Succotash Epi11: We've Hit Our Tweens!

Back to basics with Episode 11 of Succotash, meaning we've got a full boat of comedy podcast clips in store this time around and no special guests. Unless you count my impromptu discussion with legendary announcer Bill Heywatt. That happens. We also play our very first message that's come in on the Succotash Hotline. The only message, actually. At least so far.

The biggest news on the Succotash front is that we've just joined up with the Comedy channel on Stitcher SmartRadio! If you're not hip to Stitcher yet, it allows you to listen to your favorite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, BlackBerry or Palm phones. If you don't have Stitcher yet,  you can download it for free today at Stitcher.com or from your favorite app store. (If you're already used to listening to us on our website or download us from iTunes or grabbing it from our RSS feed, all that remains the same - Stitcher is just another way to pass the Succotash!)

We've been getting some nice kudos from a few of the podcasters out there (not to mention our fabulous listeners), so thanks! We don't think of ourselves as competition - we're really just trying to spread the word about podcasting in general and to let folks hear some samples of the programming that's available on the internet. So for those comedy podcasters that want to have us feature them on a future episode of Succotash, the Comedy Podcast Podcast, just shoot us a 3-5 minutes MP3 clip from a recent 'sode - send it along to marc@SuccotashShow.com and we'll do the rest.

Here's what's up in Epi11:

•Affirmation Nation

Can't seem to get enough of Bob Ducca, Seth Morris' brilliant sad sack self-help health guru! In this clip, we get a peek inside Bob's medicine cabinet. You can catch him five days a week over at Earwolf, the comedy podcast portal that has recently been dubbed THE podcast place to be over at FunnyOrDie! Bob tweets, too!

• Superego

Another new favorite of mine is Superego. Fast-paced and very funny, these guys have several screws loose and a bunch of Hollywood-based guests to boot. Mostly improvised, beautifully produced, and with a shorthand language all their own, I make a comparison on the show to Superego being the 21st century's answer to the fabulous Firesign Theater. In addition to their homesite and iTunes, also catch Superego on Stitcher SmartRadio.

• Delicious Mediocrity

Hosts Derek Sheen and Douglas Gale are back for a replay on Succotash, this time with guest comedian Ahamefule J. Oulo (whose name I horribly mangle in my intro - sorry!) I have a warm spot in my heart for these guys, as they hail from the Northwest, where I did time a long, long time ago in a comedy club far, far away in Seattle. Check 'em on their homesite and iTunes.

• FATinee Podcast

First time in the Succotash for Joe Hammer and Dan Heinz. These guys are heavyweights (literally) in the movie biz and they split their time talking about pop culture matters, review movies AND previews (in a segment featured here called "Trailer Trash"), and they bust each other's ball occasionally, too. Get the big bucket o' popcorn for this one. Check 'em out on iTunes, Stitcher and their tweets, too.

• The Moth
Sometimes it's not all about comedy. At least at The Moth. This is more like the NPR of podcasts. True spoken word performances, with subjects all over the map. Because Succotash is about comedy, we feature a story from writer Peter Hyman performed at one of The Moth's StorySLAMS. Catch their refreshing honesty at their homesite and on iTunes.

• Sportsaholix
I was turned onto comedians Jon Schieszer and Erik Marino by friend-of-the-show Dave Nelson over on the Comedy-A-Go-Go podcast. While sports is not my bag, these guys are funny as they cover the wide world of them like a blanket. A funny, irreverent blanket. In the clip on the show, they're joined by national headliner Steve Byrne. Homesite and iTunes are the places to catch these boys.

• Uhh Yeah Dude
"America Through The Eyes Of Two American Americans" is the tagline for this show featuring Seth Romatelli and Jonathan Larroquette. Long-running (290 epi's and counting!!!), UYD is a simple formula: Seth and Jonathan talking about pop culture and news of the day, ripped from today's headlines. In our segment, they talk about competing fat women. Find them at their homesite and at iTunes.

• Burst O' Durst
Intrepid politicomic Will Durst checks in for his regular slot, this time dredging up the new-old theory of Trickle Up Economics being exhibited by our elected leadership. Make his homeside a regular stop or click on his name to get over to his tweetstream.

To get even more of the Succotash experience, please hop over and Like us at our page on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Rate n' review us at iTunes. And don't forget that we're now also available for instant listening on Stitcher SmartRadio!

We'd love to hear from you to get your suggestions for comedy podcasts to feature on the show. Or maybe your comments and commentary about your favorite shows. Call into our Succotash Hotline any time, day or night - voicemail is standing by at (818) 921-7212.

That's about it for now. Thanks as always to Super Producer Joe Paulino and Musical Director Scott Carvey. Until next time, please remember to pass the Succotash!

— Marc Hershon

Succotash Epi10: Dana & Scott Carvey @ Studio P!

