Mike Sacks does it. He’s always been doin’ it, and if his OCD continues to have its way, he always will be doin’ it.
I first became aware of Mike’s work as a contributor to various humor publications like McSweeney’s and the New Yorker, but what cemented by adoration was his excellent 2014 collection of interviews with top comedy writers called Poking a Dead Frog, which not only inspired me as a frustrated, aspiring comedy writer but provided an entertaining peek behind the curtain of some of my favorite movies and television shows by the people who whose words brought them to life.
Mike’s own comedy writing has continued to inspire me in the decade since, as he fully embraced the self-publishing and self-producing ethos with the terrific Doin’ It with Mike Sacks podcast, chock full of chuckles and insightful interviews with creatives of all stripes, as well as some of the most inventively premised comedy books (and audio books) ever imagined like Stinker Lets Loose!, Slouchers: The Novelization, Randy!, Passable in Pink, and his latest: This Is How We Love: The Foto-Novel —featuring photography by Seth Olenick and ME as “Randy Sondenfeld,” portraying “Matthew, the Gay Jewish Neighbor.”
Confused? Intrigued? Want to see the rest? BUY THE DAMNED THING! You won’t find a funnier, more bizarrely back-storied coffee table book for less than $100.
As brilliant as Mike is, he is equally as supportive of other writers and generous with his time and advice. Proof is in the hour he gave me to record this newest episode of The 40-Year-Old Podcaster in which we discuss our different journeys to unlocking our true genius, what we find to be the absolute funniest, and ultimately, what it means to DO IT.
Spoiler Alert: YOU CAN DO IT, TOO!
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