Gratuitous Name Dropping – Getting Drunk with Stephen

Normally I save this type of thing for a zeitgeist, but it’s going to be a very slow news day, so I’m milking everything I can find.

From the Louisville Courier-Journal (emphasis added):

Kentucky native up for an animation award
By Tamara Ikenberg
The Courier-Journal

It’s your typical cross-species “Fatal Attraction” tale: Drunken dog kisses dumpy girl at school dance; girl becomes obsessed with dog.

That’s the story line of “Barely Legal,” the episode of Fox’s “Family Guy” that earned Kentuckian Kirker Butler an Annie nomination for writing in an animated television production.

…

He wrote several short films and took a crack at acting at Chicago’s Second City, a profession in which he “failed spectacularly.”

In fairness, he did have some tough competition.

“When I was there, on the main stage was Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Adam Kay, who directed ‘Anchorman’ and ‘Talladega Nights.’ And on the side stage was Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Horatio Sanz, and I would watch these people every night, and I’m like, ‘I can’t do that,’.” he said.

With the encouragement of his comedy teacher, Butler started focusing on comedy writing — but not before sharing some memorable moments with the Second City showstoppers.

“I got drunk with Stephen Colbert one night. I’m sure he does not remember it, but I certainly do. We were at a bar across the street from Second City called The Last Act, and there was another guy there, and I didn’t really say anything. I just sat there and listened to the two of them. They had this running joke all night where they were running for magistrate, and they kept coming up with campaign slogans.”

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