Snap Judgment

We are thrilled to share our new show Fire Escape, in partnership with Wondery! This 10 episode series, hosted by Anna Sussman, explores one woman’s journey as an incarcerated firefighter as she fights fire from behind bars -- defying a system intent on burying her under the weight of her worst moment.

This episode contains strong language and mentions a car crash and its aftermath. Please take care while listening.

Episode 1: The Crash

How did Amika Mota go from a midwife and mother of three to a prisoner inside one of the largest women's prisons on Earth? 

Handcuffed to a hospital bed, awaiting trial, Amika tries to come to grips with the tragic crash that cost one man his life and took her away from her children. Inside the Chowchilla prison walls, she faces the "green cops" and the threat of solitary confinement. Outside the walls sits Firehouse Five, the home of the legendary crew of incarcerated firefighters called the Fire Girls.

Thank you, Amika Mota, for your help and generosity in sharing your story with us!!!

Fire Escape is a production of Snap Studios at KQED and Wondery. This series was created, written, and produced by Anna Sussman. 

For Snap Studios, our senior story editors are Mark Ristich and Nancy López. Marisa Dodge is our Director of Production. Original music by Renzo Gorrio, Dirk Schwarzhoff, and Doug Stuart. Doug Stuart also created our original theme song. Sound design and engineering by Miles Lassi. Special thanks to Pat Mesiti-Miller and the SF Fire Department. 

For Wondery, our senior story editor is Phyllis Fletcher. Our development producer is Eliza Mills. Clare Chambers, Lauren Dee and Mandy Gorenstein are our senior producers. Sarah Mathis is our managing producer. Our executive producers for Snap Studios are Glynn Washington and Mark Ristich. Executive producers for Wondery are Marshall Lewy, Morgan Jones, George Lavender and Jen Sargent. 

Binge all episodes of Fire Escape early and ad-free right now by signing up for Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify or Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. Start your free trial: www.wondery.com/links/fire-escape now.

Season 15 - Episode 50

A dolphin named Dr. Spock is in danger and NBA star Clifford Ray is the only man big enough to lend a hand. Plus, torrential rain is ripping through the Appalachians and the people of the mountain are all looking for Plan B.

STORIES

Just Another Day for Big Clifford Ray

A dolphin named Dr. Spock is in danger and NBA star Clifford Ray is the only man big enough to lend a hand.

A huge thank you to Clifford Ray and Mary O’Herron for sharing their story with the Snap! 

This year, Big Cliff and Author Laynie D. Weaver teamed up to bring Clifford and Dr. Spock’s story to life in an illustrated Children’s book titled “Big Clifford Ray Saves The Day.” Want more Big Cliff? Follow him on Instagram or X.

Produced by Bo Walsh, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff , artwork by Teo Ducot

Plan B

Snap Storyteller, Dr. Ray Christian, found himself trapped by the rising floodwaters of hurricane Helene, he knew he had to flee. But he also knew that meant leaving behind all of his animals, including his favorite goat. 

Thank you, Ray, for sharing your story with us! 

Ray has shared some resources for hurricane Helene recovery: The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation and The Rock. 

For a world of Southern-baked personal narratives, interwoven with Black American history, listen to Ray's podcast: What's Ray Saying?

Produced by Anna Sussman, original score by Derek Barber

Season 15 - Episode 49

For 110 days Peter Hammarstedt and his group of ocean vigilantes hunted the most notorious poacher of sea bass on the high seas, known as the Thunder. Their journey turns into an epic chase across 10,000 miles, two seas, and three oceans, through massive ice floors, violent clashes, and storms-tossed seas, where only one ship makes it home.

This story contains explicit language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you so much to Peter Hammarstedt for sharing your story with us!

Thanks as well to Ian Urbina. We first heard about this story thanks to his reporting. You can find his book, The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys Across the Last Untamed Frontier, on Knopf, Amazon, or anywhere books are sold. Ian has a great collection of stories and books about the lawless ocean.

Also, BIG thanks to Brick City TV & Mark Benjamin for sharing the audio from their documentary, Ocean Warriors: Chasing the Thunder. You can see a trailer of the film here.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 15 – Episode 48 – Snap Classic

An engineer is stranded in Alaska's North Slope during a fierce blizzard. He and his crew encounter something out in the snow that they truly can’t explain. Plus, the story of a man who discovers that if you love someone enough, they never truly leave you. 

'Tis the season... and in dark celebration we're featuring supernatural stories from our evil-twin podcast, Spooked: true-life stories told by people who can barley believe it happened themselves. You can listen to Spooked on any podcast platform! 

