220. How Did the ‘Left Behind’ Kids Audio Drama Speed-Run the Tribulation? | with Darby Kern

Some Christians think that in an end-times Rapture event, young children automatically go to Heaven.[1. Background photo by David Moum on Unsplash.] But what about older kids? Such as teen rebels who disobey parents, won’t go to church, and reject Jesus? Left Behind: The Kids explored the exploits of the Young Tribulation Force, and was adapted for its own fantastic dramatic audio series by today’s guest: Darby Kern.

Episode sponsors

1. Enclave Publishing: The Nightmare Virus by Nadine Brandes
2. The Katrosi Revolution series by Jamie Foley
3. Lorehaven Open World at Realm Makers

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Introducing guest Darby Kern

Darby Kern, the creator of The Jake Muller Adventures, has been a restaurant manager, a medical writer, an occupational health coordinator, a pharmacist, and a soda-jerk. Now he is an award-winning filmmaker and the writer of hundreds of radio dramas including Left Behind: The Kids, Left Behind: The Rising, Kid’s Corner (Back To God), Lamplighter Theatre, and Heirloom Audio’s The Extraordinary Adventures of G. A. Henty. He is the writer of several stories and dramas for the Abide App.

He lives in Titletown, USA where he works as a freelance writer.

• DarbyKern.com
• JakeMullerAdventures.com

1. What led you to faith, imagination, and LB?

• Origin story: from church to comics, from eschatology to aliens
• First steps into the worlds of audio drama, then writing for drama
• How to connect with a fledgling studio and play in the sandbox

2. Turning forty books into 72 audio episodes

• The auditions of casting for older kids and teens left behind
• The challenges of adaptation for dialogue, subplots, conversions, action
• The trials of speed-running the Tribulation (especially books 13–40)