A Comic's Life
I’ve been an avid Steve Martin fan since I first heard his stand-up comedy album, Let’s Get Small, in 1977. Later, I would catch him on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Saturday Night Live performing his stand-up and funny skits.
Later, as he transitioned into movies, I enjoyed watching his stories unfold in The Jerk, LA Story, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and others from his long list of film accomplishments. And while I was painting murals for the Hollywood Video retail chain, I even painted a couple featuring him, including “Staring Steve Martin,” in 1992, which won a national mural competition.
So, when I discovered his audiobook, “Born Standing Up,” I was immediately curious, and for good reason. From his first few words, “I did stand-up comedy for eighteen years. Ten of those years were spent learning, four of those years were spent refining, and four were spent in wild success.” I was hooked. I loved that while most thought he was an overnight success, he had invested fourteen years preparing for that success.
In short, success doesn’t just happen. Not for Steve. Not for anyone. With that, I continued to enjoy his audiobook, read by him, as I walked my happy feet through its four-hour overview of his journey. I found it both compelling and inspiring, so I felt driven to share it with you. I hope you enjoy it as well.
Thank you, Steve.
In the mid-70s, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up. In 1981 he quit forever. Born Standing Up is, in his own words, the story of "why I did stand-up and why I walked away". At age 10 Martin started his career at Disneyland, selling guidebooks in the newly opened theme park. In the decade that followed, he worked in the Disney magic shop and the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott's Berry Farm, performing his first magic/comedy act a dozen times a week. The story of these years, during which he practiced and honed his craft, is moving and revelatory.
Martin illuminates the sacrifice, discipline, and originality that made him an icon and informs his work to this day. To be this good, to perform so frequently, was isolating and lonely. It took Martin decades to reconnect with his parents and sister, and he tells that story with great tenderness. Martin also paints a portrait of his times: the era of free love and protests against the war in Vietnam, the heady irreverence of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late 60s, and the transformative new voice of Saturday Night Live in the 70s.
Copyright © 2007 Simon & Schuster Audio. Used for editorial.
Steve Martin Hollywood Video mural by A.D. Cook, 1992
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A.D. is an artist who started drawing at a young age. Throughout his life, he has worked with different creative tools in traditional and digital art and design. His art and writings have been showcased in various publications such as Airbrush Action Magazine, Airbrush Magazine, American Art Collector, Art & Beyond, Dream To Launch, Easyriders, Las Vegas City Life, Las Vegas Weekly, L’Vegue, ModelsMania, Quick Throttle, and The Ultimate Airbrush Handbook.
