Tell Em Steve-Dave - #431: Ill Communication

Episode Date: January 27, 2020

Bry and Walt talk to Jersey guy and Comic Book Men showrunner, Brian Nashel about the old days.

I don't want any more superstars. It hurts too bad. It hurts too bad. I'd rather throw up. Yeah. This will be great for you. Come on man. Please say it. Please say it.

I broke fuel while I want to get the fuck out of here. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ [♪ OUTRO MUSIC [♪ all over me. I can only imagine a parade of strippers were shopping for comics. Well, is that what this glitters about? Not as exciting as that. More just like painting with glitter. Just had this little artistic urge to experiment with glitter. And it's been a big mistake. It's so much of a messy and problem. Some. So you're doing getting it off the poker table, getting it on my clothes constantly.

But I came into some free glitter, so that's really what happened in my... Right, I mean I'm supposed to turn that down. Free glittery. I came into a case of free glitter and I was like, I'm going to use this and I'm going to paint a wick glitter and you know, doing some special things. Yeah, I like it. Usually glitter and art that great stuff. Usually glitter and art projects to reserve for special needs in therapy, but... There you go. Well, we don't have Q here, but we have someone very special.

Maybe even more handsome. I don't debate that at all. No, not at all. I mean, I just did. Like, what my life might have been like if I had the looks of a Brian Michelle versus a Brian Johnson. The Puss. The non-stop Puss.

I can only imagine. Brian the shell, the former showrunner of comic book men, which I learned today is an exec producer and showrunner was just sort of invented for. Yeah, showrunner is sort of what, it's like an inside business term, and entertainment term. People use it, but you never see it on screen. It hasn't become its own credit. Think about it.

And that means you run everything, right? You run the show. Yeah, you're kind of the creative leader of the show. There's usually a bunch of executive producers. You got your network, people, people who are on the production company, and people are getting executive producer credit. For various reasons, but there's generally one showrunner

who often gets an executive producer or a co-executive producer credit, and that is the person who is running the show day to day in the trenches. The big kahuna. Yeah, the boss, the boss man Oh, yeah, big boss man. It's very rare that you or I stay in contact with people from the past. We don't make new friends usually. So staying in contact with Brian and Michelle for both of us is rare. I have a habit though.

Like bosses love me. Oh, yeah. Yeah, former bosses. They all seem to really love me like my old boss Timmy Timmy, you know, where's Timmy from? Where I used to work at the computer center when I was when I was a younger guy Where you know working with you know children in need. Yes, I've heard many a tale from the rec center Yeah, so you went from the rec to the stash to the show I'm sure Kev still loves me too. I'd have to say so yeah So you went from the wreck to the stash to the show. I'm sure Kev still loves me too. I'd have to say so.

Yeah, I fast. I feel like, yeah, so the boss is, I don't know what it is. Universally beloved. My boss is. My boss is. Well, to everyone else, we gotta worry about that. Yeah, no, I mean, I loved you, if you listen, if you wanna call me, if I was ever your boss,

I'm honored to have it. I'm definitely the boss. Title, but. I had to go again, because what that comes to respect. We at least I don't think. Definitely had you were definitely the boss and was very, but it a good boss. One of the best ones I ever had. Well, I think the thing is, I never felt like you're a boss,

but I respected your opinion on nearly everything. So, so it's like you just agree. There's no reason to get into it. But that didn't come, but it would not, that didn't come initially right away though. That was, but that built over. Did you notice it all? I did, I noticed a change from the icy coldness. So when I first entered the stash here.

Oh, you're back. Don't try telling us what to do. Don't try to be funny. Oh no. No, it was never that it was more like just that. I don't want any of you here. I just want to do my own thing. I don't care about TV.

I don't care about any of this shit. It's hard to trust somebody because you feel you come across a little bit like a used car salesman like this will be great for you. So, come on man, do this, it'll be great. I think they call it that Eric Duncanning. He was in the Shells right hand man for many seasons. You know, I see that I come off that way but I feel like not that I don't try to do that but I feel like the energy I feel about something or what I can envision something being,

I have to impart that to you guys or whoever is the cast in front of me. So I'll often, on, I guess subconsciously, try to convey it to you. Like, okay, this is happening and it's going to be awesome. Yeah, enthusiasm. Yeah, but you tried to like you know inject me with enthusiasm which sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't I wish you try to inject me with the lot of I would have a lot happier yeah no listen I was just like I was saying a Brian before look I just referenced something that none of these people heard but no saying before like I immediately entered and knew I not going to be a heavy-handed producer with you guys. Heavy-handed in the sense where I'd be like, this is your character and this is your character, and you guys are going to do this, and then you should say this, and then he'll say this, like, I would never, the minute I met you guys, and like, just stand back, give them the room to do what they do.

That's sort of been my mantra from the show from the beginning. So you guys already had great personalities that were fully formed from life and from podcasting. So it really made my job easy. And so yeah, but I could see me coming in with that enthusiasm feeling like, what the hell is this guy trying to sell it? What is he trying to make me be? Well, yeah, I mean, because you're not going into a place where the guys aren't cynical. That's suspicious. It's like next level citizen almost. No, and just like the you know

The name TV producer carries with it lots of negative Connotations, you know that that Walt I think aptly put has used car salesman Yeah, I mean because we had come off the first one that we had the first guy who was in charge within last very long. Scarf dude. Yeah, I wanted like Ming to go out on stage in a new speedo, right? Or something like that. We would pull his pull-up. That was that guy.

No, we're all gonna go out in bath robes or something. On stage at the count base, that the other thing. There was something really weird. Something really bizarre. They wanted to humiliate Ming. Yeah. Like, almost show naked or at least in this underwear. Yeah, I remember what was I what? We're gonna pants him in front of

him. He was really just like, oh yeah, withhold any comment because that guy's one of my best friends in the world. Yeah, Pete. Yeah, he'd peed the less. Yeah, correct. Yeah. Nice guy, but his ideas were just not. Well, not us. they probably would work for any other for dudes they would have probably have been a saying that just for us is just in it didn't come across gel with a way i think we were and uh... that's what i took a little bit cover off that it took a little bit longer probably to trust and to realize you know that you weren't a car salesman you know

yeah that that you know pete biggest flaw was just not being from New Jersey. Oh Yeah, I think so I've told him that but the greatest thing that ever happened to me Oh, I don't know besides you know, but my children being born and stuff are not gonna hear it You can say it. That is a professional thing ever happened to me, you know, just following ass backwards in the comic book Men, you know came at the expense of people asho who you know, we were working in the same office. And so I was with him while, you know, this got the call. He developed and yeah, and then I kind of saw him go down. Oh, I know. And I say, you know, he went to I.J. right?

Well, he did. He did. Yeah, he went to I.J. So it all it all worked out, but I'll still bust his balls about that. Like, you know, your big mouth got me like the greatest gig in a nice fucking fun. But he said something to the Elise or something I thought he said something yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said yeah he said he said yeah he said yeah he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said he said with like you know, pancing Ming in front of a fucking theater of a crowded theater. Her at the Count Basie, it's like I can't believe we're on stage at the Count Basie and you want me to pull my friends pants down?

We hadn't even filmed anything though. This was the very first thing we were gonna do. The first thing they wanted to do was go out to the Stonstead in front of a full packed audience and pulp Ming's pants down and I was like, that is not us. Not out of the get. We had to wait till season three to get Ming in an orange speedo. At least in the parking lot of the stash.

At least it was consensual. Yeah. Yeah, there's a big difference when he's like, when he's like, yeah, I'll do it. That's a big difference in him not knowing we're going to do it. Yeah. Well, that's the thing. It's like when you walk into a show, you know, one like this,

you usually aren't met with people who are like, we never thought we'd be on TV and we were like, we have a fuck of four on TV now. Ming is not like that. Ming wanted it. Ming would have been still doing it today, even if they were like, you gotta do it for free. He wouldn't care. So when you walk in and immediately people are like,

I don't know, I guess, like, if we don't do it our way, we're not gonna, we don't wanna do it, but you are so like-minded with so many things. One of my favorite moments though is being told not to do something by you. We were behind the counter and there was some guy brought in a bunch of hockey shit devil stuff and Walt was going to buy a gift for Kev. I think that was the storyline. And I had this piece, this little hockey statue of somebody, Gretzki maybe. And it was worth like $700 or whatever.

