Years ago, when I met the woman who became my eventual wife, when describing me to her family she stated quite matter-of-factly that I was a Stand Up Comedian.  Her mother, bless her heart, responded with a curious confusion: “Well that’s nice.  What does he do for a living?”

At my 20th high school reunion, many of my former peers were intrigued by my profession, and somewhat wistfully wondered whether or not they had chosen the right life path by getting a standard, nine-to-five job.

I mention both of those moments because each shows how little the outside world knows about the world of comedy, or the life a comic lives. The stand up comic is a rare breed of person that if not validated by the television, doesn’t seem to exist to people. Regarding my (now) wife’s mother, as I was not famous, she didn’t believe it was possible to survive by slinging jokes from the stage. Regarding my once classmates, they were not aware of the amount of effort it takes to both hone your craft and get work doing it.

Stand up comedy is rarely seen as an art form; a musician may garner respect for his songs, but many people believe that all you have to do in order to become a comedian is just stand on stage. Charlie Sheen recently discovered the error of that assumption with the failure of his Torpedo of Truth tour (the natural irony being his tag was “Failure is not an option,” and yet the tour was been considered a failure on near every level).

Fortunately, Jordan Brady is out to change the preceding stereotypes of comedy, and is doing so in the form of a documentary. I Am Comic is a film that exposes the masses to a glimpse behind the wizard’s curtain; from the unknown to the famous, comedians are interviewed and share insights into their lives and world. A former (and perpetually part-time) comic himself, Jordan wanted to show the world what comedy meant to him and how at times being a comic felt like being in the mafia (“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in…”).

Rooftop set interviewer Nathan Timmel to dig into Jordan’s brain, and after several trips to the dentist (by Nathan, damn my feeble teeth) waylaid plans to speak on the phone, they were finally able to connect via email.

NT: How much footage did you shoot; meaning how much ended up on the cutting room floor?

JB: I shot over 200 hours of stuff.  It pains me that some great young comics are didn’t make it.  Sean Patton, Anthony Jeselnik. Even the always funny Kathleen Madigan didn’t make it, but she’s on the DVD.  The first assembly of material was 2.5 hours long.  I was riveted, but that’s really obnoxiously indulgent.

NT: I saw the movie streaming on Netflix; does (or will) the DVD/Blu Ray have extra scenes/interviews?

JB: YES! The DVD is out and has killer bonus stuff.  Todd Glass & Larry Miller sharing a hell gig at a Prom (which is free on iTunes now), More Sarah Silverman & Kathy Griffin, and a song about “Merch” sung by yours truly.

NT: How long did you travel and shoot footage?

JB: I spent 8 months shooting.  After 5 months, we edited as we went.  I made the film between directing commercials, which is my trade.

NT: How much time did you spend with each interviewee?

JB: Anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes.  Some bigger names were longer.  Jeff Foxworthy was so gracious to have us in his studio.  Sarah Silverman had me to her set.  And Roseanne, one of the most intriguing comics, went for an hour.  Louis CK on for a while too, just chilling and chatting with us, which was very cool.  On a sad note, Bobby Slayton, who always kills, spoke one run-on sentence for 24 minutes.  He’s in the film for 8 seconds… but he gets a laugh.

NT: Who was your biggest “get” that you may or may not have expected to land, and who would you say your biggest miss was?

JB: My biggest “get” for comedy fans has got to be Louis CK.  He shared his process and it was insightful and unique.  Funny thing, I’ve not heard from him since that cherished interview.  Personally, I’m a huge Wayne Federman fan, so watching him write behind the scenes for Jimmy Fallon was a treat.  Wayne also played “Ronnie the Roster” in my flop “Waking Up in Reno.”

I also cherish the fact that Phyllis Diller is in the movie.  She’s a comedian to her core.

The biggest “miss” was Dave Chappelle.  I stalked him, and knew him before he blew up.  Aziz Ansari was going to let us go backstage at his Comedy Channel taping, but it got pulled the day of.  Do they still call it the Comedy Channel?

[Interviewer's note:  nope, it's Comedy Central]

NT: Ritch Shydner’s return to the stage became the accidental narrative arc to the documentary; what theme did it supplant? What was your intent going in?

