by Will Thomas
How long have you been doing comedy?
2 years, 14 Days, 7 hrs, and 2.73 seconds, give or take. Or, to put into a comedian’s perspective -- 351 days until I will announce during a set it’s my “X year anniversary of doing comedy”.
What do you feel makes a comedian?
I think being able to pull out angles of life that people overlook and bring the ridiculousness of our everyday existence to life. I think the strongest comedians aren’t afraid to point out inequalities in life. The weakest comedians reinforce the inequalities.
How do you think your growth as a comedian aided in other aspects of your life?
I think comedy has made me more confident to speak out, but also a better communicator and storyteller. If something isn’t hitting an audience, I can re-examine my material. Is something not clear? How could I say it better? Is it funnier if I make this cleaner? Or does this well placed expletive help? What am I really trying to say? Am I saying this because I truly believe it or because it gets me a cheap laugh? Is the way this joke is set up hurting anyone, esp. anyone who is already marginalized? How can I punch up instead of down?
Who is your largest non-comedian inspiration?
Joanna Lumley. She is the face behind the sensational documentary you’ve never heard of, but I will force you to watch if we ever become friends, The Wonderful World of Cats. She is not afraid to go to the ends of the earth as Cat Detective to solve the mysteries of this “vast, softly purring army” and answer the question humans have asked themselves since days of old: “What’s it like to be slightly deaf inside a pink rabbit hat?” I can seriously watch that documentary an infinite amount of times.
If you could be your favorite animal, ...but had to lose a foot, would you still choose to be that animal? Why or why not?
I would be a pretty adorkable 3 footed fox, and I imagine I would run with about the same awkward gait as I do now. So I don’t think it would make that much of a difference in my 12 minute mile.
