Paul F. Tompkins is a real character. (Cake boss!)
June 15, 2013 10:20 AM   Subscribe

You may know him as simply Paul F. Tompkins from Mr. Show with Bob and David or Best Week Ever but fans of now-defunct Comedy Death Ray Radio, Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast, and the Comedy Bang! Bang! TV series know that there is more to him than meets the eye. Much, much more.

As a regular guest and occasional fill-in host of Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast (formerly known as Comedy Death Ray Radio) Tompkins also appears as an eclectic collection of some of the biggest names in show business (and one mysterious janitor.) Sometimes appearing as multiple personalities at once, he infuses each one with his smart and hilarious storytelling style.

Hosted by comedian/writer Hot Saucerman Scott Ahxerman Scott Auckerman (Mr. Show, Between Two Ferns) the cavalcade of stars in these unscripted shows include a who's who of comedians, non-comedians who are funny anyway, like Jon Hamm and Weird Al Yankovic, and special guests like "Phillip Seymour Hoffman", "Jesse Ventura" and "Bill Cosby". Here is a small sampling of Tomkins' appearances on various CBB shows. ((previously previously previously previously))

Where possible I've included audio and live stream links to YouTube to cue directly to PFT, along with links to original source and episode. It's worth checking out the videos just for the costumes. Assume all are NSWF.

COMEDY DEATH RAY / COMEDY BANG! BANG!

Cake Boss
CBB Podcast 208
Episode 208 Live Stream (SLYT)

CBB TV Show "Episode 4"

Mr. Brainwash
CBB Podcast 70

Danny Glover
CDR Radio (SLYT)

Werner Herzog
CBB Podcast 122
Episode 122 (SLYT)

Ice-T
CBB Podcast 147
Episode 147 (SLYT)

Garry Marshall
CBB Podcast 222
Episode 222 LiveStream (SLYT)

Mike the Janitor
CBB Podcast 175
CBB Podcast 218

John C. Reilly
CDR Radio Part 1 (SLYT)
CDR Radio Part 2 (SLYT)

Andrew Lloyd Weber
CBB Podcast 150

CBB TV Show "Episode 109"

CDR/CBB podcasts on iTunes.


MORE PAUL F. TOMPKINS

PODCASTS

The Pod F. Tompkast
Award-Worthy Comedian PAUL F. TOMPKINS Presents Sketch, Live Recordings and Conversation, All Whilst Taking a Healthy Dip in The Stream of Consciousness. Featuring Clips from Mr. Tompkins's Largo Variety Show, The Music of Eban Schletter and Absurd Portrayals of Ice-T, Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Cake Boss and Others of Notoriety.

The Dead Authors Podcast
Legendary time-traveling writer H.G. Wells (Paul F. Tompkins) welcomes literary giants to The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles for a lively discussion in front of a live audience. Unscripted, barely researched, all fun!

Thrilling Adventure Hour
A staged show in the style of old-time radio performed live monthly at Largo at the Coronet in Hollywood.


ONLINE

Speakeasy
The web series features Paul F. Tompkins chatting over drinks with Hollywood's most iconic men.

Paul F. Tompkins on Comedy Central's CC:Stand-Up
Video clips and jokes from different stand-up specials

Paul F. Tompkins Is Online
Blog/Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook


IF YOU PLAN ON BEING IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA...

The Paul F. Tompkins Show at Largo
Guests include everyone from Dave Foley and Zach Galifianakis to Ed Helms and Weird Al Yankovic.

Thrilling Adventure Hour
A staged production in the style of an old-time radio show, also at Largo.

Upright Citizen's Brigade in L.A.
Monthly "Dead Authors" show in support of the nonprofit 826LA organization. Tomkins plays show moderator H.G. Wells. Past shows have included Jen Kirkman as Abbie Hoffman, Matt Walsh as J.R.R. Tolkein, and James Adomian and Paul Scheer as Friederich Nietzsche and H.P. Lovecraft.
posted by Room 641-A (36 comments total) 56 users marked this as a favorite
 
The Mayor of Podcasting, and my favourite comedian. Great post. His appearance with John Lithgow on Doug Loves Movies is one I keep on my iPod.
posted by thirtyeightdown at 10:29 AM on June 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


He is a damn dapper man.
posted by The Whelk at 10:33 AM on June 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


PFT is just the best. He deserves to wear a podcasting king hat. His CBB appearances are always hysterical and I end up downloading any other podcast he guests on too. Definitely don't miss his work with the Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast, he appears on the regular "Beyond Belief" feature and pops up in other stories as well.
posted by AndyP at 10:34 AM on June 15, 2013 [5 favorites]


"Beyond Belief" is one of my favorite things ever. Paul F. Tompkins and Paget Brewster as those married mediums, Frank and Sadie Doyle, are just so much fun to listen to.

