
Paul F. Tompkins joins Scott this week to discuss his upcoming "Varietourpia" comedy tour, the best The Who song, and what time is the middle of the night. Then, inker Guy Foreman stops by for a pleasurable conversation about his work in comic books, and comic book mogul extraordinaire Ben Jammin visits to share about his movie cameos. Go to paulftompkins.com/live for cities and tickets for "Varietourpia."
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Paul F. Tompkins
Shake up your weekly meal plan at Whole Foods Market with a Taste the Mediterranean event. Find sales on robust olive oils plus juicy no antibiotics ever. Chicken and hearty beef chuck. Complement your dinner with a sun drenched salad featuring grape tomatoes, organic bell peppers and crunchy cucumbers. And while you're cooking, graze on a mezze spread filled with charcuterie and delightful cheeses. Taste the Mediterranean at Whole Foods Market in store and online.
Scott Aukerman
This episode of Comedy Bang Bang is brought to you by Progressive, where drivers who save by switching save nearly $750 on average. Plus auto customers qualify for an average of 7 discounts. Quote now@progressive.com to see if you could save. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average 12 month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will var not available in all states and situations. Don't hate the player or hate the game. I invite invented this game and I worked really hard. Welcome to Comedy Bang Bang. Thank you to Popcorn Pigeon for that.
Guy Foreman
Oh, isn't that cute?
Scott Aukerman
Popcorn pigeon. I wonder if that's a pigeon made of popcorn or. Or a pigeon that eats popcorn exclusively.
Paul F. Tompkins
I think it's like popcorn chicken, but it's pigeon.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, interesting. Popcorn chicken.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's the San Francisco treat.
Scott Aukerman
Yep. Welcome to Comedy Bang Bang for another week. This is of course, the podcast that is the San Francisco treatment. No.
Paul F. Tompkins
Is that for real?
Scott Aukerman
That is for real. Yeah.
Guy Foreman
Our.
Scott Aukerman
Our biggest city is San Francisco.
Paul F. Tompkins
So what does that mean?
Scott Aukerman
The biggest city in the world is San Francisco.
Paul F. Tompkins
Okay, that's what I thought you meant.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
And I agree.
Scott Aukerman
Yes. Welcome to Comedy Bank Bang for another week. My name is Scott Aukerman. We have a great show coming up a little later. We have someone who works in the illustrated medium and that will be very exciting. But before we get to them, let us turn to our guest of honor. He's on this show very rarely, only usually around two times a year. Two holidays. Christmas.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's right.
Scott Aukerman
Mass of Christ and wet day, which is coming up in about a month. Yes, but he's here early. Yeah, he decided to swing by the studio here. Not like Spider Man, Certainly. You weren't literally swinging or Tarzan. Tarzan.
Paul F. Tompkins
Who are the famous swingers? Spider Man, Tarzan the Pitfall. Harry.
Scott Aukerman
The Ice Storm couples.
Paul F. Tompkins
The Ice Storm couples. Jon Favreau in that one movie.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, yes. I. My mind went to Jon Favreau playing Tarzan and I was like, sure, why not George? I can't even say what George was of. I'm so excited. Brendan Frazier.
Paul F. Tompkins
People were like what if Tarzan was silly?
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
And that's how we got George of the Jungle.
Scott Aukerman
That's how we did. Like you could do that with almost anything is turn a cartoon cartoon this.
Ben Jammin
But now you could turn a car toy.
Scott Aukerman
We should mention that this is the earliest we've ever recorded.
Paul F. Tompkins
Is that true?
Scott Aukerman
No, I, I do believe that I've, I may have recorded an episode at 9am once but this is. I, I don't believe I, I've to anyone other than my daughter and I was saying goooo Gaga.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cuz she don't talk in order to communicate. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Scott Aukerman
So the mouth you ever talk to.
Paul F. Tompkins
You ever talk to a baby like, you ever talk to a baby like, you ever talk to a baby like hey, what's going on? And then, and then the, and then the baby's like oh, go go go go.
Scott Aukerman
This is a good, good chunk of material.
Paul F. Tompkins
Thank you. I'm not a parent but I do have material about little kids.
Scott Aukerman
You there. You should do a 10 minute chunk on. I'm not a parent but I have material on how to interact with kids and that. It's all very.
Paul F. Tompkins
It becomes the famous name of the bit.
Scott Aukerman
Yes. Speaking of famous names, he has one. Please welcome back Paul F. Tompkins.
Paul F. Tompkins
Hello.
Scott Aukerman
How are you?
Paul F. Tompkins
Now, Scott, you and I are dear friends.
Scott Aukerman
Yes.
Paul F. Tompkins
And here we are.
Scott Aukerman
We're friends to a lot of deer.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes, that's what I meant. Now how many are you up to?
Scott Aukerman
One and a half. I've like met the second one. But we're not your acquaintance. We're colleagues.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. I am work friends with two deer.
Scott Aukerman
Okay.
Paul F. Tompkins
And very good friends with one.
Scott Aukerman
Okay, so you're on your way. So we, we're good friends with the same amount of deer.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
But we have, we have some others in play.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes. Although you said one and a half and I said I named three deer.
Scott Aukerman
You did. But I don't count your work friends as actual friends.
Paul F. Tompkins
You count two work friends as one friend.
Scott Aukerman
I don't.
Paul F. Tompkins
I have a friend.
Scott Aukerman
I wouldn't even to say they're even a half. I would say they're point ones.
Guy Foreman
Wow.
Paul F. Tompkins
Now you were going to say I wouldn't dirty my mouth with saying is that, am I reading?
Scott Aukerman
I was not going to say that.
Paul F. Tompkins
You were not going to say that.
Scott Aukerman
No, I wasn't.
Paul F. Tompkins
Would you.
Scott Aukerman
I was not going to dirty my mouth with saying yes, that you have several friends anyway. But we are dear friends. What were you about to say.
Paul F. Tompkins
Say about that. And so you're kind enough to have me on your show. And it was a.
Scott Aukerman
It was a real favor for both of us. It truly was. Like, you did me a favor by agreeing to do a show, and then I. Did you explain what we're doing here today, folks?
Paul F. Tompkins
We're here today because.
Scott Aukerman
We are gathered here today.
Ben Jammin
Beloved.
Scott Aukerman
Yes, please do it like Prince.
Paul F. Tompkins
We are here today because I have something to promote.
Scott Aukerman
Now, normally, the first people that I talk to on the show are people who come here with projects.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. But famous people.
Scott Aukerman
Sure. Last week, we.
Paul F. Tompkins
Doing things that people want to see.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. We had Ione sky, who is a famous movie actress, here promoting a book. So she's kind of. Kind of counts as author. As I've talked about in the past, the hierarchy of good podcast guests.
Paul F. Tompkins
Absolutely.
Scott Aukerman
Movie star number one with a bullet. We love him. TV star. We'll take them. Sure.
Paul F. Tompkins
We watch. Yeah, we like tv.
Scott Aukerman
We like tv, don't we, folks? Thirdly, comedian. Comedian. Yeah. I'll take comedian because they're out there.
Paul F. Tompkins
Touring and they're doing something entertaining.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. Tony Award winners. We've had them. Oh, sure, we've had them. We'll take them.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
Under that, we have authors. We're getting dicey here.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. And then way down at the bottom.
Scott Aukerman
Podcaster.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
And you fit in. You're a comedian.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
So you're. You're up. You're up there. You're not. You're not as bad as author. Right. But you're not as good as a movie star. You should start.
Paul F. Tompkins
I'm not as good as a TV star.
Scott Aukerman
No. Yeah, you should be. You. You should at least be in one movie that just. Is just. You're. You're above the title.
Ben Jammin
Above the title.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
God damn.
Scott Aukerman
I think everyone deserves that. Everyone in the world should have one movie that they started.
Paul F. Tompkins
I think that's nice. I think that, sure, everyone deserves that. But I feel like you're some.
Scott Aukerman
It can be an independent film. Somebody can be like a major Hollywood blockbuster, but every single person in the world deserves one movie about them.
Paul F. Tompkins
You're laying something out that I think is going to be difficult for me to achieve in the amount of time that I've left on earth.
Scott Aukerman
I think you could do it.
Paul F. Tompkins
How long?
Scott Aukerman
Movies only take three months to film.
Paul F. Tompkins
Can I tell you, I. For this. For this venture that I'm here to promote, I talked the Venture Brothers, which I've. I've done voices for the Venture Brothers.
Scott Aukerman
Yes. You have. Yes.
Paul F. Tompkins
Blue Morpho. Most famous. Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
As. As someone who doesn't know what the Venture brothers even is, I. I find that fascinating.
Paul F. Tompkins
Now, you think it's sort of like the Girl Scouts and they sell cookies.
Scott Aukerman
Yes, of course. Did you bring some cookies today?
Paul F. Tompkins
I always bring cookies.
Scott Aukerman
Of course. Listen to Threedom for some more information about that.
Ben Jammin
Of course.
Paul F. Tompkins
But yeah, I trip out on that song. Do you remember Tycho?
Scott Aukerman
No, I don't.
Paul F. Tompkins
They made the slot cars.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, yeah, of course.
Paul F. Tompkins
And then.
Scott Aukerman
How can I forget Tycho?
Paul F. Tompkins
They would end their commercials with Tycho, of course.
Scott Aukerman
Of course. We. We exist.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's sort of like a tagline you'd have for an actual car company. That was like, we are. We're releasing our latest model. Of course.
Scott Aukerman
Of course. And are they still around Tycho? I'm gonna look this up.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's a good question.
Scott Aukerman
While you further elaborate on exactly.
Paul F. Tompkins
Slot cars. The biggest promise to the smallest payoff.
Scott Aukerman
Hey. I'm on their Wikipedia page and I would say the sec or the third word tells you exactly what you need to know about Tycho. Tycho Toys was an American toy manufacturer. It was acquired by Mattel in 1997, becoming one of its brands they did such a great job with. No longer exists. Thanks.
Paul F. Tompkins
Nice work, Mattel.
Scott Aukerman
In any case. Yes.
Paul F. Tompkins
I find the. I just. So everyone knows, I'm the person who immediately gets on Wikipedia when a celebrity dies to change it.
Scott Aukerman
You're the person. Okay.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
I once. I don't think I was watching the race, but some famous race car driver died and I was watching a live television event and. And it had happened within 30 seconds and I went on the Wikipedia page and it had already been changed. Who are. That was you.
Paul F. Tompkins
That was me.
Scott Aukerman
Why do you do this?
Paul F. Tompkins
But because it's people. It needs to be updated. It's honoring the person who's died.
Scott Aukerman
That's true. That is a good point. I mean, it needs to be accurate when you die.
Paul F. Tompkins
And God, I pray it soon. Would you.
Scott Aukerman
What?
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, I meant the opposite.
Scott Aukerman
So, Satan, what's the opposite of I you? Satan, you. What's the opposite of pray?
Paul F. Tompkins
Despair?
Scott Aukerman
Satan, you despair. It isn't.
Paul F. Tompkins
It's a lie. Satan, you despair. It's a lie.
Scott Aukerman
A lie is the opposite of soon. Oh, I don't know how true.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, truth got in there somewhere.
Scott Aukerman
Satan, I despair. It isn't far away. That still means exactly what you said. You're just talking to a different person.
Paul F. Tompkins
Satan, I despair. It is far away.
Scott Aukerman
But is is not the opposite of is.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's a good point.
Scott Aukerman
Unless you're talking to Bill Clinton. Am I right?
Paul F. Tompkins
But if you, if you were to die, you wouldn't want people to go around thinking that I was still alive, would you?
Scott Aukerman
I won't. I want some kind of cushion for the pushing.
Paul F. Tompkins
Sure.
Scott Aukerman
You know what I mean. Wait, is that another one of us? It doesn't sound like quotes. It kind of sounds like that would be something that he coined.
Paul F. Tompkins
More cushion for the push.
Scott Aukerman
Why is Bill always talking about this.
Paul F. Tompkins
As grass or gas? No one rides for free. There's a lot of things that make sense that he would say, but I.
Scott Aukerman
I kind of want some. I want a day cushion where everyone kind of. I, I, I think the sadness that would overtake America if they out at the same time. Much like how we found out Tom Hanks had co. Oh, so you want.
Paul F. Tompkins
Your death to be a sort of Juneteenth situation.
Scott Aukerman
I don't know what you mean by that.
Paul F. Tompkins
We celebrate when the last person finds out that you have died.
Scott Aukerman
Yes. Thank you. I, I need. I, I needed to be. I need something to soften the blow for everyone who's going to be sad.
Paul F. Tompkins
Why don't you try softening the word softening?
Scott Aukerman
Because I pronounced the T soften, which you believe should be silent.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
Oh. Maybe it should be silent on silent.
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, I don't mind that. Silent, silent, Silent. Silence. I demand you be silent.
Scott Aukerman
Raider.
Paul F. Tompkins
I demand you be activate. Oh, my God. Silence.
Scott Aukerman
Should all tease. Be silent.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, yeah.
Scott Aukerman
So it'll be battle star. Why are you here?
Paul F. Tompkins
By your command. I am here because I have a tour that's coming up very soon.
Scott Aukerman
Whoa. So you're going to another country and you're taking a tour of, like the.
Paul F. Tompkins
Grand tour of Europe, the continent?
Scott Aukerman
No. You are. You are a live performer.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes, I'm alive.
Scott Aukerman
We went out together to do the comedy bang bang tour last year.
Paul F. Tompkins
So true, bestie.
Scott Aukerman
And we had a great time. Now you're back at it this year. Yes, but with a different show. So you're cheating on me now.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's not true. We have an open relationship as far as shows are concerned.
Scott Aukerman
And variety, or variety rather, is your hall pass.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's correct. I do a show called Varietopia here in Los Angeles. I do it every other month at Lodge Room, California.
