Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Jason Martin.
Hi Eric, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! I’m Eric Jason Martin, and I’m a producer, director, narrator, and author. I moved to LA when I was 17, to attend UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television. A weekend job as a Disney performer led to a fascination with and then a career in themed entertainment. I was a Disney Imagineer for a few years, then moved to Universal Studios to manage their live shows. Later, I became a live show producer and casting director for Universal. All told, I spent over 20 years in themed entertainment and loved telling stories in three-dimensional space.
Around 10 years ago, a few things converged at once. I was an early podcaster, and in 2010 I co-created a show called “This American Wife,” which was a gentle parody of the public radio format. We debuted on the main page of the Apple Store, and it was a big hit. At the same time, I was going through UCB’s improv and sketch programs and also performing live storytelling around LA.
Around this time, I also started narrating audiobooks. One of my first projects won several awards and put me on the map as a performer. Even as I was starting out, I was thinking of how to bring my experience in podcasting, improv comedy, and live storytelling into my audiobook work. I wanted to innovate and find new ways to tell stories.
Writing sketches for our “This American Wife” podcast led to opportunities to create original shows for Stitcher, including a documentary of Tenacious D with Jack Black and Kyle Gass, and an original audio drama with Andy Daly and Weird Al Yankovic, among many others.
In 2018, I left my “day job” in themed entertainment to start my own audio production company, Sound Off Productions. I also helped launch the Audible Comedy label with our production of Mike Sacks’ novel “Stinker Lets Loose!” Conceived as a novelization to a 70s trucker movie that never actually existed, we turned it into a full “audio movie,” with me producing, directing, and narrating. The audiobook also starred Jon Hamm, Rhea Seehorn, and Philip Baker Hall, and became a New York Times Bestseller.
From there, I went on to direct “Bubble,” a scripted podcast series for Maximum Fun, written by Jordan Morris, named Best of the Year by Apple. I also directed the series “Heads Will Roll” for Audible and Broadway Video, written by and starring Kate McKinnon and Emily Lynne, featuring an incredible cast that included Meryl Streep.
Today, I’ve narrated over 350 audiobooks, and over 450 features for Audm/The New York Times, including several episodes of the top-rated podcast “The Daily.” I continue to produce and direct large multi-cast audio productions through Sound Off Productions and other studios.
Recently, I added “author” to my resume. My debut novel “New Arcadia: Stage One” became a #2 Audible Bestseller in Fiction when it was released last year. In October 2022, the follow-up “New Arcadia: Revolution” was released and was named the #1 Best New Science Fiction and Fantasy Audiobook by MSN. Both audiobooks feature an original score and a cast of dozens of star performers.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I present my story in the above way, it certainly seems like a smooth journey to the current moment! But of course, there were many bumps along the road.
Some projects were dead ends, some were not a good fit for my skills. Some projects were creative successes but didn’t succeed in the marketplace. Some big projects fell through, sometimes at the very last minute. I was all set to narrate what became one of the most important books of this century, only to have the audio publisher change at the last minute.
But these things happen. Everybody deals with some version of this. What’s important is how you respond, how you react to the adversity you face.
I tend to take the long view and keep myself open for a lot of different opportunities. Looking back, I can also see how the projects that were “failures” in some way at the time always led, either directly or in a roundabout way, to my greatest successes.
Of course, at the time, it’s impossible to see how it all works out in the future. You have to keep going, and trust that eventually, it will work out.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Narration – After 10 years and 350 audiobooks, I have a few projects I’m especially proud of. I got to narrate a Jack Reacher book, how cool is that? I’m honored to be among the narrators who read The New Yorker every week. Recently, I narrated Lawrence Wright’s masterful article (and then book) “The Plague Year,” as well as Bill McKibben’s great memoir “The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon.” Next up is William D. Cohan’s “Power Failure,” on the rise and fall of GE. I was a GE manager for years when they owned NBCUniversal, so this was a familiar and personal story to me, and it’s an awesome book.
Comedy – It’s a thrill to be able to work with some of the best (and nicest!) performers in the industry. Directing audio projects with Kate McKinnon, Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, and Jon Hamm, among many others, has been an incredible learning experience, as well as a lot of fun! Check out “Heads Will Roll,” now available as a podcast from Audible.
Writing – Ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to write a novel. Now I have two, and more are on the way! I’m humbled and thrilled that the books have done well, both critically and sales-wise. It’s also an honor to have such a great cast and crew on board for the audiobooks.
Taking all of these different strands and putting them together to create new and dynamic stories and experiences – that’s what sets my work apart. Both now, and in the future.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I see the audiobook/podcasting industry continuing to grow and change. I think we will see new innovations in audio storytelling and more multi-cast productions. The lines may begin to blur even more between movie, television, and an audio component.
The big question is the influence of AI on the voice industry in general, meaning the use of computer programs to synthesize the human voice and apply it to text. It remains to be seen to what degree people will want to listen to a robotically generated voice, especially one that will tell them an emotional story over a long period of time. My guess is that it won’t be able to replace a human storyteller, at least not in the ways that matter.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ericjasonmartin.com
- Instagram: @ericjasonmartin
- Twitter: @ericjasonmartin
- Youtube: @ericjasonmartin1
- Other: https://www.audible.com/pd/New-Arcadia-Revolution-Audiobook/B0BFJSWVBV
Image Credits
Troy Conrad
Danielle Deschenes