And I'm looking at it and every once in a while, Michelle would text me, you know, like, do this, say this, whatever. And I get a text from it says, do not break that. And I was about to drop it. He was right. He was like, that's how on the same level where I was about to drop it.

I see the text, I'm like, fine. Yeah, people would come in. It is my prize possession. Just promise me when you get it back at the end of this. I wanted to bobble it and let it hit the floor. But nobody wanted to weigh 700 bucks, I guess. There are, like, you think back, like, over seven seasons, everything was so truncated. Like, we do everything from the beginning of July, pretty much to the beginning of September. Right.

Which is a lot of shit to get in for, like, do you normally shoot stuff that quickly or do they give you a little breather room? No, you normally shoot stuff that quickly. Running gun, as they say. Yeah, just get it done, you know. I mean, we had some packed days. You know, I mean, we had some packed days. You know, I mean, I really, I felt for you guys those days, we would just be, you know, I would just not relent with the banter topics, you know, we would do,

you know, three transactions and then, you know, eight banter conversations. It's a lot of shit for you guys to generate, you know, from your mouths. No. Are those banter conversations still somewhere? Because like you look at an average episode, it's not uncommon that we would banter for an hour, hour and a half sometimes, like at the end of the day. So when you see the show and there's like literally 30 seconds of banter throughout the episode, I like where did the rest go?

Because you know there was some great stuff in there. Did they just purge it? Well, I have to say, when you break it down you start going through all of them. I feel like we just made it. Every season I felt like shit. We're gonna have to shoot more banter. Just because... Really? Some of them felt so strong. Exactly. That's why they were on TV. Or you mean ones that didn't end up on TV. Because you only use small parts of them. Yeah. I mean, everything we're saying, I mean, you may as well be spinning gold like fucking. No, the banners were generally like 25 seconds to 50 seconds long. Occasionally, there'd be a longer one. You know, but then it was an art. There was a

couple of editors who were great at cutting banners. And you know, you'd get a longer one. You know, but then it was an art. There was a couple of editors who were great at cutting vantners and you know, you'd get a really long conversation and you'd know that there's gold in there and then they'd spit you back a 30-second version of it and it's hysterical. And it holds your interest all the time and it was great when everybody,

when all four of you could chime in and everybody could have, you know, and then there's sometimes you'd have multiple punchlines. It's like, oh, well, does, you know, Walt and that are just Brian and it. But yeah, it's funny. I would imagine you would feel that way because we kind of belabored it and it was like, talk, talk, talk, kick this around. Over seven years, all that banter.

Yeah, I think so much. We used a lot of it, you know. Yeah, if you think about it, you know, there'd be sometimes a banter, always a banter at the top of the show. And then, you know, before you get to a transaction, there's a banter. And also, it's burned once you use that. It's like you can't go pick other stuff.

Yeah, but it isn't that good. And you have your buttons to it. But those were the funnest times. Just even picking the banters became really fun. We'd have the list. And the list would hold over from one season to the next next and then there would be a master list of topics, you know, and then we used to say, like, we would, I don't know why, we were withholding the list from you guys. We would yell them out. Yeah, because I wanted to talk about it off camera. Right, yeah. And so then after a while,

like, just give them the list. I'll put a check next to the shit you want to talk about, you know. Why would I just give him a list? I'll put a check next to the shit you want to talk about. You know? I've always liked, like, for people who aren't aware of that. You came, how many shows did you do before Comic Bookman? TV shows? Yeah, or like, just like stuff like, because like, you came from what I feel,

almost every show you've done besides this is real, manly shit. Real fucking like, you know, macho. Guys are wrestling and stabbing wild boars for their dinner. Like you worked with men, men's men, right? I mean, you're talking about like, those throwbacks, guys who are tough as nails.

So when you get the call, like, you're gonna go work at a complex. Yeah. You've got to have preconceived notions. He did? And then I need to know, like, need to know like, even after that, there must have been like, the comparisons, it's got to be like two. It's got to be night and day. Yeah, it is. I have to say it's night and day, but in your favor, because we had, we're manlier. No,

you're not manlier. You know, but barely man. But. Are you guys not identifying as transgender at this point? No, no. It was very, it was refreshing it, but we had common ground. I didn't know how much my incessant television watching throughout the 70s and 80s would come into play.

But you couldn't have known. Just like we couldn't have known. Like, you know, I was doing Brady Bunch trivia games in college with people, you know what I mean? Like, and then to all the sudden, stepping here, and I'm like, I was intimidated because, you know, that's the sort of the cliche of nerds and comic book geeks. It's very intimidating to walk in and expect like the comic book guy from... That's so weird book guy from it. It's not so weird doing anything about it. Yeah.

Like I said, it's like everybody though, you're intimidated and yet I know I was intimidated by all these crew and all these people who know like, you know, come from so what you would see when you're on shows, worldly and everything. So you feel it's just weird that everybody's feeling intimidated and there was no need for it. Yeah. Well, it's the unknown. You know, I'm like a couple of weak sisters.

I was an intimidated by anyone. Oh, come on. You know what I'm saying? It's like by these guys who know what they're doing and coming in and you're like, I don't know, to me. I'll tell you why I wasn't, because I knew what I was doing. All I had to do was sit there like, I didn't, like you had a lot of heavy lifting. I was there to strategically make remarks to belittle people.

Like that's much easier, I think, than not only carrying like the transactions and that kind of shit. I'm not sure what I'm going to do in the work. I'm not going to have to donate just like being around crew, being around strangers, being around people, and hearing their war stories. What they're talking about, you know, like, yeah, it was fucking guy, slid a fucking borers, uh, they drank the blood. And I'm like, all right, let's talk about Spider-Man, guys. You could have slid a Boris through if you wanted to. No, I was saying we had common ground in the 70s and 80s pop culture.

I didn't know anything about comics, and that's why I think I was really intimidated because of that reputation of a comic book shop being a really geeky record store, right? Where you go in there judging every pick you do and like you're gonna make some reference I'm not gonna know and you guys would be like what's the who's this fraud? In short, it's a comic book show. You know and I admitted to you guys I'm like I think I read a comic in 7778 now was it? Well coming in you said you didn't think it like us because you thought it would be like for comic book guys from the Simpsons just like douchebags Mary I wouldn't like you.

You told me that. I remember you telling me that, like having not met us here, like I wasn't sure if I would like you guys. Okay, I wasn't sure. Right. I wasn't sure. That's true. Mm-hmm.

But I, you know, listen, not that you needed to, but you really were really quickly. I love you guys. I can't get enough of you. I'm still here. Winning you over isn't the big problem. Winning him over with us. No, I mean, that was the moment, you know. I can't get enough of you. I'm still here. When are you over? Isn't the big problem? When are him over? That was the moment. You know, it was funny.

There was that, just that one time, everybody on the show had that where somebody would come to me and be like, Hey, man, what just came up to me and just started talking to me? You know, I know, he could talk. Like, wow, man, he must really like me. That's huge. And every single network executive that every, ever visited this comic book shop, which we called our set at the time,

came up to me at some point and said, something to the effect of, hey man, does Walt have a problem with me? And again, it's all stems from that intimidation of like you're like, I'm just gonna be quiet. I'm just gonna say anything to anybody. It's not because I'm trying to be a Lou from trying to be like a jerk it's just like just not comfortable with myself and you know when

it comes across in a way that sometimes that is not accurate though. Walt it's like with any sweet reward it's worth putting the time in to get the peel back the layers of a wall flanagan and get to that juicy gooey Center like a piece of fresh enough gum. Yeah, I know he's got all my other daughter But you know it's it was worth it. You know you got to take your time with the wall flanagan It's like when you go to somebody's house They have a dog and you're trying to get the dog to pet you and the dogs like like, I'm not gonna pet you and you keep going after it. Just ignore the dog.

Well that just keeps everybody, he'll bite you and then it comes over to any elixir and he's wagging his tail and you feel like, oh wow, that dog senses that I'm a good person. It makes you feel better about yourself. It's like the wall-flanting of dogs. He's over here, he's accepted, how did this happen? I gotta tell someone.

