Best Mike Lukas and Chris Stiffler Podcasts (2025)

1
Work to the Top of Your Intelligence with Jimmy Shubert 1:05:15

18d ago1:05:15

1:05:15

Nationally touring comedian, actor, and verbal hurricane Jimmy Shubert stops by the Funny Muscle Pod to talk about his legendary career, offer some top-shelf joke-writing advice, and reveal his secret weapon: the “20 Facts, 20 Jokes” method. Basically, he starts with facts and then writes jokes about them. That’s it. That’s the system. And it works…

1
The Business Side of Stand-Up 45:37

1M ago45:37

45:37

Here at the Funny Muscle Pod, we chat a lot about the skills in crafting jokes, but in this episode, we take a hard turn to the business side of comedy. And although the business of stand-up is as glamorous as a motel continental breakfast, it’s needed. We grill Mike, a seasoned touring comedian, on crucial survival skills, such as how to avoid bur…

1
Marketing Your Comedy Brand with David Uribe 45:26

2M ago45:26

45:26

How do you market your comedy brand? How do you get more likes, shares, and followers without resorting to bribery or adopting an emotional support ferret for viral content? The biggest comics know the secrets of online marketing—like how to trick the algorithm into showing your jokes to more than just your mom and that one guy from high school. To…

1
Comedy Competitions with Kenny Lee 52:31

2M ago52:31

52:31

Join us on the Funny Muscle Pod as we sit down with Kenny Lee, winner of the 2024 Purvis Wilson Funniest Stand-Up in Dallas Competition. Known for his sharp, cunning comedy, Kenny (@KennyLee270) takes us behind the scenes of his joke-writing process, shares how he developed his comedic persona, and talks about the power of working clean. Plus, he b…

1
Not Giving Up on a Bit with CAIN 52:46

2M ago52:46

52:46

In this episode of the Funny Muscle Pod, we sit down with rising Dallas comic CAIN (@funnycain_) to talk comedy, persistence, and the art of refining bits. He shares valuable advice on not giving up on jokes, reworking material, and navigating the Dallas open mic scene. Plus, CAIN reveals how he draws inspiration from professional wrestling and mag…

1
Punch Lines and Cruise Ships with Brad Tassell 50:51

3M ago50:51

50:51

Comedian and author Brad Tassell joins the Funny Muscle Podcast to talk about joke writing, performing comedy on cruise ships, and how the comedy scene today compares to the 90s. As the creator and co-host of the Virtual Comedy Show, Brad brings years of experience and insight into crafting punchlines—sharing advice that’s simple yet often overlook…

1
Find the Funny and Never be Annoyed: Payton Payne 43:10

3M ago43:10

43:10

What better person to teach us how to do your first year of comedy more efficiently than someone who recently did her first year of comedy very efficiently. Payton Payne, a Dallas comic, joins the Funny Muscle Pod to teach us how she uses stage time to craft jokes, and how, when you constantly are looking for ways to make things funny, typically an…

1
Get Better at Comedy Faster with Paul Varghese 52:43

3M ago52:43

52:43

Paul Varghese is a comedian and actor who appeared on the reality show Last Comic Standing 2. He’s toured with Joan Rivers and Gabriel Iglesias. He has been doing stand-up since 2001 and lives in Dallas Texas, so Mike (also in Dallas) had some questions about the local scene. We talk a lot about comedy writing, what it’s like being a comic of India…

1
Being Yourself on Stage with Dwayne Kennedy 1:15:44

4M ago1:15:44

1:15:44

In this episode we chat with Dwayne Kennedy, a stand-up comedian, actor and writer. Dwayne has also written for The Arsenio Hall Show and The Orlando Jones Show. He has played roles in such classic series as Seinfeld, Martin, 227, and Amen. Having done comedy for more than 3 decades, Dwayne is in the unique position to talk about the state of comed…

1
Blue Man Comedy with Jeffrey Nicholas Brown 57:14

4M ago57:14

57:14

The Funny Muscle Podcast welcomes our first Blue Man in this episode. Which is challenging since the Blue Man Group doesn't talk. Fortunately, this Blue Man is also Nickelodeon Famous. Jeffrey Nicholas Brown is most known for his role as "Jake Hart" on Nickelodeon's Henry Danger. (So, he can talk and does so during the interview) Jeffrey also does …

1
Million Words Writing Challenge 58:33

4M ago58:33

58:33

Chris travels to Dallas for this one. He joins Mike's comedy office hours on Wednesday at the Dallas Comedy Club to workshop material with students. They talk about crafting comedy bits in a group setting. They also chat about Mike's journey to improve his writing using a challenge: The Ice Bucket Writing Challenge which involves writing Hemingway-…

