David Ossman (born December 6, 1936, in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

) is an American writer and comedian, best known as a member of the Firesign Theatre and screenwriter of such films as '' Zachariah''.

Early life

Ossman attended

Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists ...

, where he starred in productions including ''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 to 1693. Miller wrote ...

'' and ''

Fumed Oak Ammonia fuming is a wood finishing process that darkens wood and brings out the grain pattern. It consists of exposing the wood to fumes from a strong aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide which reacts with the tannins in the wood. The process ...

''. He transferred to

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

Career

Ossman's roles during his Firesign years include George Leroy ("Peorgie") Tirebiter on '' Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers'' and Catherwood in the " Nick Danger" series. In 1973, he recorded the solo album '' How Time Flys''. During the 1980s, he left the Firesign Theatre, primarily to produce programs for

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

. During the 1990s Ossman and his wife Judith Walcutt formed Otherworld Media, through which they produced

audio theatre Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

for children, as well as a series of major star-studded

broadcasts for

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

, including ''We Hold These Truths'' (1991), ''Empire of the Air'', ''War of the Worlds 50th Anniversary Production'', ''

Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...

's Goldfish'', and the 100th Anniversary

adaptation of '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''. His latest Otherworld Media Productions include '' A Thousand Clowns'', ''Through the Looking Glass'', and ''A Taffetas Christmas''. These performances are held at Whidbey Children's Theater on

Whidbey Island Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby, Whitbey, or Whitby) is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington, Island County, Washington (state), Washington, in the United States, and the largest island in Washington stat ...

, a local theatre where children can come to do plays and workshops. Otherworld Media has also taken on the task of adapting and producing half a dozen screenplays in live radio play format in 2007 and 2008 at the International Mystery Writers Festival in

Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is a Home rule in the United States, home rule-class city in Daviess County, Kentucky, United States, of which it is also the county seat. It is the List of cities in Kentucky, fourth-most populous city in the state. Owensboro is loca ...

. Ossman personally wrote the adaptation and directed the 2007 Angie Award winner Albatross (original screenplay written by Lance Rucker and Timothy Perrin). Ossman wrote a mystery novel, ''The Ronald Reagan Murder Case: A George Tirebiter Mystery'' (published by BearManor Media, 2007). In 2008, Bear Manor Media published his memoir, ''Dr. Firesign's Follies: Radio, Comedy, Mystery, History.'' Ossman wrote a second mystery novel, ''The Flying Saucer Murder Case: A George Tirebiter Mystery'' (published by BearManor Media, 2024). Stage versions of ''Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers''; ''The Further Adventures of Nick Danger, Third Eye''; and '' Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him'' and ''Temporarily Humboldt County'' are published by Broadway Play Publishing Inc. Ossman also wrote a book of poetry in 2009 titled ''Fools & Death'' (published by Ion Drive Publishing, 2009). His ''Old Cart Wrangler's Saga'' was a finalist for a 2019 Audie Award (APA- Audiobook Publishers Association) in the Original Works category. It was published by Blackstone Publishing in Ashland, OR.

Personal life

On March 19, 2008,

Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in southeast Pierce County, Washington, Pierce County and northeast Lewis County, Washington, Lewis County in Washington (sta ...

rangers found the body of Ossman's oldest son, Devin, less than two miles from the trailhead where he had parked his car two days earlier for a day hike. His wife had reported him missing the day before. Ossman also has a daughter, Alizon. He currently resides on

with his wife. Ossman was a member of the

Church of the SubGenius The Church of the SubGenius is a parody religion that satirizes better-known belief systems. It teaches a complex philosophy that focuses on J. R. "Bob" Dobbs, purportedly a salesman from the 1950s, who is revered as a prophet by the Church. SubGen ...

Filmography

Actor

* ''Martian Space Party'' (1972, Short) * '' Everything You Know Is Wrong'' (1975, LP) – Sheriff Luger Axehandle / NURGI Clockwork Film narrator / Professor Archer / Art Wholeflaffer / Air Force General * ''Below the Belt'' (1980) (voice) * '' The Tick'' (1996, TV Series) – Professor Peelie (voice) * ''

A Bug's Life ''A Bug's Life'' (stylized in all lowercase) is a 1998 American animated comedy film directed by John Lasseter from a screenplay written by Andrew Stanton, Donald McEnery, and Bob Shaw, and a story conceived by Lasseter, Stanton, and Joe Ran ...

'' (1998) – Cornelius (voice) * ''Nowheresville'' (2000) – Earl Apple * ''

Osmosis Jones ''Osmosis Jones'' is a 2001 American live-action animated buddy cop comedy film written by Marc Hyman. Combining live-action sequences directed by the Farrelly brothers and animation directed by Piet Kroon and Tom Sito, the film stars the ...

'' (2001) – Scabies (voice, uncredited) * ''Firesign Theatre: Weirdly Cool'' (2001, TV Movie) * ''Five Grand'' (2016) – Abner Wilhelm

Writer

* '' Zachariah'' (1971) * ''Martian Space Party'' (1972) * ''Everything You Know Is Wrong'' (1975) * ''Firesign Theatre: Weirdly Cool'' (2001) (TV) * ''The Ronald Reagan Murder Case: A George Tirebiter Mystery'' (2007) * ''Fools & Death'' (2009) * ''Fighting Clowns of Hollywood: With Laffs by the Firesign Theatre'' (2018) * ''The Flying Saucer Murder Case: A George Tirebiter Mystery'' (2024)

Producer

* ''Martian Space Party'' (1972) * ''Everything You Know Is Wrong'' (1975)

Director

* ''Everything You Know Is Wrong'' (1975) * ''Through the Looking Glass'' (2006) * ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (2007)

Editor

* ''Martian Space Party'' (1972)

Discography

* '' How Time Flys'' (1973)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ossman, David 1936 births American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American male comedians Living people American SubGenii 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Writers from Santa Monica, California The Firesign Theatre Pomona College alumni Comedians from California