A comic book or comicbook (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a funny book, comic paper, or comic magazine) is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog (usually in word balloons, emblematic of the comic book art form) as well as including brief descriptive prose. The first comic book appeared in the United States in 1933, reprinting the earlier newspaper comic strips, which established many of the story-telling devices used in comics. The term "comic book" arose because the first comic books reprinted humor comic strips. Despite their name, comic books are not necessarily humorous in tone; modern comic books tell stories in a variety of genres.

American comic books[link]

Since the introduction of the comic book format in 1933 with the publication of ''Famous Funnies'', the United States has produced the most titles, with only the British comic and Japanese manga as close competitors in terms of quantity of titles, though manga has many more followers and dwarfs American comics in readership.

Cultural historians divide the career of the comic book in the U.S. into several ages or historical eras:

Proto-comic books and the Platinum Age

Golden Age

Silver Age

Bronze Age

Modern Age

Comic book historians continue to debate the exact boundaries of these eras, but they have come to an agreement, the terms for which originated in the fan press. Comics as a print medium have existed in America since the printing of ''The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck'' in 1842 in hardcover—making it the first known American prototype comic book. The introduction of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's Superman in 1938 turned comic books into a major industry, and is the start of the Golden Age of comics. Historians have proposed several names for the Age before Superman, most commonly dubbing it the Platinum Age.

While the Platinum Age saw the first use of the term "comic book" (''The Yellow Kid in McFadden's Flats'' (1897)), the first known full-color comic (''The Blackberries'' (1901)), and the first monthly comic book (''Comics Monthly'' (1922)), it was not until the Golden Age that the archetype of the superhero would originate.

The Silver Age of comic books is generally considered to date from the first successful revival of the dormant superhero form—the debut of Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino's Flash in ''Showcase'' No. 4 (September/October 1956). The Silver Age lasted through the late 1960s or early 1970s, during which time Marvel Comics revolutionized the medium with such naturalistic superheroes as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four and Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's Spider-Man.

The precise beginnings of the Bronze and Modern Ages remain less well-defined. Suggested starting points for the Bronze Age of comics include Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith's ''Conan'' No. 1 (October 1970), Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams' ''Green Lantern/Green Arrow'' No. 76 (April 1970), or Stan Lee and Gil Kane's ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' No. 96 (May 1971; the non-Comics Code issue). The start of the Copper Age (apprx. 1984-2000) has even more potential starting points, but is generally agreed to be the publication of Frank Miller's ''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'' graphic novel and Alan Moore's ''Watchmen'' by DC Comics in 1986, as well as the publication of DC's ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'', written by Marv Wolfman with pencils by George Pérez.

A notable event in the history of the American comic book came with the psychiatrist Fredric Wertham's criticisms of the medium in his book ''Seduction of the Innocent'' (1954), which prompted the American Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency to investigate comic books. In response to attention from the government and from the media, the U.S. comic book industry set up the Comics Code Authority in 1954 and drafted the "Comics Code" in the same year.

Underground comic books[link]

In the late 1960s and early 1970s a surge of creativity emerged in what became known as underground comics. Published and distributed independently of the established comics industry, most of such comics reflected the youth counterculture and drug culture of the time. Many had an uninhibited, often irreverent style; their frank depictions of nudity, sex, profanity, and politics had no parallel outside their precursors, the pornographic and even more obscure "Tijuana bibles". Underground comics were almost never sold at news stands, but rather in such youth-oriented outlets as head shops and record stores, as well as by mail order.

Frank Stack's ''The Adventures of Jesus'', published under the name Foolbert Sturgeon, has been credited as the first underground comic.

Alternative comics[link]

The rise of comic book specialty stores in the late 1970s created/paralleled a dedicated market for "independent" or "alternative comics" in the U.S. The first such comics included the anthology series ''Star Reach'', published by comic book writer Mike Friedrich from 1974 to 1979, and Harvey Pekar's ''American Splendor'', which continued sporadic publication into the 21st century and which Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini adapted into a 2003 film. Some independent comics continued in the tradition of underground comics, though their content was generally less explicit, and others resembled the output of mainstream publishers in format and genre but were published by smaller artist-owned companies or by single artists. A few (notably ''RAW'') were experimental attempts to bring comics closer to the status of fine art.

During the 1970s the "small press" culture grew and diversified. By the 1980s, several independent publishers, such as Pacific, Eclipse, First, Comico, and Fantagraphics had started releasing a wide range of styles and formats—from color superhero, detective, and science fiction comic books to black-and-white magazine-format stories of Latin American magical realism.

A number of small publishers in the 1990s changed the format and distribution of their comics to more closely resemble non-comics publishing. The "minicomics" form, an extremely informal version of self-publishing, arose in the 1980s and became increasingly popular among artists in the 1990s, despite reaching an even more limited audience than the small press.

small publishers regularly releasing titles include Avatar Comics, Hyperwerks, Raytoons, and Terminal Press, buoyed by such advances in printing technology as digital print-on-demand.

Graphic novels[link]

In 1964, Richard Kyle coined the term "graphic novel" to distinguish newly translated European works from genre-driven subject matter common in American comics. Precursors of the form existed by the 1920s, which saw a revival of the medieval woodcut tradition by Belgian Frans Masereel, American Lynd Ward and others. In 1950, St. John Publications produced the digest-sized, adult-oriented "picture novel" ''It Rhymes with Lust'', a 128-page digest by pseudonymous writer "Drake Waller" (Arnold Drake and Leslie Waller), penciler Matt Baker and inker Ray Osrin, touted as "an original full-length novel" on its cover. In 1971, writer-artist Gil Kane and collaborators devised the paperback "comics novel" ''Blackmark''. Will Eisner popularized the term "graphic novel" when he used it on the cover of the paperback edition of his work ''A Contract with God, and Other Tenement Stories'' in 1978.

Digital graphic novels[link]

Comic book collecting[link]

The rarest comic books include copies of the unreleased ''Motion Picture Funnies Weekly'' No. 1 from 1939. Eight copies, plus one without a cover, emerged in the estate of the deceased publisher in 1974. The "Pay Copy" of this book sold for $43,125 in a 2005 Heritage auction.

The most valuable American comics have combined rarity and quality with the first appearances of popular and enduring characters. Four comic books to have sold for over $1 million USD as of December 2010, including two examples of Action Comics No. 1, the first appearance of Superman, both sold privately through online dealer ComicConnect.com in 2010, and Detective Comics No. 27, the first appearance of Batman, via public auction.

Misprints, promotional comic-dealer incentive printings, and similar issues with extremely low distribution also generally have scarcity value. The rarest modern comic books include the original press run of ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' No. 5, which DC executive Paul Levitz recalled and pulped due to the appearance of a vintage Victorian era advertisement for "Marvel Douche", which the publisher considered offensive; only 100 copies exist, most of which have been CGC graded. (See Recalled comics for more pulped, recalled, and erroneous comics.)

