I’m pleased as punch to have this space to show off my talented friends! Sometimes I’ll be introducing you to people that I’ve never met in real life (This is not a catfishing excursion, though that’s exactly what someone would say if it WAS a- never mind). I couldn’t be happier that this week the Spotlight is shining on Andy Erikson, one of the funniest, most prolific writers/performers that I was lucky enough to befriend in Minnesota right before I moved to New York.
There should be a wine called The Hulk. Tagline, "It gets better with rage."
— Andy Erikson (@andyerikson) January 26, 2013
LET’S GET TO KNOW: ANDY ERIKSON
What’s your name and where do you currently reside?
My name is Andy Erikson and I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More specifically I live on a cat farm.
How long have you been doing comedy?
I started doing comedy on August 27th 2007. So about 5 and a half years.
What do you honestly think of Twitter?
Twitter is amazing. It is one of my main forms of entertainment. I could seriously go on Favstar and read and laugh and star and RT tweets all day. It’s also one of my most useful tools in writing and comedy. I love it.
Tigers or bees and why?
Tigers, because they have less legs and they remind me of the movie The Lion King.
Who’s your favorite comedian right now?
I could mention like 30 comedians but I’m going to follow the rules and go with Maria Bamford.
Why don’t we have time travel yet?
We’re probably not responsible enough to have time machines. I mean we have to be constantly reminded to turn our cell phones off at comedy shows, people regularly drink and drive, and the first thing I’d do if I got a real lazer would be to put a cowboy hat on, and a nice pair of crocks, and try to shoot all the clouds that look like bunnies. I don’t even want to know what I’d do with a time machine… It would probably involve too many croutons.
What would you do with $50,000?
Stuffed animals and candy. Bouncy castles. SPACE CAMP FOR ADULTS. Roth IRA? A dinosaur with rollerblades. The Oregon Trail!
What’s the worst part about comedy?
The mean comments on youtube, and the message board where real people had a real discussion about whether or not I had down syndrom. (not joking)
What’s the best part about comedy?
All the friends I’ve made, and all the cool places I’ve gotten to go. I love getting to express myself, and get paid to be weird and have fun. It’s a lot of work, but I enjoy even the parts most people would think are boring. Also that feeling you get on stage when a new joke works. I love that.
What are the five topics you tweet about the most?
Animals, drugs, boners, Martin Luther King Jr., and hamsters.
How often do you tweet?
It definitely fluctuates. Sometimes around 7 times a day when you include Retweets and @replies. But I try to tweet at least twice a day. Ever since Favstar did their whole redesign I’ve found myself tweeting less, and it seems like other people have as well.
What do you wish more people would joke about?
I wish more people would joke about scientific discoveries, technological advances, and History. Basically smart things. Not only because I find these things fascinating, but I often get my news and information from twitter and from my friend’s jokes. I like to learn when I laugh.
What would stop you from doing comedy?
I don’t think I will ever stop “doing comedy.” I will always be writing and trying to make people laugh in some form. But I guess if I ever got a TV show or a writing gig, I might take a break from standup, but I can’t imagine it would be a permanent break. I mean, if the countless hecklers, shitty gigs, sleeping in cars at rest stops, and seeing Chad Daniel’s old sweaty balls haven’t convinced me to stop doing comedy yet, I don’t know what could.
FOLLOW @ANDYERIKSON and SEE HER PERFORM LIVE!
Why are there stitch marks on zombies? Who's giving them medical attention?
— Andy Erikson (@andyerikson) May 23, 2012