Update (edited)

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, December 11 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Wednesday, December 20 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Thursday, December 21 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Friday, December 22 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Saturday, December 23 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Sunday, December 24 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Busy week this week. I host Hit or Miss Monday tonight at the Comic Strip. Tomorrow I'm filming lead-ins to the next episode of MPW MADNESS. Wednesday, is the filming for SURE-SHOT DOMBROWSKI (or at least my part in it) and Saturday is MPW's next live show--MPW JINGLE BRAWLS. The MPW show will be an afternoon show at the Alberta Ave Community hall and proceeds will be donated to Santas Anonymous, a classy gesture on the part of MPW.

I'm also trying to get my passport for a trip to the States next year. Why did I have to wait until you actually needed a passport to make this decision? The Passport Office is a nightmare, with people travelling for Christmas and with the new travel stuff coming in in January. Oh well. If that's the worst problem I have, I'm in pretty good shape.

Acutally the worst problem I have is Christmas shopping for my family. If anybody has any ideas, I'm open to suggestions.

Update
Upcoming Comedy
Monday, December 11 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Wednesday, December 27 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Thursday, December 28 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Friday, December 29 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Saturday, December 30 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Busy week this week. I host Hit or Miss Monday tonight at the Comic Strip. Tomorrow I'm filming lead-ins to the next episode of MPW MADNESS. Wednesday, is the filming for SURE-SHOT DOMBROWSKI (or at least my part in it) and Saturday is MPW's next live show--MPW JINGLE BRAWLS. The MPW show will be an afternoon show at the Alberta Ave Community hall and proceeds will be donated to Santas Anonymous, a classy gesture on the part of MPW.

I'm also trying to get my passport for a trip to the States next year. Why did I have to wait until you actually needed a passport to make this decision? The Passport Office is a nightmare, with people travelling for Christmas and with the new travel stuff coming in in January. Oh well. If that's the worst problem I have, I'm in pretty good shape.

Acutally the worst problem I have is Christmas shopping for my family. If anybody has any ideas, I'm open to suggestions.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, December 11 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Wednesday, December 27 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Thursday, December 28 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Friday, December 29 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton
Saturday, December 30 - The Comic Strip, Edmonton

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM
Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

It's been a productive week for writing. I'm still plodding away on a teleplay I've been pecking at for some time. We also did the lead-ins for the next MPW show. RIPPER and I are working together pretty well, although I don't think my own performance was as good as last week. However, I'm told most people watch don't watch wrestling for the announcers. They wrestling for the wrestling--though you wouldn't know it from how little of it some of the other wrestling shows put on.

KATHLEEN MCGEE is hosting a Comedy Contest at the Sidetrack Cafe December 14. Go down there and vote for who you think the funniest person is. The contest will be running regularly and is open to pro comics and people just starting out, so if you want to compete for the prize ($400), contact her through the contest myspace at www.myspace.com/kokaneecomedybattle . It's a lot of fun, so I encourage you to sign up and bring your friends since the winner will be decided by audience reaction. The December 14 show is all booked up, but she's hoping to run more shows in the future.

Incidentally, this isn't the first room Kathleen's hosted. She also ran rooms in the Thirsty Turtle and Blue Chicago, so this isn't her first trip to the dance. I remember Blue Chicago with a lot of fondness since I cut most of my open-mic teeth there when I was starting out. I also cut my teeth on those five dollar steaks, but that's another story.

Thinking about where I've come from reminds me to be grateful to the people who have helped me along my way, giving me a place to write or perform. Whether its' writing, comedy, wrestling, or life in general, there have been a lot of people who stood behind me who don't get recognition. From the staff of the clubs to the editors at the paper to the friends and family who have provided me with so much encouragement over the years, I offer a heartfelt thank you.

Update

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, December 1 - Kid Stuff

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, December 11 - The Comic Strip

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Quiet week this week (at least professionally). I've been getting lots of writing done though, so that's always a nice feeling. People often ask me where I get my ideas. I actually find ideas easy. It's turning those ideas into a decent column that's the work. My next column, on kids, runs this Friday in the Edmonton Journal.

