July 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of my signing a deal with Rhino Records for the wacky little Travesty, Ltd. skit “Rock and Roll Doctor” to be included on the Dr. Demento album Dr. Demento’s Mementos—which lead to it also being included on the Rhino box set The Greatest Novelty Records of All Time and the CD Dr Demento 30th Anniversary: Dementia 2000. Yes, Dr. Demento has been very good to me. (And the Doctor’s recent announcement that he is retiring his radio program after nearly 40 years was greeted with tears at Nutco World Headquarters. This Salon piece pretty much covers the same territory as my 2006 arts feature for City Paper, but offers a nice slide show of great novelty hits.)

Anyway, I took the liberty of compiling all of the royalty statements that have piled up over the years. In short, I have sold 161,301 albums, CDs and cassettes (a surprising number of cassettes, even into the mid-’90s) and was rewarded with $13,216.09 in royalty payments. That works out to about $528 per year. As the egalitarian members of Travesty decided to divide the spoils 10 ways, each of us has earned about a dollar a week during the last quarter century for our comedy work. You’re welcome.

Now it is true that some of those educated shoppers may have purchased the albums for a copy of Dickie Goodman’s “Harry’s Jockstrap” or “Dead Skunk” by Loudon Wainwright III, but I like to think that having that signature sketch in their collection was also a motivating factor.

If you have yet to acquire this comedy gem, you may purchase the original album on which it appeared, Teen Comedy Party, online here. Or, refresh your memory by watching these fan-made versions on Youtube. I have no idea what possessed these people, but am flattered that they took the time.

• Rock and Roll Doctor

• Rock and Roll Doctor

• Rock and Roll Doctor

• Rock and Roll Doctor

Computer retrovisionary and early-adopter luddite Dave Nuttycombe explains the new Apple tablet computer.

Travesty Films presents the latest in its series of helpful office-time shorts. Learn from the mistakes of others as you laugh at the mistakes of others. Because isn’t that what work is for? Enjoy.

A day late, but I’ve been sick. This week’s laugh-getter is Gabriel Iglesias. Known as “Fluffy Guy” — fluffy being his euphemism for fat, which he is — Iglesias also has a tendency to lapse into a bizarre high-pitched cartoon voice. I’m assuming he does a lot of weird voice work.

Anyway, the place is WPFW 89.3 on the FM dial; the time is 2:30 in the afternoon. Now go laugh.

It’s frazzled funnyman Jake Johannsen this week. When I was covering stand-up comedy for the Post, they sent me out to review Jake three times. Now, I like the guy; he’s one of the top comics working. His mind is quick, bright, and bizarre—a winning combination. Johannsen can turn a one-word epithet into a pithy sociological statement. But I ran out of ways to say “This guy is quick, bright, and bizarre.”

Maybe the editors were just huge fans, or maybe it was a case of institutional amnesia at the 15th Street behemoth. They didn’t want a Margaret Cho review. Or even post-rehab Brett Butler. But a Johannsen three-peat they got. So maybe I’ll keep playing him the next couple weeks…

One thing I’ve never been able to figure out is why sometimes you see Johannsen with glasses and sometimes you don’t.

Mr. Julius Marx turns a spry 118 on Thursday, Oct. 2. Perhaps less spry since his passing in 1977. I tried to get tickets to his 1972 Carnegie Hall concert, to no avail. (I’d asked my mom to ask my aunt, who lived in Nutley, N.J., if she could buy the tickets. We got word that the show was sold out. It was, but I’m not entirely sure how hard my aunt tried. And, looking back from about the same age as she was then, I’m not sure I blame her…)

Mr. Marx was awarded one of those “special” Oscars in 1974. The same one they’ll probably give to Bill Murray before he croaks. Bah.

It’s the comic stylings of Miss Margaret Smith. Whom I have not heard much from lately, and the reason is she has been a writer on the Ellen Degeneres show. Which I never see. Though I am an Ellen fan. Saw her when she opened the D.C. Improv. After the show (which also featured young Brian Regan), as folks were milling about, I caught sight of Ms. D across the room, her blond tresses shining in a pool of light, and thought, “Wow, she’s hot.” And then several other thoughts, which in hindsight are pretty darn ridiculous for so many reasons.

Anyway, Margaret, too, is a funny lady and I look forward to hearing more from her.

WPFW is the place.

It’s Joe Recca, late of our fair city, with some Baltimore-centric humor and other, as he puts it, “clean, hilarious comedy.” Catch it all week at 2:30 p.m. at 89.3 on your FM dial or wpfw.org.

It was a delight to meet and interview famed comedian/activist/
diet guru Dick Gregory during WPFW’s recent pledge drive. I’m also proud to say that I met my pledge goal during my hour. Now send in those checks!

Interviewing Mr. Gregory proved an easy task. After I said “Hello,” he pretty much filled the entire show with wonderful anecdotes of his pioneering days in comedy and philosophical stories of same. He’s a fascinating guy.

I will be hosting a one-hour show on WPFW Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 11-13. Be advised that this is part of the station’s pledge drive, so in addition to spinning comedy records*, I will also be demanding money. And you should pay up.

Wednesday, my guest will be the legendary Dick Gregory.

*By “records” I mean digital versions of vinyl hilarity.