Mike Lukas: Crowd Work and Finding Your Funny
KEY MOMENTS
0:00 – Intro: comedian and author Mike Lukas
3:28 – Self-publishing the Funny Muscle series
6:31 – Lou's path to Bombardier Books
9:06 – Devon Eriksen and the economics of publishing
14:22 – Teaching standup and improv in Dallas
18:09 – Selling books and merch after shows
22:41 – Crowd work videos and chatty audiences
25:29 – The five tools of a comedian
28:40 – The business of standup comedy
31:47 – The breakup bit about moving out
36:40 – Hanging up the cleats and coming back
40:02 – Opening for Rob Schneider
43:46 – Early open mics and lucky bumps
46:42 – Why standup audiences don't give free passes
49:25 – Touring every state and the joy of live shows
53:24 – Rock bottom stories as comedy material
57:40 – Mike's books and wrap-up
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Comedian Mike Lukas, author of My Effin' Joy Strategy: A Cranky Comic's Game Plan to Find More Happiness in Daily Life and Finding Your Funny Muscle: How to Create Laughs Like a Pro, joins Lou to talk about how crowd-work clips are hurting comedy, coming back after a decade off, and the upside of addiction.
We also get into returning to the stand-up grind, what it takes to create laughs like a pro, finding more happiness as a cranky comic, and why addiction, whatever else it costs you, comes with all the material.