The world just keeps getting weirder. Exploding pagers in Lebanon, trees with guns, stupid artificial intelligence, and elephants on your birthday. Somehow we get to all of it. Thanks for dancing inside my head with me for another episode.

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

I catch up with Candlebox on the road, along with Bush and Jerry Cantrell. This brings up memories of Blockbuster, 80s and 90s movies, plot devices that no longer work, and the way stories change over time.

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

No, you don't want to be a comedian. I talk about why you don't, plus some viral House of Dragon advertising, and more Texas storms.

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

00:48 It's Raining, It's Pouring
09:26 Better Get the Word Out
15:33 Put It on a Banner
18:34 It's Like Volleyball

I have been shame eating to feed my inner fat person. Also, a tangent into my favorite coffee and how to get stuff for free at Starbucks.

I usually rely on summer blockbusters to get me through. I am an unapologetic nerd for all things comic book or sci-fi. Well, not all of them. I do, however, believe that the MCU is mankind's single largest, most impressive art endeavor.

I walk almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day. Neighborhoods are weird things. Mine is no exception. Walking today made me realize how all these yappy dogs have really gotten out of their lane. We beat them. We de-wolfed them or whatever we did. Also, how to survive if a dog decides to chase you.

With my flagship podcast dropping to a reduced schedule over the summer and my tour schedule intentionally light while I finish a film project, I am looking for what's next. I will likely bring guests back, but for now enjoy short, bite-sized servings of my life as I figure it out.

Chingo Bling built a successful hip-hop persona, and a sizeable social media following.  He's collaborated with artists including Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Fat Pat, and Pitbull, and the success of his YouTube channel led him to the stand up stage, which is where I first met him.

It's important to note that he didn't come to stand up comedy expecting instant success.  I watched him start at the same open mics as everyone else until he got his feet firmly underneath him. The difference was, he had already spent an entire career learning skills that he realized applied to stand up. Deciding to do something new doesn't mean you have to start at zero.

This is my conversation with Chingo Bling.

Most of stand up comedy works the road.  Comedy clubs, cruise ships, military bases, colleges, and corporate gigs. These are the comics who go where the people are. JR Brow is one of those comedians, and one of my favorites.

Appearances on Comedy Central and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson only solidify the obvious. JR Brow is a rock-solid comedian with the added flair of being able to play the guitar really, really well. If you're looking for a poster child for the American working stand up comedian, this is it.

It is comedy unfettered by celebrity, and in all the good ways. Nobody in these crowds is giving you a pass because of who you are. You must earn every bit of it, and 30 years fishing those treacherous waters can't help but teach you some things.

I would like to see what those things are, but first I pick up with JR Brow as we revisit some of our early adventures together.

For more on JR Brow, visit JrBrow.com

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In stand up comedy there is a lot of talk about finding your voice. The conventional wisdom says it takes 7-10 years, but that's just to your first voice.  Who we are on stage, or as artists in general, changes constantly.  I am certainly not any of the previous versions of me anymore. 

My guest on this episode has reinvented himself multiple times. Billy D Washington is a stand up comedian, playwright, and musician. He's been a cop, VH-1 VJ, guest on The Late Late Show, and while multiple appearances on BET and Def Comedy Jam seem to make sense, Billy began his career in the white male dominated landscape of the late 80s and early 90s.

Clubs, colleges, cruise ships, corporate shows, Billy D Washington has now found his way into them all, and that only happens when you are self-aware enough to evolve.

Listen to Billy's new album, The Washington Posts, out now wherever you get your music.

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At any given moment there are approximately 100 living bladesmiths as certified by the American Bladesmith Society. My guest on this episode is one of those 100. Jason Knight might be familiar to you if you watched History Channel's Forged in Fire where he served as a judge on multiple seasons.

Recognizing that his heart was in making cool things rather than just being on television, Jason now owns and operates Knight Forge Studio. His custom pieces are highly sought after, as is his tutelage. All the accolades aside, Jason Knight is incredibly down to earth and, as you'll see, he bleeds creativity.

