josheiserike.com - Josh’s Comics & Writings Online

Katie Dolac
Day News Editor
14010 Smoketown Road
Woodbridge, Va.22192

Dear Ms. Dolac,

This letter is to inform you of my resignation. My last day in the newsroom will be Friday, Dec. 19. I have enjoyed working with you this past year.

Sincerely,

Josh Eiserike

My journalism goals, upon getting into the biz: Go on tour with an up-and-coming band, fall in love with Kate Hudson, become a golden god with Billy Crudup and solicit advice from Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Translation: I wanted to hang out with and interview entertainers.  

I got word that Stella, a New York City based comedy troupe was coming to Columbia, Mo., where I went to school. I pitched the story to my editor and lined up the interview with the troupe, among my favorite comedians working today. I watched the “Wet Hot American Summer” director’s commentary (a movie the members of Stella starred in, wrote and/or directed); I cribbed laundry lists of interview questions. I was nervous as hell. Read the rest of this entry �

I’m counting four two-concert nights on the 9:30 Club’s line-up through the rest of the year. That’s when the club, arguably the best venue in the region, hosts an early concert (doors typically open around 6 p.m.) and a late one (doors typically open around 11 p.m.). Want to see both? Buy two sets of tickets.

It sounds like a pretty good idea, especially for the early slot on a school night. But I wish they’d cut it out. Read the rest of this entry �

I’ve never made a political contribution in my life. (True, I did manage David Tyberg’s ill-fated race for class president in 11th grade and I also masterminded the KEG Party’s joke campaign for SGA president at the University of Maryland.) But the reality is my involvement with politics is pretty much non-existent.

Which is why it was really strange when Mark Warner’s campaign for Senate thought I was a donor named “Nick.” I have no idea how my e-mail address got into Warner’s database. This wasn’t for press alerts either; these were straight-on announcements for donors.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by the mix-up. In the mid-1990s, then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich sent my grandfather a signed gavel “in personal appreciation of your support.” Grandpa was, at the time, a life-long Democrat who had never supported a Republican candidate, let alone vote in Gingrich’s home state of Georgia. Read the rest of this entry �

I’ve put off cleaning my room for nearly 20 years. There was always some good excuse: Summer camp. Bar mitzvah. Final Fantasy III. The PSATs. Cross-country practice. College. Grad school. Work.

Now, after all those years, I finally ran out of excuses. My plans for a vacation this year—there was talk about going to India, Romania or at least New York—are down the toilet, along with our economy. So instead, I’m using my vacation to clean my room. It’s a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. I’m essentially Indiana Jones, playing archeologist with the last 20 years of my life. There are piles of papers to go through, drawers and boxes I never even knew existed. Read the rest of this entry �

WOW.

Hermann Mejia last year, now this.

… and I’m in it!

It’s another MAD 20  installment. Looking forward to seeing what they do with my joke– last year I was thrilled to have Hermann Mejia, probably the best artist MAD has, illustrate my MAD 20 piece.

It’s funny and interesting because MAD seems to go for the jokes that I include as an after thought. It happened last year, when they went for “Night at the Creation Museum,” it happened this year when they went for… well, you’ll see. But the point is both years, and with some of my smaller, previous pieces, they’ll shoot down some of my pitches which I think are stronger and better developed. For example, this year I thought I had a shot with “Edwards’ Political Twilight,” a send up of John Edwards and his mistress to the “Twilight” poster. No dice. Instead they went for something I threw in at the last second, without much thought, to have more pitches in one of my submissions. I couldn’t even tell you where the idea came from.

Obviously I’m thrilled and can’t wait to see it. It’s always awesome to see my name alongside the Regular Idiots.