JB: By the way, I love your questions.  Ritch’s arc is so emotional for anyone that’s done comedy.  Inititally, I wanted to do “Build-A-Comic”: a spoof of “Last Comic Standing” sorta.  We were planning a showcase for a newish comic.  The winner would get two weeks of gigs all over NYC, some cash and a place to stay.  I’d end with a showcase for “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

Comedian Eddie Brill, who is also in the film, books comics on “Letterman.”  He allowed us to shoot his showcases, which was great footage.  But when I saw had badly Ritch Shydner missed performing, giving jokes to comedians, I knew that was a unique storyline.  I gave Ritch 6 weeks to write a new 6 minutes.  Just before his first time up (at the Liquid Zoo Open Mic – a true Hell Gig!)  I said, “Ritch, if you kill it will be good for the doc… and if you bomb, it’ll be great for the doc.”  He did great!

NT: Is Ritch still performing today?

JB: Absolutely! Ritch Shyder is headlining clubs, and has ever since we wrapped.  He lives and breathes stand-up and clawed back to the top faster than anyone could dream of.  He’s one of my favorite comics to watch live, because he always goes off on a mad riff. And by mad, I mean madcap.

NT: During the explanation of Steve Royce’s Comedy Evaluator Pro, the line “Listens Politely” showed up on screen. Was anything edited? I’m wondering if the machine was showed to any comics, and then discussed/debunked?

JB: You are a clever one. Ritch Shydner wanted to lambaste Steve’s invention!  I asked Ritch to be polite.  You can see him biting his tongue.  It’s a pretty goofy program, but I must say, it’s Comedy Evaluator Pro – a step up from Comedy Evaluator Lite.

NT: The awkward question: Seeing Giraldo and Schimmel… Was there a sense of unhappiness from Giraldo? His Larry the Cable Guy roast was a true moment of honesty and pain.

JB: Schimmel knew what he was battling with, and you can see it in his eyes.  He’s so calm.  Greg I’ve known since he got his first deal.  My first wife was his agent, she took him to Montreal, so I have followed his career since then.  He was so nice and gracious.  Troubled?  Not that much more than many comics I know.  Obviously he was struggling.  He is missed.

NT: How did you determine the mix you were going to use of celebrity and (relatively) unknown comics?

JB: The film is about working comedians.  So I felt compelled to cover the spectrum fairly with the access I had. And I’m proud of the balance.  I could edit an entire film comparing & contrasting Sarah Silverman & Jeff Foxworthy. And it’d be funny!

NT: What has been the comic reaction to Carlos Mencia admitting flat out he will steal?

JB: It’s odd.  Carlos had some interesting views on being a stand-up, but the stealing thing overshadows it all.  Marc Maron saw the film when we screened up at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, and then had him on his popular WTF podcast.  When anyone puts the “I Am Comic” clip of Carlos on youtube, it instantly gets 40,ooo hits.  Some think he’s bullshitting, some think he’s admitting to it.  I see him as wanting to move on.  Joe Rogan made it his mission.  I just asked Carlos if he wanted to address the accusations out there, and you see his response.

NT: Marijuana was a fairly prevalent theme across many comics; some people seemed to be joking uncomfortably about their use; others were unashamed.  Did you find more comics using drugs/alcohol as a muse, or as a method of maintaining the high of the stage after their performance had ended?

JB: Marijuana (aka Mary Jane, Refer, Weed, Pot) can fuel creativity as well as keep a high going.  I quit smoking pot altogether… because the pot-cookies are readily available.  Yes, the pot & the booze keep the high going.  I did a mere 7 minutes at a benefit the other night, and was rev’d up from the high of getting laughs.  The tendency is to keep the buzz going, get higher baby.  With a dark mind, comes dark habits.

Pot also quells ADD and OCD, I find.  That said, many top comics abstain and have the disipline to write & perform without anything.  God Bless them.

I Am Comic is indeed available for purchase, and can be found HERE.

Enjoy.

Posted: April 28th, 2011 under Interview.
Comments: 17

Check out the hilarious roast videos in from our Ultimate 8 teams in the National College Comedy Competition. I think it’s fair to say everyone got their butts roasted. Vote now for your favorite teams through Monday, May 2nd at 12pm PST. The vote determines our Funniest 4 Teams who will get a shot at the NCCC Title and a chance to perform at TBS’ Just for Laughs Chicago.

