SubMerge Magazine — Oct 19, 2009

Dane Cook has reached the kind of stardom usually reserved for rock stars. It's a height that most stand-up comedians never achieve, though not for lack of trying. However, it's the sort of success that hasn't come without its pit falls.

Though Cook's name has become ubiquitous in comedy circles, it wasn't that long ago that he was a comic like many others, trying to figure out the best way to reach people. In the late '90s, he began using the Internet as a tool to spread the word, and as it turned out, that word spread like wildfire.

"I really looked at it as a way to create a grassroots following," Cook says about his first forays into using the Internet as a promotional tool. "You're talking about 1998 that I started spending a lot more time on the computer. At that time, I was watching a lot of documentary stuff on bands in the '70s and how certain bands took over. What I was really learning from it was the hustle factor of, like, getting flyers and what it means to paper the town... The next thing you know, I’m sitting online, saying, 'OK, if I create a Web site and add links to my comedy, maybe I can start reaching out to people.'"

Click to read the full article.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Welcome to DC History

An ever growing archive of Dane articles, interviews and other media appearances from past years. If you have any, write us so we can add it. Thanks!

Las Vegas Magazine - October 4, 2009

What you have to appreciate about Dane Cook is that he's like a guy all of us know. He's that college buddy, fun sibling or cutie we pine over. When asked how he felt about being one of Time's 100 Most Influential People, he said, "I wanted to send it to every ex-girlfriend that told me I was an idiot and say 'See, I'm influential!'"

As a stand-up comedian, Cook has been able to break that celebrity stigma and connect with his audience. Whether it's through his consistent use of social networking sites or his own Web site, Cook has always used technology as a way of promoting his craft and keeping the lines of communication open with his fan base.

Please click the image above to read the full article.

ENVY Magazine - June, 2009

"I’ve been doing standup for 19 years now, and for years it was like, “Are they going to laugh at this? Is that funny? Should I say that?” I can’t tell you how many times I said that to my friends who are comedians. Then you get to a point—and it’s different with everybody—when you lock into one moment when you put a real moment into a joke that’s superfluous and silly, it scares you and you start to realize that’s where the good shit is. When I’m a little bit scared and I can cathartically share something real that fucked with my head or impacted me in a certain way and make it funny and relatable—I am there to entertain, not to be woe-is-me—and I [snaps fingers] get the laugh or light out of people."

"At this point, it’s all about truth. Even if it’s something that just makes me laugh. It may be something [having to do with] my mom and dad, dealing with that and watching them become fragile and so sickly in front of me. And I was still doing shows and making them proud, doing what they raised me to do. They were the kind of folks that if you sat too long with them, they’d say, “I’m starting to feel a little sick” and I would ask, “What do you need?” and they’d say, “I need you to go do a show. I don’t need you sitting here with me. It’s bumming me out.” That’s both of my folks. What made them healthy was me calling from the road or from movie sets saying, “I’m doing those things I told you I was going to do.”

Click here to read the full article in ENVY.

BONUS: Behind the scenes video:

Los Angeles Times - May, 2009

Dane Cook's dualities revealed in 'ISolated Incident'

The comic dude reveals a more personal, more serious side in his new show.

By Geoff Boucher >>>|May 16, 2009

On a Sunset Strip balcony, sitting beside an azure pool, Dane Cook makes the confession that America has been waiting for during his two decades as a comic. "Can I just admit to you, you're right," the 37-year-old said, holding his palms up to the sky. "Look . . . I'm not funny. I'm OK with that. I'm cool with that."

Cook is, of course, joking about his lack of humor, which, if you think about it, is kind of funny -- or maybe it's not funny at all. This is the sort of paradox that swirls around the wildly successful touring comic who, more than anyone else on the comedy scene today, can polarize a cocktail party conversation.

 Please click the images above for the full story.