Podcast episode 353ish: Gerry Swallow

It's always fun having Gerry Swallow join us on the evening zoo. The guy's a legitimate triple-threat: a successful Hollywood screenwriter (Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, The Babymakers, Black Knight, and Say It Isn't So), novelist (A Whole Nother Story, Another Whole Nother Story, No Other Story, and the upcoming Krool), and standup comedian (five times on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, several appearances on Evening at the Improv, and a finalist on Star Search). Sure, he hasn't done standup in 15 years, but who's counting? Well, I am. I badgered him enough that shortly after appearing on this episode, he got up on stage and did seven solid minutes at The Comedy MIX. Will he do more? Time will tell. In this episode, I also badger him to write a how-to book for screenwriting. Even if he never does, we got enough tips out of him to get you started.

The episode can be heard by clicking the gizmo below. If you don't see it, chances are it's your server. Or you're on a phone. Get over to your computer and it should be there. If not, don't panic. Simply head on over to iTunes, Stitcher, or PodcastLand. It's at all those places, too.

July 27: Gerry Swallow

Ever since opening up in the brand-spanking new Co-op Radio studios, we've only had brand-spanking new guests to What's So Funny? Tonight marks the first repeat guest. So that's a first, too, in a way. Screenwriter, novelist and former standup comic Gerry Swallow has been with us twice before but – and here's another first – both times my manservant Kevin has been absent. So tonight will be the first time all three of us are in studio together. Gerry's in town working on a movie. Maybe we'll find out about it tonight.

Gerry has written such Hollywood vehicles as Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, The Babymakers, Black Knight, and Say It Isn't So. As a novelist (under his nom de plume Dr. Cuthbert Soup), Swallow has written A Whole Nother Story, Another Whole Nother Story, and No Other Story. And he's got a book called Krool coming out on Bloomsbury in 2015 under his real name. As a standup, Swallow was a nationally touring headliner throughout the US, did The Tonight Show with Jay Leno five times, Evening at the Improv a few times, and his first TV gig was Almost Live! with Ross Shafer. One day he'll get back up on that stage. Soon? One hopes.

Tune in tonight at 11 pm to 100.5 FM in Vancouver. Or livestream us at coopradio.org.

Podcast episode 306ish: Gerry Swallow

Here it is, finally. The long-awaited podcast version of the Gerry Swallow episode from a couple weeks ago. The episode itself was long-awaited from his first visit back in 2005. And it was worth the wait. The man is a veritable show business jack-of-five-trades. He had a successful stand-up comedy career, was a writer on a TV sitcom, wrote a syndicated humour column in the States, has written several Hollywood movies, and penned three novels. We talk about all that plus Roger Ebert's cheap shot, love in the animal kingdom, and Marisa Tomei's underpants! You don't want to miss this special 90-minute extravaganza.

Here's what you need to do to listen: Click on that little pink button below OR head on over to iTunes and tell them I sent you. If that doesn't work, search for What's So Funny? and download the show to your computer or device. That's what I'd do anyway. Not telling you how to live your life or anything. 

It looks now like that player has disappeared. If that's the case for you, this link will stream the episode for you.

Feb. 10: Gerry Swallow

Swallow between William Shatner and Jay Leno

The last time Gerry Swallow sat down in the swank What's So Funny? studios was in 2005. What's he done since then? He's written a couple of movies (The Babymakers and Ice Age: The Meltdown) and penned three novels (A Whole Nother Story, Another Whole Nother Story, and No Other Story, all under his alter ego's name, Dr. Cuthbert Soup). And there's probably more I don't know about. The guy is a machine.

Quitting standup has been very good for him, it appears. And he was damn good at standup, believe me. He did The Tonight Show with Jay Leno five times (as you can see by the photographic evidence above). And I recently found online video evidence of his appearances on the ubiquitous Evening at the Improv from back in the day, but unfortunately we can't watch those segments outside of the United States. Maybe one day he'll hop back on the stage to show the young tykes how it's done.

So while I can't find any clips of his former career, here's a funny spot he did on the Today show with Al Roker. But tonight we'll talk about so much more. And for so much longer. Tune in at 11 pm PST to 100.5 FM in Vancouver for the fun and games, or livestream the show at coopradio.org.

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