Posted: April 28th, 2011 under National College Comedy Competition, NCCC tournament updates, Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
Comments: 12

Reiders,

I feel a bond between us, strengthening with every blog. I can feel you, I can hear you, I can see you. I can imagine you, tears gently streaming down your cheeks, your eyes –bloodshot, filled with emotion- gazing over every word I write, and in your heart, finding a fullness you thought only achievable through a life in Christ. In many ways, you are baptized by these blogs, though instead of Jesus –Reid. Instead of water –dick jokes.

That joke I wrote about last time (Dog Dick/Baby Bottom) really pulled me out of the joke slump I was in. I’ve been trying a lot of new things at mics, perhaps even things I’m not entirely interested in, but just to challenge myself. In a recent joke, I try to find how many times I can get away with saying “apple”, and so it turns out: about 85 times. It’s a great exercise in repetition, requires a lot of confidence, but lately I’ve been pulling it off to very agreeable results. Last Monday, I attempted to do a five minute set only using one-liners. I’m not a one-liner comic by any stretch, most of my bits end up at around the two to three minute mark, but I like a lot of jokes I’ve written for twitter and thought, “Hell, why not?” It’s very different doing such quick jokes, and I wasn’t quite adapted to that kind of humor, but out of the fifteen jokes I tried I found some definite possibilities in a few of them. Now I’m beginning to think that perhaps there is a place for shorter jokes in my humor, as long as they match with the style I’m developing. I’ve also been attempting more personal material, even talking about quasi-political opinions a little, and while it’s not something I feel a huge calling to pursue, it’s helping me grow and expand my range as a performer. No matter what you do as a comic, the audience can only handle so much of the same thing, so I figure it’s good to stretch out as such.

Also: I’m going to be hosting an open mic starting next week! At the beginning of the year, I wrote down a list of goals, and among those I included hosting an open mic, and running at least a monthly booked show (working on venues! Soon!). It’s led me to seriously consider what I look for in open mics, the atmosphere I want to develop. I took a train to a show I was doing recently with (damn good) comedian Mike Lawrence, and we spent a lot of time talking about the open mic scene, where it’s flawed and where it shines. He said something that stuck out to me: “Every open mic is living. They’re living things –and you know that because they all can die.” He talked about treating each mic not as just an opportunity to work through your jokes, but to make the experience something one-of-a-kind, to make it special and fun. Last week I did a mic at the Eastville comedy club (where I’ll be hosting mine) where the beginning was amazingly rowdy; everyone was shouting at the host, laughing, getting into fights between comics, and generally going insane. There was a palpable energy, and everyone did better because of it. I just this week did another mic there, where despite being more filled, the atmosphere was essentially static. Everyone sat still and emotionless, not so patiently waiting for their time to perform. You could tell that the other mic was living, because this one was certainly dead. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what leads to either outcome, but it’s definitely about the feel you build, how the host starts off the show, the people involved, the looseness of it all. It’s a lot of intangibles, but so many people do it well, so I know that creating a “living mic” is not only possible, but consistently possible. We’ll see how I do with it next week!

Follow Reid on Twitter

Posted: April 28th, 2011 under BIG CITY, LITTLE REID.
Comments: 25

Brad Williams is definitely not one to shy away from jokes about his size—let alone Mexican impersonations and adventures in his sex life. You probably recognize Brad from Comedy Central’s Mind of Mencia and he has also appeared on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Live at Gotham. Rooftop recently caught up with Brad to talk about being teased by his father growing up, performing ADD-style comedy, and humping things for Carlos Mencia.

Rooftop: For those who haven’t seen you perform, describe your style of comedy.

Brad Williams: I kind of have ADD, so I kind of do comedy for ADD people. If you don’t like a specific joke, wait 30 seconds, because that’s kind of the internal timer I have going on in my head. It’s very rapid fire. It’s very high energy and a lot of it is self-deprecating. I started out talking about dwarfism because I kind of have to. If I don’t, the audience kind of looks at me and goes like, “Does he know?” So I’ll start off talking about it, but then I’ll branch off into other topics.

RT: Do you ever get tired of feeling like you’re expected to touch on dwarfism jokes?

