| StageTimeMag.com | Vol. 2 No. 1 |
Comedy news, interviews, reviews and essays
STAGE TIME | "The Comedian's Magazine"
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEATURES Festival Wrap Up: New York Underground Comedy Festival Hustle & Grow: STAGE TIME Celebrates 1st Anniversary Comic Resolutions 2007 Comic's Final Progress Report 2006 INTERVIEWS Brad Stine **NEW** Careers in Comedy: Ryan McCormick PR Manager COVER STORY Shang REVIEWS Angry Bob Comedy Jump Off Doug Powell Eric Schwartz James P. Connolly **NEW** Anatomy of a Joke "Racism Damnit!" Written and Performed by Shang |
| RYAN MCCORMICK PR Manager By Tasha A. Harris, Editor-in-Chief |
*NEW - CAREERS IN COMEDY:
Ryan McCormick, president of Rising Sun Public Relations, is one of the
fastest rising, behind-the-scenes players in comedy. The Florida State
University graduate found his calling for public relations while
promoting a screening for his film on campus. The film was a bust, but
McCormick’s natural ability to create media buzz was evident; he drew
local newspaper, radio and TV coverage and 500 students.
After graduation, he interned on the Howard Stern Show after seven
attempts. He caught the comedy bug while mingling with comedians on
the show and embarked on a short-lived stand-up career before
branching into public relations.
In 2004, McCormick honed his PR skills repping up and coming
comedians and served as publicity manager for Two Drink Minimum
magazine during its transition from online to print. The following year,
PR News named him one of "15 to Watch" and George Sarris hired him
to oversee publicity for the New York Underground Comedy Festival. In
2006, McCormick secured national and international press coverage for
the NYUCF in the New York Post, The Hollywood Reporter, US Weekly,
Associated Press, North Korea Times and Daily India.
fastest rising, behind-the-scenes players in comedy. The Florida State
University graduate found his calling for public relations while
promoting a screening for his film on campus. The film was a bust, but
McCormick’s natural ability to create media buzz was evident; he drew
local newspaper, radio and TV coverage and 500 students.
After graduation, he interned on the Howard Stern Show after seven
attempts. He caught the comedy bug while mingling with comedians on
the show and embarked on a short-lived stand-up career before
branching into public relations.
In 2004, McCormick honed his PR skills repping up and coming
comedians and served as publicity manager for Two Drink Minimum
magazine during its transition from online to print. The following year,
PR News named him one of "15 to Watch" and George Sarris hired him
to oversee publicity for the New York Underground Comedy Festival. In
2006, McCormick secured national and international press coverage for
the NYUCF in the New York Post, The Hollywood Reporter, US Weekly,
Associated Press, North Korea Times and Daily India.
Last December, he joined the staff at the legendary Comic Strip Live as publicity manager after responding to
an ad on Craigslist for street team promoters. He offered his services and became the first PR manager the
club has hired since the 1970s. In less than two months, McCormick produced impressive results: Comic Strip
Live was voted the #1 comedy club on AOL City Guide's Best of 2007 and he launched Tales from the Strip, a
blog that features interviews and video clips of comedians and patrons.
STM caught up with the media mover and shaker one sunny afternoon in February to discuss his exciting career
path and how comedians can generate publicity.
How did you become a stand up?
I hung out with Craig Gass and I saw him at Boston [Comedy Club] and he told me about it and I just really
wanted to get involved. I did it for about a year.
How did you transition from stand up to PR?
At the time, I was doing PR for companies I didn’t care about in finance, health care and I always wanted to do
comedy. I met a gentleman by the name of Jamie Kahnis, a fast-rising comedian. He was my first client doing
publicity in comedy. Jamie would do shows with Bob Levy, Jim Florentine and Sal and I would always come along
and we’d have a great time. And in doing that, I just found that my efforts in coming up with niches and hooks
to get him in the press and do wonderful shows was that the passion shifted from comedy to PR.
What really solidified everything and made me completely into PR, the day the New York Underground Comedy
Festival started, Jamie died. It was devastating. When he passed on, I wanted to continue to work and do PR in
comedy, and I had to focus all my energy on PR because it was hard dealing with him not being there. By doing
this today, I like to make him proud.
How did you come to the attention of Two Drink Minimum?
There was a one-year anniversary party and I wanted to check out the magazine. I read it online and wrote a
couple articles. After a couple weeks, I told Julie [Seabaugh, editorial director] “I would like to do your
publicity.” I was actually working with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at the time. I would take my
vacation days to work for George or the magazine.
an ad on Craigslist for street team promoters. He offered his services and became the first PR manager the
club has hired since the 1970s. In less than two months, McCormick produced impressive results: Comic Strip
Live was voted the #1 comedy club on AOL City Guide's Best of 2007 and he launched Tales from the Strip, a
blog that features interviews and video clips of comedians and patrons.
STM caught up with the media mover and shaker one sunny afternoon in February to discuss his exciting career
path and how comedians can generate publicity.
How did you become a stand up?
I hung out with Craig Gass and I saw him at Boston [Comedy Club] and he told me about it and I just really
wanted to get involved. I did it for about a year.
How did you transition from stand up to PR?
At the time, I was doing PR for companies I didn’t care about in finance, health care and I always wanted to do
comedy. I met a gentleman by the name of Jamie Kahnis, a fast-rising comedian. He was my first client doing
publicity in comedy. Jamie would do shows with Bob Levy, Jim Florentine and Sal and I would always come along
and we’d have a great time. And in doing that, I just found that my efforts in coming up with niches and hooks
to get him in the press and do wonderful shows was that the passion shifted from comedy to PR.
What really solidified everything and made me completely into PR, the day the New York Underground Comedy
Festival started, Jamie died. It was devastating. When he passed on, I wanted to continue to work and do PR in
comedy, and I had to focus all my energy on PR because it was hard dealing with him not being there. By doing
this today, I like to make him proud.
How did you come to the attention of Two Drink Minimum?
There was a one-year anniversary party and I wanted to check out the magazine. I read it online and wrote a
couple articles. After a couple weeks, I told Julie [Seabaugh, editorial director] “I would like to do your
publicity.” I was actually working with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at the time. I would take my
vacation days to work for George or the magazine.