Hey everyone, later this month I'll be at the Montreal Comedy Festival - there's a fun Wainy Days show/event that I hope you'll come to Sat July 30th at 9:30pm...more info here.
I'll also be on a panel at the Comedy Conference July 28th, 2pm.
In preparation for all this I did my first ever "Twitterview" - you can read it here.
So...I did an extended Q&A after our 10th anniversary screening of Wet Hot American Summer for Jeff Goldsmith's podcast (you can hear it here). It was a lot of fun and I read aloud (with Joe Lo Truglio) the iChat I had with Michael Showalter in the late 90's, brainstorming titles for the film, and someone posted it on youtube and then it was picked up by a lot of different websites.
But somehow the biggest story was that I mentioned, as I have many times before, that Michael Showalter and I have been talking about doing a prequel/sequel. It's true--we're in early stages right now but are hoping to get more into it this year.
Amazingly, this little piece of non-news was written up in Entertainment Weekly, Huffington Post, Perez Hilton, Paste, New York Magazine, Collider, AV Club, and dozens more. IndieWire went on to suggest some story ideas to us!
Plus there was more press about the Wet Hot art show in Venice, CA and Entertainment Weekly is publishing a 10th anniversary retrospective in their new issue.
All this for a movie from 2001 that grossed under $300K in theaters and hostile reviews like this one which was syndicated to weeklies across the country.
Meanwhile tonight's new episode of Childrens Hospital, "Home is Where the Hospital Is" was directed by my State-mate Michael Patrick Jann and written by Erica Oyama. Most importantly, you will see Nurse Dori (played by my wife Zandy Hartig) in a bikini, 9 months pregnant. Set your DVR - midnight, tonight, Adult Swim.
Here's a promo.
Wow so many memories this week. I watched Wet Hot American Summer on a big screen for the first time in many years and I don't think I've ever enjoyed it more. I think the combination of nostalgia for when I was at summer camp as a kid combined with the nostalgia of making that movie ten years ago...plus I found it to be very funny! Then there was a fun Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith afterward, which will be online soon as part of his new podcast.
Then the next night was the opening of "Camp Firewood", an art show at Gallery1988 in Venice where over 60 artists did pieces inspired by the movie. I didn't expect ever to be so moved by the inspiration and talent and spirit in these pieces of art! You can see a bunch of it here including this awesome one from Allison Reimold:
And here's a write up from Huffington Post
And here's me, Ken Marino and Joe Lo Truglio at the show:
Meanwhile in my day job - still editing Wanderlust 24/7 - can't wait for you all to see it!
But you CAN watch Childrens Hospital right now - a NEW episode airs this (and every) THURSDAY at midnight on Adult Swim. You can also catch up on what you've missed of the new (third) season online and/or pick up the awesome Seasons 1 & 2 DVD.
Editing slowed down in May as we spent some time conceiving, writing, prepping and finally shooting some extra material for the movie. Now back to furious editing so we can lock picture before getting deep into sound, music, etc. A few things also to look out for...The Childrens Hospital DVD is now available - we worked hard to make this look and sound as good as can be and it's a great way to see the whole first two seasons while you prepare for the 3rd season to premiere on Adult Swim June 2nd at midnight!
And Wet Hot American Summer is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this summer and there will be some fun events around this. I will try to keep them updated here.
And for you Mac geeks out there, you can hear me talk for over an hour about how I use my computer all day on a new episode of the Mac Power Users podcast!
I live a strange life, in that I live in New York, but work (for the most part) in Los Angeles.
I always knew I wanted to live in New York. So I went to NYU (from Cleveland) in 1987, lived a dozen apartments over the next 24 years, but never left the city. In fact I've never lived outside of Greenwich Village.
But as time has gone by, it seems that the work opportunities have increasingly come from L.A. And one by one, most of my creative collaborators have made the move. The majority of The State, my producing partners, my manager - they all started in New York and are now in L.A.
So I've gone back and forth. Never had a place in L.A., but I've spent at least half of the last 12 years on various couches and guest rooms all over Southern California.
Ken Marino and I wrote the first draft of Wanderlust in a week together at his house in L.A. Then spent many, many months over two years rewriting and rewriting on separate coasts over Skype.
I spent most of last spring in L.A. casting, then prepped and shot in Georgia from August to November. Then all winter it's been editing in L.A. I considered editing in New York, but schedule coincided with the Childrens Hospital Season 3 shoot, which involves both my wife and me, so we brought ourselves and our son out west for the winter, had another son in January, and now we're all finally back home.
The cliche is true: the energy in New York is different and I prefer it. I walk to work, stopping at a coffee shop (where I am as I write this) for breakfast. I run into friends on the street. I'm connected to L.A. via Skype and email during the work day, then when I shut down, work (and Hollywood) is 3000 miles away. The pace of postproduction on this movie has been brutal, so having this moment to breathe in New York is life saving for me!
This weekend I'm going to see Craig Wedren (moved to LA a few years ago from NY) perform at City Winery, Book of Mormon on Broadway, take my kids to the park.
ALAS, the reason I'm here is NOT because the movie is finished. Far from it. The process is ongoing, but I'm just taking needed week or two working remotely here in the city to recharge my batteries.
Kathryn Hahn doing some ADR voice recording, her son in tow.
Late night music recording session with Craig Wedren
at the legendary Ocean Way Studio in Hollywood:
Day off at the beach with Kerri Kenney
Okay I also came to NY for one night in March for my summer camp reunion.
Here's Alan Klein, Craig Wedren and Me posing with our younger selves.
And if your'e interested in bloody whacky and insane animated fun,
the long awaited second season of SUPERJAIL is now on the air!
That guy in the purple hat is the Warden.
It's my voice and they drew him to look sort of like me.
Every Sunday at midnight on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim,
and/or there are a bunch of clips here
