The Daily Grill

Succotash Epi9: A Visit With Kelly Carlin

Succotash is your Comedy Podcast Podcast and, as such, we feel it's our duty to keep stretching the definition of "comedy podcast" a bit more when we can. Succotash hit the road to interview this week's special guest, Kelly Carlin, who was kind enough to invite me into her home for a discussion about comedy, podcasts, and her late father, comedy legend George Carlin.

She's a smart, lively, funny, and fascinating personality, who hosts Waking From The American Dream, an internet radio show and podcast. Interestingly, we learn that she wasn't involved in the world of comedy very much while her dad was alive but, immediately following his passing, she found herself greeted by well-wishers of high status in the comedy community, who were anxious to make the only child of a comedy figurehead know that she was welcome to become part of this great extended family.

It's an interesting conversation, one which I've broken up over the hour-long episode and interspersed with a handful of clips from some comedy podcasts we've not featured yet:

• Affirmation Nation
As I mention in the show this week, Affirmation Nation is one of my new favorite p'casts. The installments are short and can be found daily over on Earwolf.com. Featuring Bob Ducca, there's a great lampooning of "feel good-ness" going on in each tasty bite of this offering. (Apologies to Bob, Seth Morris, and the Earwolf folks - I blew leaving the link info in the show this time! I'll mention it in Epi10. In the meantime...)
www.Earwolf.com and iTunes

• Cinematic Method
Funny concept and follow-thru for a show by a quintet of guys. They watch movie trailers and, from those alone, attempt to predict the film's ratings on the Rotten Tomatoes site. Talk about meta! In this clip, the guys examine recent release Fright Night.
www.CinematicMethod.com and iTunes

• Comedy-A-Go-Go
Friend of Succotash Dave Nelson and his p'cast are back on the show via this clip featuring a taste of his interview with actor/comedian TJ Miller. Dave's a touchstone for podcast and comedy happenings in the Midwest, and we're glad he asked if we'd revisit his program.
www.dvnelson.podvean.com and iTunes

• The Mad Ranters
An "open forum where a 'nothing is sacred' approach is taken" is how the Mad Ranters' website talks about their podcast. Angus and his crew take everything to task and leave no stone unturned along the way. We're just giving you a taste: Angus ranting solo about drivers in the middle lane.
www.TheMadRanters.com and iTunes

So we're a little short on the clip count this week to better accommodate our interview with Ms. Carlin. But you'll also catch another Burst O' Durst with regular contributor and political comedian extraordinaire Will Durst (www.WillDurst.com and @WillDurst on Twitter), plus we dip into the Tweet Sack and have another new ad from the folks at Henderson's Pants.

Lastly, we've received zero calls on the new Succotash Hotline at (818) 921-7212, which leads me to believe everyone's incredibly happy with what we're doing, nobody's listening, or you all wish that it was toll-free. Regardless, if you're listening to the show and could do us the great honor of going up to iTunes to rate it ANd review it, we'll be your bestest friend ever.

Hope you enjoy this week's serving and that you'll do your best to pass the Succotash!

— Marc Hershon

Goodbye To The Nice Guy With The Crazy Eyes

Last week I wrote a goodbye to comedian Richard Carter, who was warmly remembered by those who knew him. This morning I heard about the passing of a another beloved veteran standup comic who I was fortunate to cross paths with a number of times over the years: Vic Dunlop. Beset with health problems (mostly related to diabetes), Vic was a testament to humor being good for the spirit.

A garralous performer, Vic was one of a small collection of satchel-toting prop comics who tended to use his powers for good...and the props were often just a side dish to his rollicking (and sometimes corny) jokes and observations. He was a true force of humor onstage, though, and his boisterous laugh and attitude rarely failed to grab even the most wooden, arms-crossed audience member and have them laughing by the end of his set.

I saw Vic most often almost 30 years ago when I was managing Seattle's Comedy Underground comedy club. He was a veteran of TV's original Make Me Laugh, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert and Evening At The Improv. At that time in comedy, that was all it took to be a celebrity on the circuit, so we always had full houses whenever Vic came to town.

Among his earliest props was a pair of buggy plastic eyes that became such a signature piece in his act that he took to buying them in bulk and selling them after his show. He even released a CD of his comedy entitled Hot Buttered Eyeballs.

Son of well-known character actor, Victor Marko, Dunlop was known for having served in Viet Nam. (He warned me when he first stayed at the comedy condo in Seattle not to be alarmed if I heard him screaming in the middle of the night — he suffered night terrors as a result of his wartime experiences.)

His weight always an issue, Vic was diagnosed with diabetes which led to him having to have a foot amputated. Although I'd not talked to Vic in a long time, I would hear from mutual comedy friends about his ongoing ailments and he underwent surgery a week or so ago for one of them. Apparently, complications set in, aggravated by the diabetes and he passed away the other night at 63 years of age.

Vic had been heading up a contingent of comedians the past few years who were specializing in promoting "clean comedy", shows which families could enjoy seeing live. Along with longtime friend Bill Kirchenbauer and others, he was enthusiastic as always about his career as a comedian. A truly nice guy with a big heart, a great laugh, and the ability to use both to entertain people regardless of his own situation and condition.

