Check Your Brain

John Byner has been a fixture on the small screen for decades. From his early appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960s, through his cameos in the '70s on The Odd Couple and The Carol Burnett Show, to starring on his 1980s sketch show Bizarre, Byner's face and especially his voice (or should I say voiceS) are unmistakable.

His new autobiography is out now called Five Minutes, Mr. Byner: A Lifetime of Laughter, about his years in showbiz, meeting and working with his childhood heroes, to his affection for those he impersonated. He sat down with Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur.

Purchase John's autobiography here: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Minutes-Mr-Byner-Lifetime/dp/1608082342/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=john+byner&qid=1609779339&sr=8-1

Follow Tony on his various social media platforms:

Twitter - @TonyMazur

Instagram - @tmaze25

Parler - TonyMazur

Cover art for the Check Your Brain podcast is by Eric C. Fischer. If you need terrific graphic design work done, contact Eric at [email protected].

Tom Seaver was the first superstar of the New York Mets. During his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, Cooperstown, New York was a sea of Mets blue and orange. Sadly, he passed away in 2020 after complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19.

Bill Madden is a former New York Daily News columnist, and he is the author of the book Tom Seaver: A Terrific Life, and he spoke with Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur on the legacy of the Mets' long-time ace, "The Midnight Massacre," his return to the Mets in 1983 and to New York with his 300th win in '85, and his foray into broadcasting.

Bill Madden's book on Tom Seaver can be purchased here: https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Seaver-Terrific-Bill-Madden/dp/1982136189/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3HJ0P1ZDEMCU7&dchild=1&keywords=a+terrific+life+tom+seaver&qid=1609779290&sprefix=a+terrific+life%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-1

For more on Tom Terrific, Sportsology's Russ Cohen shared some Seaver memories, including his trip to Yankee Stadium when Tom notched win #300.

Russ's website is Sportsology.com.

Follow Tony on his various social media platforms:

Twitter - @TonyMazur

Instagram - @tmaze25

Parler - TonyMazur

Cover art for the Check Your Brain podcast is by Eric C. Fischer. If you need terrific graphic design work done, contact Eric at [email protected].

Comedy and rock music make strange but familiar bedfellows, yet not many comedians have tested those waters. Sam Kinison did in the 1980s, and Jim Breuer is doing that today, but not many have taken advantage of that.

Jim Florentine is a New Jersey-based comedian, and is the host of Everybody is Awful (Except You) podcast on Barstool Sports. He also voices the character Special Ed on Comedy Central's Crank Yankers, and was one of the three hosts of VH1 Classic's That Metal Show.

In this hour-long conversation with Check Your Brain's Tony Mazur, Jim talks about his early days on the road doing standup, his friendships with Andrew Dice Clay and Otto Petersen of Otto & George, finding his voice in comedy, and gaining fame without selling out his principles.

Jim's tour dates, merch store, and podcast can be found here at jimflorentine.com.

Follow Tony on his various social media platforms:

Twitter - @TonyMazur

Instagram - @tmaze25

Parler - TonyMazur

Cover art for the Check Your Brain podcast is by Eric C. Fischer. If you need terrific graphic design work done, contact Eric at [email protected].

"Just one more thing," "There's something that bothers me," and of course "What did you pay for those shoes?" are some iconic lines in the history of Columbo, one of NBC's rotating Mystery Movie programs in the 1970s, then later brought back as one-off specials on ABC from 1989 through 2003.

Mark Dawidziak is a former television critic at the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Akron Beacon Journal, and he is the author of The Columbophile. He joined Tony Mazur on the Check Your Brain podcast to talk all things Columbo, from the original Levinson/Link concept to Peter Falk, and why the character is beloved to this day.

The Columbophile is available on paperback (if you can't afford the $290 hardcover version): https://www.amazon.com/Columbo-Phile-Casebook-Mark-Dawidziak/dp/0892969849

Follow Tony on his various social media platforms:

Twitter - @TonyMazur

Instagram - @tmaze25

Parler - TonyMazur

Cover art for the Check Your Brain podcast is by Eric C. Fischer. If you need terrific graphic design work done, contact Eric at [email protected].

Welcome to the Check Your Brain Podcast! In this brief episode (if you want to call it that), host Tony Mazur previews what's to expect in the forthcoming episodes. It is essentially a hodgepodge, a menagerie of interests that pop into Tony's mind, from sports to comedy, to pop culture and even some politics and religion. Not every episode will be something that piques your interests, but he assures you there will be something for everyone.

Special shoutout to Eric C. Fischer for his great work on the album art. If you're looking for terrific graphic design work done, email Eric at [email protected].