As well, a new episode of MPW MADNESS airs this week at the usual time. It'll feature SHANE O'RYAN's return to action and the INSANE IRISHMAN/FINAL CHAPTER match I went on about at some length a few weeks ago. Filming the lead-ins for the show was as smooth as it's ever gone. RIPPER and I are working like a well-polished machine. Or a well-oiled shoe. Or something.

Wednesday Night.

If you're wondering what every comic in the city will be doing Wednesday night, they'll be listening to CJSR at midnight. Here's why:

Powermann and Lars co-host a weekly radio show with a focus on stand up comedy every Wednesday at midnight (MST) on CJSR 88.5 FM. or you can tune in online at www.cjsr.com This week their guest is Doug Stanhope! He was host of the Man Show and Girls Gone Wild. But to comedians he is known for comedy and he is the HUGE!!!

"Ask anyone whose opinion matters, and they'll tell you Doug Stanhope is one of the top ten stand-ups in the world today. [...]" Chortle UK

If you have a question for Doug email us here at kkcjsr@hotmail.com.
Doug Stanhope myspace http://www.myspace.com/dougstanhope
Doug Stanhope website http://www.dougstanhope.com/"

Update

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Journal

Friday, November 17 - The Best Announcer in the World

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

First of all, thanks to all who sent in birthday wishes. It means a lot.

My next Jounal article runs this Friday, and it's on my experiences as an announcer for Monster Pro Wrestling. Speaking of MPW, no pies in this week's MPW show, but it will feature two title matches: NITE vs. HEAVY METAL for the Jr. Heavyweight championship (It was a show-stealer live) and MASSIVE DAMAGE vs. DARREN "THE BOMB" DALTON in a barbed wire match. And yes, the shorts to which I refer in the article, are indeed the ones Massive Damage is wearing in the match.

The XM radio tapings at Yuks went well last Friday. I was the first act up on the late show, which means I didn't get as much of a chance to suss out the crowd as I would have liked. Still, I had a decent but not spectactular set. A lot of guys from Calgary came down, so it was great to see them. If I was better at names, I'd mention them, but they definitely established themselves as guys to watch. I also was glad to see KERRY UNGER again. On and off stage he's such a cool guy. If you get a chance to see him, do so. If you've seen the cartoon Yuk Yuks ads that run in SEE magazine every week, he's the guy behind them. Funny stuff. He's also part of THE NE'ER DO WELLS, a band that does some really funny songs. Look 'em up on myspace.

KATHLEEN MCGEE was co-middling Sunday at the Comic Strip with ANDREW IWANYK, while WELBY SANTOS headlined and KELLY SOLODUKA hosted. I enjoy watching all four of these guys (and gal), but I was most blown away at how much Kathleen and Kelly have both improved over the past few months. I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Watching other people grow and develop is one of the coolest things in comedy.

Rehersals are underway for SURE-SHOT DUMBROWSKI, a feature length movie directed by TIM MCKORT. I have a small role, but I intend to be the best Russian Goal Judge ever. In other movie-ish news, BILL GEE, LARS CALLEIOU and I shot a short teaser to promote the Edmonton Journal's ed magazine with the help (and camera of DON CAMPBELL). Alternate takes also included a cameo by the one-and-only MAX MAULT. If it makes the website, I'll let everyone know.

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the home of wrestler "MR. INTENSITY" MARK POSEY (and of course his wife, the lovely Mrs. Intensity). ECLIPSE and HEAVY METAL came along as well, and we discovered that Mark has a box full of old wrestling magazines from the days when the territories thrived and wrestling was treated as real. It made me realize how much times have changed, and how fortunate the MPW guys are. As far as I know, MPW is the only independent Canadian wrestling promotion with television, so our wrestlers gain some invaluable experience. If you happen to be reading this and are interested in getting involved in MPW as a wrestler, contact them through the www.monsterprowrestling.com website.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Friday, November 10 - Yuk Yuks (Edmonton)

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, November 17 - The Best Announcer in the World

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

They're having XM radio tapings at Yuk Yuks this Friday night. I'm on the 10:30 PM show with SEAN LECOMBER and a number of others. Hope to see you there.

