Jonathan Coulton has called into existence a world in which a bearded Brooklyn-residing, Yale-graduated, Whiffenpoof-participating programmer singing songs on nerdy topics he records in a home studio posted to the Internet can quit his job, build an army of fans, give his music partly away, attract 700 people to a themed cruise, become a regular on public radio, and have his work ripped off by a major network television show. We talk about his singing background, how his career began and progressed, and how you bring your fans with you when your style matures.