This time out we salute Craig Robinson, who might well have ended up as your high school music teacher had not the comedy bug bit him hard while in college at Illinois State University. Along with hitting the books, Craig also hit the boards at Second City and doing stand up, eventually moving to Los Angeles where he caught the eye of Jimmy Kimmel's show. As these things do, one thing led to another and Craig has carved out a fine career with guest shots in movies and on tv, a role in the hit sitcom The Office, and more. He also is a fine musician and maintains a couple of musical projects where the music is sweet soul and the comedy is sharp and a little risqué. With that combo we think Craig will be entertaining us for years to come. As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Craig's comedy songs usually have a nice romantic intro, then turn a different direction for the payoff as in this clip from the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in 2008. https://youtu.be/I7BMAWwsMBs?si=CvLfOcPrLhD6ztrg

Craig gained mass attention when he took on the role of warehouse foreman Darryl Philbin in The Office. Here are some of his best bits. https://youtu.be/XrHeFFYhd1A?si=jx5UMoY0pobFe2i4

Craig Robinson is a great musical comedian, sometimes with his own band "Nasty Delicious" and sometimes with fellow comic Jerry Minor as in this sensitive ballad. https://youtu.be/pS3WQ-tqntA?si=aEN_ICdKmur1fL2e

An icon of 20th Century American humor, Jack Benny started as a violinist who would use comedy to save himself from bombing. He ended up as a legendary comedian who used the violin as one part of an indelible comic character. Vain, stingy, and eternally 39, Jack became a hit in the 1930s on the then-new medium of radio. He turned that into a stellar movie and television career -- earning himself three stars on Hollywood's Walk of Fame -- one each for movies, radio, and television. Benny was also part of Hollywood's comedy old guard with friends ranging from Bob Hope and Johnny Carson to Benny's long-time best bud George Burns. Benny is often cited as the Jedi master of comic timing -- he could bring down the house with just a glance, a shrug, or a perfectly timed "Well!" As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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This is short but worth seeing the visuals as Jack is called out on his age in a delightfully backhanded way. https://youtu.be/qCCzO-9pWls?si=RIi6-QPXUqS4J074

Jack's radio show was fun for some of the byplay between Jack and Announcer Don Wilson. This "marathon" of Benny radio shows has a nice example at the start -- then stick around for more!https://youtu.be/qCCzO-9pWls?si=RIi6-QPXUqS4J074

Jack and Johnny Carson were good friends, dating back to when Johnny was the new kid in town. This bit from Jack's tv show is great fun. https://youtu.be/mUd1-_91YTk?si=3Ob1JIItYTInlxjO

Jack received a rare honor when he was cast in his very own Looney Tunes cartoon. Here's a taste, featuring some of Jack's regular co-stars. https://youtu.be/xB6TSameuYQ?si=XUz2xQuUgOuXrQVS

Meet Hasan Minaj, one of the brightest young comedians out there -- and a man who almost became the new host of The Daily Show. Born in Davis, CA to immigrant parents, Hasan caught the comedy bug in college, commuting to San Francisco to perform. His style of sharp eyed comedy and his youthful appeal eventually caught the eye of Jon Stewart and Hasan was the last Daily Show correspondent hired by Stewart during his first run as host. Eventually Hasan left and started his own show, the award-winning "The Patriot Act" on Netflix, which won numerous awards including a Peabody. A kerfuffle over whether some of his comedy stories were embellished apparently cost him the chance to become Daily Show host after Trevor Noah departed, but Hasan continues with a busy standup career. As always find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Hasan came to most of our attentions as a Daily Show correspondent (and almost host). Here's a clip package of some of Hasan's best from that show. https://youtu.be/3-0-81q-fGo?si=JISd8ym5R-Z5Wsia

Hasan won a Peabody award for his show "The Patriot Act" on Netflix, mixing comedy with sharp takes on the issues of the day, plus a little playful crowd work. https://youtu.be/J7dqGhOPVcY?si=uoD_T1Yby9hS5mLA

Hasan continues to put out first rate stand up specials. Here's a bit from his most recent -- "Off with His Head!" https://youtu.be/15fiVq9jj8Y?si=xWmWih4ie61ypGna

Might want to put on the headphones for this one -- Bob "Bobcat" Goldthwait has a set of pipes (at least in the old days) that is indescribable. A perfect fit for the MTV era, Bobcat's comedy was edgy (to say the least) and he became a favorite of other edgy artists (Kurt Cobain was a big fan). Bobcat was a regular at Comic Relief fundraisers and he carved out a niche as a supporting actor in flicks such as Police Academy 2. Bobcat also was behind "The Citizen Kane of alcoholic clown movies" -- Shakes the Clown. But eventually Bobcat found himself trapped by his comic persona and that voice and he consciously sought out more behind the scenes work (including directing the Jimmy Kimmel Live show in the early 2000s). And in recent years, the comic now know as Bob Goldthwait has poked a little fun at the change -- a 2020 special is called "You Don't Look The Same Either." As always find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows.

