Podcast episode 434ish: Brett Martin

Brett Martin's talk show premiered at Yuk Yuk's on Sunday, September 11, i.e. before we recorded this episode. But I believe it'll be a monthly show so you can still check it out. And if the next one is anything like the first, get your tickets early. The place was packed! I was impressed with the show. It had everything you want in a talk show: a band, a sidekick, crummy monologue jokes, prepared bits, and interesting guests (an Olympic bronze medalist, a comedy reviewer – ahem! –, a freak show, a comedian, and a wrestler). Good times.

But I'm here to talk about this latest podcast episode. Sure, we talked about the upcoming (now past) talk show, but we also talked about Brett's varied career. Did you know he ran for mayor of Calgary when he was in his early 20s? He also worked at the Calgary Sun despite not graduating from high school. And we end with a Trivial Pursuit smackdown. More good times.

Here's the episode in its sweet entirety. You can also go download it at iTunes or Stitcher and the like.

Sept. 18: Sophie Buddle (again... for the first time)

Efthimios was our guest last week.
(Check last week for Sophie's picture.)

If you read this blog without tuning in to the show on radio, you'll be surprised to read that Sophie Buddle is our guest tonight when I wrote last week that she'd be our guest. After I wrote that, Sophie informed me she was sick. So at the last moment, I snagged Efthimios Nasiopoulos to sub in for her. And tonight, Sophie will make her return visit... for the first time.

Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM at 11 pm to see if she's there. You can also livestream us at coopradio.org or on TuneIn Radio and other such apps.

In the Dark – episode 14

What's this now? In the Dark? Yeah, remember a while back when I had Jason Bryden on What's So Funny? I told you about his new podcast, In the Dark? And I mentioned I guested on it. Well, here it is. I gotta say this is some of his best work! If you haven't heard his podcast yet, check my episode out and then work your way backward. I really enjoy it. Something about the way Jason thinks and talks greatly amuses me. In each episode, he gives a lengthy solo preamble to a conversation he has with someone on some esoteric topic, and then at the end gives a rundown of five (or so) things he learned in the discussion. It's a lot of fun and you might even learn something, too. Not necessarily from me in this episode, but I had a great time talking to him.


This hyperlink will take you to our talk. And, as with What's So Funny?, you can always go find it yourself on iTunes or Stitcher.

Sept. 11: Sophie Buddle Efthimios Nasiopoulos

Who's been the youngest guest on What's So Funny? Good question. I don't keep stats but I betcha tonight's guest is right up there. We've got 22-year-old standup sensation Sophie Buddle in studio. And she's already a wily 7-year standup vet having started at the tender age of 15. She's already played Just For Laughs in Montreal twice and been on cool alt shows in Los Angeles. Tonight we'll find out how this happens and where she'll go from here.
Turns out Sophie was sick so we got Efthimios Nasiopoulos in at the last moment. Sophie will be in studio on Sept. 18. Fingers crossed!
We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM. Tune in.

Podcast episode 433ish: Jason Bryden

Jason Bryden left us for Toronto 3.5 years ago but we still love him. He was back in town visiting family so we nabbed him while we could. In this episode, JB talks about being a quitter. He's quit comedy, quit theatre, and quit social media. He's still acting in almost every TV commercial, though. Plus he's started something new. In the Dark with Jason Bryden is his new podcast. Get in on the ground floor and start listening. As of today, he's only 12 episodes in so it's manageable. But first listen to this fun talk I had with him. He may or may not have been wearing adult diapers during our conversation.

Here's the link to get you started on your way. If you prefer, you can always go to iTunes or Stitcher or Tunein Radio or PlayerFM or wherever else you can find it. We're there for you.

Sept. 4: Rob Pue

September already? Good lord. We went on the air officially in September 2004 (after our first unofficial episode aired in April of that year). So what does this make it? The start of our 13th year? That can't be right. I don't know. I just take it one show at a time and give 110 percent each show.

Tonight we've got Rob Pue for the first (second) time. I do believe Rob was with us once before but I wasn't there for it and it's not in our audio archives so it never happened. Rob used to live in Vancouver. Used to live in L.A., too. And Edmonton. But he's been in Toronto for the last ten years. He's got a new album out called Puegilist available on iTunes and Spotify and the like. Rob was headlining Yuk Yuk's Vancouver this past weekend and will be doing the new Yuks in Abbotsford and Victoria in coming weeks. We'll play a clip from his new album and talk about everything we haven't talked about before, including a near-death experience he had five years ago.

Tune in tonight at 11 pm to 100.5 FM in Vancouver. Or livestream us from Toronto (and anywhere else) at coopradio.org or on Tunein Radio.