1
Comedy as a Booker, Teacher, Mom and Comic: Magen King 56:33

5M ago56:33

56:33

The Funny Muscle Podcast chats with a comedian, a storyteller, an award-winning radio host, a mom and a comedy teacher in this episode. And they are all the same person: Magen King. She was a finalist in the World Series of Comedy and a finalist for three consecutive years in the Funniest Comic in Texas. She teaches at the Dallas Comedy Club. We ta…

1
Comedy Song Writing with Tim Cavanagh 1:03:52

5M ago1:03:52

1:03:52

The Funny Muscle welcomes to the podcast its first guitar. And accompanying that guitar is comedian and songwriter Tim Cavanagh, who has been in the comedy business for almost four decades. His first CD, “Sounds Like Fun!” was released in 1997. Tim tells us how he credits deadlines and his weekly segment called “The One Minute Song” on “The Bob & T…

1
Creating Distinct Voices with Darren McStay 59:51

6M ago59:51

59:51

To improve their character voices, Mike and Chris chat with actor, musician, filmmaker and voice coach Darren McStay whose Youtube channel “Improve Your Voice” has millions of downloads. Darren teaches warm up techniques, why it’s important to commit to a character and tips on sticking with that character. Maybe the best advice Darren teaches durin…

1
Turning Topics into Premises 44:39

6M ago44:39

44:39

"Cats" is a topic, but it's not until you say something like "Cats bother me as an economist." have you transformed your material into a premise. In this episode we make that distinction. We also learn how Mike's comedy teaching classes in Dallas are coming alone. And we talk about Mike's aha moment during improv training. Listen to this episode if…

1
An Hour a Day to Write Jokes? Here's What the Pros Do (Advice from 12 Comedians) 21:20

7M ago21:20

21:20

We asked each of our last 12 comedy pro guests what they'd tell new comedians to do if they had an hour a day to write jokes. Here's a compilation of their best advice. Lenny Schmidt Nathan Timmel Steph Clark Kevin Rogers Dan Bakkedahl Dan Carlson Doby Maxwell Tom Clark Dr. Caleb Warren Jake Vevera Rich Talarico Adam Bloom *** If you enjoy the podc…

1
Comedy Drills and Comedy Specials with Jake Vevera 51:33

7M ago51:33

51:33

New York comedian and co-host of the podcast “Idiots on Parade” Jake Vevera (@jakevevera) stops by the Funny Muscle Podcast to talk about his upcoming comedy special, which is about to be released on YouTube. Jake is full of advice for new comedians like his three-sentence joke writing drill and his advice on stage time. Find out why Jake also tell…

1
Comedy on Cruises with Lenny Schmidt 1:08:02

7M ago1:08:02

1:08:02

Lenny Schmidt stops by the Funny Muscle Podcast to teach us about the logistics of planning comedy material for 5 nights in a row on a cruise ship (hint: you got to keep track of your call-back jokes). Lenny, who has been doing comedy since the 1980s, also studied improv in Chicago. You may recognize Lenny in movies like “Joe Dirt” and “The Ugly Tr…

1
Corporate Gigs and Comedy for the Troops with Nathan Timmel 1:14:29

8M ago1:14:29

1:14:29

Headlining comedian, author, and host of the podcast “Idiots on Parade” Nathan Timmel invades the Funny Muscle Podcast to talk about the current state of comedy, to tell us tricks for doing corporate gigs, and to tell us stories about performing for troops overseas. As always, we get his advice on writing and creating new material for new comics. Y…

1
Writing Comedy Monologues with Ben Alper 50:53

8M ago50:53

50:53

We learn about writing monologue jokes with Ben Alper who has written jokes for several decades and has seen them performed by the likes of Jay Leno and Dave Letterman. We discuss his recently published book: Live from the Beginning of Time: Late Night Comedy Monologues Through the Ages. The book imagines if there were late-night talk show hosts du…

1
Mike's first set in 10 years and Book 3 Flexing Your Funny Muscle 53:40

9M ago53:40

53:40

On the same week that Mike released the third book in the Funny Muscle series, he did something he hasn’t done in 10 years: he strolled on stage and performed a 5-minute set. We talk all about it in this episode. We also dust off the Humor Blueprint to diagram a few pro comics’ bits to give the listener practice identifying joke structure, humor he…

1
Booking Talent with Dan Carlson 1:09:24

9M ago1:09:24

1:09:24

Comedian, Director of the Chicago Comedy Festival, and former General Manager of Zanies Comedy Club in Rosemont, Dan Carlson, stops by the Funny Muscle Podcast. Dan teaches us how to capture a booker’s attention in the first minute of a set, how the finances between the comic and club work, and when to know if you are ready to jump from opener to m…

