I know–this is the second Earwolf post I’ve done in a week. But it took a Comedy Bang Bang re-visitation to open my eyes to their vast content pool–so many shows I’ve either neglected to mention, or had no idea existed. And unfortunately the former was the case with comedian Brian Posehn’s Nerd Poker.
Brian Posehn is a Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) enthusiast. No real surprise there. And I can relate to his affinity for poker table realms–complete with violence, magic, and medieval drama. Those late-night, Mountain-Dew-fueled endeavors where high elves lay waste to water golems for vorpal wins are certainly an acquired taste; but isn’t most escapism? Much like comedy, fantasy blunts the edges of what is more often than not a mundane life. Mix a little obsessive fan culture in with skillfully placed fart jokes, and you’ve got something pretty special. Something to blunt the edges as it were.
“Nerd Poker with Brian Posehn & Friends” is cohosted by Gerry Duggan, a co-writer on Marvel’s Deadpool and comedian Blaine Capatch. The Dungeon Master is Scott Robison. The show is not unlike Whose Line Is It Anyway, in that this is improv and points are meaningless. Making up the story as they go along, the players drop fart jokes and obscure comic book references. This is the true crossroads of geek and comedy–kind of puts Nerdist to shame.
Poshen’s character, Amarth Amon, is a Viking/Barbarian who finds no greater pleasure than reeking destruction; big warrior, lots of destroying, and occasionally noshing on a burrito and sipping a soda between roles of the 12-sided dice.There are of course other players in the game who are equally entertaining–fellas and ladies.
The show runs about 45 minutes, and it’s all pretty funny, rooter to tooter. But this one, like D&D, is an acquired taste. Bone up on your casting spells and fox’s cunning before listening.