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Time to test your speakers -- here's Bobcat in full flight at one of the Comic Relief benefit shows. As one commenter noted -- he's a real life Tasmanian Devil. https://youtu.be/O0qAfWWQJ5w?si=mT9EFIhW60N_5wnj

Bobcat was a natural for gonzo comedies and his role as Zed in the Police Academy films was a fan fave. https://youtu.be/GbURJaV_iYQ?si=QMduQa7fbzti-DSl

A bomb that has turned into a cult classic, Shakes the Clown imagines an all clown world with Bobcat as the titular character trying to beat a frame up for murder. https://youtu.be/Du71B7kEHvY?si=Cil0KZrScl3jVE-5

In his recent standup, Bob Goldthwait drops the "Bobcat" and has fun at the expense of his old image. https://youtu.be/XX2NzMnIsOg?si=EFaIdb4MfJRA8kLA

A beloved actor and part of the greatest television comedies ever, Art Carney will forever be identified as Ed Norton, blue collar pal of Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) in The Honeymooners. First a radio star, Art started working with Jackie in the early 1950s on The Cavalcade of Stars where the Honeymooners began as a series of sketches. Those sketches earned Art five Emmy awards and an enduring legion of fans. But Art was much more than Norton -- he racked up an impressive number of leading and supporting roles on tv and in movies including that of Harry Coombes in the sweet film Harry and Tonto about a cross country trip by a man and his cat. The Academy agreed with Art winning an Oscar for the role! As always find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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The Honeymooners is a seminal bit of early television magic -- here's the full bit where Art's Ed Norton teaches a little golf to Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden. https://youtu.be/QNauilZRzHk?si=j7amLMQNP7NFWefw

Art was a favorite of Johnny Carson and he always managed to bring a little comic anarchy along for his guest spots. https://youtu.be/aUelHDAh1kk?si=CHj_4LZj9xPrS-Ax

Art won an Oscar for Harry and Tonto -- and it also made Art a cat person! https://youtu.be/jxInBUR2zLU?si=CXn7bSFqU4B8oXku

Say hello to Red Skelton, a favorite of comedy fans for five decades. Red considered himself more of a clown than a comedian and his routines were filled with colorful characters and sight gags. A solid draw in movies back in the 1940s, Red took the leap to television when that medium arrived and he was a smash. Red was also famous for "working clean" which made him a family favorite both on screen (large and small) and on stage. Red also had a side career as a painter, specializing in -- what else -- portraits of clowns. And, in a sweet honor, Red's hometown of Vincennes, Indiana has the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy. Not bad for a clown!! As always find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows.

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Red's skits often had a bit of mime and this one -- the Doughnut Dunkers -- was a routine he revisited throughout his career. https://youtu.be/F4NcL3U6LHU?si=MnySSB2ZG50IVZur

Red had many famous characters including boxer Cauliflower McPugg who may have stayed in the game a little too long. https://youtu.be/ID9B2i_BvFY?si=vMzQ1_yxNZt-_vj0

Red went way back with Johnny Carson and his visits to the Tonight Show were always fun! https://youtu.be/jnZwa6w0rcI?si=736Xaz3BwehKgLD9

Meet Louie Anderson, who started off writing punchlines for Henny Youngman, the King of one-liners, and ends with an Emmy-winning career that spanned television, movie roles, and best selling books. Louie had a self-deprecating style that endeared him to audiences and he was fearlessly honest about the myriad childhood issues that informed his comedy. When he passed in 2022 tributes from fellow comics were voluminous, including Dennis Miller who once said that Louie was "one of lightest on his feet comedians I know. There are very few guys I'm going to leave my dressing room early to watch." As always find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Louie got a big break when he killed in his first Tonight Show appearance back in 1984. https://youtu.be/2bRe1CeGe7g?si=Ea1HfaQ-1ll9ks8l

Louie scored a short but important "cult classic" role as Maurice, a fast food jockey who dreams of bigger things. https://youtu.be/CEnp84dgNfs?si=FoWxrUci8UIwV0Dh

Louie conquered many forms of filmed entertainment -- including the animated kind -- with Life with Louie which explored childhood issues with a big dose of humor. https://youtu.be/4IseTA__0lY?si=1TF5cJYUduMLD6de

Louie had a late career triumph in Baskets, a hit FX show that featured Louie -- in drag -- as mother to twin brother played by Zach Galifinakis. He won an Emmy for the portrayal and it's well-deserved -- Louie is great! https://youtu.be/ap4iSflYAhg?si=J7DS0EQ6AYvX1Xkm