Welcome to Maplewood-Sparta—where suburban streets are lined with shadows. Some say the 90s are dead and gone. But here, they linger.

So gather close for a story of a leather jacket, a haunted mixtape, and the strange magic of being seen.

I call it: THE JACKET.

CAMPFIRE RATING for THE JACKET

🌙 Lantern (Teen / PG-13)

Advisory: Themes of death and grief, bullying.

THE CAMPFIRE SCALE

To help listeners choose the right vibe for their listening, each episode will be marked with a rating on our Campfire Scale.

🕯️ Candlelight (All Ages) – Gentle, cozy, safe for kids. Light spookiness, no heavy themes.

🌙 Lantern (Teen / PG-13) – Haunting but not graphic. May include themes of death, bullying, or mild language. Best for ages 13+.

🔥 Campfire (Mature Teen / 16+) – Stronger intensity. Possible mature themes: sexuality, mental health struggles, swearing, or unsettling imagery.

ETHAN'S MIXTAPE

Songs by Nirvana, Alice in Chains, NIN, Metallica, and Mazzy Star play a huge role in this story. We couldn't afford the rights (yet) but you can hear the music as you listen to the story by checking out ⁠⁠Ethan's Mixtape⁠⁠.

CREDITS

Written by Nina Alvarez

Sound design by Nina Alvarez

Narrated by Mark Taudevin

Spartans! is a production of Camp Cosmographia Radio

Become a Spartan

Follow ⁠⁠⁠@Spartans_Radio⁠⁠⁠ for episode updates, audio, pics, behind-the-scenes, 90s nostalgia, and Easter eggs.

Follow SPARTANS! on Substack at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@spartansradio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and become a paid subscriber for access to mini-sodes.

Paid subscribers on Substack and Patreon will get early access to the episode on Mondays, two days before free subscribers.

And all episodes will post without the commercial music to ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Amazon Music⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Audible ⁠⁠⁠the following Friday.

About the Series

Set in the shadow of Maplewood-Sparta High, SPARTANS is an anthology podcast that weaves together haunting, deeply personal tales of adolescence, loss, and the supernatural. Each episode stands alone—yet together, they form a tapestry of interconnected lives, spanning decades and generations.

In a town where every cemetery holds secrets and every lost soul leaves a mark, a cast of unforgettable characters struggles to find belonging at the edge of innocence and oblivion. Whether it’s chasing after missing friends in overgrown graveyards, navigating the heartbreaks of first love, or confronting the literal and figurative ghosts that haunt them, the Spartans are always searching: for themselves, for each other, for meaning in the darkness.

Blending gritty realism with the uncanny, SPARTANS explores the way trauma, memory, and longing bind us together—and how the past, no matter how deeply buried, is never truly dead. Through eight rich, atmospheric episodes, listeners are invited to gather ‘round the campfire and remember: in this town, some hearts never fade. They linger, just out of sight, waiting to be found.

coming-of-age supernatural drama

Spooky seasonal stories

spooky season stories

spooky reads

haunted high school

haunted woods

spooky tales

haunted hometown

More from Nina Alvarez

⁠⁠⁠Legends of the Lost with Nina Alvarez⁠⁠⁠—personal essays, research, stories, and writing about writing.

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠miraclefieldnotes⁠⁠⁠.