Though the clip I come back to again and again is Tompkins as the King of Coffee.
"HAVE YOU TRIED... COFFEE?!?!"
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 11:03 AM on June 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


Ice-T's Pyramid Scheme is one of my favorite things. "I ain't tryin' to set you up to get laughed at by some dude with a bird head!"
posted by jason_steakums at 11:27 AM on June 15, 2013 [4 favorites]


His turn on the Mental Illness Happy Hour was a total treat, and really honest and personal. I really recommend a listen for fans of his.
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:32 AM on June 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


Thank you, Miss-uss Tomp-kins.
posted by wensink at 11:43 AM on June 15, 2013


Yay Paul F! I really like his appearances on Doug Loves Movies where he plays against himself. Like this one, with PFT vs. Ice-T vs. Cake Boss. Ice-T is in high form.
posted by painquale at 12:00 PM on June 15, 2013


His Werner Herzog is a thing of beauty. Every time I listen to it I double over.
posted by dr. moot at 12:13 PM on June 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


cakeboss
posted by mintcake! at 12:32 PM on June 15, 2013 [15 favorites]


I just saw him Thursday at the Chicago Theater with a David Cross lineup. I was worried because I hadn't seen him do stand-up, but he can spin a fine yarn. After Todd Glass's bit about his dog, Ursula, Paul F. Tompkins was my favorite part.

"Beyond Belief" is one of my favorite things ever. Paul F. Tompkins and Paget Brewster as those married mediums, Frank and Sadie Doyle, are just so much fun to listen to.

Same. I have listened to all the Beyond Belief episodes several times. With one exception - I thought the one they did for their Kickstarter backers fell a bit flat. Though I have been thinking about giving it another shot.
posted by Glinn at 12:57 PM on June 15, 2013


Let's not forget he finally proved to the world that cake is better than pie!

For anyone who don't know who the real cake boss is this is a good introduction.
posted by Room 641-A at 1:03 PM on June 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


Love all his characters, especially Werner Herzog and Garry Marshall. And of course, Cake Boss (cakeboss!).

My favorite moment of his lately is on episode 208 of CBB, during the uncomfortably long fanfare theme song of Would You Rather, where he glares into space (also at the end). As Cake Boss (cakeboss!) says, "I'm not angry, that's just my natural expression."

His podcast is unlike anything else I've heard. I only recently discovered The Pod F. Tompkast and have been seeking out all his material ever since. He mentioned late last year that he was taking a break from his own podcast because it was consuming far too much of his and many other people's time to produce something like that for free, although they all wanted to continue doing it. That's too bad, but understandable. I hope he can bring it back and make it fun for everyone involved. In the meantime, he's doing plenty of work, and I love the other podcasts he's on, but there's something comforting in hearing the voice of the internet saying, "It's nighttime on the internet ..."

PFT recently mentioned that James Adomian is one of his favorite comedians, who is mentioned in the FPP along with some of his characters. Adomian does Jesse Ventura, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and some bizarre food critic I can't remember, as well as a spot-on Gordon Ramsay, with his own built-in bleeps. Any CBB episode including ether PFT or James Adomian are always hilarious.
posted by krinklyfig at 1:07 PM on June 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


showbiz_liz: "His turn on the Mental Illness Happy Hour was a total treat, and really honest and personal. I really recommend a listen for fans of his."

Thanks for that.
posted by krinklyfig at 1:26 PM on June 15, 2013


Man, PFT is the best. My only problem with this post is that it got my hopes up that his Largo show was coming back. He hasn't done that show this year at all, and I miss it so. I used to go every month and it was pretty much the best thing ever.

My favorite character he does is John C. Reilly because it sounds EXACTLY like him and they run in close enough circles that I can imagine Reilly has heard it and said, "C'mon man, that's not what I sound like" in that same voice.

Seriously, I miss the PFT show at Largo and it needs to come back asap.
posted by dogwalker at 1:26 PM on June 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


He's a treasure, which is such an about face from when I considered him one of the lesser parts of Mr. Show. He recently did a run as Herzog on Doug Loves Movies which was sublime. My favourite of his is Andrew Lloyd Webber, CBB episode 112 (not listed in post) with Weird Al (referred to as "Weird Allistair" is one of the best things ever.
posted by yellowbinder at 1:31 PM on June 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


One of my favorite Comedy Bang Bang moments ever was PFT as John C. Reilly having an acting contest with John Hamm. That impression is eerily good.

Also, an excuse to post one of my favorite Mr. Show sketches ever that features a young Tompkins: Lie Detector. "Is thing even on?!"
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 1:48 PM on June 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I caught Cake Boss recently on Comedy Bang Bang with Andy Richter. Listened to the podcast at work in my cubicle. I definitely laughed out loud into the silence of the office several times. I was at first surprised to find out that Cake Boss is a real person and then later doubly surprised to find out this was not the real Cake Boss...
posted by JARED!!! at 1:49 PM on June 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


He's just the best - or maybe tied for the best with James Adomian, as krinklyfig noted. (Adomian's appearances on the Todd Glass Show are probably peak comedy experiences for me.) There's so much amazing stuff coming out of this west coast podcast mafia right now. It's pretty great.
posted by mintcake! at 2:08 PM on June 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


Also, can we talk about how after losing some weight and growing a mustache, PFT could easily pass as a completely different human being from before?? Like, he looks nothing like he used to.
posted by dogwalker at 2:18 PM on June 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


The New Dad Speach bit from his album Freak Wharf is so good.
posted by munchingzombie at 2:54 PM on June 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


yellowbinder: "My favourite of his is Andrew Lloyd Webber, CBB episode 112 (not listed in post) with Weird Al (referred to as "Weird Allistair" is one of the best things ever."

