The Funny Muscle Podcast

Comedy Drills and Comedy Specials with Jake Vevera

New York comedian and co-host of the podcast “Idiots on Parade” Jake Vevera (@jakevevera) stops by the Funny Muscle Podcast to talk about his upcoming comedy special, which is about to be released on YouTube.  Jake is full of advice for new comedians like his three-sentence joke writing drill and his advice on stage time. Find out why Jake also tells new comics to pretend that their audience doesn’t speak English. (hint: It forces you to work on your cadence and timing.)

Comedy on Cruises with Lenny Schmidt

Lenny Schmidt stops by the Funny Muscle Podcast to teach us about the logistics of planning comedy material for 5 nights in a row on a cruise ship (hint: you got to keep track of your call-back jokes). Lenny, who has been doing comedy since the 1980s, also studied improv in Chicago. You may recognize Lenny in movies like “Joe Dirt” and “The Ugly Truth”, and TV shows; “Castle”, “True Blood”, “Big Love”, “ER”, and “Desperate Housewives.”  The episode is full of great advice on how Lenny brainstorms, writes, organizes and perfects his comedy craft.

Corporate Gigs and Comedy for the Troops with Nathan Timmel

Headlining comedian, author, and host of the podcast “Idiots on Parade” Nathan Timmel invades the Funny Muscle Podcast to talk about the current state of comedy, to tell us tricks for doing corporate gigs, and to tell us stories about performing for troops overseas.  As always, we get his advice on writing and creating new material for new comics. You can find his latest comedy special “Unapologetic” on YouTube.

Writing Comedy Monologues with Ben Alper

We learn about writing monologue jokes with Ben Alper who has written jokes for several decades and has seen them performed by the likes of Jay Leno and Dave Letterman.  We discuss his recently published book: Live from the Beginning of Time: Late Night Comedy Monologues Through the Ages. The book imagines if there were late-night talk show hosts during things like the discovery of fire and the development of democracy. The episode will give you tips on writing jokes for topical news stories.

Mike's first set in 10 years and Book 3 Flexing Your Funny Muscle

On the same week that Mike released the third book in the Funny Muscle series, he did something he hasn’t done in 10 years: he strolled on stage and performed a 5-minute set. We talk all about it in this episode.  We also dust off the Humor Blueprint to diagram a few pro comics’ bits to give the listener practice identifying joke structure, humor heightening devices, and misdirection.  And we debut our Humor Blueprint jingle.

Booking Talent with Dan Carlson

Comedian, Director of the Chicago Comedy Festival, and former General Manager of Zanies Comedy Club in Rosemont, Dan Carlson, stops by the Funny Muscle Podcast. Dan teaches us how to capture a booker’s attention in the first minute of a set, how the finances between the comic and club work, and when to know if you are ready to jump from opener to middle to headliner.

An Academic Look at Why Things are Funny: Benign Violation Theory with Dr. Caleb Warren

Dr. Caleb Warren joins the podcast to give Mike and Chris an academic and research-based look at why things are funny using a framework known as the “Benign Violation Theory.” Dr. Warren is a professor in the Marketing Department at the University of Arizona and one of the authors of a paper called “Benign violations: Making immoral behavior funny.” His particular areas of research focus on what makes things funny, what makes things cool, and what helps people reach their goals. We put his humor theory to the test chatting about tinkling, roasts, and comedy crowds. 

The Comic and Booker's Advice with Steph Clark

We chat with comedian Steph Clark who is also the owner of Funny Girl Events. So, we get advice from a comic's perspective as well as a booker. We learn some dos and don'ts of impressing a comedy booker, what it's like to be married to a comedian, and regional differences in comedy as Steph performs frequently in the LA area and the Midwest.

Restarting Stand-up; Copywriting and Comedy with Kevin Rogers

New comics will appreciate the advice from touring comedian Kevin Rogers, who took 12 years off to build a family and business, who then had to turn his comedy creation machine back on to create 20 minutes of new material in a new generation with a whole new comedy lens. Kevin Rogers is a comedian, business guru, and author who helps businesses write the words that hook customers and boost sales. Kevin steps into Funny Muscle world to teach us how the skills of stand-up comedy augment the art of copywriting and vice versa. We also break down his new material and how he crafted it---the clips are interspersed throughout the interview. 

Improv in Acting with Dan Bakkedahl (aka Congressman Roger Furlong)

Actor and improvisational comedian Dan Bakkedahl stops by the podcast to chat about acting, improv, auditioning for roles, starting out in Chicago, and heightening comedy scenes. Dan is known for his role on the sitcom Life in Pieces, as Congressman Roger Furlong on the series VEEP, and as Steven Nugent in the series Legit.  He also worked as a correspondent on three seasons of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.