Sunday June 8th, 2008 - Milwaukee, WI/Kenosha, WI
I found a new philosophy of life today. Kipper McGee from WLS sent me an email and it had THE best quote I’ve seen in years. It said ‘There are many undiscovered geniuses in the world but not many undiscovered marketers.’ That one hit me right between the eyes.
I have no idea where it came from but I will absolutely find out when I see Kipper next. Maybe it was Kipper himself because he’s a razor sharp guy and it sounds like something he would say. Whoever said it has my full attention and I got the message loud and clear.
It doesn’t matter how talented I or anyone else is for that matter. I totally agree that it’s mostly marketing for any product and I am focusing on that like never before. Today I got my beak wet by setting up at the Gonzaga sports card show up in West Allis, WI. I had an opportunity to fill in for my friend Dennis who was still at the big show down in Chicago.
He asked me if I’d take his table up at Gonzaga Hall and I said yes. I have enough stock to set up even though I wasn’t really ready with organization quite yet. But that’s the nice thing about the Gonzaga show - it isn’t necessary. A lot of the guys are part timers there.
I took a random sampling of some single cards and a couple of sets and I set up next to my other friend Richard Caan who I went to Chicago with on Friday. He’s a great guy for studying because he’s doing this full time and I was able to watch him deal with the usual crop of local Milwaukee chiselers. That city has a cheapness like few others and it’s deep.
If someone can pry a buck out of a Milwaukee wallet it would probably fetch twenty or higher anywhere else. I hadn’t experienced the alligator arm syndrome of the cheese head brigade in a while but today I got a face full of it. It was an education and I need to get it.
I need to brush up on prices of what the current market is baring. I have mostly old stuff and I used to know the prices better than I do now but I will get caught back up. I learned the business from my friend Ray Gunderson who had a shop in West Allis for years. He’s my mentor and he taught me to always buy low and flip as quickly as possible. I listened.
Most of my stuff is not pristine and I knew that going in. I bought pretty low so I can let it go at a fair price and not have to gouge anyone. I like to keep the flow of money in both directions so I will move something if there is a halfway fair offer. Ray always did well so there’s no reason I can’t too. People took advantage of Ray though and today I got it too.
Some weasel came by my table and cherry picked a few of the better cards and then had a sob story of how he was low on cash and could only pay a pathetic price and when I had had enough of his whining I agreed just to get him away from my table and make a sale.
Then he did me one worse and said he was ‘a couple of bucks short’ on the agreed upon price when he went to his wallet. What to do then? Stupidly I still took the deal. That was a big mistake because I had only set up five minutes before and he was my first customer.
I officially learned my first painful marketing lesson of my new business venture. I had probably broken about even with what I had paid for those cards he bought so it was a not for profit deal. Yes I made my money back but those were clean cards and I let them go at cost without letting anyone else even see them. I pulled the trigger way too early on this.
But after he left the deal got worse because he was bragging to some other dealers about how he stuck it to me because I didn’t know the value of what I had. He had told me what the cards supposedly were listed in the price guide at and I took his word for it. He totally lied and they were listed at about three times more than what he told me. I fell for his BS.
I got stung at my own table and it was my own fault. I should have been more prepared but I wasn’t. I should have had my price guides with me but I didn’t. I should have had all of the cards sorted and priced but I hadn’t. I went by feel and it was a HUGE mistake. I’m glad it happened on the first day so I can regroup and come way more prepared next time.
I’m not looking to rip anyone off but that guy totally was. Richard said he’d done a few deals with that same guy and he would always have to watch himself for the same reason. It becomes a poker game in these situations and I just got sharked by a player. He is now able to put those cards on Ebay or sell them to a dealer at a profit that I should have had.
These are the little things I need to learn and it won’t be easy. It wasn’t easy to learn all the tricks of being a comedian but I hung in there and took my lumps. This is a new game entirely and I am not complaining about how this went down. I totally learned my lesson.
Will there be others? Absolutely. If there aren’t I’m totally screwed because who wants to sit around giving away good cards I could use to make more money? He got me on this deal but I won’t ever forget it or him and if he comes back he won’t do it again. No way.
I already signed up to come back next month and I will have a MUCH better display for that show and try some new ideas. Today was an unexpected scramble but I’m still glad I did it because it forced me to jump in the water and learn by doing. That’s very important.
The main reason I’m doing this is not to sell baseball cards but to grow my business and marketing skills to help me sell Uranus Factory Outlet in the future. Cards are a hobby for relaxing and having fun. I think I can make a few bucks doing it and I will continue to get better at it and watch how the other dealers work and learn from as many of them as I can.
I did get a few good deals in the auction and this is the place to buy. Milwaukee doesn’t have a lot of buyers who will pay over $5-10 for anything and I picked up some nice stuff I bet I can sell for a lot more. One item was a Rose Bowl pennant in sharp condition from when the Wisconsin Badgers went in 1963. I got it for $10 but I bet it’s worth a lot more.