This Friday night on MPW MADNESS I'm told we'll see the footage of my character getting pied by the Heatseekers. I expect there might also be some wrestling too, so tune in.

I MC'd Monday at the Comic Strip. MCing is one of the most personally challenging spots for me, but it's also one of the most rewarding. A good MC warms up the crowd and convinces them that the show they're going to see is the greatest show they will ever see. I've noticed a good MC also affects the way other comics, especially less experienced ones approach a show. A bad attitude is contagious and if the crowd isn't responding well, sometimes comic will go on stage already surly and hostile towards the audience. Other MCs are so great that when you go up, you feel ready to give your best, because they've made the crowd feel so welcome and comfortable, that you have a lot of freedom to do what you want.

Rehearsals for 'Sure-Shot Dombrowski' in which I'll be playing a small role start this Sunday. BILL GEE, LARS CALLEIOU and I are also planning to shoot something for the Edmonton Journal website on Monday. I'll keep everyone posted.

Upcoming Comedy
Sunday, November 5 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, November 6 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Upcoming Writing
Living Articles in the Journal -TBA

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

MPW Vendetta went really well. (My latest Art Gallery column is finally written and posted at www.monsterprowrestling.com in the News section.) There was some chaos backstage before the show and that's when you really appreciate having veterans around. WHile MASSIVE DAMAGE dealt with logistics, STEVE RIVERS really stepped up and got everyone organized for the promos and the show. I really enjoyed SHARP vs. INFERNO and NITE and HEAVY METAL told a cool story in their tag match.

My favorite though was FINAL CHAPTER vs. INSANE IRISHMAN. FInal Chapter was wearing a mask and a jumpsuit which makes him more initmidating, but also means that Irishman had to really use his face and body language to convey the story. Ironically, when you're trying to make someone look like an unstoppable monster, it's the guy getting his butt kicked who makes or breaks the match, and Irishman did a great job. It's always more fearsome when the guy fighting impossible odds is someone you care about, and considering he hasn't been back long enough for us to really get to know him as a competitor, Irish did an awesome job of making himself both likeable to the crowd, and also gutsy as he put everything he had into the match and refusing to back down. I hope that match makes it to TV as it is a great example of two guys putting a match together in a way where regardless of the outcome, they both leave looking better than when they went in.

(Funny story: My parents came out for the night and Mom had a great time clapping and cheering and joining in for all the chanting (this is especially funny if you know what my mom is like). Anyway, during the NITE/SICILIAN ASSASSIN vs. HEAVY METAL/STEVIE SAINT tag match, Stevie was playing the role of the plucky, resilient good guy, who despite taking a severe pummeling from the bad guys, can't be put away despite the villains' best efforts. While Nite was choking Stevie, a "Let's go Stevie!" Clap-clap-clap! chant broke out with my Mom joining in. The funny part was, Nite's mom was sitting beside mine looking all sad. When my mom talked to her, Nite's mom was like, "I know he's supposed to be a bad guy, but I really wish people would cheer for my son. Deep down, he's a very nice boy.")

At The COMIC STRIP last night, Radio personality PAUL BROWN was the host. Paul's a great guy, and even offered to listen to some of my commentary and give me some pointers. THE PAUL BROWN show takes place Weekday mornings on 100.3 the Bear and also features YUKON JACK who I've worked with for MPW. So give them a listen. The shows were great and also featured POWERMANN who hosts his own radio show with LARS CALLEIOU on CJSR FM 88, Wednesdays at midnight.

Anyway, I'm up again at The Comic Strip tonight. CHRIS NANNARONE is headlining, and ANDREW IWANYK will be the MC, so it should be an interesting evening. Hope to see you there. I'm also MCing tomorrow at the Strip for Hit or Miss Monday, which is a great chance to check out the UP and Coming comics in the Edmonton scene. I find MCing the most challenging spot on the show, but also one of the most rewarding. I hope to see you there. Come up and say hello.