Podcast episode 432ish: Tim Nutt

The hits just keep on comin'. This episode features the great Tim Nutt, one of the country's top headliners. That he manages this feat being based in West Kelowna is remarkable. He explains it here. We also talk about the Sirius Comedy Competition, but the voting for that is over now. Spoiler alert: Tim didn't advance. It tells you something either about the level of talent in the country or the competition itself that Nutt, John Beuhler, and Chuck Byrn didn't make it to the next level. Any one of those three in any given year could win the whole thing, yet here they are on the outside looking in. I really hate competitions. But that's neither here nor there. We talk about other things, too, including the problem with open mics, human rights commissions, and parenting today.

I give you my permission to start listening right now by offering you this gizmo below. You may also go off on your own to find it and download it on iTunes or Stitcher or elsewhere. Go now in peace.

Podcast episode 431ish: Jy Harris

I told you the podcasts would be coming fast and furious for the next little while. Two days after posting Simon King's episode, we've got Jy Harris for y'all! It had been six long years since Jy was last with us and he returned a new man. He's found peace in his personal life. Or at least is on a never-ending quest for it. The guy meditates, is a vegan, reads new-age spiritual books, and experiments with microdoses of psychedelics. All just to get over feeling the Bern for the last eight months. We also talk about his real-life Jerry Springer-like upbringing and real-life Jerry Springer experience. Julian Angel-Joynt also makes an appearance to recite a pretty cool slam poem.

Here you go. Start listening. And keep going until it ends.

Aug. 28: Brett Martin

Brett Martin first (and last) was on What's So Funny? in 2009 when he first moved to Vancouver, if memory serves. He's back. The guy tours all over Canada doing standup. In September he's hosting a live talk show at Yuk Yuk's on Cambie with sidekick Sam Tonning. Only tonight I'll be asking the questions. See how he likes that. And I'll probably ask him some of the questions I asked back seven years ago because memory doesn't always serve.

We're on the air on 100.5 FM in Vancouver tonight at 11 pm. You can livestream us at coopradio.org or your TuneIn Radio app. So listen, why don't you?

Podcast episode 430ish: Simon King

We've got some catching up to do, podcast-wise. To get things back on track, here's the episode with Simon King recorded at the end of July. Mighty Mouth was back in studio after a 7.5 year absence. We talked about the Canadian ghettos of England, comedy intermissions (pros and cons), protest comedy, Donald J. Trump, funny voices, and political correctness. He also amazes me with his Asberger's-like knowledge of World War I aces.

 Get started on this immediately because more will be coming fast and furious. You can click below or download us at iTunes, Stitcher or wherever you happen to get your podcasts.

Aug. 21: Jason Bryden

JB is back! Jason Bryden was last with us in 2011. He's since moved to the centre of the universe (Toronto) but was back in town for a family visit and I scooped him up. We recorded this a couple weeks ago. It's always fun talking to JB. And it's fun listening to him, too. He's quit comedy but is always funny. You recognize him from every other commercial on TV. That guy with the horns on the right? Yeah, that's him. Pretty accurate resemblance, too. Jason's joined the podcast bandwagon. His new baby is called In the Dark with Jason Bryden and it's available on iTunes and Stitcher and on its own website. Check it out. But only after you listen to him on What's So Funny?

We hit the airwaves at 11 pm on 100.5 FM in Vancouver. Jason in Toronto can livestream us at coopradio.org or on any reputable radio app.

Aug. 14: Tim Nutt

Tonight we finally get to talk to Tim Nutt. The veteran (some would say legendary) comic has been doing comedy since 1993 and started right here in Vancouver, yet he's never been on the show before. He was headlining the Comedy MIX this weekend and I spoke with him on Friday late afternoon in the showroom. You've seen him on Just For Laughs if you've ever watched Just For Laughs because he's done so many of them. He's toured the country with the Just For Laughs comedy caravan, too. He manages all these big gigs despite living in the comedy outpost of West Kelowna (or the dark side of the moon, as he puts it). He's also in the running for SiriusXM's Top Comic competition with 25 grand on the table. Go vote for your favourites. Tim hopes it's him but won't force you.

We're on 100.5 FM tonight at 11 pm in Vancouver. Tune in! You can livestream us at coopradio.org, too, if you'd rather.

Aug. 7: Jy Harris

I can't keep track of Jy Harris but for one glorious night I'll know where he is – in the What's So Funny? studios. Jy was born in Ontario, started his standup career on the west coast, then moved to Toronto, and now... is back? I think. He is tonight anyway. We'll find out for sure. He's only been with us once before and that was way back in 2010. What's he been up to since then? Doing standup, acting, performing slam poetry, making videos, and feeling the Bern, sure, but what else? Hopefully he tells us. That photo to the right, by the way, has not been altered in any way. He really does give off that electricity when he's on stage. He's a live wire, that Jy.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver. You can livestream us at coopradio.org and elsewhere. Honestly.

July 31: Simon King

2009? Really? That was the last time Simon King joined us on What's So Funny? Get outta here. Regardless, he's back tonight. We've got tons of catching up to do. I know he lived for a good chunk in England. Maybe still does. He's back now. We'll find out for how long. And we'll find out if he's affected a British accent. I also know he's headlining a night of "protest comedy" at the Rickshaw on August 13. We'll find out what he's protesting.