Scott Aukerman
And describe this show because I can't even conceive of what would happen.
Paul F. Tompkins
Scott, quite simply, it's a variety show.
Scott Aukerman
What does that mean? What does that mean?
Paul F. Tompkins
That means many things happen in the show.
Scott Aukerman
Many. But, but when you go see any show Many things happen. You don't go see a show and then like. Like you go see a play. Like Hamilton. Hamilton comes out and does one rap and then just sits there staring at you.
Paul F. Tompkins
Well, no, no, but here's. Here's the thing that happens. The one thing that happens.
Scott Aukerman
Although that's not a bad idea for a show.
Paul F. Tompkins
The Hamilton comes out, does one rap and stares at you. And that's the title.
Scott Aukerman
Yes. Manuel, if you're listening, and I'm sure you are, this is an idea for a follow up.
Paul F. Tompkins
Hamilton does one rap and stares.
Scott Aukerman
You must have one rap you cut out of the show. Now you don't even have to write anything new.
Paul F. Tompkins
Now, hold on. Is it Hamilton Post death?
Scott Aukerman
Oh, so he's an angel or devil?
Paul F. Tompkins
Or is it a prequel?
Scott Aukerman
Do you become a devil if you go to hell?
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
It seems then you're like, on top of the hierarchy.
Paul F. Tompkins
Well, here's the thing. Here's the thing. When you go to heaven, you don't become an angel, but you do look like an angel.
Scott Aukerman
She looks like an angel.
Paul F. Tompkins
We depict people in heaven and let's face it, this is in cartoons. Yeah, sure, with halos and wear gowns and harps and sometimes wings, but.
Scott Aukerman
But then when people go to hell, they're just like, being tormented and they're just humans.
Paul F. Tompkins
But you probably get horns. I hope so, because it would hurt for them to grow through your flesh.
Scott Aukerman
Plus you could, like, poke Satan in the butt when he tries to stab you with his pitchfork or something.
Paul F. Tompkins
I think that's a bad idea. I think if you're in hell and you're trying to fight back, it's not going to end well.
Scott Aukerman
You're just going to sit there and take it, you pussy.
Paul F. Tompkins
I think you. I think it behooves you to get used to.
Scott Aukerman
It behooves because demons have hooves.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's right.
Scott Aukerman
Wonderful, wonderful work. And this is why you're one of America's great entertainers. Thank you. Out there on the road. Coming out soon.
Paul F. Tompkins
So let me describe the show.
Scott Aukerman
Okay. Please.
Paul F. Tompkins
I do some stand up.
Scott Aukerman
Stand up.
Paul F. Tompkins
There's more.
Scott Aukerman
Okay.
Paul F. Tompkins
There are musical guests.
Scott Aukerman
Musical guest. Nassim Pedro.
Paul F. Tompkins
Now, we have probably talked about this before, but isn't it great that Don Pardo, who always sounded like a ghost, now has become one?
Scott Aukerman
Yes. Finally he's crossed over into the realm he was always meant to be.
Paul F. Tompkins
I have unfinished business.
Scott Aukerman
A bit of boiled potato.
Paul F. Tompkins
Get out of this house.
Scott Aukerman
I guess Scrooge said the thing about the underdone potato, but he said A chew.
Paul F. Tompkins
A ghost.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. So, I mean, I can only imagine Jacob Marley came back to heaven and went, this guy thought I was a bit of underdone potato. And so it counts.
Paul F. Tompkins
What if Jacob Marley goes back and he goes, this guy tried to. He tried to roast me by calling me food. I think he was legitimately scared.
Scott Aukerman
I think he was scared, Scrooge or.
Paul F. Tompkins
No, that's Jacob Marley saying, oh, I think I got him, though. I think I got him.
Scott Aukerman
Okay. Yeah. I didn't, I didn't sense you were still in character. That's how good you are. And that's what's going to happen on this big tour.
Paul F. Tompkins
It's a variety show. So there's comedy, there's music, there's other forms of entertainment.
Scott Aukerman
Well, like, like sports are entertainment sometimes people.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. In the past we've done the show where we've had a football game in.
Scott Aukerman
The middle, full regulation time, regulation field.
Paul F. Tompkins
And now I'm proud to introduce our next act. A football game.
Scott Aukerman
And you're only performing at arenas, right?
Paul F. Tompkins
Well, we have to.
Ben Jammin
Yeah, yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
If, if we do a football game.
Scott Aukerman
Sure. Otherwise it's in time.
Paul F. Tompkins
I will say no football game on this tour. Oh, yes. But I don't, I don't like to announce who the guests are because I like it to be a surprise, but.
Scott Aukerman
It'S usually the biggest, most famous people in the world.
Paul F. Tompkins
Sure. Usually. Not always, though. Try not to, try not to do that.
Scott Aukerman
To get the expectations way too high.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, yeah. Or I, or say things where I have to say that cool thing that you just said is actually not what's gonna happen.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, okay. Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
I feel like that's working counter to what I'm trying to do.
Scott Aukerman
You see that Smart List documentary where they, they decided to just take normal like dentists, and the first time they did that, people were pissed.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, I heard about that.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. In any case, that's not what's happening here. You have wonderful comedians, wonderful musicians.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes. And maybe I'll do a character. Maybe there'll be a sketch.
Scott Aukerman
Okay.
Paul F. Tompkins
I also sing in the show. We have a fantastic band.
Scott Aukerman
What's this song in the show that you're talking about?
Paul F. Tompkins
What do you mean?
Scott Aukerman
You also sing in the show?
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, in the show. That's where you know that you've got a friend in me.
Scott Aukerman
So this is a song you've written for. Yeah, for Variaturpia.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. In the show, you've got to know that everyone slaps their knee. Cuz we've got laughs and music and everything else.
Scott Aukerman
Yo, My name is Hamilton and I'm here to say.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yo, my name is Hamilton.
Scott Aukerman
I'm going to stare at you in an unconventional way.
Paul F. Tompkins
Rap ends and then just 90 minutes.
Scott Aukerman
Piercing stare.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. Intermission.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, I think so. But he's still staring during intermission.
Paul F. Tompkins
Here's what I'm worried about.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
That we know each other so well. That you're not treating me seriously as somebody who's trying to promote.
Scott Aukerman
I would say that I'm treating you as seriously as any guest on this show.
Paul F. Tompkins
I want you to treat me like someone you don't know that well.
Scott Aukerman
That I'm nervous they're gonna flip out and get upset.
Ben Jammin
Happened.
Scott Aukerman
It's happened.
Paul F. Tompkins
Exactly. Treat me like someone you think doesn't have a sense of humor. And you're trying to gently bring me in to the vibe of the show.
Scott Aukerman
Try to read reconnaissance. Reconnect my. My brain wires into doing that.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, reconnect your brain wires.
Scott Aukerman
Sure. All right. So reconnect your brain wire. See, now here's the problem. Then you go into this kind of thing.
Paul F. Tompkins
Well, because you're making me feel comfortable.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, good.
Guy Foreman
Okay.
Scott Aukerman
Anyway, that was a parody of who. Who? Nick Lache. I wanted to say. No, it's Neil Diamond.
Paul F. Tompkins
Of course I'm Neil Diamond.
Scott Aukerman
I have a love. His brain on the. Love is brain on the mind. What is it? Love is blind. Blind.
Paul F. Tompkins
Wow.
Scott Aukerman
It's early.
Paul F. Tompkins
And of course, I'm Nick Lache.
Scott Aukerman
He says he didn't say it this year. I. This is what I wanted to ask you about. What are you.
Ben Jammin
What are you talking about? This is what I wanted to ask you.
Scott Aukerman
I. I was watching Love is Blind the other day.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
The new season, I believe, is completely out at this point. So if I'm spoiling this particular aspect of it, I apologize, but it's your own fault for not watching it. But in previous seasons, he's come out with his wife, Vanessa Lachey, and Vanessa Lachey, the power imbalance. It was like the DC Universe imbalance. But she would come out and introduce herself and say, my name is Vanessa Lachey. And then he would say, and of course, I'm Nick Lachey, because he was the bigger star right now. They are both huge because of Love is Blind. She comes out and says, I'm Vanessa Lachey. And he just sits there and goes, and I'm Nick Lachey. Because they're equally as famous.
Paul F. Tompkins
Can I put a more positive spin on. And of course, I'm Nick Lachey.
Scott Aukerman
Okay.
Paul F. Tompkins
That. He's. I think he's. It's possible that he's putting himself in the co pilot position and saying, like, I mean, if she's Vanessa Lachey, of course, you got Nick Lachey here.
Scott Aukerman
Every Vanessa has their Nick. Yeah, I see. I think it really work. I think it's possible, but not probable.
Paul F. Tompkins
I'll take it.
Scott Aukerman
In any case, tell me about this, this incredible show that you have going out there. It's Variaturpia. It is a touring version of Variety Topia.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's right.
Scott Aukerman
Which is a variety show. You come out, you do standup. There are sketches there.
Paul F. Tompkins
I do a monologue. There's sketches. There's a musical act who is always somebody really fun and neat doing their own set.
Scott Aukerman
And then do you have this same musical act on this entire tour or are you exchanging.
Paul F. Tompkins
The tour will be the same.
Scott Aukerman
Okay, great.
Paul F. Tompkins
Will be the same lineup for every stop. And let me. I just want to tell you the places I'm going. Oh, the places.
Scott Aukerman
Wow.
Paul F. Tompkins
That I will go.
Scott Aukerman
Okay. So the. This is going to be exciting. This is. I don't know that we've ever done this on Comedy Bang Bang listed cities.
Paul F. Tompkins
But here's the thing. We have the opportunity to provide some commentary on those cities.
Scott Aukerman
That's true.
Paul F. Tompkins
Say, say the great things about these places. Some of these cities I've never been to before.
Scott Aukerman
Wow. We. We did this on the Comedy Bang Bang tour last year. We went to tours, or cities, I guess you would call them. Yeah. For the lay person.
Ben Jammin
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
That we had never been to before. And it was a thrill.
Paul F. Tompkins
It was a thrill.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
To. To bring show to a people for the first time.
Scott Aukerman
And there were a lot of people who said thank you for coming to our particular town. I never thought you would come through here.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's true.
Scott Aukerman
And that was wonderful to hear.
Paul F. Tompkins
Penthouse Forum style. I never thought.
Scott Aukerman
And then they would tell us about their sexual encounters with random strangers.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. Usually at work with their hot boss.
Scott Aukerman
And they all ended with. And this ended with someone calling hr.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
And we all lost our jobs.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's right. We all lost our jobs.
Scott Aukerman
And the business went under. Like Tyco toys.
Paul F. Tompkins
We're starting April 23rd. We're going to be in Iowa City. Iowa.
Scott Aukerman
Never been there before. Incredible.
Paul F. Tompkins
Iowa, Iowa City.
Scott Aukerman
I don't. I. I don't believe I've ever even been to Iowa City, let alone have done a show, let alone opened a tour there.
Paul F. Tompkins
But Iowa, of course, very dear to us. Because of the music man.
Scott Aukerman
That's right. Yes.
Paul F. Tompkins
There's nothing halfway about that way of thinking.
Scott Aukerman
Of course not. So Iowa City, you're out there in April.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
Wow. What a time to be in Iowa City.
Paul F. Tompkins
Can you imagine? It's just like in the songs.
Scott Aukerman
April showers may be occurring, which of course, bring May flowers.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's right. So then I'll tell you when I'm in May in the cities.
Scott Aukerman
And male.
Ben Jammin
Does.
Paul F. Tompkins
St. Paul, Minnesota love it?
Scott Aukerman
Of course it's. I mean, your name is right there in the city.
Paul F. Tompkins
I don't like to say this, but obviously that's why I like the city.
Scott Aukerman
And, of course, that's a wonderful theater. I. I know where you're playing.
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, yes, you do.
Scott Aukerman
We played there last year.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's right.
Scott Aukerman
And great theater. And what. What a time.
Paul F. Tompkins
Now, you and I at the. The Fitzgerald Theater. You and I have both performed there separately and together.
Scott Aukerman
Yes, that's right.
Paul F. Tompkins
And they do a thing where the back wall of the theater of the stage is a brick wall, and you get to sign the bricks.
Scott Aukerman
That's right.
Paul F. Tompkins
Now, you and I separately signed bricks there. And I believe you wrote Macbeth.
Scott Aukerman
I think I wrote six.
Paul F. Tompkins
Six semper tyrannis. And I wrote Macbeth.
Scott Aukerman
Yes, that's right.
Paul F. Tompkins
So two things you're not supposed to say in the thing.
Scott Aukerman
I mean, you can say six emperor Tyranus in the theater.
Paul F. Tompkins
You really shouldn't. You really shouldn't. That one guy ruined it for everybody.
Scott Aukerman
Everyone wanted to say it so much. You can. To be fair, you can say death to tyrants.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, I would. I would say it in English. Yeah, yeah.
Scott Aukerman
If you're going to say six separate tyranus, translate.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, sure. Yeah. Or maybe put it in another language just for fun.
Scott Aukerman
That's right. What would be in Italian? You're learning Italian. Oh, what does. Haven't.
Paul F. Tompkins
Haven't yet gotten.
Scott Aukerman
I'm sure that's coming up soon.
Paul F. Tompkins
It's got to be pretty close to the Latin, I would imagine.
Scott Aukerman
All right, so after St. Paul, Madison, Wisconsin. Madison. Wow.
Paul F. Tompkins
Wonderful town.
Scott Aukerman
Wonderful town. We had a great show there last year.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, it's been a while. I. I really love Madison, and I'm excited to be bringing that there. Then Chicago, Illinois. This is the big shoulders.