I’m learning the ropes now for the future when it will come in handy. Getting bent on a $40 deal today will hopefully help educate me to avoid getting bent on a $40 million deal in the future. I’ll keep reading and learning and next month I’ll come back and try again.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Working With Pros
Saturday June 7th, 2008 - Northbrook, IL
Another night of fun with the Chicago Comedy All Stars. Tonight we worked the Green Acres Country Club in Northbrook, IL. Jimmy McHugh and Sonya White were on the bill as they were on Wednesday as was Bob Jay. Bob is an impressionist and a super nice guy.
Bob has been very sick in the last while and is recovering from leukemia. I don’t know all the details and it’s none of my business but I had heard he wasn’t feeling well and we hadn’t seen each other in a while. I always liked Bob as does everyone else and it was an absolute treat to see him work tonight. He really nails his impressions and is very funny.
This was again a powerhouse performance but in a different way than on Wednesday. It was a different audience and many of them were older. ALL of them were Jewish and that isn’t good or bad but it is something to deal with. All of anything in any audience can be a major help or a major problem depending on how it’s handled. We handled this one right.
None of the four of us are Jewish so the best way to handle that is to admit it and just do the show. The worst thing to do is try to appeal as an outsider right up front because that’s a sure fire recipe to alienate them right off the bat. And by ‘them’ I mean any large group.
I’ve seen that situation in many areas. It might be a northerner in a southern crowd or an older act in a younger crowd or a black act in a white crowd and the list is endless. ‘Us’ is on stage and ‘they’ are in the audience and ‘we’ have to bring it together to find laughter.
We sure did that tonight. Personally I love to work Jewish audiences because as a rule it means they’ve seen entertainment before and know how to behave. They’re polite even if they’re not enjoying it and when they enjoy it they let it be known. Tonight they loved it.
One of the reasons they loved it was that all four of us are comedy veterans and read the audience beautifully. Each of us picked and chose our material and approach so that it had the maximum laughter effect without being offensive. We steered clear of anything that is even remotely controversial and all of us got solid laughs at some point during the night.
What made that possible is that all four of us have spent our lives perfecting our craft so we could know what to do in a situation like this. I make a comparison to a quarterback in the NFL because it fits perfectly. No matter how long a backup QB holds a clipboard he’s only going to get experience by getting into the game and taking his lumps for a while.
We’ve all done that for more than a while and it paid off tonight. The mike wasn’t great and neither was the lighting and we had a small stage and started late. Even though it was less than ideal we overcame it and gave the audience a great show and they appreciated it.
After the show people lined up to tell us how wonderful we were and they meant it. The audience was pretty well to do and they didn’t have to stay if they didn’t want to but they did and we appreciated it. Working with experienced comedians takes it to a higher level.
Another night of fun with the Chicago Comedy All Stars. Tonight we worked the Green Acres Country Club in Northbrook, IL. Jimmy McHugh and Sonya White were on the bill as they were on Wednesday as was Bob Jay. Bob is an impressionist and a super nice guy.
Bob has been very sick in the last while and is recovering from leukemia. I don’t know all the details and it’s none of my business but I had heard he wasn’t feeling well and we hadn’t seen each other in a while. I always liked Bob as does everyone else and it was an absolute treat to see him work tonight. He really nails his impressions and is very funny.
This was again a powerhouse performance but in a different way than on Wednesday. It was a different audience and many of them were older. ALL of them were Jewish and that isn’t good or bad but it is something to deal with. All of anything in any audience can be a major help or a major problem depending on how it’s handled. We handled this one right.
None of the four of us are Jewish so the best way to handle that is to admit it and just do the show. The worst thing to do is try to appeal as an outsider right up front because that’s a sure fire recipe to alienate them right off the bat. And by ‘them’ I mean any large group.
I’ve seen that situation in many areas. It might be a northerner in a southern crowd or an older act in a younger crowd or a black act in a white crowd and the list is endless. ‘Us’ is on stage and ‘they’ are in the audience and ‘we’ have to bring it together to find laughter.
We sure did that tonight. Personally I love to work Jewish audiences because as a rule it means they’ve seen entertainment before and know how to behave. They’re polite even if they’re not enjoying it and when they enjoy it they let it be known. Tonight they loved it.
One of the reasons they loved it was that all four of us are comedy veterans and read the audience beautifully. Each of us picked and chose our material and approach so that it had the maximum laughter effect without being offensive. We steered clear of anything that is even remotely controversial and all of us got solid laughs at some point during the night.
What made that possible is that all four of us have spent our lives perfecting our craft so we could know what to do in a situation like this. I make a comparison to a quarterback in the NFL because it fits perfectly. No matter how long a backup QB holds a clipboard he’s only going to get experience by getting into the game and taking his lumps for a while.
We’ve all done that for more than a while and it paid off tonight. The mike wasn’t great and neither was the lighting and we had a small stage and started late. Even though it was less than ideal we overcame it and gave the audience a great show and they appreciated it.
After the show people lined up to tell us how wonderful we were and they meant it. The audience was pretty well to do and they didn’t have to stay if they didn’t want to but they did and we appreciated it. Working with experienced comedians takes it to a higher level.
