ASpecialThing Records is a stand-up comedy record label started by
Matt Belknap
''Never Not Funny'' is a podcast hosted by American comedian Jimmy Pardo, since spring 2006, currently releasing two episodes a week. He and producer/co-host Matt Belknap have appeared in every episode. Comedian Mike Schmidt appeared as co-host f ...
and Ryan McManemin. Belknap was the creator of aspecialthing.com, an internet
message board
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporar ...
especially popular with West Coast comedy fans. McManemin was an executive at Sony/MGM and longtime member of the message board.
Using the site as a launching pad, in late 2006 they announced to the web community that they would be starting their own record label, ASpecialThing Records. In February of the following year, comedian
Jen Kirkman
Jennifer Ann Kirkman (born August 28, 1974) is an American stand-up comedian and screenwriter, podcaster, and actress. She is known for her regular appearances as a round-table panelist on ''Chelsea Lately'' for 70 episodes from 2008 to 2014.
...
's ''Self Help'' was the first album released on the new label.
Podcasts
In addition to making comedy albums, Belknap and McManemin are active podcast producers. Belknap produces and co-hosts
Never Not Funny
''Never Not Funny'' is a podcast hosted by American comedian Jimmy Pardo, since spring 2006, currently releasing two episodes a week. He and producer/co-host Matt Belknap have appeared in every episode. Comedian Mike Schmidt appeared as co-host f ...
, the
Jimmy Pardo
James Ronald Pardo, Jr. (born July 28, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and host of the long-running comedy podcast ''Never Not Funny''. From the show's inception until mid-2015, he performed as the Conan O'Brien program ''Conans ...
Podcast, and with McManemin produces
Doug Benson
Douglas Steven Benson (born July 2, 1962) is an American comedian, marijuana rights advocate, television host and actor, best known for hosting the podcasts and TV series ''Doug Loves Movies'' (2006-present), ''The Benson Interruption'' (2010-20 ...
's ''
Doug Loves Movies
Douglas Steven Benson (born July 2, 1962) is an American comedian, marijuana rights advocate, television host and actor, best known for hosting the podcasts and TV series ''Doug Loves Movies'' (2006-present), ''The Benson Interruption'' (2010-20 ...
'' and
Greg Proops
Gregory Everett "Greg" Proops (born October 3, 1959) is an American actor, stand-up comedian and television host. He is widely known for his guest appearances on the U.K. and U.S. versions of ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?''. He has also voiced the ...
's
The Smartest Man in the World, among other shows.
Awards
In 2017 ASpecialThing won the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album and both McManemin and Belknap received award statues. They also received certificates that stated that they were not to melt down their statues nor charge admission to see them.
Releases
*
Jen Kirkman
Jennifer Ann Kirkman (born August 28, 1974) is an American stand-up comedian and screenwriter, podcaster, and actress. She is known for her regular appearances as a round-table panelist on ''Chelsea Lately'' for 70 episodes from 2008 to 2014.
...
- ''Self Help''
*
Jonah Ray
Jonah Ray Rodrigues (born August 3, 1982) is an American actor, comedian and writer from Los Angeles. He stars as Jonah Heston, the most recent primary host of ''Mystery Science Theater 3000''. He is a former host of ''The Nerdist Podcast'' and w ...
- ''This Is Crazy Mixed Up Plumbing'' (7")
*''
Never Not Funny
''Never Not Funny'' is a podcast hosted by American comedian Jimmy Pardo, since spring 2006, currently releasing two episodes a week. He and producer/co-host Matt Belknap have appeared in every episode. Comedian Mike Schmidt appeared as co-host f ...
: Volume One''
*
Paul F. Tompkins
Paul Francis Tompkins (born September 12, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He is known for his work in television on such programs as ''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', and ''Best Week Ever'', later ...
- ''Impersonal''
*
Scott Aukerman
Scott David Aukerman (born July 2, 1970) is an American writer, actor, comedian, television personality, director, producer, and podcast host. Starting as a writer and performer in the later seasons of the sketch series ''Mr. Show'', Aukerman is ...