El Updat-O

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, November 2 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Saturday, November 4 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, November 5 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, November 6 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal (subject to change)
Friday, November 3 - Strictly Ballroom

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Other appearances
Friday, November 3 - MPW Vendetta-Kingsay Hangars, Edmonton

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

I had the pleasure of MCing for NAVIN PRATAP at THE COMIC STRIP last night. Long time followers of this blog may remember NAVIN as one of the guys I first watched many moons ago and he and ANGIE ISMOND were really instrumental in my comic development. It was a real joy to be able to bring him up as a headliner and see how much he's grown as a comedian.

The best part about my life is the wild characters you meet. Whether it's running through the snow with wrestler HEAVY METAL looking for a psychic fair or an open restaraunt or driving with comic MAX MAULT listening to Blue Oyster Cult and making up ridiculous jokes about different animals walking into the bar, ("This duck walks into a bar. The bartender says, "What can I get you?" and the duck says: "Just the bill." Ba-dump.) You meet people you will never encounter anywhere else.

Lots of rumours floating around on a number of different projects I've been working on, but no official news to report. I've been offered a small movie role (and I like tendering offers a lot more than I like auditioning, I'll tell you that). As well, there's been talk that MPW may be making yet another leap forward and I've been approached about a comedy radio taping. As always, we'll see what happens, and I'll believe it when I see it, but it is exciting to have my name attached to all these rumors. Trust me--if anything comes of these things, I will be the first to brag about it. Except, kind of I already did though I really have nothing to brag about at this point. Oh well. Hatched or not, chicken-counting has always been a guilty pleasure of mine.

A couple weeks ago I saw the play (G)LISTENING, directed by HEATHER FITZSIMMONS-FREY who was the dramaturge (don't ask me what that is--I still don't know exactly) on my play THE SATANIST'S WIFE a few years back. The play finished it's run, so it's kind of pointless to plug it, but I did want to say how much I liked it. I especially liked the way the two actors were able to use space and movement and facial expression to convey so much emotion. There was a lot of dance-style lifts and moves and twists, and it was really cool. I've said before how much I admire performers who can express with their faces and body language and (g)listening did not disappoint. And there was dirty stuff too.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, November 2 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Saturday, November 4 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, November 6 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal (subject to change)
Friday, November 3 - Strictly Ballroom

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Other appearances
Friday, November 3 - MPW Vendetta-Kingsay Hangars, Edmonton

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Hard to believe October is nearly over. Work on MADNESS is taking up a lot of time, but the finished product is worth it. With VENDETTA coming up, we really tried to promote it on this upcoming week's show, so check it out this week--we filmed a music video of RIPPER rapping and me dancing. We're gangsta. I hope it doesn't get cut to make room for wrestling (I know, I know, a wrestling show that puts the priority on the matches--crazy)I haven't had time to get a Art Gallery piece for the www.monsterprowrestling.com website, so I feel guilty. There's still lots of cool things to check out on the site though, so give it a look.

I feel like I've been incredibly busy lately. I've also started trying to have a social life again, and justified it to myself by saying it's research. Sometimes having a type A personality isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I could have sworn I had more to write about. How can a professional write put together such a boring blog? Oh well.

Speaking of cool blogs, POWERMANN has a nifty new theory about male/female relations up on his myspace account. It's cool reading. And CHRISTINA's record release party is this Friday. I hope there's cheese.

Y'all Need an Update

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal - TBA

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Other appearances
Friday, November 3 - MPW Vendetta-Kingsay Hangars, Edmonton

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

I am a poor self-promoter. One of my articles ran Friday in the Journal and I didn't even realize it, until someone called me about it. For those of you who are wondering about DJ DERVISH, he spins at SUBURBS on Jasper Ave. on DAZ OONTZ nights.

I also met the lead singer of the band SOLLIPSIS today. I haven't seen them yet, and they're looking for a drummer, but keep an eye out for them. I'm sure they're very good. Also on the music front, I believe CHRISTINA is having a CD release party on October 27 at the Stanley Milner Library. Check her website www.christina-music.com for details.

