Scott David Aukerman (born July 2, 1970) is an American writer, actor, comedian, television personality, director, producer, and podcast host. Starting as a writer and performer in the later seasons of the sketch series '' Mr. Show'', Aukerman is best-known as the host of the weekly comedy podcast ''

Comedy Bang! Bang! ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' (formerly ''Comedy Death-Ray Radio'') is a weekly comedy audio podcast, which originally began airing as a radio show on May 1, 2009.A Special Thing Forums:Comedy Death-Ray Radio starts today! Popularly known as ''Hum ...

'' as well as the IFC original television series of the same name. Aukerman is the cocreator of ''

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis ''Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis'' is an American talk show hosted by comedian Zach Galifianakis which features celebrity guests. Episodes last several minutes, in which the interviewer (Galifianakis) and guests trade barbs and insults ...

'' and cofounder of the Earwolf podcast network.

Early life

Aukerman was born in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...

to Burt and Linda Aukerman. He grew up in

Orange County, California Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, ...

, attending Cypress High School and the Orange County School of the Arts, studying acting and musical theater and writing plays in his spare time. Aukerman was raised in a religiously observant household, attending a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christianity, Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe ...

church three times a week until college. He hosted a public-access television show called Centurion Highlights, based on the school's mascot. In a 2015 interview, Aukerman said "I'm still doing that same show, just with celebrities instead of my high school cafeteria." He started a short-lived band, The Naked Postmen, with Adrian Young, who went on to be the drummer for

No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, t ...

.'' Never Not Funny'' podcast - Episode 4.11 While attending

Orange Coast College Orange Coast College (OCC) is a public community college in Costa Mesa in Orange County, California. It was founded in 1947, with its first classes opening in the fall of 1948. It provides Associate of Art and Associate of Science degrees, cer ...

Costa Mesa Costa may refer to: Biology * Rib (Latin: ''costa''), in vertebrate anatomy * Costa (botany), the central strand of a plant leaf or thallus * Costa (coral), a stony rib, part of the skeleton of a coral * Costa (entomology), the leading edge of ...

, he and fellow student

B. J. Porter B. J. Porter (born May 12, 1970, in Dallas, Texas) is an actor, writer and comedian. Porter began his career writing and performing on the HBO sketch comedy program, ''Mr. Show.'' Porter, along with the rest of the ''Mr. Show'' writing staff, was n ...

began writing together when they were both scripting and performing in a radio show called ''Lutz Radio''.

Career

After a brief period studying at the

Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) is a presenting and training professional residential theatre company in Santa Maria, California, offering a two-year acting and technical theatre conservatory program, operating out of Allan Hancock College. ...

and touring the country as a musical theater actor, in 1995, at the request of his friends, Aukerman and Porter started performing at

The Comedy Store The Comedy Store is an American comedy club opened in April 1972. It is located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. An associated club is located in La Jolla, San Diego, California. History The Comedy S ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

under the moniker "The Fun Bunch", a name meant to parody

improvisation Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

groups at the time. '' Mr. Show'' co-creator

Bob Odenkirk Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker best known for his role as Saul Goodman on ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). For the latter, he has re ...

was in the audience for the second performance, and soon tapped the duo to write for and occasionally perform on the show in its fourth season. This led to an Emmy nomination in 1999 for Aukerman and the rest of the staff. Aukerman appeared sporadically on the show, most notably as the model Theo Brixton in the Taint Magazine sketch. After the show's cancellation, Aukerman and Porter segued into writing film and television scripts, most notably '' Run Ronnie Run!'' and the first draft of the film '' Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny''. In 2004, he and Porter received an "Additional Dialogue" credit on the animated feature film '' Shark Tale''. They went on to write an unproduced script for the sequel, as well as an unproduced ''

Shrek ''Shrek'' is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 book of the same name by William Steig. It is the first installment in the ''Shrek'' franchise. The film was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jen ...

'' spin-off film based on the character

Puss in Boots "Puss in Boots" ( it, Il gatto con gli stivali) is an Italian fairy tale, later spread throughout the rest of Europe, about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for ...

. In 2007, a feature film script he wrote with Porter and Odenkirk, titled ''Kanan Rhodes: Unkillable Servant of Justice'', was purchased by MTV Films with the intent of starring

Rainn Wilson Rainn Percival Dietrich Wilson (born January 20, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, podcaster, producer, and writer. He is best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom '' The Office'', for which he earned three consecutive E ...

