Template:Infobox character Kevin is the host of the Desert Bluffs's community radio show.[1]
During the sandstorm, a vortex allowed him to wander briefly into Cecil's abandoned booth.[2] After the StrexCorp takeover of Night Vale Community Radio, Kevin was heard voicing a StrexCorp ad.[3] During the Night Vale mayoral debate, he again wandered into the vortex between his and Cecil's studios, and Hiram McDaniels carried him out.[4]
On Parade Day, Kevin and Lauren Mallard arrived at the station together.[5] He took over hosting duties of the renamed "Greater Desert Bluffs Metropolitan Area Community Radio" while Cecil is at the StrexCorp company picnic.[6][7]
Later, as Night Vale revolted, he and Lauren continued to host the show from a secret location.[8] Ultimately, Kevin tried to convince Cecil and Steve Carlsberg to join StrexCorp. However, he offended Steve Carlsberg by claiming his step-daughter Janice, who cannot walk, needed to be fixed. Carlsberg tossed him through one of the old oak doors, leaving Kevin presumably stuck in the otherworldly desert.[9]
Several months later, he called Cecil's voicemail, passive-aggressively hinting at his return and revenge.
Kevin is voiced by New York playwright Kevin R Free.
Appearance
He is described by Cecil as "not tall or short, not thin or fat."[2] He is described as though he is Cecil's double. However, it seems that there are very distinct differences between the two.
When the two see each other's photographs, Kevin describes Cecil's smile ambivalently ("And that smile ... Is that a smile?"), while Cecil is frankly disturbed by Kevin's, saying, "And that smile ... No! That is not a smile."[2] When Kevin attempts to demonstrate a smile, Cecil cries, "You monster!" and Steve Carlsberg describes the sight as "really gross."[9]
Cecil fearfully describes Kevin's eyes as "black as obsidian" and that he looked "a devil of a man" and must be wicked.[2] Hiram's gold head describes him as having "missing eyes", "bloodstained skin," and "teeth like an abandoned cemetery", while Kevin describes Cecil as resembling him "mostly in the eyes."[4] When Kevin arrives at Night Vale Community Radio with Lauren, Cecil describes them as "smiling widely" with eyes "full but tight."[5]
The Whispering Forest, seeing Kevin from a distance, tells him his vest fits him well and says he has "a clever and colorful fashion sense." When he came nearer, the forest whispered, "No! Your eyes!" and begged him to go away.[7]
Cecil mentioned once that Kevin's lapels were bloodstained.[9]
Kevin's voice is softer, gentler and more light-hearted than Cecil's.
Personality
Kevin's affect and personality are almost the polar opposites of Cecil's. On the surface, he is much more upbeat and less foreboding than Cecil. In reality, he is far more malevolent. He is also far more comfortable with violence, power, and euphemism. Whereas Cecil is horrified by the gore in the Desert Bluffs radio studio,[1] Kevin coyly implies that he murdered all the guys in Sales (who are all named Shawn[10]) in order to redecorate the studio in Night Vale.[6] Even more alarming, Kevin describes Carlos as ugly.[8]
Unlike Cecil, Kevin is distrustful of the government. He prefers to put his faith in hard work, the free market, and private corporations, especially StrexCorp, which controlled Desert Bluffs even before Night Vale. He says, "It's very important to work hard! ... So important. More important than life itself!"[6] Also, whereas Cecil is often ambivalent toward authority and occasionally rebels, Kevin seems devoted to his company's mission.
Kevin also doesn't go on pointless philosophical tangents as often as Cecil, and when he does, he's more inclined to try to shrug them off. After contemplating the amount of sand in the world, he says, "Wow! Big questions today, Desert Bluffs. Big questions."[1] After talking about "how the skull is so visible in your mouth," he says, "Weird. Who thinks of that stuff? I don't know. Weird, right?"[4]
Occasionally, Kevin shows signs of trauma. He talks about his ongoing friendship with a station intern who has been dead for years.[4] At one point he remarks, "I rarely feel anything. I rarely feel anything at all."[7] He also claims to be "literally ... incapable of saying" how long he has been a host on Desert Bluffs radio.[8]
Kevin implies that when the Smiling God first came to Desert Bluffs, he was the last one to give up. "Even the most resistant of radio hosts soon found his way to productive work, happy songs, and a wide, gaping smile."[9]
Where Cecil has a Facebook,[2] Kevin has a Twitter.[1]
Relationships
- Night Vale: Kevin claims to cherish only the warmest feelings toward Night Vale. He seems surprised and pleased to get a fax from Steve Carlsberg and to learn that Night Vale even knows about his little radio station.[1] He doesn't seem to share Cecil's sense of an obsessive sports team rivalry between the two towns. When he learns he's been transported into Night Vale, he cries, "How delightful!"[4]
- Steve Carlsberg: Kevin interprets Steve's government conspiracy theory as a resounding endorsement of the free market. "Thank you for your email, Steve," he says. "What a great guy!"[1]However, he later meets up with Steve again and claims Desert Bluffs can "fix" his paralytic daughter. Steve is outraged and throws Kevin into one of the old oak doors.[9]
- Cecil Palmer: Kevin is very sweet and friendly toward Cecil. He claims they hugged and "shared a moment" while passing through the vortex.[1] On their second meeting, he remarks that they have the same parent company and adds, "Cecil, I will see you again. I am certain."[4] In an especially sweet and friendly way, he and Lauren seize the radio station[5][6] and banish Cecil to the company picnic.[7] He is deeply alarmed by Cecil's return.[7] He has also called Cecil saying he has something for him. It remains unknown what it is.
- Intern Vanessa: On the day of the sandstorm, Kevin makes repeated mentions of the radio station intern, Vanessa. She helps him with the broadcast and meets her double.[1] Later, during a brief visit to Night Vale, Kevin says Vanessa died "many years ago," that he had a conversation with her earlier the same day, and that he "can't wait to tell Vanessa" about his visit. "We’re all still very upset about it," he says of her death.[4]
- Lauren Mallard: The two of them co-host the show Welcome to the Greater Desert Bluffs Metropolitan Area and are superficially friendly and cooperative with each other.[6][7] When Lauren asks if she can call him "Kev," Kevin laughs and says darkly, "No, Lauren. By no means."[6] While broadcasting together from a secret location, the two of them repeatedly interrupt and correct each other, and Kevin becomes increasingly passive-aggressive.[8] While facing off against Tamika Flynn, Lauren does, in fact, call him "Kev."[8]
- Kevin's StrexPet: He claims to love it, but throws sticks at it and has trained it to eat mice, something StrexPets are not supposed to do.[8] It's not clear if this is an attempt at sabotage or simply sadism.
Kevin's other Desert Bluffs coworkers include the staff weatherman, Ted.[1]
When Kevin meets the Faceless Old Woman, he astonishes her by claiming to be able to see her face.[4]
Kevin mentions having had a grandmother who embroidered pillows with the phrase "REACH YOUR FULL PRODUCTIVE POTENTIAL." "I loved those pillows so much, she sold one to me!" he recalls.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Episode 19B The Sandstorm (Part B)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Episode 19A The Sandstorm (Part A)
- ↑ Episode 43 Visitor
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Live Episode The Debate
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Episode 46 Parade Day
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Episode 47 Company Picnic
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Episode 48 Renovations
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Episode 49A Old Oak Doors Part A
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Episode 49B Old Oak Doors Part B
- ↑ Spelling of Shawn