Saddle up for a journey into the heart of podcast storytelling excellence as we explore the remarkable success of the Wild West Podcast. Since 2017, this captivating show has transported listeners back to frontier America through its perfect tagline: "where fact and legend merge."
What makes this podcast truly exceptional is the extraordinary partnership that brings each episode to life. Michael King serves as the meticulous researcher and writer, crafting historically accurate narratives that go beyond the audio medium into carefully illustrated dime novel-style publications. This isn't just historical recounting—it's a deliberate homage to the very format that originally popularized Western tales 150 years ago. Meanwhile, Brad Smalley delivers each story with authentic frontier gravitas, his signature "Howdy from Dodge City" greeting backed by genuine credentials as a local Boot Hill gunfighter and historical reenactor. When Smalley narrates, you're not just hearing history; you're connecting with someone deeply embedded in the traditions and physical space that shaped these legendary tales.
While other Western podcasts cast wide nets across the entire frontier or rely on cinematic production values, the Wild West Podcast takes a different approach. By focusing intensely on Dodge City and prioritizing substance over flash, King and Smalley have created something remarkably authentic. Their 260+ episodes, typically running 20-30 minutes each, cover both iconic figures and obscure historical moments with equal dedication. The result? A show that's reached listeners in 150 countries and maintains an impressive 4.6-star rating. It proves something powerful about storytelling today: in our digital age, deeply local knowledge delivered through genuine voices can resonate globally, ensuring these complex, sometimes contradictory, but eternally fascinating chapters of American history continue to echo for generations to come. Subscribe now to experience the perfect blend of historical accuracy and spellbinding storytelling that only the Wild West Podcast can deliver.
"Edward Masterson and the Texas Cowboys," penned by Michael King, takes readers on an exhilarating ride through the American West, focusing on the lively and gritty cattle town of Dodge City, Kansas. This thrilling dime novel plunges into the action-packed year of Ed Masterson's life as a lawman, set against the backdrop of the chaotic cattle trade, filled with fierce conflicts, shifting loyalties, and rampant lawlessness. You can order the book on Amazon.
Episode Transcript
Welcome to Wild West Podcast, where fact and legend
emerge.
These are stories ofindividuals who made the history
of the Old West come alive,bringing with them the birth of
legends brought to order by asix-gun and laid to rest with
their boots on.
Join us now as we take you backin history to the legends of
the Wild West.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
You know that sound, that voice that just pulls you
right in.
Imagine hearing like a campfirecrackling, maybe a distant
guitar, and then this weatheredvoice saying howdy, from Dodge
City.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yeah, instantly transporting.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Exactly that's the vibe of the Wild West podcast.
It kicked off back in 2017, andits whole mission is right
there in the tagline, where factand legend merge A fascinating
promise.
It really is.
So today we're doing a deepdive looking at the podcast
itself.
We've gone through somearticles, done our research to
(01:13):
sort of figure out what makesthis show tick.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Right.
How does it manage to stakesuch an authentic claim on, well
, America's most mythologizedera?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
That's the question and specifically, we want to
focus on this really powerfulpartnership at the heart of it
all.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
So every episode it starts with the words right,
meticulously researched scripts.
That's Michael King.
He's the writer, the historicalengine behind the whole
operation.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
And the sources are solid.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Incredibly solid, really strong factual grounding,
which you definitely want.
But what I found prettyinteresting is how King takes
this research beyond just theaudio.
He gets into publishing too,Things like fully illustrated,
dime novel style publications.
He wrote one called EdwardMasterson and the Texas Cowboys.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Ah, the dime novel format, that's not just the
throwaway gimmick.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
That's what I was wondering.
It feels intentional, doesn'tit?
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Oh, absolutely.
It's completely deliberate.
He's tapping into the exactformat, the 19th century format,
that first got America hookedon Western stories, right.
So by using that style for hisyou know, carefully researched
work, he's doing more than justmerging fact and legend.
He's using the originaldelivery system for that blend,
huh.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
That's clever.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
It and legend he's using the original delivery
system for that blend.
Huh, that's clever, it tellsyou.
Ok, this history isn't justaccurate, it's meant to grab you
, meant to be captivating, justlike those stories were 150
years ago.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
OK, so if King provides the let's say, the
narrative skeleton, then BradSmalley, he's the voice, he's
the heart and soul, he's the guygreeting you.
You know, howdy, from DodgeCity, this is Brad Smalley, the
first and only narrator of theWild West podcast.
Yeah, you hear that authority.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
You do.
And it's not just his voice, isit?
It's his connection.
He's actually in Dodge City.
He's a quote local boot hillgunfighter.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Right.
He's involved in thereenactments, deeply embedded in
that local history scene.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, so he's not just reading lines, he's like a
living link back to that time.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Precisely.
He really embodies that wholeoral storytelling tradition that
you know defined the West.
Think about when he hoststhings like Upland Ranch,
fireside Stories or even Whiskeyand Westerns on Wednesday.
He's literally keeping thattradition alive.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Sitting by a fire telling stories.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Exactly, and that connects interestingly to their
business model too.
The premium content they offer.
It's sort of positioned as thenext best thing if you can't
actually be there by the fire.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
That makes sense.
So you get this fusion King'sdeep research and Smalley's
authentic, place-based delivery.
It's this amazing symbiosis.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah, it makes the whole thing feel incredibly real
, but also authoritative.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
That's the magic combination.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
And they've been consistent since 2017.
What over 260 episodes?
Usually pretty concise like 20,30 minutes.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Covering the big names Bellstar, White, Earp.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Right, but also digging into lesser known stuff,
like an 1884 bullfight in DodgeCity, which sounds wild.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Doesn't it?
And listeners seem to respondwell.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, the reception looks largely positive.
Over 120 ratings averages like4.6 stars.
People often mention the greatstories.
That atmospheric sound.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Which brings up a good point.
It's a crowded field.
Old West podcasts how does thisone stand out?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
That's a key question .
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Well, I think, while some shows try to cover the
entire West, this one goes deep,hyper-local, on Dodge City.
Ah, focus, exactly.
They trade breadth for depth,they leverage King's focused
research and Smalley's genuineDodge City presence to become
the voice from Dodge City.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Right, and for those of you listening who are already
into this stuff, you know thereare other really good shows.
You've probably heard Legendsof the Old West, that cinematic
kind of movie for your ear style.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Very produced.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Or maybe the Wild West extravaganza, which is more
personality driven.
Very messy human history asthey put it yeah, different
angles.
But that's where I think WildWest podcast carves its niche.
It doesn't rely on maybecinematic flash or just the
host's charisma.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
It's the substance and the place.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Exactly.
It proves that, doubling downon this authentic, almost
traditionalist approach,grounded in that deep local
connection and solid history,that can be the thing that makes
you stand out.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
A powerful differentiator.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
So, wrapping this up, yeah, what's the big takeaway
for you?
I mean the enduring appeal here.
It really seems to come down tothat synergy, doesn't it?
King's writing, smalley's voiceand place.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah, they haven't just built a show.
It feels like something moreanchored and thinking a bit
broader.
You know, in this age of globaldigital, everything this
partnership is kind of proof,proof that super local knowledge
, a really genuine voice, rootedin a place that can resonate
literally everywhere.
You said they reached listenersin what?
(05:53):
150 countries last year.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, something like that Incredible reach.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
It ensures these complex, sometimes contradictory
, but always compelling storiesof the American West they keep
echoing and they echo as welltrue accounts for a whole new
generation, yeah, oh.
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