the comic's comic

Pic of the Turkey Day: Thanksgiving at Drink at Work

Hope everybody out there enjoyed their Thanksgiving! I know I did, and here's a bit of photographic evidence courtesy of Mindy Tucker, as we do our own take on a famous TV poster, er, I mean religious painting...

Top row: Me, Jill Anders, Sharon M. Spell, Corey Pandolph, Sean Crespo, Sean Canady; Bottom row: Kristen MacIntire Pandolph, Kelley Robertson Gorden, Rob Gorden, Carol Hartsell, Lizz Winstead, Joe Garden, Barry Lank, Dan Wilbur, Anita Serwacki and David Murrell

Click on it to make it bigger.

What you didn't see: This is a panaromic of shots by Tucker, in which we held our poses while she moved alongside the other side of the dinner table. Also, our hosts (Drink at Work's Sean Crespo and Carol Hartsell) decorated the area above the table with a leafy display -- only two things even give that away in the photo. And no, we didn't study "The Last Supper" image very long before providing our own interpretation thereof. Which explains my lack of accuracy. Otherwise great job, everybody! The Apiary called it the Ultimate NYC Thanksgiving Photo. Thanks!

 

Friends without pity: Sean Crespo has "No Prior Knowledge" of his own TV pitch

Over on Television Without Pity, comedian Sean Crespo has been filing regular video blogs -- or as the old people call them, vlogs -- about television from the perspective of a complete outsider. His series, "No Prior Knowledge," celebrated its 100th episode with a look back at some other statistics, plus Crespo asked some of his funny friends who have appeared on the TV help him figure out what his own TV series might look like.

Donald Glover (NBC), Lizz Winstead (Comedy Central), Nick Stevens (ESPN, NESN), Matt McCarthy (AMC, Verizon ads), Patrick Borelli (Adult Swim), Livia Scott (NBC) and Crespo's live-in ladyfriend and Drink at Work partner in comedy crimes, Carol Hartsell, all offered their thoughts. Good luck, Crespo! Roll it!

Shoot the messenger: "Wake Up World," the pilot

From the mind of Lizz Winstead, co-creator of The Daily Show, and her friends, comes this parody of America's first and only six-hour morning "news" show, Wake Up World. They had been doing this as a live show regularly in NYC since 2007 under the umbrella title of Shoot The Messenger. As a television pilot, however, we go behind-the-scenes of the fictional news network, with hosts Hope Jean Paul (Winstead) and Davis Miles (Baron Vaughn), and featuring, among others: Livia Scott, Sean Crespo, Carol Hartsell and Jeff Kreisler. Welcome to America's worst news network. No, it's not the one you're thinking of. This one is fictional. Maybe. Roll the clips (in four parts)!

Shoot the Messenger visits the 2008 RNC

The Daily Show is not the only faux news team in the Twin Cities this week for the 2008 Republican National Convention. Lizz Winstead brought her Shoot the Messenger crew from New York City to Minnesota, where they're in the middle of a three-night run at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis (final show tonight at 7 p.m.). The StarTribune talked to Winstead about the field trip -- we learn her brother is the Republican mayor of nearby Bloomington -- and here, we can see an excerpt from their first night's show on Tuesday, which, for those of you who need reminding, is built around "Wake Up World with Hope and Davis," the nation's only six-hour morning program hosted by Hope Jean Paul (Winstead) and Davis Miles (Baron Vaughn):

CollegeHumor video: Weak Sauce!

CollegeHumor has enjoyed a good week in original videos. First, their Font Conference. Now this fake ad for Weak Sauce. Enjoy!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

The Mini Hot Dog Eating Championships

Is it too early in the morning to ponder hot dogs? How about mini hot dogs, the ever-popular pigs in blankets? Well, it's not too early in the month, because July means we're only days away from the Fourth of July and the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Will it be Joey Chestnut again? Or will Kobayashi reclaim his legend status? More pressing, as commentators Sean Crespo and Christian Finnegan note in this newly unearthed video, can Adira Amram or H. Alan Scott dethrone Andres du Bouchet in the first-ever mini-dog "contest" at Comix? You'll have to watch to find out:

No Prior Knowledge: Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica begins its fourth and final season April 4 on SciFi, and comedian/vlogger Sean Crespo has a pretty good idea of what you should expect to learn as the immensely popular remake nears its epic conclusion. Even though he hasn't seen a single episode from season four. That's why his new Television Without Pity vlog series is called "No Prior Knowledge." Crespo gets an assist here from Baron Vaughn, Carol Hartsell and Sara Jo Allocco.

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Shoot the Messenger at 45 Bleecker

If you haven't seen Lizz Winstead's latest creation, then you're missing out. Winstead, who co-created The Daily Show and later went on to Air America Radio, now has her sights set on skewering morning TV. Her Monday night show, Shoot the Messenger, recently moved into larger digs at The Green Room at 45 Bleecker. In the new venue, the set design and everything else feels much more like an actual morning TV program (even if it's not actually six hours, as advertised in the tagline for "Wake Up World with Hope and Davis," TV's only six-hour morning 'infonewsment' show). There are the requisite sofa, chair and coffee table. A separate news desk.

Benari Poulten plays the frat-tastic energetic audience warm-up guy. Baron Vaughn as Davis Miles plays affable co-host to Winstead's ridiculous Hope Jean Paul. Each week typically features a taped interview segment with self-help author, "Life Expert" Dana Levan (Carol Hartsell). A big screen behind the stage plays these pre-taped bits, new toons, and last week offered a well-executed debate between other 24/7 network anchors (played by Lucas Held and Sean Crespo) with Vaughn moderating it live.

Here is a segment from last Monday:

And here is a toon they produced about the Democratic horse race:

It's unlike The Daily Show, which makes direct jokes about actual news and newsgatherers, nor is it like The Onion News Network, which is all about fake news. No. Shoot The Messenger aims somewhere in between, poking fun at the actual ridiculousness of morning TV news. After each week's 45-minute production, there's an intermission, after which Winstead returns to the stage as herself to talk about what they're up to, then interviews a special guest. Last week, she talked with Andy Borowitz about the 2008 campaign. Borowitz complimented Winstead on creating "a fully realized character" as well as the technology behind the production.

Tonight's Shoot The Messenger won't be the usual production, however. Instead, Vaughn and Darbi Worley will host a show centered on the several comedians who contribute to the program, with video highlights of their contributions followed by their stand-up. On the bill: Jeff Kreisler, Sean Crespo, Lucas Held, Baron Vaughn, Carol Hartsell and Jamie Kilstein.