Writing Jokes with Dave Anthony (The Dollop, Maron)
We just kind of hit it off because we both were a bit angry and antagonistic.
[@daveanthony on Twitter]
How does the comedy scene in New York compare with that in Los Angeles?
That’s a hard one for me because I lived in New York so long ago. When I was there I think it was a lot worse. The audiences pushed people to be a bit dirty and they wanted ethnic jokes. It’s changed a lot now — because there are more rooms besides comedy clubs to perform in. The clubs themselves are still not that good and I don’t think they help you create a unique and smart act. I think LA pushes you to be more of yourself, quicker. You get less stage time but I think that stage time is more worthwhile than in NY; when out in LA tend to do more story telling than bits. That’s because of the audience allowing you do be more free.
What’s your name and where did you grow up?
Dave Anthony. Marin County, California
What’s interesting or uninteresting about Marin County?
It’s super rich and I was poor. Big famous hippie area. Robin Williams was from there, so that was a big deal to me growing up.
What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?
Dad a lawyer, mom a hair dresser.
When did you first want to start performing comedy? What was the first joke or bit you tried on stage?
1989. I cannot remember my first set. There was a joke about a going to the grocery store with a weird shopping list.
Do you prefer forming jokes on paper or on stage?
On stage.
When and where did you become a regular? What is the process of transitioning from open mics into paid sets like?
I became a regular at a place called the Holy City Zoo in San Francisco. It was a pretty famous place where a lot of great comics got their start. It’s a long and difficult process, or it was back then. First you had to slowly build up your set at the open mics, which were pretty much just at comedy clubs back then. You would slowly get better and better slots at the comedy club until you were considered one of the best open micers. At that point, you would start hanging out on non open mic nights at the comedy club and asking for work. Eventually you’d get it and you had to make it work or you wouldn’t get work again for a while.
What is the origin story behind The Dollop? What do you enjoy most about podcasting?
I was doing another podcast called Walking The Room. That was just me and another comic talking to each other about our lives. After a while, I stopped wanting to talk about myself so much and I wanted more privacy. I had met Gareth on another podcast, called The Naughty Show. I thought he was really funny and wanted to have him on my old podcast as a guest. At the same time, I was planning on doing The Dollop.
My original plan was to have different comedians on every week and I would read them a story from history. I don’t know where the idea came from, just thought it up one day. Gareth ended up coming on my old podcast as a guest host when the other host was out of town. And I liked him so much, I asked him to do the first episode of Dollop. After the first episode, I knew that was the show and I should only do it with him.
You write-for and act on Marc Maron’s show, Maron. How did you two first link up? What works well about your creation process together?
I met Marc in SF in the early 90s when we were both living there doing stand up. He lived there for a few years. We just kind of hit it off because we both were a bit angry and antagonistic. Marc and I have a very good understanding of who each other is and who we are. We don’t tend to get offended by each other and there’s no weird power struggle. We both just want something to be funny and try to figure out the best way to get there. We are both used to talking stuff out as comedians, so that helps us to work together in the writing room.
The promo for your album, Shame Chamber, is very unique (and disturbing). How did you get the idea to shoot in different locations?
I was on Twitter and a comedian from Ireland named David O’Doherty posted a video of an Irish musician. In the video, he was in different locations out in nature, singing a song. I thought that would be an interesting idea to do for a stand up video. Thought it might stand out, so I called a friend who knows his way around a camera and we shot it in a day.
You’ve performed on late night talks shows, specifically Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Late Show. What advice would you give a comic that’s about to perform on television?
Don’t ever worry about it not being good. You’ve made it there for a reason. Just relax and be yourself. Try to let your personality shine through. You will not remember anything about the first TV set you perform. It just flies by and you can’t remember anything. Try to have fun, though that is hard.
What’s the dumbest superhero name you can think of?
The Ant
Who is the funniest person you know?
Gareth Reynolds.
Why are jokes funny?
Oof. There really isn’t a specific reason. There is just a combination of words that you can put together that causes people to have a physical reaction. To be honest, I don’t want to know the answer to that question.
Dave is a writer and actor on Maron. Purveyor of fine meats. He has a comedy album for sale here: http://goo.gl/SxWnpn. His podcast is called The Dollop
Interview by Zuri Irvin (@withzuri)
For more on humor, follow @jokewriting on Twitter