In 2000, a company named CGC began to "slab" comics, encasing them in a thick plastic and giving them a numeric grade.

European comics[link]

Franco-Belgian comics[link]

France and Belgium have a long tradition in comics and comic books, called ''BDs'' (an abbreviation of ''bande dessinées'') in French and ''strips'' in Dutch. Belgian comic books originally written in Dutch show the influence of the Francophone "Franco-Belgian" comics, but have their own distinct style.

The name ''la bande dessinée'' derives from the original description of the art form as drawn strips (the phrase literally translates as "the drawn strip"), analogous to the sequence of images in a film strip. As in its English equivalent, the word "bande" can be applied to both film and comics. Significantly, the French-language term contains no indication of subject-matter, unlike the American terms "comics" and "funnies", which imply an art form not to be taken seriously. The distinction of comics as ''le neuvième art'' (literally, "the ninth art") is prevalent in French scholarship on the form, as is the concept of comics criticism and scholarship itself. Relative to the respective size of their populations, the innumerable authors in France and Belgium publish a high volume of comic books. In North America, the more serious Franco-Belgian comics are often seen as equivalent to graphic novels, but whether they are long or short, bound or in magazine format, in Europe there is no need for a more sophisticated term, as the art's name does not itself imply something frivolous.

In France, authors control the publication of most comics. The author works within a self-appointed time-frame, and it is common for readers to wait six months or as long as two years between installments. Most books first appear in print as a hardcover book, typically with 48, 56, or 64 pages.

British comics[link]

Originally the same size as a usual comic book in the U.S. (although lacking the glossy cover), the British comic has adopted a magazine size, with ''The Beano'' and ''The Dandy'' the last to adopt this size (in the 1980s). Although the British generally speak of "a comic" or of "a comic magazine", and they also historically spoke of "a comic paper". Some comics, such as ''Judge Dredd'' and other ''2000 AD'' titles, have been published in a tabloid form.

Although ''Ally Sloper's Half Holiday'' (1884), the first comic published in Britain, was aimed at an adult market, publishers quickly targeted a younger market, which has led to most publications being for children and created an association in the public's mind of comics as somewhat juvenile.

Popular titles within the UK have included ''The Beano'', ''The Dandy'', ''The Eagle'', ''2000 AD'', and ''Viz''. Underground comics and "small press" titles have also been published within the UK, notably ''Oz'' and ''Escape Magazine''.

The content of ''Action'', another title aimed at children and launched in the mid-1970s, became the subject of discussion in the House of Commons. Although on a smaller scale than similar investigations in the U.S., such concerns led to a moderation of content published within British comics. Such moderation never became formalized to the extent of promulgating a code, nor did it last long.

The UK has also established a healthy market in the reprinting and repackaging of material, notably material originating in the U.S. The lack of reliable supplies of American comic books led to a variety of black-and-white reprints, including Marvel's monster comics of the 1950s, Fawcett's Captain Marvel, and other characters such as Sheena, Mandrake the Magician, and the Phantom. Several reprint companies were involved in repackaging American material for the British market, notably the importer and distributor Thorpe & Porter.

Marvel Comics established a UK office in 1972. DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics also opened offices in the 1990s. The repackaging of European material has occurred less frequently, although the ''Tintin'' and ''Asterix'' serials have been successfully translated and repackaged in softcover books.

At Christmas time, publishers repackage and commission material for comic annuals, printed and bound as hardcover A4-size books; Rupert supplies a famous example of the British comic annual. DC Thomson also repackages ''The Broons'' and ''Oor Wullie'' strips in softcover A4-size books for the holiday season.

On 19 March 2012, the British postal service, the Royal Mail, released a set of stamps depicting British comic-book characters and series. The collection featured The Beano, The Dandy, Eagle, The Topper, Roy of the Rovers, Bunty, Buster, Valiant, Twinkle and 2000 AD.

Italian comics[link]

In Italy, comics (known in Italian as ''fumetti'') made their debut as humor strips at the end of the 19th century, and later evolved into adventure stories inspired by those coming from the U.S. After World War II, however, artists like Hugo Pratt and Guido Crepax exposed Italian comics to an international audience. "Author" comics contain often strong erotic contents. Popular comic books such as ''Diabolik'' or the ''Bonelli'' line—namely ''Tex Willer'' or ''Dylan Dog''—remain best-sellers.

Mainstream comics are usually published on a monthly basis, in a black-and-white digest size format, with approximately 100 to 132 pages. Collections of classic material for the most famous characters, usually with more than 200 pages, are also common. Author comics are published in the French BD format, with an example being Pratt's ''Corto Maltese''.

Italian cartoonists show the influence of comics from other countries, including France, Belgium, Spain, and Argentina. Italy is also famous for being one of the foremost producers of Walt Disney comic stories outside the U.S. Donald Duck's superhero alter ego, Paperinik, known in English as Superduck, was created in Italy.

Japanese comics[link]

The first comic books in Japan appeared during the 18th century in the form of woodblock-printed booklets containing short stories drawn from folk tales, legends, and historical accounts, told in a simple visual-verbal idiom. Known as , , and , these were written primarily for less literate readers. However, with the publication in 1775 of Koikawa Harumachi's comic book , an adult form of comic book originated, which required greater literacy and cultural sophistication. This was known as the . Published in thousands (possibly tens of thousands) of copies, the ''kibyōshi'' may have been the earliest fully realized comic book for adults in world literary history. Approximately 2,000 titles remain extant.

Modern comic books in Japan developed from a mixture of these earlier comic books and of woodblock prints with Western styles of drawing. They took their form shortly after World War II. They are usually published in black-and-white, except for the covers, which are usually printed in four colors, although occasionally, the first few pages may also be printed in full color. The term ''manga'' means "random (or whimsical) pictures", and first came into common usage in the late 18th century with the publication of such works as Santō Kyōden's picturebook (1798) and Aikawa Minwa's ''Comic Sketches of a Hundred Women'' (1798).

Development of this form occurred as a result of Japan's attempts to modernize itself, a desire awakened by trade with the U.S. Western artists were brought over to teach their students such concepts as line, form, and color; things which had not been regarded as conceptually important in ''ukiyo-e'', as the idea behind the picture was of paramount importance. Manga at this time was referred to as ''Ponchi-e'' (Punch-picture) and, like its British counterpart ''Punch'' magazine, mainly depicted humor and political satire in short one- or four-picture format.

