We learn about writing monologue jokes with Ben Alper who has written jokes for several decades and has seen them performed by the likes of Jay Leno and Dave Letterman. We discuss his recently published book: Live from the Beginning of Time: Late Night Comedy Monologues Through the Ages. The book imagines if there were late-night talk show hosts during things like the discovery of fire and the development of democracy. The episode will give you tips on writing jokes for topical news stories.

On the same week that Mike released the third book in the Funny Muscle series, he did something he hasn’t done in 10 years: he strolled on stage and performed a 5-minute set. We talk all about it in this episode. We also dust off the Humor Blueprint to diagram a few pro comics’ bits to give the listener practice identifying joke structure, humor heightening devices, and misdirection. And we debut our Humor Blueprint jingle.

Comedian, Director of the Chicago Comedy Festival, and former General Manager of Zanies Comedy Club in Rosemont, Dan Carlson, stops by the Funny Muscle Podcast. Dan teaches us how to capture a booker’s attention in the first minute of a set, how the finances between the comic and club work, and when to know if you are ready to jump from opener to middle to headliner.

Dr. Caleb Warren joins the podcast to give Mike and Chris an academic and research-based look at why things are funny using a framework known as the “Benign Violation Theory.” Dr. Warren is a professor in the Marketing Department at the University of Arizona and one of the authors of a paper called “Benign violations: Making immoral behavior funny.” His particular areas of research focus on what makes things funny, what makes things cool, and what helps people reach their goals. We put his humor theory to the test chatting about tinkling, roasts, and comedy crowds.

We chat with comedian Steph Clark who is also the owner of Funny Girl Events. So, we get advice from a comic's perspective as well as a booker. We learn some dos and don'ts of impressing a comedy booker, what it's like to be married to a comedian, and regional differences in comedy as Steph performs frequently in the LA area and the Midwest.

New comics will appreciate the advice from touring comedian Kevin Rogers, who took 12 years off to build a family and business, who then had to turn his comedy creation machine back on to create 20 minutes of new material in a new generation with a whole new comedy lens. Kevin Rogers is a comedian, business guru, and author who helps businesses write the words that hook customers and boost sales. Kevin steps into Funny Muscle world to teach us how the skills of stand-up comedy augment the art of copywriting and vice versa. We also break down his new material and how he crafted it---the clips are interspersed throughout the interview.

Actor and improvisational comedian Dan Bakkedahl stops by the podcast to chat about acting, improv, auditioning for roles, starting out in Chicago, and heightening comedy scenes. Dan is known for his role on the sitcom Life in Pieces, as Congressman Roger Furlong on the series VEEP, and as Steven Nugent in the series Legit. He also worked as a correspondent on three seasons of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Stopping by the Funny Muscle Podcast is “The Dented Can” Dobie Maxwell. He is a comedian, actor, radio personality, comedy instructor, comedy writer and author. His passion for comedy and mentoring is quickly apparent. We chat about how he earned his set on the Late Late Show, his comedy lens, joke development, his recent Dry Bar Special, and doing the small things---outside the jokes----that can help your career as a comic. Dobie also gives us some lessons on comedy from an unexpected source: pro wrestling.