Having been constantly getting in touch with anyone connected to comedy that I can, I sent a few questions to Chase Roper of Punchline Magazine. Here's how it went down.

-What exactly is your background in terms of writing and what lead you to Punchline?
I've been writing for a long time. Ever since I started kindergarten I think. It started out as mostly upper-case letters and eventually I could form abstract/concrete thoughts and storylines and transcribe them onto paper. While they are not the only thing I use when writing, prepositional phrases are probably my most favorite to use.

I guess you could say my tenure at Punchline Magazine began when I had dream one day that while I was at my old job, I got an email from the editor-in-chief there asking me if I was interested in being a contributing writer. Then it turned out the dream was real.

 -In your experience, had writing for comedy been any different than any other type of journalism you have done. How does it compare to other publications you have written for, say, Life&Style?

The only journalism history I really have is from highschool when I was the Assistant Editor of the paper. Covering comedy is basically the same as the highschool stuff. Except you have to replace cafeteria food with stand-up comedy.

Have you read Life& Style?

-Having covered comedy so intimately, what do you think about its current state? Where do you think it is going?

Comedy has form to it, but it isn't all the same, its sort of shapeless. When you consider those two points along with the fact that you can see comedy rules out solid, gas, and liquid states of matter. So I guess whatever toothpaste is. That's what comedy is. As far as where I think Comedy is going - hopefully to my house. Otherwise, what am I going to do with 4 Cornish game hens?

 
 

Today, I was able to get in touch with alternative comics Eugene Mirman and Todd Barry as they were on a Virgin America flight to San Francisco. Miraculously discovering that they had internet access on the plan, they logged onto  the interwebs. I was able to get a quick interview session in with the pair.

So, without further adieu, here is my impromptu interview with Eugen Mirman and Todd Barry (sort of).

-What does the moniker of "alternative comedy" mean to both of you?

Todd is sleeping but I will answer your questions. I think alternative comedy is similar to "alternative music" or "modern rock" — it started as an alternative to mainstream, but eventually just became a genre. Nirvana is alternative, but also mainstream. Also, it comes from doing comedy in spaces that are alternatives to comedy clubs.


-What do see for the immediate future of stand up?

I don't know. I think people will keep being insecure but promiscuous. Standup comedy is in a great place right now. Because of weird cable channels, the ability to put out albums, and the internet, it's pretty easy to make stuff and get it. But there are a lot of great people don't great stuff. And though there are also terrible people making terrible comedy, that doesn't matter. Because there's now ways for people to have niches and it's not just up to one network who succeeds.

-Which of you would win in a sword duel on top of a mountain?

Though Todd is sleeping, I think we would both agree that I would win. He may end up disagreeing, but I am very good with a katana. Plus I can turn invisible. Watch. See I just did it! Pretty neat. I'm going back to working now. Bye bye.

 
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