed by Otho Molina

Milton Set Me Up! Paradise Lost, Book 8

TruStory FM — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode:

Adam's Q is more of an A
The Longest Day
Milton is in Horny Jail (and maybe he doth like that!)
I'm very sorry, but you have Firstplacia...
Milton set me up!
What about the fish?!
Where do widdle angel babies come fwom?
Bearly Pandasexual

...and more!

Why DO Adam and Eve Have Belly Buttons? Paradise Lost, Book 7

TruStory FM — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode:

Adam asks all the wrong questions
Why DO Adam and Eve have belly buttons?
Kynan asks all the RIGHT questions!
Raphael's Story Time!
Thracian Bards!
Unnatural Philosophy
s'notalright
It's all DIGESTION!
Classic God!
Chaos is a good neighbor

...and more!

Is This War in Heaven Canon? Paradise Lost, Book 6

TruStory FM — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode:

we cover Book 6 of John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost!
We keep trying to shove George Takei into this thing (Oh, my!)
"Limbo again, huh?"
Oh, the HORROUR!
To all the folks who've been waiting for the bad Sean Astin jokes, we do not disappoint
There are THREE versions of night in this thing...and TWO of them are people!
"Michael Mouse, you have a wonderful park here."
William Blake's Satan looks like Harpo Marx
Also, have we ruined Emily DIckinson for you yet?

...and more!

Everybody Poops (No, Really)! Paradise Lost, Book 5

TruStory FM — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode:

Satan is EVEsdropping!
Eve has the first flying (and falling) dream!
Raphael is a people angel
No mention of the Beatles in Paradise Lost?
"Everyone knows Bill's nuts..."
"We don't have a pantry - we're Adam and Eve!"
Everybody Poops. (No, really!)
Milton writing the quiet part loud....
FLASHBACK!

...and more!

To Be Or Not To Be Evil! Paradise Lost, Book 4

TruStory FM — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details:

We catch Satan Monologuing.
To Be Or Not To Be Evil
Satan to Beelzebub: "I wish I could quit you!"
There are TWO trees?!?!?
He squatted LIKE a toad, or AS a toad?
Like Eden, this episode if full of "mazy errors."
Is the patriarchy Miltonic...or Satanic?
"He's behind you! Satan's behind you!"
Satan is an ANIMORPH?!
God tips the scales and Satan runs away.

...and more!

Different Family Strokes Matter For All In The Full House, Kotter! Paradise Lost, Book 3

TruStory FM — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this widdle baby episode of The Devil's Details:

That slothy goodness!
Everybody Loves Satan
Different Family Strokes Matter For All In The Full House, Kotter.
Eden: Impossible
Better to reign in my angsty teenage bedroom....
In case of hellfire, use stairs
Well, that stairway joke escalated quickly....
Satan's knock, knock, knockin' on Heaven's Door
I'm just a widdle baby chewub!
"Be more like Satan" - Lester Ryan Clark
"Loser-fer" is more like it!

...and more!

Hell Is A Fixer-Upper! Paradise Lost, Book 2

TruStory FM — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this ROCKIN' EIGHTIES episode of The Devil's Details:

Any child sacrifice is a personal child sacrifice if you believe enough
Montage!
Satan's "Gonna Fly Now."
You had me at sloth
Another montage!
Hell is a fixer-upper!
Genesis Math
You have my bow! And my Axe! And my CHILDREN!
How effective is a whip of scorpions REALLY?
Yet another montage!

...and more!

Satan is Elsa from Frozen, Change My Mind! Paradise Lost, Book 1

TruStory FM — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this EPICALLY POETIC episode of The Devil's Details:

Satan gets a glow up!
The Disney version of the Devil???
Monarchy II : Monarchies
There's a Star Wars crawl at the beginning!
Side effects may include, headaches, dizziness and PENAL FIRE!
Satan is Elsa from Frozen: Change my mind
"What's Adonis?" "Nothin'! What's Adonis wit' you!"
"Oh, no! I've been stricken with this really rad face tattoo!"
That's So Satan! Tonight at 6 on the Disney Channel!
Pandemonium (no banana for scale)

...and more!

Thank You, Dante, But Your Beatrice Is in Another Canto! Dante’s Inferno, Part 9 (Finale)

TruStory FM — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this Episode:

Welcome to the boss level!
In hell, flattery gets you EVERYWHERE
Tityus and Typhon
I'll have an Eldritch Mac with fries and a Coke
Gangs of New York Style Pizza (Best Pizza in the Five Points!)
Ugolino chews out Ruggieri
Thank you Dante, but your Beatrice is in another canto!
New rules for the Dante-verse!
"I'd know that rump anywhere!"
Hop on Papa Satan!

...and more!

Rock, Paper, Schisms! Dante’s Inferno, Part 8

TruStory FM — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode:

You will not BELIEVE who we meet in this malebolge!
Rock, Paper, Schisms
The return of Philippe Le Cheap!
Kynan leaves me hangin
The dress code here is "headless casual."
Loud Apparent Ninja Turtles
Grumpy Virgil
we found the end of Google!
Pizza's here! Stop having sex!

...and more!

Animorphs! By Dante Aligheri! Dante’s Inferno, Part 7

TruStory FM — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details:

Vanni Fucci is throwin' hands (figs?)
Schrödinger's Sinner
Character arks in the Bible
Animorphs! by Dante Allighieri
"That's Cacus!"
🎵FIVE FLORENTINE THIEVES!🎵
Doesn't this podcast remind you of the Star Wars Minute? (please say yes)
the ship of Odysseus
Elon Monk

...and more!

It’s The Great Apocalypse, Charlie Brown! Dante’s Inferno, Part 6

TruStory FM — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this ANIMORPHIC episode of The Devil's Details:

Dante Alighieri and Virgil.....Virgil.
It's The Great Apocalypse, Charlie Brown!
Do YOU have Rapture Pet Insurance?
"Dangil" or "Virte?"
Devils all up in this malebolge!
"Hypocrisy" By Calvin Klein
"Barabbas," or "Bar Abba?"
"Now, I'm not a puppy drowner, BUUUUUT........."
I have had it with these motherfucking snakes in this motherfucking malebolge!

...and more!

Whaddya Gonna Pick? Evil Pockets! Dante’s Inferno, Part 5

TruStory FM — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this meaty malebolgia episode of The Devil's Details:

🎵Geryon, My Wayward Son🎵
Cats do NOT have hands!
Whaddaya Gonna Pick? Evil Pockets!
Is that a malebolge in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
This medea is killing our kids
We laugh at our own jokes (so what else is new?)
We go so far up our own asses that I get a nose bleed
Simony says...
Have you ever tried pope-in-a-hole?

...and more!

Sodomites: 1, Heretics: 0! Dante’s Inferno, Part 4

TruStory FM — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this centaurrific episode of The Devil's Details:

🎵Baby it's raining fire outside...🎵
You know what happens when you make assumptions - you get struck by lighting!
Oh, yeah, Nessus is here!
We are pro-sodomy!
Memento Gomorry
Does anyone learn anything in Dante's hell?
Sodomites: 1, Heretics: 0
We were the devil the whole t-THE WHOLE TIME!!!
Oh, The Cantos You'll Go!
Raggin' on Dante's cord
We put AI in the 7th circle of hell!

...and more!

Don’t Insult the Minotaur’s Sister! Dante’s Inferno, Part 3

TruStory FM — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this INFERNAL episode of The Devil's Details:

We PENETRATE the circle of Lust!
Kayden the Angel
Kynan's on the fence...and it's making me uncomfortable.
Which Dante's Inferno Hogwarts House are you?
Kynan awakes a new fear in me
Schrodinger's Heretic
Are you....Epicurious?
Virgil is the TUTORIAL!
Are you a Big Ender or a Little Ender?
don't insult the Minotaur's sister!

..and more!

Cerberberbububus is Back! Dante’s Inferno, Part 2

TruStory FM — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this gluttonous episode of The Devil's Details:

Eeew! There's lust all over my shoes!
Cantos, circles and sub-circles! Welcome to my ADHD Hell!
Cerberberbububus is back! The goodest boy X 3!
My friends call me Ciaco the Pig!
Kynan sings! Twice!
This Sunday! The Pomeranians are goin' up against the Chihuahuas in a knock-down, drag-out brawl!
Turns out my 4th circle of hell is just the IRS
Dante would write the worst emails!
Lester's mic goes to hell!

...and more!

It’s Limbo Time! Dante’s Inferno, Part 1

TruStory FM — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this conveniently contrapasso episode of The Devil's Details:

We dive into Dante's Inferno!
This so-called "divine" comedy isn't all that funny....
Skippy the Elephant
Should we CANCEL Dante?
The rise of the Ghibellines
This episode is NOT brought to you by Monster Energy Drink
Back when we couldn't discern between a leopard and a panther...
Dante faints!
Everybody LIMBO!
Old "No-Pants" David!
...and more!

Solomon Breaks Wind…Demons! or: Solomon is Still Building the Temple of Solomon! The Testament of Solomon, Part 4 (Finale)

TruStory FM — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details:

We are STILL buildin' that temple!
That's the trouble with infinite wisdom...
"Do you suck your thumb at me, sir?"
The worst science experiment ever.
Breaking wind.....demons.
We lose more little boys that way...
Apocryphal ASMR with ...Abezithabod.
How many things did we put in Lester's mouth in this episode?
Baby Shart, do, do, do, do, do, do, .....

...and more!

What is Solomon’s Glassdoor Rating? The Testament of Solomon, Part 3

TruStory FM — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details:

What is Solomon's Glassdoor rating?
Billy Maze here with the secret power of WORMS!
Trial and Error.......and Jealousy and Strife and......
I prove once again that I am NOT a math teacher!
The world is your oyster, but you're not allowed to eat it!
O Solomon, My Solomon
Apparently hippo does NOT mean hippo...
Seahorse.....or sea HORSE?

...and more!

Are There Lady Demons? Solomon Wants to Know! The Testament of Solomon, Part 2

TruStory FM — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details:

How does Ornias eat a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup?
The etymology (or entomology?) of the Lord of the Flies
Are there lady demons? Solomon wants to know!
Champagne and ordures
It's a full moon on the show today!
Go fly a kite off a billy goat's gruff!
Full disclosure: I don't know how to make bricks
#justiceforasmodeus
Beelzebub has a son?!!! Next time, on As The Underworld Turns!
This episode was brought to you by Monster Energy Drink (not really)

...and more!

Who Wrote the Testament of Solomon? NOT Solomon! The Testament of Solomon, Part 1

TruStory FM — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this Episode of The Devil's Details:

THAT guy, THAT temple, 72 demons
Who wrote the Testament of Solomon? NOT Solomon!
That's a WHOLE LOTTA DEMONS!
It's always the Talmud stealing our ideas!
This book ain't holy...it's full o' HOLES!

...and more!

Holy WAR, Bapho-Man!

TruStory FM — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details:

Oh, ye of little Ontological faith…
New recurring segment - Lester and Kynan’s History Corner!
Entrance of the Podcasters
WHERE are we? You mean WHEN are we!
We attempt to explain the Crusades using Coca Cola
If Christian denominations were Lifesavers, what would Catholic taste like?
Join the Crusades! Hack and slash your way into Heaven!
The wazoo is understood
This episode was brought to you by Solomon Co!

...and more!

AngeLOLogy!

TruStory FM — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details:

In high fantasy, nobody poops
In low fantasy, poop is EVERYWHERE
The ORIGINAL original sin
Priest Side Story - the new Broadway sensation!
Hold my communal wine
Not all rectangles are Jesuits
Welcome to Lesterland, have a look around!
I reach the end of my brain
Angels and Demons!

...and more!

It’s All Greek to Us!

TruStory FM — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details:

Oh, god, Hades is doing karaoke!
Joe Bident!
Lethe, River of Forgetfulness
Cerberus - the goodest boy X 3!
"Why you do this to me Hades?"
Rate your Uber ride with Charon
Is that Eu de Sulfur?
mmmmmm.....Tartarus......
HELL: We're Other People!

...and more!

Did it Hurt? When You Fell From Heaven?

TruStory FM — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 03:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The Devil's Details:

Would you sell your soul for some delicious ham?
Guest appearance by Patti LuPone (not really)
Not the satan, but THE satan!
Did it hurt? When thou didst fall from heaven?
Show me on the Book of Enoch where the angel touched you
Thus podcasted Zarathustra
I lose my stress putty

...and more!

Welcome To The Devil's Details!

TruStory FM — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 21:07:23 -0700

Good Morningstar, lovelies! What image springs to mind when I say "Lucifer?" How about "Satan?" Or how about just "The Devil?" Where do all these different images come from, and how did the Big Bad of the Western World end up with so many faces? Welcome to The Devil's Details! Join us as we dig up, decipher, dissect and deconstruct the Devil's many forms throughout history, art, literature and pop-culture! Take a guided tour with Dante through the nine circles of hell! Revisit Satan's angsty bad-boy years in John Milton's Paradise Lost! Learn the ins and outs of a Faustian contract (easier than a 1099, but with a HELL of a lot more fine print)! Slither on over and join us in the diabolic discussion! We'll be sure to keep a seat warm for you! Until then.....

Love and hisses!

-Lester and Kynan