You need to let it happen. You can't force yourself on the wall-flanting. You need to let it happen. Natural.'t force yourself on the wrong line. You need to let it happen. Natural. Yeah. Brian and I bonded very quickly. Yeah. Over.

Just our general anger and rage. Yeah, we're all cut from the same cloth in many ways. Yeah. Very, very sort of violent fantasies. And we like to express to each other, knowing that there'll be no judgments and most like no. Yeah, yeah, we keep that to ourselves. Yeah, there's certain people as soon as I'm done,

I delete the text. You know, like people can't see this shit. Yeah, epic rant, you know. So it was good, we would good, we would vent our frustrations to each other. But I gotta tell you, I, I, I'm saying. I'm usually not sure related, by the way.

No, it's a show with political shit. Yeah, it's like not sure related by the way. No, it's certainly not sure. It's a show with political shit. And then just the random stuff around red bank that you'd run into. Actually, one of the greatest things was just the ability to be creative and for me to never try to stifle the creativity that went on with you guys. But we always talked about the red bank we called the Red Bank outfit, right? The teenage girls and the short, short, short, cutoff jeans that look like underwear. That's probably better in a text.

Yeah, I don't remember that. We got a recollection. Yeah, they were like 19, 18, but you know, and then you wanted to wear the shorts as a little homage to the Red Bank outfit. Do you wore those shorts to the Bat mobile visit down at the the dock there those shorts made a quite a few appearances there on ij This is unbelievable the lockets hanging out Do you have um Your favorite top five memories of

Confq men but like even if they didn't make make it on camera Like even something behind the camera stuff didn't know one knows like things that you'd be like odd I was I really fondly recall that The time I convince at the time I come into Mike the show is canceled. That's why he was never on That's gotta be number one I'm gonna say Was it a guest, you know, because I know that there was some guests that came in that you were like, you could tell that you were,

you were like totally like, in awe that they were coming in. Absolutely. And then they were the respect and the, just the, the, the starry eye look. I mean, you, you definitely, brought some people in who did that to you. We're not talking about Shazam by the way.

Oh that was the reason. That's a guy he became friends with, he became friends with everybody. Not him. He can't get away from these people. They're texting him while he's out in the middle of the air. I don't show. That's true. I was on the boat going to Antarctica and getting texts from Bert Ward.

Really? How exciting is that for me? Robby. If you immediately tell all the guys guys like all these manly men Her on those rowboat that hold on. I'm killing dinner I don't want to hear about robin the boy blender That hard food and look at my text from robin so yeah for a war fucking pops up on my phone It says hey Brian. Hope everything's well

Looking to get in touch with Kevin. I saw a super girl blah, blah, blah. Can you get me in touch with Kevin? I said, no problem. Happy New Year. I'll do what I can and sent the message to somebody. You sent it to Kevin. And next thing I know I get back from Antarctica looking at Kevin's page or somewhere on the internet. And there's Bert Ward getting his star

on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And Kevin's standing there next to him. So I texted Bert back and I said, hey, I just got back. I see you got your star and Kevin was there. Congratulations and second leader. I get it back. Thank you. Thank you, new phone, who does? Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, I'll answer your question. The moment that stands out in my mind as a huge

Just a I guess I've just a win for me in every sense of the word was when Kevin fired the whole season to And the show running all those people and I had to come in and you know I had to come in and And and direct those final podcast you with Kevin I had to really like prep and find out what went on this season. I was doing the other show. When I walked into that podcast room, that space, that set we had, everybody clapped and was howling and applauding.

I felt like they just won the Super Bowl. It was very touching. I loved this show. I did not like that. I wasn't running season two. I was consulting, although I was never consulted actually, but I was there. I was available for consultations. Oh, yeah, you told them that you you would be available for consultation, but they're like, we got this. Yeah, that's right. Which they did not have it. Yeah, not even close. Yeah. And so, you know, walking in there, getting that reception

was was was wonderful. Stanley was... Multiple Stanley appearances. No, I wasn't there. That was that first Stanley was season two. Yeah, season two. I actually much enjoyed the second one much more because of your idea. Like when Stan comes in, it's like he's there constantly and we don't give a fuck. He's there. It's like I was up Stan. Like we Like we're so depressed at the fucking shop that King pins like I'm not that much in the comics anymore We're like Stan. What are we gonna do? Amazing. You know, but we were in my game and it was a fun day

Stan loved it and it was just a seamless day and When we were leaving I held the door open for him for him to leave and he stopped and gave me that classic old-timey like put his hand on my shoulder Like hey kid You're a hell of a director And I was like I got chills I'm like are you actually coming from you Stan? That's two Adam West of course you know I said that mobile race That mobile race with Adam West

He was one too right? I mean it was like in the dude was like I don't know at that point of me. He's an older guy. Yeah, he's got it's hard for him to get into the car Yeah, and he's still like I'll do whatever it takes. He was amazing. What are you guys doing? I mean he was your co-pilot You were driving the bat mobile with Adam West sitting next to you. Yeah, it was unbelievable You know to have that voice that we grew up on And he still had the voice and he would say they like hey, well like that He said your name it was so surreal and he said my name and he's talking to me like not off camera like in the bat movie What we're gonna do and I just look at it. I'm just like and I'm like cake and you pinch me real quick

So this is not this is a dreamer not I can say that those lower This is a dream or not. I can say that those callower. That should be lower. I was at a con once and I saw Adam West, this was after, you know, year two after he had been on and he recognized me and I was blown away because he wasn't here for that long, you know? But there was a certain validation.

Yeah, it is, yeah, yeah. It's weird. You're like, oh my God, he remembered. Yeah, yeah. I'm worth something for whatever reason. For a minute or two. Yeah, you're not too ill-wrapped very quickly. You know, I mean, it's like Kevin used to always say on those podcasts, he used to say, you know, I hate your old kev would have, and that, you know, it's true. It's like, you know, I would really,

you just flash back to sitting in front of your, you know, faux wood zenith, you know, the fucking rat. You know, and you're watching that show thinking that those are the two baddest-ass mofos in the world and all of a sudden you got out of my way, it's going, hey Brian, come here, I want to run a bit by you. I want to run a bit by me. Well, look at the building, the sideways, flip the camera, like anything he said, I said dude, you know, how about I come in and I grab that big statue myself And I drop it down on the bell so I can do whatever you want. Oh, you're gonna let him drop a statue. No

Yeah, that was this whole bit I couldn't say no whatever you wanted to do You're set Mr. West. We were talking earlier on the show that I do with the rock Would you kindly bio shock reference? Hmm Oh fuck, would you kindly buy a shock reference? Hmm, nice. Oh fuck, where was I? I'm so sick. Like, oh yeah. You don't got that Chinese. That's what he was saying, yeah.

I said, I told him out of courtesy, I look at your face. Call me, gay will, yeah. I told him you were a source mask. You didn't wear the source mask, he was sitting in my hands. What's the symptoms? Um, achy, a lot of coughing and congestion and shit.

It feels like a bad cold. Is what it feels like, but oh my god, of all days. I'm like, we're doing, you know, Michelle is doing his podcast tour today, doing it open to New York, then coming down here. This is rare. We don't really have people on that often, you know. I fully appreciate the seat at the table here, and I'm playing hooky from work. Really?

Oh yeah. Is there a show that, like, I mean, I'm sure you can pick one that when you did it, you were like, oh my fucking god. Every second of this is torture. I just, I want it to end. Yeah. You don't have to say which one.

No, no, I did a sh- you know, for a while, I was sort of on staff at a production company. Like before I did storm chasers, I was on staff for like, I don't know, two or three years at this production company. So I had to do whatever they gave me. So I ended up doing things that were not necessarily in my wheelhouse or things like as a freelancer that I would have chosen to do. So I entered like the fashion world for a couple of shows. You know what I mean?

Like, you know, I don't really want to be in that world. No, it wasn't involved. But there were, you know, I did a show with transgender women, which was fun. You know, I mean, I learned things but it wasn't necessarily in my wheelhouse but it was good stuff in the sense, I don't want to be too negative about any of it

because one of the things I like- I wouldn't want to be too negative about any of it because one of the things I like- I would not be fascinating though. No, that's what I'm saying. Like when you do a show with like real housewives or like, I remember Jeremy and Mum did a show with like people working in an Al salon. Like drama is not interesting. Being transgender, that's fucking interesting. No, like I couldn't hear enough about it.