Scott Aukerman
It doesn't sleep either, right?
Paul F. Tompkins
No.
Scott Aukerman
Is that the city?
Paul F. Tompkins
No, that's New York City.
Scott Aukerman
It does go to sleep. So every other city. Every other city goes to sleep.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. New York is a city that never sleeps.
Ben Jammin
I.
Scott Aukerman
If I were Chicago, I would be like, we don't go to sleep either. And then I would stay up and make sure it happens.
Paul F. Tompkins
You have to prove it. Exactly. That's why? More cities don't do that.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. I don't want to stay up all night.
Paul F. Tompkins
Royal Oak, Michigan.
Scott Aukerman
Royal Oak.
Paul F. Tompkins
We've been there.
Scott Aukerman
Very close to Detroit.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes, but it's not Detroit.
Scott Aukerman
It's not Detroit. I think the first time I ever went there, I just assumed we were in Detroit. And I said Detroit and I. I got booed.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. People have real Royal Oak pride.
Scott Aukerman
They do. And it's a wonderful theater there.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. And they have a king. That's a tree.
Scott Aukerman
Sure.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's the Royal oak.
Scott Aukerman
Yep. And they all bow down to it.
Paul F. Tompkins
They do.
Scott Aukerman
He can't talk or move, but they take their orders from.
Paul F. Tompkins
They do.
Ben Jammin
Like, what's that?
Paul F. Tompkins
What's that tree? Okay. We will boil them in oil.
Scott Aukerman
That's the one thing. If you go to the show, you may be boiled in oil because a tree said so.
Paul F. Tompkins
At. At Royal Oak.
Scott Aukerman
Yes.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's the only place. Have you ever heard of Lakewood, Ohio?
Scott Aukerman
No.
Paul F. Tompkins
Well, you just did now.
Scott Aukerman
Holy.
Paul F. Tompkins
And that's where I'm going.
Scott Aukerman
Is that by Cleveland or. Or what?
Ben Jammin
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
Okay. Wow. It is fantastic.
Paul F. Tompkins
By Cleveland.
Scott Aukerman
But I'm sure it's by whatever lake is over there, too.
Paul F. Tompkins
Wood Lake.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, Wood Lake. Where the lake is made of wood.
Paul F. Tompkins
It's just.
Scott Aukerman
You're walking on planks.
Paul F. Tompkins
It's a roller rink. Let's be clear. That lake is a roller rink.
Scott Aukerman
More, you know, like in the lakes in the States that don't get cold enough to freeze over with ice, they should just cover it with wood planks. Lakes in States that don't get covered in ice should be covered with some wood. Everyone wants to skate around on a lake.
Paul F. Tompkins
Simply everyone does, so why not?
Scott Aukerman
Yes.
Paul F. Tompkins
You think this is where it's ironic because you think, oh, ice skates. No, no. Roller skates.
Scott Aukerman
Roller skates.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. You didn't see that coming, did you?
Scott Aukerman
Shouldn't they be wood skates? Like we call ice skates ice skates because you're skating on ice. But we don't call roller skates. They should be like cement skates or wood skates.
Paul F. Tompkins
Well, see, now, you see, ice skates you only use on ice.
Scott Aukerman
What?
Paul F. Tompkins
Roller skates you can use on multiple terrains.
Scott Aukerman
You could use ice skates on any frozen substance, I would imagine. Interesting. Like pudding pops.
Ben Jammin
I mean, could you skate on a.
Paul F. Tompkins
Lake of pudding pops?
Scott Aukerman
Frozen pudding pops, or like a creme brulee, maybe?
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, I know that's hard.
Scott Aukerman
That's hardened sugar.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's too fragile.
Scott Aukerman
I would do it, though, if you.
Paul F. Tompkins
Could bust through with a Spoon. Once you get a person on skates up there, even the biggest creme brulee in the world, you're going to go right through.
Scott Aukerman
All right, where are you going to next?
Paul F. Tompkins
I'm glad you asked because for the first time, Varietopia going to another country.
Scott Aukerman
What?
Paul F. Tompkins
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Scott Aukerman
Wow.
Paul F. Tompkins
Now I love. I love my canadia.
Scott Aukerman
Of course.
Paul F. Tompkins
And I can't wait to be back. I can't wait to bring this show there for the very first time.
Scott Aukerman
I was talking to someone who just did a touring show up there. No, up in Canada, in a different city. And they said that everyone was very mad at them and all the suggestions that were thrown out were all like, tariffs dei.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. Well, guess what? I'm doing a show that does not involve suggestions.
Scott Aukerman
So if you don't bring any.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes, please don't yell out tariffs. In any case, please don't consider me.
Ben Jammin
An ambassador from the United States of America.
Scott Aukerman
This person was saying was like, I'm just a dummy. Like, why are you shouting?
Paul F. Tompkins
I'm just going there to bring you some entertainment.
Scott Aukerman
I can't bring any of this anger back with me and affect any kind of change.
Paul F. Tompkins
I did not vote for that man. So please keep that in mind.
Scott Aukerman
Sorry to this man.
Paul F. Tompkins
I am not sorry to this man.
Scott Aukerman
To the small. All right, so we're four cities in. I would assume that's where it ends.
Paul F. Tompkins
No, because guess what? Wake up. It's time to go to the city that never sleeps.
Guy Foreman
Whoa. New York.
Scott Aukerman
Wow.
Paul F. Tompkins
And I'm gonna be at Irving Plaza. This is my first time doing the show in Manhattan.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, incredible. And are you doing it in the middle of the night? Because the city never goes.
Paul F. Tompkins
It's gonna be a 4:00am show.
Ben Jammin
Well, that, that's all.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's a little too close to morning. What do you. I would consider. What do you think? 2 or 3am the middle of the night.
Scott Aukerman
It's. It's hard because when you're talking about it, I'm assuming this is about a two hour program or so.
Paul F. Tompkins
90 minutes.
Scott Aukerman
90 minutes or so. You're. You're edging into the morning, which is what I was doing last night, as a matter of fact.
Ben Jammin
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
What do you think? 1am, middle of the night? I mean, midnight.
Scott Aukerman
I know. Really? The one. Really Too close to midnight. Yeah, I, I think middle 2am even is like a lot of people are up at 2am 3. I think you're right. 3.
Paul F. Tompkins
That feels like the middle feels like if the phone rang, you would assume the worst. You would absolutely say it's the middle of the night.
Scott Aukerman
Yes.
Paul F. Tompkins
Why are you calling me in the middle of the night? And then they say, well, because someone's in the hospital. Then you say, well, okay, now, I'm sorry. I assumed you had no good reason to call me at 3am and you were being a jerk. But it turns out I'm the jerk because I'm sleepy. Boston, Massachusetts.
Scott Aukerman
Wow. You know, this list is getting exciting.
Paul F. Tompkins
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, this is your hometown. Hometown show.
Paul F. Tompkins
And I'm playing the theater of the Living Arts, which is very meaningful to me on South Street. I.
Scott Aukerman
Did you go to there a lot?
Paul F. Tompkins
I used. I used to go first. It was a. It was an art house movie first.
Scott Aukerman
It was an art house movie theater. I was petrified.
Paul F. Tompkins
Then it became a performance venue and then I saw a bunch of shows there as, As a. As an audience.
Scott Aukerman
Remember, it was a thrill to play the. When. When we played Philly one of the first few times because. Because I would hear shows from the Trocadero live. Live.
Paul F. Tompkins
Absolutely.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. It's always a thrill when you get to play one of these theaters. Like I played the Wiltern, not with Comedy Bang Bang. We couldn't fill that. But I. I did it with Mr. Show and that was fun. And yeah, it's always great.
Paul F. Tompkins
I played the TLA one time before when I was a young stand of comedians.
Scott Aukerman
Whoa.
Paul F. Tompkins
And I opened for Leon Redbone and I bombed.
Scott Aukerman
So we'll see if the same thing happens. I'm looking for Leon Redbone, return to play with you.
Paul F. Tompkins
He. If he shows up and says, I'm going on after your show, I'll be so mad.
Scott Aukerman
Do you think the Eagles will come to this?
Paul F. Tompkins
The football team? Yeah, of course they will.
Scott Aukerman
Okay, now we should make clear, if you're one of the Eagles listening, there's no football game in the middle of this show.
Paul F. Tompkins
No, not this time. From what I understand.
Scott Aukerman
Would you make an exception?
Paul F. Tompkins
I invited them and from what I understand, the response from the team was a massive yes. Washington, D.C. wow. Durham, N.C. love it. Atlanta, Ga. Great. Portland, Oregon. Seattle, Washington. Vancouver, Canada.
Scott Aukerman
Love it.
Paul F. Tompkins
I mean, I'm going a lot of places.
Scott Aukerman
This is almost too many places to even fathom.
Paul F. Tompkins
And guess what, Scott?
Scott Aukerman
What's that?
Paul F. Tompkins
More are going to be announced.
Scott Aukerman
More are going to be announced. This is incredible tour. Certainly a jaunt that you're going to be embarking upon. And your only goal and mission from, from what you've been telling me, is to entertain not only America, but everyone abroad.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes, my goal and mission are the same thing. And it is what you said to entertain everyone in America, regardless of whether or not I'm coming to your city and the entire world.
Scott Aukerman
Now, do you think you'll hit this goal?
Paul F. Tompkins
Two cities in Canada.
Scott Aukerman
Do you think you'll achieve this?
Paul F. Tompkins
Well, the whole world is my stretch goal. So first, if I do entertain everyone in America, then I'm going to head for entertaining the entire world by going to two cities in Canada.
Scott Aukerman
I believe two things. One, you're going to be starring in a movie above the title before you die. And two, you're going to get there. You're going to hit every single person in the world.
Paul F. Tompkins
Every single.
Scott Aukerman
I believe in you. I have faith in you.
Paul F. Tompkins
Even Vladimir Putin.
Scott Aukerman
I think you'll get to him eventually.
Paul F. Tompkins
Do you think he'll like it?
Scott Aukerman
I think he would like. I think he. Honestly, he probably has so many people coming in and kissing his ass all day.
Paul F. Tompkins
Which world leader do you think would like my show the most?
Scott Aukerman
The most?
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
I think Macaron would certainly find it amusing. Teresa May. Is that someone? I don't know? Wow. Wow. Who was that one guy with the messy hair? Boris.
Paul F. Tompkins
Boris Johnson.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, Johnson.
Paul F. Tompkins
Now it's Keir Starmer. Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's a great name.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, it is a good name. It hasn't penetrated over to me yet. You know what I mean? He needs better brand.
Paul F. Tompkins
It's got to penetrate over.
Scott Aukerman
You know what I mean? Like Boris Johnson. It was a combo of his name being Boris, his hair being messy.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
And him having, like, little short ties.
Paul F. Tompkins
Did he have a little short time?
Scott Aukerman
So everything kind of.
Paul F. Tompkins
Did you like the opposite? Trump.
Scott Aukerman
He looks sort of like a little like Chris Farley character, all of that.
Paul F. Tompkins
Absolutely.
Scott Aukerman
The combination of it all finally, like, penetrated my consciousness where I was like, I know who that is.
Paul F. Tompkins
Do you think Boris, he was named after Boris the Spider?
Scott Aukerman
I hope so. From one of the best who songs. Wouldn't you agree it's my favorite, Boris the Spider. I love it.
Paul F. Tompkins
Is it funny? Bands of a certain era where they were like, let's just put this on a record.
Scott Aukerman
I know what we do is really popular, but let's do something we don't do.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
Also, I would. I really had hoped at some point the CSI franchise would expand so much that they would have to eventually use Boris the Spider as one of their theme songs.
Paul F. Tompkins
You're saying another franchise, another installment of Franchise would have claimed Ivor the Engine Driver.
Scott Aukerman
Yes. Mama's Got a Squeeze Box. And then finally it gets to. Well, all we have Is Boris the Spider left. So this is.
Paul F. Tompkins
We've used fiddling about.
Scott Aukerman
This is an incredible tour. My only question now is I'm lost as to how to find any information or buy tickets.
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, my God, Scott. It couldn't be simpler.
Scott Aukerman
Okay.
Paul F. Tompkins
You go to paulftompkins.com live.
Scott Aukerman
Whoa. I bet you could even go to pauloftompkins.com and there would be a sidebar that said live and you could click on that.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, but that's for lawyers.
Scott Aukerman
The sidebar technique.
Paul F. Tompkins
I only advise lawyers to go to the main page of the site.
Scott Aukerman
There's one little thing on the side that says, may I approach the bench?
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
There's another that says sidebar.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
In any case, Pauliftompkins.com live you get all of the information regarding times that it starts. Does it start at the same time every night or different times? I bet different times.
Paul F. Tompkins
I bet different times. Yeah. But all around the same.
Scott Aukerman
Around 8ish, I would imagine. And this is a good time at the theater. This is something that you can bring your loved ones to. I can only imagine you could bring your family to if they're not your loved ones. Sure. I can only imagine you can bring your extended family, too.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. If you have step siblings, go through your family.
Scott Aukerman
Cousins, go through your family tree.
Paul F. Tompkins
If you have play cousins, whoever's still.
Scott Aukerman
Alive, hit them up.
Paul F. Tompkins
Absolutely.
Scott Aukerman
To meet you at the theater.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes.
Guy Foreman
For variety.
Paul F. Tompkins
Topia, guess what? You can bring not only your loved ones. Bring your most hated enemies.
Scott Aukerman
Sure.
Paul F. Tompkins
And maybe you'll find some common ground.
Scott Aukerman
That's right. But in any case, it's good to have them in your sight lines at all times.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
Because you don't want to be murdered by them. So it's always good to.
Paul F. Tompkins
I don't like that.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
And I don't want to catch any strays.
Scott Aukerman
How many murders will be at this show, do you think? Like in the audience during a show?
