Scott Aukerman

Scott Aukerman's absurdist comedy style led him to work with some of the biggest names in alternative comedy. Aukerman was discovered by actor and writer Bob Odenkirk, who was an audience member during one of his comedy troupe's shows at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. Odenkirk recruited Aukerman and his college friend B.J. Porter as writers and occasional performers on "Mr. Show With Bob And David" (HBO, 1995-98), which starred Odenkirk and David Cross. A critically-acclaimed cult favorite, the show was nominated for an Emmy for Writing for a Variety or Music Program in 1999. Aukerman and Porter stayed behind the scenes after the show ended, writing scripts for several movies which included a very early draft of "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny" (2006) and a punch up on the dialogue for the animated hit "Shark Tale" (2006). After that, Aukerman and Porter wrote a string of scripts that would not see any screen time, including a "Shrek" spin-off. Undeterred, he gained a following over the years with a talk show parody called "Comedy Death Ray" that started as a live performance in Los Angeles and eventually became a popular podcast. After Aukerman and Porter ended their longtime working relationship in 2011, Aukerman changed the name of the podcast to "Comedy Bang! Bang!" A television version of "Comedy Bang! Bang!" (IFC 2012-) co-starred comedian and musician Reggie Watts and featured the same premise of Aukerman's surreal, non-sequitur-filled interviews with famous actors and comedians. A similar concept resulted in another Aukerman production, a web series in collaboration with Funny or Die called "Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis" (2008-) in which the bearded comedian conducted intentionally hostile, passive-aggressive interviews with celebrities. A March 2014 episode produced and directed by Aukerman and starring President Barack Obama (promoting his signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act) became both a viral hit and a political football, debating the propriety of a sitting president appearing on a comedy program.