ZBS Foundation, a small non-profit

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 audio production company, was founded by Thomas Lopez

Thomas Lopez

Thomas Lopez, aka Meatball Fulton, is one of the founders and president of the ZBS Foundation. He writes and produces the ZBS Foundation's audio drama productions. Some of these aired in 1984-85 as part of ZBS' stereo radio series The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz.His output includes the entire Jack...

 in 1970 with a grant from Robert E. Durand as a working commune

Art Commune

An art commune is a communal living situation or commune where collective art is produced as a function of the group's activities. Contemporary art communes such as Kunsthaus Tacheles and Flux Factory are scattered around the world, yet frequently aloof to widespread attention due to displeasure or...

 based on a donated farm in Upstate New York

Upstate New York

Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...

. The commune's purpose was to raise consciousness through media, specifically full-cast audio dramas.

Eventually, the commune disintegrated, and the organization became the outlet for dramas written by writer/producer Lopez. His dramatic programs, notably Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe

Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe

Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe is the titular character of a radio drama series by the ZBS Foundation, written by Thomas Lopez. The first series, Ruby: Adventures of A Galactic Gumshoe was created in 1982, and the eighth and most recent was copyrighted 2009...

, The Fourth Tower of Inverness

The Fourth Tower of Inverness

The Fourth Tower of Inverness is a 1972 radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the first of the Jack Flanders adventure series, and combines elements of Americana and Old-time radio with metaphysical concepts such as past life regression, Sufi wisdom, Tibetan Buddhism and shamanistic...

and Travels with Jack Flanders

Jack Flanders

Jack Flanders is the protagonist of a series of audio dramas produced by the ZBS Foundation. He is the creation of writer and sound artist Thomas Lopez and is played by actor Robert Lorick....

, are noted for their meticulous production values and New Age

New Age

The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...

 mysticism. Lopez has won numerous awards including the Prix Italia

Prix Italia

The Prix Italia is an international Italian television, radio-broadcasting and Website award. It was established in 1948 by RAI - Radiotelevisione Italiana in Capri...

, and his work enjoys a cult following.

ZBS did a 1984-85 radio series, The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz

The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz

The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz was a 1984-85 binaural radio drama series produced by Thomas Lopez and the ZBS Foundation. At the beginning of each show, it was suggested that listeners wear headphones....

, later releasing some shows in the series on cassettes and CDs. These productions were recorded binaurally

Binaural recording

Binaural recording is a method of recording sound that uses two microphones, arranged with the intent to create a 3-D stereo sound sensation for the listener of actually being in the room with the performers or instruments. This effect is often created using a technique known as "Dummy head...

 using Neumann

Neumann

Neumann may refer to:*Alfred Neumann, German writer*Alfred Neumann, East German politician*Bernd Neumann, German politician*Bernhard Neumann, German-born mathematician...

's Ku81. ZBS also produced a widely acclaimed dramatization of Stephen King

Stephen King

Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...

's The Mist

The Mist

The Mist is a horror novella by the American author Stephen King, in which the small town of Bridgton, Maine is suddenly enveloped in an unnatural mist that conceals otherworldly monsters. It was first published as the first and longest story of the 1980 horror anthology Dark Forces. A slightly...

 recording in binaural sound.

According to an interview with Thomas Lopez http://natf.org/resources/profiles/86, ZBS stands for "Zero Bull Shit".

External links

• ZBS Foundation
• Whirlitzer of Wisdoms
• NATF Interview with Thomas Lopez, by the National Audio Theatre Festival
  National Audio Theatre Festival
  The National Audio Theatre Festivals, Inc. is a US-based organization sponsoring a yearly, five-day workshop on radio drama, voiceover and the audio arts, as well as other special training. Participants take classes on subjects such as voiceover and voice acting, audio engineering, Foley and...
  
  , an organization that includes Lopez as one of its advisors.
• Artist in Residence programe
• The Great ZBS Data Collection