1
An Academic Look at Why Things are Funny: Benign Violation Theory with Dr. Caleb Warren 1:07:03

9M ago1:07:03

1:07:03

Dr. Caleb Warren joins the podcast to give Mike and Chris an academic and research-based look at why things are funny using a framework known as the “Benign Violation Theory.” Dr. Warren is a professor in the Marketing Department at the University of Arizona and one of the authors of a paper called “Benign violations: Making immoral behavior funny.…

1
The Comic and Booker's Advice with Steph Clark 1:06:18

9M ago1:06:18

1:06:18

We chat with comedian Steph Clark who is also the owner of Funny Girl Events. So, we get advice from a comic's perspective as well as a booker. We learn some dos and don'ts of impressing a comedy booker, what it's like to be married to a comedian, and regional differences in comedy as Steph performs frequently in the LA area and the Midwest. *** If…

1
Restarting Stand-up; Copywriting and Comedy with Kevin Rogers 1:12:44

10M ago1:12:44

1:12:44

New comics will appreciate the advice from touring comedian Kevin Rogers, who took 12 years off to build a family and business, who then had to turn his comedy creation machine back on to create 20 minutes of new material in a new generation with a whole new comedy lens. Kevin Rogers is a comedian, business guru, and author who helps businesses wri…

1
Improv in Acting with Dan Bakkedahl (aka Congressman Roger Furlong) 1:15:30

10M ago1:15:30

1:15:30

Actor and improvisational comedian Dan Bakkedahl stops by the podcast to chat about acting, improv, auditioning for roles, starting out in Chicago, and heightening comedy scenes. Dan is known for his role on the sitcom Life in Pieces, as Congressman Roger Furlong on the series VEEP, and as Steven Nugent in the series Legit. He also worked as a corr…

1
Developing bits, Doing the small things, and Dry Bar Specials with "The Dented Can" Dobie Maxwell 1:25:12

11M ago1:25:12

1:25:12

Stopping by the Funny Muscle Podcast is “The Dented Can” Dobie Maxwell. He is a comedian, actor, radio personality, comedy instructor, comedy writer and author. His passion for comedy and mentoring is quickly apparent. We chat about how he earned his set on the Late Late Show, his comedy lens, joke development, his recent Dry Bar Special, and doing…

1
Chatting with the "Bad" Boy of Comedy: Tom Clark 1:18:40

11M ago1:18:40

1:18:40

The "Bad" Boy of Comedy from Wisconsin Tom Clark joins the Funny Muscle Podcast to talk about: * What’s it like to do a set on Conan *Tips of doing clean comedy (especially in Utah) *How he added vulnerability to his comedy persona *Advice he learned from doing New Faces in the Montreal Comedy Festival Tom has appeared on Conan, Netflix, Comedy Cen…

1
What a Weak Premise Lacks 43:48

11M ago43:48

43:48

A comedian starts a joke by making an interesting assertion. The audience wonders, “How will they ever prove that to us with their unique take?" Mike and Chris talk about the tactics to make that happen as they break down some pro comic bits and teach how to write jokes with "premise intrigue." Like play-by-play sports analysts, they also freeze fr…

1
In the Writers Room at Key and Peele: Chatting with Rich Talarico 57:25

11M ago57:25

57:25

I spill my drink, and my friend says, “Ya done messed up Ay-Ay-Ron!” My friend is quoting the viral Key and Peele sketch: The Substitute Teacher. In this episode of the Funny Muscle Podcast, we got to chat with the writer who came up with that sketch: Rich Talarico. He’s a Peabody Award-winning writer/producer with four Emmy and four WGA Award nomi…

1
How to Get Booked as a New Comedian 54:46

12M ago54:46

54:46

In an effort to show how a comedian's brain instantly "blows up" a situation to notice the funny, Chris and Mike practice some improv drills at the beginning of the episode. This might send you Googling, "What are Tiddleywinks?" Then Mike tells some stories from the beginning of his comedy career to teach the tips and tactics on how a new comedian …

1
Advice from Two Veteran Comedians: Part 2 with Adam Bloom 45:53

12M ago45:53

45:53

In part 2 of the conversation with Adam Bloom (@adambloomcomedy) we get deeper into the pedagogical side of comedy and go deeper into Adam’s book: Finding Your Comic Genius: An in-depth guide to the art of stand-up comedy.” Mike (@mlukas1111) and Chris (@econ_comic) also learn about Adam’s thoughts on comedy in the US compared to the UK, how rap an…

1
Finding Your Comic Genius with Adam Bloom 54:46

12M ago54:46

54:46

Mike (@mlukas1111) and Chris (@econ_comic) chat with British comedian, writer, and author of “Finding Your Comic Genius: An in-depth guide to the art of stand-up comedy” Adam Bloom. In part 1 of the conversation with Adam (@adambloomcomedy), we chat about the self-publishing process, Adam’s first gig, and how his comedy persona has evolved since th…

