The Ah-Ha Phenomenon

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The Ah-Ha Phenomenon
The-a-ha-phenomenon-cd-cover.jpg
Genre Comedy drama
Running time1 hour 3 minutes
Country of origin Flag of the United States.svg United States
Language(s) English
Starring Robert Lorick
Written by Thomas Lopez
Directed by Thomas Lopez
Narrated by Dave Herman
Recording studioUnited States
Original release1977 – present
No. of episodes1
Website http://www.zbs.org/
Jack Flanders chronology
Moon Over Morocco
(1974)
The Ah-Ha Phenomenon
(1977)
The Incredible Adventures of Jack Flanders
(1978)

The Ah-Ha Phenomenon is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. [1] Released in 1977 this is the third of the Jack Flanders adventure series, and combines elements of Americana and Old-time radio with metaphysical concepts such as Sufi wisdom and Tibetan Buddhism.

Contents

Plot

Jack Flanders is approached by a mysterious research institute; the head of one of its departments, Jack's uncle Sir Seymour Jowls (brother to Lord Henry Jowls who was introduced in The Fourth Tower of Inverness) claims to have discovered the location of the fabled City of The Ah-Has, the source of the great ideas and inventions of the future, in the keeping of the higher powers, for their timely release to mankind. Sir Seymour wants Jack to go to the city and steal the Ah-Ha of the grand Unified Field Theory. Jack agrees only when it is revealed that this city is also the location of the Lotus Jukebox for which Jack sought in vain through all of his adventures inside The Fourth Tower of Inverness.

Seeking the help of Chief Wampum, Jack travels to the land of the City of Ah-Has, meeting a pesky troll and an eccentric wizard along the way before he must face the perils of the great city itself - source of the haunting music ("Angel Baby") that Jack has pursued through dimensions, demons and dire deeds...

Notes & Themes

This adventure concludes Jack's travels in The Fourth Tower of Inverness, and is the adventure in which he finally locates the fabled Lotus Jukebox.

The production is made with a minimal cast and is the shortest of all the Jack Flanders stories. The CD is printed with the title The AH-HA! Phenomena but ZBS refer to it on their website [1] and literature as The Ah-Ha Phenomenon.

Chief Wampum's role is clearly a homage, albeit a comedic one, to Don Juan Matus, the Yaqui shaman from the writings of Carlos Castaneda.

Jukeboxes

During his adventures Jack Flanders encounters several jukeboxes, each with a different theme.

Quotes

Chief Wampum: "No matter what, do not holler Help-um!"

Wizard: "You want the Wizard should embellish?"

Credits

This project was made possible by donations from the generous Friends & Fans of ZBS.

Related Research Articles

ZBS Foundation, a small non-profit audio production company, was founded by Thomas Lopez in 1970 with a grant from Robert E. Durand as a working commune, located on a donated farm in Upstate New York. ZBS stands for "Zero Bull Shit". The commune's purpose was to raise consciousness through media, specifically full-cast audio dramas. The foundation is "one of the most prolific producers of contemporary radio drama."

Jack Flanders, full name Jonathan L. Flanders, is the protagonist of a series of audio dramas produced by the ZBS Foundation. He is the creation of writer and sound artist Thomas Lopez and is played by actor Robert Lorick.

The Fourth Tower of Inverness is a 1972 radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the first of the Jack Flanders adventure series, and combines elements of American culture and Old-time radio, with metaphysical concepts such as past life regression, Sufi wisdom, Tibetan Buddhism and shamanistic communication with the natural world.

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References

  1. 1 2 ZBS.org link Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine (The Ah-Ha Phenomenon)