We'll find out lotsa stuff so tune in to 100.5 FM tonight at 11 pm. Or stream us on one of them fancy radio streaming apps. Or at coopradio.org. Go for it.

Podcast episode 429ish: Jeff Cooper & Grahaeme Cowie

Wednesday marks the big release of the pilot of Impotents so I say it's high time we release the podcast episode featuring the fathers of the animated series, Jeff Cooper and Grahaeme Cowie. The pair have known each other since high school where they would meet by the smoking doors and swap their doodles. When they decided to form an animation studio, they came to a fork in the road: Would they name it Smoking Doors Animation or Swap Your Doodles Studio? The former won out. And the rest is history. In this episode, they talk about their baby, Impotents, which features four super-cool buddies: Jesus, Buddha, Ganesh, and Artemis. Get all the latest on the project on their Facebook page.

Listen to the whole thing below. Or go download the episode at iTunes or Stitcher or wherever you can find it.

July 3: Jeff Cooper & Grahaeme Cowie

After a couple of highlight episodes, we are back tonight with actual real live human guests. Jeff Cooper and Grahaeme Cowie from Smoking Doors, a small animation studio here in Vancouver, are making their What's So Funny? debut. The pair has been developing a series over the past three years and they're ready to release their pilot to the world this month. The show is called Impotents and is not, contrary to the title, about erectile dysfunction. It tells the story of four super buddies: Jesus, Buddha, Ganesh and Artemis. Not just four people with famous names – the originals themselves! All living in the modern world. Take a gander at the trailer:




We'll talk all about the project and the issues it tackles. And we'll find out all about the fellas themselves.


Tune in tonight at 11 pm on co-op radio 100.5 FM. If you can't find your radio, you can always livestream us at coopradio.org. That'll do the trick. Talk at you then.

Podcast episodes 427ish and 428ish: 2015 Highlights

Did you miss our 2015 Highlights episodes, parts I and II? Fret not, they're here for your dancing pleasure. Right here in these two episodes you get the whole of 2015 in a proverbial nutshell. Snippets from every single show and guest we had that year. There's no way you heard all these episodes in their entirety. And even if you did, there's no way you can remember everything. These will either spur you on to check out the originals, or send you back in time to relive some of the great moments we had.

They're pretty self-explanatory so just hit play and start your time travelling journey. Links work below (or they should, anyway). If you'd rather go the iTunes or Stitcher route (or any other route), I'm okay with that.

2015 Highlights, Part I:


2015 Highlights, Part II:

Podcast episode 426ish: Glen Foster

Glen Foster is one of the founding fathers of Canadian standup. In 1982, he voyaged west with a ragtag bunch of comedian's from Toronto's Yuk Yuk's and brought laughs to our shores. God bless him. He's been bringing laughs to citizens from sea to sea ever since then. In this episode, we talk about that early trip as well as growing older and, as always with Foster, politics. I try my best to convince him that our dear leader, Justin, is doing good work. I get him to budge a little. Baby steps.

The episode is ready to go for you below. Or if you'd like to savour it, go download it at iTunes or Stitcher.

Highlights from 2015 (part 2)

Happy Father's Day. Tonight we've got six dads with us... plus 17 other guests. All magically teleported from 2015. That's right, it's our final installment of our highlights from all our shows in 2015. Surely you missed some of these the first time around. This might spur you on to check them in full out on iTunes or Stitcher. They're all readily available. Tonight we hear clips from the following (listed here in alphabetical order but we'll play them in a loose thematic order): Paul Anthony, Janice Bannister, Ian Boothby, Daniel Chai, Garrett Clark, Chad Daniels, Tanyalee Davis, David Dedrick, Fatima Dhowre, Robyn Daye Edwards, Chip Ellis, Mark Friebe, Goldie Hoffman, Jesse Joyce, Robert Kelly, Kathleen McGee, Aaron Read, Dylan Rhymer, Jacob Samuel, Erica Sigurdson, Bobby Slayton, Sheila Sharma, and Ron Vaudry.

Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver at 11 pm. Or livestream us at coopradio.org or your favourite radio-listening app.

June 12: Highlights from 2015 (part 1)

Earlier this year, I was listening to another podcast and they were playing highlights from their past year. What a grand idea, I thought to myself. It's too late now, but at the end of 2016, I'll do a highlight show. I gathered clips as we've gone along this year so I'm ready.

I was enjoying them so much, I thought about all the other years we've been on the air. So I started with the most recent one, 2015, and whenever I got a spare few minutes, I'd find clips from each of the episodes that year. There were 38 shows that year and I'm including clips from every single one of them. We'll do 19 this week and 19 next week.

Tonight you'll hear from (listed in alphabetical order but we'll go thematically when we play them): Dino Archie, Diana Bang, Steve Bays, Matt Bilinski, Andy Cañete, Graham Chittenden, Ewan Currie, Kate Davis, Ryan Hamilton, Mark B. Hughes with Jason Kryska, Ron Josol, Jesse Joyce (twice), Sean Lecomber, Lauren McGibbon, Craig Northey, Melanie Rose, Marcus Ryan, Dan Quinn, and Glenn Wool. A star-studded cast!

