Comments on: Thanks to Paul F. Tompkins, for no particular reason.

Thanks to Paul F. Tompkins, for no particular reason.

Room 641-A — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 14:01:19 -0800

The Dead Authors Podcast: Legendary time-traveling writer H.G. Wells (Paul F. Tompkins) welcomes literary giants to The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles for a lively discussion in front of a live audience. Unscripted, barely researched, all fun!

For the TL;DR crowd: All The Dead Authors Podcast video promos on Paul F. Tompkins' Tumblr, with links to individual episodes. Direct link to The Dead Authors Podcast on iTunes. Direct link to The Dead Authors Podcast video promos on Paul F. Tompkins' YouTube page. Direct link to The Dead Authors Podcast on libsyn.com. For the linky types: • Chapter 1: Emily Dickenson (Andy Richter) podcast • Chapter 2: Robert Louis Stevenson (Andy Daly) podcast • Chapter 3: Dorothy Parker (Jen Kirkman) podcast • Chapter 4: Benjamin Franklin (Scott Auckerman) podcast • Chapter 5: Carl Sagan (Matt Gourley) podcast / video promo • Chapter 6: Gertrude Stein (John Ross Bowie) podcast / video promo • Chapter 7: P.G. Wodehouse (Brian Stack) podcast / video promo • Chapter 8: Aesop (Mark McConville) podcast / video promo • Chapter 9: Jorge Luis Borges (Nick Kroll) podcast / video promo • Chapter 10: Arthur Conan Doyle (Chris Tallman) podcast / video promo • Chapter 11: J.R.R. Tolkien (Matt Walsh) podcast / video promo • Chapter 12: Mary Shelley (Laraine Newman) podcast / video promo • Chapter 13: The Brothers Grimm (Jeremy Carter and Matt Gourley) podcast / video promo • Chapter 14: Abbie Hoffman (Jen Kirkman podcast / video promo • Chapter 15: Marquis de Sade (Andy Daly) podcast / video promo • Chapter 16: Gore Vidal (Marc Evan Jackson) podcast / video promo • Chapter 17: Agatha Christie (Jessica Chaffin) podcast / video promo • Chapter 18: Brendan Behan (Brian Stack) podcast / video promo • Chapter 19: The Authors of The Gospels (Craig Cackowski, Mark Gagliardi, Hal Lubin and Matt Gourley) podcast / video promo • Chapter 20: Ayn Rand (John Hodgman) podcast / video promo • Chapter 21: Joseph Campbell (Jeremy Carter) podcast / video promo • Chapter 22: Edgar Rice Burroughs (Chris Tallman) podcast / video promo • Chapter 23: Charlotte Bronte (Jessica St. Clair) podcast / video promo Appendix A: Charles Dickens and O. Henry (Hal Lubin Marc Evan Jackson) podcast Appendix B: Friederich Nietzsche and H.P. Lovecraft (James Adomian and Paul Scheer) podcast Coming soon: Plato (Jason Mantzoukas), Shel Silverstein (Mark McConville), William S. Burroughs (Kurt Braunohler), Tennessee Williams (Kristen Schall), and Walt Whitman (James Adomian). A new episode is uploaded every Tuesday.

By: Room 641-A

Room 641-A — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 14:17:24 -0800

I'm pretty sure that any swears are bleeped out in the videos, but the individual episodes probably all have varying degrees of NSFW language.

By: ColdChef

ColdChef — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 14:47:15 -0800

This is one of my favorite things in the world.

By: jason_steakums

jason_steakums — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 14:53:21 -0800

Just caught up on the last few yesterday, Joseph Campbell and Edgar Rice Burroughs got me a bunch of looks for laughing like an idiot at my desk with headphones in. So good! Also, he's not wrong about Jules Verne.

By: velebita

velebita — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 14:55:29 -0800

I recommend the Benjamin Franklin episode if you're wondering where to start. Its exactly how I always imagined him.

By: mintcake!

mintcake! — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 15:04:24 -0800

Kroll crushes the Jorge Luis Borges episode. So great.

By: Lyn Never

Lyn Never — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 15:05:28 -0800

Oh god Ayn Rand, y'all. So good.

By: The Underpants Monster

The Underpants Monster — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 15:38:22 -0800

Wells: Have you seen any filmed adaptations of your works? Wodehouse: I've seen, um... Wells: There's a few out there. Wodehouse: I've only seen the pornographic versions. Wells: Those are rare, aren't they? They're hard to find, but they're, but if you know where to look... Wodehouse: Yes, and I always do! Yes, they're - it's amazing, though, that they manage to keep all of my original dialogue. Comedy gold, Jerry!

By: Merzbau

Merzbau — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 15:50:08 -0800

Oh god yes, so good. Kroll is exactly as brilliant as mintcake! says, Hodgman's Rand makes up for obviously being a prepared monologue instead of improv with the wonderful metajoke of barely letting Tompkins get a word in edgewise, and Tallman's Arthur Conan Doyle is simply one of the best comedy pieces I've heard in years. Seriously, people, try this, it's wonderful.

By: Drastic

Drastic — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 17:54:35 -0800

Every one of these is good, and should be listened to for a happier life. AESOP!

By: anazgnos

anazgnos — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 17:56:54 -0800

I saw the very first Dead Authors show (pre-podcast) with Eddie Pepitone and Jen Kirkman, and the concept hadn't really solidified yet, but we just saw the Kurt Braunohler taping last month, and it was awesome.

By: jason_steakums

jason_steakums — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 18:34:15 -0800

I had to relisten to the Sagan one because I just love Gourley in that. Mmmmmichio Kaku.

By: Room 641-A

Room 641-A — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 21:12:48 -0800

I'd love to see this series expanded to include a whole franchise of shows featuring musicians, politicians, and other historical figures. What I'm saying is, I never want this to end.

By: painquale

painquale — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 23:22:04 -0800

Yeah, the Dead Authors Podcast is one of the greatest podcasts ever. Whenever I see that I have a new DAP and a new Night Vale downloading at the same time, I'm ecstatic but also frozen with indecision like Buridan's Ass. My favorite episodes: Aesop, Carl Sagan, P.G. Wodehouse, the Brothers Grimm, Ayn Rand, and Charlotte Bronte. But there aren't very many clunkers. James Adomian did an outstanding Nietzsche, but that episode was ruined by Paul Scheer doing Lovecraft, who clearly knew nothing about the author and thought that being weird would be enough. The best episodes come about when you can tell that the actor really gets something about the character and isn't just riffing on a single character trait.

By: littlesq

littlesq — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 07:54:55 -0800

Fantastic! I love Paul F Tompkins and been meaning to listen to DAP for ages but I didn't know where to start. This will keep me entertained for a while :)

By: Glinn

Glinn — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 08:58:42 -0800

I think I've listened to the Brendan Behan one the most, but all multiple times, with just a couple exceptions. And does anyone else think Mark McConville (Aesop) sometimes sounds exactly like Will Ferrell? More outstanding Paul F (mentioned many times in previous threads): Superego (he is a frequent guest, and Season 3 is free) Beyond Belief (part of the Thrilling Adventure Hour) - also don't miss the fairly recent Sparks Nevada arc where he plays a recurring role.

By: littlesq

littlesq — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 09:47:33 -0800

"Loose lips, hard to come" - Benjamin Franklin Omg dying. Thanks again :D also, I'm 99% sure that's the real Benjamin Franklin

By: dejah420

dejah420 — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 10:17:04 -0800

I have been laughing constantly since I discovered this thread and thereby the second best podcast in the world. (I mean, Nightvale is still the best, but damn, this is funny.) Thank you, thank you. And the Benjamin Franklin one...I startled my neighbors because I laughed so loud while I was working on the yard.

By: jason_steakums

jason_steakums — Sun, 03 Nov 2013 10:28:51 -0800

I can never really look at Andy Daly the same way again after seeing that photo of him as de Sade.

By: dogwalker

dogwalker — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 04:34:31 -0800

Paul F Tompkins has really figured out podcasting better than almost everybody else. Not just a simple "let's sit around and talk funny stuff for an hour" with his shows. That said, this show is even better live when you can see the costumes and mannerisms. And it benefits 826LA (or at least it used to) which really tickles me since I imagine middle schoolers being told to attend it as like an after school event or something.

By: painquale

painquale — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 04:51:50 -0800

Some of Paul F's best bits are his Doug Loves Movies appearances where he plays three characters all vying against one another in a game show. His Werner Herzog kills me every time.

By: exparrot

exparrot — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 07:22:11 -0800

Reminds me of Steve Allen's 'Meeting of Minds'. ....only funny.

By: Room 641-A

Room 641-A — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 09:50:34 -0800

That said, this show is even better live when you can see the costumes and mannerisms. I am really hoping they plan to release live versions, perhaps for sale in some form, because seeing it live really is impressive. These promo videos are taped at the end of the show and should give a little insight into how much fun everyone is having. If anyone wants a peek into what the room is like I uploaded a picture taken before a show started. I was sitting in the back (5th?) row, to give you a sense of UCB's scale and intimacy. I really wish I'd posted this a few days earlier because I ended up with a last-minute unused ticket, but I plan on starting a proper IRL when tickets go on sale for next month's show.

By: jason_steakums

jason_steakums — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 13:09:27 -0800

Oh hey, the Plato episode with Jason Mantzoukas dropped Tuesday!