Brad Neely is an American comedian, cartoonist, and musician best known for his work on Adult Swim and his YouTube channel, Brad Neely’s Harg Nallin’ Sclopio Peepio.
Recently, he was kind enough to grant me a micro interview, which I was incredibly excited about. During the interview, we discussed a variety of topics, including his creative process, his latest projects, and his thoughts on the current state of comedy.
In addition, we talked about how he got his start in comedy and his advice for aspiring comedians. Throughout the interview, it was clear that Brad has a real passion for comedy and for creating content that makes people laugh.
His enthusiasm for his work was infectious, and it was an absolute pleasure to have a conversation with him.
Brad Neely grew up in Washington State, where he was an athlete and an artist.
He studied art at the Pratt Institute in New York City and started his career as a commercial artist, working on projects for clients like Microsoft.
He was introduced to the world of stand-up comedy after attending a show by Tom and Tom, a comedy sketch duo who would later become his mentors.
Originally, he viewed comedy as a hobby, but after performing at a local sketch show and offering to write sketches for the show, he realized he had what it takes to make a career out of it.
For the past 18 years, Neely has been creating comedy sketches, writing, and producing shows. He has created a number of sketch comedy shows, including the cult hit Harg Nallin’ Sclopio Peepio, The Brad Neely Cartoon Show, and China, IL.
Neely has also made a name for himself as a visual artist, releasing two illustrated books and exhibiting at galleries around the world.
When asked about his creative process, Neely said, “[It] is kind of a mess, honestly.
I mean, you know, I’ve been doing this for a really long time, and I’ve tried different things along the way, but it’s usually me sitting in a room by myself and just trying to grind through it.
And I think that’s the same for a lot of people, especially people who are kind of self-starting projects, like a lot of comedians.”
Neely advised people to simply sit down and write something. “Because you don’t know what’s going to come out of it, and that’s the fun part.
You don’t know what’s going to come out of it, and that’s the exciting part,” he said. “So, just sit down and write something, even if it’s terrible. And then, you know, you can kind of decide what to do with that from there.”
Neely’s latest project has been Harg Nallin’ Sclopio Peepio; he has been working on it since 2015.
The show is a collection of surrealist sketches that explore topics such as love, language, and sports. The show has been praised for its bold and experimental nature, and Neely has been very open about the fact that the show isn’t for everyone.
“Some people really dig it, and some people are really confused by it, and that’s totally fine. That’s what I like about it,” he said. In addition to creating Harg Nallin’ Sclopio Peepio, Neely has also been busy creating a variety of animated shorts for Adult Swim.
He has worked on projects such as The Brad Neely Robot Chicken Time, Pigskin Footbrawl, and Sports, a series based on the idea of sports as a religion.
When the topic of the current state of comedy came up, Neely had only positive things to say. He believes that comedy is very healthy right now, especially since there are so many outlets for people to create.
According to Neely, people today have more tools and resources at their disposal than ever before, which makes it easier to create content and get it out there.
“I think that’s a really good thing, that the barriers to entry are lower and the amount of stuff that is out there is, of course, overwhelming, but that’s a good problem to have,” he said.
Neely also believes that the internet has played a major role in making comedy more inclusive. “People from all different walks of life are kind of putting themselves out there and being like, ‘We exist, and we have something to say,’ and I think that’s really important,” he said.
“There’s a lot of really good comedy out there, and it’s really diverse.”
Given his experience in the field, Neely had some advice for people looking to get into comedy.
First, he believes that everyone who writes should try writing comedy at some point. “It’s like kung fu or something. You just have to do it,” he said. “There’s no way you can know what it’s like if you don’t actually do it.”
Next, Neely advised newcomers to read as much comedy as they can, both old and new.
His reasoning behind this is that it’s important to have an understanding of the history of the genre and all of the different styles that have been successful in the past.
“You have to learn all that so that you can forget it and do your own thing.”
After giving advice on how to get started with comedy, Neely also had a few pieces of advice for aspiring comedians who are hoping to make a career out of it.
He believes that it’s important to get as much experience as possible, whether that means attending open mic nights, taking classes, or simply just creating content.
“You just have to keep grinding, and you have to keep trying,” he said. Neely also believes that it’s important to be true to yourself and to make content that represents you and your voice; people will respond to that.
“If you’re funny, people will respond to you. If you have something to say, people will respond to you.”
Although Brad Neely has had a successful career as both a commercial artist and a comedian, he is quick to remind people that he is still learning and growing as an artist.
“I’m still figuring out how to make the things that I’m passionate about, and I’m still taking steps in the right direction and hopefully getting better at it,” he said. “That’s the important thing.”
Neely has always been passionate about creating things that make people laugh, and his latest project, Harg Nallin’ Sclopio Peepio, is perhaps his most ambitious and surreal creation yet.
Neely knows that the show isn’t for everyone, but he hopes that those who do appreciate it will be open to letting their imaginations run wild. It’s clear that Neely loves what he does, and he hopes that his work inspires others to be creative and to make the most of their passions.
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