Back in September of 2017, a YouTube channel was created by the name of "Local 58." From the time of creation up to just last week, it was home to four found-footage style newsreels that service the greater Mason County area. The central premise of these reels surrounds a strange worldwide event that seems to be taking place, compromising the very fabric of society as we know it. The channel is created by Chris Straub, known for creating various works of art and horror such as "Candle Cove" and "Broodhollow." While, yes, these creations are notable, today, we're going to be focusing on his "Local 58" series that's recently made a comeback on their YouTube channel. The series originated back in 2015. Straub, who runs a website called "Chainsawsuit" (home to his "Broodhollow" series of comics) made a post back in October of that year claiming that he had made a surprise over at a website called "local58.info." This now-defunct site would come to be our temporary home of the horror series bearing four uploads over the time that the videos were being created. The titles of these four include "You Are on the Fastest Available Route," "Weather Service," "Station ID," and "Contingency." As of last month, one more video was uploaded to the channel called "Show for Children." Each one of them tells a particular story referencing some sort of apocalypse, and all of these seem to be connected. Before we dive into some theories, however, I'd like to walk you through each one of their uploads so far. To preface this next section, I'm going to go forth and let you know that I'll be presenting these to you in the order that I personally believe that they happen in, regarding the events that play out. Not necessarily the chronological order of release date from the website. Contingency is one of two foreshadowing episodes that, I believe, happens at the beginning of the series for a multitude of reasons. For starters, this is the only video of the bunch that displays film grain distortions, implying that this footage is the most primitive out of all of them. Also, you'll soon come to realize that the design for the "Local 58" brand will change over time. What we have in this case appears to be an older styling. In this video, we're shown an upcoming schedule that displays the conclusion of our broadcast day. Afterwards, a message is shown to "Have a great night" before a contingency message is displayed on screen. Interestingly, it says that this message is only to be used "in the event of a United States complete surrender to Insurmountable enemy forces" and is never to be used again after November 13th, 1970. In this video, we'll be seeing one more message like this with the date May 14th, 1975, implying that these PSAs are being tested for some reason. Also, this; coupled with the styling; puts us in the ballpark range of the mid-to-late 1960s, in an alternate history. I'll get to what I mean by this shortly. Anyway, before we proceed, let's take a look at what we'll be unpacking. Now, the most disturbing part of this segment is the irony surrounding it. America has fallen to an enemy force, and at this point in this timeline, we wouldn't be sure exactly what that enemy force is. "Even in defeat, we claim victory" is something that just about nobody in any country w ould want to hear. Backing up to what I said prior about an a lternate history, an interesting thing to note about this is the inclusion of Lyndon B Johnson's signature. This contingency PSA is set to expire on November 13th, 1970. However, Johnson's presidency concluded on January 20th, 1969. Either this is taking place in an alternate history where Johnson actually did become president for a second term, or this hoax is actually airing before Johnson had announced his unwillingness to run for re-election Just a little something that I thought was interesting. Anyway, this contingency message gets much, much deeper than this. This portion of the video, without a doubt, appears to be direct manipulation, and looking at it from this perspective, stacked on top of the positive imagery, is sickening. Also take a moment and think about this: Even if they were testing out a surrender PSA, What you're reading before you would undoubtedly be what the government would expect of you if this situation were actually happening. Here, we're shown messages such as "It's a privilege to be called to action," "You take America with you," "Your courage will inspire others," and "There is nothing to fear." The first time watching this is especially troubling, because if you were like me, you weren't quite getting precisely where they were going with this... ...until you saw it. "Place muzzle upward to roof of mouth," "Join your neighbors, your family, your God," "This message will repeat until there are none to read it," and one of the most disturbing ones of all, "the victory position." "Remember the three F's: front lawn, face up, feet together." They're manipulating you into killing yourself, on television, to "preserve the liberty of