Ian Bagg Returns

Ian Bagg’s Comedy Central special premiered just seven days after his interview with Trashwire writer Wil Chinchilla in 2007. Since then he has grown from a comedian with not much of a following to inspiring the crowd in Houston to come to three of his shows at the Houston Improv to simply see what he would say differently in each show. As Bagg continues on the road to fame, he advises all up and coming comedians: “Stay outta my way! And try to remember the reasons why you got into comedy.” With dreams set on an animated series and sights focused on working with famed producer Judd Apatow, Bagg is certainly in the fast lane to success.

Wil: A whole year has past since I got to talk to you, what’s new?
Ian: I went to Aspen did the HBO special for them. It just gave me the idea to know what I want to do and that is the stupid “run and gun” guerrilla comedy with people. Then the comedy central special came out. That gave me good feed back and I just kept touring the rest of the year, kept coming back to the same places that let me see more people coming out than last time.

Wil: What is your favorite moment of 2007?
Ian: I went to my 20 year high school reunion. And I had so much fun because, at a 10 year high school reunion, people still have attitudes, still want to prove that they’ve become something. At 20 people are just like this is me!

Wil: New Year resolution?
Ian: My New Year resolution is, wear condoms… It’s already broken. They’re not resolutions, they’re more plans. I want to work two times as hard. I ‘ve come up with two new internet concepts that I’m going to put on my website. It’s just stupid things, but you can just look at my website. It’s going to be like a round table talk show. It’s going to be called “Bad Attitude with Ian Bagg”. It’s just everyone with a bad attitude talking.

Wil: It seems like the hecklers will never stop challenging you in Houston, what is your message to people who like to heckle?
Ian: I hope they never stop. I don’t think they’re “hecklers”, I think people have a tendency to be nervous if they’ve never seen my show in the beginning, but by the end it’s just like a big family dinner, everybody’s comfortable. There is no mean-ness, in the beginning people think it’s mean, I don’t have a mean bone in my body. I don’t wish anything on anybody, I want everyone to be happy. But at the same time we just have fun mocking each other and making giggles about each other. A show without contributors would not be fun. I probably wouldn’t have fun because my show is a conversation not a monologue.

Wil: So, if you consider heckler to be someone who is flat out mean, who is the worst heckler you have come in contact with?
Ian: Honestly, in 2007 in Virginia Beach, some guy was mad at me since he’d been drinking since four. I went on at eight and he was completely hammered and started yelling racial Canadian slurs. I was talking with some fans, then he started yelling at me hit me! Hit me! I know he was trying to get me in trouble to sue the club. He looked like he’d done this before. As we are walking to the bouncer, he through a punch at me and I leaned back so he just slapped me. I called the cops, they showed up and his wife was also drunk. This guy goes to jail and I couldn’t help but notice that the wife was probably going to drive drunk. The wife ends up driving the wrong way down a one way street, hits the cop car, and both end up in jail. At the same time I was like, “Really!? That just cost you $10,000 and I just got slapped.”

Wil: What are you working on?
Ian: “The Ian Bagg show” is starting again in April. “The Hollywood Burn” will not being coming back even though I keep getting emails. I’m actually pitching an animated show right now. I’m going to Disney. I’ve been to Comedy Central, but it is kind of tough because of the WGA strike.

Wil: Does the writers’ strike effect everyone then?
Ian: I can still pitch the show so I’m not really effected. I understand what they’re fighting for, but they’re fighting for it in a weird way. I think they lost, and now they are just trying to save their dignity. No one has really been supporting them and then too many people are watching reality T.V. to notice that something is wrong with other shows. Plus there are so many channels to choose from that there is always something to watch. I miss things, but I think if you look at the contract they come up with, it will look the same. I give it two months for this strike to be over with.

Wil: How has living in LA been with the WGA drama and the recent rise in popularity of TMZ?
Ian: Honestly L.A. is always crazy. Britney is trying to escape from somebody, Dr. Phil is trying to be an actual doctor. I think the people being affected are behind the scenes which is sad but they are also getting paid. I was actually on TMZ for a sec. Andy Dick came to one of my shows. He jumped on stage with me and yelled out the N word. It was an article just because they wanted to say “Bagg and Dick” in the same sentence.

Wil: You’ve done “Pale Force”, any other animated TV shows you would like to do out there?
Ian: I am friends with Jim Gaffigan and was basically making a Canadian episode. He decided to call me and it was just a friend helping out a friend.

Wil: You had a picture with Oates from Hall and Oates is he like your idol or something?
Ian: If you watched the HBO special, his kids where there with him at a show I did in Aspen. I just thought it was funny if I took a picture with him.

Wil: Where’s Hall?
Ian: I wanted to ask but I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.