What's In The Cards?
Friday June 6th, 2008 - Schaumburg, IL
I took a detour from my path for a day and I enjoyed every minute of it. I’m working on my projects and I’ve been in a positive groove lately but I just felt I had to say yes when I was asked to attend the big sports card convention in the Chicago area that’s going on all weekend. My friends Richard and Dennis from Milwaukee picked me up and we all went.
There are a lot of things that satisfy me on a lot of levels by being around the hobby and I am not going to apologize for taking one day off. I’m learning to observe how the larger dealers conduct themselves at these shows and am taking notes. Marketing and sales skill is what lead to success in this as with nearly everything else in life. I learned a lot today.
The part I enjoy about collecting is having something not many other people have. I’m a fan of pristine old cards of all kinds and saw more than I needed to today but I also talked to a few of the bigger dealers just to see how they handled their business. It was a lesson I need to use when I get Uranus Factory Outlet going because many same principles apply.
The most known sports card dealer in the country is a guy named Alan Rosen. He calls himself ‘Mr. Mint’ as in mint condition cards and he advertises in all the trade magazines with a full page ad with his picture holding a giant fan of $100 bills offering to buy cards. He has written a couple of books and every dealer in the business knows who Mr. Mint is.
This guy is a marketing machine. He’s from New York and can tend to come off as a bit condescending and arrogant but everyone has to admit he hustles more than anyone else. I got a chance to meet him today and we talked for a few minutes and I told him how much I admired his marketing skills. His eyes lit up and I had his attention but I totally meant it.
Whether he’s cocky or not isn’t important. I don’t have to live with the guy or even talk to him. I can observe him from afar and that’s what I’ve been doing. He spends huge cash on ads but everyone in the hobby knows who he is. Was it worth it? Absolutely. He has a name and people who want to sell their cards look for him and he flips them for a profit.
I doubt he has one tenth of the inventory of cards I do because he’s not a collector. He’s a FLIPPER. He might pay $10,000 for a collection that walks in a card show and have the whole thing sold in an hour or less for $12-15,000 or more. He gets a return on his money almost immediately and has built up a reputation over the years as being the big buyer.
Watching him work was interesting. His setup was very professional looking and he has two assistants who work with him and greet customers when they walk in and ask if they have anything to sell. Many times they do so he’ll get first crack at all the best inventory.
Eventually I will be doing some kind of trade shows as the King of Uranus. It may even start out at sports card shows. I can put a couple of funny items out on my table and try to develop a clientele that way. I can fart around with cards but really try to develop my style as a marketer and a pitch man. The goal is to build name recognition like Mr. Mint did.
What can I do to make myself THE guy in the humorous product business? I absolutely need to do a lot of the same things Mr. Mint did in the card business. He gave himself an easy to remember title. He gave himself authority by writing that first book. I remember it well because I bought it when it came out. It was very informative and I learned from it.
He also isn’t afraid to get out and uncover things where nobody else will go. He’s made quite a few ‘finds’ of hidden away cards in warehouses and store basements and all kinds of places 99.999% of other dealers wouldn’t go. He doesn’t wait for the deals to come his way - he goes out and makes things happen. I’m a huge fan of how he’s made his fortune.
My business probably won’t be the exact same but it will require looking for funny stuff in all corners of the world to resell on my site. There are all kinds of products hidden in a forgotten about place that I need to buy for pennies on the dollar and make my own hits.
Listening to my E. Joseph Cossman tapes recently he talks about that exact thing. He’s the Mr. Mint of the mail order business and both of them were extraordinary marketers. It isn’t a secret that clever ideas plus hard work plus action in execution equal huge success.
I got to be a kid today and sort through a lot of memories from a time that wasn’t at all a pleasant period for me. Playing sports and collecting cards with my friends was one of the things I did enjoy and looking at all of those particular years all over again makes me feel a lot of things. Old is one but also experienced. I have a whole different view of it now.
Watching sports back then had life or death meaning attached to it and I looked at many of those cards today and realized that most of those guys are now in their 60s. Or 70s. Or dead. The games are all over now and I bet they all wish they could be back playing again just like I wish I could go back to that time with the knowledge I have now and start over.
I finished two sets today and that felt especially good. I completed my 1963 football set and also the very difficult 1971 Topps baseball set. They have black borders and are super challenging to get as a whole set in top condition. It‘s one of the most popular sets ever.
As luck would have it that was the first set I remember collecting as a kid. Seeing them now takes me right back to that time of opening up packs of them at Winkie’s dime store on Villard Avenue back in Milwaukee. I can still smell those sticks of pink bubble gum.
The whole set has 752 cards in it and I have hunted down every one. There are some I’ll need to eventually upgrade but for now I can say I have completed that set from total zero and made it happen from just an idea. I started buying on Ebay and kept working until the set was complete. I felt a huge beam of satisfaction as I added that last card to my binder.
The football set is also tough but I finished that one too. 1963 is my birth year and not a lot of people have a set of cards from the year they were born. I do but haven’t a clue as to what it will get me other than another feeling of accomplishment. That took a lot of effort too and putting that last card in place was like being on top of a mountain I just climbed.
