Mock Stars: Indie Comedy and the Dangerously Funny

by John Wenzel

Book Overview

This book traces the evolution of indie comedy from the underground music circuit into mainstream America. Through candid interviews with major players, including David Cross, Patton Oswalt, Neil Hamburger, Maria Bamford, Fred Armisen, Aimee Mann, and dozens of others, John Wenzel reveals how comedy is becoming relevant -- and dangerously funny -- again.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933108231
• ISBN13: 9781933108230
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Great primer for comedy fans

I was only familiar with about half of the comedians in this book (at least the ones that have been in movies and on TV, like David Cross, Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, etc.) but was pretty unaware of the "comedy on the indie music circuit" thing. If you're already a giant indie comedy nerd, some of this stuff may be familiar to you, but so much ground is covered here and in such depth that I can't imagine there's anything else like this out there. I also liked the writing style (charming, profane, funny) but found certain passages rushed. Others (like the Neil Hamburger chapter) could probably stand alone as magazine essays. It's uneven but worth reading, especially if you're into the cutting edge subjects Wenzel is. I also liked the fact that he included bits from the comedians, otherwise you'd have to spend tons of time and money tracking down all the CDs and DVDs. Gives you a good sense of their stuff over just reciting their sensibilities.