Tune in tonight at 11 in Vancouver on CFRO 100.5 FM or livestream us at coopradio.org.

June 5: Glen Foster

You know that Canadian guy who goes by the handle That Canadian Guy? Well, I've got him on What's So Funny? tonight. Glen Foster is his name, which you know if you've been following standup comedy in this country for the past 30 years. The Toronto comic has been with us before. The first visit is one of the lost episodes not available to the good people of Earth, although maybe it's floating around in space somewhere. The second visit was way back in 2012. Glen was in town headlining the local Yuk Yuk's when we sat down in his hotel room for a conversation which airs this very evening.

I'll hit the 'play' button at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM so tune in. If you're listening from Toronto, you'll want to stream us at coopradio.org at 2 am.

Podcast episode 425ish: Camille Mitchell

This episode is all about acting. We get tales from old Hollywood (and New York) as well as Camille Mitchell has been in the acting game her whole life, even if it took her a while to realize it. She's the daughter of bona fide Hollywood star Cameron Mitchell, who acted alongside such legends as Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole, and guested on virtually every single TV show in the '70s. Camille grew up in Vancouver (she explains how that happened), studied theatre at UBC and in London and tells us stories about cracking up on stage, being swarmed by Japanese tourists demanding autographs, working with Superman, and being punked by Burt Reynolds. What's even more exciting – this is her podcast debut!
Canadian stage and screen.

Listen, won't you? You can click on the gizmo below or go find us on iTunes, Stitcher, or some such place and download us to your device. Do it!

May 29: Lauren McGibbon

Lauren McGibbon is back! She was just with us in September, but this time there's a new wrinkle – she'll be talking with Colleen Brow this time. As you may or may not have noticed, Colleen has been doing the last Sunday of each month. So far she's just done comedy clip shows, but the night is hers to program and tonight she programmed a guest. Lauren is a very funny improviser with Vancouver TheatreSports League. So tune in to CFRO 100.5 at 11 pm and hear what they have to talk about. You can livestream the show, too, if that's your preference, at coopradio.org. I'll be listening... will you?

Podcast episode 424ish: Jessica Holmes

It's the world podcast premiere of Canada's darling, Jessica Holmes! Right here, right now (or whenever you download and listen to it). Holmes was in town from her base in Toronto doing a corporate charity gig so I nabbed her for the program. Holmes started in standup (well, improv in high school) before getting known as a sketch performer on television with the Royal Canadian Air Farce and her own vehicle, The Holmes Show. These days, she doesn't hang around comedy clubs much and she tells us why. We also get into her background as a missionary for the LDS church in Venezuela. What?! Yes, it's true. She also talks about depression and the importance of having different interests from one's spouse. Oh, and because WSF? is a Celine Dion-free zone, I didn't get her to do her most famous impression. Sorry about that.

So here you go. Have at it. Click below and start enjoying this world premiere. Or go download the show on iTunes or Stitcher or wherever else you download fine podcasts.

May 22: Camille Mitchell

Tonight on the old program, we've got a real-life thespian. Camille Mitchell has been acting on stages in Vancouver and across Canada for decades. And she's acting on screens since 1980 (according to imdb). She also starred as Sheriff Nancy on Smallville for a few seasons. On top of that, her dad, Cameron Mitchell, was a big-time Hollywood star, appearing in literally hundreds of movies and TV shows, acting alongside of the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Orson Welles, Clark Gable and countless others. Should be a good conversation (spoiler alert: it is. We recorded this a few weeks ago).

So tune in tonight to 100.5 FM at 11 pm to hear lots of tales of professional acting. You can livestream us at coopradio.org.

May 15: Jessica Holmes

Tonight we've got Canada's darling, Jessica Holmes, on What's So Funny? She was all over our TV sets not that long ago. She had her own sketch show, The Holmes Show, and then became a castmember of the long-running Royal Canadian Air Farce. Holmes is a quadruple threat: not only is she proficient at standup, sketch and improv, she's also an in-demand motivational speaker. So if you've been wondering where she's been the last few years, she's been on stages all across the country regularly; they're just not open to the public. She's doing corporate work. We talk all about that and tons more tonight. I know this because we pre-recorded the show a few weeks ago when she was in town doing a fundraiser. Oh, and while she's done tons of TV and radio before, this was her first ever podcast (yes, it technically counts as just radio tonight but in a few days when the podcast drops, it'll be a world exclusive!).

Tune in tonight at 11 pm to CFRO 100.5 FM. If you're somewhere other than Vancouver, take into consideration our Pacific time zone and livestream us at coopradio.org.