, although it currently remains unproduced. Also in 2007, Aukerman released a self-described "joke record", ''Scott Aukerman's Koo Koo Roo's Greatest Hits'', which featured Aukerman and ''Sarah Silverman Program'' writer Jon Schroeder shouting over current soft-rock hits. This was put out in limited release on AST Records. In 2009, Aukerman and Porter wrote a pilot script for NBC, titled ''Privates''. The network ultimately passed on the show. That year, Aukerman took on the role as head writer for the

2009 MTV Movie Awards The 2009 MTV Movie Awards were presented on Sunday, May 31, 2009, at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. Andy Samberg served as host for the 18th annual ceremony. Performers * Eminem — "We Made You" and " Crack a Bottle" * ...

and executive produced and co-wrote a pilot for

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy program ...

, ''The New Andy Dick Show''. The network ultimately passed on ordering it to series. In 2010, Aukerman wrote a feature film script for friend

Zach Galifianakis Zachary Knight Galifianakis (born October 1, 1969) is an American actor and comedian. He appeared in '' Comedy Central Presents'' special and presented his show '' Late World with Zach'' on VH1. Galifianakis has starred in films including ''T ...

for Fox, and he and

Patton Oswalt Patton Peter Oswalt (born January 27, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is known as Spence Olchin in the sitcom '' The King of Queens'' (1998–2007) and for narrating the sitcom '' The Goldbergs'' (2013–present) as ...

co-wrote a television pilot for Fox, which the network ultimately passed on. Later that year, Aukerman joined a "writers lab", writing film scripts for

Imagine Entertainment Imagine Entertainment (formerly Imagine Films Entertainment), also known simply as Imagine, is an American film and television production company founded in November 1985 by producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard. Background Brian Gra ...

''Comedy Death-Ray''/''Comedy Bang! Bang!''

In 2002, Aukerman and Porter started the successful

alternative comedy Alternative comedy is a term coined in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era. The phrase has had different connotations in different contexts: in the UK, it was used to describe ...

showcase Comedy Death-Ray, which ran Tuesday night at the M Bar in

. Porter had friends in common with M Bar owner Joe Reynolds, and visited the bar shortly after its opening. Upon seeing how empty M Bar was, Porter convinced Reynolds to let him start a comedy show to help business. The show eventually moved to the

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (shorter UCB Theatre) is an American improvisational theatre company and training center founded by the Upright Citizens Brigade troupe members Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh. Prior t ...

in 2005 to gain more creative freedom. A Comedy Death-Ray CD taped partially in San Francisco at the

SF Sketchfest SF Sketchfest, or The San Francisco Comedy Festival, is an American comedy festival founded in 2002 by Bay Area actor-comedians David Owen, Janet Varney and Cole Stratton. It takes place every January and February in a variety of Bay Area venues ...

and partially at their fourth-anniversary, all-night show in LA was released on

Comedy Central Records Comedy Central Records is a record label based in New York and owned by Paramount Global. The label specializes in stand-up comedy albums and is distributed by Alternative Distribution Alliance, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. The label has r ...

on September 11, 2007. The CD featured Aukerman, comedians

David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series '' Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitc ...

Paul F. Tompkins Paul Francis Tompkins (born September 12, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He is known for his work in television on such programs as ''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', and ''Best Week Ever'', later ...

, and other CDR regulars. In 2007, Aukerman and Porter produced several internet shorts with Comedy Death-Ray comedians for the internet site Super Deluxe. These included three episodes of ''The Brody Stevens Interview Challenge'', and two episodes of ''Lake Charles Lake'', in which he also co-starred. They made more shorts in 2008, but the site was shut down and folded into

Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...

before they could air. In 2007, Aukerman and

created and produced a sketch pilot, titled ''The Right Now! Show'', based on their show for

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

. However, the network passed on ordering it to series in late 2007. Cast member

Casey Wilson Cathryn Rose "Casey" Wilson (born October 24, 1980) is an American actress, comedienne, and screenwriter. She starred as Penny Hartz in the ABC comedy series ''Happy Endings'' for which she was twice nominated to the Critics' Choice Television ...

was immediately hired as a featured cast member of ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serve ...

'' after the news. A short film made for the show, ''

'', eventually moved to internet site

Funny Or Die Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/television production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a re ...

, becoming one of its most successful series. Starting January 3, 2011, Aukerman became the host of a series of interview interstitials, titled ''Comedy Death-Ray'', airing three nights a week on the IFC network, where he interviews stars and creators of shows that the network runs, including '' The Ben Stiller Show'', ''

The Larry Sanders Show ''The Larry Sanders Show'' is an American television sitcom set in the office and studio of a fictional late-night talk show. The series was created by Garry Shandling and Dennis Klein and aired from August 15, 1992, to May 31, 1998, on the HBO ...