Dr. Osamu Tezuka (1928–1989), widely acknowledged as the father of narrative manga, further developed this form. Seeing an animated war propaganda film titled inspired Tezuka to become a comic artist. He introduced episodic storytelling and character development in comic format, in which each story is part of larger story arc. The only text in Tezuka's comics was the characters' dialogue and this further lent his comics a cinematic quality. Inspired by the work of Walt Disney, Tezuka also adopted a style of drawing facial features in which a character's eyes, nose, and mouth are drawn in an extremely exaggerated manner. This style created immediately recognizable expressions using very few lines, and the simplicity of this style allowed Tezuka to be prolific. Tezuka's work generated new interest in the ''ukiyo-e'' tradition, in which the image is a representation of an idea, rather than a depiction of reality.

Though a close equivalent to the American comic book, manga has historically held a more important place in Japanese culture than comics have in American culture. Japanese society shows a wide respect for manga, both as an art form and as a form of popular literature. Many manga become television shows or short films. As with its American counterpart, some manga has been criticized for its sexuality and violence, although in the absence of official or even industry restrictions on content, artists have freely created manga for every age group and for every topic.

Manga magazines—also known as "anthologies", or colloquially, "phone books"—often run several series concurrently, with approximately 20 to 40 pages allocated to each series per issue. These magazines are usually printed on low-quality newsprint and range from 200 to more than 850 pages each. Manga magazines also contain one-shot comics and a variety of four-panel yonkoma (equivalent to comic strips). Manga series may continue for many years if they are successful, with stories often collected and reprinted in book-sized volumes called , the equivalent of the American trade paperbacks. These volumes use higher-quality paper and are useful to readers who want to be brought up to date with a series, or to readers who find the cost of the weekly or monthly publications to be prohibitive. Deluxe versions are printed as commemorative or collectible editions. Conversely, old manga titles are also reprinted using lower-quality paper and sold for 120 ¥ (approximately $1 USD) each.

Doujinshi[link]

, fan-made Japanese comics operate in a far larger market in Japan than the American "underground comics" market; the largest doujinshi fair, Comic Market, attracts 500,000 visitors twice a year.

See also[link]

Cartoon

Comics Studies

Comics vocabulary

Webcomic

Digital comics

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Grand Comics Database

The Comic Book Database

Comic book Reference Bibliographic Datafile

Sequart Research & Literacy Organization

Comic Book Resources

The Comics Ninja

Comic Art Collection at the University of Missouri

The Comics Journal

The Comics Reporter

Category:American culture Category:Comics formats Category:Entertainment Category:Magazines

bg:Комиксово списание da:Tegneseriealbum es:Comic book eo:Bildliteraturo#Specifaj nomoj kaj difinoj fr:Comic book it:Comic book lt:Komiksų knyga ro:Carte de benzi desenate tl:Komiks (magasin o aklat) th:หนังสือการ์ตูน zh:漫画书

name	Bill Hader
birth name	William Hader
birth date	June 07, 1978
birth place	Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
spouse	Maggie Carey (2006-present; 1 child)
nationality	American
active	1998–present
notable work	''Saturday Night Live'', ''Superbad'', ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'', ''Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'', ''Doogal'', ''Adventureland'' }}

William "Bill" Hader (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, producer and writer. He is best known for his work as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' and for his supporting roles in comedy films such as ''Superbad'', ''Hot Rod'', ''Tropic Thunder'', ''Adventureland'', ''Paul'', ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'', and ''Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian''.

Early life[link]

Hader was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Sherri and Bill Hader. He has two sisters, Katie and Kara. Hader attended Patrick Henry Elementary School, Edison Junior High, and Cascia Hall Preparatory School, before attending The Art Institute of Phoenix and Scottsdale Community College.

Early career[link]

Hader's comedic aspirations eventually led him to Los Angeles where he joined the Second City, a comedy troupe that has been a training ground for many ''SNL'' cast members since the 1970s. He performed at iO West in Los Angeles. During his time at Second City and iO West, Hader worked as a production assistant on the DVD ''Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy'' and ''Collateral Damage'', as well as an assistant on VH1's ''The Surreal Life''.

''Saturday Night Live''[link]

Bill Hader was "discovered" by Megan Mullally of ''Will & Grace'' while working with the Los Angeles-based comedy troupe "Animals from the Future." Mullally brought him to the attention of ''SNL'' producer Lorne Michaels. Hader was hired as a "featured player" and made his debut on the show on October 1, 2005. His first role was as a psychologist giving his views about life and death during the emergency landing of JetBlue Airways Flight 292. Hader is known for his impressions of famous people, such as Vincent Price in the Variety Vault sketches, Al Pacino, Brian Grazer, Rick Perry, John Malkovich, James Carville, Julian Assange, Eliot Spitzer, Alan Alda and Charlie Sheen.

Hader is currently in his 7th season on ''SNL''.

Recurring characters[link]

Stefon, Weekend Update's flamboyant New York City Correspondent, whose recommendations consist solely of bizarre nightclubs involving nightmarish characters. He is in love with Seth Meyers. Hader hasn't gotten through a single sketch (dress rehearsal also) as Stefon without bursting into laughter, barring the first time he appeared as Stefon in a one-shot sketch about a screenwriter whose estranged brother joins him in pitching a movie. Writer John Mulaney often changes some jokes to the sketch right before it airs, so many of the lines catch Hader off guard. Stefon was first introduced in the Ben Affleck/David Cook episode as Ben Affleck's estranged screenwriting brother who ruins his chances at pitching a family film about a boy who befriends his estranged grandfather who teaches him how to be a better football player.

Usually the game show host in game show sketches.

Vinny Vedecci, the Italian talk-show host who chain-smokes, insults his crew (Fred Armisen and Will Forte, later replaced by Paul Brittain), has a son (Bobby Moynihan), and speaks little English, even though his guests (played by the guest hosts as themselves) are English speakers.

Greg the Alien, the co-host of a sports talk show who appears to be an alien despite co host Randy Dukes (Kenan Thompson's) constant claims that Greg is not an alien.

Nitro, in the SNL Digital Short ''Laser Cats''

One of the four guys (the others being Will Forte [later replaced by Andy Samberg], Jason Sudeikis and the host) who reveal crazy aspects about themselves while singing a song in the Song Memories sketches

Lindsey Buckingham, from the skit ''What's Up With That?''

One half of the "2 Gay Guys from New Jersey." Is the only one whose real name was revealed. His real name is Tony DiNato.