STORIES

Northern Frights

As an engineer, Forrest is used to being able to solve problems and find solutions. But while working in the remote North Slope of Alaska, he learns that there are things in this world that just can’t be explained.

A big thanks to Forrest for sharing his story.

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Doug Stuart, artwork by Teo Ducot. 

The Bull Ring

Todd discovers that if you love someone enough, they never truly leave you...

Thank you, Todd Narron, for sharing your story with us. If you want more stories from Todd, check out his books: Country Stories of Ghosts and Bad Men and Country Stories of Ghosts and Bad Men: Series 2 - The Dead Ones. 

Produced by Annie Nguyen, original score by Renzo Gorrio.

Spooked has a Youtube Channel! Subscribe now for a new scary story each week.

Season 15 - Episode 47

A ghost seeks forgiveness from beyond the grave and some photos make a woman question reality. It's time to summon the Shadow... 

This week on Snap, we're featuring supernatural stories from our evil-twin podcast, Spooked: true-life stories told by people who can barley believe it happened themselves. You can listen to Spooked on any podcast platform... Be afraid.

STORIES

Spooked LIVE: Glynn Washington x John Blake

Glynn's brother pays him a visit. And Journalist, John Blake, shares his family story about a ghost that sought forgiveness from beyond the grave. These stories were told at Spooked LIVE at the haunted Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. 

Thanks, John, for sharing your story with us! To learn more about John's story reconciling with his mother’s family, be sure to check out his amazing memoir — More Than I Imagined: What  A Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew. You can also follow his work on his website.

This story was produced by Zoë Ferrigno and Davey Kim. The original score was created and performed live by Doug Stuart and Brijean Murphy. 

Picture Perfect

When Susiy and her family visit a new town, they have no idea who they’ll be running into.

Suisy, thank you for sharing your story with us.

Produced by Anne Ford, original score by Lalin St. Juste, artwork by Teo Ducot.

Spooked has a Youtube Channel! Subscribe now for a new scary story each week.

Season 15 - Episode 46

You go all the way or YOU DON’T GO. 

Thank you to Murf Meyer for not dying. To Matt Mayer, for being our backflipping guru. And to Chris Gethard, for letting this whole sorry mess happen in the first place. We thank you.

You can listen to Chris Gethard’s Beautiful/Anonymous and New Jersey Is the World wherever you get your podcasts. Zak Rosen produces the show Best Advice. Listen here.

Produced by Zak Rosen with help from John Fecile. Original score by Renzo Gorrio. Artwork by Teo Ducot.

Season 15 - Episode 45

The Southern heat is turned up high as one man faces a filthy flock of sheep, a nonstop chatterbox, and an angry ram, all in a super explosive little shack. Plus, a story where an anarchist and an Amish family come together.

STORIES

Sheep Shearer

The Southern heat is turned up high as one man faces a filthy flock of sheep, a nonstop chatterbox, and an angry ram, all in a super explosive little shack. 

Thank you, Brian Lee Knopp, for telling your story! Brian is a retired Private Investigator and sheep shearer. He’s currently working on a collection of personal essays. 

Produced by David Exumé, original score by Renzo Gorrio.

Chaotic Good

Malaclypse was part of a dangerous anarchist group. They stole, they killed, they escaped, until one day when Malaclypse could run no further…

Dan has been playing and organizing LARPs for 20 years. He posts bad LARP advice on Twitter at LarpTips.

Produced by Jazmin Aguilera, original score by Renzo Gorrio.

Season 15 - Episode 44

When Umid is trapped behind enemy lines, he gets help... from two of the world’s most dangerous men. And a glitch in time brings mayhem to a man’s life day after day… no matter how many times he resets his clocks.

This episode contains some strong language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

STORIES

The League of Impersonators

When Umid Isabaev is trapped behind enemy lines, he gets help… from two of the world’s most dangerous men.

Thank you, Umid, for sharing your story with Snap!

Thanks to Ethan Herschenfeld who voiced Umid’s words, and to, Mars Lipowski, who was the voice of Steve Poland. BIG thanks as well to our translators for this piece, Muhitdin Ahunhodjaev and Magdalena Balz.

The three fake heads of state reunited recently in Poland for a magazine photo shoot! This photo will also be on our social media accounts.

Want more from the Kim Jong Un Look-alike? Check out his Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Trying to hear from the Putin Look-alike? Visit his website.

