Kicking Through the Ashes

Comedian Ritch Shydner is one of Americas funniest and most enduring stand-up comics, a wry observer of life around him and a survivor of the 1980s comedy boom.Besides becoming a comics comic over the decades, he has starred on televisions Married With Children and won awards for his writing as a member of the Roseanne staff.The books introduction is by Bill Maher, host of HBOs Real Time with Bill Maher.Dozens of photos and index!In Kicking Through the Ashes, Shydner collects all of his 1980s life experiences -- the good, the bad, and El Brookmans -- in one hard to put down memoir. He tells stories about Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen, Carol Leifer, Richard Belzer, Johnny Carson, Andrew Dice Clay, Rodney Dangerfield, Tom Dreesen, Budd Friedman, Gilbert Gottfried, Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison, David Letterman, Bill Maher, Steve Martin, Jackie The Jokeman Martling, Rick Overton, Phyllis Diller, Kevin Rooney, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor and more!But dont believe his publisher; consider what some of the worlds funniest people think of Shydner:';Ritch Shydner is one of the best comedians Ive ever seen. He is Seinfeld good, Kinison good, Pryor good. Ok, maybe not Pryor good, but still an absolute killer. Every time Ive seen Ritch on stage, he always took the audience to a place where all the other comics in the room had no idea they could go. Im sure this book is in a section of the bookstore with books written by other famous comedians; well, Ritch might not be the most famous but hes definitely one of the funniest.' -- Chris Rock';Ritch Shydner is one of my comedy heroes. I remember watching him kill in the '80s and thinking that he is one of the greatest comics ever. Though the years we have written and worked together many times. He is a fabulous writer. Ritchs journey as a stand-up is a fascinating story. I know, I was there for a lot of it!' -- Jeff Foxworthy, ';Blue Collar Comedy Tour,' host, ';Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader'';I don't think ';Comedy Veteran' really describes what Ritch Shydner is. He was a Comedy Warrior. He's been through all the battles in all the trenches of the comedy boom. Now Ritch is an aging sage, spinning his Homeric tale and the tales of others in this personal history of the job and the art of stand-up.' -- Marc Maron, host/creator, ';WTF with Marc Maron' podcast';This book is hilarious and heartbreaking, packed with stories that move and shake, much like the author.' -- Margaret Cho, Comedian!';My favorite period of stand up comedy is the '70s and '80s. So many comics broke out during this time that had a tremendous influence on my love of the art and my dream to do it. Ritch Shydner is one of the comics I watched before I became a comedian, and I'm so glad he took the time to share his stories and insights in this amazing new book!' -- Bill Burr, writer/co-creator, F Is for Family'';Ritch Shydners dad told his friends that Ritch had joined a religious cult rather than have to admit that his son was pursuing a career as a stand-up. Though an argument could be made that the two things have more in common than his dad could have imagined. Ritch tells the story of the millions of small battles and ground skirmishes he fought as he morphed from law student into real live working comedian in a compelling way. I enjoyed reading it.' -- Merrill Markoe, author/humorist

Comedian Ritch Shydner is one of America's funniest and most enduring stand-up comics, a wry observer of life around him and a survivor of the 1980s comedy boom.

Besides becoming a comic's comic over the decades, he has starred on television's "Married With Children" and won awards for his writing as a member of the "Roseanne" staff.

The book's introduction is by Bill Maher, host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher."

Dozens of photos and index!

In "Kicking Through the Ashes," Shydner collects all of his 1980s life experiences -- the good, the bad, and El Brookman's -- in one hard to put down memoir. He tells stories about Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen, Carol Leifer, Richard Belzer, Johnny Carson, Andrew Dice Clay, Rodney Dangerfield, Tom Dreesen, Budd Friedman, Gilbert Gottfried, Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison, David Letterman, Bill Maher, Steve Martin, Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling, Rick Overton, Phyllis Diller, Kevin Rooney, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor and more!

But don't believe his publisher; consider what some of the world's funniest people think of Shydner:

“Ritch Shydner is one of the best comedians I've ever seen. He is Seinfeld good, Kinison good, Pryor good. Ok, maybe not Pryor good, but still an absolute killer. Every time I've seen Ritch on stage, he always took the audience to a place where all the other comics in the room had no idea they could go. I'm sure this book is in a section of the bookstore with books written by other famous comedians; well, Ritch might not be the most famous but he's definitely one of the funniest.” -- Chris Rock

“Ritch Shydner is one of my comedy heroes. I remember watching him kill in the ’80s and thinking that he is one of the greatest comics ever. Though the years we have written and worked together many times. He is a fabulous writer. Ritch's journey as a stand-up is a fascinating story. I know, I was there for a lot of it!” -- Jeff Foxworthy, “Blue Collar Comedy Tour,” host, “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader”

“I don’t think ‘Comedy Veteran’ really describes what Ritch Shydner is. He was a Comedy Warrior. He’s been through all the battles in all the trenches of the comedy boom. Now Ritch is an aging sage, spinning his Homeric tale and the tales of others in this personal history of the job and the art of stand-up.” -- Marc Maron, host/creator, “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast

“This book is hilarious and heartbreaking, packed with stories that move and shake, much like the author.” -- Margaret Cho, Comedian!

