I’m thrilled to announce that on Wrestlemania weekend, I’ll return to the 92Y Tribeca for a supreme Geek Out, the likes of which you’ve never seen.
KEVIN GEEKS OUT ABOUT WRESTLING!
With a truly fantastic line-up of guest experts including:
ThisKevin
the adventures of Kevin Maher, writer-comedian
On this morning’s commute there was a guy named Blue selling CDs and books of his poetry.
I was interested because I have this love-hate relationship with poetry.
I asked the author if he was going to read.
He said “No because he” (a nearby passenger) “might not like it.”
So Blue handed me a copy of the book and said I could check it out.
They were very short pieces, 1 – 2 lines each, a mix of joking and though-provoking. Kind of like John Lennon’s In His Own Write.
But there was one that didn’t make sense to me.
Children should never
accept candy from stranglers
(Except on Halloween)
At first I didn’t notice, the word was stranglers not strangers.
And then I had to wonder if it was a typo or artistic choice.
If it’s a joke, the first joke trips over the second joke. (I know about this stuff. I’m a comedy writer.)
It was a Wednesday morning commuting mystery.
Before you read any further, come to your own conclusion.
Ready? Okay, continue….
I asked my fellow passengers what they thought. The guy sitting next to me explained it was a pun. The woman next to me believed it was a typo and said I should not tell him.
For the next minute we debated whether or not it was intentional, agreeing that “it works both ways.”
Then the poet himself showed up, wanting to know what’s up.
I said “We were just discussing the Halloween poem.”
“Yeah, there’s a typo in there.”
“We were just saying it works both ways.”
He said “Yeah, somebody told me I should add parentheses around the r.”
Meaning it should say st(r)anglers or strangle(r)s ?
Before I could ask, I had to get off the train.
But it doesn’t matter. What matters is that one guy got three strangers (not a typo) talking about poetry at 9 o’clock in the morning. And that’s wonderful in so many ways. It makes me grateful to live in New York City where your share space and thoughts with people you’d never normally talk to.
For more of Blue’s poetry, go to his website.
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It doesn’t matter if you’re only 8-years-old Matthew, Harlan Ellison is going to sue you.
Artist Jerry Robinson created The Joker. Even though Mr. Robinson is no longer with us, his creation will live on in comic books, graphic novels, blockbuster movies, Big Gulp cups, Converse All Star Hi Joker Batman Athletic Shoes, childrens’ bedsheets, action figures, Mark Hamill voice recordings, Pez dispensers, Christmas ornaments, novelty records, fake vintage T-shirts, carnival game knock-off plushies, bobbleheads, queer fan fiction, illegally downloaded TV shows, Japanese collectibles, questionable tattoos, Simpsons’ references, un-funny political cartoons, well-intentioned youtube tribute videos, cereal bowls, shot glasses, overpriced posters, Fisher Price playhouses, back-to-school supplies, college thesis papers by nerds, kids’ Halloween costumes and the unreleased (but written) obituaries for Jack Nicholson, Alan Moore and Frank Miller.
Here’s R. Sikoryak’s recent illustration of Robinson (this first appeared in The New Yorker)
I’m delighted to announce that KEVIN GEEKS OUT will be bringing back the HOLIDAY GRAB BAG SHOW. Instead of the traditional “obsessive theme nights” we welcome some of our favorite returning guests (and new friends) to share their favorite geek-obsessions.
Topics include:
On Monday night, I gave a guest lecture at the School of Visual Arts. The students said it was “very entertaining” — because when I lecture, I put on a show!
The class is titled “Careers in the Industry”, so I spoke about my various writing jobs. During the 90-minutes I covered a ton of topics including:
cliches in writing, the dangers of advice, my best jobs, my worst jobs, working at CNN, never say you “want to be a writer”, what happens when you don’t set goals, writing a polite email, writing for Leslie Nielsen, how topical humor is like a kidnapping, figuring out what the monster wants, the evil Genie, creating characters like you’re paining self-portraits, Charles Willeford’s tip about writing a page each day before you urinate, finding symbolism in everyday life, trying to fit 10 jokes into a :30 video, unpacking an assignment when someone says it should be “short” and “funny”, coming up with a show that’s cheaper than “Pants off Dance-Off”, and so much more.
We’ve reached the point in my fundraising campaign where I’m exploiting my children to raise money. (But it’s okay, it’s for a good cause.)
In this new video, I explain HOW KICKSTARTER WORKS — it’s so easy even these adorable children understand it. (More or less.)
Kickstarter fundraisers are ALL OR NOTHIN’. If I don’t reach my fundraising goal, I won’t receive anything and these past few weeks will have been wasted.
Click HERE to donate to Kevin Maher’s kickstarter campaign for ANDREW 12-SIDED DICE CLAY.
The above clip was taped during THE IRON MULE NYC’s longest-running comedy film series. The crowd loved the trailer for ANDREW 12-SIDED DICE CLAY, and I needed some positive re-enforcements.
True Story: an old friend did me a favor by sharing A12SDC with one of the biggest comedy websites. But the executive didn’t like it (had my video been on his site, he would have voted “Die”) This proves that the web-series won’t get made by a big corporate entity. It’s independent comedy and it will only get made by YOU.
Elsewhere in the comedy world, ANDREW 12-SIDED DICE CLAY is being backed by a producer from NBC’s COMMUNITY (the sitcom, not the actual NBC community). A hilarious writer from CONAN has generously donated and spread the word. And a two-time Emmy winning writer from THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART has kicked in and told others to do the same.
But I’m most excited to have YOU involved. This is no longer my project, it’s OUR project. And we’re gonna get this thing made.
Thanks for your support.
Love,
Kevin
Below is a clip of the trailer, playing before the Iron Mule audience.
Click HERE to see the full-trailer and donate!
Last month I was invited to New York Comic Con, New York’s biggest event for comic books, gaming, animation, science-fiction and fantasy. For four days, the Javits Center is over-run with fans of every type.
I was asked to participate in a panel on “geek humor.”
When I spoke with event organizer (GeekChicNYC‘s Mike Singer), I mentioned that there’s a video I wish I could show.
I used to make short comedy videos all the time.
Then I had two kids. Now most of the projects I do are work-for-hire with corporate sponsorship. They pay the bill and I make the videos they want.
But all that’s about to change. If you can help me.
* * *
I was invited to NY Comic Con to speak at a panel on Geek Humor.