- ''Scott Aukerman's Koo Koo Roo's Greatest Hits''
*
The Sklar Brothers
Farrell Randal "Randy" Sklar and Jason Nathan Sklar (born January 12, 1972), professionally known as the Sklar Brothers, are American identical twin brother comedians and actors best known for hosting the show '' Cheap Seats'', which aired fo ...
- ''Sklar Maps''
*
Doug Benson
Douglas Steven Benson (born July 2, 1962) is an American comedian, marijuana rights advocate, television host and actor, best known for hosting the podcasts and TV series ''Doug Loves Movies'' (2006-present), ''The Benson Interruption'' (2010-20 ...
- ''Professional Humoredian''
*
Andrew Daly
Andrew J. Daly (born April 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He starred as Forrest MacNeil on the Comedy Central series ''Review'', and had a supporting role in the HBO comedy series '' Eastbound & Down'' as Terrence Cutler. H ...
- ''Nine Sweaters''
*
R.O. Manse - ''R.O. Magic: The Best of R.O. Manse''
*
Jimmy Pardo
James Ronald Pardo, Jr. (born July 28, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and host of the long-running comedy podcast ''Never Not Funny''. From the show's inception until mid-2015, he performed as the Conan O'Brien program ''Conans ...
&
Scott Aukerman
Scott David Aukerman (born July 2, 1970) is an American writer, actor, comedian, television personality, director, producer, and podcast host. Starting as a writer and performer in the later seasons of the sketch series ''Mr. Show'', Aukerman is ...
- ''Never Not Christmas''
*
Comedy By The Numbers© - ''Book-On-Tape CD!''
*
Greg Proops
Gregory Everett "Greg" Proops (born October 3, 1959) is an American actor, stand-up comedian and television host. He is widely known for his guest appearances on the U.K. and U.S. versions of ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?''. He has also voiced the ...
- ''Elsewhere''
*
Paul F. Tompkins
Paul Francis Tompkins (born September 12, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He is known for his work in television on such programs as ''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', and ''Best Week Ever'', later ...
- ''Freak Wharf''
*
Comedy Death-Ray
''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' (formerly ''Comedy Death-Ray Radio'') is a weekly comedy Sound, audio podcast, which originally began broadcasting, airing as a radio show on May 1, 2009.A Special Thing Forums:Comedy Death-Ray Radio starts today! Popular ...
- ''Xmas CD 2009''
*
Kyle Kinane
Kyle Christian Kinane (born December 23, 1976) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and voice actor from Addison, Illinois.
Career
Kinane's first television appearance was on ''The Nanny'' playing "Young Roger Clinton".
His debut album ''Dea ...
- ''Death of the Party''
*
Wayne Federman
Wayne Federman (born June 22, 1959) is an Emmy Award winning American comedian, actor, author, writer, comedy historian, producer, and musician. He is noted for numerous stand-up comedy appearances in clubs, theaters, and on television; his book ...
- ''The Chronicles of Federman'' (three volumes)
*
Greg Proops
Gregory Everett "Greg" Proops (born October 3, 1959) is an American actor, stand-up comedian and television host. He is widely known for his guest appearances on the U.K. and U.S. versions of ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?''. He has also voiced the ...
- ''Proops Digs In!'' (EP)
*John Roy - "Alexander Hamilton"
*
Dan Telfer - ''Fossil Record'' (EP)
*
Paul F. Tompkins
Paul Francis Tompkins (born September 12, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He is known for his work in television on such programs as ''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', and ''Best Week Ever'', later ...
- ''Sir, You Have Fooled Me Twice'' (EP)
*
Comedy Death-Ray
''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' (formerly ''Comedy Death-Ray Radio'') is a weekly comedy Sound, audio podcast, which originally began broadcasting, airing as a radio show on May 1, 2009.A Special Thing Forums:Comedy Death-Ray Radio starts today! Popular ...