WARNING: Episode 10 is not our typical 'sode. (Actually, I 'm not sure - in the first 10 episodes of our podcast - that we have anything that can be pointed to as "typical".) Anyway, what I mean is that this edition of Succotash, The Comedy Podcast Podcast, has no comedy podcast clips in it.

Dana and Scott Carvey sharing memories at Studio P

It does, however, offer something you're not going to find anywhere else in Podcastland: A visit with comedian Dana Carvey and his brother, Scott Carvey, who also happens to be Succotash's musical director. For the first time in podcast history, the Carvey boys sit down and talk about their love of sports, running, music, comedy...and anything else that this free-ranging discussion happened to hit upon.

I think this show represents a true "find" for the comedy aficionado, comedy nerd, Carvey fan and anyone else who enjoys a one-of-a-kind experience. (Special thanks this week to our Engineer/Producer Joe Paulino for doing a bangup job in editing this weeks offering!)

Although we don't have any podcast clips featured this show, we do have our regular feature, our Burst O' Durst with political comedian extraordinaire Will Durst. Then we'll be back to a full rack of comedy podcast clips in our next edition, Epi11, along with Durst, and commercials from our sponsor, Henderson's Pants.

In the meantime, if you have a question, comment or suggestion, please hit up our Tweet Sack via @SucctotashShow or marc@SuccotashShow.com; or you can dial into our Succotash Hotline: (800) 921-7212.

— Marc Hershon

Chillin' With The Chillpak Boys

Big treat this week: I'm the special guest aboard Epi225 of Chillpak Hollywood Hour! Co-hosts Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness were featured as OUR guests back in Epi4 of Succotash, and we've played a couple of clips from their show before as well. It seems turnabout is fair play and during a recent trip to LA to interview Kelly Carlin (currently featured on Epi9), the Chillpak guys asked if I'd join them for an upcoming Labor Day episode.

Quite a thrill for me, as CHH was one of the first podcasts which I began to listen to on a regular basis. Having just celebrated their 4th year of podcasting goodness, I dubbed Dean and Phil "podcasting royalty". Although their focus is Hollywood — not so much celebrities and gossip so much as the nuts n' bolts of films, filmmakers and filmaking — they are fun and funny guys (Dean being not only an accomplished actor but also an improvisor and standup comedian), thus maintaining their eligibility to be featured on Succotash, the Comedy Podcast Podcast.

As I only reveal bits of my history and interests as time allows on Succotash, giving Epi224 of CHH a play will let OUR listeners know a little bit more about the host of this show. At the same time, it's an example of how a freewheeling, funny discussion can come off pretty easily among three guys just sitting around and chatting. I'd like to encourage our loyal Succotashians to hop on over to either ChillpakHollywood.com or to iTunes and not only listen but subscribe to Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

Please pass not only the Succotash but also the Chillpak!

— Marc Hershon

Succotash Epi9: A Visit With Kelly Carlin

Succotash is your Comedy Podcast Podcast and, as such, we feel it's our duty to keep stretching the definition of "comedy podcast" a bit more when we can. Succotash hit the road to interview this week's special guest, Kelly Carlin, who was kind enough to invite me into her home for a discussion about comedy, podcasts, and her late father, comedy legend George Carlin.

She's a smart, lively, funny, and fascinating personality, who hosts Waking From The American Dream, an internet radio show and podcast. Interestingly, we learn that she wasn't involved in the world of comedy very much while her dad was alive but, immediately following his passing, she found herself greeted by well-wishers of high status in the comedy community, who were anxious to make the only child of a comedy figurehead know that she was welcome to become part of this great extended family.

It's an interesting conversation, one which I've broken up over the hour-long episode and interspersed with a handful of clips from some comedy podcasts we've not featured yet:

• Affirmation Nation

As I mention in the show this week, Affirmation Nation is one of my new favorite p'casts. The installments are short and can be found daily over on Earwolf.com. Featuring Bob Ducca, there's a great lampooning of "feel good-ness" going on in each tasty bite of this offering. (Apologies to Bob, Seth Morris, and the Earwolf folks - I blew leaving the link info in the show this time! I'll mention it in Epi10. In the meantime...)

www.Earwolf.com and iTunes

• Cinematic Method

Funny concept and follow-thru for a show by a quintet of guys. They watch movie trailers and, from those alone, attempt to predict the film's ratings on the Rotten Tomatoes site. Talk about meta! In this clip, the guys examine recent release Fright Night.

www.CinematicMethod.com and iTunes

• Comedy-A-Go-Go

Friend of Succotash Dave Nelson and his p'cast are back on the show via this clip featuring a taste of his interview with actor/comedian TJ Miller. Dave's a touchstone for podcast and comedy happenings in the Midwest, and we're glad he asked if we'd revisit his program.

www.dvnelson.podvean.com and iTunes

• The Mad Ranters

An "open forum where a 'nothing is sacred' approach is taken" is how the Mad Ranters' website talks about their podcast. Angus and his crew take everything to task and leave no stone unturned along the way. We're just giving you a taste: Angus ranting solo about drivers in the middle lane.

www.TheMadRanters.com and iTunes

So we're a little short on the clip count this week to better accommodate our interview with Ms. Carlin. But you'll also catch another Burst O' Durst with regular contributor and political comedian extraordinaire Will Durst (www.WillDurst.com and @WillDurst on Twitter), plus we dip into the Tweet Sack and have another new ad from the folks at Henderson's Pants.

Lastly, we've received zero calls on the new Succotash Hotline at (818) 921-7212, which leads me to believe everyone's incredibly happy with what we're doing, nobody's listening, or you all wish that it was toll-free. Regardless, if you're listening to the show and could do us the great honor of going up to iTunes to rate it ANd review it, we'll be your bestest friend ever.

Hope you enjoy this week's serving and that you'll do your best to pass the Succotash!

— Marc Hershon

Succotash Epi8: What Duvet Said What?

Episode 8 is up (in record time - just was laying it down at Studio P last night - way to go, engineer/producer Joe Paulino!) and not only do we have a whole new passle o' podcasts but this epi features special guest co-host Rob Celli. He's one half (combined with LA-based partner Jason Duplissea) of popular podcast What Duvet Said. (WDS isn't a comedy podcast, per se, but the hosts have a sly sense of humor that touches everything that they talk about during the course of their weekly hour.)

We kick things off with a quick trip through the Tweet Sack (the Succotash version of a mailbag feature), and unveil the new Succotash Hotline number: 1 (818) 921-7212. Then Rob and I launch into a slew of podcast clips, most of them chosen by Rob. (The first pair of segments are features from What Duvet Said — hear Rob and Jason's podcast at www.WhatDuvetSaid.com or grab it from iTunes.) The rest of podcasts, in order of appearance…

• Good Clean Fun
Rob cites this show as one of the inspirations for he and Jason to take their personal conversations online for the world to hear. The hosts of Good Clean Fun, Jasper and Mike, live halfway across the country from each other but that doesn't keep them from convening weekly.
www.rockandrollgeek.com and iTunes

• Gee & Jay Radio Show
The #1 podcast in Belfast? It is to hear these two mates talk about it. It might take a little while to get the hang of listening to their thick Irish brogues (at least to an unpracticed Yank's ear!) Plus it's a kick to hear that Google Plus is getting a workout overseas at the same time as in the States.
www.GeeAndJayShow.com and iTunes

• S & M Rants Podcast
From the website: "“The S&M Rants Podcast is a weekly podcast where Shane Birley and Monica Hamburg talk about weird and amusing stuff. Want to find out more about Chewbacca sex fantasies, Japanese toilets and bad erotica? Wondering who the fucktard of the week is?” In this clip (our last 'duo hosted' show of this edition) the two kick around a news story about a dude who tried to have a prostitute arrested for not putting out to his satisfaction.

www.shanesworld.ca/podcast/the-sm-rants and iTunes

• The Jimmy Dore Show
A Succotash favorite, Jimmy Dore and his panel of guests (Mike McCrae, Frank Conniff, Paul Gilmartin, and Robert Yasamura) enjoy taking a comedic bite out of political and pop culture figures.
www.JimmyDoreComedy.com and iTunes

• Comedy Bang Bang
Guest co-host Rob Celli brings in a clip from another show we like hearing from! Scott Aukerman has consistently has great comedic guests and hyperweird drop-in characters. This segment features a mini-reunion of the director (David Wain) and a couple of the cast (Paul Rudd, Ken Marino) of the movie Wet Hot American Summer, released 10 years ago.

www.Earwolf.com and iTunes


• The Pod F. Tomkast
Avant garde comedian Paul F. Tompkins hosts this imaginative show, performed in front of a live audience. Definitely an experience worth catching a full download of sometime!

www.paulftompkins.com and iTunes

• Comedy Accident
I was happy to feature this clip, provided by the sketch group of the same name from Chicago. In this segment, they have a visit with sketch and improv vets Susan Messing and Greg Holliman.

www.ComedyAccident.com and iTunes

We close out Epi8 with our regular feature, Burst O' Durst, provided every edition by San Francisco premiere political comedian Will Durst. (For more Durst, visit his site at www.WillDurst.com and follow him on Twitter @WillDurst.)

So download a helping from this week's stash, tell your friends and don't forget to pass the Succotash!

— Marc Hershon

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Succotash Epi7 - Nuthin' But Podcasts!

We're back. Vacation break over, me, Joe Paulino and the rest of the Succotash crew is together again and rocking Studio P in Sausalito.

Episode 7 features no guests or interviews but we DO have clips from eight comedy podcasts, two Bursts O' Durst with comedian Will Durst and Where's The Coffee?, an original tune by our musical director Scott Carvey. (Listen to this episode for information about when you can expect to hear — if our plans hold up — both Scott and his brother Dana (do the math) live in the studio in an episode in the near future!)

Here's what we've got in store this time...

• Burst O' Durst (x2)

A double dose of political comedian Will Durst in this edition. Catch Will at his home site at http://WillDurst.com or on Twitter as @WillDurst. 

• The Apple Sisters

One of podcasting's fastest rising shows, Kimmy Gatewood, Rebekka Johnson and  Sarah Lowe are The Apple Sisters, bring their 1940's flare with a 21st century sensibility to the webwaves. Guest Jason Ritter joins them in this clip. Get more at http://TheAppleSister.com or on iTunes. 

• Chris Porter's General Store

Comedian Chris Porter, a finalist on Season 4 of Last Comic Standing, rants a bit about obesity and wonders why people in Texas can even be fat. Load up on him at http://pantswise.com/generalstore or on iTunes. 

• Nobody Likes Onions

So says host and comic Patrick Melton, who's joined by comedian Ryan Stout, who leads the discussion off into what a bad gig can be like...and can you recover? If you like what you hear, go get yourself a full helping at http://nobodylikesonions.com or iTunes. 

• Comedy Buffet

What I can tell you is that the Comedy Buffet guys have a couple of dudes (Jason and Jesse) from Van Full Of Candy on their show where, in this clip, they joke about oversized food and diabetes. (What I can also tell you is that I'm a big, giant goober. In the podcast, I dress the CB boys down for not ID'ing themselves. Next time I'll read the email someone sends in all the way through. Michael Powell hosts the show, joined this time around by usual suspects Matt Bernier and Don Buley.) Have yourself a good ol' time over at http://TheComedyBuffet.com or iTunes.

• Judge John Hodgman

If you don't know who John Hodgman is, you've no one to blame but yourself. He's the PC in the PC and Mac commercials. He's a correspondent on The Daily Show. And, well, he's John Hodgman! On his podcast, which is patterned much like the old People's Court on TV, he hears "legal" cases of strange and dubious merit and then rules on them. In our clip, he sounds off after hearing some letters by listeners with questions. Hear the full stories at http://maximumfun.org or iTunes. 

• Somebody And Me

A couple of guys from Chicago, Patrick O'Rourke and Rob Gregory, welcome guests Carley Moseley and Andy Kushnir from the sketch group Jeremy. In this segment, they try to get a fix on exactly what a hipster is all about. Hear more at http://somebodyandme.com or iTunes. 

• The Unoffendables

Comic Tom Rhodes is joined here by Lou Angelwolf and Dana Gibson along with guest John Fugelsang. In the clip we have, John talks about his religion-flavored upbringing and how it helpd to shape his early comedy. There's more in store at http://trr.libsyn.com or iTunes. 

• What Duvet Said

Jason Duplissea and Rob Celli sliced out their own clip and sent it along, entitling it "The Breast of Duvet". In the segment, they examine a news story in which a women fended off police with gouts of her own breast milk. Tasty stuff. Want more? http://whatduvetsaid.blogspot.com or iTunes. (And if you want even more WDS, I'm hoping to have Rob Celli in the studio with me for Epi8 as my special guest co-host!)

As you can see, Succotash Epi7 is stuffed with delicious podcastery. In addition, our booth announcer Bill Heywatt has a bit of a meltdown in studio (we're also featuring his unique spin on the classic drink, the Snowshoe), and we have a new commercial from our favorite sponsor, Henderson's Pants.

If you'd like, follow us on twitter @SuccotashShow, Like us at our Facebook page (just search for "Succotash Show" on fb), or drop us a line at marc@SuccotashShow.com!

Until next time, be kind, rewind and, as always, pass the Succotash!

— Marc Hershon

BONUS! Succotash Epi6.5 Featuring The Complete Rick Overton!

With engineer/producer Joe Paulino away on vacation for a couple of weeks, I didn't want the hungry Succotash listener to be without, so we're offering up a second helping of Epi6's special guest Rick Overton!

This bonus episode features my interview with Rick in its entirety, which is almost 20 minutes longer than the original airing. There's more about Rick's background, and us talking about Vortex, the sci-fi action script that he and I optioned but never got made.

Epi6.5 contains no comedy podcast clips, commercials, or anything other than Rick and I yakking it up. We'll be back to business as usual with Epi7 in a week or so. Hope you enjoy our version of a summertime book at the beach in the meantime!

Until next time, please be so kind as to pass the Succotash!

Cheers,
Marc Hershon