They did a few episodes together, IIRC. Webber starts calling him Vicar of Yanks on episode 203.

dogwalker, I agree he looks different. His first half hour on Comedy Central was before the transition (free on Amazon Prime). It's a good set, and he's younger but distinctively PFT in mannerisms and style, although I would not have recognized him on sight as being the same person as he appears today.
posted by krinklyfig at 4:12 PM on June 15, 2013




I'm taking some PFT newbs to one of his London gigs next month and this is the perfect post for indoctrination.
posted by forgetful snow at 4:51 PM on June 15, 2013


Oh hell yeah!

I've seen the Thrilling Adventure Hour live a couple of times now. It's awesome! PFT is one of the stars of Beyond Belief, and he's also shown up in the last two Sparks Nevada segments, making just about everybody else break.
posted by Pronoiac at 4:51 PM on June 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


*Clink*
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 5:19 PM on June 15, 2013 [4 favorites]


His "Peanut Brittle" and "Fabio" bits are amazing. Google them friends.
posted by gerryblog at 7:26 PM on June 15, 2013


Paul F. Tompkins bought me dinner last summer. Best. Night. Ever.
posted by tristeza at 10:25 PM on June 15, 2013


That Mental Illness Happy Hour episode was beyond great. There was so much in there that really resonated with me. Since I've been listening to him on pretty much every podcast he appears on for the last few years he always struck me as such a happy, well balanced, all-around nice guy. Hearing that he had to work through some issues to get to that point is a bit of a relief. The story with Jeff Garlin and his reaction to it was kind of inspirational (from both Jeff's and his perspective).

I'm bummed that I missed him in Chicago this week (damn storm cancelling my flight!) but as someone who is not in show business but in a transitional period in my life that episode did a lot to calm my anxiety. Thank you showbiz_liz for sharing it.

I still remember listening to his first appearance as Cake Boss and trying to not only explain what a podcast was to people but how amazing it was. Then when I saw my first episode of the real Cake Boss I laughed for about another hour straight.
posted by crashlanding at 10:26 PM on June 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


He was the open mic host (bar owner?) on Tenacious D.

Also, him goading Alison Brie into making unsexy gifs is pretty great.
posted by O9scar at 8:49 AM on June 16, 2013


Don't overlook his hilarious Never Not Funny appearances.

(Self-link; I run the official show notes website.)
posted by The Deej at 11:19 AM on June 16, 2013


He was the open mic host (bar owner?) on Tenacious D.

On MetaFilter there are the four PFT "previously" links I included here, three or four other posts that came up as possible duplicates that weren't as closely related, and just in this post there are quite a few things that could hold their own as an FPP, like the Dead Authors podcast or the Speakeasy web series.

Then there are all the other podcasts that he's involved with, like Doug Loves Movies (as thirtyeightdown mentioned) or How Did This Get Made? A search for PFT on Funny or Die returns more than 50 non CBB-related hits, and that's not even getting into all his live and voice-over TV work.

And he tours. (So jealous, Glinn!)

In conclusion, Paul F. Tompkins is a Cyborg.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:09 PM on June 16, 2013


The story with Jeff Garlin and his reaction to it was kind of inspirational (from both Jeff's and his perspective).

I listened to this today as a result of this thread; my respect for Jeff Garlin's mastery of mature serenity lasted almost the whole afternoon.
posted by gerryblog at 6:21 PM on June 16, 2013


Huh! Jeff Garlin's a strange character; I find him very hard to read. I wouldn't have antecedently expected him to blow up and smash windows in a fit of road rage, but he does sometimes strike me as a bit of a bully.
posted by painquale at 6:40 PM on June 16, 2013


I'm just now seriously getting into this guy after years of having him vaguely on my radar, so this is greatly appreciated!
posted by whitneyarner at 1:39 AM on June 17, 2013


Just Can't Get Enough

Just in case you needed another reason to love PFT, from 2009. He says in the intro, "This particular song is about the sin of greed..."

from the video posting:

"Performed live at Largo during the Paul F Tompkins Show via Comedy Death Ray-dio aka Comedy Death Ray Radio. The Franklinaires, a hip nondenominadstional acapella gospel quartet, vocalize a popular ditty from the 80s to admonish the sins of greed and lust."
posted by krinklyfig at 8:57 PM on July 10, 2013


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