Paul F. Tompkins
I hate to make promises. I'm, I'm, I'm going to say I suspect there will be zero murders.
Scott Aukerman
Okay. I would think that would be a nice round number that you would want to hit.
Paul F. Tompkins
But again, if there is a murder in the show, I, I'm not saying this is going to be a murder free show.
Scott Aukerman
That's not a guarantee.
Paul F. Tompkins
I can't promise that.
Scott Aukerman
No.
Paul F. Tompkins
But I ask. I'm going to ask people, please don't murder people at my show.
Scott Aukerman
Okay. Make sure there's a sign going into the theater.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. Like those signs. Some theaters have to say, don't bring your gun in here.
Scott Aukerman
Don't bring your gun to town, boy.
Paul F. Tompkins
But look, I want to tell people, yes, this show is my favorite thing to do. It's really such a. A complete expression of all my favorite things.
Scott Aukerman
Completely curated by you.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes, it is from my soul. And if you like me, you will like this show.
Scott Aukerman
Yes. And I'm excited.
Paul F. Tompkins
I'm gonna say if you're iffy on me, you'll like this show.
Scott Aukerman
If people don't like you, I still think they might like the show. I think they'll come around on it.
Paul F. Tompkins
There's parts of it that aren't me.
Scott Aukerman
Well, wonderful varietopia coming to a city near you. More cities to be announced. We're going to take a break. When we come back, we have someone who is working in the illustrative field. That's very exciting, isn't it, Paul?
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
All right, we're gonna take a break. When we come back, we'll have more. Paul F. Tompkins, more Comedy Bang Bang. We'll be right back after this. This podcast is brought to you by Hulu.
Ben Jammin
Hey everybody. Hulu has a bunch of new stand.
Scott Aukerman
Up specials that are not just funny, they're hilarious. Very funny, Hulu.
Ben Jammin
Anyway, they're launching new exclusive stand up specials from awesome comedians like Jim Gavigan.
Scott Aukerman
Ilana glaser, Roy Wood Jr. Bill Burr, and tons more. A new special drops every month and they've got a huge library of stand up specials to check out. Go to Hulu and get your stand up fix now. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. What's your support system in life? I mean, not for your house or I mean in life. And how have they changed? You know, when's a time where asking for support from a therapist was helpful? I think that's the most helpful thing you can do. I mean, think about your favorite leaders, mentors and idols. They don't have all the answers right, but they do know when to ask questions or seek support from their community. In a society that glorifies hyper independence, it can be easy to forget that we're all better when we have a support system behind us. And therapy can be a source of support for any area of your life. It's time to shift the focus from doing it all to knowing that we're better when we ask for help. BetterHelp is fully online, making therapy affordable and convenient. Serving over 5 million people worldwide. Access a diverse network of more than 30,000 credentialed therapists with a wide range of specialties. Easily switch therapists Anytime, at no extra cost. So build your support system with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com Bang Bang. To get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H E L P.com Bang Bang. You know, when you own a business, you gotta wear a lot of different hats. You know, the pirate hat, the fancy top hat. No, no, no. I mean all the roles you have to play when you run a business, even if tech isn't your thing. Kinsta's managed WordPress hosting is a relief. Their expert team, they handle it all. What they've done is they've bundled up all the essentials to make sites stress free with speeds that will wow your visitors, security that never sleeps, and a dashboard. Oh, this dashboard. It's so intuitive. You'll wonder why everything isn't this easy. Imagine your site, okay, running at warp speed. Just by switching to Kinsta, your website could run up to 2, 100% faster. And if you ever need help, you'll get real WordPress pros, not these AI chat bots. Experts who respond in minutes and tackle even the trickiest problems. No scripts, just actual people who know their stuff. They want to help. Are you tired of being your own website support team? Switch your hosting to Kinsta and get your first month for free. And don't worry about the move. They'll handle the whole transition for you. No expertise in the tech sector required. All you have to do is visit kinsta.com bang to get started. That's K-I N S T A.com Bang. Comedy Bang Bang. We are back. Paula Tompkins is here. Varietopia, AKA Variety is out there. Going to be barnstorming across this country and one other country very soon. In about a month's time.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
How are you preparing to be gone for this amount of time?
Paul F. Tompkins
I'm packing clothes.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, okay. Yes. You didn't last tour.
Paul F. Tompkins
This is something I learned the hard way. You're gonna need clothes. Like when you're at home, you have all your clothes there.
Scott Aukerman
I remember one time you, you showed up to the airport with loose clothes in your arms that you were just like carrying.
Paul F. Tompkins
No, I did have them in my. In my arms. I had a bunch of clothes in my arms. And then it was my wonderful wife who said, what if you put them in a suitcase?
Scott Aukerman
That's what suitcases some would say are for.
Paul F. Tompkins
A case for suits.
Scott Aukerman
Yes, that's right.
Paul F. Tompkins
I'm like, I'm a suit guy. I need one of those.
Scott Aukerman
It's interesting we don't call them Clothes cases. But they were for suits back in the day. Exclusively.
Paul F. Tompkins
Exclusively. You couldn't put shoes in them.
Scott Aukerman
Nope. Nor toiletries. Do you put toiletries in your suitcase?
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, just loose. I don't like those containers.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
You know why? Because the TSA says you're supposed to have that.
Scott Aukerman
TSA say?
Paul F. Tompkins
TSA say put toiletries in container.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
In a little clear pouch.
Scott Aukerman
When we were going all over America, it's interesting how every airport has a different take on what you can do and what you can't do.
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, yeah.
Scott Aukerman
Almost like it's intentionally confusing.
Paul F. Tompkins
It's great that it's not standardized.
Scott Aukerman
And then we would get to England and surprise, here's a bunch of stuff you can't do that. Yeah. That only we say you can't do.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. What I really like is that metal detectors are calibrated differently everywhere you go. And so sometimes a belt you wear will be fine nine times out of 10, and the 10th time you have to take it off sometimes. Shoes. Oh, I didn't know these shoes had metal in them at all.
Scott Aukerman
The one thing that seemed standardized was the. The comedy bang bang stickers that I was carrying in one suitcase would get me taken to the side every single time because they couldn't figure out what they were.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes. When they see a shape that they can't recognize, they're like, this is probably a bomb.
Scott Aukerman
All right, we need to get to our next guest, Paul. He is a comic book anchor.
Paul F. Tompkins
Exciting.
Scott Aukerman
You have read a few comic books in your life?
Paul F. Tompkins
In my day, yes, I have. I worked at a comic book store. Dear.
Scott Aukerman
I didn't know that.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, it's called Comics and more on South Street.
Scott Aukerman
I don't think that's come up on threedom.
Paul F. Tompkins
I was fired for being late twice.
Scott Aukerman
That's about the number of times I would fire someone.
Paul F. Tompkins
And the assistant manager said. No, it was the manager who said, look, if I don't fire you, the assistant manager will report that I didn't fire you and then he'll have my job.
Scott Aukerman
Okay.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
You gotta respect that.
Paul F. Tompkins
Gotta respect that. Also great place to work.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, I can only imagine. So you have a little experience in the field.
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, yeah. I know who Omaha the cat dancer is.
Scott Aukerman
I, of course, am currently writing Astonishing Spider man for Marvel. So we. I think we're going to be good interviewers.
Paul F. Tompkins
And of course, I'm writing Everyday Spider Man.
Scott Aukerman
That's right. Yeah. The everyday boring adventures.
Paul F. Tompkins
He's a different guy. Not Peter Parker.
Scott Aukerman
Nope.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
And nothing really happens to him.
Paul F. Tompkins
No. He wears a sweater that has a spider on it.
Scott Aukerman
Like a real spider, not embroidered.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, he doesn't know. That's the most exciting thing about the comic.
Scott Aukerman
All right, let's talk to him and welcome him to the show. Please welcome Guy Foreman Scott.
Guy Foreman
Thank you so much for having me.
Scott Aukerman
My pleasure, Guy. Can I call you guy? It feels weird to call another man Guy. Like, I'm saying, like, hey, guy.
Guy Foreman
Right? You're just.
Scott Aukerman
You're.
Guy Foreman
But it is.
Scott Aukerman
That is your name?
Guy Foreman
Yeah. Yeah. I'd be like if my first name was dude or something.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, Dude.
Paul F. Tompkins
Ever pronounce it ghee?
Guy Foreman
Gosh, no. I should. If I go to France, I should, right?
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, why not?
Guy Foreman
Yeah. Maybe I'll start.
Paul F. Tompkins
I mean, they're gonna do that.
Guy Foreman
I might as well get ready now in case I ever do go to France.
Scott Aukerman
Do you think your work will take you to France or would you go there on vacation?
Guy Foreman
I bet you it would be work related. I can't imagine going to France for fun.
Scott Aukerman
Why? I went for fun once. It was fun.
Guy Foreman
Oh, really? That worked out?
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, it all worked out. Oh, it just seems fun equals fun.
Paul F. Tompkins
Hey, man, explain to me what a comic book inker does.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, a lot of people who don't know what comic books, how they're put together, they don't know. What are you even talking about when you talk about inking?
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Guy Foreman
Before I answer that, can I just say what a pleasure it is to talk to two people with experience in the field?
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, well, thank you.
Guy Foreman
I'm experiencing pleasure, honestly. Nice. I don't know if you could tell from my voice. I'm filled with joy.
Paul F. Tompkins
Are you? You're a person, right?
Scott Aukerman
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
Not a robot?
Guy Foreman
No, I'm full person.
Paul F. Tompkins
Okay.
Guy Foreman
Full all the way.
Scott Aukerman
I try to have a little bit of experience in every single. With every single guest in the field. Of every single guest.
Guy Foreman
You can't do that.
Scott Aukerman
For instance, Ione sky was. Was. Was here last week, and she is both a movie star and an author. And I've done both of those.
Guy Foreman
You've been a movie star?
Scott Aukerman
Austin Powers gold member. Of course. And so I try to have a look.
Guy Foreman
Of course.
Paul F. Tompkins
Does this look familiar?
Guy Foreman
Oh, yes. There he is. Oh, no. Yes, that makes sense.
Scott Aukerman
So in any case, I am so relieved that we're talking about comic books because both of both Paul and I have a little experience.
Paul F. Tompkins
But tell everyone I can finally relax.
Scott Aukerman
Yes, tell everyone what you mean when you say ink.
Guy Foreman
And so comic books.
Scott Aukerman
Now that we've gotten the. Thanking us for having.
Guy Foreman
Now that I got that out of the way.
Ben Jammin
Yeah.
Guy Foreman
Stopped everything.
Paul F. Tompkins
Now explain yourself.
Guy Foreman
I stopped the momentum so that I can say thank you. I did it. You're doing it. And. Okay, sorry.
Scott Aukerman
And now we are further stopping it. And I don't mean by talking about it.
Guy Foreman
I don't want to stop.
Paul F. Tompkins
0 minutes since a momentum stopped incident.
Guy Foreman
That's right. So let's get right to it. I don't mean to delay that anymore.
Scott Aukerman
Of course.
Guy Foreman
You're asking me what an anchor does.
Scott Aukerman
Let us tarry no further and let us discuss the very topic at hand, which is what does. An ingredient.
Guy Foreman
What does an.
Paul F. Tompkins
Because.
Guy Foreman
Right.
Scott Aukerman
To the.
Paul F. Tompkins
I would like to know, and I think other people would like to know.
Guy Foreman
I think that's right, and I would love to say it. In fact, on my way over here, I was thinking I better be ready to explain it.
Scott Aukerman
It's going to be pleasurable for everyone involved, both the listener and for us in conversation, to hear exactly what you're talking about.
Guy Foreman
Can I push back on that a little bit? Because I am experiencing pleasure already. I do think it is going to be pleasurable, but that's not to imply I'm not experiencing pleasure. Right.
Scott Aukerman
Let me just say the pleasure shall continue.
Guy Foreman
Oh, yes, exactly. That's. That I would sign off on Toon Suite. And how was that a pushback? Well, I just didn't want to. It was a pushback.
Scott Aukerman
It was more of a clarification.
Guy Foreman
Clarification. Less of a pushback and a preemptive arguing.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. So. Well, you were preemptively trying to manage expectations.
Guy Foreman
Yes. If somebody thought if I agreed to the fact that it would be pleasurable, I could imagine some people being like, oh, yes, having a crappy time.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. Yeah. That's not me. That's not my style.
Guy Foreman
That's not your style.
Scott Aukerman
The.
Paul F. Tompkins
The premise was it will be pleasurable for people who do not yet know.
Guy Foreman
That's true.
Scott Aukerman
Well, actually, you're right.
Guy Foreman
It's not a push pushback.
Scott Aukerman
My premise was that it will be pleasurable for every listener as well as the three of us discussing it.
Guy Foreman
Okay. I think that's right. I want to say.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's why you say you're already experiencing pleasure.
Guy Foreman
Correct. But I do think it was a. You're. I want to accept your pushback. That when I said I was pushing back, it wasn't a pushback and it was a clarification.
Scott Aukerman
Okay, I believe we.
Guy Foreman
Great. We're all set.
Scott Aukerman
We're out of quorum.
Guy Foreman
I can see in your face that you're ready to move on.
Scott Aukerman
What is an anchor?
Guy Foreman
So an anchor, easy.
Scott Aukerman
You're holding a pen right now. Are you doing it right now?
Guy Foreman
I'm ready to ink at any.
Ben Jammin
Oh, wow.
Paul F. Tompkins
Okay.
Guy Foreman
Yeah, I'm ready to ink. I feel like whenever you have an occupation, you should walk around with your implement.
Scott Aukerman
Sure.
Guy Foreman
Like as if you're an action figure of yourself.
