Dan Dion started snapping pictures at San Francisco’s legendary “Holy City Zoo” as a fresh faced kid right out of college in 1992, and has since moved on to become a stand up comedy institution. His impressive body of work includes portraits of Dave Chappelle, George Carlin, Ellen DeGeneres, Chris Rock and Robin Williams, just to name a few.
His new book, ¡Satiristas!, a collaboration with comedian Paul Provenza featuring portraiture and interviews, will be published by Harper Collins in early 2010. Check out Dan’s chosen clips and his very thoughtful comments below.
Robert Hawkins – Talk dirty to me.
Hawkins is, without a doubt, one of the best club comics working today. He’s at once smart, goofy, physical, scatological, cerebral, and lingual- a rapid-fire joke gun who doesn’t let you catch your breath when he’s letting loose. This clip is so wrong in so many ways- that’s what’s so right about it.
Laurie Kilmartin – Pranking Pro-lifers
Laurie is fearless as well as hilarious. There’s a reason she was a regular on Tough Crowd, and able to keep up with the likes of Colin Quinn, Jim Norton, and Patrice Oneal. This clip has the bonuses of being very dark, with digs at Christian conservatives and a self-deprecating punch line. What more could you want- a dick joke? Look elsewhere.
Will Durst – Cheney at the Inauguration
I recommend people see Durst at least once a year, more if possible. The guy has consistently cranked out some of the best political satire in the world, in the right way. He spares nobody, and yet you find yourself agreeing with everything. And add to this the occupational hazard of political comics that 90% of material has a 90 day shelf-life, and you’ve got a very impressive talent. And he used to be my boss when I worked at the Holy City Zoo, so I’ve never quite gotten over sucking up to him, apparently.
Maria Bamford – What people want
It is impossible to say enough good things about this amazing woman. Her absurdity is brilliant, her creativity boundless, and her personae uproarious. Yet she has a vulnerability that most character comics lack. I think she’s quite possibly the most original headliner on the circuit. Few comics do I feel an obligation to tell my friends about- she’s one.
Dana Gould – The great cheesestick fight
No other comic has made me cry like he does. The payoff on the buildup to this cheesestick joke is epic. Dana dances between perverted sex, crippling anxiety, entrenched racism, family dysfunction, and anarchic immorality in a ballet of blasphemy.
For more information on Dan, visit www.dandion.com.
Posted: August 20th, 2009 under Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
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