'', '' Mr. Show'', '' Freaks & Geeks'', '' Undeclared'', and ''

Arrested Development The term "arrested development" has had multiple meanings for over 200 years. In the field of medicine, the term "arrested development" was first used, ''circa'' 1835–1836, to mean a stoppage of physical development; the term continues to be use ...

''. In 2011, Aukerman and Porter parted ways, and the Comedy Death-Ray live show was renamed Comedy Bang! Bang! The Comedy Bang! Bang! live show ultimately ended in December 2012 after ten years.

''Comedy Bang! Bang!: The Podcast''

Being a frequent guest on and admirer of the award-winning podcast '' Never Not Funny'' with Jimmy Pardo led Aukerman to the decision that he should start his own comedy podcast. On May 1, 2009, Aukerman started to host '' Comedy Death-Ray Radio'', a comedy-themed broadcast based upon the live show, on Los Angeles radio station

Indie 103.1 KDLD is a commercial FM radio station in Santa Monica, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area on 103.1 MHz. KDLE is a commercial FM radio station in Newport Beach, California, broadcasting to the Orange County area on 103.1&nb ...

. The show continued to air on Fridays at 12 noon Pacific but moved to being distributed by the Earwolf podcasting network in 2010. The podcast of each show is available weekly on iTunes and the Earwolf website and has been downloaded several million times. Aukerman hosts, with frequent guest collaborators

, Lauren Lapkus, Neil Campbell, Mike Hanford,

James Adomian James Adomian (born January 31, 1980) is an Armenian-American stand-up comedian, actor, and impressionist. He is best known for his work on '' Comedy Bang! Bang!'', '' Chapo Trap House'', ''Last Comic Standing'', ''The Late Late Show with Craig ...

Nick Kroll Nicholas Kroll (born June 5, 1978) is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for creating and starring in the Comedy Central series '' Kroll Show'', '' The Oh, Hello Show'', the FX comedy series ''The L ...

Andy Daly Andrew J. Daly (born April 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He starred as Forrest MacNeil on the Comedy Central series ''Review'', and had a supporting role in the HBO comedy series ''Eastbound & Down'' as Terrence Cutler. H ...

, and the late

Harris Wittels Harris Lee Wittels (April 20, 1984 – February 19, 2015) was an American comedian. He was a writer for '' The Sarah Silverman Program'', a writer and executive producer for ''Parks and Recreation'', and a recurring guest on '' Comedy Bang! Bang! ...

among others, serving as guests and characters. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...

'' called the show "often strange, consistently hilarious, always unpredictable," and '' The A.V. Club'' named it one of 2010's "Best Podcasts." In May 2011, Aukerman renamed the show ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' On December 4, 2013, ''The A.V. Club'' named ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' the best podcast of 2013. In 2018, ''Time Magazine'' named ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' one of ''The 50 Best Podcasts to Listen to Right Now''. On June 8, 2012 IFC premiered the television series ''

'', hosted by Aukerman. On December 2, 2016, the series ended after five seasons and 110 episodes. In 2021, Aukerman launched Comedy Bang Bang World, a subscription service independent from Earwolf that includes ad-free access to the podcast's full archives, the live shows, archives to other programs like ''Threedom'' and ''The Andy Daly Podcast Project'', and exclusive podcasts like ''CBB Presents'' and ''Scott Hasn't Seen''. Earwolf still distributes the free ad-supported versions of ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' and ''Threedom''.

''Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis''

One sketch from Aukerman and Porter's sketch show ''The Right Now! Show'', ''Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis'', was put up on internet site

and received several hundreds of thousands of hits in just a few days. This was followed by ''Ferns'' interviews with talk-show host

Jimmy Kimmel James Christian Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the host and executive producer of ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', a late-night talk show that premiered on ABC on January 26, 2003, ...

, ''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its ...

'' star

Jon Hamm Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama television series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Televisio ...

Natalie Portman Natalie Portman (born Natalie Hershlag, he, נטע-לי הרשלג, ) is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving mu ...

Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards, in addition to nominations for nine Academy Awards, s ...

Charlize Theron Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of List of accolades received by Charlize Theron, various accolades, including an ...

Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows for almost 28 years, beginning with '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' ( ...

Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known ...

Steve Carell Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott in '' The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where C ...

Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama '' Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televis ...

Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series '' Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero ...

Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...

Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', where he performed from 1995 to 20 ...

