{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Your Dark Companion Podcast","title":"Santa vs Zombies | Cliff McClelland","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/85364472\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2280,"description":"Mike Rhyner and Grubes welcome Cliff McClelland, the creator/producer/head mad scientist behind A Creature Was Stirring—a PG Christmas zombie-apocalypse movie for kids, filmed mostly in Garland (because of course it was). Cliff explains how COVID, teaching theater at Richardson High, and accidentally growing a “surprisingly legit Santa beard” led to one big question: What does Santa do when the world shuts down and kids can’t even visit the mall?\nAnswer: he gets on a ham radio, spreads hope, dodges zombies, and teams up with a polar bear named CeCe (no, you can’t call it Coca-Cola, lawyers exist). Along the way: slapstick “medication” side effects, three types of zombies (including a pacifist one named Ed), an AI sidekick that’s equal parts helpful and deeply uncomfortable, plus the real behind-the-scenes grind of getting a micro-budget indie film packaged and placed on streaming services.\nIt’s equal parts holiday spirit, absurdity, and “how the sausage is made”—with just enough talk about pants, bodily functions, and robots to keep it on brand.\nCHAPTERS\n00:00:00 – Lightning Strike + The Mothership Powers Up00:01:26 – Meet Cliff McClelland: The Man Behind a New Christmas Film00:02:11 – Introducing A Creature Was Stirring (Yes, It’s a PG Zombie Christmas Movie)00:03:02 – Filmed in Garland (Mostly): Local Connections and Locations00:03:39 – Two South Siders Enter the Chat (And History Is Made)00:04:09 – “Christmas Zombie Apocalypse… For Kids”: Explaining the Tone00:04:55 – COVID + Teaching Theater: Where the Idea Actually Came From00:05:58 – Santa’s Ham Radio Hope Mission00:07:00 – The Zombies Arrive: The “Calm-Down Drug” That Goes Horribly Right00:07:36 – Side Effects: Heart Attacks, Diarrhea, and the Healing Power of Potty Jokes00:08:27 – Santa vs. Zombies, PG Edition: Surviving With Hope (and Minimal Violence)00:09:01 – Ham Radio Reality Check: Accidentally Switching to Morse Code00:10:32 – Micro-Budget Filmmaking: Mom’s $7,000, Friends, and Making It...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/MY5pcsVq0QCXSElEJXNsUEiC8gyrgEoWfpnhiVr9GdU/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hZTA1/ZjBmZGFkOTk5ZDdi/YWRmMDQ3NGZjY2Ex/ZjgxYS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}