This Is Your Afterlife

Nate Varrone (Second City, Tooning Out the News) and I BRO DOWN about the idiosyncrasies of speaking in tongues. We also share the desire for an afterlife that is Something rather than Nothing. He tells me about the weeklong outdoor camp where he felt like he'd arrived and how hell is basically every office. Nate's one of the funniest comedians there is, and you're gonna love getting to know him.

Check out Nate's extended episode at patreon.com/davemaher.

Transcript: This Is Your Afterlife on Podscribe

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Follow Nate on Instagram: @natevarrone

Follow me @thisisdavemaher on Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Hella Immaculate, at thisisdavemaher.com.

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Intro Song = Future: "Use Me"

Transitional Music = James Blackshaw: "The Cloud of Unknowing"

Outro Song = Johnnie Frierson: "Miracles"

Ramon Rivas II (Comedy Central's The Half Hour, Netflix's Cooking on High, HBO's Crashing) describes a deja vu-like afterlife and the memory he'd choose to relive, a whirlwind of food and family prior to filming his Comedy Central special. His hell is full of drunk white people, and his "coma" is a pair of experiences that made him commit to his comedy and his life.

Ramon is a DIY role model, and this episode paints a portrait of a working class dude who loves his family and is working his ass off to create art and build community. Enjoy!

Check out Ramon's extended episode at patreon.com/davemaher.

Transcript: This Is Your Afterlife on Podscribe

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Follow Ramon on Twitter: @BlazerRamon, and Instagram: @blazerramon

Ramon's work:

"Gentle Hustle" (the self-filmed documentary we talk about him filming prior to his Half Hour): Episode 1

Albums: Revisited, Stick to Comedy, and Now That's What I Call Prebaked Volume 1

To continue the conversation, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Hella Immaculate, at thisisdavemaher.com.

Follow me @thisisdavemaher on Instagram and Twitter.

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Intro Song = Future: "Use Me"

Transitional Music = James Blackshaw: "The Cloud of Unknowing"

Outro Song = Johnnie Frierson: "Miracles"

Claire Favret (Cigarette Sandwich) is a warm, super-talented comedian and such a fan of the show that she becomes my first co-host of the intro and outro. She shares her habit of added to her will while sick that dates back to childhood, plus the coma moment that redefined her relationship to food and eating, and the hell of endless notes after a terrible improv show.

Check out Claire's extended episode at patreon.com/davemaher.

Transcript: This Is Your Afterlife on Podscribe

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Follow Claire on Twitter: @clairefavs

Follow Cigarette Sandwich on Twitter: @CigSandwich

To continue the conversation, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Hella Immaculate, at thisisdavemaher.com.

Follow me @thisisdavemaher on Instagram and Twitter.

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Intro Song = Future: "Use Me"

Transitional Music = James Blackshaw: "The Cloud of Unknowing"

Outro Song = Johnnie Frierson: "Miracles"

I post these readings from Kim Krans' Wild Unknown Animal Spirit deck every week at patreon.com/davemaher. Donate monthly to my Patreon to help me keep making This Is Your Afterlife and join a community of people who love comedy about death and existence and all the biggest/corniest questions in life. You can get an extended episode and bonus clips every week, plus playlists, behind-the-scenes blog posts, experimental podcast episodes, and access to virtual shows.

"I'm either gonna say a serious question, or I'm gonna say a question about Lori Lightfoot." That's how last week's guest, 14-year-old abolitionist organizer Catlyn Savado, starts this Animal Spirit reading. She goes deep from there, and I think this is a really cool document of a teenager in a stable state giving themself comfort for dark times. This is basically the question every teenager, let alone person, has. CS opens herself up for all our benefit.

Transcript: This Is Your Afterlife on Podscribe

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Follow Catlyn @catlynsavado on Twitter and Instagram.

To continue the conversation, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Hella Immaculate, at thisisdavemaher.com.

Follow me @thisisdavemaher on Instagram and Twitter.

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Intro Clip = Future: "Use Me"

Outro Clip = James Blackshaw: "The Cloud of Unknowing"

Catlyn Savado is a 14-year-old abolitionist organizer in Chicago. Here, she clowns on Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot. She revisits a perfect day of protesting. She describes learning to let go of toxic and straight-up racist friends. She's fun and sincere and curious. Enjoy this time with her.

Check out Catlyn's extended episode at patreon.com/davemaher.

Transcript: This Is Your Afterlife on Podscribe

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Follow Catlyn @catlynsavado on Twitter and Instagram.

To continue the conversation, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Hella Immaculate, at thisisdavemaher.com.

Follow me @thisisdavemaher on Instagram and Twitter.