, "Oscar Buzz Edition" (featuring

Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress. The world's highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016, her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide to date. She appeared in ''Time''s 100 most influential people i ...

Christoph Waltz Christoph Waltz (; born 4 October 1956) is an Austrian-German actor. Since 2009 he has been primarily active in the United States. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two British Academy Film Awards and two Scre ...

Naomi Watts Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama ''For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...

Amy Adams Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades, incl ...

Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award, she was among the world's highest-paid actresses in 20 ...

Jessica Chastain Jessica Michelle Chastain (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress and producer. Known for primarily starring in films with feminist themes, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. ''Time' ...

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film F ...

and

), a collaboration video with

The Lonely Island The Lonely Island is an American comedy trio, formed by Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone in Berkeley, California, in 2001. They have written for and starred in the American TV program ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). The three ...

and

James Franco James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in '' 127 Hours'' (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi's ''Spider- ...

, and a "Happy Holidays Edition" featuring Samuel L. Jackson,

Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent Maguire (born June 27, 1975) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for playing the title character from Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007), a role he later reprised in '' Spider-Man: No Way Hom ...

and

Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member ...

. Aukerman directed the Theron, O'Brien, Penn, Willis, Ferrell, "Oscar Buzz," Bieber, Franco & "Happy Holidays Edition" episodes. In March 2014, an episode was released with President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

. It was designed to bring attention to the

Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...

. Galifianakis engaged in his regular

insult comedy Insult comedy is a comedy genre in which the act consists mainly of offensive insults usually directed at the audience or other performers. Typical targets for insult include people in the show's audience, the town hosting the performance, or the s ...

style of interviewing, which the President reciprocated throughout the interview. Within 24 hours, the video of this interview had amassed upwards of 14 million views. Aukerman directed and produced this episode, which won the 2014

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program. Each episode has been viewed millions of times, and the President

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senat ...

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...

, and

episodes have become some of

's most popular videos ever. In 2015, Aukerman won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program again, this time for the

episode.

Earwolf

In 2010, based upon the success of his podcast, Aukerman, along with Jeff Ullrich, started the Earwolf network, eventually producing and releasing several podcasts. In 2011, they announced a partnership with

. In 2014, they launched a sister network Wolfpop, under the curation of comedian

Paul Scheer Paul Christian Scheer (born January 31, 1976) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, director, and podcaster. Scheer is a SAG award-winning actor known for his roles in Showtime's comedy series ''Black Monday'' and FX/ FXX's ''The L ...

. On March 7, 2016, the majority of Wolfpop's programs were folded over into Earwolf.

Podcasts with Adam Scott

In 2014, Aukerman started a limited-run podcast with actor Adam Scott called ''U Talkin' U2 To Me?'', ostensibly devoted to the career and discography of the band U2. Most episodes combined discussion of the band with running gags and comedy bits only marginally related to the band. The podcast ultimately led to Aukerman and Scott interviewing the band themselves, as well as being invited to see them live. The podcast largely concluded following a review of ''

Songs of Experience ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience'' is a collection of illustrated poems by William Blake. It appeared in two phases: a few first copies were printed and illuminated by Blake himself in 1789; five years later, he bound these poems with a ...

'' in 2017. In 2018, Aukerman and Scott started a continuation of the podcast called ''R U Talkin' R.E.M. RE: ME?'', focused on the band R.E.M. This podcast also led to Aukerman and Scott interviewing members of the band, such as

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Po ...

and

Mike Mills Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., ...

, as well as a guest appearance from

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his c ...

at a live episode for Clusterfest. 2020 saw the pair create a one-off version of the show, ''Youey Talkin' Huey 2ey Me?'', with special guests

Huey Lewis Hugh Anthony Cregg III (born July 5, 1950), known professionally as Huey Lewis, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band, Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many o ...

and

. The episode was dedicated to the music of

Huey Lewis and the News Huey Lewis and the News are an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually achieving 19 top ten singles across the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Adult Contempo ...

, to promote the band's new album ''

Weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmosphere, the ...

''. Aukerman and Scott began a new podcast in July 2020, ''R U Talkin' RHCP RE: Me?'' The podcast's intention was to cover the music of the

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, f ...

. This format, however, was abandoned in the show's second episode. Instead, the duo chose to focus on

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...

, changing the podcast name to ''U Talkin' Talking Heads 2 My Talking Head''.

Artistry

Aukerman's work has been described as "gloriously silly," and "masterful comedy and improvisation." Although Tom Lennon's first reaction to the initial episode of ''Comedy Bang Bang'' was "no one’s going to listen to this," Aukerman has since been lauded as the ringleader of a podcast that is, according to Vulture, "a consistent circus of experimentation by some of comedy’s most creative minds." His influence on contemporary comedy, by way of highlighting emerging talent, has earned him the title of "the alternative Lorne Michaels."

