Graham Kay: NYC Comic

Graham began his comedic odyssey back when he was growing up in Ottawa Canada at Yuk Yuk's Comedy Cabaret and Absolute Comedy Club. Since then he has appeared in many venues in Europe and New York, including, Times Square Arts Centre (former Laugh Factory), and the Comedy Village NYC. Graham has also appeared in various small films as well as television appearances for VBS.TV. and the CBC. And when he is not busy proving his elementary teachers wrong, that you can in fact work as a class clown, you can find him at the local bar practicing how to drink a beer.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=34317028



What/who inspired you to do what you do? Um...I don't know...I guess when I was a kid, I'd watch comedy on TV with my dad. We didn't have cable at the cottage so we'd rent a lot of Bill Cosby VHS tapes.

How long has your career lasted?
Right now, two years. In college, I majored in history with a minor in film. I did history because it was the only thing I was interested in. In class, it was like a soap opera of things that really happened.

Where have you traveled with your talents, what's your next destination? If you could choose your next destination?
I have performed in um Ottawa, Capital of Canada (where I'm from) and Vancouver, Canada and Budapest, Hungry...and obviously New York,,,and New Jersey! Isn't that exciting? New Jersey? One time I even got to perform in Connecticut!

Where is your favorite spot to perform and why?
My favorite spot to perform is at Yuk Yuc's actually no, Absolute Comedy Club in Ottawa because it's where I started and it's just very nostalgic. Every time I go back there I get to see how far I've come. I never know week to week how far I progress but where you go back home you really get to see the difference. It's like if you were a kid and you get sent to boarding school and then you come home for the holidays and your parents notice how tall you've grown. You get to see how small you once were and now you are bigger.

Who is your favorite obscure artist/comic/performer to work with? Famous?
Obscure would be um...well, my favorite famous is Dave Chappel but there's lots in NY, it's hard to choose...I like working with Matty Goldberg, I like working with Danny Lobell and I really like working with Halie Boyle, she's going to be famous,,,she's different than anyone else.

Wow, Dave Chappel?
About a year ago, I was working at a comedy club and that's the same comedy club Dave worked at before he moved to New York. He found out that club was closing and came back to visit his old stomping ground and he walked in with a back pack and headphones, no one was with him, he was very humble...he laughed at my jokes and called one of my jokes an instant classic and he said he hadn't laughed that hard since he hung out with Chris Rock in Eddie Murphy's house. Then he talked to me for like ten minutes after and said I was talented.

Ever see him after that?
Yeah, one more time and he remembered my name...it was really weird.

Tell me some perks of being a comic. What are some peeves?
I like the hours. I like staying up late. I like hanging out with friends. It's like being in seventh grade again. I get to BS with my friends,,,it's not about the drinking. I mean there is some drinking but not really and I really like sleeping in..I really like sleeping in. Overall, the biggest perk is performing, your job is to have fun...you're only really ever funny when you're having fun, you have to have fun. Peeves would be it's hard to keep a girlfriend because you have opposite hours of a normal person...I hear gun shots outside my door, the gun shots peeve me off. And...I don't know the money can be bad sometimes...

What's it like being 'on the road'?
Being on the road is fun because you're with friends, it reminds me of going to away games like when I played hockey in high school, farting on friends the whole way and then when you get there you try to sleep with someone but when I was a kid I didn't try to do that.

Does being a comic heighten or hinder your chances of having a meaningful relationship?
Hinder! Hinder!

Ever had a heckler? If so, how did you handle it?
Everyone has had a heckler...I just watched Richard Pryer, "Here and Now" and he was being heckled the entire time and he handled it the way I wish I could handle it, they just laugh it off and continue on, they don't get into a fight, they know they're funny and they just continue to be funny. A heckler is just somebody who's sad that the spot light is not on them.

Ever been on TV? Radio? Describe one or both.
Both. I have my own radio show at the university and I was on Comical Radio which is a radio show here in New York. I was on Danny Lobell's Radio show and then I've been on Canadian television..I commented on the world hockey championships.

Are you consistent with your material or do you like to change it constantly, what are the ingredients?
Most comics stick with the main ingredients and stick with it for a long time,,,cuz it takes a long time to come up with a joke. I'm always writing but I'm always using old stuff..I never throw old stuff out.

Where do you see yourself in five years from now?
Five years? Writing this blog.

What do you mean?
I'm gonna take over. I'd like to be on TV regularly. I think I will be.