Right, so that's what I was going to say. Like, I get to enter these worlds. So when, Allison, the world, am I sitting down with three transgender women talking to them about whatever surgeries they had and the whole thing from, you know, beginning to end when they discovered this and how it went. And, you know, that's just, I could find negative things to say about almost anything I've done, but I love the ability to enter these little worlds. And a lot of times you enter them, you leave them, and you're like, great, I learned a bunch, I don't need to go back into that world. Obviously, I'm sitting here today because this was one of the worlds I loved.

And to bring it around again to what I said before is like, I feel like we bonded so not instantly, but pretty fairly quickly we bonded, like me and the four of you and Rob Bruce, just out of that fact that we grew up in the 70s. You know what I mean? We had all those references. That was all I had to bring to the table besides like, I know how to produce a show, whatever, but for me to sit there and come up with banter topics,

every one of them had to do with television shows. It was never comic-related, you know what I mean? So that was always my biggest fear that somebody at the network would be like, hey, you know, somebody from DeMorval or somebody wants to interview you, I'm like, you know, I'm a fraud. I got no comic book wrap,

even to this day I have no comic book wrap. Well, I revealed after a comic book man was canceled. One of the biggest secrets that I kept, you know, that I like I was terrified. I lived seven years with with the fear that this was going to come out and someone was going to find out that I hadn't read a new comic book in seven years. The whole time we were shooting. All time we were shooting. I just I had grown out of the new stuff and I was just buying old stuff like, and... Meanwhile, look at how I lived my life during the show.

Repent and junky, go and miss in, total fuck up. And he's like, what if people found out I didn't read a new Superman? Just, the secrets we keep. Dark web of the... I'm gonna keep it a secret. I'm like, I need more pills. Ha, ha, ha.

You can, but I was so like worried. People would. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills.

I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills.

I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like, I need more pills. I'm like new episode of Walking Dead? Oh my god, I would have to like fake it and be like and just like, just snow my way through like and convince them that I did read it and I didn't know what they were talking about

in the most like vague generalities. So I said, man, I would go home like sweaty, like oh my god, someone's gonna realize that. What'd you run home? It's like no, I just, I didn't read the new superman But I thought that would come across pretty fucking poorly on a kind of show about the only show Inexistence of our notebooks Well, and you think one of the guy like to well, can't doesn't read new comics and then I don't read a comics

Mike would have been but goddamn well, I don't yeah, so it have been really poor for My think I think I'm sure amc wouldn't have been happy. Yeah, no, well thank god We're living in the past on this show like everything we don't. Yeah, so it has been really poor for my, I think. I think AMC wouldn't have been happy. Yeah, no, no, well thank God we were living in the past on this show. Like everything we talked about. We were rarely talked about new stuff. Yeah. Oh yeah, we did talk anything about it. And that's the one year we had, remember the one producer we had, Jeannie?

Mm-hmm. I like him. Yeah, he knew he shit. He knew comics, so he would pitch stuff to me. He got a job at DC eventually. I went to see, yeah, I went to see, in LA, he got a job at DC. So clearly,t knows he shit So like he would come to me and be like hey, we should do a storyline with this and that and I'm like

I don't know what you're talking about, but it's not interesting because it's not related to the shit that I know Yeah, the past so we lived in the past right? I mean think about it gloriously though, man I mean we have a glorious Jamie Lindsay Wagner Lindsey Wagner Jamie Somers. Jamie Somers highlight I mean, I like dude from Ghostbusters. Ernie Hudson, you worked in an ice cream truck, truck selling comics with Ernie Hudson, who by the way is on a Netflix series now.

I mean, the list goes on and on Lou Farrigno. I'm going to put Lou Farrigno in my top five. I still haven't answered your question. I gave you three. Oh, yeah. But Lou Farrigno. I'm gonna put Lou Farrigno in my top five. I still haven't answered your question. I gave you three. Oh, yeah, okay. But Lou Farrigno was a seminal character in my upbringing because my father was into weightlifting and he was really into pumping iron.

We had a VHS-Tuff tape of pumping iron. So I had seen pumping iron when I was a kid. And my father somehow was at the gym with Lou and his father. There was this whole connection where Lou was like a hero in our house and we used to watch the Hulk and my father had all these stories which show me these old magazines about, you know, weightlifting magazines from Lou. And it was really funny because I...

Sounds sketchy. I wanted to go. So why did my father come down and meet Lou Farrigno? I'm like that. He's coming to the comic shop. Like you can meet Lou Farrigno. And my father's way, way, way introverted, right? Does want to talk to anyone, does want to do anything. And he's like, oh yeah, maybe, and my mother's way way way introverted right does want to talk to anyone does want to do anything and he's like

Oh, yeah, maybe and my mother's like he's not gonna go I'm like that don't fall into that you can go and meet Luke Farrigno man So in the end he kind of led me on he didn't come but he gave me a magazine He's like can you have Lou sign this for me? So I so I took it And they actually had breakfast with Lou and my wife my My wife came down and we had breakfast with Lou, which is a highlight of my life. Awesome. So that's four.

That's four. You know, you're going to miss one that was like, there's a lot of them. Yeah. Look back, there was a lot of like, I can't weird like, wow, I can't believe they came down. I can't believe this celebrity from the 70s is here. The one that we always chased though,

I mean, it's the only regret. White whale. The only regret is how you couldn't get the fucking white whale in the leather jacket. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. That is the only one man. Boy did we have plans for that.

Yeah, we did, we tried catching the quarters on our elbows all of it. Oh, we have all. the lip ups who are gonna be fantastic. We were all gonna be dressed like fanzi. Yeah, nine. He would have been treated like a fucking demigod. Yeah, I did, um, I did the gym and sam show one time like over the summer summer. And I walked out, you know, after I was done, I walked out and the producer Roland is talking to Henry Winkler and I had to talk to Roland. So I'm standing this close to Henry Winkler,

looking at him like, what the fuck, this is crazy. And I wanted to ask for a picture so badly. And I'm like, if he says no, it'll be crushing. So I'm just like, fuck it. Then later on, Roland was like, he's the nicest guy ever. He 100% would have taken a picture. There's no way he says no. Yeah.

But you're right, yeah, that was the one. He ended up doing a show called Barry. Because like, when you were like, we're trying to get him, but he may be doing this other show, I always had the attitude of like, yeah, bullshit. Like, I don't never believed anyone with that kind of stuff. They just don't want to do it. But yeah, he was on a show, Barry, which was actually really good. Like, yeah, he. Like, I don't never believed anyone with that kind of stuff. They just don't want to do it, but yeah, he was on a show, Barry,

which was actually really good. Like, yeah, he was really like real acting. Yeah, yeah, it's good. You know, not to show, hey, make my coming-to-lip-ups. He's like, whoa, this is where my career's at. Well, that's a thing, no matter what you've done, you know, after, you know, 1978,

when you enter comic book men, that's it. Your Arthur Fonzarelli, I don't care children's books, Academy Awards, whatever was in this house. You're Arthur Fonzarelli and you better fucking throw those thumbs up Yeah, we didn't get it where you can sit on it When I reference a lot when people ask me about the show is Billy D. Williams Yeah, because the conceit behind Billy's visit here was unbelievable. And the way that was the most unbelievable scenario

that played out at this very table. I forget why, we always had a reason why they would enter the store. Like what are they doing in the internet? We had the big millennium foul. But how did he know? He heard about it? So it online or so the episode.

Okay. We bought it. Even better. So there you go really Williams had home it's about it was true it's about 12 15 a.m. he's watching comic book men too that's being kind yeah exactly like two I heard what time zone is he in comes in and you guys play go fish for which was an homage to what right was Did he lose it in a poker back? Did they have real Millennium Falcon or something?

Yes, that was very- That's also up here sedated. Like I thought that I thought he was just old and out of it, but then I hear like something he did recently, it's like- Oh, he was just in a new star wars, he really- Yeah, that's it, yeah, that's what, I think I must've been you that said. He was closing on, yeah.

