Thank Goodness You’re Here
Feature
Funny Player One
A comedian spoke with video game comedians like Tim Schafer, Al Lowe, Dana Gould, and more, to figure out why comedy in video games works on the rare occasions it does
The first time I remember laughing is my sister hating the dog in Duck Hunt.
I was basically a large toddler (as opposed to now, where I simply look like one), and my sister and I had achieved the impossible: finally convincing our parents to get us a Nintendo Entertainment System. It came packed in with the Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt combo cartridge. One time when my sister was playing, she missed all the ducks, and that a--hole dog popped up and did its little 8-bit laugh where it covered its stomach as if to say, “This is so funny, you’re a failure.” My sister screamed and swore at the dog, causing my mother to swear at my sister, causing my sister to throw the Zapper straight into the wall, and causing me to laugh so hard that it became a permanent memory. Because, let’s be honest: the dog was right. It was so funny. Still is!
Comedy and games have been the two tragic throughlines in my life and my career. Hi, I’m a stand-up comedian who’s written for television shows like MST3K and for games from companies like Nintendo. And, I’ll tell you right now as a sidebar: there is no better time to be in both television and video games. Both industries are doing so, so well, thank you for asking. I’ve got one foot in each industry, and each industry is a concrete boot.