DJ Frontal Assault on Deep House Dish

Danny, a guy who has the mutant "Kuato" (played by Andy Samberg) living in his stomach

Mr. Triggs, the father of an ugly, socially inept girl named Stacia (played by Kristen Wiig)

Jerry, a sleazy businessman who works with Carl (Will Forte). Both are often drunk and insulting to their co-workers

One of the "Scared Straight" kids, three young trouble-makers (along with Andy Samberg and Bobby Moynihan) who are lectured by convict Lorenzo McIntosh (played by Kenan Thompson) and a fellow inmate played by the host

Dwayne Vogelcheck: the brother in Kissing Family (his parents are played by Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen) where another sibling, usually played by the celebrity host, brings a friend or girlfriend home to their overly affectionate family

Brady Trunk: co-host of "Hollywood Dish", with Kristen Wiig

Herb Welch: a senile, on-the-scene news reporter who keeps hitting his interviewees in the face with his microphone.

One of the Merryville Brothers robots (along with Taran Killam; the third member has been played by Jim Carrey and Justin Timberlake)

Leonard, the production assistant on advice shows produced by Roger Brush (Fred Armisen)

Lyle Round, host of the 1960s game show, "Secret Word." He often gets annoyed with his celebrity contestants, particularly Mindy Gracin (Kristen Wiig)

Vince Blight, the host for the game show, "What's That Name?" On the Alec Baldwin/Radiohead episode, Blight was the host of a game show called "Who's On Top?" and on the episode hosted by Anna Faris (with musical guest Drake), Blight hosted a Lifetime-based game show called "What's Wrong With Tanya?"

Impersonations (on and off ''Saturday Night Live'')[link]

Bill Hader has said he did impersonations of teachers and friends when he was growing up, but did not do impersonations of famous people until his ''Saturday Night Live'' audition. His Al Pacino impersonation came after watching the actor's Emmy acceptance speech for ''Angels in America''. Hader's Vincent Price impersonation came from his love of Price's Edgar Allan Poe films, such as'' The Fall of the House of Usher''. His Peter O'Toole impersonation came partly from O'Toole in ''My Favorite Year'' and Jack Lemmon's drunken Prince Hapnick from ''The Great Race'' and Cher from ''Burlesque.''

Another one of Hader's impersonations from ''Saturday Night Live'' is his impersonation of former governor Eliot Spitzer. Hader has also impersonated Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino from MTV's ''Jersey Shore'', Pearl Jam's frontman Eddie Vedder, Dave Matthews, John Boehner, Ben Mankiewicz, John Mayer, Conan O'Brien, Alan Alda, Dr. Oz, Rick Perry, Charlie Sheen, political strategist James Carville, Clint Eastwood and Tim Burton.

Hader is known for his uncanny impression of ''Dateline NBC'' 's Keith Morrison, parodying his reporting style of being overly interested in horrific tales of tragedy and/or murder, and asking inane questions. After discovering that Morrison works at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where both ''Dateline'' and ''Saturday Night Live'' are filmed, Hader half-jestingly said on the March 30, 2009, episode of ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' that he lived in fear of getting into the same elevator as Morrison at 30 Rock.

In December 2010, he portrayed Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, who interrupts the broadcast from a British prison. In this sketch he hacks commercials for companies that are apologizing about WikiLeaks (such as MasterCard) and informs America about his status. He also did a parody of TMZ with Assange playing the role of Harvey Levin.

Film roles[link]

He first appeared alongside Owen Wilson and Matt Dillon in ''You, Me and Dupree''. Since then he's had a wide range of roles such as Katherine Heigl's editor at E! in ''Knocked Up'', the acid-taking mechanic Dave in ''Hot Rod'' (alongside'' SNL'' castmate Andy Samberg), a recumbent biker in'' The Brothers Solomon'' (which featured SNL castmate Will Forte in one of the film's co-leading roles) and, most famously, as Officer Slater in the Judd Apatow produced'' Superbad''. His role in ''Superbad'' helped boost his public awareness and allowed him to appear on mainstream programs like ''Total Request Live'', ''The Tonight Show'', and MTV's ''Video Music Awards''.

Hader appeared in two other Apatow projects: ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' and ''Pineapple Express'' (with Seth Rogen). He appeared alongside Ben Stiller, Brandon T. Jackson, Jack Black, Robert Downey, Jr., Matthew McConaughey, Steve Coogan, Jay Baruchel, Tom Cruise, and Nick Nolte in ''Tropic Thunder''.

He teamed back up with ''Superbad'' director Greg Mottola for the film ''Adventureland''. He also appears in Mottola's feature ''Paul''.

In addition to these films, Hader has made several short films, including ''Back in the Day'', ''Sounds Good to Me: Remastering the Sting'', and ''The Jeannie Tate Show'' with ''SNL'' writer Liz Cackowski and wife Maggie Carey.

Hader makes a small appearance in the 2009 film ''Year One'' with Jack Black and Michael Cera.

Hader lent his voice to the critically acclaimed 2009 Sony Pictures Animation film ''Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'', playing the lead role of Flint Lockwood. He voiced a gazelle in ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs''.

Hader appeared in ''Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'' as Major General George Armstrong Custer.

He provided a voiceover in the 2010 film ''Scott Pilgrim vs. the World''. He portrayed The Voice, the disembodied voice that pops up during certain moments of the film's video game-inspired fight scenes.

Hader has written a slasher film to be produced by Judd Apatow, which he will star in if the film is produced.

In April 2009, Hader was a part of ''Vanity Fair'''s list of "Comedy's New Legends".

Other work[link]

Hader was a creative consultant on the 12th season of ''South Park.'' He was a producer on the 13th season, which premiered March 11, 2009. Hader is among the series producers to win the 2009 Emmy Award for Best Animated Series. He also appeared on the commentary recorded for the 2009 Blu-ray edition of ''South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut'', and the Comedy Central special "South Park: 6 Days to Air", a documentary filmed during production of the 2011 South Park episode HumancentiPad.

Hader won a Peabody Award for his participation in Saturday Night Live Political Satire, 2008

Hader voiced an array of different characters on the second season of the Adult Swim show ''Xavier: Renegade Angel.''

Hader and SNL castmate Seth Meyers penned a Spider-Man one-shot, "The Short Halloween," the title of which is a reference to the Batman story arc "The Long Halloween." It was drawn by Kevin Maguire and came out May 29, 2009, to positive reviews.

Jackson Publick announced on his blog that Hader will be the new voice for Professor Impossible on the fourth season of ''The Venture Brothers'' The part was originated by Stephen Colbert.

In the game ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' he played Wilson Taylor Sr (On in-game radio show: ''Pacemaker'')

Hader appeared on ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show'' impersonating the recurring character James Quall on the episode "Jazz."

In July 2008, Hader starred in, and co-wrote with Simon Rich, the web series ''The Line'' on Crackle.

Hader lent his voice to the audiobook of Sarah Vowell's ''The Wordy Shipmates.''

Hader voiced the Pod in the ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' episode "IAMAPOD" as well as Hitler in the episode "Der Inflatable Fuhrer."

