Who or What is Staying Scared?

Staying Scared is a collection of ideas, concepts, tidings, notions, perceptions and basically a theorem of tentacles that Thomas Scopel considers pieces of a fractured mind, littered with layers of red laced posted notes and the best way to properly explain Staying Scared is to start from the beginning, explain how Staying Scared came to be.

Without detailing the reasoning, I will admit a couple years lingering halfway up a full bloomed oak tree, seated comfortably on simply the seat portion of an old single unit school desk, wedged in between the forks of two firm branches, one that, fortunately, had a deviating branch that served well as a backrest.

I had yet to experience my all-time favorite film fright, Night of the Living Dead, but with back pockets loaded with rolled up horror comics and FMF magazines along with a paperback tucked into my waistband, I’d scale the tree to my secret place and read. (Note: For those wondering, the first paperback was “The Beast with the Red Hands.”)

It was my awareness of Pittsburgh’s Channel 11’s Chiller Theater and host “Chilly Billy” Bill Cardille that drastically decreased my secret reads, but by offering two black & white creepy creature type features every Saturday night in exchange made all the difference. (Of course, comics, mags and books continued, just not as often.) And, I might add, that being such a George Romero devotee was what compelled a sojourn to the Evans City Cemetery. It had also been Chilly Billy that had planted a dormant seed that eventually lead to a stint as horror host Professor Willie Shivers of the Staying Scared show seen on The Monster Channel.

Having been published in news script, periodicals, anthologies, and currently working on a first novel, throughout also tapping into a creator vein that allowed grim sides Wee Willie and Willard loose rein.

And so, independently produced, the three headed niche of Emcee Wee Willie, WSCRD Newscaster Willard and Thomas, the creepy crafting host of The Dark Arts, have congealed to become the unique team of Staying Scared, available on Spotify beginning October 3, 2026 at midnight.

However…be forewarned Kiddies, Staying Scared is far beyond traditional and has a clear focus on structured variety video content that offers both chuckles and cringes…sometimes at the same time. Maybe lurk over to the Staying Scared YouTube Channel. It’s where we tend to bury the bitsy pieces parts.

Often channeling his alter egos, Wee Willie and Willard, who add additional layers of whimsy and charm within the confines of "Staying Scared," Thomas, Willie and Willard become curators of the bizarre, inviting readers on a journey through a fractured psyche embracing a warped sense of humor and it is this knack for intertwining humor with horror that allows Thomas Scopel to be the perfect guide for anyone looking to explore the darker corners while laughing along the way. Whether discussing the mechanics of vampire lore or dissecting the absurdity of urban legends, Thomas, Willie and Willard makes listeners feel like they're enjoying a cozy chat with a trio of delightfully twisted friends.

Therefore, Creatures, Ghouls and Monsters…Thanks for creeping by…your always welcome in this dark corner.