I think you'll instantly see the parallels between bladesmithing and your own endeavors. This is my conversation with ABS Mastersmith Jason Knight.

Michael Duff is multi-talented.  As a musician he's released several albums, both as a solo artist and as the front man for bands like the 90's rock outfit, Chalk FarM. He now runs Duffweb, a full-service marketing agency that specializes in creatively marrying effective websites with explosive promotion.

There's a lot to consider when you make the transition from mere artist to functional, professional entity. What's the difference between you and the people who are living the life you're trying to? My guess is that they all have addressed the things we'll get to in this episode. 

Sure, we talk among ourselves about how, "You gotta take yourself seriously, or how, "We're businesses." But what does any of that mean?  I'll talk to Duff about some of the practical things we can do to start treating ourselves as the proper businesses we should be, as well as strategies for building and maintaining our audience.

For more on Michael Duff, as well as answers to all of your questions about web design and marketing, visit www.DuffWeb.com

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In 2016 I had the privilege to join the cast of the third film in Jordan Brady's I am Comic trilogy. Jordan is a commercial director now, and he's a seasoned documentarian, but he's also directed Hollywood features, hosted MTV game shows, and in a lesser known piece of trivia, is the inventor of the phrase "bow chicka bow wow," which was a signature piece in a very successful stand up comedy career.

The film I'm in, I Am Battle Comic, looks at what it's like to perform for the United States military overseas. It touts a star studded cast of comedians, much like the previous two films in the trilogy, I Am Road Comic, and the cult classic that started it all, I Am Comic.

I Am Comic features interviews with Phyllis Diller, Jeff Foxworthy, Lewis Black, Tim Allen, as well as a host of known and unknown names at the time, and I can't recommend it enough as a primer on stand up comedy beyond what you see in a typical Netflix special.

More importantly, Jordan and I have become friends, and his optimistic approach to the world of entertainment is infectious. I sat down with him to find out the stories behind his and how he goes about making things.

You can visit Jordan's world of commercial directing at www.CommercialDirectingFilmSchool.com

Also, try Jordan's Oso Delicious Hot Sauce.  I personally keep a bottle of each at the house, because the Texan in me loves a little heat.  Visit www.OsoDelicious.org, where $1 from every bottle bought, stolen, or broken goes to the National Military Family Association, another organization I care deeply about.

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This is what happens if you put me, Spirit Airline, an amped up Uber driver, and some raccoons in a Florida-shaped blender. Also, telepathy.

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01:35 Spirit in the Sky
06:10 I Like to Party!
14:44 In the Dark
19:26 I Make Some Sounds

An original member of the famed Texas Outlaw Comics and a recent stand out on America's Got Talent, Andy is one of the most diligent writer-performers in the game. 

Andy has, by far, the longest career of any artist on this season. He began in Virginia in 1977 – that's basically my entire life - before heading to Los Angeles later that year, a brazen move in an industry that was barely an industry yet.

There's a lot of history in those forty three years, and a lot of knowledge, so come with us for a lot of technical talk about joke writing and how to break through the tough spots in our processes.

Follow Andy on all things social media @AndyHuggins

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If you don't know Ali Siddiq yet, it's okay. You will. It's inevitable. I met Ali a year or two into his career, just a few months before I began stand up myself, and I remember watching him take a standing ovation as a support act for another very successful comedian at he time. It was magic.

What I didn't know was that I was watching a kid freshly released from prison, before apprearances on BET, HBO, and Comedy Central, on a mission to do something different. Ali was arrestd for dealing drugs while he was still in his teens an served 6 years of a 15 year prison term. 

The journey is well documented in his Comedy Central special It's Bigger Than These Bars, a special that came after he nonchalantly won the network's Up Next contest in 2013.

And all along the way, he has remained one of the most prolific stand up comedians in a generation.  Ali Siddiq and I talk about what inspires him to turn something into comedy.

Watch "It's Bigger Than These Bars" on Comedy Central, or for Ali's entire catalogue, visit AliSiddiq.com

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There are a lot of characteristics that can help move us down the line a bit more quickly.  There are things like innate talent and charisma, and practiced skills like patience. I'm not sure where grit falls on that list, but Tammy Pescatelli has plenty.

Her story runs from road comic to television regular, most notably including Season 2 of Last Comic Standing and multiple Tonight Show appearances . Her latest special, The Way After School Special, is available now on iTunes.

Tammy and I talk about the stretch of her career following LCS, but it quickly gets to what I love most about her. She's a purist, and that level of authenticity is what's worth paying the most attention to.  Show business in this case, but anywhere really, is full of distractions.  We'll talk about some of them, but first I pick up with Tammy Pescatelli in the Last Comic Standing days.

Follow Tammy on social media @tammypescatelli

The Way After School Special: https://www.amazon.com/Tammy-Pescatellis-After-School-Special/dp/B082YP2M94

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My guest on this episode is Christopher Titus.

You might recognize him from his roles on television where he co-starred in ABC's "Big Shots" and helmed the eponymous FOX sitcom, "Titus." I had the privilege of touring with him a decade ago and was fortunate to observe his process along the way.

He just wrapped production on his 8th stand up comedy special "Chasing Monsters,"and I feel like I need to pause and acknowledge that number because each one consists of 90 minutes of original stand up material.

We cover a lot of ground from confidence and ego, to storytelling, to, most importantly, how to get the things in our heads out.

Get access to all of Titus's comedy special at ChristopherTitus.com
Follow him on Twitter @TitusNation or Subcribe to The Christopher Titus Podcast

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Find Slade's latest book, Until All the Dragons Are Dead, wherever books are sold.

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I like disruptive personalities. Usually when we do something we look at the way everybody else is doing it and then we attempt to replicate that. Sure we put our original flourishes on it, but that's only in the creative process itself. What about how we present everything?

Steve Hofstetter is a disruptive personality. You know Steve. If you have the internet his "Comedian Owns Heckler" videos have popped up on your timeline at some point. He's the ginger kid with glasses and sharp wit and well-honed improvisational skills. His YouTube boasts half a million subscribers and he has over a quarter of a billion views on Facebook.

He's produced TV shows, written a book, and released six comedy specials as well, all while creating a massive, ever-growing catalogue of video content.

Enjoy my conversation with Steve Hofstetter.

For more, follow him on all things social media @SteveHofstetter, or visit his virtual comedy club, NowhereComedyClub.com

Follow Slade Ham:

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Find Slade's latest book, Until All the Dragons Are Dead, wherever books are sold.

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In this episode I'll talk with mathematician turned comedian, Matthew Broussard. His credits are many from MTV and the late night circuit to various sitcom appearances and a constant slot in Comedy Central's stable. He's also frustratingly good looking.

I'd argue that his real success is not the product of luck or looks but of diligently working out how comedy works. I believe that a huge part of what makes comedy work is spontaneity and we certainly get to that. But with stand up specifically, there's a very technical element. Joke form, structure, and detail are all vital. Stand up is so much more than just getting on stage and saying funny.

I talk with Matthew Broussard about the structure that goes into performance and writing, as well as how we psychologically reconcile our real lives with our personas on stage.

For more on Matthew Broussard follow him @MondayPunday, or see his sculptures at @CockblockGargoyles

Follow Slade Ham:

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Find Slade's latest book, Until All the Dragons Are Dead, wherever books are sold.

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Be sure to leave a comment down there in the comment place thingy.

Let me introduce you to the beach I grew up on, and some first date eavesdropping, and the end of an era. What's next? I dunno.

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

01:23 Crystal Beach
07:51 First Date Territory
14:17 Endings
19:59 Next

Be sure to leave a comment down there in the comment place thingy.

I spent my birthday in the Appalachian Mountains, wihch reminded me of a trip to Big Bend on the Mexico border. Also, I'm into how to change the game we're playing from a finite one to an infinite one. Plus, my continuing lack of participation and the Roaring Twenties.

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

01:34 Who's Is the Drugs
10:48 Infinite Games
17:36 I Don't Know
20:33 The Roaring Twenties

Be sure to leave a comment down there in the comment place thingy.

In this episode I talk about measuring success, other people on the road, why SUVs are so prevalent (and dangerous), and what the hell a balloon even is. Pour yourself a water and come ride with me. 

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

01:10 Chop the Wood
11:22 Full of Air & Tied at the Neck
18:39 Forty Inches or Higher
24:18 Mr. Parallel Driver Guy

I admit, Eurovision is a guilty pleasure. In this episode I talk about it, the new ChatGPT updates, and how I am also losing my faith in the existence of Bigfoot. If that didn't have me in enough of a tizzy, I recall a reporter who lied to me recently.

Modern times often recall olden ones and sometimes it's the opposite. I revisit an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that reminds me of today. Also, more pondering on managing expectations, the man vs bear vs woman debate, and the TV show Alone.

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

01:15 The Game
07:49 Expectation
15:57 Man vs Bear
19:45 Mmmm, Mouse Soup

I get shadowbanned on TikTok right before this episode. I also talk about leaf blowers, night fishing, and how to be selective with what you give your attention to.

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

00:58 This Is Not the Same
07:14 You Gotta Pick When
14:14 Hello, Governor
23:01 I'm Glad You're Deaf

This episode is all about the messy middle of things. It's also about leaving space for something better. Also, Goldilocks was a picky little thief. Just settle in and let me guide ya.

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

00:47 Sides
04:48 In Between
15:16 Does That Make Me Crazy
19:16 Creating a Vacuum

I cover a few recent airport incidents before I veer off into rant territory about the stories we tell ourselves and how true they really are. Also, some thoughts on sharing. 

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

I wander the labyrinth of customer support on Facebook and YouTube, and I contemplate how long things should take to make. It's ameandering walk through my week, if you're up for it.

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

Andrew Youngblood has a new comedy special out called "I'll Tell You This." He's also a Houston guy like myself. In this episode we talk about how he made his special (some of it may surprise you), what makes Houston a good scene, and what it's like to release a special on a huge comic's platform.

There's a lot to learn and laugh along with.

Watch Andrew Youngblood: I'll Tell You This: https://youtu.be/fbglrBVL2Pg

Watch my special: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0
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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

I try to distill what I have learned in the last year down to 20 minutes or so.  If you're trying to get something done, it takes a lot of work. It's also worth it most of the time. I hope some of this helps. Now go get in line for my new special!

Signal / Noise comes out April 2

I consider how we don't think about our global cohabitation situation enough, which leaves me thinking about past roommates. Some of them had hand grenades. Also, watching the animals around me run so frantically makes me want to stand very still in the tall grass. I promise to elaborate before the end.

My new special comes out April 2!

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

A tea kettle and a bunch of bananas walk into an Indian wedding. There's bound to be a joke in this episode somewhere. I am far too cruel to this fat, Indian rich kid, but I'm working through some things. Also, inflation-proof gorilla food.

My new special comes out April 2, right here. There's a sneak peek at the intro in this ep as well. Make sure you're subbed to catch it!

The Discord is here. Sneak in: https://discord.gg/5cUjnKKf9T

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

In this episode I get to some audience questions. I'm also fighting through a case of poison ivy, which distracts me. Mainly though, I am vexed by the insane amount of superhero fodder we've been given the last decade.

My special comes out very soon. Make sure you're subbed to catch it!

My guest on this episode is Chingo Bling. Originally a product of the Houston hip-hop scene where he collaboraed with the likes of Paul Wall, Pitbull, & Baby Bash, he pivoted to stand-up and content creation a decade ago. His first special, They Can't Deport Us All, debuted on Netflix.

In this episode we talk about writing material for a new tour, and how to get it ready. Also, Chingo has built a team around him he trusts and we talk about that too. It's a good conversation among friends about how to make things that make you happy.

I apply Stoicism to my attempts to stay ahead of the metaphorical avalanche. I've been fired from every job I can remember, and that's taught me to leave myself multiple outs. Also, what lottery tickets and content creation have in common.