Hader played Kevin, Matt Damon's co-pilot, in the live episode of ''30 Rock,'' recorded October 14, 2010.

Hader is hosting the 2011 season of ''Essentials, Jr.'' on Turner Classic Movies.

Personal life[link]

In 2006, Hader married writer-director Maggie Carey. They have a daughter named Hannah Kathryn, born October 6, 2009.

Filmography[link]

''Cube Jacked City 2'' ''Sounds Good to Me: Remastering the Sting'' ''Jenny Clone'' ''You, Me and Dupree'' >''Knocked Up'' ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' ''Adventureland (film) ''Freaknik: The Musical'' ''Paul (film) ''Men in Black 3'' ''The To Do List'' ''LEGO''

Year
1998	''Cube Jacked City''	The Sarge
1999	|	The Sarge	J.J. Kocholek Production
2004	|	Barnaby G. Price	Short filmAlso writer
rowspan="2"	2005	|	Father	Short film
''Hallway''	Receptionist
rowspan="3"	2006	|	Mark
''The Magic Roundabout (film)	Doogal''	Soldier Sam
''The Pity Card''	Dick
rowspan="4"	2007	|	Brent
''Hot Rod (film)	Hot Rod''	Dave
''Superbad (film)	Superbad''	Officer Slater
''The Brothers Solomon''	Recumbent Biker
rowspan="4"	2008	|	Brian Bretter
''Pineapple Express (film)	Pineapple Express''	Private Greg B. Miller
''Tropic Thunder''	Rob Slolom
''Grand Theft Auto IV''	Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack>Wilson Taylor Sr.
rowspan="6"	2009	Adventureland'' ||	Bobby
''Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian''	George Armstrong Custer
''Year One (film)	Year One''	The Shaman
''Paper Heart''	Himself
''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs''	Gazelle
''Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (film)	Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs''	Flint Lockwood
rowspan="3"	2010	|	Tad	Voice RoleTelevision
''Scott Pilgrim vs. the World''	The Voice
''Marc The Tiger''	Evil Dragon
rowspan="4"	2011	Paul'' ||	Agent Haggard
''South Park''	Farmer #2
''Back for the Future''
''Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil''	Hansel and Gretel>Hansel
rowspan="2"	2012	|	Andy Warhol	Post-Production
''Bob's Burgers''	Mickey
rowspan="4"	2013	|	Willy	Post-Production
''Me and My Shadow''	Stanley's Shadow
''Turbo''	T.B.A
''The Skeleton Twins''	T.B.A
rowspan="4"	2014	|	T.B.A.	Voice only; Filming

References[link]

External links[link]

Interview with New York Times

Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Oklahoma Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American impressionists (entertainers) Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:American voice actors Category:Emmy Award winners Category:People from Tulsa, Oklahoma

da:Bill Hader de:Bill Hader es:Bill Hader fr:Bill Hader it:Bill Hader nl:Bill Hader ja:ビル・ヘイダー no:Bill Hader pl:Bill Hader pt:Bill Hader sv:Bill Hader tr:Bill Hader

name	Kevin Conroy
birth date	November 30, 1955
birth place	Westbury, New York, U.S.
occupation	Actor
yearsactive	1980–present
spouse	}}

Kevin Conroy (born November 30, 1955) is an American stage, screen, and voice actor, best known for his acclaimed voice role as Batman in the Emmy Award-winning 1990s Fox television show ''Batman: The Animated Series'', as well as its various spin-off TV series and feature films that made up the DC Animated Universe. More recently, he has voiced Batman in the acclaimed video games ''Batman: Arkham Asylum'' and ''Batman: Arkham City'', as well as various films under the DC Universe Animated Original Movies banner.

Early life[link]

Born in Westbury, New York, Conroy moved to Westport, Connecticut when he was about 11 years old. He moved to New York in 1973 when he earned a full scholarship to attend Juilliard's famous drama division, where he studied under actor John Houseman. While there, he almost ended up living with future Superman actor Christopher Reeve, but ended up rooming with Robin Williams who was in the same group as both Conroy and Kelsey Grammer. In 1978, after graduating from Juilliard, he toured with The Acting Company, Houseman's acting group, and, in 1979, he went on the national tour of Ira Levin's ''Deathtrap''.

Career[link]

In 1980, he decided to try his hand in television, and moved out to California. He landed a role in the daytime soap opera ''Another World''. He became associated with the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, where he performed in productions of ''Hamlet'' and ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. From 1980 to 1985, he acted in a variety of contemporary and classic theatre pieces, including the Broadway productions of ''Eastern Standard'' and Edward Albee's adaptation of ''Lolita''. In 1984, he played the title role in ''Hamlet'' in the New York Shakespeare Festival. He returned to television in the 1985 TV movie ''Covenant'', and had a role on another daytime soap drama, ''Search For Tomorrow''. He was a series regular on ''Ohara'' in 1987, and on ''Tour of Duty'' from 1987 to 1988, before starring in a series of television movies. He has also guest starred on shows such as ''Cheers'', ''Dynasty'', ''Search For Tomorrow'', and ''Matlock''.

He almost landed the part of Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom ''Wings'', but lost out to Tim Daly (who coincidentally, as a voice actor, later portrayed Superman in The WB's ''Superman: The Animated Series''). He was confirmed to be performing on the fourth season of ''The Venture Bros.'' as Captain Sunshine, a caricature of Batman and Superman.

Batman[link]

Vocally, Kevin Conroy is best known to audiences for his lead role in ''Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992–1995). In 1991, Conroy was told by his agent that Warner Bros was doing an animated TV series and asked him if he would like to try out for the voice of Batman. Believing it would be like the campy 1960s ''Batman'' TV series starring Adam West, Conroy went in to audition. He was one of 150 actors who auditioned for the role. When asked about the character, the series producer Bruce Timm explained to Conroy that this interpretation of Batman would not be like the 1960s version, but rather based on a much more gothic story line similar to the 1989 ''Batman'' film starring Michael Keaton. Conroy walked into the booth and ultimately won the audition. He continued to voice-play Batman in the subsequent spin-off series ''The New Batman Adventures'' (1997–1999), ''Batman Beyond'' (1999–2001), ''Justice League'' (2001–2004), and ''Justice League Unlimited'' (2004–2006), all of which take place in what is commonly referred to as the DC Animated Universe (DCAU). His tenure in the role also includes the DCAU films ''Batman: Mask of the Phantasm'' (1993), ''Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero'' (1998), ''Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker'' (2000), and ''Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman'' (2003). He also voiced Batman for the character's guest appearances in the DCAU's ''Superman: The Animated Series'', ''Static Shock'', and ''The Zeta Project''.