BW: I don’t mind that at all. Some comics might get upset if they were pigeonholed in that way, but I know I have a characteristic that not a lot of people are familiar with. People always say, “Why do you tell jokes with a dwarf’s perspective?” And I say that’s the only perspective I know. I don’t know how to tell a joke from the perspective of a 5’7” guy. I like having something my audience is interested in. I like knowing that when I walk onstage, there’s an immediate sense that the audience thinks, “Oh, what’s this guy got to say?” Whereas, if your average white guy goes onstage, the audience looks at it like, “Alright, you’re just another average white dude”.

RT: Tell me about how you got started in comedy.

BW: I feel like I’ve been training to be a comedian my whole life. The reason why I say that is because my dad, who was tall, knew that I’d be made fun of. So he would train me by making fun of me. He would encourage me to hit him back with something. He would hit me with a joke and I would fire right back with something. And I feel that really was my training ground.

My big break came at a Carlos Mencia show. Mencia started making midget jokes. Half the crowd was laughing and the crowd sitting by me wasn’t laughing at all. Mencia noticed that and he said, “I know these jokes are funny, but half you guys aren’t laughing. What? Is one of them here?” I raised my hand and he saw it. I don’t know how. He just immediately called me up onstage. He started talking to me and I cracked a few jokes and he asked if I was a comedian. I said no and he said, “Well, you should be”. About a year and a half later, I went to another one of his shows and he saw me before the show and remembered me. He said, “Did you start doing comedy?” and I said yes. And he said, “I wanna see what you got. I want you to open up my show tonight”. So I had only been doing open mic nights and then all of the sudden I’m doing a sold out Improv in front of 400 people. From there I started going on the road with him and started doing comedy.

RT: What was it like being a regular on Mind of Mencia?

BW: That was fun as hell man. I knew that I would never have a normal day at work. I knew I’d probably be dressed up in a funny outfit and I’d probably be humping something. In the writer’s room, there was a sign on the wall that said, “Brad isn’t in it until the last minute”. The reason why that was on the wall was because they found out that whenever a sketch wasn’t working they could always throw me in it and then—boom—you’d have yourself a successful sketch.

RT: Given your close relationship with Carlos Mencia, what’s your take on the joke-stealing controversy surrounding him?

BW: I was with the man for four years and I would see his work ethic. I would see him watch something on the news and then watch him go on and do 10-15 minutes on something he saw that day. So when you’re turning out material that quickly, I can see how he can hit on other topics other comedians  talk about, but he doesn’t have time to steal jokes—if that make sense. He was always touring. And really the only joke that he’s gotten flack for is the Bill Cosby joke. If he was gonna steal any joke, you think he would steal from Cosby? That’s stupid. I really feel bad in that people don’t truly understand how good of a guy this guy is.

RT: Tell me about your days in the punk band Up Syndrome.

BW: Wow. Where did you find that?

RT: In the depths of YouTube.

BW: That was when I was in high school. They were a SoCal punk band. I was just the hype man. I would walk around, scream random lyrics, and I had a great time. I got to be a rock star without having to go rehearse and do all that stuff.

RT: Any talks of an Up Syndrome reunion?

BW: No, no reunion. Wouldn’t that be fun? It’s funny. One of the members of the band lives right next to me. He sells model trains. He’s kicking ass at it.

Brad’s new album, Coming Up Short, is available now from Rooftop Comedy Productions.

Posted: April 26th, 2011 under Cool stuff from Rooftop Comedy, Interview, rooftop comedy productions.
Comments: 37

San Francisco! Come celebrate the release of Collin Moulton’s new album “Chicken Stupid” at the San Francisco Punchline this Wednesday April 27th at 8pm. The first 25 people in attendance will receive a free copy of “Chicken Stupid” and a belly full of laughs. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE. Use the promo code “Rooftop” and receive 2 for 1 admission to the show.

Posted: April 26th, 2011 under Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
Comments: 17

We got an overwhelming response to our Funny Film submissions this year. Thanks everyone for participating! Today we announced the Top 20 films to be featured in our Fine Cut Showcase. Check them out – they are so impressive!

Posted: April 18th, 2011 under National College Comedy Competition, NCCC tournament updates.
Comments: 48

We just closed up our voting round and are excited to name our Ultimate 8. Congratulations to Columbia; UMD; SF State; Portland State; UF; Penn State; NYU and OSU. They will advance into the Conference Rival Match and produce some hilarious smack-talking roast videos. Stay tuned to watch those on April 28th!