Scott Aukerman
So if you're an angioplasty specialist, you should have a stent at the ready.
Guy Foreman
Yeah, that's right.
Paul F. Tompkins
Sure.
Guy Foreman
If you are an angioplasty specialist. Not a generalist. Not someone who can do it on the side.
Scott Aukerman
Sure. But. Okay.
Paul F. Tompkins
Just carrying a stint.
Guy Foreman
An inker is somebody. So in the comic book biz, you have to. There's a lot of drawings, as you know.
Scott Aukerman
Yes. What do. What normally happens is why don't you just say, you know what?
Paul F. Tompkins
I've noticed that there are a lot of drawings.
Scott Aukerman
Almost too many.
Guy Foreman
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
It's wild how many. I. Because I'll turn the page. Like, more drawings.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. You're ready for the story to keep going.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Guy Foreman
And it's all drawing.
Paul F. Tompkins
Any minute now, it's just going to be straight prose.
Guy Foreman
I would say almost every page of a comic book has at least one drawing.
Scott Aukerman
And I. I'm gonna go as far as to say, like, do we need all of them? You know, like, it's like all of our governmental workers. Let's just fire half of them.
Guy Foreman
I'm glad you said it.
Scott Aukerman
You know what I mean? Let's. Let's. Let's take out half of these drawings and we'll still get it.
Guy Foreman
Well, Alan Moore solved that problem by ending his comics with 16 page of unbroken prosecution. Right. People like the real reference. Okay, so inking.
Paul F. Tompkins
Who didn't love that pirate ship?
Ben Jammin
Part of Watchmen?
Guy Foreman
Everybody. Oh, favorite.
Paul F. Tompkins
I skipped the regular story.
Guy Foreman
Just only the pirates.
Scott Aukerman
The Thrilling pirate. Oh, my gosh. In any case, an inker.
Guy Foreman
So there's all these.
Scott Aukerman
The writer writes the comic, then the. The draw the pencil. The penciler interprets these into pictures, these.
Guy Foreman
Writings into pictures, breaks it down into a storyboard.
Scott Aukerman
Break it down.
Guy Foreman
If I could put it in movie terms.
Scott Aukerman
Sure. And then what the inker does is takes these sometimes fully fleshed out pencils, sometimes quite rough. Quite rough, and then finishes. Solidifies them. Finishes them in the blackest of ink. In order to. Back in the day, it was in order to.
Guy Foreman
So they would show up on the printing process. Yes.
Paul F. Tompkins
Wait, so you trace?
Guy Foreman
I trace, yes. That's often a pejorative way to describe my profession is to Say it's a tracer. And truly, if the pencil. Well, okay, if the pencil is diligent and they're very. And they're very finished, I am essentially.
Paul F. Tompkins
You're say fentanyl?
Guy Foreman
Yeah, I was gonna say if.
Paul F. Tompkins
Now, is that a problem in your industry?
Guy Foreman
Yes, it's an. Unfortunately, a problem in almost every industry now.
Paul F. Tompkins
You know, it makes people drop dead. That's why they like it.
Guy Foreman
It's scary. It's a legit problem. And, yeah, it's bad.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. It's strange that it's such a. It's a. It's a drug that's used so much that there's an epidemic. But also, if a policeman touches it, he'll die immediately.
Guy Foreman
It is weird. Yeah, that's weird that that happens.
Scott Aukerman
Like, enough people use it that it's constantly coming through our porous borders.
Paul F. Tompkins
Porous borders. And it's all over the place.
Scott Aukerman
And yet, if a police officer even brushes against it.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, they die. If they enter a room with a trace of fentanyl, they will die.
Guy Foreman
They'll explode.
Paul F. Tompkins
But children are using it all the.
Guy Foreman
Time, recreationally, and 19 times out of 20, they're having a blast, actually. I don't know, it seems like they're having a ball. Nothing negative associated with that except for the deaths. And where was I? Inking. So if the penciler is either hurried or lazy, you'll get unfinished drawings, and it is your job as the inker to finish it up and actually fill in blanks to add backgrounds, to connect, shadow, add detail, make a lot of artistic decisions.
Paul F. Tompkins
Why did we mention diligence if they.
Guy Foreman
Have completed their pencils?
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, then you're just a tracer.
Guy Foreman
Then I'm just tracing.
Paul F. Tompkins
But if these people that were hired for this job for some reason are lazy or rushing the job or overloaded.
Guy Foreman
A lot of time. Yes, but.
Scott Aukerman
But you said lazy like Herbie. Like Herbie was overloaded. I think he was fully loaded first.
Paul F. Tompkins
He was fully loaded, but then they made a sequel.
Scott Aukerman
They added one suitcase on top.
Paul F. Tompkins
Herbie was like, I. I can't do this.
Guy Foreman
I thought you meant Herbie Hancock. And I was like, was he. Was he a multitasking, which is an.
Scott Aukerman
Older reference.
Paul F. Tompkins
Leads nicely into actual F, by the way.
Scott Aukerman
That's right.
Guy Foreman
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
Good mashup.
Guy Foreman
And that wasn't. Didn't the Art of Noise have some kind of instrumental out? Too close to Peter Gunn. Peter Gunn.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, Peter Gunn.
Guy Foreman
They were all out within, like, six months of each other.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's right.
Guy Foreman
An inker will sometimes have to Do a lot of drawing if the pencil is in a hurry a lot of times. A pencil.
Paul F. Tompkins
Or lazy, as you said.
Guy Foreman
Or lazy. So if a pencil is lazy and they're trying to scam a lot of work.
Paul F. Tompkins
So not just lazy, but dishonest as well.
Guy Foreman
Dishonest, manipulative or con artist.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes. How did this person get this job?
Guy Foreman
Well, they'll do like, they'll do good for one issue.
Scott Aukerman
Oh.
Guy Foreman
And they'll be like, hey, do a second one. And then they just start to fart. They find out that the inker is good.
Scott Aukerman
So why are you an inker and not a pencilr?
Guy Foreman
Yes, that's a great question. And I. I agree. I just. I can't think of any ideas. I need someone to get me started.
Paul F. Tompkins
So you read. How does it happen? You read the script.
Guy Foreman
If I were to get a script and they'd be like, well, you know. And I've never worked for Marvel or dc. I've only done indie.
Paul F. Tompkins
Now in the script, it'll say something.
Scott Aukerman
Indiana Jones.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. I've worked mostly just for Indiana Jones.
Paul F. Tompkins
You worked for Indiana Jones.
Guy Foreman
Indiana Jones is a comic book. In the movie portrayal of him is that he is an archaeologist and a professor. But the real Indiana Jones is a comic book writer.
Scott Aukerman
Let me guess. When he gets your inks, he looks at them and says, these belong in a museum. Yeah. And I'm like, thank you.
Guy Foreman
Because for him, that's a comic.
Scott Aukerman
That's.
Guy Foreman
For him, that's a highest praise. For anyone else, that'd be like, it's a true slam. There's no other way to realize it's super true.
Scott Aukerman
So then guy or G, if you're in France, why, thank you for coming.
Guy Foreman
That's good practice.
Scott Aukerman
Why are you not a pencil or you can't.
Guy Foreman
I can't come up. So as the script might say Captain America. I don't even punches Kang.
Scott Aukerman
Okay. I'm imagining it right now.
Guy Foreman
Are you? Because I. My blank. My mind's a blank. I don't know what to do.
Paul F. Tompkins
When you hear. When you read Captain America, do you have an I. Do you have a picture in your mind of what Captain America looks?
Guy Foreman
I mean, I know what he looks like, but if I try to summon what he might look like punching, I can't.
Paul F. Tompkins
So you. When you hear Captain America, you picture him just standing there?
Scott Aukerman
I picture or like, like Alexander Hamilton just sitting there staring at the audience.
Paul F. Tompkins
After he's done his rap.
Scott Aukerman
That's true.
Guy Foreman
I. I picture a stick figure holding a sign that says, I'm Captain America.
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, wow.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Guy Foreman
I don't even. I.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's somehow more elaborate than picturing Captain America just standing there.
Guy Foreman
Well, I don't know what to tell you. That's what comes to mind.
Scott Aukerman
So does he have the mask on or this stick figure he's just got.
Guy Foreman
He's a. It's a featureless stick figure.
Paul F. Tompkins
Not even the two dots for eyes.
Guy Foreman
Not even two dots.
Paul F. Tompkins
Wow.
Guy Foreman
Just a circle with a. With a. With a two line neck.
Scott Aukerman
Okay.
Guy Foreman
And. And he's got to sign the two line. Two line neck. Yeah, like.
Scott Aukerman
Like that.
Guy Foreman
I'll draw it for you like that.
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, wow.
Guy Foreman
Two line neck.
Paul F. Tompkins
So not even the whole.
Guy Foreman
This is all I could do. I'll just do it for you right now. Like, this is all I could. I'm just drawing for these folks. I know that's not great for I. Captain M. That's.
Paul F. Tompkins
I. Captain M. That's what I would.
Guy Foreman
That's all I can picture. Captain M. But if somebody were to give me.
Paul F. Tompkins
And he's holding the sign with two. With both arms.
Scott Aukerman
Or that's a two line arm.
Guy Foreman
No, no, it's a one line arm.
Scott Aukerman
That's a one line arm. Because I see two lines.
Paul F. Tompkins
But see, you can do the legs and then you also. Why?
Scott Aukerman
Okay. And the penis, by the way, is the most realistic thing there's really the most.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, the most detailed.
Scott Aukerman
I mean, you've drawn the veins on it. You've drawn I. Captain America uncircumcised.
Guy Foreman
I. He. I don't know.
Scott Aukerman
Apparently he manscapes.
Guy Foreman
I think he's got genitals. I mean, I think like the super soldier serum, probably.
Scott Aukerman
You, you think are. Are superheroes out there in the MCU.
Guy Foreman
And the MC and the M and.
Scott Aukerman
The M. Night Shyamalan, they all have.
Guy Foreman
Genitals, I would imagine. Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
These, like, experiments with gamma rays didn't just eradicate their genitalia.
Paul F. Tompkins
Even though Dr. Bruce Banner was pelted with gamma rays.
Guy Foreman
I think he kept his genitals. Yeah, I think.
Scott Aukerman
Explain why he was so mad all the time.
Guy Foreman
If it, if he lost his genitals.
Paul F. Tompkins
Do you think they shrink? That's why he keeps like a tumor, like radiation.
Scott Aukerman
A good question.
Guy Foreman
Like, you know, well, the action figures never have genitals.
Scott Aukerman
No matter if.
Paul F. Tompkins
Never.
Scott Aukerman
No matter if you, like, pump up your muscles in the gym, your penis still stays the same size.
Guy Foreman
Great.
Scott Aukerman
There's nothing you can do, Right? So the Hulk, he gets huge and big, but his penis probably stays the same size. It must be so tiny.
Paul F. Tompkins
That's A great point.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. Because the gamma rays are just what would happen if you worked out at a time.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah. Even though you can make your hands bigger.
Guy Foreman
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
But you know what I mean, like, it must be so disappointing for the Hulk to be, like, huge and he's got the proportionately small penis.
Paul F. Tompkins
So disappointing.
Guy Foreman
He must be so just. He must be so melancholy.
Scott Aukerman
He must be all the time. I mean, I bet he's angry. You know what, Guy? We are running out of time on this. Well, when we come back, we're gonna have more Guy Foreman. This is exciting. We finally learned what he does. Now we're gonna learn why he does it. We'll be right back with more Comedy Bang Bang after this. Now you can get Disney plus and Hulu together for just 2.99amonth for four months.
Guy Foreman
We sure would love that.
Scott Aukerman
Get both and watch Marvel's Daredevil, Born.
Paul F. Tompkins
Again again, and Moana 2 on Disney Plus. Can I get a Chihu on Hulu? Check out Good American Family and Paradise.
Ben Jammin
Call it in now.
Paul F. Tompkins
Disney plus and Hulu together for just 2.99amonth. All of these and more. Streaming soon. New and returning subscribers 18 + only after four months.
Scott Aukerman
Plan auto renews at 10.99amonth until canceled offer ends.
Paul F. Tompkins
3:30, 25 terms apply.
Scott Aukerman
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Guy Foreman
He had to leave, and I think he did know that was going to happen.
Scott Aukerman
I think he got upset about the whole abduction. No, I get that slam at the end of our last segment, and I apologize.
Guy Foreman
Paul, if you're listening to this recording, I apologize, Jesse.
Paul F. Tompkins
They really believe I'm gone.
Scott Aukerman
Did you hear that? No.
Paul F. Tompkins
They don't know I'm up in the.
Guy Foreman
I didn't hear it. I should. Part of a lot of my hearing range has been removed.
Scott Aukerman
Bit intentionally removed.
Guy Foreman
I had the high. The high frequencies and the low frequencies kind of slid off surgically. Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
Why?
Guy Foreman
I had a. I had a yappy dog and a basie grandfather, and I didn't want to hear. And I didn't want to hear either of them.
Scott Aukerman
I get that.
Guy Foreman
So I just was like, hey, you know what? Not my problem anymore.
Scott Aukerman
I get that guy Foreman is here, Comic book inker, and Paul's gone.
Guy Foreman
It's the same because he was great.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. And I don't know.
Guy Foreman
He's just temporarily.
Scott Aukerman
I don't even suspect that he might still be here.
Guy Foreman
I don't either. Why would we? We saw him leave.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, we saw him.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. It would be disrespectful to him for us to think he was here after we.
Scott Aukerman
I take everything he does at face value because I don't think there's any kind of manipulation going on or anything like that.
Guy Foreman
You are a man who does not suspect guile.
Paul F. Tompkins
It's like when Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn went to their own funeral.
Guy Foreman
You know, I am hearing something. The. The. The. The frequencies must be dipping down out of the trouble.
