November 16, 2017

The Story Pirates aren’t your typical swashbuckling sailors: they don’t steal gold, pillage villages, or claim land. These pirates are on the hunt for a different kind of treasure: kids’ wildest, most imaginative stories. Story Pirates, a kid-centric media company and leading arts education advocate, is partnering with Gimlet Media for Gimlet’s first children’s show: a reimagining of TheStory Pirates Podcast. Each week, the crew aboard the Story Pirates’ newly-christened ship will take original stories from real kids around the country, and turn them into a wildly funny comedy podcast for kids, ages 3 - 103. Gimlet’s newest show, The Story Pirates Podcast, sets sail Monday, November 20 on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.





In a school auditorium in Harlem in 2004, a ragtag group of improv comedians called themselves the Story Pirates and put on an absurdist sketch comedy show inspired by stories written by kids. The group has since expanded nationwide, with headquarters in New York City and Los Angeles, and a live tour that performs to sold-out audiences from coast to coast. A vocal proponent of arts education, Story Pirates partners with the non-profit Creative Minds Coalition to present life-changing literacy programs in hundreds of schools around the country. From 2009 - 2015, The Story Pirates were heard weekly on satellite radio, and their podcast originally premiered in 2013. Gimlet now joins forces with Story Pirates to reimagine and relaunch the podcast as Gimlet’s first children’s show.





The Story Pirates Podcast stars top talent from comedy troupes such as Upright Citizens Brigade, Second City, and The Groundlings. Past A-List Guest Story Pirates include Jon Stewart, John Oliver, Ana Gasteyer, Reggie Watts, Billy Eichner, Kristen Schaal, Patton Oswalt, Aubrey Plaza, Conan O’Brien and more. These incredible performers faithfully bring to life an unfiltered world of kids’ imaginations. The pirates transport listeners to a magical ship in the middle of a vast ocean where cats can fly, ghosts fall in love, and penguins work a corporate job.





This season, Gimlet will also offer the show's young listeners a new way to engage with the stories by providing them with coloring pages. Two free coloring pages will be available for each episode allowing kids to bring characters from the show, like Barry the Climbing Koala, to life exactly as they picture him. To receive each episode’s coloring pages, and for more information how to submit a story for future episodes, get an on-air ‘ahoy’ from the Pirates themselves, or snag a free Story Pirates swag bag, visit storypirates.com/podcast.