America." While this is grim, the fact that Local 58 plays this off as a hoax after it's all said and done is even more troubling. Aside from the storyline, if anything, this episode really makes you think. Imagine if something like this were actually broadcast in real life. How many people do you think would have been convinced and manipulated into directly killing themselves through a government PSA that they thought was real, especially during this time in history? Back then, you wouldn't have the privilege of whipping out your smartphone to fact-check this. Instead, this is definitely something that would be believable, especially if you were to see this alone and at 3 a.m. The way that this episode can be spun into a real-life interpretation, especially taking place during the time period of the Cold War, makes this video beautiful. It's dark, it's disturbing, and it 100% kicks this story off remarkably. "Show for Children" is the most recent video that released just last month and, interestingly, seems to be our second occurrence in this timeline. My reasoning for placing it here is due to the fact that this seems to, instead of film grain, have VHS distortions and also is the only episode with absolutely no broadcast interruptions or direct signs of Apocalypse. This, coupled with the style of the "Local 58" brand and the cartoon sets us forward about two to three decades, still preceding the events that would happen in the later videos. Here, we're simply presented with an ominous foreshadowing inside of a peculiar children show. In this video, we're presented with our broadcast list. Coming up first, we have a "Show for Children" at 4:15 a.m., "Community Roundtable" at 5:00 a.m., "Focus on Culture" at 5:20, and "Morning Local News" at 6:05. Now before we proceed further, I just-- I want to say, "Hold on for a second." "Show for Children... ...4:15 in the morning." 4... 15... in the morning! I don't know about you, but unless I was pulling an all-nighter with a friend, I was most definitely not up at 4:15 in the morning when I was a kid. Also, even if I were, a news channel like "Local 58" was definitely not something that I was interested in watching. If anything, I'd be playing video games or something, which makes the placement for this show that much more ominous. Once things get going, we are presented with a title card displaying a fictional "Thimble Pictures" cartoon called "A Grave Mistake." This is a very, very notable point of foreshadowing to remember as we discover what this "grave mistake" actually is. So, what we have here is a very dark cartoon about an innocent skeleton walking through a graveyard. Eerily, the moon is staring at him with a creepy smile, almost as if it's awaiting the moment that the skeleton looks at it. As the skeleton walks through, he encounters various other people and their apparitions from when they were alive. After looking down into their graves, though, we're presented with disturbingly designed depictions of these characters at their demise. After seeing the two others, our main character then ventures to a third open grave, where he realizes that it's an empty chasm. After venturing down into it, we can see him as he regrettably walks aimlessly before laying down face up in what appears to be exhaustion. Interestingly, the end bit is when this entire episode begins to make sense. And here, we finally see the "grave mistake." So, the moon is what seems to be killing these people, and strangely, this is playing on a children's show at 4:15 a.m. as scheduled, uninterrupted programming. ...Interesting... Let's press on. This video seems to kick everything forward into the year 2014, solidifying the format that we'll come to recognize for the rest of the series Here, we can once again see a nightly broadcast schedule that's outlining the shows that have and will be airing within the next couple of hours. This starts us off with a timeframe for this video taking place during the very late hours of the night. With this, we're set up with an ominously calm music track that plays in the background, giving us a strange but strong feeling of isolation... ...as if we are the only ones actually watching this The schedule that's outlined before us is a show called "The Midnight Movie" at 12:05 followed by "Paid Programming" at 1:55. Strangely, the words "Paid Programming" become deleted right after the channel seems to be hijacked, instead playing back a very odd dashcam stream that appears to begin to take place starting at 1:57 in the morning. This, coupled with the time that the paid programming was supposed to air, gives us a sense that this is actually happening on the channel in real-time, while simultaneously giving us a sense of time. A notable point about this is that the schedule we're shown now seems to display even shows that have passed, and "Paid Programming" is the one that was, in this case, hijacked. The dash cam stream that we're shown appears to happen over the span of three and a half hours starting at 1:57 a.m. and ending