Scott Aukerman
Dipping down a little.
Guy Foreman
Hearing a little something.
Scott Aukerman
I heard a little something. I heard something about Huckleberry.
Guy Foreman
You know what it probably is? It's probably your audiobook playing over the recording equipment.
Scott Aukerman
That's probably what it is. I. I had an audiobook going Right before the. The show started.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. So that's probably what it is. And you'll have to edit that out or something.
Scott Aukerman
I was reading Tom Sawyer, and I hadn't gotten to the part where it says he, he, he. This is like when Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn go to their own funeral.
Guy Foreman
It's a very meta book.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. Interesting. Yeah. Guy Foreman, you. You're a comic book inker. You explained what it is. Why do you do it?
Guy Foreman
Well, for the love. And. And I love the medium of comic books.
Scott Aukerman
What do you love about that?
Guy Foreman
I love the stories. I love the.
Scott Aukerman
The power fantasy of it all. Were you a sad little boy?
Guy Foreman
Yeah. You know what? I'll admit I wouldn't put it like that.
Scott Aukerman
Little nerdy little boy. To read power fantasies about big, strong men in order to feel like that's.
Ben Jammin
Who needs the stories most of all.
Scott Aukerman
Whoa. Excuse me, sir. We're in the middle of a conversation.
Ben Jammin
I'm so sorry. I just wanted to see my old friend Guy Foreman.
Scott Aukerman
Wait a minute.
Guy Foreman
You know, I do know this.
Ben Jammin
Remember me?
Guy Foreman
Is that you should say it just so that I just. Because I feel like I know that you love to announce yourself, and obviously.
Scott Aukerman
I know who you are now that you've stepped into the light.
Ben Jammin
That's right, faithful friend. It's me, Ben Jammin, comic book mogul extraordinaire.
Scott Aukerman
Ben Jam.
Ben Jammin
Except for Taranis, my famous catchphrase.
Scott Aukerman
Yes.
Guy Foreman
Oh, Ben, I gotta say, it's nice to see you.
Ben Jammin
It's nice to see you. And thank you for promoting the comical arts.
Scott Aukerman
Wow, Ben.
Guy Foreman
My pleasure.
Scott Aukerman
Did you know that guy over here was gonna be here or.
Ben Jammin
I did. I keep tabs on all my former employees.
Scott Aukerman
I can't believe that you worked for Ben Jammen.
Guy Foreman
I've done. As a. As a contractor. I did some work for hire.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, like on his house or.
Guy Foreman
I just worked for hire on his house.
Ben Jammin
One of your first jobs, if I'm not much mistaken.
Guy Foreman
Put some insulation in the attic.
Scott Aukerman
Some.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. Not all. My house peppered some insulation here and there.
Ben Jammin
Freezing cold.
Scott Aukerman
That's bad for a mess.
Guy Foreman
Hug. Some drywall. Some just here and there.
Ben Jammin
There's big gaps in the walls where.
Scott Aukerman
The breeze comes through with a. Wintertime, less is more.
Guy Foreman
That's what they say. In contrast acting.
Ben Jammin
I don't know why they do it, but they do say it a lot.
Paul F. Tompkins
But.
Guy Foreman
And I've also done some comic book work for. For Ben.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, my gosh, Ben. Of course. Every listener who's interested in the field knows who you are.
Ben Jammin
That's right.
Scott Aukerman
Take us through your resume.
Ben Jammin
I was the creator of Basie grandfather.
Scott Aukerman
Basie grandfather was you? Wow.
Guy Foreman
Yes. And I had a real one.
Ben Jammin
He was based on Count Basie. And he was an old man who played the upright bass. But in times of turmoil, he could climb inside it to become an invincible crime fighter.
Guy Foreman
Yeah, I remember the first issue was very complicated. It was a 50 page debut issue to explain all the powers of Basie grandfather.
Scott Aukerman
And then once he becomes invincible, there's no drama anymore, right?
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Guy Foreman
He just wins straight up.
Ben Jammin
You'd be surprised because he does have a weakness.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, so he's not invincible? Invincible. Other than one.
Ben Jammin
Other than one week.
Scott Aukerman
An Achilles heel.
Ben Jammin
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
And what was his weakness?
Ben Jammin
His Achilles tendon.
Guy Foreman
It was literally his Achilles tendon.
Ben Jammin
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
So you could just slice that and.
Ben Jammin
He would fall every 10 issues.
Scott Aukerman
Every 10? Yeah. What happens in the other nine?
Guy Foreman
Smooth sailing.
Ben Jammin
He beats up the criminal.
Guy Foreman
Yes. I did some work on Basie grandfather.
Scott Aukerman
Wow.
Guy Foreman
Not on the first issue. I was brought in for some fill in issues when they.
Ben Jammin
Arch enemy. Exacto. Blade.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. A lot of great. You've done so much great work.
Ben Jammin
Of course, who could forget Ladybug.
Guy Foreman
Yes. I don't.
Scott Aukerman
The Rodney Dangerfield movie or.
Ben Jammin
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
Why are you bringing it up?
Ben Jammin
Who could forget it?
Scott Aukerman
It's a good point.
Guy Foreman
I've made some characters for Ben. Now Ben does own the rights to those characters.
Ben Jammin
Exactly. And everything you ever do.
Guy Foreman
Well, I disagree with that part of what you assert.
Ben Jammin
I signed what we call the Lorne Michaels package.
Guy Foreman
I mean, I.
Scott Aukerman
It was.
Guy Foreman
Some of the first work I ever did was for Ben and it was a. It was a. It was a pretty.
Scott Aukerman
What did you do? What. What. What other books did you work on?
Guy Foreman
I worked on Captain Gus and the Fat Lip Duo.
Scott Aukerman
Captain Gus and the Fat Lip Duo. This is obviously. I know who this is from prior childhood, but describe this for the listeners who aren't as into.
Guy Foreman
Captain Gus was just a naval ranking man who is unimportant.
Scott Aukerman
He was not in the Navy.
Ben Jammin
No, he was a naval ranking man.
Guy Foreman
He ranked.
Scott Aukerman
A lot of people don't know you can get ranked by the Navy.
Guy Foreman
Yeah, The Navy gave him a ranking.
Ben Jammin
You send away.
Scott Aukerman
You say, if I were to join the Navy, what would my.
Ben Jammin
Here's my stats. What would My rank.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. Captain Gus was an accountant who got ranked by the Navy as a captain.
Scott Aukerman
Okay.
Guy Foreman
And he had two daughters who would. They punched each other in the face and they and their lips inflate simultaneously. It could be. But whenever one of them had a Fat lip. They were super strong.
Scott Aukerman
Okay.
Ben Jammin
They would turn to each other and say, fat lip duo activate the other day.
Guy Foreman
And then for like 10 to 15 minutes while the swelling was up, they'd be incredibly strong.
Scott Aukerman
That short of a time. Wow.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. It's a. You had to act fast.
Scott Aukerman
Okay.
Guy Foreman
So a lot of the comic would be them moving into the position and then activating their fat lips. And then for the. For the brief window of time subduing the bat.
Ben Jammin
Controversial comic. Because when they punched each other in the face, they would both say simultaneously.
Guy Foreman
Which Ben refused to have us edit out. We tried to do like the little swirl and number sign.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Ben Jammin
Because I do that. Kids being bullied could relate getting punched in the face.
Scott Aukerman
It's. Even if you're a kid, if you get punched in the face, you're gonna say you are. It was so real.
Ben Jammin
It might be the first time you say it. Yep.
Scott Aukerman
First you say it, then you do it.
Guy Foreman
Well, the letters into the letters column, it's an old.
Scott Aukerman
It's a reference to something else people.
Guy Foreman
Felt seen when they read this comic.
Scott Aukerman
Wow.
Guy Foreman
And so I did create those characters. But of course, I'm not disputing Ben owns the rights to those.
Scott Aukerman
Sure.
Ben Jammin
And always will.
Guy Foreman
You don't need to rub my face in it.
Ben Jammin
I know that you're not trying to just re establishing.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Guy Foreman
So Captain Gus and the fat lip duo was. Was one of the ones I worked on. What else? Oh, I.
Ben Jammin
The sad Gentleman.
Scott Aukerman
The Sad Gentleman. This started as a backup feature.
Guy Foreman
Sad Gentleman was like a little six page backup we would use to fill out the issues that weren't. That weren't done.
Ben Jammin
It was basically an extended Hostess tweaky ad.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. Now comic book fans know that the Hostess Twinkie company used to do one page ads where Spider man would come across a villain and everything would get solved by everyone eating Twinkies.
Ben Jammin
Clover man would find some fruit pies.
Scott Aukerman
Yes.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. The. The Hulk could get really into some ho hos or something.
Scott Aukerman
Like that tiny dicked superhero being the.
Guy Foreman
Incredibly tiny dick Hulk. Yeah. So, yeah. The sad gentleman was at first just an original character created for a Hostess ad.
Scott Aukerman
Let me. Can I check out any of the sad gentlemen? Like, oh my gosh. That you have some artwork here that looks exactly like you.
Guy Foreman
Yeah, it was inspired by some of my life. This one is the sad gentleman is in an elevator and he can't remember what floor he's going to. So he's just panels of him, like scratching his chin, starting to push a button. Not pushing a button. Getting lost in his phone, which at that time didn't make any sense.
Ben Jammin
A rotary phone.
Guy Foreman
He took a rotary phone out of his satchel and just stared at it. Just stared at it. And that's the end of the sad gentleman. But the abstract nature was compelling to people.
Scott Aukerman
Sure. Yeah. This sounds like indie comics. These Indiana Jones comics.
Ben Jammin
Children will write in and say, this is how I feel all the time. Sad and confused.
Guy Foreman
Kids in an elevator have no agencies. They don't get to pick what floor they're going to. So all they have is their phone number.
Scott Aukerman
Kids should be able to pick the floors that we go to.
Ben Jammin
Let the child pick the floor.
Scott Aukerman
Let the child pick the floor.
Guy Foreman
Let the child pick the floor. Let the child pick the floor.
Scott Aukerman
This is my platform. I've said it before. I'll say it again. Let children pick these things. Who cares if you end up on the wrong floor.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. Where were you?
Ben Jammin
Let them push every button like they want to.
Scott Aukerman
Yes.
Ben Jammin
What do you care?
Scott Aukerman
What do you care? And then wherever you end up, that's probably where you were meant to go.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. That's very wise of you.
Ben Jammin
Beautiful.
Scott Aukerman
Like, where are you going with a kid anyway? The dentist. They don't want to go there. Let them pick the floor. Go to somewhere else.
Guy Foreman
Pick another floor. You're. You're in some like dmv.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, exactly.
Guy Foreman
And just go in there.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, man. Those dentist office that are right on top of the df.
Guy Foreman
You're gonna be a license.
Scott Aukerman
No.
Guy Foreman
Go to the dentist.
Scott Aukerman
Yes.
Ben Jammin
And then your child is an early start of driving.
Scott Aukerman
That's true.
Guy Foreman
It all works out.
Scott Aukerman
What are some of the other books that you worked on?
Guy Foreman
So what do we say already? Captain Gus and the Fat Lip Duo. The. Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
You want to make sure. You don't want to say one. You've already said.
Guy Foreman
I just. I said Captain Gus and the Fat Lip Duo.
Scott Aukerman
You did? Yes.
Guy Foreman
Okay.
Scott Aukerman
The namely ranked Captain Gus.
Guy Foreman
Piano hands.
Scott Aukerman
Piano hands.
Guy Foreman
This is a man who was a jazz trumpeter, weirdly fell into a grand piano during a nuclear attack on Los Angeles. And he's on Los Angeles.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Guy Foreman
And he emerged with two piano keyboards.
Scott Aukerman
For hands, but no hands to play them, I would imagine.
Guy Foreman
Tragic. It's like an O. Henry story. He's got piano keyboards and no hands to play him. So he needs people to play his hands to enact music.
Scott Aukerman
Wow. But. But can he pick up stuff at all?
Guy Foreman
Or he can scoop them up. Like if there's something that. That a piano keyboard could.
Scott Aukerman
I would imagine if the top is up on a grand Piano. Scoop things with a piano.
Guy Foreman
Yeah, yeah, I would. Yeah, I would imagine that.
Scott Aukerman
Like, if you were. If, if. If you were doing construction on your house, which you've done before, some, and on mine, and you couldn't get a bulldozer. If you had a grand piano, you could probably scoop some of the rubble away.
Guy Foreman
If you had a grand piano and you were strong, you could use it for sure, I would think.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Guy Foreman
It turned it upside down. You leave the lid open. Like a big mouth.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Guy Foreman
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
Big mouth. Great show.
Guy Foreman
Piano Man. Not Piano Man. Wait, that's Billy Joe.
Ben Jammin
Didn't I see you on Big Mouth?
Scott Aukerman
You saw me, but it wasn't my voice.
Guy Foreman
Yeah, you got. Your voice got cut out of the show.
Scott Aukerman
They used someone else, unfortunately, for it. But it was. It was a drawing of me and the guy who just left, Paul F. Tompkins.
Guy Foreman
Okay.
Scott Aukerman
And they used other people's voices for it for some reason.
Guy Foreman
You were probably. You probably were not available or hard to.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, I was very available. I let them know I would come in.
Guy Foreman
Well, you probably didn't have any personal connection with anybody on the show, so.
Scott Aukerman
No, no, no. Okay, so piano hands.
Guy Foreman
Piano hands.
Scott Aukerman
Does he solve crimes or.
Guy Foreman
He solves crimes? Absolutely. He sold crimes. Yeah. Well, he teams up with the detective. He doesn't have the. Know how. He's the muscle.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, okay.
Guy Foreman
He comes in just to, like, whap the bad guy with a big. With a big keyboard.