This guy is REALLY funny. See him live at the following NYC venues: NYC Comedy Club, The Comedy Village, Comedy Corner, Joe Franklin's.

Coleman Green keeps it green!

Laugh Out Loud

My sister, friends and I recently went to see Coleman Green at the Laugh Factory, a comedy show in Hartford, Connecticut. There were several amateur and professional comedians there presenting their material. As the final comic, Coleman Green left the audience bursting. As he finalized the show, I anxiously waited to speak with him and ask him some questions. The last time I laughed that hard I saw Chris Rock at Comic Strip Live in NYC (he was practicing his material for the upcoming MTV awards).
Coleman Green has appeared on TV's "Evening at the Apollo" and has played some of the country's top clubs. He frequently appears in N Y C. This man will make you LAUGH HARD! Go see his show, it is always guaranteed laughs with Coleman Green.

Hey Coleman

Hi there.

What are your current goals?

More NY but cuz I live in Philly, sometimes that isn't feasible. Many others have made it without (NY). Taking more acting lessons, doing Cablevision commercials, the last commercial I did for them I played a color pixel but I can't really get into that right now because it hasn't played yet...

When did you decide you wanted to be a stand up comedian?

Twenty years ago, but it took me another ten years to actually do it, I took a comedy class, and my five minute stand up went really well.

Where was this?

At a Casting Agency in Philadelphia. The first real show was at a club called Bonkers, there were eight other comics there (from the class), and their family and friends were all there, about 150 audience members in total.

Highest pay per gig?

$1,500, the pay varies however from state to state, venue to venue and things like that. The more famous you are, the more money.

Ever been televised?

Auditioned for the Apollo, haven't seen it yet, did well though.

Would you consider comedy to be a stable job?

I can gauge my income, I budget, my wife works also, one month I could gross 4-5 (thousand) while others 2-3. It depends how known you are, the more well known, the more money...

Would you say, 'on the job training, you learn as you go'?

It takes a while to establish yourself, takes years. Some takes 10-15, while others can break in 3-4, exposure, movies, who you know, 'right place at the right time', these are all beneficial ways (to break in).

Would you highly recommend this job and if so, to whom?
For anyone who's funny: try it! It's an audience thing, if no one is feeling you...you realize quickly if it's for you, comedy is very black and white.

What are initial costs if any?

Advertising, Promotion, self promotion, agent and such. Right now I am my own agent although I have worked with agents before. The more people see you and want you the more agents approach you, until then you wait to be discovered. At the Montreal Comedy show I got close, this year I'm gonna break into it... (The Montreal Show is considered by many comics the "be all..." if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere). I got cards (business cards) and a web page, it was expensive (cards) but worth it. I made my money back, got a lot of gigs that way. I created those cards myself, I have experience in graphic design, and it’s my background.

These cards are cool! When is your next show? I can't wait! You are too funny; the audience couldn't stop crying (they laughed so hard there were tears in drinks, all over appetizers...).

Urban Salon, a local place in Philly, next week I'll in the Poconos for a show.

Were you influenced to do this (comedy) from any family members?

I have a funny family, but I'm the only one who took it to this level.

You write your own material?

It's based on my own life experiences, not fabricated, embellished, they're (jokes) not lies but fabrications of the truth.

You use the same stuff over and over, or...

Yeah, but right now I'm creating a new 30-40 minutes (new lines, new material)it has to come to me, I have notebooks all over the place.

The joke about the old lady you resuscitated when she had a heart attack after she realized you were her new neighbor, any truth in that?

My neighbors were initially nosy but we're cool now. You gotta play up on that, play with peoples' fears, you make exaggerations of the facts. You make a story of it, those people (prejudiced, narrow minded) have fear because of their ignorance, you build on these types of incidents you encounter and use it in your material. (The old lady is white, Coleman is black). I add in new jokes with the old ones and take out some of the old. But what it comes down to is doing all the jokes you remember in your joke arsenal.

Anything you'd like our readers to know?

Right now I'm writing a "mockumentary" with award winning documentary director Joe Fernandez; he's won several awards for his documentaries. If someone needs me, they need to sign up quick, soon I will be playing in major shows in NYC and I'll be all over the place (shows on television). When I get where I want to be (big like let's say, Chris Rock or bigger) you can get a cut (laughing). Why you in Hartford anyway?

Visiting my sister, I'll be going back to NY tomorrow, I want to see you at all the shows there, either way I'm checking you out August 2 at 8:30 pm at the Urban Saloon in Philly or August 8th at 10:00pm at Caesars Cove Haven (Lakeville, PA) or both!