Produced by John Fecile & Anne Ford, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot.

Time Glitch

Joel Gheen is out of the military, newly married, and in college. His new life is going great… if he could just catch the damn bus.

Thank you, Joel, for sharing your story with us!

If you’re hungry for more details about Joel’s experience with a real-life glitch in the matrix, check out his website. Joel also has a fun podcast that covers weird topics from a Biblical perspective. Listen to hear all the paranormal stuff that never gets discussed from a traditional church pulpit or Bible study.

Produced by Anne Ford, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff.

Season 15 – Episode 43

Four comics score a sweet gig in the Deep South. It’s champagne, a Benz, and maybe even a Kevin Hart appearance. But their dream of life behind the velvet rope is about to get a rude awakening. Plus, do we take the Honolulu ghost tour with Lopaka, or the big time wresting match with Johnny All Black? You only get one double life on the latest Snap.

STORIES

We Have A Problem

Comics, Lamarr Todd, Matt Black, and Ken Jones, score a sweet gig in the Deep South. It’s champagne, a Benz, and maybe even a Kevin Hart appearance. But their dream of life behind the velvet rope is about to get a rude awakening. 

BIG thanks to, Lamarr Todd, for sharing his story with Snap! Lamarr is a standup comedian and a featured judge at First Person Arts in Philadelphia. Find out about his tour dates and current exploits on Instagram and X.

Matt Black and Ken Jones are also lighting up comedy stages around the country! Find Matt on Instagram. Find Ken on Instagram and X. 

Produced by Justin Kramon, original score by Clay Xavier.

Double Booked

Do we take the Honolulu ghost tour with Lopaka, or the big time wresting match with Johnny All Black? You only get one double life on the latest Snap.

Thank you, Lopaka, for sharing your story! Lopaka still leads ghost tours in Honolulu today. 

Want to hear some of Lopaka’s stories from the dark side? Head on over to our evil twin sister show, Spooked... you can listen on any podcast platform.

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot.

Season 15 - Episode 42

Snap Studios introduces an epic collaboration years in the making... "Mind Your Own." A new storytelling show hosted and produced by Lupita Nyong'o, that navigates what it means to belong all from an African perspective.

Lupita Nyong’o knows what home feels like. But where exactly is it? In Mexico, where she was born? Kenya, where she grew up? Or the States, where she’s spent the past 20 years?

Like Lupita, millions of Africans are spread out across the globe following family, searching for love, building futures and creating stories. It's these stories – wild and messy, intimate and joyous – that she wants to hear. 

Join Lupita as she shares tales of her own and dives into the lives of real people finding their way in new worlds of every kind.

Episode 1: The Sound of Home

Sound travels in all directions, but your feet can only follow in one.

“Losing My Accent”: Lupita takes on an American accent when she becomes an actor-in-training at Yale.

Original score by Ian Hughes Pelton AKA Tofu Jack.

“Obaa Sima”: How long can a song stay in your heart? A musical journey from Ghana to Germany to Canada transports Yaw Atta-Owusu from the toy store to the dance floor.

Big thanks to Yaw for sharing his story with us! Check out the Obaa Sima album featured in this episode. Thanks as well to Awesome Tapes From Africa for sharing Yaw’s music with us.

Produced by Marisa Dodge and Regina Bediako with assistance from Bo Walsh. Original score by Clay Xavier, with additional music from Marla Kether and Ata Kak.

Original Mind Your Own theme song by Sandra Lawson-Ndu AKA Sandu Ndu x Peachcurls ft. Ehiorobo. This episode also featured the song Show My Side by CKay ft. Amaarae.

Executive Producers: Glynn Washington and Mark Ristich

Managing Editor: Regina Bediako

Director of Production: Marisa Dodge

Series Producers: David Exumé and Priscilla Alabi

Music Supervisor: Sandra Lawson-Ndu

Story Scouts: Ashley Okwuosa, Fiona Nyong’o, Jessica Kariisa, Lesedi Oluko Moche

Editors: Nancy López and Anna Sussman

Engineering: Miles Lassi

Operations Manager: Florene Wiley

Story Consultant: John Fecile

Graphic Design: Jemimah Ekeh

Original Artwork: Mateus Sithole

Special Thanks: Allan Coye, Jake Kleinberg, Samara Still, Sarah Yoo, Warner Music Group, and Afripods.

Episode transcripts can be found here.

Mind Your Own is a production of KQED’s Snap Studios, with sales and distribution by Lemonada Media. Hosted and produced by Lupita Nyong’o.