Podcast episode 423ish: Richard Lett

Say what you will about Richard Lett, but the man is compelling. He's been on the show lots and we never run out of things to talk about. In this episode, recorded on a park bench, we talked about acting, auditions, thrift stores, serendipity, addiction, Oscar Wilde and Epicurus. Oh, and his one-man show, Sober But Never Clean. He even spontaneously performs a long slam poem he wrote. I turned it into a beat poem by dubbing in a walking bass line and drummer. Sounds cool. Snap your fingers.

Have a listen. Click below or go download us at iTunes or Stitcher or some place like that.

May 8: Richard Lett

Happy Mother's Day! To celebrate, we have on one mother of a comedian, Richard Lett. Lett, a many-time guest on What's So Funny?, was visiting from his new(ish) home in Toronto a week or two ago and we got together to talk about what's new in his world. We found a park bench and went at it. As always with Richard, it was a rollicking good time. And he even spontaneously performed a long poem he wrote. I added a walking bass line and drums to make it more beatnik.

Tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM from 11 to midnight. Outside of Vancouver, livestream us at coopradio.org. Or inside Vancouver, if that's how you roll.

Podcast episode 422ish: Julie Kim

Here you go, kiddies. It's me and Julie Kim getting to know each other. Mostly me getting to know her. In this episode, she talks about her pregnancy, her highfalutin edumacation, and growing up a rebellious chubby kid eating way too much candy and drinking way too much pop. And she tells us her keys to networking success.

It's all ready for you to listen to so what are you waiting for? Get on it! If you see a little doodad below, click on it and sound will appear. If not, go hunt us down on iTunes or Stitcher or some such place you can download us at.

May 1: Julie Kim

We've got a brand new guest tonight. Julie Kim makes her What's So Funny? debut. And I believe she becomes the first guest in the 12-year history of the show who is pregnant. Exciting! Julie's only been doing comedy for six years but already plays festivals and galas all over the country. And on top of that, she's busy in the academic world teaching and studying for her Ph. D. Crazy. Maybe she's our first Ph.D. student guest, too. It's a night of firsts on this May First.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM. If your radio is broke or you're in some far-off land, you can livestream us at coopradio.org.

Podcast episode 421ish: Dino Archie

I love talking with Dino Archie, whether we record it or not. That's why I keep having him back. This is his fourth solo appearance on the show. Once he came on with Sunee Dahliwal. And another time he guest hosted for me. But he's never been hotter than he is right now. The guy's career is on fire. He just filmed a spot on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Adam Devine's House Party. He won the Seattle Comedy Competition in November. He's got a new album coming out later this month called Settling Old Scores. And he's about to bring his VanCity Comedy Extravaganza to the River Rock Show Theatre stage (Saturday, April 30). This episode was recorded during the radio station's spring member drive (if you'd like to become a member or simply donate to the station, go to coopradio.org and click on 'donate'). When that happens, I usually edit out the pitches for the podcast. But because Dino jumped in and made them fun, I decided to keep them in.

Enjoy this one like I did. You can click on the gizmo below if your browser lets you see it. If not, head over to iTunes or Stitcher or a place like that and download us into your head.

Apr. 17: Dino Archie

It's Dino Archie time again, ladies and germs! Dino has been on the show numerous times before. With this appearance, he now joins the exclusive 5-time Member Club along with Paul Anthony, Steve Bays, Graham Clark, Ian Boothby, Will Davis, Harry Doupe, Darren Frost, Richard Lett, Darcy Michael, Kliph Nesteroff, Dylan Rhymer, and Tim Rykert. I guess that's not so exclusive after all. But fine company, nonetheless. Dino's been on a roll lately. He won the most recent Seattle International Comedy Competition and even more recently taped a set on Jimmy Kimmel's late night talk show. His star is on the rise. And on April 30, he's getting together another one of his Comedy Extravaganzas at the River Rock Show Theatre featuring himself, Graham Clark (see list above), Darcy Michael (see list above), Ivan Decker (former guest of WSF?), Dave Merheje (former guest of WSF?), Kathleen McGee (former guest of WSF?) and New York comic Mike Blaustein. All for the low, low price of under $20. You can't afford not to go! Dino's one of my favourite people to talk to whether it's on the show or on the town, so I'm looking forward to it.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver and around the world streaming at coopradio.org or whatever radio app you use. So no reason to miss us.

Podcast episode 420ish: Ed Hill

Here we are at episode 420. It's only fitting that our guest would be a guy who's never done drugs. Ed Hill and I talk about that. We also talk about piano lessons, crabbing, ghosts and gout. He tells us what he Googles whenever he visits a new city and how one of his tweets made Jimmy Fallon laugh. He also explains why he's a "weirdo whisperer," which also happens to be the title of his upcoming CD.

It's yours for the taking. Click on the gizmo or go download us at iTunes or Stitcher or another such place.