- ''Xmas CD 2010''
*
Dave Hill
David John Hill (born 4 April 1946) is an English rock musician. He is the lead guitarist, a backing vocalist and the sole continuous member in the English band Slade. Hill is known for his flamboyant stage clothes and hairstyle.
Early life
B ...
- ''Let Me Turn You On''
*
Paul F. Tompkins
Paul Francis Tompkins (born September 12, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He is known for his work in television on such programs as ''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', and ''Best Week Ever'', later ...
- ''You Should Have Told Me'' (DVD)
*
Jen Kirkman
Jennifer Ann Kirkman (born August 28, 1974) is an American stand-up comedian and screenwriter, podcaster, and actress. She is known for her regular appearances as a round-table panelist on ''Chelsea Lately'' for 70 episodes from 2008 to 2014.
...
- ''Hail to the Freaks''
*
Baron Vaughn
Baron Vaughn (born December 18, 1980) is an American comedian and actor, known for his portrayal of Nwabudike "Bud" Bergstein on the Netflix television series ''Grace and Frankie'' and Tom Servo on the 2017 revival of ''Mystery Science Theater 300 ...
- ''Raised By Cable''
*
Jay Larson
Jason "Jay" Larson is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Early life
Larson grew up in Stoneham, Massachusetts. The youngest of four, he was raised by his mother and grandmother. He attended Saint Anselm ...
- ''Self-Diagnosed''
*''
WTF with Marc Maron
''WTF with Marc Maron'' is a weekly podcast and radio show hosted by stand-up comedian Marc Maron. The show was launched in September 2009. The show is produced by Maron's former Air America co-worker Brendan McDonald.
Background
The show's ti ...
'': ''The First 100 Episodes''
*
Jonah Ray
Jonah Ray Rodrigues (born August 3, 1982) is an American actor, comedian and writer from Los Angeles. He stars as Jonah Heston, the most recent primary host of ''Mystery Science Theater 3000''. He is a former host of ''The Nerdist Podcast'' and w ...
- ''Hello, Mr. Magic Plane Person, Hello'' (10")
*
Dan Telfer - ''Tendrils of Ruin''
*
Jim Hamilton - ''Poems About the Ocean''
*
Michelle Biloon
Michelle Biloon is an American stand-up comic. Biloon started out in Austin, Texas and, after four years, moved to Los Angeles, then on to Philadelphia, where she currently resides and regularly performs. She has been heard on the podcasts ''2 Dop ...
- ''You Can Be an Asshole''
*
Brent Weinbach
Brent Weinbach is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and pianist based in Los Angeles, California. He is known for his experimental style and abstract, deadpan delivery. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and ...
- ''Mostly Live''
*
Nate Bargatze
Nathanael Lee "Nate" Bargatze (born March 25, 1979) is an American comedian.
Early life
Nathanael Bargatze was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 25, 1979, the son of Carole and Stephen Bargatze. His father is of Italian descent and is a fo ...
- ''Yelled At By a Clown''
*
Jimmy Pardo
James Ronald Pardo, Jr. (born July 28, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and host of the long-running comedy podcast ''Never Not Funny''. From the show's inception until mid-2015, he performed as the Conan O'Brien program ''Conans ...
- ''Sprezzatura''
*Mike Schmidt - ''The Big Angry''
*
Bob Odenkirk
Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker best known for his role as Saul Goodman on ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). For the latter, he has re ...
and
Brandon Wardell - ''
Amateur Hour
An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether t ...
''
*
Megan Koester Megan Beth Koester is an American comedian, writer, journalist and actress who regularly performs stand-up comedy in Los Angeles, CA. Since 2013, she has been a contributor for Vice Magazine, writing about media, comedy, the entertainment industry, ...
- ''Tertium Non Datur''
References
AST Records homepageAST RadioJimmy Pardo's Podcast "Never Not Funny"
{{Authority control
American record labels
Comedy record labels
2006 establishments in the United States
2000s in comedy
2010s in comedy