I interviewed Stephen Colbert towards the middle of 2003, when it was still possible to set up an in-depth piece with Stephen that wasn’t destined for Entertainment Weekly or The New York Times.

I had followed Colbert ever since I’d seen him as a castmember of the short-lived Dana Carvey Show (bonus points if you can spot me in one of the episode openings), and I kept track of him as he moved on to Exit 57, Strangers With Candy, and then his regular spot as a correspondent on the original Craig Kilborn version of The Daily Show.

When I did this in-depth piece with Stephen, The Daily Show - under Jon Stewart - had begun to take off, and was fast becoming a strong voice in the political and journalistic landscape.

Below, you’ll find my original introduction to the piece, and then my rather large-ish chat with Stephen.
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Conducted ~early 2004

One of the great joys about being an interviewer is actually going out and, when the wind is blowing right and the stars align, getting a chance to speak to your childhood idols.

Growing up on the heavy side, one of those idols was Dom DeLuise. Be it a Mel Brooks comedy, teamed with Burt Reynolds, or pointing Kermit the Frog in the direction of Hollywood while deep in a swamp, I couldn’t get enough of him. He was, and remains, one of my favorite screen comedians. Rare is the actor whose very screen presence lights up even the dullest of flicks, and many a piece of mediocre celluloid was redeemed by a little shot of Dom.

He’s played Caesar (”Wash this!”), a hypocritical public watchdog (”Texas has a whorehouse in it!”), an agent (”Alligator!”), a sidekick (”Captain Chaos!”), and even a crow named Jeremy… With over 50 years in the business, he’s done everything from Broadway to TV, nightclubs to movies… And back again.

I got a chance to have a conversation with Dom a few years back, one which lasted many hours and touched on all aspects of his life and career. Like many a great storyteller, a conversation with Dom is rarely linear - you never know when an anecdote or a fascinating tangent will pop up, and I largely gave Dom the reins to recall and relate whatever he wanted to, when he wanted to… With many a gem uncovered in the process.
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Conducted ~2/2005

I originally conducted separate interviews with both Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean in the lead-up to the theatrical release of the film MirrorMask. Both Neil and Dave were a delight to chat with, and I only wish more time had been alotted to do both gentleman justice. Who knows? Maybe that will be rectified at some point in the future.

After interviewing Dave, I then had a sit-down (by phone, anyway) with Neil. Below, you’ll find my original intro for the piece, followed by the interview itself.
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Conducted ~2/2005

I originally conducted separate interviews with both Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean in the lead-up to the theatrical release of the film MirrorMask. Both Neil and Dave were a delight to chat with, and I only wish more time had been alotted to do both gentleman justice. Who knows? Maybe that will be rectified at some point in the future.

First up on the schedule was my conversation with Mr. McKean, Below, you’ll find my original intro for the piece, followed by the interview itself.
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IF YOU ARE MAKING A DONATION FOR OUR FUND TO HELP PAY OFF MY MOTHER’S BILLS, PLEASE PUT “For Pat” IN THE PAYPAL NOTES - AND ***THANK YOU*** ON BEHALF OF MYSELF & MY FAMILY.

As everyone surely knows, times are getting tough, and current events have hit a little close to home.

If you enjoy all of the podcasts, interviews, live events, articles, and columns I do and would like to see them - and me - keep going, PLEASE take a moment to click on the DONATE or SUBSCRIBE buttons below and give whatever you can spare.

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I’m not really known for my moments of seriousness and personal candor here in cyberspace,  so this missive will come as a bit of a surprise for those who know me well.

Four years ago, right before the holidays, the doctor found a lump in my mother’s breast. After surgery intended to remove the lump discovered deeper penetration, a second operation was scheduled to remove her left breast. It was right after Thanksgiving.

Months of chemotherapy followed, and my mother was given a clean bill and told the cancer was gone. After a few more months of recovery, she began counting the months and years that would bring her to that magic number for cancer survivors - 5 years out. Expecting she was well on her way towards that goal, she had the port that was surgically installed to deliver her chemotherapy removed earlier this year. After all, she was almost 4 years cancer free, with only one year to go.

And then, nearly four years to the day when the original cancer was found, another lump was discovered in her right breast. Surgery was performed, and the biopsy came back positive for cancer.

The bitch was back.

It was also found that the cancer had metastasized. Tests have been performed. Chemotherapy has begun again. Hopes are high that the bitch can be beat back into remission, leaving my mother many, many more years with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

She did it once, and she’ll do it again.

However, I want to keep my mother’s spirits up, and I want to utilize the power of this here internet to whom my livelihood has been intertwined for almost 15 years. And not only am I hoping for the assistance of the thousands of people whom I’ve befriended and worked with in those years, but also the kindness of total strangers.

With that in mind, I’m hoping that whoever reads this post - or has it forwarded to them - will take some of their valuable time and help me keep my mother’s spirits bright and her outlook optimistic.

Over the course of this holiday season and into the coming year, I’m hoping my mother will receive an avalanche of postcards from around the world - fun and funny postcards - with the well wishes of those who send them. Postcards sent by you, the person reading this now.

And, in addition to the postcards - if you have the inclination and means - please take a moment to make a donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Please send your postcards to:

PAT PLUME
808 BARN ST.
JACKSONVILLE, NC 28540

On behalf of myself and my family, I thank you all.

I still stand by my choice. Bastards.

The lost opening titles to the MGM Westerns of the 50’s…

I’m bored.

Bored?

Yes, bored.

Why are you bored?

Because there’s absolutely nothing to do.

Surely there must be something…

Nothing.

You could read something…

I’ve read everything.

Everything?

Yes, everything.

You can’t have read every book ever published…

I have.

You have?

Yes.

That’s amazing. That’s, like, billions of books…

I did it last summer. When I was bored.

How could you…

I’m a fast reader.

But every…

Yes. Every.

Ummm… How about movies? Do you want to go see…

Seen ‘em.

All of them?

All of them. Some good ones in there.

TV?

Every show.

You could go outside…

It’s raining.

The internet?

Seen it all. Lots of porn and cats.

Huh.

Yeah.

I’m all out of questions.

And I’m bored.

But I’ve been talking to you…

And now you’re done.

You’re right.

And you’re boring.