Conroy is well remembered by fans for being the first person in animation to use two distinct voices to portray Bruce Wayne and Batman, which was Conroy's idea. In a tally of performances that include every episode, movie, and guest appearance made as Batman, Conroy has portrayed the superhero longer than any other actor in either live-action or animation. Apart from the DCAU, Conroy has also portrayed Batman in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies ''Batman: Gotham Knight'' (2008), ''Superman/Batman: Public Enemies'' (2009), ''Superman/Batman: Apocalypse'' (2010), and ''Justice League: Doom'' (2012).

Additionally, he portrayed Batman in the video games ''The Adventures of Batman and Robin'' (1994), ''Batman Vengeance'' (2001), ''Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu'' (2003), ''Batman: Arkham Asylum'' (2009) and ''Batman: Arkham City'' (2011), as well as the 2001 revamp of ''Batman Adventure - The Ride'', at the Warner Bros. Movie World theme park in Queensland, Australia. Conroy also voiced Batman alongside his DCAU co-star Mark Hamill as the Joker and Jason Hillhouse as Dick Grayson in a feature of a storyboard scene included in the 2005 Special Edition DVD of the 1989 ''Batman'' film. This scene depicted the origin of Robin, which wasn't filmed because the filmmakers ultimately felt it was out of place with the rest of the film. In the season four premiere of ''The Batman'', an animated series unrelated to the DCAU, Conroy portrayed Robin's father, John Grayson. Conroy also voiced the Phantom Stranger and an alternate Batman in ''Batman: The Brave and the Bold'', another animated series unrelated to the DCAU.

He also portrays Batman in the online video game ''DC Universe Online''.

Personal life[link]

After the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, Conroy participated in relief efforts by volunteering to do cooking duties for officers and firefighters. During an audio commentary on ''Batman: Gotham Knight'' Conroy expressed his surprise at the reaction of the emergency service workers to his presence. At the behest of another cook, Conroy called out from the kitchen to the dining area in his "Batman voice", reciting a few lines, which were greeted by cheers and applause from emergency service personnel, many of whom had been fans of ''Batman: The Animated Series'' during its airing in the 1990s. Conroy confessed to being humbled and deeply flattered by the reaction.

Credits[link]

''How to Pick Up Girls!'' (1978; TV movie) - Bartender

''Another World'' (1980–1981; TV series) - Jerry Grove #2

''Born Beautiful'' (1982; TV movie) - Stan

''Kennedy'' (1983; TV mini-series) - Ted Kennedy

''George Washington'' (1984; TV mini-series) - John Laurens

''Search for Tomorrow'' (1984–1985; TV series) - Chase Kendall

''Covenant'' (1985; TV movie) - Stephen

''Dynasty'' (1985–1986; TV series) - Bart Fallmont

''Ohara'' (1987; TV series) - Capt. Lloyd Hamilton

''Tour of Duty'' (1987–1988; TV series) - Capt. Rusty Wallace

''Killer Instinct'' (1988; TV movie) - Dr. Steven Nelson

''So Proudly We Hail'' (1990; TV movie) - Francis Crosby

''The Face of Fear'' (1990; TV movie) - Frank Dwight Bollinger

''Hi Honey - I'm Dead'' (1991; TV Movie) - Brad Stadler

''Battle in the Errogenous Zone'' (1992; TV movie) - Mondo Ray

''The Secret Passion of Robert Clayton'' (1992; TV movie) - Hunter Roy Evans

''Chain of Desire'' (1992) - Joe

''Rachel Gunn, R.N.'' (1992; TV series) - Dr. David Dunkle

''Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992–1995; TV series) - Bruce Wayne/Batman and Dr. Thomas Wayne

''Batman: Mask of the Phantasm'' (1993; theatrical film) - Bruce Wayne/Batman

''The Adventures of Batman and Robin'' (1994; video game) - Batman

''Island City'' (1994; TV movie) - Col. Tom Valdoon

''The Office'' (1995; TV series) - Steve Gillman

''Superman: The Animated Series'' (1997, 1998, 1999; TV series) - Bruce Wayne/Batman (guest appearances)

''The New Batman Adventures'' (1997–1999; TV series) - Bruce Wayne/Batman

''Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero'' (1998; DTV film) - Bruce Wayne/Batman

''Crusaders of Might and Magic'' (1999; video game) - Drake

''Batman Beyond'' (1999–2001; TV series) - Bruce Wayne

''Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker'' (2000; DTV film) - Bruce Wayne/Batman

''The Zeta Project'' (2001; TV series) - Bruce Wayne (guest star; episode: "Shadows")

''Batman Vengeance'' (2001; video game) - Batman

''Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy'' (2001; video game) - Fisherman

''Justice League'' (2001–2004; TV series) - Bruce Wayne/Batman

''Static Shock'' (2002, 2003, 2004; TV series) - Bruce Wayne/Batman (guest appearances)

''Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne'' (2003; video game) - Lord Jack/Cleaner/Commando

''Lords of EverQuest'' (2003; video game) - Lord Palasa

''Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu'' (2003; video game) - Batman

''Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman'' (2003; DTV film) - Bruce Wayne/Batman

''Justice League Unlimited'' (2004–2006; TV series) - Bruce Wayne/Batman

''The Batman'' (2006; TV series) - John Grayson (guest star; episode: "A Matter of Family")

''Batman: Gotham Knight'' (2008; DTV film) - Bruce Wayne/Batman

''Ben 10: Alien Force'' (2008; TV series) - Alien X (Bellicus)

''Batman: Arkham Asylum'' (2009; video game) - Bruce Wayne/Batman and Thomas Wayne

''Superman/Batman: Public Enemies'' (2009; DTV film) - Bruce Wayne/Batman

''The Venture Bros'' (2009; TV series) - Captain Sunshine (guest star; episode: "Handsome Ransom")

''Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' (2010; TV series) - Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, Phantom Stranger

''Superman/Batman: Apocalypse'' (2010; DTV film) - Bruce Wayne/Batman

''DC Universe Online'' (2011; online video game) - Batman

''Batman: Arkham City'' (2011; video game) - Bruce Wayne/Batman, Dr. Thomas Elliot/Hush

''Justice League: Doom'' (2012; DTV film) - Bruce Wayne/Batman

''Transformers: Prime'' (2012; TV series) -

Stage plays[link]

Character played ? ? ? ? Achilles Hamlet Hamlet ? Lenny Hamilton ? Lysander Lysander ? ?