Podcast episode 419ish: Caitlin Howden

A lovely chat with a lovely person on a lovely day. It all came together in this episode when I spoke with improviser extraordinaire Caitlin Howden on a park bench overlooking False Creek on a warm sunny day watching the world go by. She told me about being a dominating Grade 6 basketball player, breaking her coach's heart, having her Grade 9 improv teacher break Caitlin's heart, and Ian, her crush, breaking her heart. But there's more than heartbreak in this one. We talk about reality TV, the Sunday Service, Second City and other things you'll just have to download to hear. Caitlin recommends you go for a walk while listening to get the full outdoors effect.

You can start your journey by clicking on the gizmo below. But I think in order to be mobile, you'll need to go put this episode in your device at iTunes or Stitcher or someplace like that. Go now.

Apr. 10: Ed Hill

Tonight in studio we welcome back Ed Hill. Probably from somewhere, too. The guy is always out on the road, performing around the world. Since last with us in 2013, Ed's appeared on Gotham Comedy Live and even had Jimmy Fallon read one of his tweets on air. He's got a new CD out called Weirdo Whisperer that he recorded in a theatre in Seattle. Maybe we'll get to hear a track or two from it. And we'll find out what else is new in his life and I may ask him whatever I forgot from when he was with us the first time.

We're on the air at 11 pm, as usual, on CFRO 100.5 FM. If your radio's, you can always livestream us on coopradio.org or one of those special radio-streaming apps that are all the rage.

Podcast episode 418ish: Dave Merheje

Dave Merheje, representing the YQG, joined us for an hour to talk about nothing in particular and everything in general. I didn't know he had moved away from Toronto and is now living in Los Angeles. So there you go. We talked about his religious upbringing, rap and hip-hop, towns he could do without, a rant against Justin Beiber followed by a mea culpa, good gigs gone bad, and ethnic comedy shows.

It's all here for your listening pleasure. You just have to click on the gizmo below or go find us in iTunes, Stitcher or other such places. We're now available in search engines near you.

Apr. 3: Caitlin Howden

What a gorgeous week we've had in Vancouver. Suddenly it's spring. I took the opportunity to sit down with Caitlin Howden on a park bench. We watched the world go by and talked about all things Caitlin. Her beginnings in Montreal, her years in Toronto, and her transition to Vancouver. Now she's the darling of the Sunday Service (although they're each darlings in their own ways).

So tune in tonight and pretend it's sunny out. We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO, 100.5 FM in Vancouver. Or livestream us at coopradio.org. You can do it!

Mar. 27: CCC

Happy Easter, if that's the kind of thing that makes you happy. If not, you're in need of some laughs. I've got just the tonic for you. Or Colleen Brow does, anyway. She'll be in while I OD on chocolate with her own What's So Funny?: CCC edition. That'd be Colleen's Comedy Clips. I have no idea who she's lined up but I'm sure you'll get some laughs. Tune in to Co-op radio, CFRO 100.5 FM, in Vancouver from 11 pm to midnight. I know I will (if I'm not in a chocolate coma). You can livestream it at coopradio.org or on your TuneIn Radio app or whatever you use to access the world's radio stations.

Oh, by the way, while you're at coopradio.org, check out the feature article on the homepage about What's So Funny? Available now wherever websites are accessible.

Mar. 20: Dave Merheje

Facebook tells me it's the first day of spring, although I always thought it was the 21st. But close enough. In fact, the internet confirms that Facebook is right; it's the earliest spring since 1896. Who knew it could do whatever it wanted whenever it wanted? So let's celebrate the vernal equinox with Toronto-based standup comic Dave Merheje. Dave's only been with us once before, back in 2013. The Windsor native is a multi-award winner. He's been in town for a week or so and is leaving tomorrow so we're lucky to have him in studio tonight.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver. If there are any problems there, try livestreaming us at coopradio.org or find us on your TuneIn Radio app.

Podcast episode 417ish: Ari Shaffir

Whew. All caught up on the podcast drops. This one is a good one, as one would expect with Ari Shaffir. The host of Skeptic Tank does more than podcasts in his basement. He also performs standup comedy in front of actual human beings on stages all over the world. Someone alert Howard Stern! In this episode, the always opinionated and engaging Shaffir talks about his old pal Carlos Mencia, plausible deniability on a kibbutz, the pernicious effects of adverbs in journalism, his fascination with pedophiles, Jehovah, the positive aspects of offence, practice making perfect, censorship, and his beefs with the aforementioned Howard Stern. This episode brought to you bleep-free!

Get started on it by clicking on the player below, if you can see it. If you can't, or want to order this episode to go, head on over to iTunes, Stitcher, or places like that. You know what to do, so do it.

Podcast episode 416ish: Mike Storck

Let's hit the road for the latest podcast installment. It's been a while since we've used the roving What's So Funny? studio. This one wasn't planned. Standup comic Mike Storck flew from his home in Baltimore to Seattle and would be driving up to headline Lafflines in New Westminster. The plan was to meet him in his hotel room and record an episode. But it took longer than he expected. When he finally got there, just 15 minutes before I'd have to leave, I got a brainstorm. Fire up the roving studio! I'd drive him into town and we'd talk along the way. Perfect. We did just that.

