Tom’s Scarifyers Audiobook Supports Ukraine

THE SCARIFYERS:
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LUDLOW

An audiobook written by Tom Crowley

ALL PROCEEDS TO THE DEC’S UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN APPEAL

Dunning and Crow of MI-13 are investigating an impossibly splattery murder near the Royal Artillery Barracks when they’re surprised by the arrival of a new ally: Special Agent Diggs of the FBI. Diggs has been following a series of similarly savage slayings all the way from Massachusetts and can find only one connection: a squad of American soldiers, recently arrived in Woolwich.

But the yanks aren’t talking, least of all their hawkish commanding officer, General Mason. Does he know more than he’s letting on, or not even that much? Why are MI-11’s military intelligence goons sniffing around the case? And can Crow and Dunning trust their new friend from the bureau?

Sinister intrigue, nail-biting action and pork pies await this uneasy alliance on the trail of AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LUDLOW.

Today, Bafflegab Productions releases an audiobook I wrote quite a while ago, back in the early days of lockdown when everyone was all abuzz about Joseph Wicks and The King of Tigers. We were all looking for ways to adapt our work to the new challenges of social distancing and self-isolation and Bafflegab Productions was no exception. Their long-running comedy horror series The Scarifyers couldn’t be recorded under normal hugger-mugger studio conditions, so series creator Simon Barnard came up with the wizard wheeze of producing audiobooks with a single narrator rather than the show’s usual full casts, and sent a call out for radio writers to participate. Alerted to this notice by the astute, switched-on and plugged-in Doctor Jen Sugden, I threw my hat and my story ideas into the ring and was delighted that Simon was interested in my pitch, then titled A Yank Abroad.

After some back-and-forth discussing the details of the plot, an outline was swiftly agreed and I set to work on the half-audiobook, half-audio-drama thrill ride that was now known as An American Werewolf in Ludlow. It was a pure joy to write from start to finish. I’d plumped for writing a story set during the Crow and Dunning era of the show for two reasons: firstly because the story would have to be set later in MI:13’s lifespan, nearer to the end of the 1930s with the eve of the Second World War fast approaching, and secondly, because I adored the hard-bitten, curmudgeonly Harry Crow, retired London copper, played in the full cast dramas by the legendary David Warner. I also loved the character of Inspector Lionheart, as played by the much-missed and equally legendary Nicholas Courtenay, of course, but Crow’s bullet-headed bluntness offered possibilities of violence, conflict and rude language, all of which I craved to include. I love the sparky dynamic between tough-as-nails Crow and sweet, wimpy Professor Dunning, so beautifully established and cultivated by Simon and his frequent collaborator Paul Morris, so very much. Approximately 80 pages of the-best-fun-a-writer-can-have later, MI:13’s hairy adventure was complete.

Since then, Simon and Bafflegab have seen huge success in their spectral collaborations with writer and comedian Danny Robins, first on The Battersea Poltergeist and then Uncanny, both huge hits for BBC Sounds, and they’ve even found time to release a number of other critically-and-publicly acclaimed dramatic productions, including a new adaptation of cult children’s TV drama and seminal folk horror text Children of the Stones; a new version of Charles Dickens’s The Signalman written by friend and fellow Wooden Overcoats alumnus Ben Cottam; and the first in their Scarifyers audiobook series, the brilliant A Dinner Date with Death by Roland Moore. I highly recommend all of these fine productions, even though a small, selfish part of me silently urged, ‘yeah, great, but get to my one!’

Now, at last, Bafflegab has released the final product: a stunning production by Simon with gorgeous music by Evelyn Sykes, perfectly-composed sound design by Mark Hendrick and, a particular honour for a comic book fan like me, beautiful cover art by the amazing Matthew Dow Smith. And that’s to say nothing of our narrator, titan of British radio and television, Professor Dunning himself: Terry Molloy. What more could a writer ask than to have their words spoken with the skill, deftness of pace, lightness of touch and silkiness of tone provided by The Molloy? Nothing, that’s what.

As if all this weren’t enough to convince you that An American Werewolf in Ludlow is worthy of your digital dollar, Bafflegab are also generously donating 100% of all proceeds from sales of the audiobook to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian appeal. So when you buy a copy of An American Werewolf in Ludlow, you’re actually donating cash to secure food, shelter and water for the millions of people affected by the war in Ukraine, whether they’re still in the country or have been forced to flee to neighbouring nations as refugees. In fact, whether you want the audiobook or not, I urge you to go to the DEC’s website to see the essential work they’re doing and donate whatever you can spare to their campaign. In fact, as it’s for charity, I’ve even paid for a copy myself. It’s true, look.

I thank Simon for this very generous decision and ask everyone reading to please enjoy the audiobook, spread the word and give generously!