I took a detour from my path for a day and I enjoyed every minute of it. I’m working on my projects and I’ve been in a positive groove lately but I just felt I had to say yes when I was asked to attend the big sports card convention in the Chicago area that’s going on all weekend. My friends Richard and Dennis from Milwaukee picked me up and we all went.
There are a lot of things that satisfy me on a lot of levels by being around the hobby and I am not going to apologize for taking one day off. I’m learning to observe how the larger dealers conduct themselves at these shows and am taking notes. Marketing and sales skill is what lead to success in this as with nearly everything else in life. I learned a lot today.
The part I enjoy about collecting is having something not many other people have. I’m a fan of pristine old cards of all kinds and saw more than I needed to today but I also talked to a few of the bigger dealers just to see how they handled their business. It was a lesson I need to use when I get Uranus Factory Outlet going because many same principles apply.
The most known sports card dealer in the country is a guy named Alan Rosen. He calls himself ‘Mr. Mint’ as in mint condition cards and he advertises in all the trade magazines with a full page ad with his picture holding a giant fan of $100 bills offering to buy cards. He has written a couple of books and every dealer in the business knows who Mr. Mint is.
This guy is a marketing machine. He’s from New York and can tend to come off as a bit condescending and arrogant but everyone has to admit he hustles more than anyone else. I got a chance to meet him today and we talked for a few minutes and I told him how much I admired his marketing skills. His eyes lit up and I had his attention but I totally meant it.
Whether he’s cocky or not isn’t important. I don’t have to live with the guy or even talk to him. I can observe him from afar and that’s what I’ve been doing. He spends huge cash on ads but everyone in the hobby knows who he is. Was it worth it? Absolutely. He has a name and people who want to sell their cards look for him and he flips them for a profit.
I doubt he has one tenth of the inventory of cards I do because he’s not a collector. He’s a FLIPPER. He might pay $10,000 for a collection that walks in a card show and have the whole thing sold in an hour or less for $12-15,000 or more. He gets a return on his money almost immediately and has built up a reputation over the years as being the big buyer.
Watching him work was interesting. His setup was very professional looking and he has two assistants who work with him and greet customers when they walk in and ask if they have anything to sell. Many times they do so he’ll get first crack at all the best inventory.
Eventually I will be doing some kind of trade shows as the King of Uranus. It may even start out at sports card shows. I can put a couple of funny items out on my table and try to develop a clientele that way. I can fart around with cards but really try to develop my style as a marketer and a pitch man. The goal is to build name recognition like Mr. Mint did.
What can I do to make myself THE guy in the humorous product business? I absolutely need to do a lot of the same things Mr. Mint did in the card business. He gave himself an easy to remember title. He gave himself authority by writing that first book. I remember it well because I bought it when it came out. It was very informative and I learned from it.
He also isn’t afraid to get out and uncover things where nobody else will go. He’s made quite a few ‘finds’ of hidden away cards in warehouses and store basements and all kinds of places 99.999% of other dealers wouldn’t go. He doesn’t wait for the deals to come his way - he goes out and makes things happen. I’m a huge fan of how he’s made his fortune.
My business probably won’t be the exact same but it will require looking for funny stuff in all corners of the world to resell on my site. There are all kinds of products hidden in a forgotten about place that I need to buy for pennies on the dollar and make my own hits.
Listening to my E. Joseph Cossman tapes recently he talks about that exact thing. He’s the Mr. Mint of the mail order business and both of them were extraordinary marketers. It isn’t a secret that clever ideas plus hard work plus action in execution equal huge success.
I got to be a kid today and sort through a lot of memories from a time that wasn’t at all a pleasant period for me. Playing sports and collecting cards with my friends was one of the things I did enjoy and looking at all of those particular years all over again makes me feel a lot of things. Old is one but also experienced. I have a whole different view of it now.
Watching sports back then had life or death meaning attached to it and I looked at many of those cards today and realized that most of those guys are now in their 60s. Or 70s. Or dead. The games are all over now and I bet they all wish they could be back playing again just like I wish I could go back to that time with the knowledge I have now and start over.
I finished two sets today and that felt especially good. I completed my 1963 football set and also the very difficult 1971 Topps baseball set. They have black borders and are super challenging to get as a whole set in top condition. It‘s one of the most popular sets ever.
As luck would have it that was the first set I remember collecting as a kid. Seeing them now takes me right back to that time of opening up packs of them at Winkie’s dime store on Villard Avenue back in Milwaukee. I can still smell those sticks of pink bubble gum.
The whole set has 752 cards in it and I have hunted down every one. There are some I’ll need to eventually upgrade but for now I can say I have completed that set from total zero and made it happen from just an idea. I started buying on Ebay and kept working until the set was complete. I felt a huge beam of satisfaction as I added that last card to my binder.
