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.

 
Eugene Mirman 11/22/2008
 

Got in touch with the fantastically funny Eugene Mirman. He's a huge influence on me and my comic sensibility. With a big Boston show on the horizon for next week and some questions about how to proceed with stand up while at college, I queried a few questions to him and got a very generous response which I would like to share with all of you.

-What is the best way to organize your own comedy show, especially in a college setting? Is it just a matter of claiming a room, setting up the PA, and giving it a go?

Yes, I think you have to claim a room and set up a PA. I'd try to make it fun and not too long. When I was in college there weren't a lot of other standup comedians, but I would get people I thought were funny to tell stories or get sketch groups or have people read stuff. Sometimes I'd get comics from Boston I knew or nearby cities to come. There was a man who lived in a halfway house and was very funny but unstable who'd perform. And a man in a potato sack who performed at rallies. You can have a party afterwards. People like to be part of a community.

-How can one go about being influenced by certain comics without seeming too derivative of them as well? Case in point, I find that I am highly influenced the way you don't always seem to worry about segues. How does one go about channeling (or at least heavily being influenced by) comic styles that resonate and work with you, while avoiding pure imitation?

I think the only real answer is to do it for a while. You'll eventually find your voice and be less derivative. Maybe 5 years? Lots of people say it takes about 10 years to find your voice and feel comfortable. I think that's somewhat true. Obviously you'll have success and write good jokes before that, but if you think of most of the comics that are really great, many of them have done it for 10 to 20 years. There are exceptions. Demetri Martin, Aziz (I forget his last name), Andy Blitz, Nick Swardson, those people all found their voices much faster and had much faster rises. But it's vaguely true. Also, if you're worried about sounding like other people, that's probably enough self-awareness to avoid it eventually. So, I guess my advice is be yourself for 20 years and you can have a TV show?

-I seem to recall hearing that you recently played Mottley's in Boston. If so, what can you tell me about the room? I'm doing a show there next week and any advice would be snaz-tastic.

 I did play Mottley's. It's a nice room with low ceilings that seats about 100 people. My advice is to do standup well when you're there. There's nothing to really suggest.