1
Handling Hecklers: "Buff your head for a nickel!" 39:27

1y ago39:27

39:27

“Buff your head for a nickel!” might not be a heckle you’re likely to get, but it is for Mike Lukas. And he knows how to handle it masterfully. We hear all about that funny anecdote in this episode of the Funny Muscle Podcast. Mike (@mlukas1111) arms Chris’s comedy tool belt with tools and tactics to deal with hecklers. And the lessons aren’t just …

1
Things I Learned in the First Year of Comedy I Didn't Know at the Start 58:38

1y ago58:38

58:38

Fact checking comedy is often a fool's errand. (Well sir, I checked, and the phrase "a bushy bushy blonde hairdo, surfin' USA" does not in fact appear in the Declaration of Independence.) But sometimes it's needed. Like now. Chris (@econ_comic) and Mike (@mlukas1111) workshop a premise at the end of the episode about the famous Everest-climbing quo…

1
Warming Up a Cold Crowd 48:07

1y ago48:07

48:07

Forty years ago, the emcee of a comedy show would likely have been the most experienced comedian, who didn’t need any help capturing an audience. Today’s model, however, has a newer comic playing that role. So being skilled at warming up a cold crowd is an important skill for a new comic. Mike walks us through some tactics on how to get an audience…

1
Mistakes a New Comic Makes 42:54

1y ago42:54

42:54

You’ve probably envisioned yourself performing in a crowded room, but what about a completely empty one? We get to hear about one of Mike’s successful auditions that took place in front of no one. He admits he got the gig not because he was the funniest, but because he used some tactics that a new comic often overlooks. We talk about those tactics …

1
10 Things a New Standup Comic Needs to Do 39:53

1y ago39:53

39:53

Does your outfit support your comedic persona? Wait! Have you even developed your unique persona? Do you have a set list? Do your jokes have misdirection? How do open mics even work? How do veteran comics deal with nerves before a performance? Mike (@mlukas1111) and Chris (@econ_comic) answer these questions and more in this episode of the Funny Mu…

1
Heightening Bits with Sound Effects and by Overstating the Obvious 41:28

1y ago41:28

41:28

What does a golf club sound like being thrown across the course? We learn how Mike (@mlukas1111) made the frustrated golfer come alive with the humor heightening device sound effects. We also introduce "overstating the obvious" (wherein you emphasize the glaringly apparent, obviously) and "made up institutions" while discussing truth in comedy. Chr…

1
Expanding Your Bits with These Devices: Anthropomorphize, Contrast, Cut Back To 51:40

1y ago51:40

51:40

Mike (@mlukas1111) and Chris (@econ_comic) talk about 3 more humor heightening devices in this episode: anthropomorphize, contrast, and cut back to. We listen to and learn about Mike’s talking alarm clock while we learn why it’s not enough to give something a voice, you must give it an attitude/opinion as well. We also learn how contrasts work with…

1
Bait and Switch, Cut Forward To, Funny Specifics (Deep Dive into Humor Heightening) 46:47

1y ago46:47

46:47

In the previous episode Mike threw a bunch of humor heightening devices at Chris’s Plane PDA bit to show how to transform a 20 second joke into a 2-3 minute bit, but they never gave a full explanation of each heightening device. In this episode, Mike (@mlukas1111) and Chris (@econ_comic) take a deep dive into 3 specific heightening devices (bait an…

1
How to Heighten Your Bits 41:51

1y ago41:51

41:51

Mike sees it all the time at open mics: a new comic does a good bit but leaves it under-developed. That 20 second joke could turn into 3 great minutes of material if the open mic-er would learn to use what Mike has dubbed the “humor heightening devices.” In this episode, Chris (@econ_comic) brings a fresh joke idea to Mike (@mlukas1111) who then ru…

1
The Humor Blueprint 52:48

1y ago52:48

52:48

Misdirection is at the heart of getting laughs. That’s one piece of advice often overlooked by fledgling comics. In this episode, Mike (@mlukas1111) teaches how comics can use misdirection to their advantage. He does so with a tool/template he’s dubbed the Humor Blueprint. Mike teaches the Humor Blueprint, then Chris (@econ_comic) runs some famous …

1
The Comedy Lens 52:42

1+ y ago52:42

52:42

Why is understanding your Comedy Lens a critical first step to learning how to do standup comedy? What’s your unique take? What’s your persona? The comedy lens gives you a port hole through which to view the world. This helps in narrowing your focus when writing material. A clear comedy lens also increases the chances that your audience will rememb…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Mike Lukas And Chris Stiffler Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen