FORWARD

Thank you, Harris. And thank you, Mandee and Joel, for having me. This gig is a little different. I’m used to doing spots on stage, in front of live audiences. But this one is on page, for—well, sort of a “live” audience, I guess, with a bit of a time delay to get to each person, and the seats are way more spread out. But still, no drink minimum! Anyway, thanks for coming to the book. We’ve got a great lineup tonight (or whenever you’re reading this). I don’t want to waste any time, so let’s keep the book moving and get right into the foreword.

Stand-up comedy is a unique job because comedians, more than any other creative workers, need live audiences in order to do their work. Lots of live audiences, every step of the way. You might say, “So do strippers and birthday clowns." And I might respond, “Yes, but let me finish, because it’s not the same, which is exactly the point I’m making” or “Please don’t heckle me while I’m writing a foreword. Okay?” Anyway, what I was trying to say before I was so rudely interrupted by myself is that we comedians actually need to be in front of live crowds not just for the making-a-living part of our job or for the tears-of-a-clown part of our personalities. For each of us, audiences are essential to the very process of creating comedy. You can write jokes at home, think of bits in your car, work out stories in your head, or compose funny songs on your toilet. But without a live audience, no comedian can ever really develop an act or figure out who they are as a performer. Live audiences are our creative partners, editors, focus groups, guinea pigs, and teachers. They sharpen our timing, guide our improvisations, and shape not only our material but our very comedic identities. And because of that, each of us who performs comedy, over the course of our careers, will do shows in thousands of different rooms of all sizes and several shapes (and sometimes with strippers and birthday clowns). Many of the rooms will be not good. Some will be rough. Even more will be horrendous. Others will smell. A few will be great. And a very small handful will be special.

The Super Serious Show is special.

And it has been for a decade. The crowds are always warm and attentive. The lineups are consistently diverse and unique. And the atmosphere backstage has been supportive and positive since day one. Whenever I get to perform on The Super Serious Show, I know I’m going to have a good night, and I always leave feeling better than I did before I got there, even when my new material sucks or I’ve accidentally worn a shirt that’s not that comfortable. So what makes The Super Serious Show so special? How does it have all of these great traits? And what is this third question doing here? The answer (to the first two questions) is simple: The Super Serious Show is exceptional because it’s exactly like the people who created it. Mandee and Joel love comedy and comedians, and they produce every one of their shows with genuine enthusiasm and real love. They are supportive and attentive. They’re enthusiastic and warm. And yes, I’m listing a lot of the words I just listed a few sentences ago, because they’re worth repeating. Also, the answer to the third question above is that I wanted to have a third question to go with the other two, but I’m a procrastinator, so what was a placeholder is now a permanent part of this paragraph.

Like so many other comics who have had the privilege of performing on The Super Serious Show, I’ve been lucky to have a place where I can try out new material and catch up with friends backstage. Mandee and Joel haven’t just made a show, they’ve created a community. And it’s hard to overstate what that means to so many of us. The rooms where we spend most of our careers often disappear, even the special ones. It’s just really hard to make a good show. So it’s a lucky thing that The Super Serious Show existed and that Mandee used her camera along the way to capture it.

This book is a document of the comedy community Mandee and Joel have nurtured for so many years. In these pages you’ll find those same adjectives I mentioned in that really good paragraph before the last one you just read. In Mandee’s photos, you’ll see her generous talent as a photographer and as a producer. And I believe you’ll get a sense of just how special it has been.

Well, that’s my time. Thanks again for coming out. I hope you enjoy the book.