Entry Level with Brooks Wheelan

Rob Sand (Democratic Nominee for The Governor of Iowa) talks with Brooks about growing in Iowa at the same time only about 30 miles apart. Rob talks about catching chickens when he was 14, working at the McDonalds in Decorah, IA, and becoming an overseas male model almost on accident. It's a great conversation. Rob rocks. You can look more into Rob and donate to his campaign here: https://robsand.com/ You can get Rob's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Ticket-Uncovering-Americas-Biggest/dp/1640123717 You can catch Brooks on tour here: brookswheelan.com/dates

Amy Miller (comic and friend) talks about growing up religious outside San Francisco and what it was like to work in video rental stores. Check out her podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-god-a-comedy-and-religion-podcast/id1247629653

Mike Bridenstine (great pal and author) comes on to talk about his new book where he writes about the MidWest comedy scene in the mid 2000s. Get his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Kansas-City-Comedy-Unbelievable-Stanford/dp/146717016X

Mike Mitchell (Birthday Boys/The Doughboys Podcast) talks about getting into sketch comedy, what UCB was like when it first opened, and discusses his "holy trinity" of fast food restaurants. Listen to The Doughboys here: https://headgum.com/doughboys Subscribe to Brooks' travel substack here: https://brookswheelan.substack.com/

Barry Rothbart (Wolf of Wall street/stand up comic/Brooks' neighbor for a long time) talks about his new podcast "Searching for Allan Rothbart." Brooks and Barry also talk about doing comedy together for almost 20 years. Check out Barry's new podcast: https://www.audible.com/pd/Searching-for-Allan-Rothbart-Audiobook/B0FH5LVKYC?srsltid=AfmBOoo2uY0fe5y6-4Bj9q6LqdiJlI6rEQCWATfu0ysqS55-MxvcjQ0x See Brooks live on tour: brookswheelan.com/dates

Whitmer Thomas (friend and currently in the #1 movie in the world) talks about being in Weapons and also just other movie junk. Also Brooks talks about his European adventure. Its a fun episode! Check out Whit's new music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK5Ax6M7vcI

Ryan Rosenberg (UCB/One of Brooks' first friends in LA) talks about taking UCB classes, scooping ice cream in high school, and crushing it at The Cheesecake Factory. Check Ryan's sketch group Big Grande here: https://biggrandewebsite.com/

Carmen Christopher (The Bear/Joe Pera Talks with You/English Teacher) comes back to talk about going to the University of Iowa the same time as Brooks, being killer salesman in Chicago, and almost joining the military. Check out Carmen's new special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoHTvTrfB2g Check out Carmen's old special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-HUeu0QjLY See Brooks on tour: brookswheelan.com/dates

Charlotte McKinney (model/acrtess/comedian) talks about growing up outside Orlando and modeling for her dad's car dealership, dropping out of high school and moving to Miami to pursue modeling, and ending up in a viral Carl's Jr. Super Bowl commercial. Check out Charlotte's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-do-they-know-with-lovitz-mckinney/id1783673107

Mike Hanford (Birthday Boys/Sloppy Boys/Comedy Bang Bang!) talks about finding rooms to hide in at work, living with a bunch of other comics, and getting a sketch show made on IFC. See Mike live: https://www.instagram.com/mikehanford/?hl=en See Brooks live: brookswheelan.com/dates watch pool jumpers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GIZ3cN4JwA

Karl Hess and Brooks went and made a proof of concept episode of a new podcast they're working on where they go to every national park and get in way over their heads. It's Earth Day so I felt like we might as well share it!    

Chris Estrada (This Fool, Comedy Central) joins Brooks to talk about growing up in Los Angeles, working at Dominoes, a movie theater, and construction sites. All before deciding to start stand up when he was 30. Check out This Fool on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/18ea1265-5978-41d7-b619-2ad23e075a71

Katherine Blanford (The Tonight Show) talks about running on top of porta-pottys at the Kentucky Derby, going to school for sports management, and what it was like getting ready to do her first late night spot on The Tonight Show. Katherine's Don't Tell set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y7ahpmEYs0 Katherine's 1st Tonight Show set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riQyWhMClJA Katherine's 2nd Tonight Show set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRdsYwXrj-8

James Pumphrey (Key and Peele/Arrested Development/old roomamte) talks about growing up in Kentucky, joining UCB, and getting into the car game!   Check out Jame's new channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@SpeeedCo

Boosh (rad friend/rad skater) joins Brooks to talk about what happened during their 18 day trip through The Grand Canyon.   For info on how to enter the lottery to raft the colorado go here: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/noncommercial-riv-docs.htm

Liam Cullagh (Almost Friday) is on to talk about working at a gas station, growing up next to the Patriots dynasty, and moving to LA to make sketches. Check out Almost Friday here: https://www.youtube.com/@AlmostFridayTV  

Whitmer Thomas (HBO/FOX/BROOKS' FRIEND) hops on to discuss selling Brooks his car, hating parades, and making a special.   Check out whit's Auto Talk video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2psW-Em2Ow

Brooks talks to the director (Isaac Rentz) and director of photography (Martin Vielma) about the making of his upcoming special, Alive in Alaska.

Dan Licata (Seth Meyers/Joe Pera Talks with You) discusses growing up on Jackass and Tom Green. We also find out about the origins of Joe Pera's show on Adult Swim, and overall have a nice hang. Check out Dan's new special HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrCb9rntbv0

Chris Fairbanks (Comedy Central/Conan/Last Comic Standing/Jimmy Kimmel) and Brooks are about to do some shows in Brooks' favorite state that happens to be Chris' home state so they talk about it! Get tickets to the shows here: brookswheelan.com/dates

Shane Torres (Comedy Central/New special out now) talks to Brooks about growing up the son of an Irish mom and a Hispanic dad in Texas.   Check out Shane's new special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9mHurqZh_0

Joe Pera (Joe Pera talks to you) comes on to discuss being a paperboy, becoming welcomed into the world of brick laying, and working on advertising for Dog The Bounty Hunter.  Check out Joe's new special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_97zE4GRZk Check out Joe's MTV pancake show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDI8ULxJYOU&t=50s See Brooks on the road here: brookswheelan.com/dates

Karl and Brooks ramble. That's about it.

Caitlin Cook (Off Broadway play "The Writing on the Stall") talks about going to kindergarten with Nic Cage's son, being a camp counselor, and wanting to leave LA for a small city. Check out Caitlin's play: http://www.thecaitlincook.com/ Join the patreon: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan

Will Angus (Almost Friday) talks about growing up doing nothing in Dallas, switching back and forth between business and theater, then graduating exactly as the pandemic hit giving him nothing to do but make sketches.  Check out Almost Friday: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCgK6peZI5-FKDCWzMIFk2A Join the patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan See brooks live here: brookswheelan.com/dates

Kara Klenk (Comedy Central/Magic for Humans) talks about babysitting a 2 week old when she was 12, moving to Italy to teach English to Italians without knowing how to speak Italian, being an NBC page for Conan, and running into Brooks in Puerto Rico. Check out Kara's new podcast here! https://www.exactlyrightmedia.com/thats-messed-up See Brooks on tour here: Brookswheelan.com/dates

Bret Raybould (off-Broadway show Race: The Movie: The Play) talks about growing up in Kansas City, working at Burger King, being an intern at Conan, then going back to Burger King, and how he ended up writing a play about Race.  Me and Karl also catch up about our adventures. See all of Bret's things here: https://www.bretraybould.com/ Get tickets to see me on tour here: Brookswheelan.com Join the patreon: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan

George Civeris and Sam Taggart (Straightiolab): talk about growing up in greece and also Michigan. Check out their podcast, StraightioLab (iHeartMedia and Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network) with new episodes out every Tuesday: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-straightiolab-97815943/

Matt Goldich (Late Night w/ Seth Meyers) talks about how got into writing for late night with gigs at David Letterman, being an NBC page, and fetching grocery carts all around parking lot. Check out Matt on Late Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAS029x1Srs  

A midweek episode where we catch up with Nick Turner. See me on tour at brookswheelan.com/dates

Here is the interview Isaac and I did with Dead Pilots Society about the process of making a network show.   Join the patreon: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan

Here is episode 3 of Wheelan Motors! Read by: Jessica Lowe, Paul Scheer, Will Sasso, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Bobby Moynihan, Mike O’Brien, Gary Anthony Williams, Ryan Asher, Nick Rutherford, Joe Mande, Katrina Davis, and Joey Lyons.   Join the patreon to watch the live performance: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan

Here is episode 2 of Wheelan Motors! Read by: Jessica Lowe, Paul Scheer, Will Sasso, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Bobby Moynihan, Mike O’Brien, Gary Anthony Williams, Ryan Asher, Nick Rutherford, Joe Mande, Katrina Davis, and Joey Lyons.   Join the patreon to watch the live performance: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan

Here is a fun table read we did at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles of episode 1 of the show we wrote for FOX that was ultimately passed on. The cast was great! It included Jessica Lowe, Paul Scheer, Will Sasso, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Bobby Moynihan, Mike O’Brien, Gary Anthony Williams, Ryan Asher, Nick Rutherford, Joe Mande, Katrina Davis, and Joey Lyons.   Join the patreon to watch the live performance: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan

Whitmer Thomas and Clay Tatum (writers/directors of The Civil Dead) discuss what its like to make an independent film. They talk about the process of getting $30,000, being rejected from all the cool festivals, and then breaking through with someone who would help get them into distribution. It's a super entertaining look at how movies get made now. I hope you like it as much as I did.  Rent or buy The Civil Dead here: https://thecivildead.com/ Listen to episode 1 of Wheelan Motors here: https://maximumfun.org/episodes/dead-pilots-society/episode-114-wheelan-motors-the-pilot-written-by-brooks-wheelan-i-think-you-should-leave-snl-isaac-rentz-opening-night/  

This week we talk to Christine and Em the hosts of "And That's Why We Drink." They discuss giving ghost tours, selling kites, how Chipotle works. This is all before they started they're rad podcast you should check out below if you haven't already. listen here: https://www.andthatswhywedrink.com/ Link to see Brooks live here: brookswheelan.com/dates

Ryan Asher (Second City/Great Comic) talks about growing up in Virginia working in a BBQ restaurant, going on Second City cruises, and spending two years on the Second City main stage before moving to LA. Follow Asher here: https://www.instagram.com/reen_machine/ See Brooks live: brookswheelan.com/dates    

Josh Onstott (Other Lives/Colley Hobbs) talks all about growing up in Oklahoma where he worked in the oil fields before bailing to Stillwater where he worked in a music store and started making music which led to Other Lives, touring the world, and moving to Los Angeles. Check out Josh's new project Colley Hobbs: https://www.tiktok.com/@colley_hobbs See Brooks on tour: Brookswheelan.com/dates  

Adam Newman (Comedy Central/College Humor) talks about hanging out with Dusty Rhodes, working in a NASCAR booth, and finding out how the Neilson ratings work. Follow Adam: https://www.adamnewmancomedy.com/ Also see The Civil Dead: https://www.avclub.com/film/reviews/the-civil-dead-2022

Brooks and Turner catch up and complain about everything. But also Turner is going on tour so go see him. follow nick for tour dates: https://twitter.com/nicksturners

Mike Mitchell (The Doughboys Podcast/The Birthday Boys/The Tomorrow War) talks about being a garbage man in Boston, working in a quarry, and making $5.75 an hour all before deciding to move to LA and make an attempt at comedy. Listen to The Doughboys: https://headgum.com/doughboys See Brooks on Tour: brookswheelan.com/dates

David Gborie (the literal voice of Comedy Central) talks about growing up in the middle of nowhere Colorado, working at many gas stations, and not enjoying his time as a sandwich artist at Subway. All before moving to San Francisco and starting comedy. Check out David's podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4k3gmSWsZRadfpgyLNcG9B Help pets in need in New York City: https://www.socialteesnyc.org/ See brooks on the road: brookswheelan.com/dates

Strider Wilson (Chad and JT Go Deep) talks about lying to become a valet, the biggest tips he ever got, and which celebrities are actually cool. Join the patreon: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan Check out Brooks on tour: brookswheelan.com/dates

Erin Lampart (Comedy Central) talks about being the queen of a golf course, selling mops at malls, and getting talked out of college. Check out Erin here: https://www.instagram.com/thatssolampy/?hl=en Get tickets to the Zanies shows: https://chicago.zanies.com/

Willie Simon (Brooks' new favorite comic) talks about growing up in Hawaii, working at a comedy club in Seattle, and sleeping in his car above the Comedy Store before breaking into the LA comedy scene. Check out Willie's comedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ItbaGZ950 Also Mike Bridenstine guest hosts and talks about his new album. Check it out here: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mike-bridenstine/544880804 Check out the live version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkAerhNCgxw

Willie Hunter (Comedy Central/Roast Battle) talks about growing up selling fireworks in Alabama, going to Auburn, becoming an engineer, then seeing Joe Rogan almost fight Carlos Mencia and deciding to move to Los Angeles to work at The Comedy Store. Follow Willie here: https://www.instagram.com/willie_hunter/?hl=en Stand by info for tickets to Wheelan Motors at The Elysian here: https://www.elysiantheater.com/shows/deadpilotssociety

Derek Waters (Drunk History) talks about growing up in the tire business, being denied a job at circuit city, and renting movies to celebrities at Hollywood Video. Ticket link to the Wheelan Motors Table read January 12: https://www.elysiantheater.com/shows/deadpilotssociety

Jay Larson (Comedy Central / Twin Peaks) talks about growing up outside Boston making pizza, being kicked out of college a few times, and just deciding to move to LA bc no one believed he would. Check out Jay: https://www.jaylarsoncomedy.com/ Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan

Beck Bennet (SNL/Ducktales/Friend) joins Brooks to talk about all the jobs he had, but the conversation derails into their friendship and being hired at SNL and moving to New York together and what that experience was like from their different perspectives. Check out Beck's new show Hamster and Gretel: https://disneynow.com/shows/hamster-and-gretel Check out Good Neighbor: https://www.youtube.com/user/GoodNeighborStuff/videos?app=desktop Watch Beck's sketch Brooks loves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx-dJnKIa9U    

Chad Kroeger (Chad Goes Deep) comes on to talk about his new Netflix show, being a swim instructor, and finding his "thing" in comedy. Check out his podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-deep-with-chad-and-jt/id1338535686 Watch his netflix show! See Brooks on tour: brookswheelan.com/dates