But what are YOU doing these days, Dan, I hear you ask? Stop promoting other people and let's hear what you've got going on. Well, right now, I'm just continuing with the usual gang of suspects (writing, comedy, MPW television) in my quest to become the bestcomedian/writer/pro wrestling announcer in the world. Not many people have that many slashes in their job description.

Cue self-indulgent music.

I've been thinking a lot about what makes the difference between a good and a great live entertainer. To me, it has nothing to do with the technical quality of your work as much as your ability to capture the imagination of the crowd. Watching RIC BRONSON one night, a nameless young comic remarked, "I've been listening to his jokes, and I don't see why he's so great." To me, that made the point better than I could ever hope to explain. Because the guy was listening to the jokes. He wasn't listening to the crowd. And the crowd was going nuts.

That to me is what makes comics like RIC BRONSON and wrestlers like CHI CHI CRUZ and STEVE RIVERS stand out. It's not the jokes or the moves that make you successful (which is funny coming from me, because I love hearing a cleverly written joke or a seeing move I haven't seen before). It's the right joke/move at the right time. What sets Bronson, Rivers, and Cruz apart isn't their joke-writing or phycsical ability. It's the way they're able to 'conduct' and 'pace' a crowd, bringing the energy up or down as it is needed. The jokes and the moves are just the paint brushes. It's the audience reaction that is the work of art.

One day I hope to get to that level. Right now I depend on the quality of my jokes to get me over with crowds. That isn't comedy. That's writing jokes and saying them out loud.

Right now, I'm a joke-writer. One day, I want to be a comedian. And I'm enjoying the journey every step of the way.

Happy Anniversary

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, October 4 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal - TBA

Television
(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Last month was the busiest month I've ever done in comedy--21 shows. That sounds pretty good until you realize that's less than half of what Lars did in September. Still, it's nice seeing everybody getting stage time. I feel I've improved so much in the last month. I hope I can carry this momentum forward into October.

Speaking of which, October 5 will mark my second anniversary in comedy. It's such a big part of my life, it's weird to think I've only been doing it two years. But what a ride. I've gotten opportunities I never would have dreamed of and met some really cool people. I've also learned a lot about myself. If anyone were to ask me for a piece of advice about comedy, I'd tell them...well, I'd tell them to go ask someone who knows what they're talking about. But if pressed I would say, find what you're passionate about and do that. That isn't just for comedy, that applies to life as well. It sounds kind of pollyanna-ish, but with each and every passing day, I'm more convinced that it's true. These are the best days of my life, and they're only getting better.

PSA

-Just a reminder that it is Fun-drive week for CJSR. They raise a lot of their operating costs during this week to keep shows like Kamikaze Komedy (hosted by LARS CALLIEOU and POWERMANN) on the air. KKomedy is a great show. I listen to 80% of it every week (the rest is lost in a haze of static--stupid crappy radio) and it's the only place you can hear guests like Punk'd's ROB PUE and others in an uncensored environment.

YOu get free stuff for donating and a tax receipt if you give over 60$. If you want to make an investment in Kamikaze Komedy, independent radio, and freedom and democracy, call (780) 492-CJSR extension 7.

-Speaking of media stuff, we finished the voice over work for the next couple episodes of MPW MADNESS (Friday nights/Saturday Morning at 1AM on ACCESS TV). There will be some great matches in the next couple weeks, but one you definitely won't want to sleep on is NITE vs. STEVIE SAINT for the Jr. Heavyweight Championship. These two don't match up often--I've only seen it happen twice--but when they do, they make sweet, sweet slobberknockin' magic.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, September 27 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, September 28 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton
Friday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, September 29 (UNCONFIRMED) - My Parents vs. the Computer

Television(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AMOther Appearances
Friday, September 29 - MPW New Blood (11410 Kingsway Ave)

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-At long last the great Monster Pro Wrestling Commissioner debate will be resolved, this Friday at the Kingsway hangars at 7:00pm at 11410 Kingsway Ave. I won the voting, so I guess it's just a matter of accepting the official announcement. Thanks to all who voted. Feel free to come down--ticket information is at www.monsterprowrestling.com. I'm a big fan of traditional wrestling the way it should be, so I'm looking forward to taking steps to eliminating a lot of the outside interference that have marred many of MPW's matches as of late, especially with regards to the AMERICAN PATRIOTS.

