Somewhere back in the dark ages (circa 2009 AD), The WPA was born under the moniker, Wicked Paranormal. The name “wicked” had zero to do with trying to sound spooky, as a lot of paranormal groups are known to do. It was actually because it was born in southern New England, a land ripe with people using said word to summarize all manner of things.
A strange occurrence triggered the response, “that was some wicked paranormal sh*t!” And thus, a legend was born...
But we’ve jumped off topic.
The group was founded in 2009 as a paranormal research team who wanted to bring a few things to the table outside of what was seen on television at the time, which was basically limited to Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures. Founded by Rob Nevico, the groups mission was to employ techniques derived from real world investigation methods, which as you can imagine, resulted in a lot of paperwork and a whole lot of standing around waiting or looking. You see, investigations done at night are done for two reasons; first and foremost, it minimizes the possibility of outside interference. Fewer cars on the roads, barely any people around and the lack of lights aids in detecting an actual object if a shadow isn’t cast (though, it actually is because IR lighting might be invisible, but it can still be blocked by solid objects). So if one happens to catch an EVP at night, it is less likely because people were standing outside talking. The second reason? Good old fashioned Hollywood creepery.
That’s right. Nightvision cameras plus nervous people holding said cameras in the complete dark mixed with some droning ambient music equals tension on the viewer side. They are designed to keep you both engaged and uncomfortable.
So we wanted to steer away from what was already being done and try something different. The problem with this method, unfortunately, was privacy. We conducted a private service, and this was around the time YouTube was getting big, so none of us really saw potential in filming things documentary style in an attempt to showcase our work. We found someone in need, did our homework, went in, set up, spent a few hours investigating and if we found something, we made note of it, instructed the client on next steps, and went on to the next case. We were basically Paranormal Private Investigators, minus the rocking trench coats and fedoras, though Rob still insists that look would be badass.
The original gang went their separate ways in 2011 and Rob decided to close up shop for a while. In 2013, he brought it back briefly, but the old ways felt... old. And by then, everyone with a camera and a YouTube account was posting on the subject.
Since that time, Rob has spent years studying the paranormal and has joined other groups across various states. Most recently, he was part of a group hailing from Upstate South Carolina, where he currently resides. The mission has become clear. Having a background in film production and sound design, Rob has decided that something that is lacking in the field is news & entertainment outside the confines of what has since become lovingly known as ‘ghost hunting’. After some soul searching (get it?) he decided that what needed to be done was creating something more grounded, but in such a way that it was also entertaining. Everyone and their mother now has a paranormal show or a similar YouTube page, and what is missing most from paranormal podcasts related to the topic is fun and a sense of brutal honesty. Yeah, the paranormal is awesome, but it is also a culture, so he thought to himself, “how do I take the paranormal and mix it with geek culture and make it something that’s not just another clone?” And so Freakyvox was born.
In order to make this a thing, however, we also need your support, so if you have some time to spare and would like to share us around or become an official patron, check us out on Patreon. A whole dollar a month can make a huge difference and will allow us to bring you some fantastic content we have itching to make your ears smile in absolute terror...