Ok, gotta go, nice meeting you.

You too, bye. Check out more on Coleman Green by visiting his web page: COLEMAN@COLEMANGREEN.COM
His MySpace address is: www.myspace.com/colemanagreen.

This amazing and very funny stand up Comedian and Comedy Writer can also be reached at 215.677.8116 or 215.840.1778!

Questions and Answers with Myq Kaplan

http://comedians.jokes.com/myq-kaplan/videos/myq-kaplan---final-destination

Myq Kaplan a comedian named Myq Kaplan (pronounced “Mike Kaplan”). The Comedians magazine calls him “a comedy machine, in the best possible way. The way that some machines vend soda or prevent other machines from killing future revolutionaries – that’s how Myq Kaplan does comedy: relentlessly, methodically, unblinkingly.” Myq just made his debut on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien,” and his half-hour “Comedy Central Presents” special debuts on April 30, 2010 (part of a year in which Punchline Magazine says to watch out for Myq). He has also appeared on Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham,” at the New Faces show of the 2009 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, was voted 2008’s Best Local Comedian in the Boston Phoenix, and won the 2009 NY’s Funniest Standup Competition. A Jewy-ish vegan atheist who spells the name “Mike” weird, Myq enjoys words, social justice, Netflix, and comic books. Also non-comic books, ping-pong, and being great with women. And grammar and run-on sentence fragments. And of course, being hilarious to his demographic, which is anyone who might know the word “demographic.”

What/who inspired you to do what you do?

My parents inspired/forced me to play the violin at age 4. My disdain for the violin inspired me to take up the guitar in high school. My love of writing songs inspired me to find places to perform them, which brought me to the Comedy Studio in Cambridge, MA. Performing songs in that comedy club inspired me to write jokes, so I wouldn't always need to carry the guitar around. So, I came to comedy because of a combination of disdain for music, love of music, and laziness.

How long has your career lasted?

I've been pursuing standup seriously for between six and seven years now, and intend to keep making it last longer and longer.(Though asking "how long has it LASTED" makes it seem so final, like it's going to end at any moment. Do you know something I don't know? Sorry to turn the questions around on the interviewer. The hunter has become the hunted!)


Where have you traveled with your talents?

Everywhere I have traveled, I have traveled with my talents. Except before I had them. Unless you think talent is entirely genetic and not environmentally nurtured at all. (I'll skip my travels from the womb to college and start with where my comedy career as taken me.) I've performed at festivals, clubs, competitions, colleges in cities like Seattle, DC, Boston, Houston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, LA, and states (where the name of the particular cities wouldn't have as much punch to them) like Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maryland, and few, few more.

What's your next destination? If you could choose your next destination.

I can choose my next destination.I'm going to Atlanta, Savannah, and Athens, GA next week, performing a few different places with and without Todd Barry.

Where is your favorite spot to perform and why?

The Comedy Studio in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA is my favorite. I started out there, I hosted shows there for over a year with my comedic partner Micah Sherman, and whenever I return to the Boston area, I love performing there. The audiences are always enthusiastic, smart, and love comedy. Rick Jenkins, the owner, has done a fantastic job of cultivating a venue where the talent and the audiences always have a wonderful time. Also, I just moved down to NYC recently, and I'm still maneuvering through the gigantic quantities of places there are to perform down here, so I'm sure I'll have more and more favorites here as time goes on. So far, some places I really enjoy performing include Comix, Caroline's, UCB, the PIT, and loads of other places where I've performed in the past, and more where I'll perform in the future.

Who is your favorite obscure artist/comic/performer to work with?

Obscurity can be relative, I imagine, so I hope I'm answering this question appropriately...For example, Patton Oswalt might be an obscure name to the mainstream public, but in the comedy world, he's deservedly a giant (metaphorically). So, as far as obscurity more objectively defined by a context of comedy savvy, I'd say my favorite obscure artist/comic/performer to work with or just watch is Zach Sherwin, who goes by the comedy rap name MC Mr. Napkins. He is hilarious, brilliant, and prolific, always coming up with new unique hip-hop comedy fare, and in addition to being a super talented performing artist, he is a super human being as well. (Not super-human like he has powers, unless coming up with awesome rhymes is a superpower, but just a human being who is super.)

Famous?

It's hard to pick a favorite. I've worked with so many people who I respect, whose comedy I love.Louis CK, Patton Oswalt, Mike Birbiglia, Emo Philips, Andy Kindler, Marc Maron, these are all people I hugely enjoy and have been thrilled to have the pleasure of working with.

What's it like being 'on the road'?

I take it by the quotations around "on the road" that you don't specifically mean what is it like to be driving a car towards other cities where I am scheduled to do comedy (though that's a large portion of what being on the road consists of--listening to lots of music and podcasts, using lots of daytime cellphone minutes, being happy that cruise control was invented)... It's great, having my job consist of just driving places and talking. I like visiting new places, I like going back to places I've been, I like meeting comedians and fans from all over, I like getting to stay in some nice hotels, I like getting to check out of some other hotels, I like Netflix. I've been fortunate that I don't have to be traveling all the time, so it's easier to be positive given that I'm only traveling maybe a week or two a month, if that, and often it's not too far. Starting comedy in the Boston area was great, because there are road gigs within a couple hours in every direction, in all the surrounding states, and New York is similar. So, if I had to be away from home more than half the time, maybe I'd feel differently, but so far, so good, it's been fun going somewhere, doing what I love doing, and then being back at home.

Does being a comic heighten or hinder your chances of having a meaningful relationship?

I'd say it's different for everyone.For some people (comics or not), being THEMSELVES hinders their chances of having a meaningful relationship. Certainly the amount of time spent out at night working at comedy can be a hindrance to a relationship, but if everyone in the relationship understands and prioritizes appropriately, there's no reason why comedy and romance can't coexist. (Unless you're ugly.)


Ever had a heckler and if so, how did you handle it?

Are you asking me to heckle you? That's stupid. You're stupid, stupid.(How was that? Was that a good heckle? I apologize if you weren't asking me to heckle you.) Of course I've had hecklers. At the best clubs, heckling isn't tolerated at all, and often management will deal with it, by asking people to be quiet or leave if they're out of hand. That makes sense. You can't go the symphony and judge the first violinist based on how well he does or doesn't dispatch a jerk in the crowd.
That said, I'll usually just try to understand what the heckler is saying (physically if they're drunk which is often, and also what message they're trying to get across). Usually it's dumb and people don't want them to be talking if they're enjoying the show, so you can just tell them to stop because people hate them and they're ugly. In a hilarious way. That's how I handle it.

Ever been on TV? Radio? Describe one or both.

I'll describe both. A television is a small box with a picture window on it, and you can hit buttons to make different pictures dance across the window. A radio is smaller, usually more rectangular, but basically the same as a television, minus the picture, so it's just dancing sounds. And yes, I have myself been the dancing pictures and sounds once or twice. I was on "Live at Gotham" on Comedy Central, and I've been on a number of radio shows and internet pod casts, including Comical Radio, Keith and the Girl, In the Tank with Jon Fisch, and some, some more! (Sorry I didn't describe what the internet was. But you didn't ask.)

Are you consistent with your material or do you like to change it constantly, what are the ingredients?

I'm a vegan so I don't use any ingredients with meat in them. But you're probably asking metaphorically, so I'll address the beginning part of the question now. I'm always writing new jokes and trying them out at open mics and getting the best ones in shape to use in my act for more significant performances.I certainly wouldn't want to just tell the same jokes over and over forever, because part of what's rewarding about doing comedy is coming up with new ideas and sharing them, the process of creating and perfecting and then getting sick of and then starting over.

Where do you see yourself in five years from now?

Being a psychic. (And it all started here!)

Questions and Answers with Myka Fox

Myka has been performing on stage as an actor and comedian since childhood, most notably in Scotland's Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Myka served as the head writer for the sketch comedy show The Dan Show on Fox 5 in Las Vegas, written comedy punch-up for numerous short and feature films, and her work has appeared on TresspassMag, CollegeHumor, and the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City.

What/who inspired you to do what you do?


I saw a lot of stand up comedy on TV when I was a kid and people told me I was funny so I thought of it as not work...

How long has your career lasted?
I've been doing stand-up for three years but I've been writing funny things since elementary school. I host comical radio and I am a free-lance writer.

Where have you traveled with your talents, what's your next destination? If you could choose your next destination?
I mostly preformed in LA and NY and all surrounding areas and wherever people can take me with car and my next destination would be Boston. I would love to preform in the UK or Australia.

Where is your favorite spot to perform and why?
Um...it's usually at a party with my friends, that's when the most authentic things happen for me and I don't have to worry about getting stiffed by the manager. I haven't been stiffed but I worry about it...

Who is your favorite obscure artist/comic/performer to work with? Famous?
My favorite obscure is Mike Dobbins, I haven't preformed with him but have been at the same places...I've preformed with Dave Chapel.

What's it like being 'on the road'?
It's like renegade, you know? A lot of caffeine...and surprises...it's cold, red wine out of a box.

Does being a comic heighten or hinder your chances of having a meaningful relationship?
The most meaningful relationship I've ever had is now with a comic...if I had never gotten into comedy, I would have gotten into a more meaningful relationship maybe. The point is, comedy hasn't' gotten in the way of my relationship.

Ever had a heckler and if so, how did you handle it?
Um...well, the very first time I had a heckler I was brand new and crumbled immediately and later I invited hecklers....I sort of humiliate people now and make them heckle me.

Ever been on TV? Radio? Describe one or both.
I've only been on public access TV and my radio show, Comical Radio and other radio shows as well and when I was five I was on the news....

Are you consistent with your material or do you like to change it constantly, what are the ingredients?
I change a lot I would say. I would say 50 percent stays and 50 changes, whatever becomes my favorite stays.

Where do you see yourself in five years from now?
Gosh, I don't know, win the lotto I suppose...writing for a TV show, hopefully my own...just working creatively...I don't like to think about the future where I don't win the lottery.

Questions and Answers with Haily Boyle

Hailey Boyle has been a rising star on the New York comedy circuit since her transplant from Fairbanks Alaska to Manhattan in 2004. She is a regular at Caroline’s on Broadway, and tours clubs and colleges all over the country. Hailey has been featured in The New York Daily News and The Fairbanks News Miner, and last year Hailey was named one of New York’s Top Ten Funniest at The New York Comedy Festival. Most recently Hailey had a very successful run of shows at the 2010 Magners Glasgow Comedy Festival in Scotland. Hailey has also been privileged enough to host her own show on Latinolaughter.com, be featured in videos on Superdeluxe.com, and Funnyordie.com, as well as several guest appearances on Sirius Satellite Radio including Opie &Anthony, Jackie's Joke Hunt, and Breuer Unleashed. Her first national commercial campaign for Kimberly Clark ran for two years alongside her guest appearances on Fast Money, and Fox News

What/who inspired you to do what you do?

A friend of mine Shannon decided for me...she signed me up and within two days I'm learning how to become a comic.

How long has your career lasted?

Five years.

Where have you traveled with your talents, what's your next destination?

I've been to New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Alaska, my next destination is somewhere in Long Island where it'll be a steak/cigar, all men's dinner...that should be very interesting.

Where is your favorite spot to perform and why?
My favorite spot to perform,,um...probably Caroline's...there's a lot of prestige that goes along with that. I like climbing down the big staircase when I get there.


Who is your favorite obscure artist/comic/performer to work with? Famous?
Ummm...let's see...as far as obscure I'd probably go with Graham cuz he's not that well known YET and I love watching him...he's really good. I guess for someone famous, I'd probably say Judith Freelander. His style is ridiculous but he never ever acknowledges it's ridiculous and I love that.


What are some perks? What are some peeves? Perks...definitely you never have to pay for your food or drink, you get to travel and you get away with cursing at family gatherings. Peeves...people are always trying to give me jokes...and they try to be funny around you and they're not. And then people ask stupid questions a lot of the time, 'Do you write your own material?' It's like, 'No, I have a team of writers in my closet writing all my jokes for me!'

What's it like being 'on the road'?
Tiring...it's weird to check into a hotel, go to work, check out of a hotel...but it is nice to be out of the city.


Does being a comic heighten or hinder your chances of having a meaningful relationship?
Hinder...definitely hinder (laughing)...ah, as a woman it's difficult because dudes are way more possessive, especially if you're working with well-known comics. I do have some insulting men jokes out of fairness which some guys might not like.

Ever had a heckler? If so, how did you handle it? Oh I had a million hecklers...I actually love hecklers. I let them make a jerk of themselves and then I react...I love when the crowd turns on a heckler.


Ever been on TV? Radio? Yeah, been on Todd and Tyler, Opie and Anthony, Breuer Unleashed and I had my own Internet radio show for a while called The Hotness and I was on Comical Radio.


What was it like being on Opie and Anthony? It was hideous. I didn't know them and I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I hated it...the other ones were all awesome experiences.


Are you consistent with your material or do you like to change it constantly, what are the ingredients? I have my favorites but I'm always adding new material. My comedy is 97% based on my life experiences so I'm always adding something new.


Where do you see yourself in five years from now? On television...I fully intend to have my own sitcom and after that I will be a movie star.


Who is the closest well known comic you aspire to be? Eddie Murphy...I want to be a kick ass comic and then become a movie star...or, um, Steve Martin...all dudes mind you...

Questions and Answers: NYC Comic Pauly Confusion

What/who inspired you to do what you do?

When I was young um I always loved to be the center of attention. My parents had HBO and I always got to see Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield...I always knew when I was young what was funny even though I didn't always get the adult content...

Where have you done comedy?

I've done stand up in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, South Carolina..

Where is your favorite place to perform and why?

Well, I mean I love New York, I just think the whole spirit of stand up is here. You feel the great history here on stage. You have a great mix: tourists, New Yorkers, etc. I love the smaller clubs and venues, low ceilings, great for comedy.I've been on shows with Robert Kelly who became big. I've been on shows with lots of different performers. New York's kind of a small town and after awhile everyone is gonna get their shot.

What are the perks of being a comic? What are the peeves?

Well, the perks are if you're in a party and going out after the show, people want to buy you drinks and take you out after,,,if you're on the road you get a place to stay...the down side is this can lead you to get in trouble and lose focus and when people find out you're a comic people always want to put you on the spot and wind you up like you're a toy and turn you into an entertainment thing and not a person.

Is it lonely on the road?

Yeah, it can be. It depends, if you go to certain towns where you're not with friends and your used to New York where you can get whatever you want whenever you want, you can't and you can become a prisoner in your hotel room. There are fun times, depends who you're with and where you're going. Once I went to a place by Virgina Beach and it was at a nice condo and hanging out at the beach and I hung with a cool girl, you know it all depends. Some people don't mind being alone, but I can't.

Does being a comic heighten or hinder your relationships?

My personal relationships with women? It's difficult to have a serious relationship. Women don't like that you're not going to be around at night, and the whole trust issue...where you'll meet people after the show. When you're a comic, there's pressure to always be there...

Ever have a heckler? If so, how do do handle situations such as these?

All kinds, drunk hecklers, those who didn't know, people laughing at the wrong time, you have to address it real quick, and be funny about it and move on. It's a control thing...you have to remain in control, you can't let someone divert your attention and throw you off your game and the audience will respect you for how you deal with them.

Ever been on TV or Radio?

Radio, yes. 2005, I was on a morning show, did some improv Man Cow in Chicago and WOR with Joey Reynolds. University television, streamed on part time there. Went on Blind Date, a Reality show and I did a commercial for ESPN.

Tell me a little about your material and how you develop it.

Like most comics, I have some things I always use, but I like to do little changes so you never see the exact same because I like to rip about the things that are going on but if I'm making new material, I take advantage of how I feel, the vibe, the audience...when you're too strict with your material and rely too heavily on it, the audience can see this.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I'm 31 right now. I'm not a five year plan type of guy. Before my 40th, I plan on and will host the Oscars and that's one of my big plans.

Questions and Answers with Comedian Sean Murphy

What/who inspired you to do what you do?

When I was 13 or 14, I saw the movie Lenny starring Dustin Hoffman and I thought it was cool. I was doing acting at the time in high school...George Carlton, it seems silly now to say he was dirty but when I first heard him I was spellbound and even though I didn't start comedy until I was 25 that fascination was always there.

How long has your career lasted?

5 years.

Where have you traveled with your talents, what's your next destination? If you could choose your next destination?

At some point I've thought about moving to LA. I was seriously considering moving last summer but that didn't fall through. I was managing a comedy club part time here in New York but I was having a little too much fun..acting crazed like a vodka crazed Caligula

Where is your favorite spot to perform and why?

My favorite spot still is the New York Comedy Club,,,even though I'm not there, I feel very comfortable, it feels very natural to perform there.

Who is your favorite obscure artist/comic/performer to work with? Famous?

I don't work regularly with anyone famous but I've worked with Donnel Rawlings from the Dave Chappel show and he's fun to work with. I love working with Steve Marshall, he's a really funny guy and he's really supportive of younger up and coming comics.

Tell me some perks of being a comic. What are some perks? What are some peeves?

The main perk is the instant gratification and seeing something work right away. Right now, I'm writing a short story and you don't know. Whereas with comedy, you know right way but then there's the constant struggle with liking material that the audience doesn't and choosing to abandon it or not.

What's it like being 'on the road'?

Never been on the road. Done road shows in Penn and New Jersey but never on the road...don't know what it's like.

Does being a comic heighten or hinder your chances of having a meaningful
relationship?

I would say hinder. One, you work at night and you work weird hours. Two, you meet a lot of people and there's a lot of temptation and three, the competitiveness of it all can kill a relationship.

Ever had a heckler? If so, how did you handle it?

Of course, I've had plenty of hecklers but I've manage to turn it around or had hecklers get sided with the audience and there's nothing you can do about it.

Ever been on TV? Radio? Describe one or both.

I've been on the Man Cow, I did a character for them. I was on the Game Show but I don't have any real comedy show credits.

Are you consistent with your material or do you like to change it constantly, what are the ingredients?

I constantly try something new but I always want to change it.

Where do you see yourself in five years from now?

On a pirate boat off the coast of Somalia but that's wishful thinking. I'll probably still be doing comedy.

See this incredibly funny Irish  Irish-American comic talk about his NY experiences at the Laff Riot Comedy Club, Joe Franklins and New York Comedy Club.

Michael Buckley

Michael Buckley is a New York based actor, writer and comedian. In addition to his work with The Roast Guys, Michael performs in comedy clubs throughout the Northeast. Michael just finished a successful run of NEMESIS, which he wrote and starred in at Theatre 54 in NYC. Other New York acting credits include Bloody Lies at the Midtown Inernational Theater Festival, Fat Suit (which he co-wrote with Jay Casale) at the Sage Theater, David and Goliath at Merkin Hall, Treaty 321! at the Lucille Lortell and Gangstapella at the 78th Street Theater Lab. National Tours: Grease starring Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere and South Pacific. On television Michael has a recurring role as the arrogant but lovable Harley on the popular PBS show, Cyberchase and appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman as a member of the world famous (fictional)singing group Perfect Pitch. He studies acting with Robert McCaskill. Film work includes roles in Gypsy 83 starring Sara Rue, Mona, sexpotjesus and the forthcoming film Heterosexuals starring Natasha Lyonne.

What/who inspired you to do what you do?

I'm not really a big fan of having a real job..I've never had a real job. My brother is an accountant, I'd kill myself if I had to do that. I was always the fat kid no one picked in gym class.

You're lying!

No, I'm serious, it's just something I've always been good at.

How long has your career lasted?

I've actually been a working actor for eight years and I only started to do comedy for a year. Because of my experience as a writer and an actor I think it hasn't taken me as long to catch up whereas a regular comic would take years to get good.

Where have you traveled with your talents, what's your next destination? If you could choose your next destination?

I've been all over the country and Canada. I'm lucky. I'd love to book a gig in the Bahamas, that would be pretty sweet.

Where is your favorite spot to perform and why?

Um...probably at my family dinner table.

Who is your favorite obscure artist/comic/performer to work with? Famous?

I'm not at the point of my career where I've met too many famous people. The most famous person I've worked with is Shirley from Laverne and Shirley...I'd love to do a movie with Phillip Seymour Hoffman, or do comedy with Lois CK,,,he's an amazing comic.

What's it like being 'on the road'?

I've done out of town gigs with comics. I've done three national tours as an actor. My first professional tour was Greece..we did that all over.

What character were you?

Danny.

Does being a comic heighten or hinder your chances of having a meaningful relationship?

(laughing) I wouldn't say...well, define meaningful. I've certainly had a lot of meaningful relationships that lasted one night through comedy. In all seriousness, I don't think it would effect if I was in a serious relationship. Whoever I'm with will probably become part of my act,,nothing is off the table. If she's okay with that then it's all good.

Ever had a heckler? If so, how did you handle it?

Ah, yeah. It happens a lot. You're the one with the mic in your hand, you've got to have the last word. I grew up Irish Catholic,,,there's nothing a heckler can say/do that could damage me more then what I got growing up at the dinner table.

Ever been on TV? Radio? Describe one or both.

I have a reoccurring role on PBS called Cyber Chase...it's a kid show. The first twenty minutes are animated, I play a real person and I'm the main characters' jerk cousin. Every episode teaches math and my character always gets what he's got coming to him because in addition to being a terrible human being he's also awful at math.

Are you consistent with your material or do you like to change it constantly, what are the ingredients?

Always changing it and always trying to find a better, more efficient, fewer words to say the same thing. I'm always messing around in my notebooks, always.

Where do you see yourself in five years from now?

Oh, god, ah, I will rule the world...I don't know. If I'm still making a living in entertainment, I'll be happy. I don't need to be Tom Cruise but that would be nice.

Check Micheal out in person. He gigs everyweek @ Comedy clubs such as Charlie O's and Joe Franklin's in NYC!!

Questions and Answers: NYC Comedian Graham Keay

What/who inspired you to do what you do? Um...I don't know...I guess when I was a kid, I'd watch comedy on TV with my dad. We didn't have cable at the cottage so we'd rent a lot of Bill Cosby VHS tapes.

How long has your career lasted?

Right now, two years. In college, I majored in history with a minor in film. I did history because it was the only thing I was interested in. In class, it was like a soap opera of things that really happened.

Where have you traveled with your talents, what's your next destination? If you could choose your next destination?

I have performed in um Ottawa, Capital of Canada (where I'm from) and Vancouver, Canada and Budapest, Hungry...and obviously New York,,,and New Jersey! Isn't that exciting? New Jersey? One time I even got to perform in Connecticut!

Where is your favorite spot to perform and why?

My favorite spot to perform is at Yuk Yuc's actually no, Absolute Comedy Club in Ottawa because it's where I started and it's just very nostalgic. Every time I go back there I get to see how far I've come. I never know week to week how far I progress but where you go back home you really get to see the difference. It's like if you were a kid and you get sent to boarding school and then you come home for the holidays and your parents notice how tall you've grown. You get to see how small you once were and now you are bigger.

Who is your favorite obscure artist/comic/performer to work with? Famous?

Obscure would be um...well, my favorite famous is Dave Chappel but there's lots in NY, it's hard to choose...I like working with Matty Goldberg, I like working with Danny Lobell and I really like working with Halie Boyle, she's going to be famous,,,she's different than anyone else.

Wow, Dave Chappel?

About a year ago, I was working at a comedy club and that's the same comedy club Dave worked at before he moved to New York. He found out that club was closing and came back to visit his old stomping ground and he walked in with a back pack and headphones, no one was with him, he was very humble...he laughed at my jokes and called one of my jokes an instant classic and he said he hadn't laughed that hard since he hung out with Chris Rock in Eddie Murphy's house. Then he talked to me for like ten minutes after and said I was talented.

Ever see him after that?

Yeah, one more time and he remembered my name...it was really weird.

Tell me some perks of being a comic. What are some peeves?

I like the hours. I like staying up late. I like hanging out with friends. It's like being in seventh grade again. I get to BS with my friends,,,it's not about the drinking. I mean there is some drinking but not really and I really like sleeping in..I really like sleeping in. Overall, the biggest perk is performing, your job is to have fun...you're only really ever funny when you're having fun, you have to have fun. Peeves would be it's hard to keep a girlfriend because you have opposite hours of a normal person...I hear gun shots outside my door, the gun shots peeve me off. And...I don't know the money can be bad sometimes...

What's it like being 'on the road'?

Being on the road is fun because you're with friends, it reminds me of going to away games like when I played hockey in high school, farting on friends the whole way and then when you get there you try to sleep with someone but when I was a kid I didn't try to do that.

Does being a comic heighten or hinder your chances of having a meaningful relationship?

Hinder! Hinder!

Ever had a heckler? If so, how did you handle it?

Everyone has had a heckler...I just watched Richard Pryer, "Here and Now" and he was being heckled the entire time and he handled it the way I wish I could handle it, they just laugh it off and continue on, they don't get into a fight, they know they're funny and they just continue to be funny. A heckler is just somebody who's sad that the spot light is not on them.

Ever been on TV? Radio? Describe one or both.

Both. I have my own radio show at the university and I was on Comical Radio which is a radio show here in New York. I was on Danny Lobell's Radio show and then I've been on Canadian television..I commented on the world hockey championships.

Are you consistent with your material or do you like to change it constantly, what are the ingredients?

Most comics stick with the main ingredients and stick with it for a long time,,,cuz it takes a long time to come up with a joke. I'm always writing but I'm always using old stuff..I never throw old stuff out.

Where do you see yourself in five years from now?

Five years? Writing this blog.

What do you mean?

I'm gonna take over. I'd like to be on TV regularly. I think I will be.


This guy is REALLY funny. See him live at the following NYC venues: NYC Comedy Club, The Comedy Village, Comedy Corner, Joe Franklin's.