The football set is also tough but I finished that one too. 1963 is my birth year and not a lot of people have a set of cards from the year they were born. I do but haven’t a clue as to what it will get me other than another feeling of accomplishment. That took a lot of effort too and putting that last card in place was like being on top of a mountain I just climbed.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Dinner With A Winner
Thursday June 5th, 2008 - Chicago, IL
More running around today but gas has dropped to $4.07 a gallon so I guess it’s ok. It’s amazing how in a panic everyone was just a couple of weeks ago but now nobody has any reaction to it at all. I don’t see anyone driving any less and most have stopped whining.
I have personally tried to drive a lot less but we all have places to go. Luckily I can have a little more control than others but when I don’t work I don’t have an income and I don’t enjoy that at all. I’ve been using the summer to get things done but eventually I’ll have to get back out there and start touring again to make a living. I’m trying to be smart with it.
I don’t know how smart I was today but at least I had fun. Lunch with Marc Schultz has become a weekly tradition and it’s a very enjoyable meeting on many levels. We have lots of things in common to talk about but the last few times it’s been the week at Zanies with Jerry’s Kidders. We’re trying to plan out how to make a nice DVD he can use to sell us.
We’ve already put more time and effort into this project than almost anything I’ve done in my comedy career but it can really be a big thing for us in the corporate market. This is a chance to showcase ourselves to people who can pay and it’s a wise investment of time.
Coming out of the restaurant I realized I left my keys in the car and Marc is in the habit of locking his door. I usually leave mine open for just that reason and sure enough we got locked out. I could see my keys in the ash tray along with the spare key I keep there too.
We had to stand outside in the hot sun for over an hour until AAA came and unlocked it in about 30 seconds. That was a good lesson. I’ll keep the extra key in my wallet and why I left my other keys in the ash tray I have no idea. I was talking to Marc and just did. Duh.
I headed into the city to pick up my mail at the UPS Store near Zanies and still no check from Topeka. This is really starting to twist my nipples and I just wish they’d send me the damn check and get it over with. I’m starting to think I’ll have to kick up yet another fuss.
This was a painful lesson that just doesn’t quit biting me in the arse but alas that’s what happened and now I need to move on one way or another. After that super show last night this is less painful but I still was promised my money and I want it. Business is business.
That was all on hold as I met with a potential comedy student who used to do TV sports in Quincy, IL. Her name is Bree Stewart and she’s 25 and a total knockout. She is hoping to explore comedy and has a very charismatic personality. We had some sushi and talked.
Benny Hill always had his ‘Hill’s Angels’ on his TV shows and it wouldn’t hurt to have a flock of ‘Heavenly Bodies From Uranus’ or whatever they will be called around me for effect. I am not out to exploit anyone but sexy women don’t hurt sales any and Bree has a great look and is very fun. We had a nice visit and she gave me a DVD of her TV stuff to check out and I did. There will always be a place for beautiful funny women on Uranus.
More running around today but gas has dropped to $4.07 a gallon so I guess it’s ok. It’s amazing how in a panic everyone was just a couple of weeks ago but now nobody has any reaction to it at all. I don’t see anyone driving any less and most have stopped whining.
I have personally tried to drive a lot less but we all have places to go. Luckily I can have a little more control than others but when I don’t work I don’t have an income and I don’t enjoy that at all. I’ve been using the summer to get things done but eventually I’ll have to get back out there and start touring again to make a living. I’m trying to be smart with it.
I don’t know how smart I was today but at least I had fun. Lunch with Marc Schultz has become a weekly tradition and it’s a very enjoyable meeting on many levels. We have lots of things in common to talk about but the last few times it’s been the week at Zanies with Jerry’s Kidders. We’re trying to plan out how to make a nice DVD he can use to sell us.
We’ve already put more time and effort into this project than almost anything I’ve done in my comedy career but it can really be a big thing for us in the corporate market. This is a chance to showcase ourselves to people who can pay and it’s a wise investment of time.
Coming out of the restaurant I realized I left my keys in the car and Marc is in the habit of locking his door. I usually leave mine open for just that reason and sure enough we got locked out. I could see my keys in the ash tray along with the spare key I keep there too.
We had to stand outside in the hot sun for over an hour until AAA came and unlocked it in about 30 seconds. That was a good lesson. I’ll keep the extra key in my wallet and why I left my other keys in the ash tray I have no idea. I was talking to Marc and just did. Duh.
I headed into the city to pick up my mail at the UPS Store near Zanies and still no check from Topeka. This is really starting to twist my nipples and I just wish they’d send me the damn check and get it over with. I’m starting to think I’ll have to kick up yet another fuss.
This was a painful lesson that just doesn’t quit biting me in the arse but alas that’s what happened and now I need to move on one way or another. After that super show last night this is less painful but I still was promised my money and I want it. Business is business.
That was all on hold as I met with a potential comedy student who used to do TV sports in Quincy, IL. Her name is Bree Stewart and she’s 25 and a total knockout. She is hoping to explore comedy and has a very charismatic personality. We had some sushi and talked.
Benny Hill always had his ‘Hill’s Angels’ on his TV shows and it wouldn’t hurt to have a flock of ‘Heavenly Bodies From Uranus’ or whatever they will be called around me for effect. I am not out to exploit anyone but sexy women don’t hurt sales any and Bree has a great look and is very fun. We had a nice visit and she gave me a DVD of her TV stuff to check out and I did. There will always be a place for beautiful funny women on Uranus.
A Treat In Wheaton
Wednesday June 4th, 2008 - Wheaton, IL
Sometimes it all just comes together. Tonight was one of those times. I did a show at the Wheaton Theatre (which is coincidentally located in Wheaton) with Jimmy McHugh and Sonya White in a version of the group concept Jimmy is trying to put together called ‘Chicago Comedy All Stars’. It’s a version of Chicago Style Standups with more vision.
Chicago Style had a ton of potential and all of us knew it but trying to run a group with no real leader is bound to fail. It was going in too many directions and the two main guys who were having the power struggle were Jimmy and Paul Kelly. It ended up that nobody won that struggle and we went our separate ways. Jimmy and I left and those guys stayed.
This is the kind of stuff bands must go through all the time. I’m glad I was a comic my whole life and only had to deal with this kind of stuff much later into the game. I learned a valuable lesson and won’t make that mistake again. I’ll recover from it and move on.
The big difference between this situation and the Chicago Style group is that Jimmy is in charge of this. It’s all his baby. He put the website up and picked the comedians and is the one who is trying to get the gigs booked. Everyone else in it is just along for the ride.
That makes it a whole lot easier because there’s nobody to argue with. Jimmy calls it as he sees it and has the final say. Period. I know that going in and so does everybody else in the group so that alone takes 99% of the tension out of it. All we do is show up and go up.
Jerry’s Kidders is the same way. Jerry Agar is in charge and we all understand that. It’s his group and we are the hired hands. I know if any of us had a suggestion Jerry would be the first to implement it if it was a good one but the fact remains HE is the one deciding.
I always felt that’s how it should be with any project and I have no problems being on a team with Jimmy or Jerry in charge. I’m going to be in charge of the Uranus project and then I’ll be the one calling the shots. For now I’m a member of two teams and I like it.
What a sweet show tonight. The theatre had a big roomy stage with a fantastic audience that exploded with laughter. Every one of us destroyed and when the audience is like that it’s a total cakewalk. Sonya really let it rip and so did Jimmy. We could do no wrong and at the end we all got a standing ovation. This was a bright sharp crowd who loved us all.
THIS is why we plug along all these years. We’re all veteran comedians with a lifetime of experience and we knew what to do when we got in front of an audience who wanted a show. We gave them their money’s worth and a lot more but we’d have done it for free.
Getting a chance to entertain an appreciative audience is a feeling better than any drug. I never took drugs but I didn’t have to because I know what that first feeling feels like. This was the kind of experience that everyone dreams about when they start out and it gives us a reason to keep doing it because it never gets old. This is like winning a big sports title.
Sometimes it all just comes together. Tonight was one of those times. I did a show at the Wheaton Theatre (which is coincidentally located in Wheaton) with Jimmy McHugh and Sonya White in a version of the group concept Jimmy is trying to put together called ‘Chicago Comedy All Stars’. It’s a version of Chicago Style Standups with more vision.
Chicago Style had a ton of potential and all of us knew it but trying to run a group with no real leader is bound to fail. It was going in too many directions and the two main guys who were having the power struggle were Jimmy and Paul Kelly. It ended up that nobody won that struggle and we went our separate ways. Jimmy and I left and those guys stayed.
This is the kind of stuff bands must go through all the time. I’m glad I was a comic my whole life and only had to deal with this kind of stuff much later into the game. I learned a valuable lesson and won’t make that mistake again. I’ll recover from it and move on.
The big difference between this situation and the Chicago Style group is that Jimmy is in charge of this. It’s all his baby. He put the website up and picked the comedians and is the one who is trying to get the gigs booked. Everyone else in it is just along for the ride.
That makes it a whole lot easier because there’s nobody to argue with. Jimmy calls it as he sees it and has the final say. Period. I know that going in and so does everybody else in the group so that alone takes 99% of the tension out of it. All we do is show up and go up.
Jerry’s Kidders is the same way. Jerry Agar is in charge and we all understand that. It’s his group and we are the hired hands. I know if any of us had a suggestion Jerry would be the first to implement it if it was a good one but the fact remains HE is the one deciding.
I always felt that’s how it should be with any project and I have no problems being on a team with Jimmy or Jerry in charge. I’m going to be in charge of the Uranus project and then I’ll be the one calling the shots. For now I’m a member of two teams and I like it.
What a sweet show tonight. The theatre had a big roomy stage with a fantastic audience that exploded with laughter. Every one of us destroyed and when the audience is like that it’s a total cakewalk. Sonya really let it rip and so did Jimmy. We could do no wrong and at the end we all got a standing ovation. This was a bright sharp crowd who loved us all.
THIS is why we plug along all these years. We’re all veteran comedians with a lifetime of experience and we knew what to do when we got in front of an audience who wanted a show. We gave them their money’s worth and a lot more but we’d have done it for free.
Getting a chance to entertain an appreciative audience is a feeling better than any drug. I never took drugs but I didn’t have to because I know what that first feeling feels like. This was the kind of experience that everyone dreams about when they start out and it gives us a reason to keep doing it because it never gets old. This is like winning a big sports title.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
My Real Name
Tuesday June 3rd, 2008 - Lake Villa, IL
Happy birthday to me. Kind of. On this date back in 1991 I officially changed my name to Dobie J. Maxwell. Those who know me by my birth name are getting fewer and fewer and although I don’t deny I changed it I don’t volunteer the old one anymore. I‘m over it.
It wasn’t a particularly horrible name or one to make fun of like Waldo or Mortimer but it never fit me even as a kid. I had a bunch of nicknames and Dobie was one that stuck for the long haul. Now it’s legal and nobody has to dispute it ever again. I’ll die as a Dobie.
That doesn’t mean I won’t change it again though. If the right situation came up I would do it for business reasons. Rodney Dangerfield’s legal name was Jack Roy. He changed it from his birth name of Jacob Cohen. Rodney was never his legal name but he still used it.
There was a used car dealer in Milwaukee back when I grew up that legally changed his name to ‘Crazy Jim’. He had run for governor at one point and there were campaign signs with that name on it. I used to work for his kid who was also named Jim but he went with the family name and didn’t share in his father’s penchant for staking a claim to craziness.
If the Uranus gimmick would happen to take off I would consider changing my name to ‘King Of Uranus’ or some variation of that but only to get publicity and/or piss people off who don’t have a sense of humor. At this point in my life my name doesn’t really matter.
I’m known good or bad by Dobie and that’s what I made legitimate in 1991. I’d used it both in comedy and in radio for a while before that and decided to change it legally so I’d be done with it and have all my checks and tax records have one name to make it simpler.
Lots of people in entertainment use a stage name but not many legally change it. I did it partially for logistic reasons and partially to distance myself from my father. I wanted the chance to make or break myself on my own merits and not be associated with his past.
He used to poke me on it all the time. We didn’t see each other all that often and it had been years between our last meeting when we were at a Christmas at his house. He had to make a big scene of course and when I showed up he condescendingly sneered ‘I see you changed your name. What, you ashamed of your family?’ I calmly said ‘That is correct.’
He thought he was going to make me back down and feel bad but I didn’t and it totally took him off guard. He had nothing else to say and turned and walked away and I knew it didn’t sit well with him. Every other time I saw him after that he would mention it and try to jam on me about it. I never backed down to him and now he’s dead and I’m still Dobie.
But there will be a time when I’ll be dead too so rather than dwell on what my name has been in the past or will be in the future I need to build a life around the one I’m using now so it actually means something to someone who isn’t a creditor. A name is nice I suppose but the person attached to it is much more important. I still need to keep working on him.
Happy birthday to me. Kind of. On this date back in 1991 I officially changed my name to Dobie J. Maxwell. Those who know me by my birth name are getting fewer and fewer and although I don’t deny I changed it I don’t volunteer the old one anymore. I‘m over it.
It wasn’t a particularly horrible name or one to make fun of like Waldo or Mortimer but it never fit me even as a kid. I had a bunch of nicknames and Dobie was one that stuck for the long haul. Now it’s legal and nobody has to dispute it ever again. I’ll die as a Dobie.
That doesn’t mean I won’t change it again though. If the right situation came up I would do it for business reasons. Rodney Dangerfield’s legal name was Jack Roy. He changed it from his birth name of Jacob Cohen. Rodney was never his legal name but he still used it.
There was a used car dealer in Milwaukee back when I grew up that legally changed his name to ‘Crazy Jim’. He had run for governor at one point and there were campaign signs with that name on it. I used to work for his kid who was also named Jim but he went with the family name and didn’t share in his father’s penchant for staking a claim to craziness.
If the Uranus gimmick would happen to take off I would consider changing my name to ‘King Of Uranus’ or some variation of that but only to get publicity and/or piss people off who don’t have a sense of humor. At this point in my life my name doesn’t really matter.
I’m known good or bad by Dobie and that’s what I made legitimate in 1991. I’d used it both in comedy and in radio for a while before that and decided to change it legally so I’d be done with it and have all my checks and tax records have one name to make it simpler.
Lots of people in entertainment use a stage name but not many legally change it. I did it partially for logistic reasons and partially to distance myself from my father. I wanted the chance to make or break myself on my own merits and not be associated with his past.
He used to poke me on it all the time. We didn’t see each other all that often and it had been years between our last meeting when we were at a Christmas at his house. He had to make a big scene of course and when I showed up he condescendingly sneered ‘I see you changed your name. What, you ashamed of your family?’ I calmly said ‘That is correct.’
He thought he was going to make me back down and feel bad but I didn’t and it totally took him off guard. He had nothing else to say and turned and walked away and I knew it didn’t sit well with him. Every other time I saw him after that he would mention it and try to jam on me about it. I never backed down to him and now he’s dead and I’m still Dobie.
But there will be a time when I’ll be dead too so rather than dwell on what my name has been in the past or will be in the future I need to build a life around the one I’m using now so it actually means something to someone who isn’t a creditor. A name is nice I suppose but the person attached to it is much more important. I still need to keep working on him.
Jackie Gleason Style
Monday June 2nd, 2008 - Chicago, IL
Perception is reality - especially in the world of entertainment. I thought we had a weak showing today on WLS with Jerry’s Kidders and my part was especially lame but later in the day I kept getting calls and emails telling me how hilarious I was. I sure didn’t feel it.
Some days I am in a zone and feel I can do no wrong. Whether on stage or on the air the vibe is right and I am able to crack off one liners and surf my rhythm. Today wasn’t a day like that but I still had people who thought it was great. I guess that’s good but it’s weird.
I was totally feeling unsatisfied after we got off the air but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to bring morale down with the other guys. They like to be very scripted with their jokes and I don’t like that at all. I like to let it rip in more of a free form riffing style.
That’s probably why I wouldn’t be good on a sitcom. It’s also kept me out of the mix on TV shows as a comic because they want to know the exact set to the word that will go on the air and I just can’t predict that. Some jokes are the same but I never deliver them all in the exact same way. That makes it really good for live shows but not good for TV spots.
I always read that Jackie Gleason was like that on The Honeymooners. He hated dealing with rehearsals and just liked to go out there for the show and wing it. The other people in the cast supposedly hated that and were all very rehearsal oriented. It’s the same way with this current situation. I like to do it Jackie Gleason style but nobody else in the cast does.
When the pressure is on and we’re live on the air I am at home. It’s comfortable to be in the situation where I have to deliver something funny. It makes me think on my feet and it is an exhilarating challenge. I love the feeling of no safety net because it makes me focus.
I talked to Jerry Agar about it and he’s totally fine with me doing whatever I want. He’s not worried about me contributing funny lines so that makes it easier. When I first got the job at The Loop it was much the same way. The program director wanted me to script my bits and I hated it. Finally I just did it my way and it worked so he left me alone after that.
Jerry was my friend going in and knows how I like to work. The other guys didn’t and it is starting to become an issue. They are both good guys and do things how they feel it can work best for them and that’s totally fine but we have to find a happy medium somewhere so we can all be comfortable. It’s my job to be a good team player but still be productive.
All creative people have their quirks and like to do things their way. This is mine. I like to feel the pressure of needing to make something happen and that can be intimidating for some people. I understand that. I just want the show to be better so we can keep doing it.
If the customers are happy it doesn’t matter what I think. I thought we sucked today but if more than one person told me we didn’t then I will just smile and say thanks. But I still am not satisfied and know we can get better - myself especially. We‘re still building this.
Perception is reality - especially in the world of entertainment. I thought we had a weak showing today on WLS with Jerry’s Kidders and my part was especially lame but later in the day I kept getting calls and emails telling me how hilarious I was. I sure didn’t feel it.
Some days I am in a zone and feel I can do no wrong. Whether on stage or on the air the vibe is right and I am able to crack off one liners and surf my rhythm. Today wasn’t a day like that but I still had people who thought it was great. I guess that’s good but it’s weird.
I was totally feeling unsatisfied after we got off the air but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to bring morale down with the other guys. They like to be very scripted with their jokes and I don’t like that at all. I like to let it rip in more of a free form riffing style.
That’s probably why I wouldn’t be good on a sitcom. It’s also kept me out of the mix on TV shows as a comic because they want to know the exact set to the word that will go on the air and I just can’t predict that. Some jokes are the same but I never deliver them all in the exact same way. That makes it really good for live shows but not good for TV spots.
I always read that Jackie Gleason was like that on The Honeymooners. He hated dealing with rehearsals and just liked to go out there for the show and wing it. The other people in the cast supposedly hated that and were all very rehearsal oriented. It’s the same way with this current situation. I like to do it Jackie Gleason style but nobody else in the cast does.
When the pressure is on and we’re live on the air I am at home. It’s comfortable to be in the situation where I have to deliver something funny. It makes me think on my feet and it is an exhilarating challenge. I love the feeling of no safety net because it makes me focus.
I talked to Jerry Agar about it and he’s totally fine with me doing whatever I want. He’s not worried about me contributing funny lines so that makes it easier. When I first got the job at The Loop it was much the same way. The program director wanted me to script my bits and I hated it. Finally I just did it my way and it worked so he left me alone after that.
Jerry was my friend going in and knows how I like to work. The other guys didn’t and it is starting to become an issue. They are both good guys and do things how they feel it can work best for them and that’s totally fine but we have to find a happy medium somewhere so we can all be comfortable. It’s my job to be a good team player but still be productive.
All creative people have their quirks and like to do things their way. This is mine. I like to feel the pressure of needing to make something happen and that can be intimidating for some people. I understand that. I just want the show to be better so we can keep doing it.
If the customers are happy it doesn’t matter what I think. I thought we sucked today but if more than one person told me we didn’t then I will just smile and say thanks. But I still am not satisfied and know we can get better - myself especially. We‘re still building this.
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