Buckle up for safety. Here we go. Click on the gizmo below to start the ignition. Or go download us at iTunes or Stitcher or wherever you choose.

Podcast episode 415ish: Sara Bynoe

Almost caught up on the podcasts. Exciting, right? Here's the Sara Bynoe episode. Ms Bynoe is all over the Vancouver comedy scene like a dirty shirt. (Never quite understood that expression, but there you go.) She created, hosts and performs a ton of unique shows. I think we spend the first 20 minutes just going over all of them. We also talk about tap dancing, Puppy Bowl, partying clean, trying standup, partying with esteemed author Kliph Nesteroff, and being creeped out by Jian Ghomeshi long before his creepiness made front page news.

Have a listen, won't you? You can click on the gizmo below (if you see it on your browser) or go find us at iTunes or Stitcher or wherever fine podcasts are downloadable.

Podcast episode 414ish: Chris James

Ready for another episode? Sure you are. There aren't enough podcasts to listen to. This one is from a month ago when Chris James came by. He brought a friend, too, who we speak to for a bit: Vishal Ramesh all the way from sunny India (now making his home in Vancouver). So we learn a bit about the Indian comedy scene and a lot more about Chris. We learn that's he's still a big bag of neuroses, for one thing. But who can blame the guy when you hear his personal horror story and how he's weaved it into comedy gold? We also play a clip from his brand new album. He did both the album and this episode in one take. What a pro.

Click below and hopefully that will start you on your way. Failing that, go find us on iTunes or Stitcher or somewhere like that.

Podcast episode 413ish: Shauna Johannesen

Timing is everything! Sorry about the lateness of this podcast. Shauna Johannesen returns to talk about stuff that's already happened by the time you hear this. But that's okay. When this aired on the radio, Shauna was just starting a run at Pacific Theatre of her play Common Grace. She wrote it and starred in it. And she was about to embark on a hectic couple of weeks directing her Crazy8s (which she also wrote). Cut-to today: the day after Trying made its debut at the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts. It's all over. It was fantastic. Funny and touching. I saw it and I bought the DVD of all six Crazy8s 2016 films. And not just because I was an extra in two scenes for a total of 1 second screen time. Well, partly, but it would have been great even without my star power.

Okay, enough rambling. Go listen to this episode. You can click the gizmo below (if your browser sees and recognizes it) or you can go find it at a podcast server near you (iTunes, Stitcher, etc.).

Feb. 28: Ari Shaffir

It's Oscar night. What better guest to help celebrate that than Ari Shaffir, who has a rather dim outlook on actors and awards shows. We talk about it a bit, but talk about so much more, including language, censorship and Howard Stern. We recorded this last week when Ari was headlining the Comedy MIX. I don't want to give any more spoilers but if you tune in on radio tonight, it will be a slightly altered version that will be released on the podcast.

We're on the air at 11 pm in Vancouver on CFRO 100.5 FM or livestream us at coopradio.org.

Podcast episode 412ish: Ivan Decker

I've been late at getting the radio episodes up and running as podcasts. But there are a zillion other podcasts to keep you busy in the meantime. We'll be caught up soon, though, I promise. Let's start off with Ivan Decker's episode. He arrived right at the stroke of 11 o'clock, when we hit the airwaves. As I recall, the theme song was playing when he came to the door. As they say in comedy, timing is everything. In this episode, we discuss Bill Burr, wisdom teeth extractions, how to approach industry types (hint: don't), observational comedy, his upcoming album, and science! Plus we throw in a couple of audio clips to make him squirm.

Click on the gizmo to get going. Or go download us at iTunes or Stitcher or wherever fine podcasts are dispensed.

Feb. 21: Mike Storck

Mike Storck came back to town last week. The Baltimore comic headlined Lafflines in New West so we took the chance to sit down for a talk. Or that was the plan, anyway. I could only talk on the Friday afternoon and had to be done by 2 pm. He was driving up from Seattle. Then the border line-up got in the way. I met him at his hotel in New West but he didn't arrive until 1:45. Didn't think it would happen until I got a brainstorm. We'd fire up the mobile studio and take the show on the road. He drove with me to get my son from school and we recorded along the way. And then I deposited him back at his hotel and we carried on with our respective days. It all worked out. You can hear the fruits of our labour tonight on the show. 11 pm, as usual, at 100.5 FM in Vancouver. Or livestream us at coopradio.org.

Feb. 7: Sara Bynoe

Sara Bynoe was last (and first) on What's So Funny? way back in 2011! Good Lord! I wrote about her in the Georgia Straight last August. And tonight she's back on the show. Sara was one of the prime movers of the hybrid comedy scene here in Vancouver. It's not standup, sketch or improv. Her shows include Teen Angst, Say Wha?!, Novelty Act and a new show called Crashers, which, like the others, seems like a whole lotta fun. We'll find out all about them and whatever else is on her mind tonight.