-Monday at the Strip was a blast. I MC'd and LARS CALLEIOU headlined. To make matters better, during Lars' set, SEAN LECOMB(E)R(E) [sp?] got on the house mic and guested as "Lars' brain." It was hysterical watching Lars do his set while Sean chimed in with Lars' 'thoughts." I also met KRIS SHAW from Indianapolis. He's one of the most positive people I've met and he had a lot of great things to say about our local comedy scene and how supportive we are of one another. I hate to be arrogant, but I think he's right. I really love the other comics in town (but not in a gross way). I'm proud to be an Edmonton comic, and I can't think of a single comedian in Edmonton that I would want to see fail (It's those Inisfail comics you have to watch out for--they'll stab you in the back every time).

-It's unconfirmed but one of my articles might be running this Friday in the Living section. Huzzah!

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, September 20 - Yuk Yuks (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 24 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, September 25 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Wednesday, September 27 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, September 28 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton
Friday, October 30 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, September 22 - Getting By With a Little Help From...

Television
(as 'Martial' Art McNeil)
MPW Madness airs every Friday night (Saturday morning) at 1 AM

Other Appearances
Friday, September 29 - MPW New Blood (11410 Kingsway Ave)

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-Monster Pro Wrestling is on television and not only did I forget to hype it here, I missed the premiere because I was doing a comedy show. I was also apparently on CITY-TV over the weekend for an interview Lars and I taped about the Sidetrack Cafe, and I missed that. I'd fire my publicist, except that I'm it. Anyway, MPW Madness is airing on Access television Friday nights/Saturday mornings at 1Am. We were in the studio earlier taping some lead-ins, and it was a lot of fun. There should also be some online content up at www.monsterprowrestling.com in the next little while.

-Speaking of shows on at ungodly hours, I hope you've had a chance to check out Kamikaze Komedy with LARS CALLIEOU and POWERMANN on CJSR FM 88.5 Wednesdays at midnight. It's a really great look at the local scene, plus they often have guests that range from the top names in international comedy, to--well--me. CJSR is a University station and run on fundraising. If I'm not mistaken, they're in the midst of a push to raise funds, so if you feel generous, feel free to invest in them with a donation on behalf of Kamikaze Komedy.

-If you listen to the radio station Magic 99 and hear a song called "No Regrets," that's Christina (also known as Christina Schmoke). She's a local singer/songwriter, and I've known her for a couple years. If you dig the tune visit or website at www.christina-music.com or call the radio station and request her. She also has a gig this Saturday at the Blue Chair Cafe, so if you want to see her live, check it out.

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, September 13 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, September 14 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Friday, September 15 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Saturday, September 16 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 17 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, September 18 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Wednesday, September 20 - Yuk Yuks (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 24 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, September 25 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, September 22 - Getting By With a Little Help From...

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-Last Monday was probably the most fun I've had doing comedy. Since there wasn't enough of a crowd to justify a show, but most of the dozen comics or so who were there still wanted to perform, LARS CALLEIOU hit upon the idea of all of us performing for each other, but with a twist--we had to perform another comic's jokes. Make sense? Anyway, we drew names and I got to be ANDREW IWANYK for an evening, while my material was performed by Lars. The highlight of the night was MAX MAULT doing ED WENDE. He could only remember one joke (not surprising since Max often has a hard time remembering his own material) so he kept repeating it over and over, finally ending with this exchange..

MAX: I'm going for that Moby's older brother look. Umm...Moby was a whale. And I'm going for that Moby's older brother look. (to Ed) Ed, what are some more of your jokes?

ED: Well, I do stuff about my parents and kids, where they...