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Intro Song = Future: "Use Me"

Transitional Music = James Blackshaw: "The Cloud of Unknowing"

Outro Song = Johnnie Frierson: "Miracles"

Language is a box. Dogma is a box. Comedian Cameron Gillette makes a strong case against the latter, but unfortunately, we had to use language to do this episode. Cameron and I bond over our memories of Christian weightlifting performers, then he tells me about the mortifying moment that sparked his first depression and a spiritual experience at a waterfall.

Check out the extended episode at patreon.com/davemaher with bonus intro, extended segments, and Cameron's "Funeral Planning" segment.

Transcript: This Is Your Afterlife on Podscribe

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Watch Cameron's new special, The Best Set I Will Ever Have, on YouTube, and listen to the album on Apple or Spotify.

Follow Cameron @camgillettefan on Twitter and Instagram.

To continue the conversation, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Hella Immaculate, at thisisdavemaher.com.

Follow me @thisisdavemaher on Instagram and Twitter.

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Intro Song = Future: "Use Me"

Transitional Music = James Blackshaw: "The Cloud of Unknowing"

Outro Song = Johnnie Frierson: "Miracles"

Ireland-born, Chicago-forged, world touring Michael Rice is one of the best comedians I know. He talks to me about maybe becoming a tree when he dies, how meditation makes you annoying at parties, and the under-16 hurling championship that was the greatest moment of his life so far.

Check out the extended episode at patreon.com/davemaher with bonus intro banter about Mike's past year plus his "Paint Your Hell" segment.

Transcript: This Is Your Afterlife on Podscribe

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Listen to Mike's podcast, The Mike Rice Show, on Apple or Spotify

Follow Mike on Instagram: @mikericecomedy

Support Mike on Patreon: patreon.com/mikericecomedy

To continue the conversation, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Hella Immaculate, at thisisdavemaher.com.

Follow me @thisisdavemaher on Instagram and Twitter.

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Intro Song = Future: "Use Me"

Transitional Music = James Blackshaw: "The Cloud of Unknowing"

Outro Song = Johnnie Frierson: "Miracles"

Jamison Webb (What We Do in the Shadows, Space Force) had a dream in middle school and got to live it performing on the Second City Mainstage. Along the way, he shook off the bullying of early high school by barraging his classmates with comedy until they booed him senior year. Listen to this journey and his thoughts on what comes after everything.

Check out the extended episode at patreon.com/davemaher for hella bonus Jamison, including an intro on aging plus his "Funeral Planning," "Write Your Epitaph," "Kill 1 Thing," and "Paint Your Hell" segments.

Transcript: This Is Your Afterlife on Podscribe

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Follow @jamisonwebb on Twitter!

To continue the conversation, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Hella Immaculate, at thisisdavemaher.com.

Follow me @thisisdavemaher on Instagram and Twitter.

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Intro Song = Future: "Use Me"

Transitional Music = James Blackshaw: "The Cloud of Unknowing"

Outro Song = Johnnie Frierson: "Miracles"

Calvero—aka my former roommate Gabe Liebowitz—is a singer, pop songwriter, producer, and lover of therapy. We talk about the damages capitalism, hustle culture, and young success narratives have done to those of us looking for long and sustainable creative careers. He also shares a memory of working together with his late producer and friend Max Perenchio on a formative Calvero song.

Check out the extended episode at patreon.com/davemaher for more in-depth music and us-overthinking-our-social-media talk, plus his "Funeral Planning" and "Paint Your Hell" segments.

Transcript: This Is Your Afterlife on Podscribe

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Check out Calvero on...

Instagram: @calvero_sings,

Twitter: @calvero_sings,

Spotify,

Patreon: patreon.com/calverosings,

and his podcast, Calvero Speaks! (Apple, Spotify)

To continue the conversation, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Hella Immaculate, at thisisdavemaher.com.

Follow me @thisisdavemaher on Instagram and Twitter.

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Intro Song = Future: "Use Me"

Transitional Music = James Blackshaw: "The Cloud of Unknowing"

Outro Song = Johnnie Frierson: "Miracles"

Mary Williamson's (The Fly Honey Show) mom said, "Nature is our church," and Mary echoes that sentiment when talking about offering up her skull as worm food. She also tells me about a dreamy childhood vacation spot she would freeze in time and the arrest that shifted her perspective on privilege.

Check out the extended episode at patreon.com/davemaher, which includes more in-depth talk about the Fly Honeys and representation, plus Mary's "Funeral Planning" segment.

Transcript: This Is Your Afterlife on Podscribe

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Check out Mary's work (acting AND special effects makeup) in the streaming variety show "grelley." through the Hideout on Saturday, May 29. Learn more and buy tickets here: hideoutchicago.com/event/grelley

Mary on IG: @artisdeadgobears

To continue the conversation, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, Hella Immaculate, at thisisdavemaher.com.

Follow me @thisisdavemaher on Instagram and Twitter.

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Intro Song = Future: "Use Me"

Transitional Music = James Blackshaw: "The Cloud of Unknowing"

Outro Song = Johnnie Frierson: "Miracles"