“My favorite period of stand up comedy is the ’70s and ’80s. So many comics broke out during this time that had a tremendous influence on my love of the art and my dream to do it. Ritch Shydner is one of the comics I watched before I became a comedian, and I’m so glad he took the time to share his stories and insights in this amazing new book!” -- Bill Burr, writer/co-creator, "F Is for Family”

“Ritch Shydner's dad told his friends that Ritch had joined a religious cult rather than have to admit that his son was pursuing a career as a stand-up. Though an argument could be made that the two things have more in common than his dad could have imagined. Ritch tells the story of the millions of small battles and ground skirmishes he fought as he morphed from law student into real live working comedian in a compelling way. I enjoyed reading it.” -- Merrill Markoe, author/humorist

 

Introduction by Bill Maher xiv
1 "Don't Want Nothin' That Anybody Can Touch"
The source of humor. 1
2 "Waiting for Someone or Something to Show You the Way"
Hard lessons for an amateur comic. 5
3 "Each Night Begins a New Day"
Law school turns funny. 12
4 "So Now You See the Light"
The first time doing stand-up. 17
5 "I Get My Back into My Living"
The search for an audience. 19
6 "There's a World Where I Can Go and Tell My Secrets"
El Brookman's bar. 23
7 "It's the Classic Contradiction, the Unavoidable Afflic-tion"
A living-room show. 29
8 "He Got Caught in the Spotlight"
The opening act, lessons in showbiz. 32
9 "They Come from the Cities and They Come from the Smaller Towns"
1970s stand-up scenes across America. 38
10 "I Rest My Case, You're Out of Reach"
The Laughing Stock at Garvin's. 45
11 "Go Ahead, Bite the Big Apple"
Move to New York City. 51
12 "Open Your Eyes, Look at Your Part, Boy"
Bombing as a booker. 56
13 "A Student at the Comedy College"
The New York City Showcase Clubs. 59
14 "A Buck Dancer's Choice"
Rodney Dangerfield. 66
15 "Try to Catch the Deluge in a Paper Cup"
The temptation of an agent. 70
16 "You Gotta Do It Till You're Through It So You Better Get to It"
Funny for money in 1979. 72
17 "Don't Need No Rank Beginners When It's Time to Shake My Shake"
Uncle Dirty. 77
18 "It's Pretty Human, Make All the People Holler"
A fork in the road, clean or dirty. 80
19 "First You Must Learn How to Smile as You Kill"
A lesson for the monkey from the organ grinder. 84
20 "The Wind Catches Your Feet, Sends You Flying"
A first tour on a new road. 86
21 "Once I Get Started I Go to Town"
Mike MacDonald. 89
22 "To Listen to Your Fears"
Canadian immigration and the art of stand-up. 94
23 "The Clown ... Does the Trick of Disaster"
Hitting the stage and the wall. 96
24 "Where the Shadows Run from Themselves"
A good room. 97
25 "Something to Make Us All Happy"
Props. 102
26 "Come too Far to Ever Turn Back Now"
Andy Kaufman. 105
27 "Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself"
Publicity, credits, and then an introduction. 109
28 "Consider This, a Slip
Heckling. 114
29 "Gettin' Had, Gettin' Took, I Tell You Folks, It's Harder Than It Looks"
A bad gig with good friends.
120
30 "Looking for a Sign that the Universal Mind Has Written You into the Passion Play"
Ronnie Shakes and Rodney Dangerfield. 125
31 "Circumstance Beyond Our Control"
The show must go on. 127
32 "What You Pay for Your Inches of Fame"
Move to Los Angeles. 131
33 "Don't Give a Damn for Just the In-Betweens"
Jay Leno. 136
34 "Great Expectations, Everybody's Watching You"
Robin Williams. 139
35 "This Ain't No Disco, This Ain't No Fooling Around"
The 1980s stand-up comedy boom. 144
36 "Saturday Night I Like to Raise a Little Harm"
Ollie Joe Prater down in Pittsburgh. 154
37 "Ease Out Soft and Slow"
A town not ready for comedy. 158
38 "The Devil's on the Loose"
Comedy seeks the level of the room. 161
39 "Thursday to Saturday, Money's Gone Already"
John Fox and the white stuff. 164
40 "All the Boys There, at the Bar, Began to Sing Along"
A honeymoon on the road. 167