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Mock Stars: Indie Comedy and the Dangerously Funny
by
John Wenzel
Mock Stars 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.
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
November 1st 2008
by Fulcrum Publishing
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I don't use Goodreads the right way. See, I read a book and then post it as "read". I should put it in "currently-reading" and THEN read it. I totally negate the interactive application of this thing.
I think this book could just be called: "I love Mr. Show and here is a book that proves it by John Wenzel". I didn't really learn anything from this. I would give this 2.4 stars. If you don't know anything about David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Eugene Mirma...more
I think this book could just be called: "I love Mr. Show and here is a book that proves it by John Wenzel". I didn't really learn anything from this. I would give this 2.4 stars. If you don't know anything about David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Eugene Mirma...more
As someone who is familiar with alt comedy, Mock Stars didn't teach me much about the subject, but it did gather a lot of the history into one single book. Wenzel also managed to have some nice interviews with the big names on the scene.
The book is hindered by writing that sounds like ersatz Nathan Rabin, with flashy, pay-attention-to-me prose that never is as funny as it tries to be (fortunately for the reader, the worst writing is contained within an extraneous essay by Andrew Ear...more
The book is hindered by writing that sounds like ersatz Nathan Rabin, with flashy, pay-attention-to-me prose that never is as funny as it tries to be (fortunately for the reader, the worst writing is contained within an extraneous essay by Andrew Ear...more
A huge contrast between the subject matter and its exposition, the author's writing style is dry without being the least bit amusing. I'm about half-way through and so far each chapter has been a slog; this book is just not clicking for me.
I believe I will never finish reading this book.
I believe I will never finish reading this book.
A book about comedians like Patton Oswalt, Neil Hamburger, David Cross, etc.. Not essential, and the author tries to keep it light, but there's not much here for people who are ultimately already fans.
This is not a book. It's a two hundred and eighty-six page fanzine. The author is such a sycophantic butt-kisser, it's hard to get to the end. But I had to, because I do comedy and actually know a lot of the performers in it. (Let's be honest: I'm just pissed because I'm not in it.)
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John Wenzel first got the indie-comedy bug watching HBO's Mr. Show, a sketch comedy program with which he's still obsessed. He currently writes about music, comedy, and new media for The Denver Post and has written for websites and magazines such as Rockpile and Shredding Paper.
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