at around 5:30. In this, not much seems to happen other than a long nighttime drive, until the end bits when we encounter a little more than we had bargained for at the end of our route. (Dash Cam Audio) GPS: "Rerouting, make a u-turn." *static* (Dash Cam Audio) *muffled driving sounds* (Dash Cam Audio) GPS: "Head East for one quarter of a mile, then follow signs for 'Do Not Enter.'" (Dash Cam Audio) *muffled driving sounds* (Dash Cam Audio) GPS: Continue on "unnamed road," then in 300 feet, turn off your headlights. (Dash Cam Audio) *muffled driving sounds* (Dash Cam Audio) *Distorted Growl/Static* (Dash Cam Audio) GPS: "Re-routing. Make a u-turn, your destination is behind you." (Dash Cam Audio) GPS: "Rerouting. In 500 feet, (Dash Cam Audio) GPS: your destination will be on your--" (Dash Cam Audio) GPS: "300 feet, your destination--" "in 250 feet--" "Rerouting. Your destination is 150 feet--" (Dash Cam Audio) *Distorted Growl/Static*
GPS: "You have arrived at your destina--" (Dash Cam Audio) *Distorted Growl*
GPS, warped: "You have arrrriiiiive--" (Dash Cam Audio) *Intense Growl/Roar/Static* Here, we're shown our first glimpse of a strange creature that appears out in these deep woods. For some reason, though, the GPS seems to have been compromised somehow, as well; steering our driver towards the location of their demise. Aside from this isolated encounter with this strange creature, the horror that's been heavily foreshadowed throughout the years within this series is merely just beginning to take root. The dashcam footage from the previous video takes place in November of 2014. Jumping forward an undisclosed amount of time, we're greeted with yet another broadcast interruption that seems to be even stranger than before. In "Weather Service," we're shown a schedule that has "Public Eye" at 12:15 a.m., "Paid Programming" at 1:00 a.m, "City Council Minutes" at 1:30, and "Focus on Faith" at 2:00. Right after this, we're greeted with yet another broadcast interruption. An interesting thing to notice here is that this happens while "Paid Programming" is once again displayed on screen. Going by our previous revelation regarding the "Paid Programming" interruption, I believe that it's safe to assume that the events that follow are happening once more during this time slot, putting us at around one o'clock in the morning. Once we encounter what's happening on screen, it becomes evident that it's a broadcast interruption about a certain meteorological event that will soon be occurring. Take a look. By this point, we're shown quite a bit of convoluted footage that would undoubtedly freak out whoever is watching this in real time. Initially, the broadcast is interrupted for an emergency alert regarding a weather warning followed by clarification informing us that it's in fact a meteorological event and that it will last until tomorrow morning. Then, right after this, we're told not to observe the event with the naked eye. This entire fiasco takes an even stranger turn when the "Local 58" badge reappears on screen as if they're subtly trying to return to their regular programming. We then see another list; however, this time it starts at 2:15 which ominously is the timeslot for a show called "Blood of the..." ...something. Before we're able to see the final word, the broadcast is once again interrupted, this time displaying a civil danger warning giving us very conflicting information. At this point, it appears that "Local 58" is struggling to contain an emergency alert that's undoubtedly hijacked. Since the federal government sends these out, it's safe to assume that they're being hacked by some third party encouraging them to do the exact opposite of what the government is warning them against. Apparently, this event seems to involve "the moon," whether this is actually the moon that they were referring to or some other similar circular object in the night sky is something that we'll get to shortly. Are the supposed moon, the strange creature, and the third party that's encouraging us to look at it connected? It definitely seems so. Also, the camera footage of the moon entering the frame seems to be coupled with audio of a crowd of people screaming... ...very notable point to remember. Before we wrap up this episode, I'd like you to take a look at the ending really fast. *Reading Text* Hmm... Let's come back to this later. To me, "Station ID" appears to take place immediately after "Weather Service;" in fact, I'm almost certain that it's a direct sequel to the events that took place prior, displaying various cryptic messages that seem to be from "Local 58" themselves. While it appears that their broadcast is being compromised, we see text on screen informing us to look away, that this does not matter, and that there are other receivers, followed by the message "safety in numbers." This seems to strongly imply that "Local 58" is trying to inform people that something is seriously wrong. The state of broadcast media as we know it is being hijacked and to seek safety in numbers by