i5

Yes, it's me — Marc Hershon – your host and chauffeur for this special Podfest Halfisode, Epi115 and a half of Succotash, the Comedy Podcast Podcast. Record as I drove down Interstate 5 this morning between San Francisco and Los Angeles, don't be looking for any clips in this sucker.

It's just me, yacking about whatever came into my head. Some ruminating about my performance as the emcee for last night's TEDx Marin event, and some cogitating about the state of podcasting today.

Or it WAS going to be just about me. Halfway down the road I got tired of hearing my own voice and so called longtime friend and past Succotash guest Rick Overton, the host of Overview, his own podcast over on the Sideshow Network.

We chatted about his guest appearance on Blunt Talk, the new Patrick Stewart show on Starz, as well as his landing a new national commercial for GE. And about Kelly Carlin' new book, The Carlin Home Companion: Growin Up With George. Rick was among a vast cadre of mutual friends who showed up just the other night at the Barnes & Noble in the Grove shopping center in Los Angeles for her book signing and reading.

As I write this, I am at an undisclosed location in Burbank, shaking out my brand new Succotash t-shirt and getting all spiffed up to register at the Sofitel for the 4th Annual Los Angeles Podcast Festival. Hopefully, throughout this weekend, I'll be posting a series of Succotash minisodes featuring interviews with whomever manage to snag in my podcast snare.

Check back for those soon, and please remember to pass the Succotash!

— Marc Hershon

Another stop along Interstate 5

I've done it again. Recorded a rambling edition of the podcast while tooling north on Interstate 5 between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Fair warning: There are no clips in this epi, so if you're dropping by to grab our usual sampler platter, apologies. This is just one man, one mic, and 400 miles of tarmac.

I WILL be back with the usual array of clips, interviews, etc., in a few days with Episode 62, but I was busy and also away from my technology for a few days, so this mini-sode tides us over in the meantime.

During my ramble, I tell you about why I was in LA (mostly for a friend's 40th birthday), some of the people I saw (including podcasters), and I even offer a few suggestions for comedy podcasters in terms of how to, perhaps, better find your funny as you're during your own show.

This "Bonus Edition" runs about 45 minutes - twice as long as my first I-5 mumble - and it was an interesting time to pass part of my journey. Hopefully, you'll find it a bemusing part of one of yours, too.

Until next time, please pass the Succotash!

— Marc Hershon

WARNING: This is NOT a "regular" episode of Succotash, the Comedy Podcast Podcast. No clips. No interviews. No TweetSack.

Call it an experiment. I was driving back to San Francisco after a weekend in Los Angeles. While in the southland I visited with a number of podcasters, comedians and past guests of Succotash: Rick Overton, Matt Weinhold, Ethan Dettenmaier, Shawn Marek, Travis Clark, Brandi Clark, Jon Manfrellotti, and Chris Gore.

My conversations with all those folks invariably came around to podcasting. Why do we do it? Where is it going? And what does it all mean? Collectively, we batted those concepts and more around in our little discussion groups but - once I was alone, trapped in my car (Studio F) for the six hour Kessel Run back to The City By The Bay, the questions continued to bounce around in my head.

So I fished out my trusty iPhone 5, my iRig Cast mic, and rambled into it for about 26 minutes. I ruminated on my show, other shows, and the podcasting industry as a whole. I wondered aloud about our listenship, the respect that podcasters may or may not be due, and all of the entertainment that's regularly provided for free by an ever-widening pool of podcasters around the world.

Don't worry — it's not a signal that we're changing direction at Succotash. We've got another clip-filled extravaganza coming right around the corner with Episode 52. But one beautiful thing about this artform (if I may be afforded the chance to refer to it as such), is that a person can do anything they want from this side of the microphone. On the flip side, listeners don't have to listen to it.

So this is, as I said in the beginning, an experiment.

If you like it, let me know. If you hate it, let me know. Email, Facebook, Twitter, the Succotash Hotline (818.921.7212) — there's plenty of ways for you to get your thoughts and feedback to me.

And I'll be back with our usual bag o' podcast clips in our very next episode! So don't be afraid to pass the Succotash.

— Marc Hershon

Episode 2 will feature Cascada's hit song "Everytime We Touch" candlelight remix, dreamstreet's very own Greg Raposo's 1st sigle, "Cinderella" by I5, and singer/songwriter Monet http://www.monetrox.com