MAX: Oh, yeah, right, right, right. (to the crowd) I'm going for that parents and kids look.

Classic. Afterwards, Lars bought everyone drinks at Sherlock's because he won money playing poker and because he's a cool guy, and then Max paid for my food at the Sidetrack, because...well, because he's one of the classiest guys on the planet, though you'd never know it from watching him on stage.

Nights like that, you appreciate being a comic. Just doing what you love, and hanging out with other people who love comedy and life too. There's this cliche that comedians are often depressed and sad, and while there's sometimes some truth to that, comics also have a deep passion and love for life--at least in Edmonton. I wouldn't have traded last night for the world. People ask me how long it will take me to be succesful at comedy. I say I already have. My late brother and his wife had a quote they showed me about mountaing climbing: "The best climber in the world is the one who's having the most fun." That applies to a lot of other things too.

-For those of you wondering about this mysterious book project I've been working on, you can learn a bit more about it at 10otherwomen.blogspot.com. The short version is, it's going to be a book on dating and relationships. I think there may be one or two books about that already on the market, but I really think I'm onto something (end Sarcasm). It's going to be at least partly autobiographical, but I have a "unique" attitude towards dating and a tendency to misbehave in my personal life, so I'm looking for stories to help give a more balanced perspective.

UPcoming (edited--September 9)

Upcoming Comedy
Wednesday, September 13 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, September 14 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Friday, September 15 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Saturday, September 16 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 17 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 24 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, September 25 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, September 22 - Getting By With a Little Help From...

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Thanks to everyone who wrote in about the article on my brother. It meant a lot to me that people connected with it and shared their own stories of loss as well. Reading everyone's stories was very moving and a couple times I found myself overwhelmed with emotion. I try to make a point of answering anybody who takes the time to write in as soon as possible. In this case, though, it may take a few days before I get back to everyone, partially from the number of responses, but mostly because of it is pretty intense emotionally. If you wrote in and didn't hear back from me, thanks in advance for your patience. I promise I'll get to everyone I can.


Before the MPW show, they played Dokken's "Tooth and Nail" CD which had me all a-twitter; I haven't heard that album in ages. From my 'Martial' Art character's point of view, that turned out to be the high point of the show. The show was great, but also one of the darker and grimmer shows (and bloodiest) we've put on as from top-to-bottom of the card, the 'bad guys' unrelentingly dominated the show. As a fan, I'm notorious for cheering for the bad guys, but as a character I really got pulled into the hopelessness of the situation from the broadcast table, and I hope that genuine emotion comes through on the DVD. I expect this show will be mostly remembered for the sheer bloody barbarism of the main event between MASSIVE DAMAGE and DARREN 'THE BOMB' DALTON, but there are a lot of other things that happened on the show that led up to it that I hope people appreciate. CHI CHI CRUZ vs. BORIS THE BRUISER was a really cool piece of storytelling the way it started quiet and descended into a nightmare, while BIG JESS and 'ALL AMERICAN' STEVE RIVERS managed to draw in the crowd without using outside interference or blood or gimmicks. The match most in danger of being overlooked because it was early in the card and didn't have a lot of build is AJ SANCHEZ vs. BOBBY SHARP, but if it's a sign of things to come, then both these guys have pretty bright futures.

(Bye the bye, according to reports, I won the voting for MPW commissioner. Thanks to all who voted in. They're planning on making an announcement at the next show. Look forward to HEAVY METAL singing how he "feels pretty and witty and bright" very shortly as per my campaign promises.)

I had in mind to do a ramble about comedy, but this is already getting a bit long. Maybe I'll save those thoughts for a rainy day. I always worry both with comedy and with wrestling that if I fill this space with too much 'shop talk' casual readers will get bored or annoyed that i'm wrecking the magic for them. Personally, i think knowing more about something makes it more fun and gives me a deeper appreciation for it, but I certainly understand why people might hold a different opinion.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, September 4 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Wednesday, September 6 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Wednesday, September 13 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Thursday, September 14 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Friday, September 15 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Saturday, September 16 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 17 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Sunday, September 24 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)
Monday, September 25 - The Comic Strip (Edmonton)

Living Articles in the Journal
Friday, September 1 - Remembering Tom
Friday, September 15 - Getting By With a Little Help From...