looking away and turning off media... This heavily implies that, at this point, the world is in a state of panic... ...but why? To recap, we have our first occurrence during the Cold War that displays a hoax about killing yourself in mass to preserve the liberty of a fallen America. Years later, we have a show for children that happens at the late, late hour of 4:15 in the morning. In this, we see an ominous moon that seems to be awaiting the moment that the main character looks at it, and when he does, he dies. Decades after this, we have our first strange broadcast interruption that displays a long nighttime drive; a foreign encounter with a strange creature that seems to kill them. What follows is a conflicting broadcast warning informing us for and against looking up at the moon, as it's a civil danger; and at the end of said episode, we have a narrative that claims "It's in the light," "The moon came in," "He found me," "Through the mirror," "Moonlight white," "I drown in him," and "We will look together;" and lastly, we're presented with a message that reads, "Look away," "This does not matter," and "Safety in numbers." I think, with all of this, there's one glaringly large storyline to run with regarding this series. I have a firm belief that "Local 58" is a long-term found-footage compilation of events that have occurred on the channel during a hypothetical alien invasion. So, we have "Local 58." This seems to be an ordinary local news channel that broadcasts typical public-channel media. Throughout the years of its existence, various different forms of media have been broadcast at wildly different times to foreshadow the events that would lead to the demise of the world, as shown in "Contingency" and "Show for Children." During the invasion, however, this particular channel and possibly others are being hijacked and overrun by these creatures that are shown in the video "You Are On the Fastest Available Route." With this, they're informing people to do the exact opposite of the government mandated civil danger alerts. I believe that the supposed moon that's referenced actually isn't the moon at all but the light from a UFO that's either converting people into these monsters, capturing them, or killing them outright. This "meteorological event" is nothing less than a slow but steady alien takeover, and the video "You Are On the Fastest Available Route" seems to be the very beginning of the actual invasion taking place, setting us up with the face of the creatures behind this phenomenon. Let's start with "A Grave Mistake." This entire cartoon, from start to finish, is a one-to-one reference to everything that would come to happen in real life in the later videos. We have our character going about their day as normal, encountering their friends that have died by looking up at the supposed moon before dying in the same manner themselves. Afterwards, we even have a strikingly similar shot of the moon as it's panning into the frame. Now consider this: There's just no way that "Local 58" is not involved here. With this, it seems to me that; what if they've allowed these supposed hijacks to take place? It seems, in "Contingency," that they're toying with the art of the hoax message, aren't they? In fact, what if there never really was any invasion to begin with? What if the entire series of interruptions, from start to finish, were all intended to instill fear in people, fueling a wildfire of conspiracies about an imminent alien invasion that was never actually happening? ...It just seems too plain for me. "Accidentally" showing a false contingency message followed by showcasing a cartoon about a very specific type of death, then interruptions depicting a real-life event of oddly similar proportions, just makes it seem like it was all intentionally done by "Local 58," and that they are indeed complicit in this. The question I have, though, and one that will hopefully be solved in newer uploads, is: Why? After a long hiatus, I'm pleased that "Local 58" has returned to allow the continuation of this incredible story. I absolutely love this series. If you haven't yet and have about 20 minutes to spare, go over to their channel and give their episodes a watch. Chris Straub has done a phenomenal job with playing on the fear of emergency alerts, and I can't wait to see what comes next. With all of this being said, I'd like to thank you all for joining me in the investigation of the "Local 58" web series. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I have, and I'd love to hear thoughts in the series. Before we go, I'd like to give a huge shout out to the latest internet investigators that have pledged a massive $15 a month to help keep my channel alive and kicking. Massive thank you to Li Ling, Ivan from The Movie Void, and Siprano Solis. I'm seriously so grateful for your help. Thank you so much. Anyway guys, thanks so much for watching. I'll see you in the next one. I love you all, and good night.
Ohhh I remember this. There’s a vid explaining it (40 min)
THERE ARE NO FACES