How I Made It in Comedy: Interviews with David Sedaris, Bob Odenkirk, Robert Smigel, Allison Silverman, and Harold Ramis
An introduction to our excerpts from "And Here's the Kicker: Conversations With 21 Top Humor Writers on Their Craft"
By Mike Sacks
These interviews are from my new book, And Here's the Kicker: Conversations With 21 Top Humor Writers on Their Craft (Writers Digest Books), which contains conversations with 21 top humor writers. The five writers included here have one more thing in common: early on they all worked here in Chicago. (Each conversation is much longer in the book.)
If you're wondering what constitutes a "top" humor writer, I would say an impressive resumé, deep respect from peers within the industry, and a willingness to sit still for five to 15 hours over a period of two to three days, usually on the phone, or in front of the computer, or in the back of a coffee shop—to answer question after question, in greater and greater detail, from a total stranger. And always for no payment. (Please keep in mind that if you cannot find your favorite writer in this book, perhaps he or she had "better things to be doing," such as "spending time with family" or "earning a living." Those are actual excuses, and, I have to admit, pretty good ones.)
If you are a student who wants to write humor as a career, or if you're a humor writer who wants to improve your standing within the industry, or if you're a reader who's interested in a bizarre, secretive occupation at which few will ever succeed and those lucky enough to do so tend to go slightly mad (or, at the very least, become horribly depressed), the book might be for you. —Mike Sacks
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How I Made It in Comedy: David Sedaris
"In the great scheme of things, the way I exaggerate in a story is the way I exaggerate in life. It’s no different. That’s just the person I am and always have been."
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How I Made It in Comedy: Bob Odenkirk
"I had a meeting about writing a movie script for Francis the Talking Mule, which was a really dumb idea. I thought, What did the executives see in my past work that made them think I’m the perfect guy to write this?"
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How I Made It in Comedy: Robert Smigel
"There’s just something about the combination of a tiny animal and a man’s nipples that tends to upset viewers. Isn’t that an old comedy saying?"
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How I Made It in Comedy: Allison Silverman
"It helps—if you are going to write for somebody else, like I have for Conan, Jon, and Stephen—to understand the needs of a performer. Sometimes writers become very enamored with their own material—especially those who write for print."
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How I Made It in Comedy: Harold Ramis
"At the time—it was the late 1960s—the Playboy editors wanted to modernize the jokes a bit, to make them more counterculture. A big part of my job was changing 'the farmer' into 'a swinging advertising executive.'"
- Jul 2, 2009
Author Archives
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How I Made It in Comedy: Harold Ramis
"At the time—it was the late 1960s—the Playboy editors wanted to modernize the jokes a bit, to make them more counterculture. A big part of my job was changing 'the farmer' into 'a swinging advertising executive.'"
- Jul 2, 2009
-
How I Made It in Comedy: Robert Smigel
"There’s just something about the combination of a tiny animal and a man’s nipples that tends to upset viewers. Isn’t that an old comedy saying?"
- Jul 2, 2009
-
How I Made It in Comedy: David Sedaris
"In the great scheme of things, the way I exaggerate in a story is the way I exaggerate in life. It’s no different. That’s just the person I am and always have been."
- Jul 2, 2009
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