Other Appearances
MPW Last Rites - Friday, September 1

Upcoming Short StoriesThe Girl Who Feared Lightning - Check www.blackgate.com for details.

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

-Pretty cool night last night at the SIDETRACK. LARS and I filmed an interview with CITY TV along with a number of the other musicians about the Sidetrack's open mic. A lot of other comics came down including KATHLEEN, ANDREW, TRAVIS ROBINSON, the elusive SHAWN GRAMIAK and MAX MAULT. An attractive redhead even gave Max her number, which was awesome. It's nice to see the ladies discovering what the rest of us already knew: Max is the Man.

To the left (I hope) is a pic of the soon-to-be-Comedy Superstars from the night, plus Open Stage host Ben Spencer: (L to R: TRAVIS ROBINSON, SHAWN GRAMIAK, LARS CALLEIOU, KATHLEEN MCGEE, BEN SPENCER (in the back), DAN BRODRIBB, ANDREW IWANYK (bottom). Not Pictured: MAX MAULT--but he was gettin' lucky, so he's excused)



At the Fringe on Saturday, I saw Doug the PUsh-up guy. He's a street performer who does push-ups for money. It's actually kind of inspiring. And goes to show you can make a living doing anything.

Update

Upcoming Comedy
Monday, September 4 - The Comic Strip
Thursday, September 14 - The Comic Strip
Friday, September 15 - The Comic Strip
Saturday, September 16 - The Comic Strip
Sunday, September 17 - The Comic Strip

Living Articles in the Journal -TBA

Other Appearances
MPW Last Rites - Friday, September 1

Upcoming Short Stories
The Girl Who Feared Lightning - Check www.blackgate.com for details.

Dan Brodribb's headLINES appears every Saturday in the ed section of the Edmonton Journal

Be Dan Brodribb's friend on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/danbrodribb

Thanks to all who voted in the poll at www.monsterprowrestling.com. Hopefully, they'll announce results at the next show, September 1

I finally finished the sequel to "...Lighting" as well as a couple more articles. I'm hoping for good things from them.

Interesting week at the Comic Strip. Monday was marred by a tough crowd. Nearly have the audience was from one group and they were more interested in socializing and being disruptive than watching the show. I felt bad for the other people who came to watch the performance. ANDREW IWANYK and Lars really laid into them, which I respect. Wednesday I was on a show headlined by Ric Bronson, and he did great despite being a little bit under the weather.

Unfortunately I fell asleep and missed Kamikaze Komedy with Lars and POWERMANN, which is disappointing because it featured The Ne'er Do Well's KERRY UNGER. They've got some great tunes. The myspace link for the Ne'er Do Wells is http://www.myspace.com/the_neer_do_wells and Kamikaze Komedy is at http://www.myspace.com/kkomedy

TOP SECRET PS: I've got a new writing project on the go, that I'm excited about...and maybe you can help. Keep an eye on this space for details

Martial Art Wants You--Wait, Not YOU, Evan Inferno

In my last blog entry, I forgot to mention that there's a poll on www.monsterprowrestling.com asking who should be the new commissioner, and my alter-ego, "Martial" Art McNeil is on the ballot. My broadcast partner Ripper is also on the ballot, and while I have no doubt he will get more votes than me (I'm the Tubbs to his Crockett, the Jannetty to his Michaels, the Mick Mars to his Tommy Lee) , I'd like to keep the final tally respectable so we don't have to hear him crow about it all over the next DVD taping.

Remember, if elected I promise to take the focus off wrestling in MPW and on more "family friendly" sports entertainment: diva searches and washed-up gimmicks from the past. Wait, someone beat me to it. Okay, how about MPW Musical Theatre. Who wouldn't pay to see The HEATSEEKERS do Jazz Hands or hear HEAVY METAL sing 'I Feel Pretty.'