ShowbizMonkeys.com Comedy Interviews...

[metal2000]

Okay, so I haven't done that many yet over the last 2 years, but I plan to ramp it up a bit and do more. I also thought I should post them here, in case anyone wanted to read/watch/listen to them.

Also note that the first several posted were literally the FIRST INTERVIEWS I'D EVER DONE. The Brian Stack interview, in particular, was the first one-on-one in person, it was done late on my last night in NYC, I was terribly nervous, I was using the video recording function on my digital camera, and my interview technique is poor at best (I've received a ton of complaints about my "talking over" him throughout).

But regardless of my crap skills, these still might provide some enjoyment for readers/viewers/listeners:

• Andy Samberg (transcript/audio) - July 31, 2007
  
• Chester Tam (transcript/audio) - August 3, 2007
  
• Brian Stack (video) - October 19, 2007
  
• Tom Papa (article) - November 6, 2007
  
• Sugar Sammy (video) - January 25, 2008
  
• Jorma Taccone/Chester Tam (transcript, Jorm/Chez-created video) - March 18, 2008
  
• John Hodgman (e-mail Q&A) - December 12, 2008
  
• Sugar Sammy follow-up (video) - February 12, 2009

And I just posted another one last night:

• Aziz Ansari (e-mail Q&A) - March 2, 2009

Last week I also interviewed Vik Sahay (Lester on "Chuck") in L.A. and then Jorma, Andy, and Akiva of TLI via phone once I got home, so those will be going up very soon as well. I'll post the links in here once they're up.

[metal2000]

The Lonely Island: Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer (audio) - March 17, 2009

[metal2000]

A couple more interviews from this year:

• Vik Sahay of Chuck (video) - April 2, 2009
• Aaron Bleyaert of The Tonight Show (video) - June 1, 2009
• Loudon Wainwright III (video) - August 12, 2009

[sharilyn]

There's no way to ask this without sounding arrogant, which is totally not my intent, but this has been driving me crazy for a while. I'm from Winnipeg (though live in Toronto now), and I have no idea who you are. Have we ever met?

(Excellent site, btw)

[ResilientRabbit]

I enjoyed the Hodgman exchange -- thanks for posting it!

[metal2000]

Sorry I didn't notice your post until now, sharilyn. I was out of town when I made that last post and didn't check the internet much for a while afterward.

Anyway, I don't think we've ever met before, though I do remember listening to your interview with Rob Corddry (courtesy of a Daily Show LiveJournal link) when he did a show at the U of M a few years back (at least I think it was you). I'm also friends with Big Daddy Tazz (and designed his website) and am good friends with Aaron Merke, both of whom I assume you know personally or are at least aware of given your lengthy time in the Winnipeg comedy scene.

I really wish we had more comedy content on ShowbizMonkeys.com, and I'm constantly trying to find ways to do so. But as I don't like to contribute outside of doing interviews, it's a matter of finding people to write about comedy ON the site.

[sharilyn]

Wow, you have a great memory -- that was indeed my interview with Corddry! He was great fun to talk to. Love him.

I do indeed know Merke and Tazz. Haven't seen Tazz in quite some time, but ran into Merke when I was back in town back in February. Being in Toronto now, I definitely don't get to see people as much as I'd like to. Thank God for Facebook!

Winnipeg is such a small comedy community, everyone seems to know everyone else, so I was surprised I'd never met you at the King's Head nights or anything. =)

Look forward to seeing more comedy content on your site! I'm sure there are plenty of people locally who would be keen to contribute.

[metal2000]

I was coming here to post my interview with Jorma Taccone about MacGruber, but I realized I also missed posting another couple comedy-related interviews over the last while as well. So here they are:

• Jorma Taccone (MacGruber director/co-writer)
• Steve Franks (Psych creator/writer)
• Kevin Pollak (stand-up, actor, KPCS host)

Also, I did an interview Matt Walsh in March, which we'll be posting when Players re-launches on Spike in a couple months.

[metal2000]

Here's the promised Matt Walsh interview!

• Matt Walsh of Players, and many other things we know and love

[metal2000]

So this isn't an interview, but an up-and-coming stand-up comic (J.D. Renaud) has been writing feature articles on our site about the world of stand-up comedy. So far there are 3 posted, but expect more (plus, there will be others writing about comedy, or topics relating to comedy, in the near future).

Here's the page for this featured section, called "Amplified Idiots":

http://www.showbizmonkeys.com/comedy...ture=amplified

Any comments would be super welcome -- especially on the site itself. According to our stats, people are reading the features, but not actually comment on them -- but since the latest article consists completely of only questions, it begs for answers and discussion!

[metal2000]

I've got another comedian interview up (finally):

• Stand-up comic Shane Mauss

Will hopefully be interviewing a few actors ON comedies in a couple weeks when I'm in L.A. to cover the Oscars. Plus, ShowbizMonkeys.com will be filming some more original comedy pieces on the Red Carpet again.

[metal2000]

Here's another comedy-related interview, from a couple weeks ago in L.A.:

• Conan graphic designer and sometimes performer Pierre Bernard

[metal2000]

I've interviewed a plethora of comics this past week in advance of the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and am attempting to post all the interviews this week (so. much. editing.) before the festival is over. Here are the first few:

• Kevin McDonald of "Kids in the Hall" (a dream interview for me!)
  
• Stand-up comic Darren Frost
  
• Stand-up/actor/improviser Chris Gibbs

[metal2000]

We did quite a few more Winnipeg Comedy Festival interviews that are now up on the site. Some of these names may be unfamiliar to non-Canadians, but they're all solid comics and worth the listen (or at least go check out the comedians' work elsewhere):

• Darryl Lenox (one of my favourites, and also one of the nicest guys around)
• Pete Johansson (wish I had gotten to do this interview)
• Darcy Michael (might have heard him on Stop Podcasting Yourself -- very friendly and funny)
• John Hastings (smart, young comic to watch)
• Sam Easton (talking about the play "Incongruous", written by Bruce Clark, inspired by the life of Irwin Barker, and co-starring Sean Cullen)
• Ryan Ash (local Winnipeg stand-up -- watch if you're curious about the scene here)
• Andrew Grose

[metal2000]

As I posted in the JFL thread, we've got a bunch of interviews that they set up with us with performers at this year's festival. Most of these are audio interviews, which we're calling a Sorta Kinda Like a Podcast ('cause as of now, there's no regularity to them, but you can download the MP3s and listen at your leasure).

• Eugene Mirman
• Hannibal Buress
• Maria Bamford
• Adam Hills
• Beardyman

[metal2000]

Normally I reserve posts in this thread to interviews with comedians, but I figured I'd throw in a link to a contest comedy fans (especially those of its history) would likely enjoy winning: a giveaway of the book Groucho Marx and Other Short Stories and Tall Tales. Groucho wasn't just a great comedy performer and ad-libber, he was also a wonderfully skilled writer and humourist, and I personally can't wait to read my own copy of this collection over the next little while. (We will likely also have interviews with Harpo Marx's son, Bill Marx, as well as the editor of the Groucho Marx collection coming up soon.)

Anyway, here's the giveaway link: http://www.showbizmonkeys.com/contests.php?id=310