- julie3329
Comedy writer highlight: Todd Gardner
Updated: Jan 17, 2022

Todd Gardner (@hottoddlincoln) is a Baltimore-based performer and “old time strongman” (more on that below) who doesn’t sleep much. His side hustles include being a playwright, photographer, painter, and wedding officiant. Below, we made him answer five short questions.
Introduce yourself in a tweet of only140 characters, which is the old limit:
Hello! I'm a sideshow performer, old time strongman, and pun enthusiast. I employ creative takes on classic acts of strength and daring.
Dream vacation (pre-, post- COVID):
I think my dream vacation pre-COVID was to hit the road on a long performance tour. Now, it's to do the same, but to also go to where my friends in other places live, so that I can share space with them, and give/receive ALL the hugs.
Do you have a pandemic animal? In what ways does this animal enhance your life, and in what ways does this animal terrorize it?:
I wound up finding 5 kittens that were in the bushes near my house. A friend help me find homes for 4 of them, while I wound up keeping one. She's a beautiful black cat named Mia Feral. [insert complaint from Julie: She has more followers than me!] She's genuinely excited to see me when I get home, and nuzzles my beard, and headbutts me. She also purrs when I pet her, and she'll sleep on my lap.
On the flip side, she likes to bite, and will attack my feet as I walk by her. The biting and attacking aren't bad. I'm fully in the "life is better with her" column.

How did you come up with your best joke?:
I think my best jokes are reactionary or those that are relatable. For example, I have a joke I use when I roll a frying pan. I talk about loving to cook, but my real passion is standing by the highway and making cars go slow (the pan looks like a radar gun after it's rolled). I also host shows at times, and really just involving the folks in attendance and creating a shared experience is often the fodder for great joke opportunities.
Describe your comedy writing process: When I do write material, I strive for it to be clear, and narrative. There's transformation involved. I do my best to use humor, and compassion. I never punch down, choosing self-deprecation instead. When I write, I generally have a punchline in mind, or an experience that I want to make more universal. The connection with an audience is the thing. If I'm overly clever, or obtuse... then the connection suffers.

Support us by downloading our free comedy writing app (iOS here; Google here).