It was a dark and stormy night…

The origin story for the Fear of God is pretty simple, really.

Reed had guested and ultimately taken on a formal role with fellow podcast More Than One Lesson and, in so doing, began hatching ideas for his own podcast, specifically one featuring horror films. At the outset, though, it was going to be a solo enterprise. Reed’s deep well of knowledge and vast experience with the horror genre is of near superhuman proportions, so he would’ve been successful at any horror-themed venture he set his mind to, whether alone or with company.

Fortunately for Nathan, their friendship of 20 years is such that Reed brought up his podcast in conversation, even alerting Nathan to the name he’d chosen for it: The Fear of God. “That’s perfect,” Nathan said, secretly hoping Reed would invite him into the endeavor.

Nathan didn’t have to wait long, as soon Reed - ever the bigger man - was inquiring of Nathan’s interest in partnering on such a podcasterly adventure. Knowing his own horror knowledge was dwarfed by Reed’s encyclopedic expertise, but nonetheless being ever entranced by the siren song of a microphone in his face, of course Nathan said yes. They’d shared so much at this point, why not a podcast, too?

What began in fall of 2016, a bitter season by any other measure, has blossomed into a full-on brand, but never does the FoGgy path overshroud the friendship at its center, whose effort in media criticism, as in life, is always ever only to explore … and not explain.