We’ve had such talented and passionate comics this year! A big thanks to all of you who participated!

Posted: April 18th, 2011 under National College Comedy Competition, NCCC tournament updates.
Comments: 52

The Comedy Gallery is a brand new show combining the visual arts and the comedic arts into one big goopy mess. On display will be drawings of comedians by the lovely and talented Leslie Winchester as well as photographs of comedians by Ameen Belbahri. The Comedy Gallery takes place Monday April 18th at the 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco, CA. The show will also feature performances by Baron Vaughn, Kris Tinkle, Jules Posner, Janine Brito, Brendan Lynch, Joe Gorman, and special guests.

We caught up with Leslie Winchester to talk about the show.

How did you come up with the idea for The Comedy Gallery?

I was thinking about how comedy has become a big part of my life. I’ve been working as a cocktail server at Punch Line Comedy Club in SF for two and a half years, and I’m exposed to comedy four or five times a week there. I found myself wanting to be involved in that industry somehow because I’ve grown to love comedy. I’ve always enjoyed drawing portraits of my friends and classmates since I was young, and I took a bunch of portrait and figure drawing classes in art school. The majority of my friends are comedians now. I decided to combine my passion for portraiture with comedy, and the result is The Comedy Gallery.

It seems like many artists have worked at the SF Punchline. Aiyana Udesen. Ameen Belbahri. Kris Struble. Is there something in the water at the Punchline that makes people really good artists? Do you ever collaborate with your fellow waitstaff on art projects or shows?

Comedy is all about being creative and being inspired, and I think it attracts artist types naturally. It’s a great place to work. I was in two art shows with Aiyana Udesen at Show Cave and Dose of Art Gallery in LA this past Halloween. Ameen Belbahri will display his photographs of comics in The Comedy Gallery. He’s also helping me produce the show.

Your artwork tends to be more abstract. How did it feel to switch from your usual style to taking portraits of comedians.

I like to make abstract images, but I’ve always struggled with the style and the process. Those images come from my head mostly, and the contents tend to be vague and almost isolating to the viewer. By drawing people from real life, I get more passionate feedback, and it’s much more relatable and engaging in general. I also like that it’s a collaboration between me and the comics. For example, Alex Koll put a chair on his shoulders. I love it when they come up with random ideas like that.

What have you discovered about comedians from taking their portraits?

They’re excited to be drawn! Also, I’m completely intrigued by the reasons they become comics. I like to talk to them about where they came from and why they talk about the things they talk about on stage.

Your depiction of comedians tend to portray them in a childlike manner. Is this intentional?

It’s not intentional, but I’m more aware of it as I keep making more. I think it’s because I grew up drawing from Japanese comic books, and they all have big eyes and child-like qualities to them. Also, comedians speak without censoring themselves on stage, a bit like kids tend to speak. That’s one way of interpreting that aspect, but it’s not intentional.

What are you planning to do with the portraits? Are they for sale?

I want to make zines, which are hand-made books, with the portraits. Once I make a hundred drawings, I’ll make zines and sell them. I also want to make individual prints to sell, then the originals, eventually. I’m planning to hold The Comedy Gallery in Los Angeles in May, as well as other shows here in SF soon, so I’d like to keep the originals for a while.

The Comedy Gallery takes place next Monday April 18th. Tickets are available through brown paper tickets.

RSVP to the Comedy Gallery on Facebook

Posted: April 13th, 2011 under Interview, Shows.
Comments: 19

We’re buried in Funny Films here! Thanks for all the funny, weird and goofy submissions. We’re hard at work reviewing the countless films and cracking up! Stay tuned for the Top 20 Showcase to debut on Monday, April 18th.

Posted: April 12th, 2011 under National College Comedy Competition, NCCC tournament updates.
Comments: 26

With voting justing ending, we welcome in OSU, MSU and UMD as the last of our Select 16 Comedy Teams. Thanks to all the performers who won’t be moving on! We hope to see you guys next year. Also, thanks to everyone who voted and supported their teams.

The Select 16 have been paired up with new rivals and will now be fighting for a spot in the Ultimate 8. Vote online from April 14-18th to help your team make it through.

Posted: April 11th, 2011 under National College Comedy Competition, NCCC tournament updates.
Comments: 22