So tune in to CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver tonight at 11. Or stream us at coopradio.org or one of them fancy apps that let you listen to live radio. Whatever you gotta do.

Podcast episode 411ish: Byron Bertram

We had Byron Bertram in studio just before he took off for a few months to Australia, where he is currently performing his one-man fringe show. It's like standup, but with more heart, I guess. He tells us all about it. He also tells us about street performing, standup and being known as a cold medicine shill. We give him a dry shave and talk about finding love on Tinder, the politics of accents, art vs juggling, playing dives, and his quest for fests.

There you go. Now get to it. Click below or go find us on iTunes, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, PodcastLand... wherever. Just get it.

Jan. 31: Chris James

Tonight the star of The Chris James Show joins us in studio. It's the second time on the show (the first coming in 2012) for Chris James. He's got an actual comedy album out (available in all the usual places) called "An Actual Comedy Album." Maybe we'll play a track from it tonight. You can always see it in person when he headlines the Comedy MIX Feb. 4-6. Hey, that's this week! What timing! Personally, I'm most looking forward to seeing what his beard looks like today. He keeps you on your toes with that thing. You never know what to expect.

Tune in tonight to CFRO, 100.5 FM in Vancouver for all the action. 11 pm. Or listen on TuneIn Radio or one of those type apps. I can't keep up with them all. There's also coopradio.org for the livestream.

Podcast episode 410ish: Erica Sigurdson

In this episode we welcome the Duchess of Canadian comedy, Erica Sigurdson. During her regal visit, we brainstorm the rest of the Canadian royal comedy lineage. What else did we talk about? Hitting people, corporate gigs, staying homegrown instead of moving to the States, eternal engagement, and bombing... in Afghanistan. She also explains how giving is better than receiving. This episode brought to you by Omnipod, your number one choice in diabetic pumps*.

Enjoy this magisterial episode with your ears by clicking below or downloading us on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you can find us.

* Omnipod is not really our sponsor, but we're always open to offers!

Jan. 17: Ivan Decker

It's hat-trick time for Ivan Decker as he makes his third appearance on What's So Funny? tonight. We're both going to see the great Bill Burr earlier tonight so I'm sure we'll talk a bit about that. There's plenty more to talk about. The standup comic is on the rise. He plays festivals all over the country and has a new CD coming out in the next couple of months. I saw him opening up for John Mulaney last year and he killed. That was a perfect pairing. Both are bright, hilarious, dapper young comics. No word yet on if he's opening up for any big hitters next month at the JFL Northwest festival here in Vancouver but maybe we'll get a scoop tonight. He's so busy, apparently he has no more time for his science-based comedy podcast Science Us!, which seems to have ended last April. Last year Ivan was named one of Vancouver's most eligible bachelors. Is he still? We'll find out.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM in Vancouver. Or listen in anywhere else in the world via livestream at coopradio.org or through your fancy radio streaming apps.

2015 in a nutshell

Every year since 2009, I've been tracking the number of shows and guests we do and have in a given year. So far it's looked thusly:

• 2009: 42 shows
• 2010: 38 shows
• 2011: 44 shows (with 53 guests)
• 2012: 41 (47 guests)
• 2013: 35 shows (37 guests)
• 2014: 36 shows (39 guests)
• 2015: 36 shows (40 guests)

Big thanks go out to all our guests in 2015:

• Ron Vaudry
• Glenn Wool
• Garrett Clark
• Tanyalee Davis
• Ryan Hamilton
• Craig Northey
• Jacob Samuel
• Daniel Chai & Chip Ellis
• Paul Anthony
• Dino Archie
• Aaron Read
• Goldie Hoffman
• Sean Lecomber
• Bobby Slayton
• Chad Daniels
• Marke B. Hughes & Jason Kryska
• Dan Quinn
• Steve Bays
• Kathleen McGee
• Jesse Joyce
• Matt Bilinski
• Ron Josol
• Marcus Ryan
• Fatima Dhowre
• Janice Bannister
• Ian Boothby & David Dedrick
• Lauren McGibbon
• Andy Cañete
• Mark Friebe & Sheila Sharma
• Robyn Edwards
• Dylan Rhymer
• Melanie Rose
• Ewan Currie
• Kate Davis
• Robert Kelly
• Erica Sigurdson

Jan. 10: Byron Bertram

Our first guest of 2016 is... (drum roll, please)... Byron Bertram! We thought he'd snag him before he leaves for Australia for a couple of months. Is he a guilt-ridden sociopath or just relaxed and paranoid? Or both? Not sure, but I do know that those were two names of his one-man shows. We'll find out tonight why he chose those names. Byron was last on What's So Funny? way back in 2008, so he's got lots of news, I'm sure. Well, I know it. He's acting now, for one thing. Movies, TV, and commercials. Let's just hope he's not all hopped up on NyQuil when he shows up tonight.

We're on the air at 11 pm on CFRO 100.5 FM. Or get one of those fancy apps that stream radio stations all over the world and listen that way. Or livestream us at coopradio.org. So many options!