My question that, really? I question, they're doing a lot of stuff with computers and stuff and- Yeah, you can tell. I question that, I question they're doing a lot of stuff with computers and stuff and Yeah, you can tell. I was really him. Was it him? Yeah, because I only shot him from the neck up. Well, you know, we fell asleep for seven seconds.

I think he's standing up. We were shooting our little bitch here. I think he just was, I think he still hadn't gotten off the plane from the West Coast when he rolled him in here to do that. It was like a fucking land of clothes. I see it on playing, I'm going to play go fish with who is this guy? I guess I guess. I don't know. I'm gonna list the all the best Billy D. William lines from out from from through the

ages. And it's all. Yeah. 45. I call 45. What was that line? I remember the line, but like people would just yell it like his hands were yell to him He would just say the line. Yeah, say the lines. Yeah, and then he did that whole line

He got the Falcon tied it to the limo. We rented a limo for the driver And no letting him fucking was bungee corded to the limo and then he said that that thing from Empire Star Wars about like your pirate or something. Yes, that's right. I mean, come on. Like that was... What do you call a general pirate? Yeah. It was a line. Like you take it like for bait and we're like, hey, do the line.

What's the line? And we gave the line. Don't you wish it meant more to you? Like there are people who would be like... Yes. In the moment, it really didn't. But I think as I get further away from it... I agree.

Yeah. As you get further away from it, I guess that's like almost like in anything. If you're able to distance yourself from it a little bit, you look back on it with more fondness than you did in the moment. Right, yeah. Well for you, it's like, it's over. I don't have to do it anymore. So now I can look back at that Billy D experience and be like, holy shit, like he busted

a line on me, It's just bizarre. But the beauty of shooting the show, like, you know, it's funny, because I've said this and I've heard Kevin say it separately. Sometimes people would ask me like, who's your favorite actor? And especially when we're shooting the show, I would always say, Wall Flanagan.

Wall Flanagan is my favorite actor, because if you know Walt outside of the show, you know, you know, you know, you know, what you probably don't. Right. But you know, you haven't earned it. But then when you see Walt sit down with a heavy weight, like Billy D Williams. Yeah, and that's, that should be like very, um, scary.

Yeah, but I tell you, I was more scared of the crew at first. Years in, he's still like, look at Jeremy Schneider. So professional. Yeah, it was a very intimidating. All these guys with their big equipment, all these. And what they worked on before Breggarts. I felt like the fraud, you know, I felt like like what I'm a dude who works on a complex Or there's no reason I should be doing this at all

But when Billy D came in it was more like you just like it was like It didn't matter like if you fucked up because it was like you just it just didn't matter because it would have played Almost if you fucked up because if you were nervous people be like oh well, why why wouldn't you be yeah of course? So it didn't that it didn't almost as like well. I should be nervous So I'm not gonna worry about me being nervous and that's why you're the world's greatest. That's being see I I think you like if you had been like oh, I'm nervous because it's my first day on the camera crew, then okay. But like you're doing something that,

they, they're not, it's a totally different job where like your expertise is in knowing all this shit, which is something they wouldn't do, you know? I guess that would be an intimidating guy with a camera, a fucking sound thing. I know that there's no rhyme or reason for it to be asked, but like I'm telling you though, it's like they're

they're just my knowledge of what I know. So like stupid in my opinion. That's meaningless. The shit we know. Yeah. These guys know shit that matters and is making the careers for them. And I'm fucking talking about a comp up that I liked in 1974. If any number of blue juice guys were like, I'm gonna move from New York to LA, they have a transferable skill like that. I moved to LA, I'm like, I wanna make fun of people for liking comics. They'd be like, well, there's no job like that.

And that was great about the show, is like, we sort of had jobs and it's like, people be like, well, how do I do that? And I would be like, I don't know. Like, I don't know. I like, it's not like we tried to do it. Like, everything's just sort of unfolded. So, so after the show ended, I would get calls.

I mean, I'm gonna say calls, like, it's 20 calls, but there's probably, I could think about four off the top of my head of either production companies or agents saying, it's sometimes sending me tapes, saying, hey, we have a comic book shop in, you know, Dallas or wherever, and we wanna do comic book shop in you know Dallas or wherever and we want to do Comic book men but with these people and I saw some tape on people and I wouldn't go near it I'm like listen

It's not gonna work so don't even do it. You don't have the guys You know what I mean? And I didn't want to go anywhere near another comic book show You know you tend to do something in this business and then you're like, oh, he did the comic book show. Get him to do this comic book show. It doesn't work that way. I didn't invent that show. That show was more or less happening and we sort of made it happen for TV in a little bit of a different way. But it was all about the characters. So none of those knockoffs would have worked because if you just pitch it on paper without you guys as talent and you know and certainly kev as well it's like what do you have you get some old timers talking about comics

you know I think the thing is like well we went into it like I think I'd probably known Mike the least amount of time and by that point I know them like 17 years so so you can't right take guys who have known each other that long and and know each other I can't take guys who have known each other that long and know each other. I can't fake that kind of a word. Oh, you can't replicate it now. And that was when they would try to throw in you know, one Oliver. Brady Bunt reference.

They throw in an Oliver like put a, you know, whatever push for an Oliver, you know. Yeah, you did. Last year, Adam was working here. Yeah. But that work was like, no, you can't. You can't. You can't.

Fashion show like we want his gun out. Yeah. You can't take some dude, put him in lead Zeppelin. You know? I mean, we feel like my Zeppelin needs a floutist. Takes the guy. Forget it. You can't do it.

You know, I would at the beginning and end of every season, and as you guys know, we had a lot of the same people working from season one on. I would give a little speech at the beginning and then I'd give a little speech at the end and I would tell everybody and it really went out especially to the new people. Like, you're gonna have a lot of fun here. There's gonna be the most incredible TV experience of your life.

Don't get used to it. It will never happen again. Cherish every moment of this show because any other job you have in television is going to suck. In every way this show was awesome. I, Jeremy just was here. Schneider.

Schneider was just here about less than a week ago. And he just popped in for a second just to say hello. Funny, he's making the rounds, came to my office too. He said the same exact thing. He said the same exact thing. It must be because he heard your speech. He said he called me, he said he didn't hear me, he didn't know me, because that's my speech.

Yeah, he said it. He said it, he said it. gonna be in the air. He didn't put no means, that's my speech. Yeah, he said it. He said it. There'd never be another one like it. He just was, and you know what? You, and even a cynical guy like myself, I believe he's telling the truth though, and he says it though, so it is nice to hear it out because.

There's no reason to say it at this point. No, no, no, no, it's a God's honest truth. It's even the truth, just in terms of the work. Like we basically had, you know, day jobs, like we work Monday through Friday, I mean, every season, maybe we shot a couple of weekends or a couple of weekend days, you know, we tried to get you guys out of here when you would normally get out of here. So we were really shot past seven o'clock. 11 o'clock, usually. I mean, it was like, yeah, it was basically 11 o'clock. Season two was fucked. Season two was like nine

o'clock at night. It's like fucking seriously, seriously us holes and for for anyone who doesn't know the crew This jackass included got free housing at the Jersey Shore Manchains yeah, we're making big factor into the intro the whole overall experience In no an ocean grove every summer coming by the stash You know having this beach house and then season eight, you know They really fuck me by canceling the show because my kids were all ready to go back to ocean grove And they're like we're going to ocean grove again, right? I'm like well dad is gonna have to pay for it this time But yeah the comic book, then I've let you down. I don't have a job

So how's that going to work? But we did it. It was a great job ever in so many ways, but yeah, I don't make friends either. Like all my friends are my friends since middle school and high school. But it seems to be like, I don't know if it's specific to Jersey, but like, yeah, like the friends you have when you sort of leave high school, like, you're a friend, I made Troy, like there are certain people that have become friends with post high school. Like, you're a friend I made Troy, like there are certain people that have become friends with post high school, but for the most part, the people I'm tight

with are. It is. You know, the one interview I ever gave about comic book man, season one was two AMC. So it wasn't like, you know, the New York Times was interested in what the fuck I was doing down here, but they asked to call me up and he gave me some, they had some questions for me. And I do remember them putting in that interview that even back then when I didn't know you guys that well, I compared your relationship to the kids from standby me.

