It's not really my place to comment on what people get or don't get. It's obviously disappointing when you put everything you have into a project, only to have it be met with utter indifference or hostility, but in my mind that doesn't affect how I feel about the work. For example, Stella got horrible ratings pretty much from the moment it first aired, but I am as proud or prouder of that show as anything I have ever done. Certain people just have a knack for tapping into the cultural zeitgeist; I am obviously not one of those people, but that doesn't really affect the way I go about doing what I do. I would love it if more people liked what I do, but even if I wanted to, I couldn't really change myself to fit more into the mainstream. I just don't know how to do it. Even so, I can't complain. Even being marginally successful is better than not being successful at all. At least I'm not busing tables at Denny's.
What kind of goals would you like to reach artistically in the coming five years or so? Do you hope to achieve something that transcends the artistic community or do you just want to keep working on the projects that speak to you and see what happens?
I'm just trying to do things that are fun and interesting. That's pretty much it. Obviously there are times when opportunities come along that I might do because, first and foremost, they pay well, but mostly I'm just trying to do what I find interesting - like this book.
Would you be willing to do something with more crossover appeal that wouldn’t necessarily speak to you normally in hopes of bringing new fans to your older, more obscure projects or future, more challenging projects that you have in mind?
When people offer me work, my inclination is to usually say yes because I am a whore. I don't really do things because I think it's going to cross me over into the mainstream. If that happens one day, great, but I'm not holding my breath.
How did you find the time between all of your other projects to do stand up? How has it gone so far and is it something you see yourself doing permanently?
It was just something I always wanted to do but never took the time to develop. So a couple years ago, I decided to devote myself to creating an hour of stand-up and touring with it. It was a fantastic experience, particularly because most of the time I was touring with my good friend Michael Showalter. We had a blast traveling all over the country, I learned a tremendous amount, and yes, I plan on returning to it when I have some more time.
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