When a comedian gets a job with SNL while he is taking his first writing course at an improv school, you can guess he is on a unique trajectory. From the beginning, Hannibal’s talent was so obvious… it was no surprise to see him all over Comedy Central (and beyond) in a few short years.
Before their surreal cringe-comedy hit the air on Adult Swim, Tim & Eric were just two guys from Philly who loved making incredibly bizarre videos with friends, and screening them between acts at local rock shows…. believe it or not, they were even weirder on VHS.
Open Mike Eagle proved that in the right hands, a lyricist’s wit can translate seamlessly to comedy writing… and proved the hell out of that concept with this CC series, spun out from a series of live shows with his partner Baron Vaughn.
Being there for some of the first WTF live shows, you could tell there was something special happening with this podcast, aside from resuscitating the stand-up career of its host… I wouldn’t have guessed he’d be hosting Obama in the garage a few years later, but neither would Marc Maron.
Comedians want to be rock stars, Rock Stars want to be comedians. Fred Armisen wanted to be both, and pretty much got his wish.