Michael Ian Black brought the funny to the Mohawk on Friday evening, and Brandon Beasley was there to take photos. See our review of Black's latest album Very Famous and our pre-show interview. more ›

At one point in Michael Ian Black’s new comedy album recorded live in Philadelphia, Very Famous, Black says “Strangers do not find me funny.” And, while we’re pretty sure that’s not always the case, it couldn’t hurt to have spent a little quality time with Black in “The State”, “Stella” or Wet Hot American Summer before checking out the disc. Listeners will find it helpful if for no other reason than the fact that it gives you some imagery to go along with the physical bits from his performance - like when he’s pulling down his pants for the doctor to check his rectum to find out why there’s blood in his stool - that just don’t translate in an audio recording of a live stand-up show. more ›

Michael Ian Black has made a career out of sarcasm, and so it makes sense that an interview with him would be sarcastic. So there’s that to look forward to. For those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Black, his face may be familiar from any number of things, including VH1’s I Love the… series and the film Wet Hot American Summer, or television shows like The State, Stella, or Michael and Michael Have Issues. Those last three shows, in which Black was a pivotal character, have the following in common: they were funny; they were ridiculous; they didn’t last long. Michael Ian Black is well aware of that fact, and capitalizes on it—as well as his unquestioned ability to make smugness laugh-worthy—in his Comedy Central special and accompanying album, Very Famous. He’ll surely be putting it all on display this Friday night at Mohawk, so in preparation for that we chatted with Michael about his twitter war with LeVar Burton, his upcoming book with Meghan McCain, and his eventual winning of the Pritzker Prize for Architecture, among other major prizes. more ›

Even after the sketch comedy gem The State was grounded prematurely (and where’s that DVD already?) it hasn’t stopped Michael Showalter or Ian Black from bounding into many more comedic projects in the ensuing years. more ›

One of the films we're really excited about seeing at this year's SXSW Film Festival is A Lawyer Walks Into a Bar..., a broad, lighthearted look at America's obsession with (and simultaneous hatred of) lawyers and lawsuits. The film follows six law students as they prepare for the notoriously difficult California Bar Exam, but it also features stories and commentary from several notable lawyers, comedians and personalities including Eddie Griffin, Robert Shapiro (counsel to O.J.... more ›

The fellas from "The State" (Michael Showalter, David Wain & Michael Ian Black) joined the screenwriting duo who brought you Wedding Crashers (Steve Faber & Bob Fisher) and Jake Kadan (The TV Set, "Freaks & Geeks") Saturday to discuss writing R-rated comedies. Once it was established in the first few minutes that any more than 8 "shits" and 2 "fucks" would get you an "R" rating, the panel seemed headed for an untimely death. But,... more ›

“I feel good today, Silent Bob. We're gonna make some money! And then you know what we're going to do? We're going to go to that party and get some pussy! I'm gonna fuck this bitch, that bitch...I'LL FUCK ANYTHING THAT MOVES!”** That’s certainly one way to write a rated-R comedy. Of course, there are others. Last week we told you that Kevin Smith will be at the Austin Film Festival in support of... more ›

Beyond screening over 100 excellent films, the Austin Film Festival also offers over 60 panels and roundtable discussions, led by more than 100 industry professionals. This year the panels will focus on ‘telling your story by any means necessary.' The panelists will give an informative look into how they sold their scripts, got distribution deals, had their pilots picked up, etc. If you are (or want to be) a writer, producer or director, you... more ›

Perhaps you've heard that the comedy scenes in both LA and New York are excellent these days. You might have gotten a taste of this when Eugene Mirman and Aziz Ansari rolled through town in March for SXSW. If you've been wishing for an NYC weekend to catch a show or two, don't book that ticket just yet. Several of the best acts are heading right here for Austinites to watch this fall... Michael... more ›

Tonight, Comedy Central will broadcast Stella for the first time. But for those of you who are big fans of The State, you've probably seen a video or two of Michael Showalter, David Wain and Michael Ian Black - the trio who comprise Stella - on the internet. We got our grubby hands on a promotional copy of the episode that will air this evening. Full disclosure: We've been looking forward to this premiere... more ›