[EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week, we brought you a post on Goosebumps for Grown-Ups because, let’s face it, the books were written for pre-teens. Does that mean we can’t still find a way to enjoy them as adults, though? Hell no! Take Dune Reads Goosebumps for instance…”the internet’s leading bootleg Goosebumps audiobook podcasts” featuring a host whose puns and snarky commentary add a fun Mystery Science Theater 3000 slant to each story. What’s the magic behind the microphone? I’m guessing copious amounts of alcohol, but Dan actually did some research so let’s find out!]
Hey Dune, thanks for taking time to talk with me about Dune Reads Goosebumps. Let’s start by talking about you…who are you and what do you do?
DUNE: Heyyoo! I’m Dune. I’m 29, I live in San Diego with my fiancee, a couple cats and a dog. I do a bunch of bizarre stuff, however, you’re mostly interested in the fact that I get drunk and record bootleg audio books of the Goosebumps series with added commentary.
How did you find yourself getting into podcasting?
DUNE: I’ve always been into various forms of Talk Radio and originally got into listening to podcasts through the download version of the old Adam Carolla morning radio show in 2006. I was the co-host of the ComicsOnline podcast starting in early 2008 until 2013. That podcast still exists and is definitely worth checking out. Anyway, I’ve been recording various podcast projects ever since I first started on ComicsOnline.
So what can you tell me about Dune Reads Goosebumps. What’s it all about?
DUNE: Dune Reads Goosebumps came out of my years of being in a band and working on podcasts with other people and hating having to rely on other people to schedule, edit and add creative input. I wanted a project that was just me but I wasn’t the focus. So, I came up with reading bootleg audio books with improv MST3K style commentary. I landed on Goosebumps as its spoooooky, easy to make fun of and the sheer quantity of books. So in February of 2010, I started Dune Reads Goosebumps.
Where can I find the show to listen to it?
DUNE: You can find it anywhere you would normally subscribe to podcasts, however, I would suggest going to Archive.org as every single episode is up there and easy to stream, direct download, or download as a complete torrent.
What is the show release schedule like? I know you have a great back catalog ready for people to attack, but when do new episodes come out?
DUNE: If there was a set release schedule, it would feel like it was work and wouldn’t do it. It takes me about 4 hours to put up each hour and a half or so episode which is half of a standard Goosebumps book. It already feels like work in a lot of ways, but if I felt like I needed to meet a deadline while doing all the work for free I would just quit and get drunk in the bath.
Where did this idea to read the Goosebumps for the masses come from?
DUNE: I wish I had some big LSD-influenced epiphany, but I was really just trying to come up with a new, original type of content to put out by myself.
Were you a big fan of R.L. Stine and/or the Goosebumps books growing up?
DUNE: No, not at all. My older brother had a few when I was a kid and I read one or two, but I was never swept up in the Goosebumps-mania. It’s my first time going through the stories when I record, that’s why the majority of my plot speculation is so far off.
What should listeners expect when lending an ear to the show?
DUNE: A very intoxicated man with a beautiful voice reading children’s books while making ridiculous jokes off the top of his head, relating the plot to his own life and getting distracted by his pets.
I have to say that one of my FAVORITE things about the show is the “adult improv” added into the readings. Why add this to the mix?
DUNE: That’s the entire basis of the show, the books are just a platform for me to go off on tangents and make dumb dick jokes. It’s also surprisingly difficult. As everyone remembers from high school, reading aloud sucks and is way harder than it should be. Trying to read aloud without messing up while thinking of what to say that’s funny or interesting is so, so hard. Numerous people have tried to guest read or have tried stealing my concept and just quit.
What do you say to those who don’t get the humor, and are mad about it not being a TRUE word for word reading?
DUNE: I get that from time to time, I think I explained it in an old episode as the show being called DUNE READS Goosebumps, in the same way that you’d expect a Metallica does Sinatra to be metal, you should expect the show being my drunk ass interpreting the content. Also, it’s definitely parody with my changes and commentary, if I was just trying to read straight audio books and give them out for free that would be clearly illegal.
What was the scariest thing that happened to you since starting this show?
DUNE: This question is making me realize how safe of a life I lead. Honestly, the most scared was probably when out of nowhere I started getting horrible migraines every single day for weeks and assumed I had a brain tumor. Turns out, nope. I spend way too much time drunk in Mexico to not have any good near-death experience stories.
I know that some of the books are read by some amazing guests. Who all has lent their voice to the readings?
DUNE: Mostly friends and one young listener. SamSkillz, who I make dumb songs with, has read a couple…so has Nick from my old band (and many other better bands). You can hear my fiancee in the background on a few, and then random friends choosing the adventure for the Give Yourself Goosebumps series.
If you could get anyone in the world to be a guest reader for an episode, who would it be?
DUNE: Morrissey. He has a fantastic voice and I love his music as much as I’m annoyed by him as a human being. I would like to hear him pretentiously moan on about the poor writing in books for
11 year olds.
How many episodes/reading are you up to now (as of Sept. 2015)?
DUNE: Around 120, which at an average length around 90 minutes, is 180 hours of me reading Goosebumps. According to Google Maps that means you could drive from London to Johannesburg listening to me the entire time without hearing me repeat myself. You know, if you really wanted to I guess.
What does the future hold for when you run out of Goosebumps books to read? Can we expect a Fear Street series?
DUNE: No. No, you cannot. I don’t know what I’m doing when I finish but I can’t imagine I’d start on another book series. I would like to be able to read audio books for money, but it’s a lot of work to do for free. I’ll mostly stop that and keep doing other podcasts like Dune & Gio Watch Stuff with Giovanni Giorgio.
So why audio books? Are you a big fan of the medium? If so, what are some of your favorite audiobooks and narrators?
DUNE: Because I’m a masochist. And yeah, I’m a huge fan of the medium. I really like the Martin Freeman reading of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series and the Stephen Fry reading of Harry Potter.
Remind us again how we can find the show to listen to it?
DUNE: Find the show anywhere one can find podcasts or go to Archive.org or the Dune Read Goosebumps website. You can also find me on Twitter as @Dune.
So in summary give me a quick recap on Dune Reads Goosebumps and why listeners should have it play through their ears and into their brains.
DUNE: I get drunk, read Goosebumps, make dumb jokes…it’s not for everyone.
Thanks so much for your time Dune! I look forward to the next episode.