Stage Play	|	Location performed	Year
Accounts	|	Hudson Guild	?
Come Back Little Sheba	|	Roundabout Theatre	?
Deathtrap	|	(on Broadway)	1979
Eastern Standard	|	Golden Theatre (Broadway)	1989
The Greeks	|	Hartford Stage	1984
Hamlet	|	New York Shakespeare Festival	1984
Hamlet	|	Old Globe Theatre, San Diego	?
King Lear	|	San Diego Shakespeare Festival	?
The Last Yankee	|	Signature Theatre	12/30/97 - 2/8/98
Lolita	|	(on Broadway)	?
A Midsummer Night's Dream	|	New York Shakespeare Festival	1984
A Midsummer Night's Dream	|	Old Globe Theater, San Diego	1982
Mother Courage	|	?	?
Much Ado About Nothing	|	San Diego Shakespeare Festival	?

References[link]

External links[link]

Kevin Conroy talks life, Batman and video games

Audio Interview w/ The Rafferty/Mills Connection Podcast (2009)

HoboTrashcan - One on One with Kevin Conroy (2009)

Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:American voice actors Category:American television actors Category:American stage actors Category:American video game actors Category:People from Long Island Category:People from Westport, Connecticut Category:Juilliard School alumni

bg:Кевин Конрой de:Kevin Conroy es:Kevin Conroy fr:Kevin Conroy it:Kevin Conroy he:קווין קונרוי ja:ケヴィン・コンロイ pl:Kevin Conroy pt:Kevin Conroy fi:Kevin Conroy sv:Kevin Conroy

:''For music video, film, and commercial director Jonathan Glazer, see Jonathan Glazer.''

birth date
birth place	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
occupation	Actor, comedian, writer, producer, director
yearsactive	1996–present }}

Jonathan Daniel "Jon" Glaser (born June 20, 1968) is an American actor, comedian and television writer based out of New York City. He is best known for his work as a writer and sketch performer for many years on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', as well as for creating and starring in the the Adult Swim series ''Delocated''.

Life and career[link]

Glaser is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he performed in the sketch comedy troupes Comedy Company and Just Kidding with Jon Hein, he is a five-time Emmy nominee with the writing staff of ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. He has appeared in the movies ''Pootie Tang'', ''School for Scoundrels'', and ''Be Kind Rewind'', and he has guest-starred on comedy programs such as ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', ''Wonder Showzen'', ''Bob's Burgers'' and ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. He was also a lead voice actor in several animated comedy programs such as ''Stroker and Hoop'', ''Freak Show'', and ''Lucy the Daughter of The Devil''.

Glaser is the creator and star of the live-action Adult Swim series ''Delocated'', about "Jon", a man in the witness protection program with his own reality show. The show finished its third season on April 5, 2012. Glaser's Delocated character, "Jon" was also featured as a DJ on an Adult Swim-themed radio station in the video game ''Saints Row: The Third''. In February 2012, Glaser appeared as the spokesman in a series of Subway commercials playing his Delocated character.

Glaser was a member of the mainstage cast of ''The Second City'' during the mid-1990s, performing alongside future ''Saturday Night Live'' head writer Adam McKay and cast member Rachel Dratch, as well as future ''Mr. Show'' and ''30 Rock'' cast member Scott Adsit. In Second City's award-winning revue ''Pinata Full of Bees,'' which was directed by Tom Gianas, Glaser sang about the importance of not betraying a friendship by pretending not to have legs in order to play in a wheelchair basketball league. He also provided musical accompaniment for the show's climax by drumming in a demonic pig mask, and appeared onstage throughout the show to pass judgement on audience members for laughing at jokes he considered socially irresponsible.

Early in his television career, Glaser wrote and occasionally performed on the short-lived sketch comedy programs ''The Jenny McCarthy Show'' on MTV and ''The Dana Carvey Show''. He also made one appearance as a correspondent on ''The Daily Show'' in 2004. Glaser is also known for his comedic partnership with H. Jon Benjamin. For a number of years they hosted a live sketch show together in New York City called ''Midnight Pajama Jam'', and have also performed stand-up comedy together for many years, often playing characters who bicker and argue with each other while on stage. Glaser created and starred in the Comedy Central web-series ''Tiny Hands'', which has been shown on the channel's short film series ''Atom TV'' a number of times. More recently Glaser worked as a contributing writer and occasional performer on the sketch comedy programs ''Human Giant'', ''Jon Benjamin Has a Van'' and ''Nick Swardson's Pretend Time'', as well as providing voices in the animated film ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters''. In 2009, Glaser worked as the head writer and segment producer on the HBO sports program ''Joe Buck Live''. Glaser also appeared on the ESPN classic show ''Cheap Seats'', providing such roles as "Beamy" and the "Score Settler".

Glaser is currently a voice actor for the animated version of the cartoon strip ''Get Your War On'' and appearing as "Video Cowboy" in ESPN's ''Mayne Street'' starring Kenny Mayne. Glaser was also the lead singer in the New York City-based comedy band "Detroit Octane", they performed their song "Barack Obama-sistible" (sung to the tune of the Robert Palmer song "Simply Irresistible") on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' on June 17, 2008. He was also the bass player in "A Matter of Trust", another comedy music project he was involved in with comedians H. Jon Benjamin, Todd Barry and Tom Shillue. The band's gimmick was that they only played the Billy Joel song "A Matter of Trust" over and over again, and refused to play any other songs. They performed as an opening act for The New Pornographers in 2006.

Glaser's first published book ''My Dead Dad Was in ZZ Top'', was released on February 8, 2011.

Characters on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''[link]

Ehud Henkleman, a Shofar player often hired to play with the band every Rosh Hashanah, though he is not himself religious. He is also known to show off his various Shofar albums, which will always have obnoxious cover art and even more obnoxious Shofar-themed puns as the album titles.

Awareness Del, an excited man who hits the streets of the city, trying to spread awareness about the virtues of Delaware. His themesong would play throughout the sketch: "He's Awareness Del. Making people aware. Aware of Delaware!"

A-hole Ronald, an obnoxious and abusive gum-chewing jerk dressed like Ronald McDonald who goes around slapping people eating fast food not from McDonalds. He'll usually slap around the McDonalds eaters as well, just because he's such a jerk. Was also once spun off into a sketch called "A-holes Throughout History", with Glaser playing the "A-hole" character slapping people around in various periods of history: Pre-historic Caveman times, Ancient Greece, etc.

Jeremy (of ''Jeremy & Ira''), performed with ''Late Night'' writer Brian Stack (as Ira), as two bizarre men from another dimension dressed in black hoods, who would visit Conan & Andy from time-to-time, always appearing in the corner of the TV screen. They never speak, and only communicate through nodding and other gestures.

One of the Slipnutz (also known as They Might be Slipnutz), a comedy group of three men (Glaser, Andy Blitz, Brian Stack) that was inconveniently booked on the same show with Slipknot, (and later with They Might Be Giants). Their routine involves the three of them slipping and sliding on nuts scattered on the floor. The Slipnutz also appeared on the program to promote their greatest hits album, which included songs like "Old West Cowboys Slipping on Nuts" and "Viking Raiders Slipping on Nuts".