Scott Aukerman
Sherlock Holmes needed. You know, he's got some, like, Watson who, like, sits around and documents the cases and. Is worse than Sherlock Holmes. Like, worse than everything.
Guy Foreman
He's way worse.
Scott Aukerman
Like, if he were muscle. If he was like, like. Oh, don't. Sherlock. I'll take care of this. Thank you. Then you'd understand what he's doing. Yes. But instead he's just like. Oh, I say Sherlock. Why would you even think that that would be. Shut the up.
Ben Jammin
He was there in case Sherlock Holmes got shot or stabbed.
Guy Foreman
He was an understudy.
Ben Jammin
He was a medical doctor.
Guy Foreman
Oh. To attend to the wounds.
Ben Jammin
Not always. Does a stabbing lead to death?
Guy Foreman
See, Ben is the master of the story.
Scott Aukerman
You are holding scissors right now.
Ben Jammin
I'm always holding scissors.
Guy Foreman
Because you're an editor.
Ben Jammin
Tell them about Bubonic Bill.
Guy Foreman
Bubonic Bill was a worker at the CDC who insisted that he could cure all diseases.
Scott Aukerman
The cbc.
Guy Foreman
Cbc. He worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Scott Aukerman
All right. It's not the cdc.
Guy Foreman
No.
Ben Jammin
That would have been great.
Scott Aukerman
That would have been. We had the diseases part of it.
Guy Foreman
Because we knew we Wanted him to have the powers of the bubonic plague.
Ben Jammin
Yes, it was. Was the cbc, not the cdc.
Guy Foreman
We should have had it be the cdc. That.
Scott Aukerman
I think that adds a more realistic. Well, he was working.
Ben Jammin
More likely that someone will work at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation than they would at the center for Disease Control.
Guy Foreman
It's way more relatable.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Guy Foreman
So this guy worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation or company.
Ben Jammin
Who knows?
Scott Aukerman
Could be.
Guy Foreman
Company. Yeah. We never had to say it. We just said Canadian Broadcasting C. Because we didn't know.
Scott Aukerman
So you had every character say the Canadian Broadcasting Sea.
Guy Foreman
Hey, I gotta get back to my job at the Canadian Broadcasting Sea.
Scott Aukerman
Okay. This is realistic dialogue so far. Yeah.
Guy Foreman
It gets unrealistic. So then he's. So there's a talk show where Mike Myers is interviewing Wayne Gretzky.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, yes.
Guy Foreman
At the Canadian broadcast, Canadian tv. And the next guest is a scientist who's got a big vial of the bubonic plague. To show.
Scott Aukerman
To show.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. Just to be like.
Ben Jammin
It's his party trick.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. This used to really be a problem. He was gonna say.
Scott Aukerman
Right.
Guy Foreman
But this guy, our main hero, his name was Irving Filibuster.
Scott Aukerman
Irving filibuster. Was he doctor, like, Dr. Irving? Like Dr. J?
Guy Foreman
Like doctor. No, he was not a doctor. No, he was. He was a nurse practitioner.
Scott Aukerman
Okay.
Guy Foreman
Who worked at the Canadian broadcast.
Ben Jammin
Why?
Guy Foreman
Huh?
Scott Aukerman
Why? If he's a nurse practitioner, why does he have this side gig?
Guy Foreman
He was. He was there in case people got hurt.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, like Watson?
Guy Foreman
I guess so.
Ben Jammin
Exactly.
Guy Foreman
Okay, so Irving Filibuster, a nurse practitioner who worked at the Canadian Broadcasting Sea, is arrogant, and he's like, I should be on this show, not this lousy scientist who's got a vial of the bubonic plague. And he tries to elbow his way onto the show, but knocks into the vial of the bubonic plague, giving himself the bubonic plague.
Scott Aukerman
Who is Bill.
Guy Foreman
Sorry.
Scott Aukerman
The. The title of this is Bubonic, and your main character's name is Irving.
Guy Foreman
Yes. Great. You've got an eye.
Ben Jammin
Have you ever heard of a secret identity?
Guy Foreman
Yes. So he didn't want people to know his real identity because he wanted to continue his career as a nurse practitioner.
Ben Jammin
But he did want people to know he was a carrier of the bubonic plague.
Guy Foreman
Well, yeah, because he wanted to scare villains.
Ben Jammin
What?
Guy Foreman
What? You know, what strikes fear in the heart of evil men to bubonic plague.
Scott Aukerman
I would. I would assume more than bats.
Guy Foreman
Way more.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Guy Foreman
If there. If you, in a hypothetical situation, had to walk into a room with the Bubonic plague loose or a room with a couple of bats.
Scott Aukerman
I go into the bat room.
Guy Foreman
Easy, right?
Scott Aukerman
But it begs the question, why not Bat Bill?
Guy Foreman
Why not Bat?
Scott Aukerman
He's trying to obscure his secret identity, too.
Guy Foreman
He should obscure the bubonic part.
Scott Aukerman
Well, no, I'm saying why didn't Batman. Why wasn't his name Bat Bill?
Guy Foreman
Yeah. Throw him off the case further.
Scott Aukerman
Because his name is Bruce. What? Like when he says Batman, you automatically go, oh, he's a man.
Guy Foreman
Right. That narrows.
Scott Aukerman
And that narrows it down. Why not say BET wouldn't build.
Ben Jammin
Narrow it down even further.
Scott Aukerman
But.
Guy Foreman
But in the wrong way.
Scott Aukerman
In the wrong way where you're like, okay, we got to find some.
Guy Foreman
Somebody named Bill.
Scott Aukerman
Someone named Bill who's. Who kicks ass and is rich.
Guy Foreman
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
And then there's no one there.
Guy Foreman
You know what he really should have done was called himself Bat Joker to direct all the attention at Joker.
Scott Aukerman
Yes.
Guy Foreman
Make that guy's life problem.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, exactly. Oh, you know who just beat us up? All criminals. This Bat Joker guy.
Ben Jammin
What if he called himself Bill? Bat bill Jasper of 1124 Sycamore Avenue. Social Security number 24692.
Scott Aukerman
He'd have the cops running in circles.
Guy Foreman
Oh, Ben, you should have. I wish you were in charge of DC Comics.
Ben Jammin
I wish I wouldn't charge of DC Comics.
Scott Aukerman
What are you doing now, Ben?
Ben Jammin
Mostly I'm retired and counting money. But, yeah, I do like to make cameos in films.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, okay.
Guy Foreman
So, like, I saw you recently. I saw you in Plumber Henry, the Plumber Henry franchise that's on Netflix.
Ben Jammin
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
And I saw you in Amelia Perez.
Ben Jammin
Yes. Remember when they were singing, Penis Vagina, penis vagina? I was in the background looking back and forth like I was on a tennis match. You can also find me in the Brutalist.
Guy Foreman
Really?
Ben Jammin
Yes.
Scott Aukerman
What were you doing in the Brutalist?
Ben Jammin
Well, when an unpleasant thing happens towards the end of the film that comes out of nowhere, I am over in the corner of the street going, enjoying. I do a double take.
Guy Foreman
I think it undermines the moment. And that's not. Your performance is great, but I think the director was wrong to cut to.
Scott Aukerman
You going, weren't you in Challengers as well, watching the tennis match as if it were a penis and vagina discussion?
Ben Jammin
Also, when they have. They're doing the three way kiss, I say, you see me slightly just out to the side of the frame going, let me get it there.
Guy Foreman
And then in companion with.
Ben Jammin
Haven't seen it, so don't spoil my cameo and companion.
Guy Foreman
You haven't seen It. Yeah, you're in it.
Ben Jammin
I don't know where my cameo comes.
Guy Foreman
Okay.
Ben Jammin
So please don't spoil anything about the movie.
Guy Foreman
Okay. That's going to. I'm glad you said that because I was gonna spoil.
Ben Jammin
It was a very unique situation where the director said, now I'm gonna push you with the movie. You're not gonna know where you are, anything about the story.
Guy Foreman
That's nice.
Paul F. Tompkins
Okay.
Scott Aukerman
Because you don't want to be spoiled.
Ben Jammin
I was blindfolded.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, that's why they picked you up. They abducted you.
Ben Jammin
And they put me. And they put me in a. They put a bag over my head. They brought me to set and they said, okay, we're gonna say action and whip the bag off.
Paul F. Tompkins
And then all you have to do.
Ben Jammin
Is just sit there.
Scott Aukerman
But you were also blindfolded as well.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yes.
Ben Jammin
So we're gonna keep the blindfold on.
Scott Aukerman
It makes me feel like they blindfolded you so you wouldn't know where you're going. And then they thought you were just an uggo and put the bag over your face like white boat.
Ben Jammin
I don't think that's a shoot off for the film.
Scott Aukerman
No.
Guy Foreman
Ben, you're a. You're a fine looking man.
Paul F. Tompkins
Thank you.
Ben Jammin
Can't be true for a man of 102.
Paul F. Tompkins
I think I look under it too.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, yeah.
Guy Foreman
You had a lot of energy.
Ben Jammin
It's my birthday today.
Guy Foreman
Hey, happy birthday.
Ben Jammin
Thank you.
Scott Aukerman
So you're 101 yesterday.
Ben Jammin
That's right.
Scott Aukerman
Now you're 102.
Ben Jammin
Yes, 103.
Guy Foreman
Well, that's not true. It'll be another year, right, Ben, when.
Scott Aukerman
You'Re that old, I think the birthday should come a little more regular.
Ben Jammin
Who knows if I'll live another year? So tomorrow I'm going to be 103.
Scott Aukerman
4 the next day, and just birthday cake every day.
Ben Jammin
I love birthday cakes.
Scott Aukerman
My.
Ben Jammin
My favorite food.
Guy Foreman
It's a great one.
Scott Aukerman
I like when you go to an ice cream store and it's like birthday cake, ice cream. No, I would go to the birthday cake store.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. Thank you.
Scott Aukerman
If I want a birthday cake, I want ice cream.
Ben Jammin
Birthday cake, ice cream, ice cream cake. What's going on?
Scott Aukerman
What is happening here? We got to get to the bottom of this.
Ben Jammin
That's like a cat being dressed like a dog.
Scott Aukerman
Which is another great idea for a superhero, by the way.
Ben Jammin
But a dog, Cat. A cat.
Scott Aukerman
Dog bill.
Guy Foreman
Costume dog, Cat bill. A cat who gets the powers of a dog.
Ben Jammin
Cat bill. But what, two minutes later?
Guy Foreman
What's the secret identity of still being a Cat.
Ben Jammin
But I've had a very busy year being doing cameos in movies.
Scott Aukerman
Really? That's incredible. We love to see you in movies.
Guy Foreman
Your charming presence.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, I mean, that's the thing is Stan Lee, who was a contemporary of yours, right?
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Guy Foreman
Did you know Stan?
Paul F. Tompkins
Who?
Scott Aukerman
Marvel Comics guy.
Ben Jammin
That guy?
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. He would. He would show up in all these Marvel movies. He'd be so funny and so good. And I would. I would be like, he's got to show up in other movies. Yeah.
Guy Foreman
Use this guy.
Ben Jammin
He was doing my thing.
Guy Foreman
He was doing your thing.
Scott Aukerman
He ripped you off. Yes, unfortunately.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Ben Jammin
I've been doing cameos in movies since the 30s.
Guy Foreman
I remember you in Kramer versus Kramer.
Ben Jammin
Yes. When he froze the glass in the restaurant.
Guy Foreman
And you're the waiter, you go up. You're one of the great double take cameos.
Scott Aukerman
You were in Arsenic and Old Lake.
Ben Jammin
When the guy who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt charges up the stairs. I would be at the top of the stairs and guess what I'd be doing.
Guy Foreman
I can't believe you said, yeah. Right.
Ben Jammin
Most of these cameos are double takes.
Guy Foreman
Yeah. I remember in Psycho, the big reveal at the end, which I won't spoil.
Scott Aukerman
For anyone who hasn't seen Psycho. But a certain character is not what she seems.
Guy Foreman
Not what she seems. Certain character's mother. I don't want to spoil it. Yes. Is not who we think, but is actually a. Maybe a son of who we think. No spoilers.
Scott Aukerman
No spoiler spoilers.
Guy Foreman
But the mother of a certain debates.
Scott Aukerman
Norman, we're talking about.
Guy Foreman
Norman, we're talking about normal.
Scott Aukerman
That's not a spoiler.
Guy Foreman
That's the main character.
Scott Aukerman
That's the main character. Psycho. You. Norman Bates.
Guy Foreman
Bates is right away. He's there.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. But no spoilers. But Norman Bates is relative who you see of the maternal variety.
Guy Foreman
Correct.
Scott Aukerman
No, no spoilers.
Guy Foreman
Further specification than that.
Scott Aukerman
No.
Guy Foreman
But at the end of the movie, we find out that this maternal relative.
Ben Jammin
Of Norman Bates, he was dressing up as his dead mother stabbing people.
Guy Foreman
Correct. So and at that moment, at that reveal, they cut to you, the pan up to you and you go. And then they do the famous Hitchcock pull out zoom forward just on you.
Ben Jammin
Only time I did a double take where I had to pull out a zoom forward.
Scott Aukerman
It was crazy. And you were in both versions, except.
Ben Jammin
For Jaws, of course.
Scott Aukerman
You were in the Vince Vaughn version.
Ben Jammin
Yes. Shot for shot remake.
Scott Aukerman
Yep. You gotta have you. Gus.
Ben Jammin
Jamming Gus Van Sant called me up and said, I know this is unusual, but would you mind repeating your role?
Scott Aukerman
Did you Want him just use the old footage?
Ben Jammin
I said, yes, please. And he said, no, it's gonna be a color. And I said, you got me a color. A color.
