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Rocky Radio Interview: Transcript of Chat Based Interview for Rocky Radio from sandy.kat@msu.msstate.edu Dated April 2008. SK: How did Rocky Radio Begin? Cosmo: Well, we started it on October 26th, 1998. I was wanting to branch out and really explore what I could do to really push Rocky as far as I could. I was a fan of Internet Radio. I knew someone in radio. And I had a recording studio at my disposal. SK: Did you push any farther after Rocky Radio? Cosmo: Yeah, we eventially tried Rockynews.org in 2004. But that didn't take off so we closed it down. SK: Do many of your ideas get closed down? Or do most succeed? Cosmo: Well, most succeed for the time. Things like Rockycast.net, RHPF.org, Rufus Collins.org, The Zenroom Chatroom, Shock Treatment.net, RockyNews.org, The Bitch Board. They all had their time, Rockycast.net is still going well. The Rocky Horror Preservation Foundation is still going, Rufus Collins.org is still up, The Zenroom closed because people don't chat anymore. RockyNews couldn't get the participation behind it. Shock Treatment.net is still going. But somethings have a short shelflife and you have to be willing to accept that when you make it. SK: Are there any you thought would go longer? Or that you wished went longer then they had? Cosmo: I am very proud of Rockycast.net. RHPF.org gets alot of people asking about the value of things, and we work with auction houses occasionally. Stuff like that is real cool. Um, I guess I wish the Zenroom was still up. I wish RockyNews.org could have taken off. And I am always surprised at how long Cosmo's Factory has lasted. SK: That started everything right? Cosmo: Yes, I started Cosmo's Factory as a cast webpage for the Denton Affair (Cincinnati's Rocky Cast) in December 1993. SK: That turned into alot of things? Cosmo: Yeah, It went alot of different directions in the late 90's and early 2000's. SK: Back to Rocky Radio, there was a large break in 2001 or so? What happened? Cosmo: Well, My father passed away. [SK: Very Sorry to hear that] I took a break from Rocky Horror, I got married. Nathan went back to mainstream radio. I bought a house, started a company. We just needed some time off. And we came back and it was better than before. SK: So is it back for good now? Cosmo: Well... Right now we plan the shows around events and when the new co-host can attend. SK: So do you guys have a new co-host? I've noticed that the last few shows have included Kevin Boycik from Cleveland? Cosmo: Yeah. He breathed a light into the show. I think he started officially in August of 2007. Me and Nathan were just running out of ideas. And Kevin had been a long time friend and fan of the show. He has been a part of it for a long time. Just behind the scenes. SK: So he just said "Hey can I join Rocky Radio?" Cosmo: No, actually, we asked him. It was right around the time we started gathering info for out 50th Show compelation CD. Like I said, he has a massive audio collection and with Rocky Radio being part of the Rocky Horror Audio Scene. He had more shows than we did. And it's funny because he knew more about Rocky Radio than we did. It's like getting a co-host, who is also a fan. It's great. SK: So you have three co-hosts? You looking for another? (Hint Hint :-) ) Cosmo: Well, actually, no. The show has always been Rocky Radio w/Nathan Summers. I am the co-host. And Kevin is the Co-host. I absolutely could not do that show without Nathan. No way. I don't have the voice or the talent. SK: So that CD, is that like a best of CD ? Cosmo: Yes. SK: When is that due out? Cosmo: Nathan and Kevin are handling that. I would imagine soon. I know they went thru and listened to every old show they could find. And there are still one or two missing. SK: You mentioned planning around events, So are you still going to do shows from Cons again? Like you did in Tucson? Cosmo: Um, well, I know one con we will do a live show from that is the The Celluloid Jam con in May of 2009 in Cincinnati. But other than that, we'll just have to see. SK: Where do you get the songs that you play on the show? Cosmo: Well, Like I said a few questions ago, Kevin has always been a part of the show. And he is by far the biggest Rocky Horror audio collector I know of. You put 2+2 together. SK: You guys have gotten a few good interviews in the past? How did that come about? Do you just call them? Cosmo: 95% of them Nathan organizes. Well, put it this way, early on, I got people like Fred. And I got Adam Sargis. He did the rest. SK: Where do you physically record the shows? Is it all on the phone or ... Cosmo: No, myself, Nathan and Kevin all sit in a recording studio which I have in my house. We conduct the interviews by phone primarily. But later in May, Larry V. from NJ will be coming into town, and he will join us in the studio. SK: A studio in your home seems awful convienent. Cosmo: It's nice. To be able to record it there. It is mastered in a studio in Northern Kentucky by Steve Malcolm and Nathan Summers. They engineer the shows now. I used to but I took too long. These guys are pros. SK: Is there anything that is taboo to talk about? Is anything off limit? Cosmo: No, I don't think so. Some shows get heated. Sometimes, even heated between me and Nathan. We will talk about anything. Actually, No. that is not true. We don't talk about Mark M. anymore, and we try not to talk about Larry. He is in like every show. :-) SK: And Puffin? Cosmo: No, we'll still bring up the abserd. SK: Like Tim Robbins? Cosmo: I don't think we've done that joke in a while. But then again, he hasn't been in the news. Kevin did bring up something interesting. That for years everytime, either of us mention Richard O'Brien we always say SK: HELLO Cosmo: Yes. I never noticed that. SK: So for a while you guys did shows every two weeks, then you did every month, then it got less frequent and then less... Cosmo: Yeah, it's hard to find content. The community has slowed a bit. SK: Do you think it will slow to a stop? Cosmo: Maybe someday. I hope not. We space the shows out enough. We're not trying to do a weekly show or monthly again, because then the only things we could talk about are local Rocky issues. Things that happen in our local Rocky scene. Which frankly people in Isreal don't care about. SK: Do you really get listeners in Isreal? Cosmo: Yes. We've had people in all continents except, Antartica. And I am working on that. SK: Checking my list I think you've answered all my questions... Oh. How did you and Nathan come together? Cosmo: I met Nathan thru local Rocky Horror functions here in Cincinnati. He was on the radio here and he was into Rocky. And Kevin I met at I think in 2000 at the New York Con. Kevin and his wife came down to visit during my and my wifes wedding show in 2001. And we've been friends ever since. The three of us get together about every 3 months now in Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Bellvue Kentucky. SK: Kentucky? Cosmo: Yes, Nathan lives in Bellvue, and there is also a Montgomery Inn in Kentucky that we frequent. Our new Rocky Horror Convention in May 2009 will be right next door to a Montgomery Inn. In Kentucky. The con is not actually in Cincinnati. It's in Greater Cincinnati. SK: Interesting. I never thought of a Kentucky Con. Cosmo: Well, we are calling it a Cincinnati Con because it's 10 minutes away. And we don't want to confuse people. Go to TheCelluloidJam.com for more info. SK: Ok, Thank you very much for you time. Cosmo: No problem. |