Gorton's Fisherman, an obnoxious and ill-tempered version of the frozen food mascot. Each sketch would end with the Gorton's Fisherman getting angry at Conan and throwing a box of fishsticks at him before storming off.

The Wrist Hulk, a man with ''Incredible Hulk''-like powers, but only in his wrist.

Segue Sam, the master of talk show segues. Conan would often turn to Sam for help when he needed the perfect segue.

Commercial Jingle Writer, performed with ''Late Night'' writer Brian McCann as two bickering jingle writers in Conan's studio audience. They would usually fight with each other about who was the better jingle writer, until Conan would settle it by having the two fight each other in a steel cage battle.

Dave "Tiny Hands" Gordon, a seemingly average man who has difficulty trying to live a normal life because of his infant-sized hands.

Jon the Stair Climber, a self-proclaimed expert at talk show stair climbing. Armed with only his stair climbing equipment and his sherpa "Lakpa", Jon has made several attempts to brave the climb up the staircase in Conan's studio, only to fail miserably every time.

Kim the Witness Protection Comedian, a stand-up comedian who specalizes in celebrity impressions, but because he is in the witness protection program he has to wear a ski-mask and have his voice digitally scrambled, making all his impressions sound the same. Glaser would later bring back a variation of this character for his Adult Swim series Delocated.

Terrible Bill Clinton Puppet, Glaser provided the voice of the "Terrible Bill Clinton Puppet" perched from behind Conan's desk, usually telling really unfunny jokes and making awkward chit-chat with Conan.

Pubes, a man who would ruin any moment by saying the word ''pubes'', wearing an all-black outfit with the word on his shirt.

Impressions on ''Late Night'' included Bill Cosby, Billy Joel, Martin Bashir, Michael McDonald (in the "Camp Michael McDonald" sketch), Bob Ross and Bob Seger.

References[link]

;Notes

External links[link]

Interview with Jon Glaser

Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:American actors Category:American comedians Category:American comedy musicians Category:American film actors Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American television directors Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:American voice actors Category:IO Theater Category:Late Night with Conan O'Brien Category:People from Detroit, Michigan Category:Second City alumni Category:University of Michigan alumni Category:The Daily Show correspondents and contributors

de:Jon Glaser

birth place	Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.
name	Judah Friedlander
occupation	actor/comedian
yearsactive	1999–present
othername	}}

Judah Friedlander (born March 16, 1969) is an American actor and comedian, known for his trademark trucker hats, oversized glasses and unkempt appearance, which he retains in many of his screen roles.

Early life[link]

Friedlander was born in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the son of Shirley (née Sestric) and Art Friedlander. His father was of Russian Jewish descent and his mother, a native of Pittsburgh, is Croatian American.

Career[link]

Friedlander started in show business as cameraman on Chris Rock's short ''Who Is Chris Rock?''. Ten years later, Friedlander began working in front of the camera, with appearances on ''Lateline'' and roles in numerous feature film comedies including ''Meet the Parents'', ''Zoolander'' and ''Full Grown Men''. Friedlander's most noted movie role to date was in the film ''American Splendor'', as Toby Radloff. He appeared as "The Hug Guy" from the Dave Matthews Band 2001 video "Everyday". He was also a series regular on VH1's ''Best Week Ever'' and currently on NBC's ''30 Rock'', on which he plays Frank Rossitano, one of the writers of ''TGS with Tracy Jordan'', a spoof of ''Saturday Night Live''. In every episode, Friedlander wears a different slogan on his trademark hat, which he designs himself.

Friedlander headlines at various standup comedy venues in Chicago, Boston, New York and LA, including Caroline's. His best-known "schtick" is "The World Champion of the World", in which he makes outlandish claims of greatness. For example, he claims on his website to have once scored 243 goals in a single game of international soccer in Brazil while also acting as the referee. Friedlander hosted Comedy Central's ''Live at Gotham''.

Friedlander worked as the backstage host of the TV Land Awards online in 2009.

In 2010, he authored the comedy book ''How to Beat Up Anybody: An Instructional and Inspirational Karate Book by the World Champion''.

Filmography[link]

Title ''Endsville (film) ''Wet Hot American Summer'' ''Showtime (film) ''The Trade'' ''Channel Surfing'' ''Duane Hopwood'' ''The Darwin Awards ''Chapter 27 ''Meet Dave'' ''I Hate Valentine's Day'' ''Beware the Gonzo''

colspan="4"	Films
		|	Role	Other Notes
rowspan="2">2000 in film	2000	Endsville'' ||	Wrestling Fan
''Meet the Parents''	Pharmacy Clerk
rowspan="4"	2001	|	Ronald von Kleinenstein
''Spring Break Lawyer''	Mervin
''Zoolander''	Scrappy Zoolander
''How High''	Student
	2002	Showtime'' ||	Julio
rowspan="4"	2003	|	Duffy Dyer
''Old School (film)	Old School''	Action Figure Dude
''American Splendor (film)	American Splendor''	Toby Radloff
''The Janitor''	Drunk Man
rowspan="5"	2004	|	(voice) (TV)
''Starsky and Hutch''	Ice Cream Man
''Bad Meat''	Maintenance Man
''Curb Your Enthusiasm''	Donald
rowspan="6"	2005	|	Anthony
''Southern Belles''	Duane
''Pizza (film)	Pizza''	Jimmy
''The Unseen (2005 film)	The Unseen''	Earl
''Sunday Pants''
''Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds	Feast II: Sloppy Seconds''	Beer Guy
rowspan="7"	2006	|	Simon
''Date Movie''	Nicky
''Live Free or Die (film)	Live Free or Die''	Hesh
''The Cassidy Kids''	Max Cassidy(Adult)
''Full Grown Men''	Elias Guber
''30 Rock''	Frank Rossitano
''Wonder Showzen''	Crickey
rowspan="3"	2007	|	Paul
''The Proctor''	Harry
''Flight of the Conchords (TV series)	Flight of the Conchords	Pawn Shop Patron
rowspan="2"	2008	|	Engineer
''The Wrestler (2008 film)	The Wrestler''	Scott Brumberg
rowspan="2"	2009	|	Dan O'Finn
''Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever''	Toby
	2010	|	Cafeteria Guy	(post-production)

References[link]

External links[link]

Official site

Judah Friedlander on Myspace

Judah Friedlander's Blog on Fancast

Category:1969 births Category:Actors from Maryland Category:American film actors Category:American people of Croatian descent Category:American people of Jewish descent Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Montgomery County, Maryland

de:Judah Friedlander fr:Judah Friedlander it:Judah Friedlander nl:Judah Friedlander ja:ジュダ・フリードランダー pt:Judah Friedlander