Guy Foreman
Gonna be a color.
Ben Jammin
I said, which color? And he said, all of them. I said, wow, big budget.
Guy Foreman
He went all out. I thought you were the best part of the remake.
Ben Jammin
Thank you. What about when they added the one seed that wasn't in the original?
Scott Aukerman
That was necessary.
Ben Jammin
This had to be in the there.
Guy Foreman
It's sacrilege to change anything of the master's work except jerking off for a good jerk off, which we all think the mat. He would have liked Psycho.
Ben Jammin
Otherwise perfect film. If I were to add one thing.
Guy Foreman
A lot of movies are. I mean, Citizen Kane is always missing a real good jerk off scene. Casablanca.
Scott Aukerman
I assume he was going to see his mistress's operas. Just working it up there in his box.
Ben Jammin
How great would it be if one more filmmaker did a shot for shock remake of a classic.
Scott Aukerman
Style?
Guy Foreman
Yeah, we're gonna. We're gonna Van Zant this movie.
Scott Aukerman
I gotta say. Three men on a podcast. We finally got to jerking off.
Guy Foreman
Took us a while. That was restraint.
Scott Aukerman
Well, look, guys, we are running out of time. Unfortunately, I am too.
Ben Jammin
So AM I. I'm 103.
Scott Aukerman
We've already crossed into tomorrow, have we? We are running out of time. We only have time for one final feature on the show. That is of course a little something called plugs. I just can't believe my love, I. I get to hear your.
Ben Jammin
Rock and.
Scott Aukerman
Roll final.
Guy Foreman
Starring Michael Gross. Kind of seems like a TV show thing.
Ben Jammin
Sha la la la.
Scott Aukerman
That was Little Dinky Boy by TW Bond. That's great. Yeah, I loved it. Thanks to TW Bond. And guys, what are we plugging here? I'll start with you, Guy Foreman, DNA guy.
Guy Foreman
I'll plug a podcast I like called Screw it. We're just gonna talk about the Beatles. If you want to hear a bunch of.
Scott Aukerman
You didn't know who they were.
Guy Foreman
I don't know who they are, but that's why I'm playing.
Scott Aukerman
These guys do.
Guy Foreman
These guys do. So I'm hoping to listen to it someday because I'm curious about. I'm curious about that band. But if you ever wanted to hear a couple of middle aged people to say that this band that you know already is good, that's the podcast for you.
Scott Aukerman
Do they have any sort of analysis that elevates it at all?
Guy Foreman
Not really. There's a lot of just whatever's topical in the band they get. They kind of go over and say.
Scott Aukerman
Things are topical in the Beatles these days.
Guy Foreman
There is a lot of Beatles releases. There are a lot of Beatles release. Ringo released an album last month. That's I hear, even though I don't know who he is.
Scott Aukerman
And Ben Jammin, do you have anything you want to.
Ben Jammin
I'm dying. Here I go.
Scott Aukerman
No, no, not now. No, no, no, no, no. Ben. Clear. Clear. Don't you die dead. Hey. Hey.
Paul F. Tompkins
What's going on, you guys?
Scott Aukerman
Hey, Paul. Where'd you come from?
Paul F. Tompkins
I fell out of the roof.
Scott Aukerman
You were in the roof?
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
Oh.
Guy Foreman
Are you all right?
Paul F. Tompkins
In the ceiling.
Scott Aukerman
Oh, okay. Oh, that makes sense.
Guy Foreman
Are you all right?
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, I'm fine. It's not that. Oh, it's quite a fall. I fall a lot.
Guy Foreman
Oh, yeah. You did it well, thank you.
Scott Aukerman
Thank God that I had these pillows here underneath. Pillows.
Guy Foreman
Yeah, before we started, when you got all the pillows out to show them.
Scott Aukerman
Off, I was like, yeah, check out my pillow collection.
Paul F. Tompkins
I actually enjoyed the pillow show, but.
Guy Foreman
It was out of nowhere.
Scott Aukerman
I usually. To be honest, I usually do a pillow show before every episode. We just don't record it.
Paul F. Tompkins
What's amazing is to the. To the untrained eye, they all look exactly alike. But you were able to walk us through the subtle differences in each pillow.
Guy Foreman
And I now am glad that I brought out my haystack in response to that. To that pillow.
Scott Aukerman
Your haystack collection? Yes. Which I thought was gorgeous.
Guy Foreman
You were so nice about it.
Scott Aukerman
I mean, no needles involved in these. No.
Paul F. Tompkins
A haystack is sort of a collection of hay, right?
Guy Foreman
It is, yeah.
Scott Aukerman
In a way. It's stacked up.
Guy Foreman
Sure.
Scott Aukerman
Paul, we.
Guy Foreman
We.
Scott Aukerman
We're doing plugs. Do you have anything you want to plug?
Paul F. Tompkins
Oh, sure. I'd like to plug Varietopia. We're doing our St. Patrick's Day special in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 16, and live streaming it to the world that's at large room in Los Angeles and live streamed everywhere else. And then, of course, gotta say it again. Variatorpia starts in Iowa City, Iowa, on April.
Scott Aukerman
I Bet it was 16.
Paul F. Tompkins
No, it's a little too early. It's a little too early.
Guy Foreman
23Rd of my guess. That's my guess.
Paul F. Tompkins
I think you're right about the 23rd. Ghee. Yeah. Wednesday, 23rd.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah.
Paul F. Tompkins
At the Englert Theater. It all kicks off in Iowa City.
Guy Foreman
It's a week and a day after you file your taxes.
Scott Aukerman
That's exactly one week and one day. Wow. I just got a text. It's AT&T. Great news. Your Phone is paid off.
Ben Jammin
Oh.
Scott Aukerman
If you're interested in learning about our upgrade offer, reply yes to receive Congrats.
Guy Foreman
Say yes.
Paul F. Tompkins
Please say yes.
Scott Aukerman
I want to plug. Hey, we still have the CBB action figures. We still have Randy and Karina action figures. They've been mailing them out. They look gorgeous. I have some right here next to all of my others. They are Randy Snuts and his on and off again Carissa girlfriend. Get them to complete your set. They are available for customers worldwide@figurecollections.com with free shipping with a US address or in Europe with cheaper import fees@action figureseller.com Nice. I think they still have some Sprague and Big sue action figures as well as some of the tour JW Stillwater and Scott Aukerman's might still be available. So hit them up. Also, if you are interested in hearing the complete archive of comedy Bang Bang, as well as every live episode we've ever done, head over to CBB World. We have such great stuff over there. We have ad free episodes of this show. We have ad free threedom. We have CBB Presents shows Freedom. We also have Collegetown. We have Neighborhood. Listen, Scott hasn't seen where we watch movies with Sprague. So many great shows.
Guy Foreman
Cbbfm.
Scott Aukerman
Cbbfm. Yeah, we. Yeah, we certainly do that. Yeah, that is a show.
Guy Foreman
That's a fact.
Scott Aukerman
Head over to there. Over@cbbworld.com.
Paul F. Tompkins
Head over to there.
Scott Aukerman
You can get it via a monthly subscription or a yearly subscription. If you get it for a year, you get two months free. All right, let's close up the old plug. Oh.
Paul F. Tompkins
You got Open the plug bag with me, dude.
Scott Aukerman
All right, that was. Dude. Looks like a plug bag by Burn Su. Thanks to Burn Suite. That was great, guys. I want to thank you so much. First of all, Paul, thank you so much for dropping by and about what's going on.
Paul F. Tompkins
Thank you for letting me promote my little show. Of course.
Scott Aukerman
And I hope to go out there and I'm going to follow the tour around and go to every show. I figured. Yep. I'll be there in the audience if anyone wants to say hi. And Guy Fordman. Foreman.
Guy Foreman
Foreman. That's correct.
Paul F. Tompkins
G.
Scott Aukerman
So great to meet you.
Guy Foreman
Yeah, thanks for. I just wanted to hang out and I got to do it.
Scott Aukerman
Continued success to you.
Guy Foreman
Thank you.
Scott Aukerman
Yeah. And of course Benjamin's dead.
Guy Foreman
Yeah.
Scott Aukerman
But rest in peace.
Paul F. Tompkins
Is that who this is?
Scott Aukerman
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We couldn't say. Yeah, we performed cpr.
Guy Foreman
I breathed heavy near his extensively.
Paul F. Tompkins
Yeah, this is Grizzly.
Guy Foreman
I know.
Scott Aukerman
Hey, join the club. My nephew Todd was dead for a while lying on the floor.
Paul F. Tompkins
Alan Thicke.
Scott Aukerman
Alan Thicke. Yeah. He's been lying here forever.
Guy Foreman
There are a lot of bodies here.
Scott Aukerman
There's a. It's a curse being on this show. Hopefully that won't ever affect you guys. Okay?
Guy Foreman
We didn't do anything wrong. It wouldn't be fair.
Scott Aukerman
That's right. All right, we'll see you next time. Thanks. Bye. I've never felt like this before. It's like you just get me.
Paul F. Tompkins
I feel like my true self with you. Does that sound crazy?
Scott Aukerman
Crazy.
Paul F. Tompkins
And it doesn't hurt that you're gorgeous.
Scott Aukerman
Okay, that's it.
Paul F. Tompkins
I'm taking you home with me.
Scott Aukerman
I mean, you can't find shoes this good just anywhere.
Paul F. Tompkins
Find a shoe for every you from brands you love like Birkenstock, Nike, Adidas.
Scott Aukerman
And more at your DSW store or dsw.com this episode of Comedy Bang Bang is brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all in one website platform for entrepreneurs. Oh boy. We're having entrepreneurs back on the show and they're going to use helps entrepreneurs stand out and succeed online. Whether you're just starting out or you're managing a growing brand, Squarespace makes it easy to create a beautiful website, engage with your audience and sell anything from products to content to time, all in one place, all on your terms. You can get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at Squarespace. Squarespace Payments is the easiest way to manage your payments in one place. With Squarespace, onboarding is fast and simple. Get started in just a few clicks of the dear mouse, my dear boy, and start receiving payments right away. Plus, give your customers more ways to pay with popular payment methods like and here we go with them. They're going to sound made up, but maybe you know what they are. Klarna Ach Direct Debit in the US Apple Pay Afterpay in the US and Canada and Clearpay in the uk Squarespace. Look, what do I need to say about them? We've been using them now for. It feels like. I know it's over a decade. I think we did all the earwolf websites with Squarespace. They're the best. Check out squarespace.com for a free trial and when you are Ready to launch squarespace.com Bang Bang will save you 10% off your first purchase of a website or a domain. Thanks. Squarespace.
Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast – Episode Featuring Paul F. Tompkins and Guy Foreman
Release Date: March 10, 2025
Guests: Paul F. Tompkins, Guy Foreman
Host: Scott Aukerman
Duration: 95 minutes
Scott Aukerman opens the episode with his characteristic humor, engaging in playful banter with Paul F. Tompkins about whimsical topics like popcorn pigeons and the "San Francisco treatment" of the show. The initial minutes set a lighthearted tone, establishing the rapport between the host and his guests.
[04:23] Paul F. Tompkins:
Paul takes center stage to discuss his upcoming tour, Varietopia, a variety show blending stand-up comedy, sketches, musical performances, and more. He emphasizes the show's diverse entertainment offerings, aiming to engage audiences across various cities in the United States and Canada.
Notable Quotes:
Tour Details:
Paul elaborates on each venue, sharing anecdotes about past performances and the unique characteristics of each city. The conversation highlights his enthusiasm and dedication to bringing Varietopia to a wide audience.
[15:06] Paul F. Tompkins:
Paul describes Varietopia in detail, outlining the structure of the show which includes:
Notable Quotes:
Paul emphasizes the show's inclusivity, inviting audiences to experience a blend of different entertainment forms, ensuring there's something for everyone.
Scott introduces Guy Foreman, a comic book inker, shifting the conversation to the intricacies of the comic book industry. This segment provides listeners with an insider’s perspective on the artistic process behind comic books.
Discussion Points:
Role of an Inker:
Collaboration with Pencilers:
Challenges in the Industry:
Notable Quotes:
Comic Book Characters Discussed:
Guy shares creative processes behind these characters, highlighting the blend of humor and complexity in comic storytelling.
The episode thrives on the spontaneous and humorous interactions between Scott, Paul, and Guy. They delve into playful debates about superhero identities, the absurdity of certain character traits, and the creative liberties taken in comic book narratives.
Notable Exchanges:
On Superhero Names:
On Comic Book Consistency:
These interactions not only entertain but also shed light on the collaborative nature of creative work in the comic industry.
Ben Jammin makes cameo appearances throughout the episode, contributing to the comedic flair with references to classic films and characters. The trio references iconic movies like Psycho and engages in meta-commentary on pop culture, enhancing the episode's entertaining quality.
Notable Quotes:
These references serve as humorous interludes, maintaining a lively and engaging atmosphere.
As the episode nears conclusion, the guests participate in a "plugs" segment, promoting their respective projects and shows. Paul reiterates the launch of Varietopia, encouraging listeners to attend and tune into his performances.
Notable Quotes:
The episode ends on a high note, celebrating the collaborative spirit and creative endeavors of all involved.
This episode of Comedy Bang Bang masterfully blends humor with insightful discussions on the comic book industry, all while promoting engaging entertainment projects. Scott Aukerman’s adept hosting, combined with Paul F. Tompkins’ enthusiastic promotion of Varietopia and Guy Foreman’s expertise in comic book inking, offers listeners a rich and entertaining experience. The inclusion of pop culture references and spontaneous banter further elevates the episode, making it a must-listen for fans of comedy and creative arts alike.
Note: This summary excludes sections related to advertisements, introductory remarks, and non-content segments to focus solely on the core discussions and highlights of the episode.