My years of railing against new technology has caught up to me and now all of it is fighting back. This leads me to counsel you to purchase the correct jack for a flat tire. We just can't beat the machines without the right tools.

Plus, how much of the billion-dollar social media machine goes to the people creating the content? Not as much as you'd think.

My guest on this episode is my good buddy Jerry Wayne Longmire. You might recognize him from your social media feed. He boasts just shy of 900K followers across platforms, and has amassed over one billion views of his Shop Talk and Truck & Boot Astrology videos. 

In addition to content creation, JW is a hell of a stand up comedian. I highly recommend his hour-long special, The Reckon Yard: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFlnkiafWX4

In this episode we talk about his roots, where ideas come from, interacting with fans, and how to make a life you want to live. 

My new stand-up show seems to be exploring the difference in mentality required for survival versus happiness. It's an important distinction. Also, I find myself in a coffee shop and instead of railing against the current state of affairs, I give in. You can only scream into the wind for so long.

The Discord is here. Sneak in: https://discord.gg/KhnYvVCG

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

I throw some sections of crowd work up from this past week's shows at the Improvs across Texas. I try to narrate what's happening in my head as I do. There's a lot more to talking to the crowd than just making fun of people and asking what they do for a living.

The goal is always to craft a bit, and to bring the chat to some closure so I can get back to the material.

My new special is out now: https://youtu.be/3y_zeO7JLD0

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

I've given up on creative title writing. This ep has some clips from a recent stand up show. It's new. I don't know where it's going yet. But mainly it is fun. Also, a suggestion to watch three movies that tickle my sci-fi/fantasy nerves.

The Discord is here. Sneak in: https://discord.gg/PGArBekm

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I wander down the road back to when I quit smoking. But before that, smoking was an identity. I fought an entire city over a smoking ban. This episode is about dropping identities, I think.

The Discord is here. Sneak in: https://discord.gg/PGArBekm

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

It's a rambling first entry into 2024. I discuss a few mental strategies I've been exercising lately, plus Zume Pizza, an old acquaintance, and getting jumped for a phone.

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

This is an honest one. I contemplate how I played 2023 and look at where I am headed in 2024. I am pretty brutal with myself, but I think it's all been worth it.  I have a brand new special coming in 2024 and it's really good. I hope you stick around for it! (Hint: A sub will keep you in the loop!)

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And as always, please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

It the last episode before a brief hiatus. In this ep I strategize on what I would do in a post-apocalyptic world. Hint: it wouldn't be hiding in a room full of canned goods. What are your plans? Could you make it? I also ruminate on wildlife cinematographers and their detached approach to their jobs and relationships, as well as Johnny Rolfe, the most self-reliant man I've never met. I cover a lot of pointless ground in this one. Join me?

I have a brand new special coming in 2024. Please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

What exactly would happen if Taylor Swift got pregnant? I make predictions. Plus, what horror movie could you survive? I talk about my aversion to them and why I think we like them. Plus, Stephen King.

I have a brand new special coming in 2024. Please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

Just let me yell, will ya? I don't know how time works, comedy bookers are on my nerves, these DJs won't shut up, and Slow Luis down at the Combat Kroger is having a day.

Please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

I thought I was going to lament the weather and veer off in a totally different direction. Instead I revisit my first real road gig and a trip through New Mexico.

Please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

After a week of watching people on the internet, my frustrations sort of work their way out of me. Influencers, restaurant reviews, and a mandatory call to pick sides to everything, from cell phones to global conflicts. It's exhausting.

I prefer to profess my ignorance in almost every field. I know that among all the other biases I fall prey to, the Dunning-Kruger Effect is one of the biggest. Let's chat.

Please consider telling a friend if you dig the show.

This week marked the release of Andy Huggins brand new comedy special, Early Bird Special. How we got there is a story that got it's start over two decades ago, and it is s testament to how doing the right thing can lead to even better things for everyone involved.

Also, I visited Bard College in upstate New York to see Neil Gaiman give a series of lectures on writing. I came back inspired. Hopefully it motivates you just a little as well.