In 1922, desperate for any kind of work, Martin took a job painting sets at the Grin Comedy Studios in Santa Monica. When a supporting comedian was hurt in a fall from a moving train (Grin Studios couldn't afford stuntmen), Martin was asked to take his place. One month later, when Grin's leading comic drank himself to death at his own wedding, Martin suddenly found himself by default Grin Studio's star comedian.

In his first group of solo two-reelers, Martin was cast as "Professor Whiz-Pop, Eccentric Inventor." Described by critics of the day as insulting and unpleasant, the series was discontinued after only eight were made.

Martin's second series found him wedged to an identically dressed dummy look-a-like and cast as "The Siamese Finns." The films explored the comic possibilities of siamese twins trying to make it in the big city. Remarkably, 18 of the Finn pictures were made before bowing out due to thousands of letters of protest from people named Finn.