You know, it's like I could see you as those kids growing into this where, you know, that classic scene, we actually tried to replicate, which never aired, where they have those conversations like, what is goofy? You know, and about peasant shit But that that is a very special thing that you cannot replicate and that was so obvious to me because I have those kinds of friends Like my friends knew me when I was 11 just like you guys

So walking in here it felt familiar to me even though I didn't know you guys your friendship felt familiar Did you ever feel like a past season two or three? They're like, there's no way this is getting to seven. The way that they were just burying it and the way that it was like barely making it. We succeeded against all odds. It's fucking crazy when you think about it. We did that they kept it on that long and barely and didn't do anything with it. They never showed it other than like one o'clock in the morning and then it was gone. They liked it.

They genuinely really liked it. Joel Stillerman and Marco, they really liked it and they loved Kevin obviously and Joel would say to me like, we like being in the Kevin Smith business. You know what I mean? And they also liked having this special little nugget. And I don't know if it ever really made financial sense for them in a big way to keep it on. But I know a lot of networks.

They were really good people over there. And they really liked the show. And they told me, and you can't ever hold them to this, but they were like, as long as walking guides on, I feel like you guys will keep going. So I thought we were going to do 10. I, you know like like Babe Roo pointed over at the The wall every season I thought it was gonna be the last season except this season Yeah, no, no

I have the same every season at the end like it towards the end of summer or the beginning of the summer I'd be like it ain't happening this year it ain't happening this year and then you get the call I never thought they would cancel it on the heels of Kevin having a heart attack. Yeah, it's a, Michelle said earlier, like the timing was so poor. Like he's only gotten way bigger since then, and on a physically, but like he's so well known now,

like more so than during the show. So like, yeah, it would have been beneficial to, to keep the job. I mean, seven years, he's it would have been beneficial to keep the job. But I mean, seven years, you still, that's crazy. It's crazy. And I thought, especially after that first season, I didn't think they would air all six episodes. I really didn't think they would.

The little show they could. Well, I mean, when you think about it, it's like the odds of doing what we did. I'm not patenting us on the back or whatever, but the odds of everything working out the way it did is so fucking rare. Right. You know, it's such a rare fight there to be like Kevin Colman be like you guys want to be on a TV show

and I'm like, I guess, to doing seven seasons of that TV show. So when people like when it got canceled and you tell people, oh man, it's like, but seven seasons for people who are like had no business on TV in the first place, it's not common. It's not common at all. We talk about building a format, a lot on television, that's like a buzz word, what's the format, you got to make a format. I think this was a very unique format that really was designed for a smarter audience, right?

That didn't need those on the fly interviews, talking heads, explaining everything. So I feel like that kind of that built in, you know, Kevin Smith, kind of geek world audience, could kind of unabashedly enjoy the show without feeling like, oh, I'm watching a reality show. I think we really rode that line of kind of curb your enthusiasm semi-scripted and also full reality show. I'll maintain it till the day I die. The most reality show was comic book, man. When stuff got rolling.

When we had a ghostbuster and ice cream truck. Because when stuff got rolling. That's what I mean. When stuff got rolling, I said, I said, I said, I said, I said, I said,. When we like said, we had a ghost buster and ice cream truck. Because when stuff got rolling, that's what, and that's how I mean it. When stuff got rolling, like, that's why I said, I said once in place, once everything's in place. That's right, you say, okay, turn it on. That's right. Anyway, go.

We set the stage, a lot of shows, if you look carefully, you'll see people with little flesh colored things in their ears. We call it earwigs. And there's people in a control room feeding them lines. I spot it all this time. I would never have done that with you guys. Was that suggested to you season two earwigs?

It is, it's just unbelievable that it worked and went. You told me very early on, you're like, I don't think you understand how easy it is to work with you guys because normally if you tell people like, have a conversation about this, they're like, well, what am I supposed to say? What do you mean have a conversation about it? Where is with us? It's like, here are five to eight topics to have conversations about. Go.

And then just do it. It's an art that you guys have mastered. It's impressive, you know. It really is. I think I actually remember saying it at like one of the rap parties or something like anyone who doesn't recognize the work that you guys do. Like, oh, it looks so fun.

People watch it at home and, oh, we should do that. We should have a show like that. It's like, it's work. I don't know. I could sometimes feel like, am I asking them to talk too much, but they're doing it. Did we just rap? I mean, they're doing it.

It won't shut up. It's crazy. I would be so mad if someone kept telling me to talk and keep you around. But it seems endless. Just fascinating. So what did you go on to after compliment? Would you want to talk about K.A. Bill? Talk about it?

It's really interesting. I thought the one you just were on. Oh. Can I interrupt you real quickly? We know, because I know you guys have families and you've got a family, you're sure need insurance. So we're talking policy genius. Let me see.

It's January 2020, the year 2020 shows up a lot in science fiction, is that true? Yeah. I don't know that. A lot of people predicted that by now we'd be teleporting to work or living on Mars and a lot of those predictions were wrong. The truth is we always get the future wrong,

that's not true, which is why we need to get life insurance. Right. Oh, not comma, right? It's not a question to statement. That's when policy, that's where policy genius can help. They make finding the right, oh my God, I'm sorry. Policy genius makes finding the right life insurance of breeze and vintage can compare quotes

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You know, he's from playing guitar. Joe Pericott. No, yeah, I was telling him it was like when I lost weight, it's like, I look like the visible man almost. You can see all these veins and shit in my legs and arms, especially if I'm working on it. Yeah, you're vascular. Vascular. It's not pretty though.

It looks weird. It's a little sexy. One of my favorite things that you did that really made me laugh going back to the Lou Ferigno thing was, Lou's trying to get me to go on a diet workout and all this other shit and he comes and he spreads out all this food on the table and he's like here's what you got to eat and he's like you know what do you have for breakfast and I tell him like six to eight mini donuts and when I watch the episode I notice that the word mini has been surgically

excised. So it seems I eat sick like at least half a dozen donuts, possibly eight. I don't like that motherfucker. Without the mini. If fucking maybe laugh, I was like, I had to rewind it. I was like, you fucking took the word mini out. You're welcome again. It was your reality. Just your beefed up a little bit. Could you imagine doing that to a real housewife or like one of these, like what would you call, like a high maintenance types? Oh god.

A drama queen, you say eight fucking eight donuts. Now they wouldn't get the funny. But picture in you eat six donuts for breakfast. Really funny. Yeah. And I'm like, I want to work out. Yeah. So I was like, so what was your question?

What are you working on now? I know what it is. Oh, it's very cool. Yeah. Very dangerous. Yeah. It's more dangerous than filming in a conflict or I would say.

A little more dangerous than that. Yeah, I just got back a couple of weeks ago. We're shooting a documentary for Discovery Channel Channel where six ocean rowers were attempting to be the first rowers to go across the Drake passage from South America to the tip of Antarctica. And Drake passage is notoriously regarded as the most treacherous waterway on the planet. So these guys were rowing, three guys rowing at a time, three on three off every 90 minutes they they would shift and we were following them in a boat, a 125 foot former

Japanese research vessel. But they said rock to like crazy. We hit all time. Five storms on the way down, big storms with swells, you know, 20, 25, 30 foot swells, sometimes for 20 hours, 24 hours of just continuous storming and the boat just going from side to side up and down. You're just getting bashed around, you know. Do you get seasick? Yeah, I've gotten seasick before. Not on a one-way going to cruise though.

Rise too big, the boat. The boat is way too big though. Yeah, I... How should I consider jumping overboard? I'd be like, I can't take it. That's too much. What was funny is that I have more days. I gotta tell you, if I had the speech that Captain gave me when I got on there, and it was

basically like, you know, if you think you might get seasick, you know, take medication, put the patch on, do anything you can do to not get C-Sick. Because if you get C-Sick, he's like, I'm going to have to put one of my crew to babysit you and make sure you don't die. And you will feel like you're going to die and you're going to wish you would die. And if we don't monitor you correctly, you may die from C-Sickness because you won't be able to keep anything down and you'll dehydrate and you'll have no electrolytes and salt in your body and your kidneys would shut down. So he's like, if it gets really

bad, we'll have to give you a C sickness medicine through your anus with repositories. That's something we've had to do with a lot of people on this ship. And I'm like, if this guy gave me this speech when I spoke to him on the phone, I may feel something to your wife. Do you think it just because he's done that before he got on the boat though, like at home, maybe with the wife, and I like, you know, why did you let the captain do it? Yeah, like I would just put the philosophy story so you go and so it's not, you know, well, the way it works, the way it works is if you have to prevent sea sickness. Once you cross over the line, into sea sickness, it's very difficult to get back.

No number of suppositories are going to help you. You do prevent it. Because a lot of people go into these things like being too proud, like, well I'm a tough guy, I'm not going to get sea sick, but they make a, it's a prescription patch, they call it a scope, but I mean, it's a scope. And you put that behind your ear and it works for three days. It distributes the medications to you over three days and that is a preventative. So yeah, I put the patch on, I had a bunch with me,

I gave them out to whoever wanted it. Did anybody have to get the nobody? To the credit of my crew, nobody got C-Sick. A couple of the rowers had a couple of nights where they were sick, but they were in a whole other world as well. Bro, guys who were used to this. Yeah, but you know, you really don't get, I guess you do get immune to it, but the way it works is either like you're a person who's going to get C-Sick or you're a person who

is like not going to get C-Sick. And if you're not sure, you should put the patch on and make sure you don't cross over to the other side because it's a dark and dangerous ugly side. So I had I was not too proud to say patch me up, Scottie. You know what I mean? So I had the patch on in it worked. I word for three days. And then how long were you on actually on the boat? I was on the boat for 23 days. Twenty-two. In the middle of nowhere, right?

Yeah. For the far like as far away from civilization as you've ever been. Uh, yeah, by far. With a guy who won't leave him alone about depository, so how you feeling? You look a little green. It was a little, uh, to be safe. No one for the skipper. Yeah, no, it was, I was very, very far away.

It was, uh, it was, uh, it was unnerving to leave a home and be so far away on over the holidays, right? Over the holidays for the holidays. I was I was It's got to be rough on the heart too, man. I got to tell you what I'll be honest with you. It wasn't that rough on the heart because I shut my heart down. You got to shut it down. Yeah. You can't be in both worlds.

You know, we'll do this a lot. And I didn't have to do it with the stash, obviously. But when you do, kind of those adventure shows, you know, you're out chasing tornadoes or you're in the middle of a jungle survival, the dual survival, the storm chasers. And you know, you're at risk and you are sometimes very far away. You're in jungles. You're in jungles, deserts, forests,

and you have to shut off, and not saying it in a tough guy way, you have to shut off any kind of fear and the recognition that you could die, one misstep and you could die. So you can't quake around camera men and stuff? No, I so wanted to. I wanted to.

And you also have to kind of shut out your real life. Because you don't want to be caught between the two worlds thinking about like, is the, you know, is the, is the boiler working or so and so taking the trash out. You shut that shit out and do your job. How you can do it, man. Like I said, much props. I mean, that's, that's a man's man right there.

Fuck yeah, where do you leave from? Like, you fly somewhere and then you get on the boat. So where do you got to fly to? You fly into, there's really two place to leave. No, well, yes, part of Patagonia.? Like you fly somewhere and then you get on the boat. So where do you have to fly to? You fly into the Patagonia? No, well yes, part of Patagonia, you fly. You can either leave from a place called... That's a real land. Yeah, Patagonia is a region.

Like a fucking farm. No, it exists in a Florida rings land. It's not a beautiful land. Beautiful mountainous land. It's the tip of South America. It extends through Chile and Argentina. So you can either leave from a place in Argentina called Ushuaia, but we left from the Chilean side a little town

called Punta Arrenas. And you fly into the capital of Chile, and then you drive down to Punta Arrenas, and then you get on a boat, and then you go on the boat for two days through the Beagle channel. It's really beautiful, and that's like what they call through the Beagle channel. It's really beautiful and that's like what they call Tierra del Fuego. It's a beautiful land. And then you get to Cape Horn. And once you go out past Cape Horn, then you're in Drake Passage. And you're

in the open ocean and you're getting battered by wind and currents. And you're at the mercy of Mother Nature and then the sea. It sounds hellish. And now this was to break a record, right? Yeah, these were the first guys to do it completely human-powered. So no sail, no motor, and they rode for almost 13 days. Every time you turn around, one of your shows is breaking a Guinness record, right? So you have to bring a Guinness representative, what you know on the boat? No, no.

Unlike... Turn it out. Unlike we did at J in Silent Bob's Secret Stash, where we had the adjudicator in his fancy blazer. Yeah, they're to witness all the biggest J and Bob cosplay happening in one location, right? Yeah, we still got the plaque on. Ever. Of course you do. No one can ever take that away from you. But heck, I'm the adjudicator. It's like, no, I'm not going to do that one, but I have to be there. I have to be there in Red Bank.

You're like, yo, we bro, stick this up your ass. Get on the boat. The truth is, we didn't need the adjudicator for the Jane Son of Bob record. We could have given them videotape evidence, but we wanted the adjudicator for television. I was all just for the per cameras. Yeah, yeah.

We wanted him. Yeah. He was a lovely gentleman, the adjudicator. But in this case, they just really, they just follow the GP lessons. Yeah, and we're documenting the whole thing. And these guys, the captain of the robot has a long relationship. Apparently, he's got 30 Guinness book records in the field of ocean rowing. So he's very tight with the Guinness people, and they were looking forward to his record.

And I think we broke like six or set like six new records. No, it's fine because there are little mini episodes on DiscoveryGo.com right now. There's 14 episodes. So we yeah, we hooked up a satellite antenna. We were sending like up to 10 minutes of footage back a day so that the team in New York could put together these little web episodes. So it's out there, it's been in the New York Times, the dude, the main rower, a colonel Brady, who had never rode before, but he had set this other Antarctic record. He was the first personal walk across Antarctic, unsupported, Antarctica. And yeah, he's been all over the press with it.

So, cats out of the bag were put in the documentary together, like feature lanes, 60 or 90 minute dock right now. So yeah, cats out of the bag, we're putting the documentary together, like feature lane, 60 or 90 minute dock right now. So, yeah, cats out of the bag, the records are set, um, and it was good. So, it was like banter, and when they're rowing, or they just, like, yeah, very little banter. Very little banter about, like, you know, characters that you want, you know, from the 70s that you'd like to be a roommate with, or... Like movies about rowing boats top five rowing movies you opening scene of you would hope so I mean definitely Amistad has to be out there right without question and then I believe there's

a rowing scene in the opening of dead poet society as well. Yeah. Oh, probably good while hunting, too. Or maybe I'll think of a good girl like her. Big of a crew. Those are the Boston. So no, no witty banter. This was not that kind of show. No, wasn't that kind of show. You know, about biceps, like, you know, and blood sweat tears.

I have a lot of blood. Anybody cry? Um, there would be. There would be. There would be. It's just him. I never admit to. I don't want anymore superstars to.

But it hurts too bad. It just, It hurts too bad. It hurts too bad Please Yeah, no there were there were there were some very poignant moments where where fellow is a joy Tears of joy at one point a giant cruise ship King No I would like to have a job. No, no, I got to pull us to something like 20,000 leagues under to see those are the kind of things I would say to the network when we're talking to the network about the show and we're like, yeah, well, you know, I got the beginning and I got the end. Hopefully they make it and it's like, well, what happens during the road?

And I'm like, you know, they're rolling. I don't know. We're gonna have to wait and see what happens, you know like if a giant squid attack That's it like a gigantic squid. It was a blank slate, but no giant squid No giant squid, but a big big a cruise ship came out of the mist Out of nowhere like a ghost ship and to see the giant cruise ship Deserted ship just floated by I Wish I could tell you it was full of skeletons, but there was people on it Okay, they were on the way to Antarctica. And that was the time when the rovers got very emotional. Now you got emotional seeing the cruise ship?

