This week in ‘The Spotlight’ I chose a very funny guy that I haven’t met yet but he cracks me up EVERY day. Nick Stadler is a cartoonist, a graphic designer, stand-up comedian, and a prolific writer.
There are starving kids in Africa.
IHOP has a "Kids Eat Free" promotion.
Just build an IHOP in Africa.
Problem solved.— Nick Stadler (@Nickadoo) August 28, 2011
LET’S GET TO KNOW: Nick Stadler (@Nickadoo)
What’s your name and where do you currently reside?
My name is Nick Stadler and I live in Los Angeles. More specifically, I live in an area called Historic Filipinotown, although I’ve yet to meet any Historic Filipinos.
How long have you been doing comedy?
I’ve been doing stand-up off and on for about two years, but a lot more off than on because I find the process of performing to be so incredibly nerve-wracking. I’ve been writing and creating comedy in some capacity for much longer. I began with animation and, currently, I write greeting cards.
What do you honestly think of Twitter?
I think it’s the greatest terrible thing to have ever happen to me. I once tweeted, “Before Twitter, I used to be stupid in the privacy of my own mind.” I think that pretty much sums up the way I use it. But it’s afforded me the opportunity to meet some pretty remarkable people.
Sharks or bees and why?
Definitely sharks because Jaws is one of the greatest movies of all time. Even Jerry Seinfeld couldn’t make an interesting movie about bees.
Who’s your favorite comedian right now?
For pure, unadulterated, laugh-out-loud cry-funny, no one can touch Eddie Pepitone. I had the privilege of meeting him at the National Lampoon Twitter Awards – and, because I was a nominee, he actually read one of my tweets on stage!
Why don’t we have time travel yet?
Because we’re afraid our moms will try to fuck us.
What would you do with $50,000?
I’d probably just get practical things like decent furniture then blow the rest on booze.
What’s the worst part about comedy?
A lot of humor comes out of some very unhappy places. I often worry that, while attempting to write new material, I’ll find myself dwelling in some pretty dark mental and emotional areas for far too long. That can’t be healthy.
What’s the best part about comedy?
Laughter. It really is a great feeling to know you can connect on some level with a room full of complete strangers.
What are the five topics you tweet about the most?
Pop culture, and more specifically pop music, is a fun and simple target because it’s both so universal and so patently absurd. I also enjoy tweeting about politics because it’s such a potent source of anger and frustration. Sex, dating and socializing are also great because we’re all insecure about those things to some degree.
How often do you tweet?
I’ve been trying to limit myself to two to five tweets per day. I’ve also been trying to force myself to stay off of it altogether occasionally, because it can become a source of frustration. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s supposed be fun.
What do you wish more people would joke about?
Honestly, I don’t really have an answer for that. Humor relies on the element of surprise, so I don’t think I’d want to see more people joking about any one specific thing because I think it would get boring pretty quickly – we see that happen when a big current event happens and everyone decides to jump onto a single topic.
What celebrity would you like to arm-wrestle?
Ryan Gosling. And it wouldn’t so much be “arm-wrestling” as “aggressive hand-holding.”
What would stop you from doing comedy?
A sudden realization that I’m not actually funny.
Do you any advice for people, just in general?
No. I can barely take care of myself.
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