MICHAEL AND MICHAEL HAVE ISSUES
Michael Black and I are currently in production on a new series for Comedy Central. A brief synopsis of the show: “Best friends and collaborators for over 20 years Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter finally have their own TV show on Comedy Central. There’s just one problem: they are their own worst enemies. The show is new twist on sketch comedy that features the long-time comedic partners, Michael and Michael, as the stars of their own sketch show. Behind-the-scenes of the show-within-a-show, viewers will get a first hand look at the issues, both big (in an attempt to broaden their appeal the guys turn their show into a frat house spectacle), and small (the two Michael’s fight over the approval of a teenage intern writing an article about them in his high school newspaper), that the two misguided hosts wrestle with as they attempt to one-up each other and undermine the other as they deal with their own insecurities and jealousy. Each episode is built around sketches, live and remote, high brow and low brow, featuring Black and Showalter returning to their sketch roots.”
MR. FUNNY PANTS
I am working on a comedic memoir for Grand Central Publishing. The book is set to be released in the Winter of 2009. A brief synopsis: “Combining funny anecdotes, stories, jokes, humor pieces, observations, lists, doodles, graphic elements, and personal memoir, Michael Showalter empties the contents of his comedic brain onto the page for all to read. Organized into the different biological parts of his brain, this book will be an adventurous journey into the deep (and not-so-deep) recesses of his creative mind. The end result will be a new sort of autobiography, with the ultimate goal to entertain, and on a deeper level, to tell Showalter’s story: his obsessions––creative and otherwise––his point-of-view, his successes, and his failings. Reminiscent of works by David Sedaris, Nick Hornby, and Dave Eggers, as well as the straightforward, just-for-laughs style of Woody Allen and the Onion, MR. FUNNY PANTS will bring insight to cult followers who have been there since The State, and fans just discovering Showalter’s absurd charm.”
THE MICHAEL SHOWALTER SHOWALTER
An eponymous web series on Collegehumor.com. The show is an homage to my love of Charlie Rose and features interviews gone wrong with the likes of Zach Galifinakis, Michael Cera, Mike Birbiglia, Andy Samberg, Jack McBrayer, Paul Rudd, David Wain, Michael Ian Black and David Cross.
SANDWICHES & CATS
I recorded my first and only stand-up record over four nights at Union Hall in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I also recorded a bunch of songs at my musician friend Craig Wedren’s home studio in the the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Those songs feature my frequent collaborator actor Zak Orth on guitar. Together Zak and I call ourselves The Doilies. Janeane Garofalo and Eugene Mirman both appear on the record as does some random woman who brought two cats to my live recording without telling me, hence the title. The album was produced by Jacob Harris @ JDUB Records (jdubrecords.org) Click here for the Pitchfork review of the album.