Yeah, because it was like the first sign of like real life and the people were waiting to them and cheering. It was a huge moment for them and they got well done. Maybe not bent her, but did they talk to each other? Yeah, they never talked to each other because the deal is there's six guys on the boat, three are rowing and so in the One cabin. Oh, so when there's storms Nobody can roll so then you got two guys in in one cabin together

Which is just like a little tomb at the front and back of the boat and then you've got in theory four guys giant dudes six foot two three guys Like big athletic dudes crammed in this little not The opposite of the compliment. The complete opposite. These guys rode across an entire ocean. They're in a better shape than I was. Yeah, sure. So it's like you're trying to jam, you're like four, like four thores into a boat.

And yeah, and they were, they were had to like lay on top of each other and spoon each other and basically, yeah, just lay head to toe to keep warm, but just to stay out of the storm because they never left the robot. They never left the robot. Yeah, they never, oh no, they can't leave the robot. They live on the robot. And they spoon.

They have to. Yes, they have to lie on top of each other for warmth. It was freezing cold for them. Every day. No. Oh, well, every day, yes, for two of them. So if there's three guys rowing, one was in the bow cabin, one was in the stern cabin by himself,

and two were in the bow cabin. But then when there were storms, nobody could row. Oh, so they couldn't, so there was no room for them to go to like a private room. So they had to spoon in front of everybody. Well, they weren't on our boat, they were on their robot. They stay on their robot. So there wasn't enough room in case it was a storm for them to go in and get off the the the rowing. They probably wouldn't

have the record. Yeah, they couldn't every get off the vessel. No, no, no, you know, like so they're not able to row because they're a storm. So they have to stay in their locations where they would be rowing if there was no storm, right? Yes. Because there was not another cabin for them to go to. So then, so we're like, they're in this part of the boat, because there is no other cabin for them to go to. And so then you're like, it's cold. We got a spoon.

Well, it's really like a long, 25 foot long, I'm gonna show you a picture of a 25 foot long rowing vessel. The deck is open where the rowing seats are, but then in the front and the back, it almost looks like a little Tylenol capsule and you have to slide in there, like a little coffin. So they all slide into this little coffin together and that's where they sleep and eat and drink.

What about, and they put in a bucket in front of the other rowers? Yeah. No! Yeah. Yeah. It. Yeah. Oh. Ha. Ha. Ha. Yeah.

It's dangerous. Oh, they're getting them just popped up loud. That's me. I'm right here in a boat, you know, shooting under water. Well, because the swells, like sometimes they would, they would totally disappear and then, and then bounce back up. Thank you, get them. So, wait a second.

So wait a second. Well, how long does it take you to get used to that, though? We're all of a sudden your sudden your guys, your camera guys, you have to, I guess, I assume shut down or film something else. Or like, hey, I need to take a break here. Yeah, they don't say anything, but they would, they're as a courtesy, we would tell them like, like, listen, we're not going to, we have really no interest in watching you peer or shit in a bucket.

So, you know, as a courtesy, we see guy get the bucket in place. And we put our cameras down or shoot something else. Yeah, that's the boat. That's our actual... So, where does someone go when they want to sleep? So, underneath. So, in here, so these little hatch doors open up. So this is the smaller...

Like in this one is the navigational stuff. And so, the two leaders of the expedition expedition the captain and the first mate would sleep in here and the other cold was it. I mean the water was like 30 degrees the air was about 30 degrees and the winds were freezing. I don't know what the windshield must have been extreme. It would they were freezing cold and covered in salt water the whole time it was miserable for these guys and so when there's a storm four of these dudes were supposed to go into this cabin, but they quickly found out it was too small for four. So then one of them would sit out here, strapped into this thing with a little strap and

pinch blackness. Well, it only got dark between like 11 and 3 a.m. down there. There's not that much darkness. So, but yes, for a few hours, very dark, and then waves would just be coming over and trying to knock this person out, and then every 90 minutes they would switch the position. He's got a strap, not the way you would want to be secured in. Definitely could have been washed off the side. You got a strap clipped on there. You could kind of see it right there. It was really dangerous. Oh, I Really dangerous for these guys, but I mean, but still though they did they Did they know that there wasn't going to be enough room for them? They would have to like spoon. Yeah, they they yeah

They did like when when we were setting up our cameras and kind of building out the boat with all their gear They tried it out and four of them went in there and they were just like no way dude This is not going to happen. But even for three of those dudes, they're literally lying on top of each other. And those storms, in theory, they could have lasted for four days or five days. I was just life changing money for these guys after they break this record. No. Damn.

It's a record. I mean, just for their own to just to do it, I can just this prove I can do it again. These are guys like myself. Like one of the rowers, you know, three of those guys rode the Indian Ocean together, right? One of the guys the captain is as I said like the world's greatest ocean roller in history holds all the records You know one of the dudes who was rolling is as my sucked though like to be the best and but no one really knows It's like it's not like your Tom Brady or right or the Bellard Michael Jordan right you're a good Michael Jordan of Rowling, but no one knows right It's it's frustrating for him. We spoke a lot

We spoke a lot about you know It's like the qubert guy who came in and he's like I created qubert You would never know otherwise. Yeah, did you spoon with the captain? Tell him Steve Dave I see you put in your jacket sure. I'm just fucking freezing. I'm so I'm dying. Yeah, go on. Let's do it. Let's do it. Another ad. No, no more. It's today. I'm sure. Yeah, I don't know. Brian, the show we can have cute come. We can always yeah, you can come back. How have you appeared? Well, you cut me off. And that it you. Well, I mean, it looks like. Get in the hook. Brian's got his brief. This morning I was

released in his hand. Look at him. This morning I was like, should I just cancel everything? That's how shitty I feel. And then I was like, nope. No way. I was looking forward to this way more

than I was looking forward to anything else. We do something else. And also I'd let Natta you've appeared officially on Tellum's Eve Day. If you are now eligible to become a part of this tournament we're having on our Patreon call the Preveyor's Pozer Some Playlist where we have a music debate. Oh

He'd be good. You're being into music. Oh, that's right at my alley. Okay, you're in. Yeah, I'm in all right So stay tuned for that. I don't know what this tournament can take years Cris has a quick question. I've been oh, yeah, there's that that's a trophy you can win. I can win that trophy So in are you kidding me? Yeah, I mean my greatest possession ever people will care as much about that as the rowing guys I've one question. It's quick. It's a very it's a very the guy never heard a button in his life I didn't always coming. I mean you're fucking coughing your sars on me Get him's tempting me with that big purple statue quick question So you need to decide you need to settle a debate for me. And I'd like to hear

from each of you and I know it'll be top of your head. Who, what four rock bands or individual artists go on the Mount Rushmore of Classic Rock? What four, in my opinion? Jagger The even though I know it's controversial Townton okay, you know country next up is our Kelly I know about it. I don't know I refused an old school rock and roll guy was it my kids I don't give a shit then I like something I like Tommy I've heard that song enough times You do bubble riley you get a pass I know you're gonna I know you want to hear Page but I think I think

Plan okay, and then I know it's gonna be a beetle. I don't care which one Ringo no Yeah, you do care I guess I do care which one I'm gonna say the car near the guy so basically you're saying Zeppelin the who the stones and the Beatles What about the doors that's for Yeah, no no Jamar so that there no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, noHell has got some great moments. There are some other great songs, but no other great, complete album. I can't give him Mount Rushmore for that. Yeah.

What about Skinnerd? No. No. No. There's an argument to be made. I'm just going to like. Crossby Stills, Nash and Young. Yeah, more folk rock.

Yeah. So this is great. You could enter this. I know you're your appearance now on this. You could go. These villains overlook kids getting molested. How the fuck could he not win? I've been overwhelmed. Yeah. Shut up, Michelle. Shut the fuck up. Nobody ever listens to me at home, guys. You gave me a microphone, you know, I want to keep talking. There was one more thing I didn't want to ask you. I know you probably don't want to come down on a too hard. In case you

get I know you never know where you're going to have to work. What's your opinion on these gross out shows, these reality shows like Dr. Pimple Popper and my fear of killing me? Disgusting. Is there anything more grotesque and more exploitive? And how did I find these motherfuckers or are willing to go on TV with a fucking growth on their neck? The size of a fucking... ...amidget? Yeah.

No. It, uh... Let me feel this one there's nothing more grotesque than my can ming being on TV please say it please say it please I hope feel well I want to get the fuck out of here balance deep day thank you