Comedian Paul F. Tompkins (Mr. Show, Best Week Ever and recent Comedy Central special You Should Have Told Me) is entering new – but crowded – territory with his upcoming comedy podcast.
UPDATE: Download the first episode of The Pod F. Tompkast
Pod F. Tompkast: The Paul F. Tompkins Podcast
Tompkins will join the ranks of the many stand-up comics who are currently podcasting. “It’s a form that I really, really enjoy. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
“I want to have that creative outlet to do whatever I want, without anybody having a say in it. That’s the beauty of podcast; it can be whatever you want it to be, and nobody is able to tell you that you have to change anything.”
However, Tompkins’ podcast-in-progress (called the Pod F. Tompkast) will go beyond unscripted conversation. “Many of the podcasts these days take the form of three guys sitting around talking, and you forget that you can actually do whatever you want.”
Tompkins’ Podcast Incorporates Sketch Comedy
Tompkins says that Pod F. Tompkast will “combine elements from the podcasts that really inspire me. There’s going to be produced content, original sketch stuff.”
“I was really inspired by the Superego podcast.” Jeremy Carter and Matt Gourley, Mark McConville, and Jeff Crocker are the team behind the sketch-based podcast, which feels more like classic radio than most present riff-based shows. “It’s really amazing, funny stuff. These guys are doing a totally different thing."
Another inspiration for Tompkins is Tom Scharpling’s The Best Show on WFMU. “It’s a great three-hour radio show. Tom and Jon Wurster write and perform those sketches together where Tom is kind of the straight man and John will play a character. Other than that, it’s Tom talking. It’s him talking phone calls and talking to people, just sort of stream-of-consciousness riffing.
“That’s a thing that I do in my stand-up, and I definitely want to have that [on the podcast]. I’m picturing that as being the sort of introduction to the show – me just talking and seeing where that goes, as well as having segments from my Largo show.”
Podcasting To Expand Tompkins’ Audience
Tompkins sees the podcast not only as a way to make his performances available to a larger audience, but as a means to a bigger goal.
“We’ve taken [the Largo] show out of town a couple of times, just to San Francisco, and it’s be been great. I would love to perform that show in more cities, but my ultimate dream would be to do that show on television.
“If I can build an audience for that show [through the podcast], then hopefully it will make some of the TV folks think that there’s a possibility it could work on television.”
For more information on Paul F. Tompkins, including his upcoming performances and podcast, visit Tompkins' website, fan him on Facebook, or follow Tompkins on Twitter
Christine E. Taylor - Christine E. Taylor is a freelance writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Christine is currently writing a series of articles ...
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