It's funny--the week I shot that video, the headliner was Bill Burr, who's one of my favorites, and he did very well. So that crowd wasn't impossible, I was just really new; I had no chops as a performer. And clubs are where comics tend to get their chops, performing for terrible crowds at terrible hours following terrible sets. I don't think I've earned any chops at Rififi, you know? It's too nice. It's the places I hate that taught me how to swim in choppy water. Choppy water? I just didn't want to say "chops" for the thirteenth time. Chops. So that's something good about clubs, even though it's unpleasant.

I really enjoy colleges. The crowds are young, naturally, attentive (although you may not think it, they're almost never drinking), and tend to be comedy fans--a lot of campuses I play have a comic a week for the entire year, so they know who's who. They're also open to playing around and being weird. Clubs like you to just straight up do your act, in my experience, and have less patience for random improvisations and the general nonsense that makes standup enjoyable for me. I really don't like doing the same jokes over and over. I need to experiment to have fun and the club audiences sometimes don't know what to do with that. Sometimes. Of course, there are exceptions. And the alt scene is somewhere in between these two.

This isn't always the case, but the alt scene seems less status-obsessed than the clubs in New York. When I worked the New York clubs more, there was a lot of competition and it made me uneasy--who is "passed" at which clubs, who gets what spots, who gets what money, etc. For instance, when I first moved here, there was a strike at the clubs. I was freaking out because I had just got here and the club I was working was pushing me to perform on the night the other comics were striking (New Year's Eve, 2004) and other comics were threatening me if I did "cross the picket line." (Bobby Kelly told me he'd hit me with a brick if I didn't strike. Now I'm sure he was kidding, but at the time I wasn't 100% certain.) When I first went to Invite Them Up around that time, I asked Eugene what they were all doing for the strike. He said, "What strike?" That was one of the moments where I knew the downtown scene was more my speed.

Although, I recently heard someone say so-and-so was "passed" at Invite Them Up and I almost hurled. Do people say "hurled" anymore? Matt McCarthy.

You told Gothamist about how you build tension when on stage, which is a great way of articulating what you do extremely well and in less of an accusatory way than other comics, many of whom choose to isolate the audience. Has it always been integral to your comedic styling?
It took a long time for me to get comfortable with myself on stage, to be comfortable with that tension that can fill a room between laughs. But with a little more confidence, I really got to love the feeling of "me and the crowd--we're all in this together." It's not my show; it's our show. The crowd makes the show good, which I know sounds pandering and cheesy, but it's true. Nick Kroll. But I like the audience to know how much power they have over my set, whereas maybe other comics I've seen try and approach it with a little more machismo.

I also distract easily, so if someone sneezes or a big group goes to the bathroom or says something, I really have to address it. I've been at shows where comics ignore a buzzing light or a weird painting over their heads or what have you. I'm just incapable of doing that. Maybe that's annoying sometimes, I'm not sure. I've had people tell me they were holding their breath during my show so they wouldn't make any sounds for me to comment on. That's weird. But it's how I work. Joselyn Hughes.

You are trained in improv but have focused more on stand-up. Any reason why or was it a natural progression?
I love improv, but it relies so heavily on other people. A director, a team, a theater... it's hard work. Stand-up is limited pretty much only by yourself. So if you have some drive and some good jokes you can start a whole lot which is a thrill. It also gets your name out there pretty effectively. Also, I tend to be a bit overbearing in improv; I like to steer the car. Standup is a lot more exciting for me because all the good and bad that happens is chalked up to you and you alone. So, when it goes well, it's a huge rush. Baron Vaughn. Now when I improvise with a team, I try and focus on making other people look good. This is a different type of satisfaction, one I miss, but stand-up is still the biggest high for me as a performer.

Tell us a little bit behind your show Gutbucket.
I think Anthony King was looking for comics to host an open-mic and Mulaney and Kroll recommended me and TJ Miller as we had guest-hosted Oh, Hello a couple times as a duo. While TJ has been swept to LA to be superhilarious, he and I have done several together and, when he's not available, I get to host with some other great comics. Charles Star. Like Charles Star.

I wanted to do it because I love seeing the new crop of comics work it out. Even when it's "bad," it's still great to see where we all come from. Everyone is shaky at first, and you're never always good. I like to see little pieces of myself in the new guys. It's like a bonding experience, I think, and helps me stay connected to the community. And, UCB crowds are my favorite in the city and performing in between the acts and up top is one of the highlights of my month.

Your cartoons have been featured in The New Yorker. How much has that boosted your cred as both an artist and a comic?
It's almost exclusively my writing as a comic that got me in the New Yorker. They hated my drawings for a long time until I came up with a style that was "okay enough." And, of course, a couple good words from established cartoonists at the magazine like Matt Diffee and Jack Ziegler helped a ton. But they always liked my jokes and knew me as a comedian, so I kept at it until they caved. But I do enjoy drawing, even if they're not the coolest looking drawings ever; I like them.

What are some of your favorite shows to appear in around town?
I like a lot of the Comix shows at Ochi's and upstairs. Rififi, of course, while it lasts. Totally J/K, and Invite Them Up. I'm looking forward to doing Gabe and Jenny's show in Williamsburg and, speaking of Williamsburg, Archers of Ha was a lot of fun. Crash Test, of course, anything at UCB, and Sweet is always fun.

What's next on your plate?
I'm taking the current strike as an opportunity to write some stuff hoping that things will move quickly once the strike is over and people will want to hear pitches. I'd really love to make some television that I can call my own (like Ricky Gervais and The Office), so I'm shooting for that to happen. Also some movie pitches, some ideas floating around, some more touring, some local touring (I'm working more and more with the hilarious Thomas Middleditch on some two-man stuff), more cartoons, and some shorts with Matt McCarthy and Oren Brimer. This sounds like a lot, but mostly I play a lot of Xbox.