I embedded this video of Vic performing that I found on YouTube. It's from 2009, but it paints a good enough picture of the man and his humor for those of you who may not have gotten to see him on stage. Miss you, Vic!

— Marc Hershon

Succotash Epi8: What Duvet Said What?

Episode 8 is up (in record time - just was laying it down at Studio P last night - way to go, engineer/producer Joe Paulino!) and not only do we have a whole new passle o' podcasts but this epi features special guest co-host Rob Celli. He's one half (combined with LA-based partner Jason Duplissea) of popular podcast What Duvet Said. (WDS isn't a comedy podcast, per se, but the hosts have a sly sense of humor that touches everything that they talk about during the course of their weekly hour.)

We kick things off with a quick trip through the Tweet Sack (the Succotash version of a mailbag feature), and unveil the new Succotash Hotline number: 1 (818) 921-7212. Then Rob and I launch into a slew of podcast clips, most of them chosen by Rob. (The first pair of segments are features from What Duvet Said — hear Rob and Jason's podcast at www.WhatDuvetSaid.com or grab it from iTunes.) The rest of podcasts, in order of appearance…

• Good Clean Fun
Rob cites this show as one of the inspirations for he and Jason to take their personal conversations online for the world to hear. The hosts of Good Clean Fun, Jasper and Mike, live halfway across the country from each other but that doesn't keep them from convening weekly.
www.rockandrollgeek.com and iTunes

• Gee & Jay Radio Show
The #1 podcast in Belfast? It is to hear these two mates talk about it. It might take a little while to get the hang of listening to their thick Irish brogues (at least to an unpracticed Yank's ear!) Plus it's a kick to hear that Google Plus is getting a workout overseas at the same time as in the States.
www.GeeAndJayShow.com and iTunes

• S & M Rants Podcast
From the website: "“The S&M Rants Podcast is a weekly podcast where Shane Birley and Monica Hamburg talk about weird and amusing stuff. Want to find out more about Chewbacca sex fantasies, Japanese toilets and bad erotica? Wondering who the fucktard of the week is?” In this clip (our last 'duo hosted' show of this edition) the two kick around a news story about a dude who tried to have a prostitute arrested for not putting out to his satisfaction.

www.shanesworld.ca/podcast/the-sm-rants and iTunes
 

• The Jimmy Dore Show
A Succotash favorite, Jimmy Dore and his panel of guests (Mike McCrae, Frank Conniff, Paul Gilmartin, and Robert Yasamura) enjoy taking a comedic bite out of political and pop culture figures.
www.JimmyDoreComedy.com and iTunes

• Comedy Bang Bang
Guest co-host Rob Celli brings in a clip from another show we like hearing from! Scott Aukerman has consistently has great comedic guests and hyperweird drop-in characters. This segment features a mini-reunion of the director (David Wain) and a couple of the cast (Paul Rudd, Ken Marino) of the movie Wet Hot American Summer, released 10 years ago.

www.Earwolf.com and iTunes

• The Pod F. Tomkast
Avant garde comedian Paul F. Tompkins hosts this imaginative show, performed in front of a live audience. Definitely an experience worth catching a full download of sometime!

www.paulftompkins.com and iTunes

• Comedy Accident
I was happy to feature this clip, provided by the sketch group of the same name from Chicago. In this segment, they have a visit with sketch and improv vets Susan Messing and Greg Holliman.

www.ComedyAccident.com and iTunes

We close out Epi8 with our regular feature, Burst O' Durst, provided every edition by San Francisco premiere political comedian Will Durst. (For more Durst, visit his site at www.WillDurst.com and follow him on Twitter @WillDurst.)

So download a helping from this week's stash, tell your friends and don't forget to pass the Succotash!

— Marc Hershon

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This Old Guy Walks Into A Comedy Club...

Richard Carter, 1920-2011

I just learned that Richard Carter passed away at the age of 91 last month, over across the bay in Concord, CA. He was a war hero in WWII, an artist for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City and then, in his late 60's...he became a standup comedian.

Wish I could remember the year - I think it was 1989 - that Dick showed up at the Punchline in San Francisco to audition for the SF International Standup Comedy Competition. I'd been helping with various aspects of the competition for years and it was that year that I was fielding the auditions. Dick came in, looking a little lost, disheveled, and with his cardigan sweater off by one button.

He was on the list for the auditions and said he's driven all the way from Salt Lake City to get there. I figured this would be a quick, sad trip across the stage for the befuddled old man. Once on stage, he reiterated that he'd made the long car trip to be there. "In the fast lane. The whole way. With my turn signal on." The audience fell out and by the time his handful of minutes were up, I just had to invite him in.

The next day I reported back to Jon and Anne Fox, the producers, who were puzzled and a little aghast. "How could you let a 68-year-old guy into the Competition? It's for YOUNG comics!" First I pointed out that he WAS a young comedian - he'd only be doing it for two years. Then I just let Dick's act speak for itself - he got up to #6 for his week. Six out of 20 preliminary contestants. Missed the semi-finals by one spot. But it was the confidence builder he needed.

Dick moved to the Bay Area and started playing the clubs. Even ended up on The Tonight Show in 1993. Our paths never really crossed after that, but I was always proud of the way that guy stuck by his guns and used the fact that he was a senior citizen to his best comedic advantage.

Richard Carter. Best oldest young comedian I ever knew.