MAS: Congratulations Guy Copland, the winner of the Stand Up Comic: September 2010 Contest!! What’s the story behind the video clip you’ve entered in the Make A Star contest?
Guy: This video was recorded at Chaplin’s Comedy Club in Clinton, Michigan. I was the MC this night, and edited out the announcement stuff. It’s also the club where Jeff Foxworthy was inspired to do his “you might be a redneck if…” jokes for the very first time.
MAS: That’s a great location! Tell us how you got started as a stand-up comic.
Guy:I was doing comedy for a radio show. Writing the bits, doing character voices & impressions and heard about a comedy contest at The Comedy Barn. So I wrote a routine using voices and entered. I placed 2nd, and became friends with the guy who won with a juggling routine. We didn’t know each other before, but discovered we were both also children's entertainers. He had a clown act, and I did shows as The Magic Guy, Go Go the Clown, and Jelly Bean the Genie. We started doing kid shows and comedy shows together across the state!
MAS: How do you feel when you are on stage as a comedian?
Guy: With a history of being on the stage as a magician and doing theatre starting back when I was 12, and then a career as an actor and radio personality, getting on stage or on a microphone is something I’m very comfortable with, and really enjoy. Scripted or ad-lib.
MAS: How do you gather information to write your jokes and put together a routine?
Guy: Jokes are things that just happen during a day that I find funny, then find a way to say it. A new joke could be inspired by something on the news, I see happen, or just about any situation. Comedy is all around us, we just have to watch for it. Once I have new jokes, I try to fit them into the routine, or use them as a building block for a new routine.
MAS: Have other people compared you to any other comics?
Guy: I’ve been told that I remind people of Ron White and Tim Allen. I don’t see it, but thanks for the compliments!
MAS: Who are your comedy heroes that have influenced your style?
Guy: Johnny Carson was the king. I love a classic monologue opening. And he started out as magician too! Soupy Sales was a big inspiration along with Robert J. McNae (Oopsy the Clown), Karol Fox (Milky the Clown), and Larry Thompson (Mr. Whoodini’s Magic Shoppe). All four of these men had kid shows on television. My dad was a weatherman on TV so these guys became true mentors for the fundamentals of entertainment for me. Tim Conway was great for character and expressions study, and listening to Bill Cosby, The Smother Brothers, Rowan & Martin, The Firesign Theatre, and Cheech & Chong albums was a past time for me at home growing up.
MAS: What is your career plans for the year ahead?
Guy: Write new material, and stay on stage! The film industry is picking up in Michigan, so I’d like to concentrate (if that’s possible for someone who is ADHD) on becoming more involved with it.
MAS: What is the best and worst part about being a stand-up comic?
Guy: The best is making them laugh! When someone laughs they forget about the worries of life. Yeah the kids need braces, you’re worried about your job situation, the bills are stacking up… whatever. For a few moments they let go, have fun, relax, forget, and enjoy. When I can make a moment like that happen, it’s very rewarding. And, if I can also turn that moment into a memory… wow. The worst is the pay grade and how hard it is to make a living doing just comedy.
MAS: What is the best and worst part about the industry for comics today?
Guy: Everyone wants to be a star.
MAS: How does MakeAStar.com compare (good or bad) with other talent websites?
Guy: MakeAStar is by the far the easiest to navigate, and consistent with its prizes and contests. I hope Fuse will pick it back up for more episodes!
MAS: Tell us something completely random.
Guy: You should try peanut butter, bacon, & lettuce on toast sometime… put a little garlic powder in the pan when frying the bacon!
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