Along with David Cross, Zach Galifianakis and Patton Oswalt, Eugene Mirman has liberated stand-up comedy from the zany fratboys and sweater-clad neurotics. Mirman’s latest album, God Is A Twelve-Year-Old Boy With Asperger’s (Sub Pop), isn’t representative of a “new breed” of comedy or a supposedly edgy advancement in humor; it’s a collection of smart, imaginative bits that embody the anger, absurdity and awkwardness of everyday life. You might also say it’s full of guffaws. Mirman, who also published a book this year (the mock-advice tome The Will To Whatevs) and regularly appears on HBO’s Flight Of The Conchords, is guest editing magnetmagazine.com this week. Read our Q&A with him.
Mirman: David O’Doherty is one of Ireland’s hidden gems (I might be using the phrase wrong, but I don’t think so). He is a charmingly whimsical comedian/musician. Standup comedy can be hard to describe, but David’s is easy: It’s like a fine sorbet that transforms into a delicious medium-rare Kobe-beef steak. Please don’t make me explain what I mean by that, but know that it’s very, very positive. A few years back, he won the if.comedy award (which used to be the Perrier and now has some other name) at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (in America no one cares, but in the U.K. it is like winning a very, very classy Cable Ace Award). Giggle Me Timbers is not only very funny; it was recorded in David’s flat, with an audience of about 30, creating a wonderfully intimate, warm and brilliantly distinctive album. David has also released a hysterical book about pandas, 100 Facts About Pandas, that he did with Claudia O’Doherty (no relation!?) and illustrator Mike Ahern. You can buy either one of these things and you’ll enjoy it. Video after the jump.