Personal life

Since 2008, Aukerman has been married to his ex-girlfriend, the actress, director, and ''

Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ ''Bajillion Dollar Propertie$'' is an American comedy series on the Seeso comedy subscription streaming service. The series, created by Kulap Vilaysack, is a semi-scripted parody of the reality television franchise ''Million Dollar Listing''. ' ...

'' showrunner Kulap Vilaysack. The couple had a dog named Rocky, who died in 2016.Staff report (February 24, 2010)
Kulap Vilaysack blooms in Hollywood.
''Lao American Magazine'' They now have two dogs named Georgia Michaela and Molly Ringwald.Social media page (January 15, 2017)

''Instagram'' Aukerman is a stated longtime fan of comic books and has co-authered several titles, including X-Men and Secret Wars editions. He previously collected DVDs, and is an avid filmgoer and fan of cinema venues. In 2022 Aukerman and Vilaysack had a daughter, Emerald.

Work

Film

Television

Podcasts

*''

'' (2009–present), host *''Analyze Phish'' (2011–2014), co-host *''U Talkin' U2 To Me?'' (2014–2018), co-host **''R U Talkin' R.E.M. RE: Me?'' (2018–2020), co-host **''U Talkin' Talking Heads 2 My Talking Head'' (2020), co-host *''Threedom'' (2018–present), co-host *''We Have To Stop Talking TMNT on CBB'' (2020), co-host *''Scott Hasn't Seen'' (2021–present), co-host *''CBB-FM'' (2021–present), host

Internet

*''Lake Charles Lake'' (2007), on Super Deluxe *''The Fun Bunch'' (2008), on Super Deluxe *''The Four Flop-Tops'' (2009), Funny Or Die video *''Lost with

'' (2009), internet ARG for the TV show '' Lost (TV series), Lost'' *''Sizzle Alert: LOST with

Sarah Silverman Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Silverman was a writer and performer on '' Saturday Night Live'', and she starred in and produced '' The Sarah Silverman Program'', which ran from 2007 t ...

'' (2010), Funny Or Die video

Discography

Albums

;Studio *2007: ''Scott Aukerman's Koo Koo Roo's Greatest Hits'' *2008: ''Never Not Christmas - A Holiday E.P.'' (with Jimmy Pardo) ;Compilation *2007: '' Comedy Death-Ray'' *2009: ''Comedy By The Numbers'' *2009: ''Comedy Death-Ray Xmas CD 2009'' (also executive producer) *2010: ''Comedy Death-Ray Xmas CD 2010'' (also executive producer) ;Other *2006: '' Brian Posehn - Live In: Nerd Rage'' (performs sketch with

Brian Posehn Brian Edmund Posehn (; born July 6, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, musician, and writer. After numerous appearances as a television guest star, Posehn acquired his first major recurring role in HBO's '' Mr. Show wit ...

and

) *2007: ''Eban Schletter's Witching Hour'' (sings the song "I've Created A Monster") *2008: ''R.O. Magic: The Best of R.O. Manse'' (as S.E. Duction) ;Background Vocals * "That's My Girl" by

The Vandals The Vandals are an American punk rock band, established in 1980 in Orange County, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums, two live albums, and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped ...

; appears on '' Look What I Almost Stepped In...'' * " Dirty White Boy" by The Vandals; unreleased * "Heigh Ho" by The Vandals; appears on ''

Mosh Pit On Disney ''Mosh Pit On Disney'' is a Japanese compilation cover album containing punk rock and ska renditions of various Disney songs, such as Mickey Mouse Club March, Main Street Electrical Parade, and Under the Sea, performed by both Japanese and Americ ...

'', Japanese compilation album

Comic books

Writer * ''

Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in '' New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, De ...

'' (2012) #45 (5-page backup story) * '' Secret Wars Journal'' #3 (10-page story) * '' Spider-Man/Deadpool'' #6 * ''

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to ...

: Black – Mojo'' #1

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aukerman, Scott 1970 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Actors from Savannah, Georgia American male comedians American male film actors American male television actors American podcasters American television talk show hosts American television writers Comedians from California Comedy film directors Living people American male television writers Male actors from Georgia (U.S. state) Orange Coast College alumni Orange County School of the Arts alumni Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts alumni People from Cypress, California Upright Citizens Brigade Theater performers Writers from Savannah, Georgia Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians