Wild West Podcast
Welcome to the Wild West podcast, where fact and legend merge. We present the true accounts of individuals who settled in towns built out of hunger for money, regulated by fast guns, who walked on both sides of the law, patrolling, investing in, and regulating the brothels, saloons, and gambling houses. These are stories of the men who made the history of the Old West come alive - bringing with them the birth of legends, brought to order by a six-gun and laid to rest with their boots on. Join us as we take you back in history to the legends of the Wild West. You can support our show by subscribing to Exclusive access to premium content at Wild West Podcast + https://www.buzzsprout.com/64094/subscribe or just buy us a cup of coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwestpodcast
Wild West Podcast
Wild West: Where Fact Meets Legend
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.
Welcome to Wild West Podcast, where fact and legend emerge. These are stories of individuals who made the history of the Old West come alive, bringing with them the birth of legends brought to order by a six-gun and laid to rest with their boots on. Join us now as we take you back in history to the legends of the Wild West.
Speaker 2:You know that sound, that voice that just pulls you right in. Imagine hearing like a campfire crackling, maybe a distant guitar, and then this weathered voice saying howdy, from Dodge City.
Speaker 3:Yeah, instantly transporting.
Speaker 2:Exactly that's the vibe of the Wild West podcast. It kicked off back in 2017, and its whole mission is right there in the tagline, where fact and legend merge A fascinating promise. It really is. So today we're doing a deep dive looking at the podcast itself. We've gone through some articles, done our research to sort of figure out what makes this show tick.
Speaker 3:Right. How does it manage to stake such an authentic claim on, well, America's most mythologized era?
Speaker 2:That's the question and specifically, we want to focus on this really powerful partnership at the heart of it all.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:So every episode it starts with the words right, meticulously researched scripts. That's Michael King. He's the writer, the historical engine behind the whole operation.
Speaker 3:And the sources are solid.
Speaker 2:Incredibly solid, really strong factual grounding, which you definitely want. But what I found pretty interesting is how King takes this research beyond just the audio. He gets into publishing too, Things like fully illustrated, dime novel style publications. He wrote one called Edward Masterson and the Texas Cowboys.
Speaker 3:Ah, the dime novel format, that's not just the throwaway gimmick.
Speaker 2:That's what I was wondering. It feels intentional, doesn't it?
Speaker 3:Oh, absolutely. It's completely deliberate. He's tapping into the exact format, the 19th century format, that first got America hooked on Western stories, right. So by using that style for his you know, carefully researched work, he's doing more than just merging fact and legend. He's using the original delivery system for that blend, huh.
Speaker 2:That's clever.
Speaker 3:It and legend he's using the original delivery system for that blend. Huh, that's clever, it tells you. Ok, this history isn't just accurate, it's meant to grab you, meant to be captivating, just like those stories were 150 years ago.
Speaker 2:OK, so if King provides the let's say, the narrative skeleton, then Brad Smalley, he's the voice, he's the heart and soul, he's the guy greeting you. You know, howdy, from Dodge City, this is Brad Smalley, the first and only narrator of the Wild West podcast. Yeah, you hear that authority.
Speaker 3:You do. And it's not just his voice, is it? It's his connection. He's actually in Dodge City. He's a quote local boot hill gunfighter.
Speaker 2:Right. He's involved in the reenactments, deeply embedded in that local history scene.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so he's not just reading lines, he's like a living link back to that time.
Speaker 2:Precisely. He really embodies that whole oral storytelling tradition that you know defined the West. Think about when he hosts things like Upland Ranch, fireside Stories or even Whiskey and Westerns on Wednesday. He's literally keeping that tradition alive.
Speaker 3:Sitting by a fire telling stories.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and that connects interestingly to their business model too. The premium content they offer. It's sort of positioned as the next best thing if you can't actually be there by the fire.
Speaker 3:That makes sense. So you get this fusion King's deep research and Smalley's authentic, place-based delivery. It's this amazing symbiosis.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it makes the whole thing feel incredibly real, but also authoritative.
Speaker 3:That's the magic combination.
Speaker 2:And they've been consistent since 2017. What over 260 episodes? Usually pretty concise like 20, 30 minutes.
Speaker 3:Covering the big names Bellstar, White, Earp.
Speaker 2:Right, but also digging into lesser known stuff, like an 1884 bullfight in Dodge City, which sounds wild.
Speaker 3:Doesn't it? And listeners seem to respond well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the reception looks largely positive. Over 120 ratings averages like 4.6 stars. People often mention the great stories. That atmospheric sound.
Speaker 3:Which brings up a good point. It's a crowded field. Old West podcasts how does this one stand out?
Speaker 2:That's a key question.
Speaker 3: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 genuine Dodge City presence to become the voice from Dodge City.
Speaker 2:Right, and for those of you listening who are already into this stuff, you know there are other really good shows. You've probably heard Legends of the Old West, that cinematic kind of movie for your ear style.
Speaker 3:Very produced.
Speaker 2:Or maybe the Wild West extravaganza, which is more personality driven. Very messy human history as they put it yeah, different angles. But that's where I think Wild West podcast carves its niche. It doesn't rely on maybe cinematic flash or just the host's charisma.
Speaker 3:It's the substance and the place.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It proves that, doubling down on 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:A powerful differentiator.
Speaker 2:So, wrapping this up, yeah, what's the big takeaway for you? I mean the enduring appeal here. It really seems to come down to that synergy, doesn't it? King's writing, smalley's voice and place.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they haven't just built a show. It feels like something more anchored and thinking a bit broader. You know, in this age of global digital, everything this partnership is kind of proof, proof that super local knowledge, a really genuine voice, rooted in a place that can resonate literally everywhere. You said they reached listeners in what? 150 countries last year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, something like that Incredible reach.
Speaker 3:It ensures these complex, sometimes contradictory, but always compelling stories of the American West they keep echoing and they echo as well true accounts for a whole new generation, yeah, oh.
