justEricson

I consider Matt to be my doppelgänger from another universe. We're both short, we're both exceptionally charismatic, we both wear cool jackets, we talk about similar topics, we're big into doing unplanned sets, we're both gemini's, and yet we're both extremely different in temperament and he has a way better smile than I ever will.

Matt was the first comedian ever to give me a legitimate compliment. He was actually the first comedian I ever asked for advice from as well. Maybe it's because we're so similar that I felt he was a kindred spirit I could trust or maybe it's because I kept running into him at Haha and he let me have the bullet once. Either way he's a guy I'm eternally thankful to have met so early in my career.

In this conversation we talk about the fears of parenting through positivity, my great energy, and the awful state of my bathroom.

I love everyone I interview... for the most part. But I actually fell deeper in love with Joey during this recording. Maybe it's an east coast thing but it's always nice when you can sit down with someone, slag each other, slag yourselves, and slag the world. We all need to vent sometimes and Joey is one of my favorite people to grieve with.

Joey's comedy is a lot like mine although I'd be insane if I didn't say he's more polished and practiced: it's challenging, playfully cruel, and honest. I actually liked Joey long before I even seen his act, which is worry-some for a comic because you can like someone and not think they're funny, but the first time I saw him perform a tight three at Flapper's Comedy club I knew I'd found another comic I'd want to share a stage with.

In this interview Joey and I talk about my obnoxious habit of butting into conversations, the struggles of having your Facebook taken as a merit of character, and my inability to eat pizza.

I'm gonna put this out there knowing I'm probably going to get shit for it but I consider Mikey the ginger of stand up comedians. He's a pallet cleanser and he goes great with anything... Yeah, I'm definitely going to get shit for that. But it's true. What I love about Mikey is his comedy act is so uniquely his own and so well tuned that you could put him on any show and it would still fit perfectly... maybe I should have said he's the cinnamon of stand up comedians.

It's impossible to be in the LA Comedy scene and not know who Mikey McKernan is. No one looks like him. No one acts like him. And if there's an open mic somewhere he'll usually show up. He's always friendly and despite never letting any opportunity to make a joke slip by he is still always genuine and kind.

In this conversation I find out where Mikey's signature line came from, why wearing shorts on stage is such a bad idea, and why I having one name as an artist is just pretentious as fuck.

People have said I'm fun to watch and if that is true Andy is fun to listen to. There's few people who have tastes that really matter to me and Andy is one of those rare breeds who I could just talk comedy and life for hours with outside a mic. Hence we have on our hands another longer than usual episode.

I'll be honest I didn't even think much of Andy when I first met him but as soon as I saw his set I knew this was not only a pro but a guy who had an honest point of view I could get down with. He's certainly one of the few comics I know who I always learn something from watching him work even if it's at a mic with only one person.

In this interview we talk about why it's not good to judge a comic's act when they're less than four years into the game, the benefits of having jokes that rely on a distinct voice, and break down what my apartment says about me as a person.

I feel like I should start with an apology because this recording had so much quality I had to take out just to get it close to thirty minutes. I give all the credit to Alan whose a man and a comic who is all about vulnerability. There's nothing we can't talk about on stage and off and there's nothing we didn't talk about.

Alan was one of the two people I met when I first walked into The Fourth Wall to do my first open mic in a new venue and from that moment I've always been so happy to catch up when I see him at a mic.

In this conversation we talk about being considered an Uncle Tom even when you're white, the struggles of being an individual even when you're wrong, and (of course) Granny Porn.

I can never introduce Andrea properly. I think I just don't want to seem like I'm trying to oversell someone who I legitimately think has such a bright future ahead of her. I kinda want the credit of calling it - but I also think everyone knows. I just have mad respect for comics with their own unique voice and she stands by hers.

I met Andrea early on in my grind and since then bumping in to her has always been an indication I was at a good mic. Always down to catch up, talk jokes, or just talk shit, the one thing I love about Andrea is she's sincere in her feelings and politics but always respects a different opinion.

In this interview we talk about the pressures of a female comic, the ethics of rigging lotteries, and why it's great to start in LA.

WELCOME TO SEASON 2 MUTHA FUKKAS!!!

It's a whole new year with all new album art and a brand new line up of guests! This time focusing on all the stand-up comics I've met last season during my first year of stand-up comedy. This should (hopefully) be interesting.

There's one comic I've wanted to start with since the beginning and that is Rob Banks. The first friend I made in the scene, a comic I've adored since the day I saw his first set, and a great guy for putting me on his podcast after me only being in the game six months.

In this conversation I try to get back into the swing of things as we talk about how I've grown over my first year of comedy, my biggest fears starting out, and my inability to empathize with people who buy Supreme clothing. Feels good to be back.

Banks Heist: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/banks-heist/id1068648721?mt=2

I don't know how to talk about this episode. But it's kind of an appropriate end to the first season. An awkward conversation with an ex.

Bexx and I have had a long history. In fact, we've known each other about a decade and it still feels like we barely know each other, ya know? But one thing that's always been true: we seem to get each other verklempt.

In this interview we attempt to ignore the barking dogs as we talk about what I was like as a twenty-something acting like a teenager, how even those who love me can't tell when I'm being serious, and why I'm better off talking about myself than people talking about me... which might not be best for a podcast but here we go.

This should be a lite snack of an episode that will either leave you with a sweet or bitter taste in your mouth. This was my first recording since I got back from Philadelphia so I made a few mistakes and lost one of my favorite bits but there's still some healthy protein on this lean bone.

I met David my first year in Los Angeles while watching a Heat game at Davey Wangs and has since used him in my first feature as pinch-hitter for a very meta and juvenile gag that he knocked out of the park. I can't say we're best friends but we definitely are two people with respect for each other and that's not as common as you might expect in LA.

In this conversation we talk about my attitude as a director, how white people talk when black people aren't around, and even a brief history of the Confederacy in Los Angeles.

I'll probably never do anything like this again. At the very least I've learned a grave lesson in foresight and organization.

In a way this was the question that started the whole thing. I'll never forget sitting down outside of Chipotle on Ventura with Andrew Harwood as I decided to pass the innocuous query off as a goof only to be shut down immediately before I could finish the question thus becoming a staple in my wheelhouse of silly pseudo-kokological premises.

Now with "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" hitting theaters I thought it be a great time to review some of the best answers I've gotten over the first season of this podcast.