By CWS
Our little Hunt A Killer family is excited in welcoming a new kind of storyteller to our team. You may not know this, but both of our interactive subscription boxes, Hunt A Killer and Empty Faces, fall under the umbrella company of Gnomish Hat, an immersive entertainment brand that is quickly expanding in many different directions. Jim Perry is the man behind ‘Euphomet,’ a podcast that explore the fuzzy edges of our world: the paranormal, the supernatural, the unexplained. But Eupohmet isn’t interested in whether or not the variety of first-hands stories it delivers are fact or fiction, whether aliens or ghosts or psychics or past lives are real. It’s interested in the simple pleasure of hearing a story be told, a story that allows us to wonder about the limits of our worlds, both the one we share and the one inside each of us.
The podcast description reads:
EUPHOMET with Jim Perry is a podcast about occulture, the esoteric and the enchanted. We are in search of the other side…the thing under your bed…that signal of unknown origin…and the true stories behind the strange phenomena that are outside the sphere of popular consciousness.
The value of a partnership between Gnomish Hat and Euphomet was obvious right away. Both share a smart, immersive approach to telling stories from the fringe. Ryan Hogan, cofounder of Gnomish Hat, has a passion for podcasts. First came ‘Behind True Crime,’ Hunt A Killer’s official podcast, in which yours truly interviews folks who work in the genre. Now Ryan wants to keep that ball rolling with Euphomet and beyond.
“Podcasts promote fresh and exciting material,” Ryan said of the new partnership. “Through this complementary addition, we are perfectly aligned to emerge in the podcast market with groundbreaking concepts. Not only does the content appeal to our current true crime and paranormal communities, it provides our growing creative team with additional means to continue to build out our robust entertainment mentality through diverse mediums.”
Listening to Euphomet feels like deciphering the handwriting of a diary found in your hometown’s most intriguing abandoned house. Each section is a deeply personal snapshot of a life touched by the supernatural, and Jim doesn’t limit himself to just ghosts and aliens; there is so much explore in outskirts of our imaginations.
I have the privilege of working with Jim in our new Seattle office, where we periodically roll our office chairs across the room to talk excitedly about all things strange and unusual. I can testify that he is a brilliant creative as well as an empathetic, curious seeker—and we need more of those. I asked him a few questions about this project and new partnership.
How did you get interested in the paranormal?
I was obsessed with reruns of “In Search Of” as a kid. It really introduced me to the paranormal standards and I think defines my overarching point of view per the supernatural. A curious searcher - not relegated to any certain “belief” or system of thinking. Like most families - my tribe is peppered with “believers”. In spiritualism. In ghosts. In spirit communication.
Why do you want to explore these types of fringe stories?
Jim Perry
I think that everyone has stories of “weird shit” that they can’t explain or certain varied perspectives and tendencies that perhaps veer into the unorthodox. Often times, these collected experiences seem to leave an emotional mark on us and when recalled seem to be from the same part of ourselves that perhaps contain the soul. So I believe stories of the unexplained and the fringe connect us together as people in one of the most earnest and true ways.
Why did you choose the medium of podcasting?
I’ve been a fan of radio since I can remember so as the form evolved I’ve really just followed it. I tend to jump into creating in whatever space I’m passionate about so I think the cheap cost of entry into this space really provided me just another ready-made outlet to start experimenting with as the medium arrived. Whats more, many would say (and I share this sentiment) that audio may be the most intimate form of art. The connections a host can build with his audience I feel is unparalleled. You seemingly become a member of your listener’s group of friends.
What are your main inspirations in podcasting and radio broadcasting and beyond?
I took a trip recently to Joshua Tree with my assistant producer Tyler Carey. We headed out of a neon-soaked part of LA after sundown and listened to a 1997 Art Bell; interviewing Bob Lazar about the alleged development of secret weapons with technology adopted by ETs. We sat in the silence of the Mojave under a blanket of stars and imagined “what else is out there”. You can’t come up with an answer to that stuff. We were okay with that. That is what inspires this show.
What do you hope that your podcast does for listeners?
I hope it connects people. I hope we can talk about really mind-bending experiences and perspectives without cynicism. My late-grandma once told me “you don’t learn anything from talking.” As much as I think there ARE ways to learn from expressing yourself and “emitting,” what she really meant was that sometimes you have to shut up and listen. Really listen. I don’t think we do that enough anymore, and I want to create space and opportunity for those moments - especially for marginalized ideas around the supernatural, esoteric and what those things say about our identity.
What are you most looking forward to in this new partnership with Gnomish Hat?
I’m so excited to be a part of the team for many reasons. I think I feel the same way when you stumble into someone at a concert or party and you know they’re going to become a best friend. You know you’re going to create some cool shit together. Have adventures. Building something. More importantly - have each others’ back and support one another. I feel supported. I feel like Euphomet has someone in our corner and that our voice is about to become amplified. I really couldn’t be happier.
I’ll be working with Jim on the ongoing project of Euphomet and beyond, and we promise you more and more fringe stories with heart: interesting approaches to topics that blur the boundaries of our world and experience, more questions, less answers, and things to continue to encourage our innate curiosity, the best part of being human.
Check out the first two episodes of Euphomet now and please fill out this survey below to help us craft more of what you want.