Authors of The Humor Code, psychologist Peter McGraw and journalist Joel Warner, traveled around the world to find out what makes things are funny. They stop by the garage to share their findings and conclusions with Marc, including a scientific theory of humor. Plus, Eddie Pepitone drops in to get Marc up to speed on his life and his latest projects. This episode is sponsored by Doctor on Demand, Prosper and Audible.
Claire Danes always had a Plan B. In fact, throughout her life, Claire could have taken several alternate career paths. But whether it was because of My So-Called Life or Temple Grandin or Homeland or something else, Claire kept coming back to acting. She tells Marc what it was like to find success at such a young age, why she briefly left it all behind, and what happened when she finally got to work with her hero. This episode is sponsored by Prosper and Harry’s.
Comedian and actor Adam Ferrara is enjoying his gig as host of the car show Top Gear, which is surprising because he’s never been good at fixing cars. But he tells Marc there’s one major reason it’s the perfect job for him. Adam and Marc also share their memories of horrible road gigs and the Boston comedians that welcomed Adam into the fold. This episode is sponsored by the free online game World of Tanks.
Wayne’s World. Austin Powers. Shrek. Mike Myers doesn’t just make comedy. He makes worldwide sensations. Mike tells Marc how a working class kid from Toronto made his way through the improv ranks to land on SNL and how his phenomenal career set the table for a profoundly personal project, the documentary Supermensch. This episode is sponsored by World of Tanks, LegalZoom and Stamps.com.
Denny Tedesco has been on a quest to tell a story for 18 years. His father, Tommy Tedesco, was a member of The Wrecking Crew, a group of studio musicians who went unrecognized while recording some of the biggest records in history. Denny tells Marc the story of The Wrecking Crew as well as his own struggle to get the documentary made. Plus, Marc recounts the worst day of his life in a story he has never told before. This episode is sponsored by Comedy Central and by Audible.
A lot of things in Leonard Maltin’s life were unexpected. He never expected to become a ubiquitous American film critic. He didn’t expect to be entrenched in show business after spending his formative years revering it. And he definitely didn’t expect to become a comedy podcast legend. Leonard and Marc talk about how these unlikely things came to be. This episode is sponsored by LegalZoom, UnTuckIt, Prosper and Stamps.com.
Jack Antonoff won two Grammys with the band Fun. His new project, Bleachers, already has a chart-topping hit. He’s written blockbuster pop songs for Taylor Swift and Sara Bareilles. In light of this early success, Jack tells Marc how everything he’s done in his career so far has been shaped by one indelible moment, a world-shattering event that informs every decision. This episode is sponsored by Prosper, LegalZoom and Comedy Central.
The Amazing Johnathan is known for his unique blend of comedy and magic. But the current situation he finds himself in is not an illusion, it’s deadly serious. Johnathan tells Marc why he retired from a career filled with blood, coke, speed and wild performances, and how he’s soldiering on in spite of the circumstances he faces. This episode is sponsored by Igloo Software and Stamps.com.
Brian Frazer was known to Marc and his peers in the 1980s comedy scene as the bodybuilding comic. Turns out the layers of muscle mass obscured a fragile person dealing with a host of disorders. Brian tells Marc about his life-long struggles with control issues and rage, and how his true salvation came on four legs with a wagging tail. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, CheapOair and Audible.
If you didn’t know that Gabriel Iglesias is one of the most popular comics in the world, hear Gabriel explain how he went from working the Latino comedy circuit to selling out arenas and releasing concert films like The Fluffy Movie. Plus, Gabriel tells Marc what it was like to see his dad show up at one of his gigs after being gone for more than 30 years. This episode is sponsored by Earthquaker Devices, Warby Parker and CheapOair.
In the world of country music, the last name Cash holds a lot of weight. Rosanne Cash tells Marc how she paved her way in the music industry, how she bounced back after hitting the wall, and how she learned to cope with the long shadow cast by The Man In Black. This episode is sponsored by LIFX and CheapOAir.
Comedian David Huntsberger has a life story unlike any Marc has heard on WTF. It involves roping, branding, rodeos, engineering, horse shoeing, anvils, alcoholism, barrel racing, Last Comic Standing and Tig Notaro. This episode is sponsored by NatureBox and Freakonomics Radio from WNYC.
Fresh off the success of Think Like A Man Too, actor Romany Malco finds out how a chance encounter on an airplane can lead to an in-depth sit-down in the garage. Romany and Marc cover everything, from Trinidad to trailer parks, from Southern Hip-Hop to selling male enhancement pills, from comfort food to corporate hegemony. All of it. This episode is sponsored by LiveNation, the new movie Obvious Child, and WNYC’s Freakonomics Radio.
Comedian Craig Gass visits the garage and spooks Marc with an uncanny Sam Kinison impression. Craig explains why growing up in a family where everyone was deaf helped him develop a talent for doing impersonations. Craig also takes Marc through the chain of events that led to the end of his time working with Howard Stern. This episode is sponsored by the Oddball Festival, the new movie Obvious Child, Stamps.com and LegalZoom.
Singer Josh Groban remains strangely indefinable for a guy who sells millions of records and became a public celebrity at age 17. Marc tries to pin down the reasons Josh is not so easily categorized and Josh reveals the aspects of his personality that may come as a surprise to fans of his music. This episode is sponsored by Squarespace, the new movie Obvious Child, and Audible.
ZZ Top founder Billy Gibbons details the journey of a band that has been together for nearly 45 years, with beards and without. Billy tells Marc what he learned opening for Jimi Hendrix, how he made a guitar out of Muddy Waters’s house, and what he thought of ZZ Top’s huge commecial success in the 1980s. This episode is sponsored by A&E Network, Jack White’s Lazaretto, Stamps.com and LegalZoom.
Comedian Billy Wayne Davis is in the garage to enlighten Marc on how the culture of the South closely alligns with the culture of standup comics. And there’s still plenty of time to talk about things like sports, fighting, arrests, bipolarity, drinking, snapping, Megan Fox and Mitch Hedberg. This episode is sponsored by Slingbox, A&E Network and Harry’s.
Actor Giovanni Ribisi takes a break from his press tour for “A Million Ways To Die In The West” to sit down with Marc and talk about child acting, The Method, Steven Spielberg, boot camp, Scientology, psychiatry and more. This episode is sponsored by A&E Network, Comedy Central, Stamps.com and LegalZoom.